[This is a guest article by Nadine Graham. Nadine follows the latest tech trends in the smart car auto industry and shares the latest in hybrid and alternative energy fueled cars with her readers.]

Over 1.3 million Americans live in an RV full time, according to a recent article on MSN Money. From offering the flexibility to hit the road to simply offering an affordable housing alternative, there are numerous reasons to streamline your stuff and make your RV your home permanently. Here are 6 downsizing tips to help you prepare to make the move into your RV:

Devise an Organization System

According to an interview from Americanpreppersnetwork.com, most people need to get rid of about 80% of their belongings when moving from a house or apartment to an RV. When downsizing your home, organization is everything; without it, this process will become significantly more stressful. To devise a system that will work best for you, first consider how much storage space you’ll have in your RV. Get four different colors of Post-it Notes and use each color to label things that you want to sell, give away, put in storage units and take with you. Anything that doesn’t fit into those categories should be thrown away immediately.

Go Through One Room at a Time

Whether your house is large or small, the task of going through all of your belongings is overwhelming, which is why it helps to instead break it down room by room. Go through your home one room at a time throwing out anything you don’t want and labeling the rest using the color-coded Post-it Note system. Photograph anything that you want to sell on Craigslist, eBay or another website and create a listing right away to allow your items enough time to sell before you hit the road.

Find an Affordable Storage Unit

There will inevitably be a small amount of stuff that you don’t want to get rid of, but also cannot reasonably take with you in the RV. Often, this includes stuff like seasonal clothing, decorations, family heirlooms and keepsakes that you can’t bear to part with. Rent a small storage unit in your hometown so that you can easily access your stuff when you need it if you’re passing through town.

Invite Family Friends Over to Choose What They Want

A week before you move into the RV, invite your friends and family over to go through everything that you want to give away. This is a fun way to get rid of stuff, because you can be sure that your treasured belongings will have a good new home plus, it’s a great excuse to bring everyone together.

Emotionally Prepare Yourself

No matter how excited you are to move into your RV, this is a huge life change. It’s imperative to give yourself some time to adjust and settle in. Emotionally prepare yourself for things to be a little challenging at first, but trust that you’ll adjust quickly and enjoy living a more simple life in your RV.