Minimal moving: ten ways to minimalize your move by minimizing your “stuff.”

Moving is one of the major stressors of life. Whatever can be done to help it go smoother, faster, easier is well worth the effort. Now that you are considering a move, the less stuff you have to move the better.

Starting today, begin to get rid of:

1. Broken Things.

Even though you swear you will one day fix it, you probably won’t, get rid of it now and get it out of your life.

2. Clothes that you don’t wear.

Sure you paid a lot for that suit but if you don’t feel great in it, give it away or sell it on consignment.

3. Toys the kids have out grown.

I have been known to use bribery (25 cents for each toy they donate) but it was money well spent.

4. Furniture that you really, really don’t like.

Even if it came from Great Aunt Alice, if you don’t smile each time you notice it, pass it on.

5. Kitchen items.

The kitchen is usually the room that requires the most packing boxes. Go through your dishes, Tupperware, pots, pans and appliances and keep only those things you really, truly use. If you never bake in the bread machine or use the hot dog roller grill, sell them on Craigslist or give them to someone else (who probably won’t use them either.)

6. Garage Stuff.

This is a big, messy category. In fact some people never move because they don’t have the courage to face their garages. Be ruthless. Throw away old cans of paint, give away half bottles of products you will never use again (or take them to a hazardous waste center.) If you have stored boxes and have no idea what they contain, be brave and throw them away without opening them. If you’ve gotten along without whatever is in there for 10 years, it’s a safe bet you don’t need it now. That may be too gutsy for you, go ahead and open them but do your self a favor and pitch most of it.

7. Towels and linens.

If your linen closet is another Bermuda Triangle tackle it now. Keep the best towels and use the rest for rags. Have one set of bedding for each bed and maybe a set of flannels for the winter. Reaching in to get a towel that is not stained or frayed is one of the pleasures of life.

8. Knick Knacks also known as Kitsch.

A few well-chose and well-loved pieces of table or wall decorations make a house uniquely yours and homey. Lots of dusty, forgotten things cluttering up the place diminishes the enjoyment you get from your precious pieces and makes dusting more work than it should be.

9. Photos

You know you were supposed to put photos in your album when they first came back from the developer, but now twenty years have passed and those prints are in a big, jumbled mess in a box and your digital camera is full to over-flowing with fifty images of your kid getting his first hair cut. Spend some time on the box of old photos, keeping only the best and slip them into an album. On your phone, instead of playing another video game, take the time to delete the less memorable ones and keep the ones that make you smile.

10. Books on a shelf do not make you smart.

It’s only if you read them. And if you’ve already read them you have the information already in your brain. If you don’t have total recall you can always ask Google. As to those you have been meaning to read. Admit it. You probably aren’t going to. Donate them to your local library and check them out if you really want to read them in the future.

So there you have it. Ten ways you can de-clutter your home to make your move less burdensome. And make packing it all up so much easier.

Finally, if you are planning to move in the near future, the time to get started is now.