I am about to move 3 times within the next year! This calls for organization, simple living, packing, and space saving. My husband is going on externship rotations for optometry school, and we get to travel until he graduates May 2019! We are first headed to Des Moines and then Phoenix and then TBD! The TBD will be wherever we want to finally settle and open a practice of our own! This is the ultimate goal. I have been so used to living in small spaces and moving around so much that I have it down pat. I will say, moving a lot really makes you downsize and live a bit more simple. I have donated a whole lot of clothes and shoes to Goodwill and close friends. Since we are going to be moving so much and living in studio apartments, I only need to bring the essentials! I also have the smallest car, really re-thinking about getting an SUV… but anyway, here are some organization hacks that I swear by!
I need more space! Vacuum space bags, quite literally have saved my life!
It is no secret, this girl loves clothes! It is amazing how many articles of clothing you can fit into these bags. I plan on loading them up in the trunk of my small chevy coupe. They are so easy to use, and I love that they are clear so I can see exactly what is in there. You can find these space bags at Target and in all different sizes. I’ve linked them and everything at the bottom of this post. They are really great to store bulky seasonal items like your sweaters and coats, even pillows and blankets. All you need is a vacuum attachment to hook it up, turn it on, and voila! Space Saved!
When you end up sharing a closet with your husband and live in a studio apartment, it requires all the space saving hacks you can get! I used to use plastic hangers and when I bought my first pack of velvet space saving hangers I couldn’t believe my eyes! I had so much more space and since then, ditched the plastic and went velvet. You can also find these at Target, Homegoods, TJ Maxx and Marshalls. I’ve linked them below! These are the only hangers I buy and use, even my husband uses them!
The best moving tip I can give you…number your boxes! Let me tell you why I have chose to number my boxes. I have a lot of boxes actually going home to Pittsburgh to keep at my parents for the next 8 months and that is definitely a decent amount of time to forget what is in those boxes and what you even have. When you look out at the sea of brown boxes it can definitely feel overwhelming. I’m sure you have been in this exact situation… you can finally can breathe a sigh of relief that all of the boxes have been unloaded from the truck and into your new home or apartment…well now what? Which box do I start unpacking first? This is why I number each box and have a notebook that has each number and a list of what is in the box. Now you don’t have to list every single item in the box, but if you have a favorite pair of shoes or your favorite piece of artwork or spatula, write it down under your numbered box list to be able find what you need quickly and easily.
Number your moving boxes and keep a written list of key items that are in your boxes. This will save you so much stress!
When you don’t have, or want to have a whole lot of furniture, use bins with handles! I love cloth bins for storage. I keep my casual clothes, underwear, socks, workout clothes and shorts in these. Since we have been moving around so much these are quite literally my drawers! I like to hang most of my clothes in the closet, for personal preference, but these are great for those extra pieces that don’t do well hung up. These are also ready to be carried right to the car! No unpacking needed here! You can also find these at Target, Homegoods, TJMaxx and Marshalls. I’ve linked some of my favorites below!
I hope you all enjoyed my little packing post! This is my real life currently, it’s not so glam at the moment, however I love that we are going to get to do a little traveling here for the next year. Drop a comment below about your favorite space saving or moving hack!
Life is not meant to be lived in one place and there is beauty in simplicity.
Such great tips, Erika! I can’t wait to follow you on all of your adventures over the next year!! xoxo
Those are really good tips girl! Those velvet hangers are good for space saving purposes. I have not moved in so long I can’t think of a favorite hack. What I will say is get rid of everything that you possibly can so you don’t have to take it with you.
You know it! I just don’t want to carry as little as possible.
Great tips girl! Vacuum bags are a total lifesaver! Good luck on the move. You will be missed.
– http://www.coffeevschai.com
aw thank you! I will miss you! They really have made my packing a whole lot easier.
These are great tips! I love using the velvet hangers. I bought a pack post college and haven’t looked back.
Also, those vacuum seal bags are great as well! That’s how I got all my clothes to fit in my car when I moved from NY to Memphis.
Good luck on the move(s)- it’s surely not fun!
For real! Its the best. Thank you I will need all the luck 🙂