Whew!  My life has been crazy lately.  As some of you may know, earlier this year we downsized and sold a ton of stuff.  We moved in an apartment about 2/3 smaller than our house so that we could work full-time in a ministry for at-risk youth.  Life there was extremely hard and although we weren’t looking for employment, God provided a new opportunity for us.  Off we have moved again and hopefully, this time we’ll stay a while.  

Our house still hasn’t sold, so we’re paying a house payment and a rental payment.  Eeek!  Last week, we lowered the price on our house.  The market is pretty bad right now but I can’t be stressed about it.  I just trust that everything is going to be ok.

My hubby started his new job today and he’s really excited.  I got Alligator girl enrolled in kindergarten and I also found out there is a need for substitute teachers.  Given my teaching background, I decided to check on that today and next week I’m going to orientation.  It would be nice if I could get a few substituting jobs so that I can help out with the bills.

We don’t have internet at our house yet, but I’m borrowing someone’s at the moment.  :)  I hope to get settled soon so that I can get back to blogging and also working on the surprise that Kelly and I have for you. 

I hope ya’lls (grin) lives aren’t as hectic.  Hopefully this week I can find my way out of the boxes and get some internet out here.

Let us know how you all are doing.

We arrived to our new home Saturday night.  My parents brought the kids to us Sunday afternoon.  We really missed them, but it was just impossible to get things done while taking care of them.  We’re in our new place and there are still boxes everywhere.  We haven’t been home long enough to unpack and get settled.  I wanted to make the kids’ transition as smooth as possible, so I tried to get their room put together.  They enjoy seeing their toys getting unpacked. 

As I mentioned before, we got rid of a ton of stuff.  I can tell it with this move.  We still have some things in storage, but it is nothing like it used to be. 

How are things your way?

As most of you know, I will be moving soon.  I hope that you’ve enjoyed the great articles we’ve had from our guests. 

As far as my life . . . My husband and I have been finishing up some home repair projects, packing, and decluttering.  We had a birthday party for the kids and we’ve been out of town twice in the last week at our new location.  

Sometimes I just want to do nothing all day long, but I know I can’t do that.  Time is ticking and there is lots to be done. 

I’m very pleased that we have gotten rid of so many things.  I continue to find more and more things that we don’t need.  Purging of my teaching things has been very painful.  Although I have gotten rid of a lot of it, I still kept about 8-10 boxes.  There are just some things that can’t be replaced and there are some items I can still use with my children.  Each project seems like a Tackle It Tuesday.  I wish I could take more pictures to show you all. 

We just returned home this morning at about 2 am from our job training.  Now we’re here with a gazillion projects to do.  Thankfully, my parents have the kids for a week so that we can constantly work with limited interruptions.

How are things your way?

The last few days have been kind of a big blur.  As most of you loyal readers know, I’ll be moving in just a few weeks.  We are downsizing considerably.  I’ve been going through every drawer, dresser, cabinet, box, and space that I can to declutter and purge the things that we don’t need. 

Each time we move, we get rid of tons of stuff.  But you just don’t realize the magnitude of excess possessions you have until you scour every nook and cranny possible.  I guess in previous years we had disposed of the obvious unnecessary things from our lives.  This time a painful and time consuming purging was what we needed.  I’m talking a Clean House kind of process. There were many times through all of this that I was ready to cry, walk away, give it all away, and/or give up.  I’m so thankful I pressed on.

We set the date of the first moving sale for July 12th, with a possibility of another date in a few weeks.  The reason for two sales is because we soon discovered we had more things than we could possibly fit into one sale and we didn’t have time to go through all of our belongings.  Sad, I know.

We have been working so hard and such late hours into the wee hours of the morning trying to get these things done before the sale so that we could make the money that we wanted for our things. 

Saturday morning rolled around and I was up at 5:30 am, dragging along as I tried to unpack and set up before the buyers, scavengers and thieves arrived.  I am so incredibly thankful that three friends stopped by to help.  And yet, even with the five of us working, we could hardly even manage the crowd.  It was so crazy!!!!

Now I sit here somewhat frazzled, relieved, and ready to continue purging as we plan another sale.  Of course, we don’t expect to make another $2953, but another $500 or more would be nice.  After the sale, we’ll donate all the remains to a worthy charity for their thrift store. 

What do you think of our earnings?  Have you ever had a profitable yard sale?

Before we start, you have to accept the fact that moving will definitely cost you. How little or how much depends on the amount of work you are willing to do (or endure). The first question you have to answer is will you be moving yourself, or will you hire professional movers? The former will, of course, require more leg-work but will cost significantly less. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t incur savings if you hire a moving company. The key to an affordable move is resourcefulness.

That being said, here are 14 tips to help you save on your move.

1. Avoid brokers and deal directly with moving companies. I’m not saying that brokers are bad, but if you are on a tight budget consider them as your enemy. By cutting them out you’ll get significant savings.

2. Get as many quotes as you can from different moving companies. Almost all moving companies will give one for free, do a quick search online and you’ll see tons of them. Pick the best four or five that would work for you and then research their background an reliability before deciding.

3. Ask for discounts. The moving industry is very competitive. So much so that some are willing to bring their fees way down just to get a client. Try haggling with different moving companies and see where it will take you.

4. Avoid peak seasons. Moving companies are especially busy during summer, the start and end of months, and around New Year thus they charge more. If possible, schedule your move to avoid these dates.

5. Book early. It goes without saying that booking in advance has its financial benefits. Once you’ve scheduled your move, plan your trip to your new home. Find the best deals on hotels and transportation. Again, the internet is your friend here.

6. Ask your friends for help. If the idea of packing all your stuff yourself sounds like a bad idea, you are correct. This is probably a good time to give your best friends a call. That’s what friends are for, right? But before you pick up the phone, ask your moving company first because packing yourself may affect your moving insurance.

7. Borrow what you can. There’s a good chance that you know someone that’s recently moved. Try asking if they can lend you equipment like tape dispensers and markers. Speaking of borrowing…

8. Use second-hand moving boxes. Be careful, though. Moving boxes are made to be tough for a reason. Make sure your boxes are strong enough or you’ll end up with broken furniture.

9. Improvise with materials. Towels, blankets, and even old clothes can be used as padding or fillers. You can use old newspapers to wrap items as well.

10. Purchase materials in bulk. Stores, both offline and online, give a hefty discount for bulk-buyers. If you can, buy all the materials you need from just one store.

11. Schedule the termination of your utilities. Ideally, you would want your utilities (gas, electricity, water, etc.) to stop on the end of the day of your move.

12. Make sure that your new home is ready for occupation when you arrive. If not, you’ll have no choice but to store your items, and that spells additional expense.

13. Don’t make your movers wait. Time is money and if you are not ready when your movers arrive they will charge you extra.

14. Finally, have a garage sale. The more you bring on your move the more your expense will be. Sort everything that you have and decide which ones are worth bringing and which ones you can live without.

Rivers is a web consultant and a writer for E-Z Movers Inc. from Chicago Illinois. Contact us and we’ll help make your next move as easy on your wallet as possible.

Each hour today, we are blogging for charity.  Please consider making a donation to The Children’s Hunger Fund. 

I just heard on my local news that thousands of people are moving closer in to the cites to save on gas.  The statistic is that people are saving as much as $400 per month by moving into the city and cutting their commuting time.  But how much are they spending on moving costs and closing costs and stress of moving and up rooting the kids ????

I am hoping the gas prices will go down at some point and then those people will have left homes they loved to battle the city might regret loosing the quiet of the outskirts for the bustle of city life.  Then again, I can do a lot with $400 a month.

What do you think?  Is this going to the extreme or does it make sense?  Let us know.

If you are a part of a frugal family or community of friends, then moving can be a rewarding experience.  Here is a great idea for hosting a moving party.  Make it a weekend long experience and have a ball!

1. We all have girlfriends that we love who have cool stuff.  So remember that when you are moving and offer to have a room full of freebies.  That way you don’t have to pack what you don’t want to pack.
2. Get plenty of boxes and divide your friends into rooms.  Make a game of packing and offer prizes that you know your girlfriends would like for first, second, and third place in finishing.
3. Offer a delicious pizza dinner at the end of the day with a baby sitter there so that you can relax one last time with your girlfriends before you leave.
4. Whatever your girlfriends don’t want to take out of the freebie room, pack up and take to the goodwill or have a yard sale.  Don’t look back.  Just purge!
5. And my favorite part of a moving party - if you are invited to one, offer to have a babysitter for the kids at your house.  That way you don’t have the kiddos running around for a short time and you ladies can get a ton more done!

Nobody likes to move.  Especially when you are leaving your friends.  I also don’t know anyone who likes to pack.  But I do know a lot of girlfriends who like to be helpful and hang out before losing a dear friend.  So offer the idea of a moving party for the girlfriends and enjoy one last hoorah before she goes.