What to Throw Away When Moving

As exhausting and expensive as moving can be, you can’t deny that the one positive aspect of it is that you’ll be forced to declutter – because the extra cost of transporting those piles of empty paint containers really isn’t worth it. If you move around a lot, you won’t accumulate a ton of unnecessary stuff, but if you don’t and can’t narrow down what needs to go, we’ve created a list of what to throw away when moving.

Things to Throw Away When Moving

1. Shoes And Clothes You Don’t Wear

Everyone outgrows their clothes and shoes – whether in terms of outdated fashion or sizes that “used to fit or might fit one blessed day.” You need to let them go. Shoes are way heavier than they look, so discard everything you haven’t worn in the past two years. Depending on what condition they’re in, you can just donate them instead of discarding them.

2. Books You Haven’t Read Or Won’t Reread

In terms of weight, books probably come a close second to furnishings. Considering the fact that movers charge based on weight, you may want to consider tossing out a few out. By tossing, we mean you can donate the books somewhere they’ll be read.

3. Mismatched or Chipped Mugs, Cups & Dishes

There are only so many mugs you can use. If you have what seems like a million mismatched cups and mugs, it’s honestly better to buy new ones and start over in your new home. Chances are, the cost of transporting a lot of mismatched mugs will buy you a new set of mugs. Same with dishes. Packing them is a headache on its own, much less paying to transport them. So if you’re not overly attached to your current cups and dishes, you should consider discarding them, especially the chipped ones.

4. Expired Drugs

5. Spices

If you’re one to experiment with different cuisines, you’d have accumulated a ton of spices over the years – some of which you don’t even use. If you haven’t used anything in the past year, it’s best to just throw it away, because you may never use it. For spices you use regularly, throw out seasoning blends and herbs you’ve had for more than two years. While extracts (never throw out vanilla extracts) and whole spices should be tossed out if you’ve had them for up to four years.

6. CDs, Cassettes, Outdated Media

Unless you’re one of those die-hard collectors, you really need to discard old media players and move with technology. Having the internet means you don’t have to store anything – ever. If you aren’t a collector, you can find some online who’ll appreciate them better.

7. Food Items

While emptying out your refrigerator, give out perishables and canned items you can’t take along. The reason is simple, unless you’re moving a few blocks away, most of your perishables won’t survive the trip.

Bottom Line

Moving is stressful as is, and it becomes more stressful when you realize that you have a lot more stuff than you expected. This article went over a list of what to throw away when moving so that you can declutter prior to moving. A rule of thumb that’s recommended by pro movers at Express Moving to follow while moving is if the cost of transporting it is greater than the value of that item, you should really consider discarding it – unless it holds super sentimental value.