Moving Tips And Tricks
Oh my goodness, please excuse my absence, we are moving. Getting out of rural suburbia and moving back into the hustle and bustle of the city. For the past week and a half I have been doing nothing but applying for jobs and packing. Both of which really gives you a microscoptic look on your life. For instance, I never realized we owned 3 copies of Pink Floyd's The Wall on vinyl, where did the 3rd copy come from?!
I will talk about building a resume sometime this week but today I wanted to focus on moving tips and tricks. I will discuss where to find free boxes, what to pack first, creating a First Night Pack, and how to earn some extra cash along the way.
I never knew that a lot people purchased their boxes for moving until recently when I helped my BFF move. She had no idead that you could get free boxes, no one at her job had any idea, and some of my co-workers didn't either. Repeat after me: Liquor Store. The liquor store is my favorite place to get free boxes. Sure your new neighbors might think you have a drinking problem but you would have to be drunk to pass up on not only free but very sturdy boxes. The boxes are meant to hold 20 pounds of liquid and glass. They even have built in divider for things like vases and glasses. SCORE! Plus the employees are happy they don't have to break them down. It's honestly a win-win for everyone.
Don't be afraid to visit restaurants, convenience stores, or grocery stores for boxes as well. Restaurants are great because their boxes are typically bigger than liquor boxes but just as sturdy (shredded cheese is heavy in large amounts). Grocery store boxes might not be as sturdy but they will be great for lighter items like clothing or plush toys.
When it comes to packing I usually do it like I clean: top to bottom, inside to outside, common rooms to bedrooms, with kitchen and bathroom being last. Think about where you spend the most of your time and pack that room dead last. TIP: If you work from home pack your office last, there is less chance of you having to dig through piles of boxes to find that one document you were absolutely sure you wouldn't need until after you moved. Whatever gets packed first goes into the truck first and whatever gets packed last goes in the truck last. This way when you open up the truck, everything you need for the night will be right there up front for easy access. Speaking of what you need for the first night...
Create a First Night Pack for each person in the house, one for the pets, one for the kitchen, and one for the bathroom. Include any important documents (medical cards, utility numbers, school registration forms, Vet records, etc), change of clothes, candles, plates, cups, pet food, bowls, toothbrushes, toothpaste, one towel each, and nightlights. Also find out the number for a pizza joint in your new neighborhood. After a full day of unloading boxes and furniture NO ONE will want to cook. Better have that info on hand just in case your internet isn't available yet and you can't search for a pizza joint near you. I mentioned nightlights because you're moving into a new space that you don't know the lay out of and there are going to be boxes everywhere. You may think you're smart until you're trying to navigate a new home, in the dark, with pinkie toe crushing cardboard mines everywhere. Nightlights are softer on the eyes too compared to flashlights. This way you're also not accidentally shining the light on your sons face in the dead of night, trying to find the bathroom, resulting in both of you being fully away (sorry Tornado!).
While you are packing your belongings try to keep three garbage bags available at all times. One for actual garbage, one for donations, and finally one for selling. How much stuff do you have in your house that you have never used? Do you really need that second waffle maker? You know you're never reading that book again, right? How about a piece of furniture you're going to replace? Gather all of that up and sell it. Yes, a yard sale might sound like quite a lot considering you're already moving and it is, don't do it. However selling your old clothes and toys aren't a big hassle on EBay. Your furniture can sit on Craigslist for as long as you'd like. Plus, there are also many new and used book stores that will buy back your old books. Sure, you will not make a fortune off of this but it will give you a little extra spending money. Maybe now you have enough money to pay for an entire year of Netflix or a bigger moving truck so you don't have to make as many trips. Even if it doesn't sell then you can donate it and have a nice tax write off the next year.
I hope these tips and tricks work for you. They certainly are working for us. Wish us luck on the next stage in our lives. I can't wait to get back to the city, oh PGH how I missed you so! Until next time amigas, adios!