Packing tips

The Housewife here!

So, over the past few months, DH and I made the decision to separate. I am moving back to my home state and taking our son with me. I have been really busy trying to pack up a whole house (DH is moving into a smaller place, I'm helping him pack, he's also moving to my home state when he receives his tax return) while chasing my very mobile 1-year old. This whole thing has been a hell of an experience. I've learned many things about myself and have shown myself that my ability to simplify chaos is REALLY handy.

I am not rich by any means. DH and I often live pay check to pay check and are of the mindset that if our baby has what he needs, we can go without if necessary. This whole packing and moving thing is not cheap. Sure, I've moved but I was also lucky enough to have a very large, very local support network of friends and family and didn't have half of the things that I have now. Truthfully speaking, I have never moved as a real, live adult *GASP*! Now, as a 20 year old single mother of one with gray hair, I can safely say I am moving as an adult! We are doing this by ourselves. The only things coming with me to Texas are clothes and necessary baby items (and the baby, too of course!); basically, what will fit in the trunk of a Chevy Cobalt.

Needless to say, I do not have much time until I move. I do not have much space to store things (a small shed behind the house) and I do not have much space to haul things. I have discovered some thrifty investments that make packing a breeze. I am actually starting to ENJOY this grueling process and I think that my hard learned lessons will benefit someone out there!

Lesson one: Do not move clothes in plastic bags.
Sure, it seems cheap, fast and easy... but in the long run, packing and moving clothing in plastic bags takes more time and effort than you'd think. Plastic bags rip. Most people double-bag their clothing in order to prevent rips, but rips happen. The plastic bag almost always goes in the trash. You just spend money on something knowing you are going to destroy it and throw it in the trash. Trash bags are bulky and don't fit well in trunks of cars/back seats without taking up space and leaving awkward areas to place other items in. I wish I had taken a picture of the mess I made - I packed three closets full of clothing in trash bags (I spent $10 on "good bags" at Lowes), attempted to move them out to our shed and ended up with clothes all over my backyard! I packed efficiently, too!

Thrifty investment tip: Get yourself some of these (or something very similar). They're called "Space Bags." I'm sure all of you have seen them on TV, late at night when you're sitting on your couch eating a bowl of your kid's cereal because you can't sleep. Do not buy them from TV - they overcharge. Find yourself a deal online! They are super handy. I packed ALL of my clothes in 4 XL bags and vacuumed the air out of them. By doing this, I am now able to lay the 4 incredibly thin bags at the bottom of the trunk of the car and stack things on top of them. This literally cut the space the clothing would have taken up by over 60%.

Lesson two: Sometimes, it's okay to buy boxes.
Yeah,  I know you guys are saying "what!?" but the fact of the matter is, if you factor in gas for travel (to find the right sized box at a place that gives them away for free, often times you're chancing making a pointless trip) and the inconvenience of wasting time, it's often times cheaper to just hike yourself up to the U-HAUL store and purchase that one specific box you need so desperately.

Thrifty investment tip: Most of the time, moving stores have a deal where you can pay a small fee, use the box and bring it back, or you can buy used boxes for really cheap. I bought two really big boxes (think: big enough to fit a 90's style projector TV in) for $6. I could have picked up one from a lady who lived 20 minutes away (that's over $6 in gas) and another from a gentleman who lived 17 minutes away (also over $6 in gas, as this trip was longer mileage wise but shorter time wise). In the end, going to a moving store was the cheapest bet. I'm keeping my boxes and will reuse them again for something, I'm sure. I will definitely get my $6 out of them!
 Lesson number three: buy everything you need AFTER you move.
I know it's tempting to stock up on everything you need when you get the chance, but when you are moving, this is not a good idea. Think about it. Use every last drop of shampoo, conditioner, body product, cleaning product, etc. that you have in your house (this allows you to get rid of all of the extra bottles so you don't have to move them), move, THEN shop.  The same goes for groceries. If you are lucky enough to have a large grocery budget, now is the time to live like you can't. Eat PB&J sandwiches for lunch. Make tuna mac for dinner. Only buy ingredients that are necessary for completing a dish that contains mostly ingredients you found in your cabinets.


Thrifty investment tip: This is actually FREE! Check out this website; Allrecipes.com allows you to search for recipes that include ingredients you've already got! It's a really big help. You'd never think to use the ingredients you have in some of the ways listed on this site!


Lesson number four: now is not the time to be a pack-rat.
This was the hardest lesson for me to learn. I have sentimental attachments to inanimate objects. It's a bad habit of mine. I realized rather quickly in the beginning of this process that  I would have no choice but to get rid of some of the things we had accumulated over the past few years. It hurt my heart a little but it made no sense to hold onto a good majority of these items. By the end of week 3, I had donated 4 car loads (think: 90 model Cadillac sedan) of items ranging from dishes and cutlery to a bed frame. None of these items were neccessities and it felt really good to rid myself of them.

Thrifty investment tip: Get Goodwill/the thrift store of your choice to pick up your unwanted items AND get a tax write off for them.


That's all I've got for today, y'all - I've been working on this for a few days! Any more tips, etc. would be greatly welcomed!

HW