The Expensive Costs of Moving
Moving to a new place has a lot of hidden expenses:
$260 for miscellanious shipping expenses. I mailed myself 15 boxes at an average cost of $17.33 a box. Most of the contents were books, and assuming an average weight of 12 lb / box, I learned later I could have sent them media mail at $13 / 30 lb. That would have cost me a mere $78.
$80 for Amazon prime membership. I wanted to purchase some basic supplies from Amazon, because I don’t yet have a car and can only carry so much home. A prime membership for free, fast shippin will be cheaper in the long run than paying for shipping, and more convenient.
$35 for a taxi from the airport to my house. I can’t avoid this one.
$700 for a queen bed frame, box spring, and mattress. As far as furniture goes, I wanted a nice frame and got one. Also, the firm I purchased the bed from does free delivery to my home, and installation. It’s a win/win since I need to buy some kind of bed. The only way I could have saved would be a cheaper raised matress without a box spring, which reduce the cost by about half, but result in an aesthetically unpleasing sleep and bedroom experience.
$165 for bedding, including two pillows, sheets, pillowcases, and a comforter. The comforter weighs in at over 50% of the cost of the bedding, and was the cheapest I could find.
$289 for pots, pans, place settings for four, silverware, glasses, a toaster, and a cutting board and 2 small knives. I really did buy the cheapest pots I could, but the silverware, glasses, and everything else sold high.
The lesson of all of it, I suppose, is that one should be careful when they move to preserve their belongings. For example, unless I have more than two kids, I shouldn’t need to buy too many more place settings in the future. And, moving would be cheaper and easier in the future by simply renting a cheap truck, packing it up, and driving to wherever I’ll be living next.
iPod, Razor, Vision-M Skins
Skins mobile is offering a unique protective casing for portable devices like iPods, MP3 players, Razors, and other mobile devices. The latex skins protect your portable electronic device from water, dirt, mud, paint, sweat, blood, dust, sand, cement, and snow. The protective case works just like a condom, only “the latex used is seventeen times stronger than regular latex and can be stretched seven times its own length.”
While the idea of protecting my valuable cellphone, digital camera, or mp3 player from scratches, dust, and liquids is high on my list of things to do, I would rather promote abstinence. Just don’t drop them in water, spray them with blood, throw them in the snow, or roll them in cement in the first place!
New Blog: The Gossip Rag
I’d like to proudly introduce the newest member of the blog network, The Gossip Rag:
Logo created with CC Material from Flickr.
Julie, who’s been fascinated by celebrities and the gossip about them for a long time, has decided to pick up blogging on this topic. As you know, Americans are generally obsessed with their celebrity heros. While giants like Gawker and Defamer currently dominate the industry, there’s room for a smaller blog to come in, find its niche, and innovate in the market. Julie’s secret weapons are the wit and intelligence she brings to the gossip circle.
The Gossip Rag isn’t about reposting the tired, old news. Rather, it offers a fresh new look at the choices celebrities make. If you’re interested in leaving us a tip, head on over the tips and contributions page!