How to Survive a Move - Part 2

Now that Joshua and I feel confident we are ahead of the game in terms of packing and purging, we have also begun to organize our finances.  While both of us are brimming with excitement at the prospect of moving to a larger, better place, this simple fact remains: it’s going to cost more money per month—not just in rent and utilities, but truck rentals and other moving-related odds and ends.

Budget Week

Back in December, I mentioned the concept of a “budget week.” In my twenties, dropping $20-$30 on unnecessary items was embarrassingly commonplace for me. My inability to say no to small, non-essential items that did little to enhance my life was a real issue. I put myself on a $10-a-day budget when finances were especially tight. Nowadays, I set a budget and stick to it, but even more so during the move.

Planning Ahead

Our current apartment is a measly 500 sq ft. The new place is well over 1200 sq ft. We know we will need to purchase furniture, including a kitchen table and chairs as well as a side chair for the living room. Luckily, Josh and I both enjoy bargain hunting and digging around for hidden, often rough gems. Last weekend we located four really cool mid-century chrome kitchen table chairs for $40. A bit of fabric and a staple gun later, and the chairs look like they came from a high-end antique store. The table? An equally cool find on Craigslist for $20.

Laundry

Eek! The new place does not have a washer and dryer. There are very few chores I detest as much as laundry. Going to the laundromat is not only time consuming and tedious, but an absolute waste of money.  According to “The Simple Dollar,” doing a load of laundry at home costs $.97 (excluding equipment costs) while a load at the laundromat is $3.12. Luckily, the new apartment does have washer/dryer hookups. Once we move in, our first priority is to find a reasonably priced set that runs well. Just a few months of laundry at home will pay for all of those wasted quarters.

With all of our slightly overzealous pre-planning, the current apartment is packed to capacity with furniture, boxes and personal belongings. Joshua and I often joke that these inanimate objects are slowly and methodically inching their way toward us. Next Friday cannot come soon enough.