I see you there. Sitting amid freshly acquired boxes, a brand new roll of packing tape and a very detailed to-do list in hand … with a panicked look on your face. You don’t want to do the work of moving (which is why you spent so much time on that list of things you need to do), but it’s getting real. You have to leave this place and start over in a new one and there’s a whole lot of stress and work to get from one side to the other. Add to that the summer heat, along with the little voice in the back of your head that yells “Summer is for vacation and relaxing, not stressful endeavors like packing up all of your belongings and totally changing your life!”
No matter how you slice it, moving is no fun. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to help you survive your move a little more gracefully this summer …
1Set a moving budget.
Moving is expensive, and without planning, can be more expensive still. Things I forgot to account for in my moving budget recently: food. At the end of a packing session, making a meal was the last thing I wanted to do. And while I did need to prioritize my energy and sanity by eating easy convenient meals (take-out, prepackaged, frozen meals, etc.), these took a toll on my wallet. For your move, try balancing the Chick-fil-A runs with some crock pot meals, or frozen-ahead-of-time meals. But at the end of the day, just make sure you plan for some extra spending for food, so it doesn’t surprise you later on.
2Knock off easy items on your to-do list.
For example, changing your mailing address is not hard, can be done online, and takes a couple of minutes. When your packing momentum goes out the window, you can focus on smaller items that are just as necessary. Remember that you will probably receive the gift of the adrenaline rush when your move deadline comes closer, so don’t despair if you are moving slowly through your to-do list, as long as you’re moving.
3Get creative with packing materials.
Buying boxes and bubble wrap adds up, and why buy when you can reuse? Whenever you are out on errands, ask the stores you shop at if they have boxes you can use. Then, use your towels and sheets to cushion fragile items. Keep a couple of towels out to have on hand, but the rest will bring your vases and dinner plates safe to your new place.
If you are driving to a new place, pack a suitcase and a box or two of essentials to keep in the car. These might include important documents, clothes, toiletries, a pillow, blanket, and a few dishes. Whatever your essentials are, keep them close!
4Find help.
Moving is stressful. Don’t try to do everything yourself. Enlist friends, family, and neighbors. Take people up on offers to babysit if you have kids or to provide moral support while you pack. And going forward, when you’re settled in your own place, pay it forward and help the people around you move.
5Bonus Tip: Ask for the intercession of the patron saint of moving.
Thanks to a Google search, I’ve discovered there isn’t an “official” patron of moving. But, there are a couple of suggestions that caught my eye. One is St. Joseph. He helps people sell their houses, so he probably wouldn’t mind interceding for you as you get packed up and moved out. Another suggested patron saint of moving is St. Frances Cabrini. She founded many hospitals and orphanages in her time in the United States, and moved a lot in order to keep helping the poor and underserved.
At the end of the day, remember: this too shall pass. You’ll be somewhat settled in a new place and routine before too long. St. Frances Cabrini and all you saints that help with moving, pray for us!
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