Moving out of a rental is stressful enough without adding back pain and a $500 moving bill. As someone who has moved three times in four years, I’ve learned that being “lazy” during packing actually saves time and money—if you have the right tools. Here are five packing hacks I swear by that require minimal effort and keep your security deposit safe.
1. Use Your Clothes as Padding
The Mistake: Buying expensive bubble wrap for everything.
The Hack: Wrap your fragile items (lamps, electronics, mugs) in your actual clothes, towels, and bedding. Not only does this save money on packing paper, but it also packs two things at once. Your clothes protect your breakables, and your breakables fill empty spaces in boxes.
(Future Image Idea: A ceramic mug wrapped in a soft t-shirt inside a cardboard box.)
2. The “Vacuum Sealer” Sleep Trick
The Struggle: Winter coats and bedding take up 50% of the moving truck.
The Hack: Use vacuum storage bags. Even if you don’t have a vacuum, you can sit or kneel on the bag to push the air out before sealing it. I fit three winter jackets and two pillows into one small bag. It’s like magic for saving space.
(Future Image Idea: A side-by-side comparison of a fluffy duvet vs. the same duvet compressed in a vacuum bag.)
3. Keep Hardware in Sandwich Bags
The Struggle: Taking apart furniture (bed frames, shelves) and losing the tiny screws.
The Hack: As you disassemble furniture, immediately put the screws, bolts, and Allen keys into a labeled Ziploc bag. Tape the bag directly to the furniture piece it belongs to. When you reassemble, everything is right there.
(Future Image Idea: A clear sandwich bag taped to the leg of a disassembled IKEA bed frame.)
4. Suitcases Are Moving Boxes Too
The Struggle: Buying too many boxes when you already own luggage.
The Hack: Use your suitcases to pack heavy items like books, canned goods, or records. Suitcases have wheels, so you can roll them instead of lifting heavy boxes. Plus, it saves you from buying an extra box for your clothes since they are already in the suitcase.
(Future Image Idea: A suitcase packed tightly with heavy books, ready to be wheeled out.)
5. Take Photos Before You Disconnect
The Struggle: Trying to remember which cable goes where when setting up the TV or computer desk.
The Hack: Before you unplug anything, take a quick photo with your phone. Snap a picture of the back of your TV, your router setup, and your monitor cables. When you move in, just copy the photo. It saves hours of trial and error.
(Future Image Idea: A person taking a close-up photo of a messy bundle of TV cables with their smartphone.)
Final Thoughts
Moving doesn’t have to be a nightmare. By using what you already own (clothes, suitcases, phones) and a few cheap packing tools, you can move like a pro. Stay lazy, save money, and get your deposit back.
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