If you’ve got a move coming up, you’re likely looking for boxes and moving supplies all over the place. But once you have all the things you think you’ll need, you still have to figure out how to best pack up all of your stuff for a safe, secure, and efficient move.

To help you in doing this, here are three packing tips to make your move easier to manage.

Pack In Smaller Boxes

While you might think that getting huge boxes that you can throw a bunch of stuff in at the same time would make the most sense, the opposite is usually true.

According to Erica Reitman, a contributor to HGTV.com, it’s usually best to pack your stuff in smaller boxes. Especially for packing heavy items like books, you’ll want to ensure that you’re not packing too many in one big box so that you can actually move the box from one place to another. And when it comes to packing a moving truck, having smaller boxes can be easier to pack with so that you can ensure that you’re using the space you have as effectively as possible. So although you’ll need some big boxes for bigger items, it’s best to use smaller boxes whenever you can, even if that means getting more boxes.

Pack Every Box Until It’s Full

When you’re packing in boxes, it only makes sense to pack each box until it’s completely full. Otherwise, you could have a lot of wasted space that you’re not packing in but that is taking up the same amount of space in your moving truck due to the size of your boxes.

To help you fill each box completely, Lauren Phillips and Lisa Milbrand, contributors to Real Simple, recommend that you use smaller, softer items to fill in any empty space that no actual items will fit in. This means that rather than packing your pillows, blankets, towels, or even clothes in their own boxes, use those items to fill in the holes in boxes that are packed with odd-shaped or fragile items.

Pack Daily Essentials Together

While it’s usually easy to get all of the big items around your house packed up a few days in advance, it can be hard to pack up the things that you’re using on a daily basis before you actually move. However, you’re going to want to get this stuff out of your way somehow.

To do this, Laura Mueller, a contributor to Moving.com, suggests that you put together a moving essentials bag that you pack in a suitcase. This way, all of the stuff that you need will all be together but will be easy to move on moving day and keep out of the way until then.

If you’re needing to make packing your home easier on you for your upcoming move, consider using the tips mentioned above to see how this can be done.