Moving Tips: Six Ways to Be Organized During Your Move

When a new job opportunity finally comes your way, you may have to move across the country fast. You'll have to be organized in the middle of a chaotic event. Here are six ways to be organized and avoid a totally chaotic cross-country moving experience.

1. Make Lists. Relocating is a big deal. You'll have to be methodical about getting a new place to live, arranging for movers, arranging for a moving truck, shutting off utilities, establishing new utility service, dealing with the cable company, making travel and hotel arrangements, and other basic tasks. The best thing you can do is to brainstorm, make a big checklist, and work relentless to make your move happen. Otherwise, you'll forget something important.

2.Pack a Bag for the Journey. There is nothing worse than having clothing you really need packed up and stacked somewhere in a pile of boxes and wardrobers. If you want to feel civilized, several days of toiletries, clothes, underwear, and socks in a suitcase are an absolute necessity. It's best to have the necessities packed up and stashed in your car before the movers arrive. Otherwise, the clothes you need may end up on the moving truck. When you pack, choose appropriate clothes for the weather in your new home town.

3. Pack a Dedicated Bag for the Personal Electronics. If you want to stay connected to email, Facebook, and the Internet, you'll want access to all of your favorite electronic devices. Since little gadgets can walk, it's best to have these safely packed away in your car before the movers arrive. If you don't want to spend your initial days in a new town in electronic exile, you'll want to collect all the chargers and pack them up with the devices.

4. Pay your bills in advance. When you arrive in your new city, you will have to deal with all the expenses of establishing a new household. If you pay all of your bills before you move, you won't have to worry about making payments while you are setting up internet service and buying necessities for your new home. If you don't pay everyone in advance, you'll set yourself up for higher interest rates and late fees from your credit card companies.

5. Organize your paperwork. If you move for work, you may be able to deduct your moving expenses. You'll want to save every receipt. You'll also want to make sure you have the paperwork needed for contacting your creditors, insurers, investments, banks, and utilities. You'll need account numbers and passwords. You'll want to systematically change all of your addresses. Otherwise, you'll end up with important papers being sent to your old address, late payments, and a smaller tax refund than you deserve.

6. Disconnect the cable in advance. The Zombies, the nice ladies who pretend to be your best friend on the informercial channels, the cast of Jersey Shore, and all the crazed news commentators can wait. Before you move, you need to focus on packing not television. You don't need to be worried about dropping off a cable box on the day of your move. Disconnect your cable a few days in advance of your move and drop off your box. Otherwise, you'll end up running a cable box across town when you should be supervising movers or cleaning up your old apartment.

No matter how your move turns out, if you are personally organized, you'll feel less stress and have a better moving experience.

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