Moving to a new home in the near future?  If so, you have a lot of work ahead of you!  In my experience, it really pays to plan early and carefully for the move.  And I cannot stress the importance of packing your things in a neat and organized manner if you want to save some bucks and/or if you’re on a budget.

Benefits of being this organized:

1. Reduce Chaos and Clutter - I hate it when I can’t find things.  After a move, it is very likely your new home will be chaotic, having to dig through several boxes for tools to put up shelves, or a piece of clothing for work can be frustrating.  Many times when people can’t find something right away, they go to the store and buy the item again and that is sometimes how they end up with multiples of something they really only needed one of.

2. Save Time - Knowing what boxes hold what items can save you a lot of time simply by, again, not having to look too hard for items and/or not going to a store to buy a replacement for the missing item.  It also saves time for setting up your new home.  If you’ve packed well, you know which boxes hold items that should go in what room or area in your new home.

3. Save Money -  Not buying multiples of “lost” items obviously saves money.  Where I personally save the most cash from packing is food.  For me, the most important area to be organized while packing is the kitchen.  I don’t like having to eat out or order in because I can’t find ingredients or a pot to cook with, or a plate to eat on.  Usually the first dinner in our new home is delivery pizza.  It is ordered more for my friends who have helped me move - I like to feed them as a thank you.  After that, I unpack my kitchen stuff and all my meals can be prepared from home easily.

As I mentioned in previous posts about moving, I organize my stuff and begin packing long before the big day.  I start by taking inventory of all my stuff starting with the items in my storage area because it makes sense to pack items you do not use/need regularly first like gardening supplies (if you’re moving in the winter) or Holiday decor.  I then walk around my house, open cabinets and poke through shelves. I list down the items that we won’t use again until after the move like off-season clothing and sporting equipment, extra blankets and sheets, umbrellas (if it is dry season), books I am not currently reading, etc.

After making the list, I start packing the not -regularly used items first.  Make sure you label your boxes well!  It is not enough to label boxes only with the room they are supposed to go into, but instead label them like this:  Room, person/s items belong to, and a general list of items in the box.  E.g. Home Office/Den, Margarita, Operations and other Manuals.

Pack a few items every week before moving if possible.  As moving day looms nearer, you’ll keep finding things that you won’t need again until after that day. Pack those first.  The day/night before moving pack everything but keep some easy-to-get-to couple of boxes/bags for cleaning supplies, sheets, clothing for the next 2 days, one set of utensils, plates and cups, toiletries, snack items, bottles of water, paper and pens that you’ll keep close to you and that will tide you over for the next 2 days should you need them.

Happy moving!