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Moving when you do not have to worry about cost is stressful.  Moving when you have to stick within a discount movers budget can be even more stressful.  So adding the pressure of trying to make a more environmentally conscious move on top of all that can seem like an impossible request.  But making a green move even when you are using discount movers is not as impossible as it sounds.  In fact, saving money with discount movers and being green are natural partners.

The way you choose to pack, regardless of whether you are using full service movers or discount movers to handle your move, has a huge impact on the environment.  With so many used and reusable materials available, there is no need to spend money and waste precious resources buying new boxes.  Save shipping boxes you receive and ask local retailers and grocers for boxes.  Search your local classified ads for used moving boxes.  Many people give them away or sell them for cheap when they are done moving.  In some locations in the country, you can rent reusable bins.  Even better, you can borrow them from friends and family and return them when your discount movers have moved you in.  Use old newspapers and magazines instead of new packing paper.  And linens, blankets and sweatshirts make great padding inside boxes.

In addition to the packing materials you choose, what you pack makes an impact on how green your move with discount movers is.  Get rid of the things you no longer need.  Moving them wastes gas, packing materials and adds cost to the final bill your discount movers will hand you.  Do not simply add those items to the landfill, though.  Donate them to an organization that needs them or have a yard sale.  Either option is both good for the environment and your wallet.  If they are no longer usable or in good condition, find the appropriate way to recycle them with your city or county recycling service.

The final way how you choose to pack has an impact on the environment is what you do with your packing materials when you are done with them.  Do not simply throw everything in the trash or put them in them out for recycling.  Find a good home for those reusable materials with someone else who is trying to accomplish a green move with discount movers.  Post an ad on Craigslist, your local campus student union or a neighborhood bulletin. 

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Trying to accomplish discount moving takes a lot of planning, preparation and organization.  Even if you find a great deal with a moving company that allows you to stick to your discount moving budget, you can plow right through that budget if you spend too much on packing materials.  Be smart and creative about packing and you can stay well within your discount moving budget plan. 

1.  Find use boxes and packing materials.  No matter where you live, there are people moving there.  Check neighborhood bulletin boards and listservs and classifieds like Craigslist for advertisements for free and cheap used moving boxes and materials.  And a lot of people stack their moving boxes on the curb for recycling day.  Drop by retail stores too; they are usually very happy to part with big boxes.  Free is very good for your discount moving budget. 

2.  Borrow reusable bins.  Ask friends and family for empty plastic storage bins.  They protect your belongings and you get to give them back, which means you do not have to find a home for your boxes or contribute to the landfills when you are done moving.

3.  Use blankets, linens and pillows for padding.  Use these items to help buffer things instead of buying paper or bubble wrap. 

4.  Use newspapers and magazines instead of buying packing paper.

5.  Get rid of the things you no longer want or need, instead of wasting time and money moving them.  Donate those items for a tax write off or hold a yard sale.  Either option will benefit your discount moving budget.

6.  Organize and label your essentials.  Do not waste money running to the store for items you already own but cannot find when you are unpacking.  Group toiletries, cleaning items and kitchen essentials in their own boxes, label their contents and mark them with "Open First." 

7.  Confirm and know your return dates for rental equipment, so you do not accidentally get charged late fees and ruin your discount moving budget. 

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Moving ranks as one of the most stressful events a person can go through.  Regardless of the reason for moving, it requires a lot of energy, motivation and organization.  Organization.  There are whole companies that exist to help people get organized.  In theory, it is a wonderful thing.  But finding time to get organized during a move can be a monumental task.  Allowing yourself enough time, drafting moving check lists and having a system for packing and labeling are three ways to help you get organized. 

Your first step to getting organized is, simply, allowing yourself adequate time.  Time is not something you always have control over.  But whether you have months or weeks to prepare for a move, do not procrastinate.  Get quotes from professional moving companies, moving and storage companies and equipment rental agencies as soon as you know you are moving.  The more lead time you have, the more time you have to shop around and find deals.  And the more likely you are to get the move date you want.  Start packing early too.  Begin with non essential items and work your way through everything.  Packing is a herculean task.  Do not try to do it all at once.

Moving check lists are the second way to help you get your ducks in a row.  And even the most organized and experienced mover needs moving check lists.  Some people have one master list, while others find it easier to have different moving check lists for different parts of their move.  For example, one for tasks pertaining to getting the house ready, one for personal paperwork and tasks and another for the details around physically packing and moving.  Write every task on your moving check lists, no matter how mundane it seems to you.  In the midst of moving mayhem, it is easy to forget things.  Refer to your moving check lists often and cross things off as you accomplish them.

The last tip for getting organized for your move is to come up with a system.  Tackle one room at a time or certain items at a time.  And label everything.  Every box should have the contents written on it, as well as the room in which it belongs.  Labeling not only helps you when you are unpacking, but it is useful when you are still living amidst boxes while you are packing and cannot remember what went where.  It is extremely helpful to color code or distinctively mark all boxes that belong in the same room.  It makes it easy for you and your movers (if applicable) when you are unloading and unpacking.  Number all boxes, so you can easily check if everything has been loaded and, later, unloaded.

Allowing time, drafting and utilizing moving check lists and coming up with a system of packing are three ways to help you on your way to an organized move.  Most people find as they draft their moving check lists, getting organized comes pretty naturally.

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