What Men vs. Women Really Think before Spending

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Source: GoBankingRates.com

Want to Move with Less - Have a Garage Sale

Getting ready to move means that you might need to sort through your stuff and see if there is anything you can get rid of before the move. Why not hold a garage sale – not only will you dispose of the extra items you no longer need, you can also earn some cash that will help with the upcoming moving expenses.

Planning and organizing the sale will ensure a hassle-free day of parting with your belongings (and some of the memories too), counting the earnings and looking into a future that has more room for new things.

1. First thing that you should do is to check with the local authority if a special permit is required to hold a garage sale. In some places residents can only hold one garage sale per calendar year – so you want to be aware of this and similar rules.

2. Set the date. You will be better of to check the weather forecast first – a nice sunny day will bring in more buyers. Needless to say that weekend sales tend to do better but you want to avoid doing it on holidays.

3. Choose a place. The sale can be held on your patio or backyard, but it’s best if your display is immediately visible so try to arrange it closer to the street/sidewalk so that random passersby could stop by as well.

4. Advertise in advance. Run an ad in your local newspaper, put a sign in your window and spread the word through your neighbors.

5. Sort your items for sale – organize them into several groups by type, size or even assumed popularity (you may want to have a separate “hot items” pile displayed at the front for a better promotion of the sale).

6. Set the price. Think of a reasonable range to charge for items that are still in good condition – usually it would be 20-30% of the original purchase price. You may also use the Value Guide List provided by Salvation Army for the used household items.

7. Be prepared to bargain. Your buyers will want the cheapest prices so establishing a range rather than a set price will serve as a guide by how much you can lower the price for each item.

Enjoy your garage sale and don’t forget to take the signs down when it’s over!

Movies About Moving

"Away We Go" (2009) by Sam Mendes

There are quite a few movies where the plot is based on the fact that the main character relocates to a new place and the story begins so to say. Most people move because there are better opportunities waiting at the new destination: a more promising job, good schools, great recreational activities. Yet some people move simply to escape their past and start life over – a lot of movies are inspired by this idea of a new beginning in life.

Change of Address blog has come up with a list of Top 15 Movies About Moving with the oldest version of "Karate Kid" being #1. This movie is a great example of how moving affects children and all the challenges they are forced to deal with. So it’s a good idea for parents to watch this movie again if they are planning to relocate with their children: they might anticipate some of the potential problems and take a proactive approach to prevent them from happening. Watching it with kids is a good way to prepare them for the upcoming move.

There is another list of Top 9 Movies About Moving on http://listicles.thelmagazine.com . “Piano” is one of them and I personally consider it one of the best movies of all time. It’s about moving to a less civilized world than you are used to, where nothing is like home or will ever feel that way. Not every move can bring about positive changes: sometimes moving to a distant location can cause so much nostalgia and homesickness that a person is simply unable to adept to a new life. Moving back to where you belong and feel safe because this is your home is then the only solution.

There are many other great movies about moving and how it affects people’s lives. In “Mona Lisa Smile” Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts) moves to Massachusetts because she believes she can make a change by teaching more progressive ideas to the girls-students of a conservative school. “Away We Go” is about finding a perfect place on Earth to raise a child. Moving from place to place becomes a lifestyle of Chris “Alexander Supertramp” in the movie “Into the Wild”.

What’s your favorite movie about moving?

Choosing a Storage Facility

It often happens that you are ready to move out – but it will be awhile before you actually move in: your new house may not be ready, or you don’t have a house yet and need to look for one, or you plan to go traveling for a couple of months. This means that your belongings need to be put into a storage facility - and possibly for an indefinite period of time. Choose a storage unit wisely to ensure that your things are protected while you are away.

Here are a few factors to consider:

Location.
Maybe you found a great deal in some ultra-modern storage where you will pay just a few bucks for a huge room. But the storage happens to be in the back of nowhere and getting there every time will be a pain. Choose a facility close to where you are currently staying, so that every time you need to pick up a thing or two (which will happen frequently), you can get there easy and fast.

Operating Hours.
Make sure you will have access to your belonging at reasonable hours. It’s best if your storage is open seven days a week.

Climate Control.
If you live in the area with high humidity, you want to choose a climate controlled storage facility to unsure that your things don’t get damaged especially if they are in for a long stay. Too much humidity can cause mold to form and lack of ventilation will result in unpleasant stale smell that will be absorbed by your possessions.

Right Size Room.
You may underestimate how big of a shipment you will have: getting a room that is too small will mean having to fix your things so tight, that you will have a real trouble accessing individual items. Nor do you want to get a room too big: you will end up paying more for the space you are not even utilizing in full.

Long Term Discount.
If you know for sure that you will be staying for a lengthy period of time, make sure to esquire about long term discounts. You might have to prepay for several months in advance but at least you wont have to worry about sending monthly payments promptly and will save some money too.

Good luck with finding your best storage option!

What Packing Supplies You Need for Your Move

No matter whether you are moving long distance or across the street – without proper packing your belongings are likely to be damaged. Some items you can pack yourself, whereas others need to be packed by professional movers. Moving supplies can be costly so it’s a good idea to shop around in advance and see if you could find a better deal on boxes and tape. Should you discover right before your move that you don’t have enough boxes – no need to worry, all the moving companies come equipped with moving supplies including moving blankets, boxes, bubble wrap and tape. If you decide to move on your own and rent a moving truck – many truck rental companies such as U-Haul can also provide you with packing supplies. Some items such as boxes and tape need to be purchased, but things like dollies and moving blankets can easily be rented.

So here are the packing supplies you will need for your upcoming move:

• Moving boxes of various size(small boxes for heavy items such as books, large boxes for bulky items such as pillows)
• Wardrobe box
• Electronic box
• Moving blanket
• Mattress cover
• Crate
• Cushion foam
• Bubble wrap
• Packing paper
• Tape
• Carpet film protector
• Mover’s stretch plastic wrap
• Permanent box marker

Moving blankets are used to wrap your big furniture items such as couch, dresser, and coffee table. Using them requires some practice so you might want to leave this task to professional movers and devote your attention to packing smaller items such as books, clothes, bedding and dishware. Make sure to label each box as well as your furniture (the latter gets almost unrecognizable once wrapped in blankets). It’s a good idea to mark which room each items goes to – this way movers won’t have to check with you every time and the unloading part will move along faster. Don’t rush to discard your boxes once the move is finished, you might want to fold and store them to save some money on your next move.

We wish you a happy packing!

Surviving a Summer Move

Traditionally, summer is the most popular season for moving since people tend to move after their children finish school. This gives them a few weeks extra time to settle down and adjust to the new surroundings before the new school year begins. The percentage of moves in a year occurring in any given summer month peaks around 11% – 13%, compared to 8% or less for other months. Needless to say, the busiest and costliest moving season is the summer months.

We don’t always have control over when we move – if you are one of those people whose move is scheduled for the upcoming summer, there are a few things you want to keep in mind:

- If there is a slightest opportunity for you to avoid the peak season – do so, since the tariffs (the rates that moving companies base the cost of your move on) are actually lower off season, so you can save a lot of money on your move.

- If summer is the only time you can move, try to at least book the move for a weekday which is usually less expensive and easier to find available services, this includes truck rentals, too.

- Make sure to book well in advance. If possible, try for at least 8-10 weeks.

- Be prepared to lower-than-expected service quality: even the best moving companies struggle to perform when the season gets busy. They often overbook and then scramble to find an extra truck or crew to accommodate your moving needs. The schedule is tight and the movers are tired from working long hours in the heat and lack of sleep. Be patient and nice – make sure to offer them some ice water and towels.

- Ger ready for a wider than usual delivery window as a result of the heavy demand for movers and busy schedule – sometimes it can take up to 30 days to receive your shipment! Make sure you have you have all the necessities with you and be prepared to go by without the rest of your belongings for a few weeks.

Enjoy your summer (we hope it will be a hot one) and get your moving quote today!

Moving Out of Your Parents’ Home

If you feel like you are ready to take on a more independent lifestyle, you can afford to do so both financially and emotionally – it’s time to move out of your parents’ home and start a new journey of independence. It might be scary and exciting, just remember – some good planning will ensure that your transition is as smooth as possible.

• What You Take
If you are moving out of your parents’ house for the first time, chances are you don’t own a lot of the necessary stuff such as furniture, bedding, home accessories. You might feel tempted to take or, rather say, borrow something owned by your parents till the better times. But think about all the gaps you will leave in the interior that your parents (as well as you) are so accustomed to by now. A couple of missing towels is one thing, but a missing couch might be too noticeable. You may try to utilize some of the old no longer needed stuff stored in the attic or the basement. You can also use the things that your parents were planning on discarding, or whatever they have in abundance (many moms have way more china or towels that they need or use). You can take your personal things (books, CDs, clothes, computer) and things that were given to you as a gift. You should leave the items of shared use ( a toaster or a big screen TV in the living room) – your parents’ life does not end with your departure and they will still be using those things.

• What You Leave
You will still visit your parents frequently so you might want to see your bedroom unchanged – with all your favorite childhood toys, trophies and posters. However it’s a rather selfish approach – maybe you should check with your parents first about their plans for the room. Maybe they want to turn it into an extra guest bedroom, or a home library, or a home office that your father has been dreaming about for the past 20 years. So you might have to sort through your things and whatever you are not taking could be donated, sold at a garage sale, thrown away or packed and stored in a public storage facility (unless there is some extra space in the attic).

• How You Move
You are unlikely to have a lot of stuff that needs to be moved – so maybe you shouldn’t bother to get a moving quote from a large company with 4 movers/6 hours minimums. Renting a moving van should be sufficient, sometimes it’s more than enough to borrow your father’s car and transport your things in 2-3 trips (provided you are moving within the same town). You want to save on moving expenses so that you have funds remaining to buy new furniture that you will need since you are beginning a new life almost from scratch.