Things own you; you don't own things - know what is want and a need

[dex]

Today I moved from my house (5 bedrooms - mostly empty) to a one bedroom apartment.

I'm moving toward an RE in April of 2005.

The experience dealing with a real estate agent an selling things off was interesting - not surprising but interesting.

The real estate agent is something I knew - they are working for themselves - not me. I think I left about $3,000 on the table. All in all I think I did OK.

Selling the little I had was interesting also. I wanted to move as little as possilble. Also, I moved into a one bedroom apartment and the things I had were not worth storing nor do I think I will ever need them. So I put together a list of what I had and put it in the mailboxes of my subdivision. Everything was prices for a yard sale. Also, the subdivision had a yard sale. Everthing went. What was intersting is that people bought thing just because it was a good deal or they may find a use for it in the future.

A couple of thoughts for those working towards RE.
1. The only person interested in your finances is yourself - Look out for yourself. Learn and learn how to necociate.

2. Learn the difference between a want and a need. You need a car to dive to work. Do you need one that is over $30K, has higher insurance costs and gets poor gas mileage?

3. You do not own things; things own you. The ownership of you takes on many forms. The easiest ownership to see is when you buy the thing. It costs you your hard earned money. But then there is the other costs - opportunity costs, cleaning,storing, moving, disposing and the time involved with all aspects of it.

4. Appreciate what you have. The two men that moved me did backbreaking work every daty for little money. And get this - if they break something the cost of it is taken out of their salary. The "kind" management takes it out of their salary over time.

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

Ha, it's amazing how timely some of these posts are! I, too, am going to be moving out of my house into an apartment so that I can concentrate on being a full-time student instead of worrying about mortgages and real estate taxes.

BTW, can I ask what you kept? The thing is that I don't know what where I will be living after my one year in school, so it may be too soon to start a yard sale. A self-storage locker costs about $100/month, but the cost of replacing all these things could be $5000-$8000.

 

[dex]

B of V,
What home items do you have that is worth $5 - 8K?

I'm 50 and I do not believe the total of my housing items (excluding clothing - suits etc.) ever exceeded $4K when new. Now for most of my life I've lived in apartments.
Only for the past 6 years did I live in a house.

I kept only those things that I can fit into a one bedroom apartment.
Momentos - photographs etc
Kitchen table & chairs
sofa
recliner
coffee & end tables
stereo
bed
2 bikes
clothes
I moved the little stuff. The movers moved the big thing and it only took them 2 hours to load, drive and unload. Cost of the movers $250.

This is what I mean that thing own you. Add up the cost of packing, moving, storing, and moving again the $5 - 8K things you are talking about and you can see how you are working for you things.

I don't know where you live but I would estimate the following:

1,200 Packing, Boxes, insurance, moving, tip to storage
1,300 storage costs 1 year
900 Move out of storage

3,400 Total
Your Time?

If these numbers look correct to you, the question is can you see your way to do without these things now and in the future?

PS - In my area a self storage locker of 100/mo is apx 5'x10' or maybe 10'x10' no climate control. What size is the one you were refering to?

 

[LOL!]

We have had a reality check twice in our lives that corresponded to two major moves. In moving from overseas back to the States our entire container of possessions was lost stolen. So we started from virtually from scratch with the insurance money.

In another move across country, lots of stuff was damaged or lost.

So we have not accumulated any junk in more than 2 decades of marriage. The garage can hold both our cars and our minimal yard items. Inside the house, the furniture is limited and mostly inherited.

We need a handful of clothes, beds, a computer, dishes and a kitchen table. The kids need those and musical instruments. Throw in an old TV or two and you are done.

 

[MJ]

We need a handful of clothes, beds, a computer, dishes and a kitchen table. The kids need those and musical instruments. Throw in an old TV or two and you are done.

Try craiglist and freecycle for all the free things you'll need.
You'll find a lot stuff people give away. Hope this helps you out.
.
.
.
.
Just kidding.

MJ

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

You need a car to dive to work.

Maybe getting a job on dry land would help cut costs?

I'm reminded of a diving photo of a well encrusted BMW at the bottom of the ocean somewhere with the caption "The Ultimate Diving Machine".

 

[tozz]

I couldn't agree with you more, Dex. However, the whole process of sorting and selling and tossing drains me. I will start doing this next week. My approach will be to do one room at a time--in small chunks it may not be so bad.

You do not own things; things own you. 

 

[Nords]

The thing is that I don't know what where I will be living after my one year in school... A self-storage locker costs about $100/month.

I've always thought of myself as frugal, but I'm impressed! Does $100/mo include a bathroom or do you have to go somewhere else?

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

If you're a man, anyplace is a bathroom. Preferably outdoors.

On the other hand, if you wanna splurge...another $100 for a second self-store, ideally a good distance away from the one you're living in.

 

[Martha]

I couldn't agree with you more, Dex. However, the whole process of sorting and selling and tossing drains me. I will start doing this next week. My approach will be to do one room at a time--in small chunks it may not be so bad.

Don't do too much--you just retired. Making too many changes at one time is stressful and methinks you are a bit stressed out.

 

[Honkie]

B of V,
What home items do you have that is worth $5 - 8K?

Easily done:      42'' Plasma TV - 1 yr old, $2000 when new
                          Persian Silk Rug - $1500
                          Chinese Antique chest - $1000
                          Italian Leather sofa and chair - $2000

That's $6500 and I haven't left the sitting room yet.

 

[dex]

I did a quick estimate of the costs of the things I own.

Current Replacement
Value Cost
300 1,300 All Furniture
200 300 Stereo
- 450 Bed
300 700 Kitchen Table/chairs
150 350 Audio CDs
400 2,000 Bikes
- 300 Misc Sporting Equip
50 400 Kitchen Items
1,500 1,500 Guns
25 100 Tools
- 2,000 Clothes
- 600 Misc items

2,925 10,000

 

[tozz]

Well, as I recall, you promised me Xanax, but never quite produced. All talk!

Don't do too much--you just retired.   Making too many changes at one time is stressful and methinks you are a bit stressed out. 

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

Ha, Nords, self-storage locker. That's what they're called, but I don't plan on storing myself anywhere near those lockers. Only serial killers actually store people in those things.

I'm not a big spender. I was talking about replacement costs, not actual worth now. I doubt I can get $8K-$10K for all my stuff. My problem is that I have three things that I like that are kind of hard to move, an entertainment cabinet, a wood dresser, and a computer table. If I get rid of the dresser, I would be breaking my bedroom set. I know, you can always buy the whole shebang again for a few hundred dollars. The computer table is a cheap Sauder self-assemble job that can be bought in any department store for $250. Ah, whatever, I first need to sell my house first before I can get rid of all the stuff. An empty house is a lot hard to sell.

 

[Martha]

Well, as I recall, you promised me Xanax, but never quite produced. All talk!

Stop by, I have a few in the bottom of my purse.

 

[rmark]

I did a little landscape work (years ago) for a mini storage business. There were 2 different people living in cars that came by in the mornings to get clean clothes from their storage closets and who washed up in the public restrooms before going to work. The managers told them it was ok, they didn't need to sneak in to clean up.

 

[Marshac]

So I put together a list of what I had and put it in the mailboxes of my subdivision.

Speaking as a former paperboy...

Section 1725 of Title 18 of the United States Code states that Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits any mailable matter such as statements of accounts, circulars, sale bills, or other like matter, on which no postage has been paid, in any letter box established, approved, or accepted by the Postal Service for the receipt or delivery of mail matter on any mail route with intent to avoid payment of lawful postage thereon, shall for each such offense be fined under this title.

The fine is usually the cost of postage.

 

[OldAgePensioner]

In 1990, there was a Rockford style trailer parked on Dolittle St in TRW, Inc Los Angeles in their parking lot. A guy making $50-$60k per year lived there. He did his constitutional doodies, shaved, showed and dressed in the company gym.

Ate meals at cafeteria, used library until time for bed. Swarthy guy who always dressed in solid black.

He owned nearly nothing and seemed happy.

 

[Andre1969]

I actually wouldn't mind living in a house trailer, provided it was big enough. When I was a little kid I thought it would be really cool to live in one, because I thought it would feel like camping all year 'round!

I wouldn't want to live in a trailer park, though. Just gimme one out by itself, on a few acres of ground, in an area where it doesn't get too cold in the winter, and out of Tornado Alley!

Still, I guess in the long run, if you owned some land, you'd be better off putting up a regular house, even a modest one? Houses usually go up in value, where trailers depreciate, and occasionally have to be replaced as they tend to not age as well.

 

[REWahoo]

I actually wouldn't mind living in a house trailer, provided it was big enough.

I wouldn't want to live in a trailer park, though. Just gimme one out by itself, on a few acres of ground, in an area where it doesn't get too cold in the winter, and out of Tornado Alley!

Why doesn't someone invent "roll bars" for those things? I'd pay big bucks for the Kansas franchise.

 

[HFWR]

Always wanted a concrete geodesic dome...

 

[johnlw]

For a few years now, I've been semi-joking with my wife about selling the house, then taking the profit to buy a piece of land in a rural area and putting a modular home on it.

We could live rent free!

John