Moving Is A Bitch

Moving to a new home is a bitch.  We’ve moved twice in the past three years.  First from New Jersey to Florida.  This past week just five miles north of where we were.  Being frugal, I didn’t hire a moving company to make the long trek to Florida.  Why?  We thought we could do it ourselves.  We did, but not all at once.  First trip we drove my car down, packed with as much as we could stuff into a Mazda 6.  Then flew back home.  The second trip, a month later we took my wife’s car loaded up, spent the weekend and headed back home.  Next came the rental truck which had everything but our bed and essentials.  The following month was the finally trip with a little trailer attached to my wife’s SUV.  Our poor cat didn’t know what to think.

Anyway, we had gotten rid of half of our stuff by selling it, giving it away or throwing it away.  When we left our home in New Jersey we left behind a dining room table, two dressers, a kitchen table with bench, a microwave oven, a grill and picnic table.  In another six months we would sell the house and the new owner would get most of that since our friend watching the home would get rid of whatever.  She was good like that.

After moving to Florida, we realized we didn’t need more of the stuff we brought down.  Slowly started getting rid of that stuff. We bought this house furnished and got rid of the furniture we weren’t going to use.  The Salvation Army loved us.  Now moving again recently, we downsized some more.  Our new home is larger, but if we don’t use it, why keep it.

Since we were moving 5 miles away and had eight days to clear out our old home, we moved most of the stuff ourselves, but rented a moving company to haul the big stuff.  It took them only two hours to load and unload.  It wasn’t expensive at all.

I’m waiting for community garage sales to finally rid the stuff that we actually make a few bucks on.  Makes me think who much money we could have saved if we hadn’t bought those things to begin with.  We had to have a desire for them at one time, but now more.  Now, we think twice, even three times before purchasing stuff.  We don’t plan on moving again and I don’t want my daughter have to deal with my ‘stuff’ when I die.

How about you?  Has anyone else moved and got rid of stuff and downsized tremendously?  Or do you keep it and store it?  Would you move yourself to save a few bucks or hire a moving company?  Needless to say I hate bubble wrapping everything!