One of the most exciting and nerve-racking things to do is to move to a new place. It means a new environment, new friends, a new neighborhood, new work, new school, among others. Moving to a new place can also be a bittersweet moment as individuals leave the things that they have gotten used to.

Moving to a new place takes a lot of planning. You need to do a lot of research about the place if it fits your personality and your needs. In addition, you need to check if the cost of living is high or low. 

I've recently read a book, "The Overseas Fabulous Pinay" by Donna Avellana-Künzler (read my review about it here). The book tackled everything a Filipino needs to know about living in another country. To be honest, I've been also thinking of moving to another country, and one of the countries that I'm eyeing is Canada, maybe in the Calgary part. I've heard that there were lots of Filipinos in the area so I won't have any problems adjusting to the culture. Probably the major adjustment that I and my son will have is the weather. 

Living in Canada has lots of benefits for single parents like me and it is the nearest in the United States where most of my relatives live. If not for this pandemic, I could've been processing my papers already. I have been already checking online for the available houses in the Calgary area. You may also check out Calgary Homes for Sale on Redfin. I've learned that Redfin is one of the most reputable real estate listing sites in Canada, so if you are looking for homes all over Canada, check out Redfin's website.

Anyway, I'm writing this blog as a reminder for me in the future should I start planning for our migration. I will write down tips on how to pack your stuff which somehow I've also experienced when we moved into a new home 16 years ago. During that time I didn't listen to my parents and I was at work when we moved. The movers were the ones who packed my stuff, and as a result, I lost some of my personal stuff.

Moving can cost a huge amount of money, so try to save some bucks, so what I'm going to write about are money-saving tips in packing before a move.

1. Ask friends and family for old big boxes for packing instead of buying new ones. You don't need to buy new boxes that you will not use again in the future. Instead, ask your family and friends to donate the big, old boxes that they do not use anymore. This is to save you cost in buying new ones. Reinforce the box with packaging tape so that the contents will be secured inside the box once the movers have lifted them. 

2. Don't forget to label the boxes! Labeling the boxes is beneficial for you and for the movers. It will help your movers to place the boxes in a particular room of the new house. You don't want your bedroom stuff to be left in the kitchen by your movers. In addition, this is also to help you identify what are the contents of each box so that when you start unpacking, you already have an idea where to place each item. 

3. Use towels and shirts in protecting fragile items instead of buying peanut foams. Fragile items such as small appliances, drinking glasses, and plates should be handled with care. If these are not packed properly, do not expect the movers to also handle them with care. Wrap the fragile items with papers (no need to buy kraft papers, old newspapers and magazines will do) and use towels and cotton shirts as paddings.

4. Have a garage sale or give items for free. Don't feel obliged to empty your old house. You can leave some things there or much better, hold a garage sale for your neighbors and friends. They understand that you cannot bring everything with you and moving is costly, so definitely they'll support you on this activity. You must create a list of what items to be sold at the garage sale for easy inventory. Sell it at a low price so that it will sell fast. Please note that holding a garage sale can take much of your time too. You may also opt to sell your items too at second-hand store goods but be prepared that your items will be sold to you at a very low price (to give space for profit).

You can also give some of your items for free too! Friends and family will love that you are giving away the items that you will leave behind.

5. Do not mix stuff from other parts of the house in a box. When a box has extra space for other stuff, don't be tempted to fill it up with other stuff from the other parts of the house. This will save you time in looking for it when you start unpacking. 

There you go, here are my money-saving tips for packing! Are you now ready to move?