Home and Family

Re: Moving...Frugally?

happy — Thu, 28 May 2009 22:14:17 GMT

swtnsassy:

<<They also could be useful at your trial when you have been without a toilet for 2 weeks and your spouse decides to go on a fishing trip instead of finishing the bathroom. Homour is also a very useful tool. Oh and never, ever wallpaper together....>>

Amen to that! I think I am just far enough south to where "He just needed killin" would be a legal defense! I am off the opinion that almost any sort of home improvement is NOT good to do together! At my house..it's painting! One of these days, he is going to be "helping" me paint and he is going to have to have a paintbrush, a gallon of paint and a paint roller surgically removed!

Thank you so much for the laugh! I was begining to think we were the only ones who don't always work well together!

On the weekend we assembled a BBQ and the neighbours ended up coming over to help!

Hmmm do you think we were a little loud

Re: Moving...Frugally?

swtnsassy — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:44:36 GMT

<<They also could be useful at your trial when you have been without a toilet for 2 weeks and your spouse decides to go on a fishing trip instead of finishing the bathroom. Homour is also a very useful tool. Oh and never, ever wallpaper together....>>

Amen to that! I think I am just far enough south to where "He just needed killin" would be a legal defense! I am off the opinion that almost any sort of home improvement is NOT good to do together! At my house..it's painting! One of these days, he is going to be "helping" me paint and he is going to have to have a paintbrush, a gallon of paint and a paint roller surgically removed!

Re: Moving...Frugally?

Sallybabe56 — Wed, 27 May 2009 06:05:32 GMT

So GG, how was your move and how did you cope with feeding the Hungry Hoarde? let us know, we are interested. Hugs Sally.

Re: Moving...Frugally?

Tebaliah — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:07:32 GMT

We've moved many times, although it's been 14 years since the last move. I always "attacked" the boxes and got them unpacked as fast as I possibly could. I think it's much less stressful to move into a new house if you can get it to a "home" mode as fast as possible and get the boxes out of the house. Most of the moves were long distance, so having someplace that feels like a home really helps the adjustment period go more smoothly.

Re: Moving...Frugally?

frugal_fun — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:28:48 GMT

I second all of this.

Unfortunately, we never seem to know enough people available when we move. :( The last time we moved, we boxed and moved all the little stuff ourselves over the course of a couple of weeks. We had the movers move the appliances and furniture up a flight of stairs and through some tiny spaces. They finished in 4 hours what would have taken us at least a day or longer. It was amazing to watch. It cost $750 and they were also worth every penny. (A UHaul to even do the job would have cost at least $350- but with no experienced men to move it.) DH was even able to go to work on "official" moving day.

And I cringe when I see moving boxes for sale. Pick a fast food restuarant or grocery store and see if you can convince the manager to hold some boxes for you. Coporate america is awash in boxes - you just need to ask.

misscas:
If your move is local...box everything up yourself and load vehicles to the brim. Have recommended (check bbb) moving company do all the big stuff. My 1 bed apartment move was under $250. They went 25 miles. The had to take massive dresser and armour down a flight of stairs. Well worth every penny.

Pick up managable boxes behind grocery or liquor store. Freecycle or craigslist has them too sometimes. Be on the hunt for pizza coupons and pick up some beer from the gas station for a thank you lunch.

Re: Moving...Frugally?

Discount Diva — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:21:28 GMT

This is hilarious - and so true! My realtor brought over a crockpot of sloppy joes and buns, so we had food moving day and the next three days - the kids got tired of it before we did.

Our grocery stores set aside large boxes, usually fruit boxes and you can take as many as you want. Mid morning and mid afternoon were the best times to get them, as they did their stock before that.

Once we were mostly unpacked [hey, it's only been three months! ha ha] I used the empty boxes for garbage, and just set them out on garbage day.

Re: Moving...Frugally?

Angela.M. — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:48:16 GMT

I had to move once into a new place and we didn't own our own appliances yet. The landlord, however, didn't think to put these items in before we moved in. It took him a while to get a stove in. I think I learned about 20 new recipes using my electric skillet. And it did hold quite a bit. I also found that a propane camp stove was a really great investment. It is not very expensive to operate. Between those two items, I was able to cook a good meal without having a stove available. And they can be used in any room, so the work can continue in the kitchen while you are working. Also, I am not sure what the weather near you is like, but you can always barbeque hot dogs, etc.

Re: Moving...Frugally?

karenteacher — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:28:47 GMT

On the subject of boxes - check with copy stores and any business that uses copy paper. The boxes that reams of paper come in have separate lids (so no tape needed to close the box), are sturdy, clean, and come in standard sizes, which makes it easy to pack them and load them in vehicles. The boxes don't break down easily, and are therefore often tossed out (if not grabbed by employees) whole, instead of flattened like many other boxes.

Re: Moving...Frugally?

misscas — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 05:00:40 GMT

If your move is local...box everything up yourself and load vehicles to the brim. Have recommended (check bbb) moving company do all the big stuff. My 1 bed apartment move was under $250. They went 25 miles. The had to take massive dresser and armour down a flight of stairs. Well worth every penny.

Pick up managable boxes behind grocery or liquor store. Freecycle or craigslist has them too sometimes. Be on the hunt for pizza coupons and pick up some beer from the gas station for a thank you lunch.

Re: Moving...Frugally?

pumpkin1074 — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:20:27 GMT

I had moved once a year for about 10 years (apt. dwellers) and DH and I moved into our home in 2007. Each time I moved I figured out a cheaper way to do it. Here is what I know:

Bath towels, wash cloths, sheets/pillow cases make WONDERFUL dish cushions for your glasses and everyday dinner ware. Label the box FRAGILE--DISHES.

Have an overnight bag with 2 changes of clothes, toiletries, a book, a flashlight, deck of cards, battery operated alarm clock, and clean towel/wash cloth

Feeding a group: Crockpot stew over baked potatoes w/bread, sandwich stuff and chips w/cheap popsickles, and I like the idea of a grill being at your new place. Feed the guys something cheap and convenient the day of the big move. A few weeks later, have EVERYONE that helped come back for a huge backyard BBQ. This keeps your sanity level...well level, and shows the crew that you are forever grateful for all of their help and kindness.

Re: Moving...Frugally?

karen kay — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:12:01 GMT

congrats on new home. the best things i think to use is an electric skillet, french fry pot, microwave, and crockpot. since you want your house right side up, i would suggest one beer for dinner and one for supper and a reward when they go home. maybe you could say "let''s take up a dollar from everyone for tomorrow's beer. it might not buy it all , but it would certainly help.

Re: Moving...Frugally?

happy — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:58:35 GMT

Congratulations on your home!

as someone who bought a fixer upper 15 yrs ago that will be done "anyday now" heres my 2 cents

I agree with Walt about not having beer at the old place but for another reason. The men tend to get sidetracked at the old house "having a break" for far to long. Save the beer for the end of the move and considering the cost of movers, beer is reasonable.

Chili/ buns are the moving day favorite, coupled with beer your men will keep moving in order not to gas themselves.

Make sure to put the word out to everyone you know that you are renovating and will take anything. You never know what will come in handy, even for temporary fixes. You turn down a friends offer of a toilet and yours falls apart the next week.

In my opinion ordering out for food is the biggest waste of money so when you are tempted think of that $20 pizza as new paint for the living room.

Our house is not quite finished but it is warm, dry and safe so I use that as a reminder to wait for things until I can afford them when the "lets just put it on credit and get it done" hits... and it does ..many..many times.

And lastly remember to take before and after pictures as it will serve to remind you how far you have come and the memories you have made.

They also could be useful at your trial when you have been without a toilet for 2 weeks and your spouse decides to go on a fishing trip instead of finishing the bathroom. Homour is also a very useful tool. Oh and never, ever wallpaper together....

Re: Moving...Frugally?

AmyC — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:16:01 GMT

I second the thought of painting the cabinents. It worked miracles in our kitchen!

Re: Moving...Frugally?

Tebaliah — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:27:09 GMT

I would suggest soft drinks as the beverage for the guys. Once the work is done, maybe hand out a beer if that's what they want. As far as "cheap" food, how about Italian or chicken and noodles. I've made chicken spaghetti which is just cooked diced chicken mixed in with spaghetti. Add sauce and some shredded cheese and then bake it in a long dish until it's hot and the cheese melts. It's pretty good and economical to make. It can also be reheated in a microwave. One thing about the cabinets--are they falling apart or are they just old and outdated? If they are still in decent shape you could paint them and add trim to change their appearance. We live in a house that's about 50 years old and I wanted to replace the cabinets but we decided the ones we have were better built than new ones. I painted them which made a nice difference. I would still like to add some trim to give them a "Shaker" style look but haven't done that yet. I saw at Menard's a pack of stainless steel finish door handles that was inexpensive. Good luck on your move. Don't forget to check the stores for gallons of "oops" paint. I hope everything goes well for you.

Re: Moving...Frugally?

mamasjob — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:55:20 GMT

We moved in August. We borrowed trucks and trailers and did NOT do it in one weekend. We moved over 2-3 weeks. If you have time, all the better. Boxes and boxes and boxes would go over every night in a borrowed truck. The very last weekend, we moved our big furniture on a Saturday and got the beds set up first thing. We have 2 small boys and getting their rooms ready first that weekend was a priority. I didn't want to be setting up a bed at 10 p.m. with an over-tired 2 year old. Plan your move. Put it on paper and organize by rooms. Buy some large black markers to write on the boxes. That way, friends who are helping can see a box labeled "living room" or "hall bathroom" and just put the box in the right room.

As for the kitchen, when we remodeled ours, we had a toaster oven and microwave and crock pot and it all worked just fine. If people are willing to "help" (and some people physically cannot help move large boxes or furniture) see if they would be willing to bring by some paper plates or make a veggie tray and dip. My good friend who was 8 months pregnant couldn't physically help us move or unpack but brought over paper plates, napkins and cups and that was a huge savings.

Pizza and beer is expensive. Maybe a good friend or family member can help by buying a case of beer. I also made a crock pot of BBQ pork. Find boston butt on super sale. Beef roast is good for this, too (BBQ beef). Cook in the crock pot all day with salt and pepper (onion and garlic optional), shred with 2 forks and add BBQ sauce. With buns and chips you can feed hungry men easily.

Good luck. It is stressful but a happy move (one where you made the decision) can really bring joy into your life.