Get rid of it, don't move it

Unloading unneeded household items before your next move is a good idea. (Photo: iStockphoto)

Are you looking to move this summer? If you are, try not to move more stuff than you need into your new home. Take it from me -- if you do, you'll come to regret it.

Rushed packing

Nearly seven years ago, my husband and I moved into our first home. Friends helped us with the move, helping cart all our boxes of books, mementos and old belongings to our basement.

We ran out of time packing up our apartment, so instead of sorting through everything and making sure we were only taking what we needed, we threw everything into boxes and moved it all. We'd have time to go through those boxes once we were settled in our new home, we figured.

During that move, one of our friends commented that he moved the very same heavy boxes -- which had never been opened -- from our previous apartment the year before.

With a pregnancy about two months after moving into our new home, and the birth of our twins, we haven't looked at those boxes -- which take up about half of our basement -- for more than seven years now. And with our busy lives, it's likely that we'll never sort through all those boxes -- no matter how often I say I will.

Unload before you move

The lesson behind all of this is that if you are planning a move, don't make the same mistake my husband and I did. Give yourself enough time to sort through your belongings before moving day arrives, and only bring to your new home what you absolutely need.

Otherwise, you'll end up with years' worth of accumulated junk and may wind up with additional moving expenses that you could have avoided paying. (Or if you get friends and family to help you, you may strain a back or two.)

Where to get help

There are many of free ways (as well as services you can pay for) these days to get rid of unneeded junk. Some of those I've tried and liked include giving items to the Vietnam Veterans of America (my No. 1 favorite -- they come to your house and pick up everything curbside), donating to local charity clothing drop-off bins, and Craigslist.org. I haven't had much luck with garage sales -- even when I teamed up with neighbors to hold a block sale. Maybe that says something about the quality (or lack thereof) of my stuff.—Lauren Baier Kim