This post is sponsored by TriState Moving and Storage; nonetheless, this post is only filled with my honest thoughts! 

First things first: I am not moving this month. In fact, our goal is to move in the summer. This brings me to the very point of this post: When you’re a super busy, active person, you have to get a jump start on moving so that you can chop away at it a little bit at a time! The longer you wait to tackle the challenge of moving, the harder it gets, and the more negative your experience. Moving is stressful enough without adding self-inflicted stress on top of it!

Moving is one of those things that is always miserable for me, which is why my goal is to hire professional movers to make an already complicated process quicker, easier, and less complicated than it absolutely has to be (and less painful on all of my muscles! Moving without professional help is so physically demanding!). Through a lot of trial and error, I’ve come to the conclusion that this is the best way to do it if you can afford to do it!

1. PURGE: You know those clothes that you “are going to fit back into one of these days?” They probably don’t have any sentimental value, and you’ve probably been telling yourself this for … more than a couple of years? Donate them! If and when you are able to fit into them again, they’re probably not going to be in style, and you’re going to want to reward yourself with something new anyway! Clothing and accessories that you haven’t worn for a couple of years that aren’t specialty clothing (i.e. maybe some jeans that you thought were cute when they were still on-trend, a scarf that matched something that you no longer own, etc.) should definitely be donated. There are so many different organizations to which you can donate, so why are you keeping all of these things shoved in drawers and closets collecting dust? Give them to someone in need! I’ve been separating mine into three piles: Professional clothing, casual clothing, and activewear. My little sister gets first dibs at the activewear, I donate the professional clothing to an organization that supports families transitioning out of homeless, and I donate the casual clothes to a number of other organizations. It’s just taking up space in your home (and your heart). Why lug it to your next home if you don’t have to? 


2. REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE: Maybe, like me, you’re not planning to move right away. Surely you know someone who is moving between now and your projected move date. See if you can have some of their boxes when they’re done moving. You can also check with grocery stores, stores in the mall, and office buildings for used boxes. Make sure they’re sturdy, clean, and in good shape (and that also means not a weird shape!) before you take them home with you.  
3. STORE THE SEASONAL STUFF: Thanksgiving is over. Are you going to need your Thanksgiving decor again before your next move? Maybe you can pack it up and label it now! You get bonus points for this if you use reusable storage bins and keep them labeled year-round. There’s no need in keeping these items unpacked in the weeks leading up to your move date (plus, who is really trying to go all out with decorating weeks before moving anyway?). Which brings me to my next tip... 


4. DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE! Have you ever done this? I have, and it is THE. WORST. The more rushed you are, the more likely you are to break things, pack things you don’t need, pack things you do need, but in the wrong box… you get the point! If you have time to chip away at it now, go for it! You’re a busy person, and you’re not going to get any less busy when you’re closer to your move-in date, that’s for sure! 

Image: TriState Moving & Storage

5. HIRE SOME GOOD HELP IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT! I’ve helped friends and family move who have hired companies to help them move, and I cannot even begin to tell you how much faster and easier it can make the whole process. Don’t do what we did when we moved into our place a few years ago. Want a good horror story? We decided to do it on our own with the help of some friends. We had to rent the moving truck for a few extra days, we had both done a rush job on packing in the week leading up to the big move, and we couldn’t find half the stuff we needed when we finally got moved in! Needless to say, we were very mad at each other by the end of it. That is not how you want to start your time living in your new home! Consider a company like TriState Moving & Storage so that you can spend more time settling into your new place, and less time icing your back. Side note: I love that this company is local. I actually have to pass them on my way to and from my volleyball league on Thursday nights!