Reducing Clutter while Moving

When I first moved out, I sat down and thought beforehand about how exactly I was going to tackle the task of packing up my things. I decided to only take the bare necessities to save myself the trouble of multiple trips, or perhaps even hiring some movers. I told myself I was only able to take four boxes of personal belongings, not including my clothes. Therefore, I set out four boxes in my home, and I went around and put a great deal of thought into all of my things and labeled them as necessary or unnecessary. By doing so, I was able to make moving out a pain-free experience, and only one trip was necessary. Also, by following this formula, I forced myself to go out and purchase new things for my new apartment, and thus give my place the exact type of look and feel I was looking for me. I looked at it as more of a growing up process than anything, as I was a property owner for the first time in my life. I was also able to reduce clutter in my new apartment, as I hadn't packed up everything I owned. Had I done so, I have no doubt in my mind that my apartment would be much messier and less organized.