Is there software to move folders or files to an external hard drive?

Hello:
    I would like to free up space on my MacBook Pro's single hard drive by moving files/folders
to an external hard drive.
     Does any software exist to assist in this process (I don't want to find applications that no
longer work because the Mac can't find a file)?
     Can I move folders like Applications, Downloads, and Users to an external hard drive
and then use the same external hard drive on my Mac Mini?
      I am looking for guidelines on what should and what what should not be moved. Does
any such document exist?
Thanks in advance:
Michael

speb,
the best folders in which to find suitable files for moving to an external drive are Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Movies, Music, and Pictures. Only move their contents; do not move the folders themselves. For ease of organization, create new folders named Desktop, Documents, &c. on the external drive, and move the  contents of each internal drive’s folder to its external drive counterpart.
If you select each of these internal folders in turn and press ⌘i to Get Info on it, the Finder will show you how much space each folder’s content currently uses under ▼ General: Size.

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