Adventures in Personal Finance
I got rid of my cable in January, 2010. It was a liberating and awesome moment. Cutting the cord is one of the easiest ways to save on home expenses. But when I tell people, they ask, “what about sports, what about new TV shows?” I don’t need sports or new shows, I’m happy with old shows. But if you are interested in keeping sports and new shows without cable at home, read on for a full breakdown.
It’s official, springtime has arrived. From going on evening walks to gardening, there can be many things to look forward to with spring. My family and I live in the Midwest and the opportunity to spend time outside in the winter is generally limited so we love to do things outdoors once we hear the birds chirping. Springtime can also mean spring cleaning. Some may love it, some may hate it, but it can be a good practice. Not only can you reduce junk in your house but you may also find ways to make money while doing it. I’ll share some of our favorite tips to make money while spring cleaning.
Having a family of five we’re always looking for ways on how we can save money on every day, common expenses. We like to be frugal in many areas so that we can spend money on other things we enjoy and ultimately that comes down to making hard choices about how we spend our money. While we have come up with a number of ways, the possibilities are really limitless in terms of saving money and ultimately come down to what you value and what kind of lifestyle you choose to live.
Finance “experts” often tell you to cut down on expenses at home, but they rarely have any useful advice on how to do it. Rather than give you the usual advice, today I am giving you specific steps you can follow to save money in the home for a long-term, big win.
As many of you know, I bought my first condo just over a year ago. Going from renter to buyer, I learned a lot about insurance. When it is time for you to renew or evaluate your next policy, you should know the basics of what is covered and what is not.
I always encourage readers of this site to save up an emergency fund that can cover your cost of living for at least 3-6 months and has enough of a cushion to handle anything unexpected that comes along if they can’t afford it. I am glad I followed my own advice. Experience showed me why it is important to save up for an unexpected disaster.
If you own your own home, you might like to do upgrades yourself. I have often debated hiring a professional or doing projects myself, but if you decide to do it yourself, you will need the tools for the job.
On Saturday afternoon, I went to an art gallery and bought my first very high quality painting. I have graduated from the college days of posters to the grown up days of fine art. A lot went through my head before I handed over my credit card.
Me with my favorite artist, Michael Godard, and my newest purchase
If you decide to pack up and leave town, there are a few easily overlooked budget busters that can send you to the debt house if you are not careful.
If you hadn’t seen the news, there are several large fires right now in my home state of Colorado. I have seen the smoke up close. I was four miles away when the Treasure Fire started just outside of Leadville and work just over the hill from the Flatiron Fire in Boulder.
Yesterday, I was told a family friend in Colorado Springs lost their home to the Waldo Canyon Fire along with hundreds of their neighbors. My sister’s friend’s family in Woodland Park may have been evacuated this morning along with much of the rest of the town.
This got me thinking. We often avoid anything that has to do with a worst case scenario, but we need to plan for the worst and have an action plan in place in case we get hit with an unexpected tragedy.
I am always intrigued by the idea of selling my old stuff on eBay or Craigslist to make a few extra bucks. However, I rarely put in the time or effort to make it happen. My occasional listing on Craigslist did nothing, so I put the idea on the back-burner. However, a new option to sell your stuff has piqued my interest.
This past weekend, I moved into my new condo. It takes a lot of work to move, and you have to decide if it is better to pay a professional moving company or make the move on your own.
Moving Company
Moving companies’ rates depend on a lot of different factors. How big is your home? How much stuff do you have? Is it already packed up or do the movers have to do it? How far are you moving? How many people are going to be needed to move your stuff? How big will the truck be?
There are a lot of factors. For a cross town move, a one bedroom apartment would cost about $200-$300 in my city.
The biggest benefit of the movers is that you don’t have to do the work yourself. You just pay and someone else does the heavy lifting. It is worth it to some people, but others would rather suck it up and take care of it themselves.
Friends
I decided to skip the moving company and recruited four friends to help with my move. Here was my cost breakdown:
Rental Truck: $65
Moving Boxes/Tape: $15
Pizza: $25
Beer: $20
Total: $125
Moving myself did save me some money, but it was a lot of work. Retrospectively, I would hire someone to do it for me. However, I did enjoy spending the time with my buddies, I did enjoy driving the big truck, and I did enjoy the accomplished feeling at the end of the day.
Your Opinion/Experience?
If you were going to move across town today, would you do it yourself or hire movers to take care of it for you? In the past, how have you taken care of moving? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments.
Recent Carnivals/Roundups
Thanks to My Personal Finance Journey and Free From Broke for including me in recent carnivals and roundups.
Photo by james.thompson.
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