Summer is prime time for vacations, a slower pace, and making memories with family and friends — but it’s also one of the busiest seasons for moving and major life transitions. While it’s important to soak up every moment of the season, it’s equally important to keep your financial house in order amidst the chaos. Staying organized with bills, utilities, address changes, and moving expenses can help make the transition feel far less overwhelming. If you’re looking for a simple way to stay financially organized during periods of change, we’re big fans of QuickBooks Online for both households and small businesses. You can learn more here: https://quickbooks.partnerlinks.io/zoj4p4colsp3 Let’s face it, moving is stressful. If you’ve ever moved or helped a loved one in the moving process, you know the to-do list never seems to end. As the list grows longer and longer, the feeling of overwhelm, chaos, and unrest can become hard to manage. You may be asking yourself: Where do I start? How should I prioritize? What needs to get done BEFORE moving, and what can wait until AFTER? When am I going to get all these things done? First, take a breath! Find comfort in knowing these feelings and questions are natural and to be expected with such a big life transition. Change is hard, especially when there are a lot of moving pieces and some uncertainty about what your life will look like in your new home. Next, create a plan that includes a checklist of to-dos and a projected timeline for when each item needs to be accomplished. Here are the key things we suggest you create an organized plan for: Bills & Utilities - Create a list of all the utilities you will need to transfer or start at your new address. This may include electric, gas, water & sewer, trash & recycling, internet services, television services, and phone services if you use a landline. In addition, prepare a list of utilities that may need to be stopped at your former address. For example, if your previous home used a water softener service, but your new home doesn’t require this, you will need to cancel this service entirely. It’s also important to note if your former and new address don’t use the same provider for a given service and if your HOA has rules and regulations you must consider. We recommend starting this process about 30 days prior to moving. However, certain providers may have specific timelines you need to follow. Address Changes- Create a list of accounts and services you will need to update with your new address. For example, your driver’s license, vehicle registration, bank accounts, credit cards, health insurance, and other recurring delivery services will need to be updated. We recommend starting this process after you have moved to your new home. However, certain providers may have specific timelines you need to follow. Mail Forwarding- Prior to your move, set-up mail forwarding to your new address with USPS. This will ensure that all your mail will be sent to your new address without disruption. You may receive final bills from your old address that you’ll need to pay once you’ve moved. This is a simple process you can complete online. Cleaning out your home and preparing donations - It can be an emotional project to clean out your home and decide what items you may need to part ways with. Give yourself plenty of time to go through this process as it may take several weeks or months. Create a plan to go room by room over the course of several weeks and really focus on just that one room at a time. As you go, compile items you would like to donate and document these items to provide for your tax return. Packing up- Similarly, packing up can be daunting and stressful. Create a plan to go room by room over the course of several weeks, starting with rooms/items you know you will not need immediate access to. If you need assistance with packing, reach out to friends and family or a professional moving service. One area that often gets overlooked during a move is keeping your financial “house” organized too. Between changing addresses, transferring utilities, updating payment methods, and managing moving expenses, it’s easy for bills, receipts, and important financial details to slip through the cracks. Whether you’re managing a household budget, rental property, or small business, having a centralized system for tracking expenses and staying organized can make a huge difference during a stressful transition. At SJ Rose, we love helping clients simplify their financial lives, and QuickBooks Online is one of our favorite tools for keeping everything streamlined and accessible during periods of change. If you’re looking for a simple way to stay organized during your move, you can explore QuickBooks Online here: https://quickbooks.partnerlinks.io/zoj4p4colsp3 SJ Rose is here to support you during this life transition. Our advocates are experienced in facilitating all the logistics in the moving process to ensure your experience is seamless and you feel confident that your household affairs are in place. Reach out to connect with us about your upcoming move; we would love to help!
Jordyn Levitt
