Who knew losing weight could happen from simply packing your personal stuff into moving boxes, but its true. Packing boxes is definitely a work out and the more things you have to pack the more of a work out it will be.

Some Examples of the exercises packing boxes provides you with are:

- When carrying your items from closets to your moving boxes, you will be doing lots of bending, squatting and walking which will be great for legs as well as a cardio workout.

- Using moving supplies such as bubble wrap and stretch wrap and wrapping each of your times one by one is a great arm work out.

-   Lifting your moving boxes and stacking them into the moving truck will be great upper body and arm workout plus cardio.

Just keep in mind that stretching is a good idea before or after packing boxes to ensure you don’t get injured as well as to reduce soreness the next day. So skip the gym during packing time and start to pack those moving boxes and burn away calories today.

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Books are an item that can be damaged very easily when your moving. Try some of the below tips to  make sure they have a safe move to there new home.

1) Pack in small to medium size moving boxes. 1 book is light but when you put a bunch in a box it can get heavy really fast. If you have a large book collection like i do, its best to stick with medium moving boxes. Medium boxes hold more books then small boxes and are still easy to lift.

2) Group books by size. Put all your smaller soft cover books in one box and your large hard covers in another, this will help you fill the box more complete.

3) Fill empty space with moving supplies. Since books come is all shapes and sizes you will have some empty space in the box. Simply take moving supplies such as packing paper, bubble wrap or newspaper and crumble it up and fill in empty spaces. Doing this will help prevent your items from shifting around during the move.

4) Label the moving boxes with the word “Books”.

Optional
5) Weather proof the box. Sometimes it rains during your move and sometimes it doesn’t but why take a chance. Simply wrap the packed boxes with some stretch wrap. Make sure to wrap the top and bottom of the box for a complete seal.

Follow the above quick tips to you keep your books safe when moving. If you have have books you don’t want anymore, give them to a friend or donating them to your local library.

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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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So, how do you save money before you even buy moving supplies and boxes? Simple, before you buy moving boxes and packing supplies you should go through your items and simply just throw stuff out. Yes, I will repeat it again, Throw Stuff Away. You know what I am referring to, clothing and shoes sitting in the back of your closet that don’t fit you and haven’t worn in the past 5 years, old furniture such as tables, chairs and lamps that have been sitting in your garage collecting dust, luggage that your old uncle Buck gave you with broken zipper and squeaky wheels, stacks of old magazines, books and newspapers.
You should think of moving as starting a new chapter in your life, so don’t schlepp all that old baggage with you it will just slow you down.

You might be saying, hey I can sell those old chairs, clothing and stuff. Well then, sell them, but in most cases used items will not bring much money back to you when you will consider how much time and effort it takes to sell them. For example, I had a coffee table I purchased new for $300 and when moving I put it for sale on a classified website. It took me 2 weeks to sell and I spent almost 2 hours a day checking emails, talking to frugal people on the phone, showing the table to thrifty people and reposting the ad daily till I finally got fed up and sold it for just $40. Now most of you will be saying, hey $40 that can still pay for 12 large moving boxes and a starbucks frappachino, yes very true but the stress in dealing with bargain hunters looking to buy my item was hell, very frustrating and used up a lot of time. In the end I decided to throw away and donate other items I had instead of selling them which included lamps, magazines, outdoor chairs, night stands, clothing and other similar items.

Just remember, the less stuff you have to pack, the less boxes and moving supplies you will need to buy. Also you will get packed so much faster when you have less stuff that needs packing. So if you want to save money before you even buy moving boxes, go through items you don’t use and throw them away or donate them to a charity.

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Moving and packing boxes are meant to be used in a certain way. Though this may seem painfully obvious, it can make for a much easier moving experience and turn a potentially stressful moving process into something a little easier to bare.

To begin with, pay attention to how much is being placed in each of your moving boxes. Most people would just stuff everything they can into one large box and be done with it. Not unlike over stuffing a suitcase, this can lead to tearing and spillage or damage to items inside. Additionally, over packing a box also means the box will be too heavy to handle and this could mean straining your back. Aim for moving boxes weighing no more than 20 to 30 pounds.

Underpacking a box is also not a good idea. When packing boxes are not filled to proper capacity, they are easily crushed and this can also mean damage to contents.

Another thing to consider is the age of your moving boxes. Old cardboard boxes are likely to tear more easily, especially bottom flaps. The solution? Purchase new moving supplies and avoid the potential hassle of picking up your belongings from off of the street.

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Computers represent a sizable investment and even modestly-sized laptops can cost a bundle. Add to that the cost of accessories and the price will rise, which is why moving your computer should be done carefully and only after detailed planning.

The first consideration will always be to use its original box. This will include form fitting styrofoam to minimize the chance of damaging the equipment. But if you’re like most people, that original box is long gone. If this is the case, first find the right moving supplies. This means cardboard boxes that are sturdy, thick and sealed properly so the computer does not fall out the bottom when lifted.

The computer should be able to fit in the box with a three inches of space on all sides, including the top and bottom. A combination of foam and bubble wrap will work well. An important part to remember is that whatever is used, make certain when finished packing that the computer is fit firmly in place. If not, this is where the computer is most likely to get damaged.

Towels rolled up and then wrapped in bubble wrap can be wedged into the corners of the packing boxes to set the computer in place. Disks should be removed and it would be a good idea to copy all files as well.

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One thing everyone is going to need in their new home is a source of light. Here are some suggestions for safely and properly placing your lamps in moving boxes:

• Start by unplugging the lamp and then unscrewing the light bulb.
• Next, unscrew the lamp harp from the stem (the lamp harp is usually two pieces of thick, curved wire mounted below the socket and used to hold the lampshade in place as well as a sort of safety so lampshades cannot come into contact with the bulb). The harp can be disassembled usually by unscrewing the finial base at the top of the harp.
• Wrap the harp, bulb and lamp base in packing paper separately. Use different moving boxes for each if they are fragile.
• Fill spaces in the moving boxes with crumbled up packing paper.
• Lampshades are usually more fragile and should be packed separately. Moving boxes for lampshades should be lined with clean paper and light foam padding or bubble wrap before the lampshade is placed inside. When choosing cardboard boxes, pick a box that is a few inches taller than the lampshade so if the box is crushed somewhat the lampshade will not be damaged.
• For high-end lighting, like expensive tiffany chandeliers, it is best not to use moving supplies but instead, contact a moving company that specializes in precious items.

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By maximizing space in your packing boxes you can save even more money on your moving supplies.

Realized at the last minute that you don’t have enough boxes to pack it all? Don’t despair. With a little planning, your boxes can pack a lot more than you would expect.

Pack things as organized as possible. You don’t need to spend hours at it, but just throwing things randomly inside will probably waste a lot of valuable space.

Fit things into one another. Small items can go inside baskets, glasses can go inside pots and ceramic knick-knacks should fit well (and actually be better protected) if packed inside shoes or travel bags. Try to keep things that belong in the same room together, but other than that, don’t be afraid to pile them up.

Try to place things inside the packing boxes according to their shape. If you are packing things away inside a box, try matching corners so there are no small empty spaces anywhere. Then use any leftover spaces for small flat items.

Throw away anything you don’t really need. Food that is not likely to survive the trip, magazines you haven’t read (and probably never will) and clothes that haven’t been worn in a year should really stay behind. You’ll save space, time and money by not even packing these things up in the first place.

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