It’s that time of year again for a lot of us. Here are some tips to make your moving day less painful, both mentally and physically.

1. Lighten load. Dispose of as much as possible before you start to pack. Donate to charity, have a yard sale or throw out.

2. Use same size boxes. They will be easier to stack both while you are packing, and in truck. No more spending time trying to figure out how to get all those different sized boxes stacked so they won’t fall over.

3. Use smaller boxes. Then you won’t have big heavy boxes that will wear you out fast. You, and your moving team will be able to keep going without struggling.

4. Use a good quality tape and tape gun. The couple extra bucks will save you tons of frustration.

5. A couple of wardrobe boxes are always a good idea. They keep your clothes clean and ready to hang. Plus, you can throw boots, shoes, and purses in bottom.

6. Before wrapping your figures in newspaper, put them in a plastic shopping bag. It will keep them clean. A paper towel will work with smaller items.

7. Always write room box goes into on outside of box so your movers or helpers can deposit boxes without you having to play traffic cop all day.