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Every year after my last final, I start to pack everything in my room in a haste and then I just hate myself for not starting earlier. Depending on how much stuff you have, it can be a breeze but if you like to hoard all your stuff like I do, it becomes a time and energy consuming task. I hate having to throw away stuff that I know I am going to need again so hopefully this article can offer some tips to help you move your stuff in a quick and efficient manner!
1. Makeup
I know that you may have a bunch of makeup and some may be old and some may be new. But if you are trying to get rid of makeup and need a way to justify it, a lot of makeup products have a little symbol on the back of the product that tells you how long it should last. If you have time, maybe you can check that and throw away some makeup that’s expired or just don’t want anymore! Also a helpful tip for moving makeup and not breaking it is putting a cotton ball in your palettes to keep it from shattering during your move.
2. Clothes on hangers, leave it like that!
If you have clothes that are already hanging on hangers in the closet, you can keep them on when you move them! Take a bunch (any number of your choice but you shouldn’t really put too many in each bag because they will rip. Take a clean, big trash bag and make a hole in the bottom of the bag so the hooks of the hangers can go through and then cover the clothes and if you can, tie it on the bottom so dirt and dust don’t get in!
3. Going home before the end of the quarter? Someone from home visiting before the end of the quarter?
If you are heading home before the end of the quarter, you can bring some things that you know you’re not going to need so you will have more space in the car when you move your stuff back at home! Or if you know someone is coming to visit you from home, you can have them bring home a duffel bag or two of clothes you might not need anymore (like winter clothes). That way, you will have less to deal with here in addition to the finals and cleaning you know you’re going to be dreading very soon.
4. Took a class that you don’t need the books for anymore?
A good way to have less while moving out is to sell the books that you don’t think you need anymore! You can start by listing it on the Free and For Sale page or put them to the side so you can sell it back to the bookstore or other third party buyers. I would also try selling it to other students first because the bookstore doesn’t really give you much money back. This way, you can get rid of it before the end of the quarter (let’s be real, those books can get pretty heavy and can take up a lot of space) and not have to deal with those books or thinking about that class anymore.
5. Buy reusable tote boxes or storage bins instead of cardboard boxes!
It is cheap to buy some cardboard boxes when you’re moving but if you invest in storage bins or tote boxes instead, you can reuse them again and again. During the year, you can also use them to organize your things in the bins. For example, you can use one for shoes and one for sheets. They are also quite affordable for $6-7 from Home Depot! You can stack them too and they can easily slide under the bed if you have under the bed space!
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6. Try to sell the things you don’t find useful anymore!
One person’s trash can be another person’s treasure! Plus, you can make a couple extra bucks and buy something to treat yo self! If no one wants it, you can always donate it! If you don’t want your clothes anymore, you can donate it or bring it to H&M where they have a clothes recycling program and you can get a discount on your purchase for your donation too!