- 1). Go through your clothing and pull out the items you haven't worn in at least a year. Many times, when we buy new clothes, the old shirts and pants just get shoved to the back, and then when it's time to move there's 10 years' worth of clothing to move. If you don't really love your older clothes, or if there's no way they will fit again, throw them into trash bags and take them to a donation center.
- 2). Sell or give away as many books as you can bear to. They're heavy to move -- which means they will be very expensive to ship overseas -- and they will be inconvenient to lug to your storage unit. With the arrival of the Kindle and similar devices, there are more ways every day to bring your favorite stories to your fingertips without having to keep the hard copy of the book around.
- 3). Make two lists: the items you need to take with you and the items you are allowed to take with you. If your overseas home is furnished, your storage needs stateside will increase unless you're selling all your furniture. Will your overseas home have dishes and linens? Even if you have to provide your own, it will be cheaper to shop for a basic set there than to ship what you have now. Use your lists to figure out what must go with you.
- 4). Go through all of your closets and cupboards and, for each item, decide whether it is important enough to take with you or to pay to store. If the answer is "no" for any item, put it with the things you're going to sell or donate.
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