As I’ve spoken about before, I had moved a lot as an adult within the state of Michigan. I had not moved before college though and my parents still live in the same house that they’ve been in since before I was born.

I wanted to cut down on moving costs as much as possible, so my dad offered to let me borrow his F-150 truck and I left my little Honda Accord with him until I got settled and then we eventually swapped cars. I could only bring with me what I could fit in the bed and the cab of the truck. Which may seem like a lot to some, but it really isn’t when you consider how much space furniture can take up!

As I’ve previously mentioned, I wasn’t super in love with any of my furniture that was accumulated as cheaply as possible over the course of my college and post grad life. I decided that it would be a good idea to just start completely over. I did have a one piece I was really attached to, but the rest I got rid of! I didn’t have the space for it in the truck nor the house I was moving into since they already had furniture. I only took things I loved and bought new stuff as needed.

What I Decided to Take With Me

1. Vintage Luggage Trunk

2. Clothes

3. Essential Kitchen supplies (later on my mom brought this down south for me)

4. Shoes

5. Dog Bed

6. Small sentimental items (photos, little knick-knacks, etc.)

7. Books

8. Small TV (eventually sold and bought a larger one)

What I Got Rid Of/Didn’t Bring

1. All furniture minus my vintage luggage trunk (sold)

2. A lot of clothes that didn’t fit, never wore, or didn’t suit my 24 year old (at the time) image of myself anymore) (sold or donated)

3. A lot of unnecessary or extras of kitchen supplies (donated)

4. Extra Blankets (left those behind with my parents, I only took 3 small blankets)

5. Decorative Pillows (bought new ones only recently)

6. Bed Pillows (bought new ones right away)

7. Snowboard (left at home)

8. Guitar (left at home)

9. Seasonal Decor (left at home)

10. A lot of art and decor that had no meaning to me anymore (sold or donated)

This may not be the case for everyone and that’s okay. If I were to do it again right now, I would probably bring most of my stuff with me and just bite the bullet and rent a rental truck. However, that’s because I actually like my stuff now. I would still probably do an edit though just to get rid of any dead weight that I’ve accumulated. It’s scary how easy it is to accumulate stuff. Forever working on combating my consumerism…

Have you ever made a big move? How do you decide what stays and what goes? Any other tips for those looking to make the same leap? Let’s share our tips and experiences down below!