Throw away, donate, recycle. The three commandments of decluttering can save you lots of headaches when trying to get your home organized. If you’re having a hard time parting with things, follow these easy steps.

1. The Rule of 10. Organizers swear by the Rule of 10, which states that every 10 days, you should get rid of 10 items. You can choose anything from knickknacks to old clothes to expired food or old leftovers. Things can be donated or trashed, depending on what they are and their condition.

2. Designate homes for your things. Get large plastic containers, moving boxes, or an extra set of drawers and put everything away. This includes bills, paperwork, seasonal decorations or sport items. Create a rule that whatever gets into the house has to be put in its proper place within five hours (or within a day if you’re on the go).

3. Attack one room at a time. If the room is overflowing with things, attack one box or a drawer at a time. Go through it quickly, keeping only the things that you absolutely love or need. If you can’t decide within 10 seconds, let it go.

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Moving is usually an emotional time and chances are you won’t be in the mood (or even have the energy) to make big decisions about anything. The truth, however, is that in the rush of packing boxes and getting ready to leave, you’ll probably end up taking things that you don’t want, need or even remember owning.

If you can plan your move in advance, a good way to make things easier on you (and save you money in the process) is to go through your belongings and get rid of everything you don’t consider essential. If you haven’t used it in a while, it’s broken or has no sentimental value, there’s no reason to cart it along to your next destination.

The process of discarding things should be quick. If you dwell too long on your decision, you’ll have a harder time letting go. Give yourself five seconds to decide whether you want to keep an item or not. If you hesitate, chances are you don’t really want it.

Have a few cardboard moving boxes set up and mark them with the words Trash, Recycle, Donate, Keep. As you go through your closet, kitchen cupboards or storage bags in the garage, quickly put items in specific moving boxes and then keep moving on to the next item. Once a box is full, resist the temptation of looking inside and instead just close it and put it away.

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When shopping for a moving company, stay away from these three types:

The company that won’t budge on price or offer some kind of discount. Companies might have a starting price, but most offer some cheaper alternative as well. They should also be willing to work with your budget and look for ways to cut costs (even if it means eliminating some perks) in order for you to be able to afford the price. If a moving and shipping company is not willing to match a competitor’s price, you should also consider walking away.

A company without a track record. Mom-and-pop establishments are fine if you can verify they’re the real deal. Always check with the Better Business Bureau and do a quick Google search for the name of the company. You’d be surprised at the things that come up.

A company that doesn’t provide the services you need. If you need a full service pickup, don’t settle for a company that requires you to pack your own moving boxes. And if you need to save money by packing yourself, don’t let a company pressure you into paying for extra services.

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If you thought time management was just for work or your social life, think again. Many of the activities we have to do at home can eat away at your time if you don’t plan them well. Lack of planning can also cost you money, as you might end up buying duplicate items or misplacing a bill and forgetting to pay it, resulting in a late fee. While getting organized is important, these time-management tips will also help you improve your home life:

Have a designated place for everything. If all the bills to pay go into a specific folder and all dirty clothes go into the hamper, you won’t lose time searching for them when you need them.

Plan your meals in advance or cook in batches. Instead of making a single lasagna, make two. It won’t take much more time and you can freeze it to use when you don’t have time to cook. Or spend a few hours on Sunday cooking and freezing meals so you don’t have to cook the rest of the week.

Buy in bulk. Not only will it save you money, but you’ll spend less time driving back and forth to the stores to replace things. Try to find a single store (or maybe a couple) that offer everything you need, so you don’t have to drive all over the city to replenish your pantry.

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Before you sign a contract with a moving company, it’s important that you do your homework. This means a lot more than just picking up the phone and asking how much they charge. In fact, the quote you get on the phone can mean nothing depending on what the service includes and whether there are hidden extras.

Your first two questions should be how much do you charge and for what? Some full-service companies will pack your belongings but ask you to provide the packing boxes and other moving supplies. Other companies will simply show up and bring the moving boxes to the van. Even there you can find differences, as some companies will charge extra if you live on the second floor or away from the street.

Next, ask about insurance. What does it cover and what’s excluded? Can you buy additional insurance if you choose to? Is the insurance price based on the number of moving boxes you have or the size of the truck used? Does it depend on the declared value of your items? What about the billing? Is the price quoted an estimate or the final cost?

The more questions you ask at the beginning, the less chances you’ll make a mistake when it comes time to sign the final contract.

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1. Plan it well. Know what you need done and when do you want it. If you want to completely remodel your kitchen, you will need more than just a few days to get it all done. Don’t rush the job or you might end up with something disappointing or halfway finished.
2. Look for a contractor you feel comfortable with. Talk to a few, get a feeling for how they work, what their experience is and what they offer for the money. If possible, find a contractor that specializes in what you need done, rather than a general one.
3. Set up a budget. Tell the contractor upfront what your budget is and let him figure out how to deal with it. Discuss options and set up a payment schedule so you know what to expect.
4. Put it in writing. No hand shaking. Make the contract detailed and very clear.
5. Make sure you understand what you’re getting for the money and who pays for what. Will the contractor pay for things out of the total budget or do you have to pay for additional fixtures. If he’s the one paying, do you have a say in style and models or are you stuck with whatever the contractor chooses?

Follow these tips clearly and you’ll end up with a successful experience and a beautiful finished room to boost.

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Just because you don’t have for large home improvements doesn’t mean you can’t change the look of your home. In fact, many of the most dramatic changes you can make will cost you little, if anything.

The first step in decorating for pennies is to take a walk around your own home. See if there’s anything that can reuse, even if it means repainting it. Small pieces of furniture moved from one room to the next can bring new life to a room. A side table can double as a nightstand and two nightstands set side by side can make for an unusual coffee table. Don’t have pretty curtains? Use a sheet to cover the windows. Or switch the curtains from room to room for a new look without spending a penny.

Your next option is to shop in almost-free places. Thrift shops, garage sales and websites like Craigslist are all good options. Hardware and paint stores sometimes sell cheap cans of paints if they were mistakenly mixed or mismatched. If you only need a can to paint a single wall or a piece of furniture, this could be a good choice.

Finally, use accessories to bring life to an empty room. A vase with flowers, a few frames with photos (or you can frame pictures taken from calendars or magazines) and even a small rug under the coffee table can brighten up a room and cost almost nothing.

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Relocating is an expensive endeavor, especially if you have lots of moving boxes to take along or details to finalize. While it might be the last thing in your mind, figuring out when to move can save you not only lots of money but also a number of headaches.

One of the most important things to consider is the cost of your mortgage. If you already own a home and are planning on buying another in your destination city, you need to decide how you’ll manage the expenses associated with it. Are you planning on selling the old house before you buy the new one? Can you handle two mortgages? Would it be better to rent a home until the old one sells? The answers depend on how much money you have available or whether you can pay two mortgages at once.

Moving expenses and shipping your boxes to another state might be cheaper during the summer or at the end of a calendar month, since these are the preferred times for moving and moving companies can get away with charging higher fees. If you’re shipping moving boxes that you need immediately upon arrival, keep in mind that winter weather can cause delays on the roads and complicate your plans.

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If you run a business from home or have your own office, you will need to move it with you when you relocate. Bringing your office along can be complicated if you don’t plan well and in advance.

Before you do anything else, make sure you hire a shipping company that has any experience moving office. Sometimes known as “office removal specialists,” these people will know what should be packed in cardboard boxes and what shouldn’t, how to protect valuable equipment and how to dismantle and reassemble office furniture.

If you have electronic equipment, make sure it gets boxed using padding material and thick cardboard moving boxes. Always seal moving boxes with quality packing tape so there’s not risk of contents getting spilled or shift around.

Aside from moving the actual office equipment, you will need to move the logistics of the business. This means getting new business cards, renting a new office, changing your business address and making sure your clients can find you. If you can’t provide services at a distance, you will need to plan on finding new clients upon arrival.

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The first and most important service offered by moving companies is, of course, the actual moving. This can mean helping you pack your moving boxes and moving them, or can simply be about picking up your things and delivering them to your new address.

Some companies offer additional services. Some will help with international shipping, cargo freight, or courier forwarding. Others will help you organize storage space if you’re not moving directly into your new home and instead staying in a hotel for a few days. Companies that specialize in international shipping and delivery can also help with customs, including letting you know whether certain items will require a tax payment on arrival. In some cases, it might be more expensive to take something along than to buy a new one on arrival.

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