This isn't a revolutionary statement, but MOVING IS HARD. It's especially challenging when you are a proud maximalist like me. I lived in my last apartment for three years and had ample storage space. Over that time period I accumulated a lot of junk and never had to get rid of anything. So when I decided to pack up and move downtown into a tiny apartment, I had to make some major changes.

Just in case any of you are moving soon, I compiled a list of random things that helped my moving process a little bit easier!

01. Start Early

This is dramatic (surprise), but I started preparing to move seven months ahead of time. Some people laughed at me, but I did this in order to make my life easier in the long run. Once a week, I would go through my clothes and other stuff to trim down my belongings. I'm sure a hard core minimalist would have been able to do it faster, but I have a tendency to hold onto things for far too long.

02. The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army offers a free pick up service for items you want to donate, and it was a lifesaver. The trick is you need to schedule pick ups with them WAY in advance because they book up quickly. I had donation pick ups scheduled every other month for my roommates and I. It was extremely helpful and convenient, but make sure to check their list of approved donation items! Click here to schedule a donation pick up.

03. Craigslist

My other favorite tool during the moving process was Craigslist. My apartment was huge, so I had a lot of large furniture that I had to sell. Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace made it super easy to sell everything off! The trick with Craigslist is that listings expire after seven days, so you have to remember to repost your items if they don't sell.

04. Movers

Moving in NYC is hard enough as it is, so I always make my life easier by hiring movers. It's totally worth the money in my opinion! Before committing to one moving company, it's wise to price out several to make sure you're getting the best rate possible.

05. Measure everything

Learn from my mistakes and take measurements of your new space before moving. It's pretty terrible arriving with your furniture only to find out it wont fit in the doorway. (BUT it is possible to take a door off its hinges in a desperate situation!)

06. Cleaning

As you can imagine, NYC is a weird place to live sometimes and, depending on your landlord, your new apartment might not be professionally cleaned before you move in. I like to get into the space before the movers arrive with all my stuff to deep clean everything. Or you can always use the affordable cleaning service TaskRabbit to do it for you!

Click here for $10 off your first TaskRabbit!

07. Let it go

I am a very organized person, but letting go of material possessions has never been my strong-suit. You just never know when you are going to need something! The trick that helped me most while purging my stuff was the Marie Kondo method. If an item didn't "spark joy" when I picked it up or if it had a negative memory attached to it, then I would let it go. I know it sounds a little silly, but it really did help! Click here to check out her best selling book. (Having a friend play the yes/no game while you go through stuff is also extremely helpful.)

08. Moving boxes

If you're moving on a budget you should ask your local grocery store if they have any free boxes you can have. Another environmentally friendly option would be to rent moving bins. There are so many companies, like these, who will drop off heavy duty plastic bins for you and then pick them up after your move.