Moving is always an eye opener for the amount of stuff you have accumulated. This is one of the few times that you are really going through everything to see what you have and what you for forgot you had or even wish that you forgot you had. One thing that helps to get a handle of what you have and what you need to get rid of is to create a system. This system is going to help you make sure that you are focusing on what you really need to keep and also make sure that you are not doing double duty by moving things that you will be getting rid of. It also helps you when you are waste deep in decisions and are so tired that it’s easier to just throw everything into a box and deal with it later. DON’T DO THAT! You will just create a bigger mess later on and have more to deal with. Take it on now, even if that means its section by section or room by room. It is true what they say, that once you have accomplished one room you get excited to continue. But what they don’t say is that your one “done” room makes all your other rooms look like a hot mess and might even disgust you and make you want to close the door so that it never sees the light of day. This is what I use as my motivation to get the other rooms accomplished. If your really that tired, go watch a episode or five of TLC’s Hoarders. That always gets my butt moving and makes me want to make a difference. Please don’t think that I am picking on these people. I understand that they have a problem and need help. I also have family members that are hoarders and it pains me to see them live that way. But what it does teach me is that a small thing can snow ball into a monster of a problem if not taken care of asap.
– The first thing that you need to keep in mind is what your end goal is. This can happen if you have an idea of what you want your rooms to look like. You can pull inspiration from the color pallet that was used in your wedding, since they should be the colors that you both like. Take these colors and plug them into sites like Pinterest. Do you want to create a romantic and bold room? Or something softer and more in the pastels colors? Knowing the end result is going to make your choices easier on what to keep and what to get rid of. This can work even with a shoe string budget. When both your families and friends want to get you gifts for your first place ask for gift cards to Bed Bath and Beyond or Macys. These stores are always throwing sales and you can furnish your house cheaper then you expected. This might mean waiting and stocking up on days like black Friday or after Christmas to make your dollar really stretch.
– The second thing to start doing is getting rid or phasing out things that don’t meet what you want your end goal to look like. Now I understand the need to keep sentential items and those items need to be considered when planning. That might mean getting a trunk to hold and store special blankets or using Scrapbooks and pretty boxes to house cards, photos and past memories. Again, use sites like Pinterest to get inexpensive ideas that you can make at home to store your items
– The third thing that you should do is see what you can sell before you donate anything. I am a huge supporter of donating items to the needy and feel that we all should do our part. But I also remember what it is like to start out in a new marriage at a young age. You learn the art of making money squeal because you are pinching pennies so well. Depending on how old you are when you get married this may not be the case. But it is still smart to be wise with your money. This mean selling everything you can. Try holding a yard sale; post your items on Ebay or Craigst list. Anything that you can do to sell the items you no longer need. Then feel free to take that money and buy the items that you actually need for the house. It’s better to recycle the money you have spent then to just always pay out of pocket for something. One of the benefits of selling things is that it starts to become addicting. The thrill of learning how to sell something and get paid what you want is a great habit to start learning early on. It helps you maintain a good budget when it comes to keeping your house furnished and this skill comes in handy later on when negotiating salaries for jobs, and other buying adventures. This can even be done by consigning your goods. Since the recession took place there has been a lot of barging going on. I personally love using my local consignment store to keep my wardrobe looking amazing and hardly pay anything in the process.
– Last, what ever you cant sell, make sure you donate. It is always better to donate things to the needy then to throw it out. You would be surprised what can be taken by your local women’s shelter, Salvation Army or other thrift store. These places even can come and pick up your items and save you a trip to their location. The best part is that anything that you donate is tax deductible.
