Moving Costs
April 13, 2009
In March, I was salivating over what I’d do with my “extra paycheck” this month. After my Roth IRA savings were deducted out, I’d get $1615 to play with. I could knock out my efund goal in one swoop! I could push my car fund toward the top! I could even have a teensy bit set aside for a splurge! And top of my travel fund!
Enter moving costs…
- Westside Rentals: $30 (my share, might get a friend to buy half as he’s moving later this month after a 3 week Asian vacation)
- Application Fee: $20 (to run a credit check)
- Rental Fee: $25 (no idea why they need this…)
- Extra rent for April: $300 (my share)
- Security Deposit: $900 (my share) [I was warned about hefty security deposits, but what can you do? Most of the places we looked at were just landlords with a few units and required 1 mo rent. There were some complexes with smaller ones.]
- A few boxes from Home Depot: $7
- Bribing strong friends to help move a few heavy things: $35 for pizza and beer. I tried to give them cash but they wouldn’t accept. They deserved hundreds each, really!
- U-haul for the day: $65
- Cleaners to clean my kitchen/bathroom for move out: $100 (I might do this myself, but I really really really don’t want to, and I’m super busy lately with school/work/life. We’ll see.)
- Craigslist Fridge w/Delivery: $155 (my half)
- Total: $1607 (Yikes!)
Moving costs are eerily close to my extra paycheck amount (I think it is fate). So that stinks, but the good news is I should still be able to add to my regular savings for April. Slow and steady… It is boring, but it works.
9 Comments
leave one →
Stacking Pennies 
Yikes, I hate moving costs!! I would stick with the professional cleaning service. That way, if management takes your security deposit, claiming it was used to clean the place, you can provide them with proof of a receipt.
Ask me how I know. Lol!
@LA Daze – hmm, and your suggestion is the more pleasant one for me. I don’t have to scrub my floors myself!
In theory, I should eventually get the $900 security back, and I did get a fridge out of the deal. But.. you don’t get it back until you move out. That really sucks.
boring, but it works! I agree. It has been my problem actually when it comes to savings and debt repayment.. waiting for the payoff (seeing that zero balance on debt owing, and big positive numbers on the savings accounts)
Good luck on the move!
Ouch! Talk about cutting your legs from under you! I forgot about how expensive it is to move into a new apartment.
I know, don’t they just sneak up on you? It usually takes at least two or three months of an weird budget when you move and then you’re back to normal. And slow and steady is definitely the way it’s done, unfortunately!
Moving is soooo expensive. You think, “Oh, I got a great deal on rent and the deposit!” but so many forget to factor in the cost of the truck, the gas, the insurance, the pet depo, the pet rent, the actual overlap in rents, the partial-lost depo from the last place (because no one ever gets the WHOLE thing back), the app fees, etc., as a whole number.
It’s awful!
Yep, moving sucks. You will get your deposit back on your current place won’t you? You’ll just be out two deposits for a little while. I have had to fight a landlord to get back my deposit so if you have any questions or trouble just ask. I know a lot about the landlord/tenant laws after that battle.
My current deposit was only $500, and my lease states they will take out painting costs if I don’t stay 18 months (i didn’t). So I’m not sure what I’ll be getting back.
Oh, bummer, my last 2 comments are gone. Technical issues still?