MNXMFan's Blog

There are so many things that I have laying around that I don’t use.  Some will be thrown out, some will be stored for reference (like my school books).  But rather than spending hours a night the week before I move, I am going to start packing this weekend.

The last week will be packing things that I use on a daily basis, such as my Tivo (which will likely be cancelled in favor of a DVR from the cable company, its been a good run, but my TIVO doesn’t do HD or On Demand), DVD Player, Computers, etc.  Most of the furniture is staying behind, with the exception of my computer desk.  I have this “hutch” thing that is too hard to move, a half of a 20 year old loveseat, a twin bed that I grew up in (yeah, I’m glad to have the space for a queen now!) and peices of bedroom furniture that used to belong to my sister (sad life i lead haha) that will also be staying behind. 

I’m bringing a shelf, DVD/CD rack, and my desk.

Everything else is going good, although my social front is quiet (keeping a lower profile right now anyways).  Not to say I don’t get out, I just don’t feel required to.  Hell, after a long week, it STILL feels good to curl up at home.  I’m getting old haha.

Well, today marks a major milestone in my life.  For $200 I got a solid oak (slight wear and tear, 20 years old) bedroom set.  All thats needed in the bedroom now is a matress and boxspring, which might already be taken care of.

And today, I signed the lease.  Thats right.  $695 a month for 12 months, one month is free, and first month is $100 off.  That includes heat, water, garbage, air conditioning, pool, fitness center, elevators, etc.

Its about a 30 minute drive to work, but factor in that I also woiuld have spent a hundred more a month along with the fact that I’ll be staying pretty close to friends and family AND other stuff, and its quiet and mostly renovated, and stuff.

So, now its time to start collecting all the little stuff.  Anyone out there have any boxes??

After coming accross a decent end table/coffee table combo for $20 (it pays to network) my living room is 90% furnished.  All that is left is the TV and the TV Stand.  This is a seperate, already planned for purchase, and will most likely be the most expensive one yet, looking to weigh in at $1500-$2000.  Well worth it though.  The TV is supposed to last 10 years, and is a 50 inch.  Considering that cable can run $150 a month with internet, $200 a year for a TV doesn’t seem all that bad.

(And on a side note, I won’t have to squint at subtitles).

The kitchen drawers have to be filled, along with the cupboards.  Then there is the linen closet and bathroom which will likely happen over time, and the bedroom is almost completely bare right now (aside from a bed, TV stand, and 23″ TV.  So basically, the big thing I have left is a dresser and nightstand(s).

Yeah, so I know this is extremely trivial, but I bought myself those things this weekend.  I had also hoped to get out to Bloomington to look at a bedroom set, but then realized that might be a tad optimistic, seeing as how I am running out of places to put this stuff.

Total cost of the two items?  Dirt Devil 12.5amp vacuum cleaner – $25 (used obviously, but still in excellent shape).  Floor Lamp – $10.  Its gonna look great next to the big screen.

So, all I need is a set of tables, and the furnishing of the living room will be complete.  Next week, I think I’ll pick up some kitchen stuff, and look at bedroom furniture.  So far I am managing to do this WAY under budget, yet nothing I have gotten is anything I would consider “crap”.  Now the bedroom furniture, that might not be gotten for so cheap, but at this point, the budget has also grown because I pushed it back another month.

And on tap for the last weekend of the month?  Yup, thats the weekend I pick my apartment and hopefully put in my application, so the following week I can sign the lease.

So, I thought I had found a really nice apartment that is close to work (1.5 miles to be exact).  Then I looked up the reviews.  Not one good review, due to tenants and crime.  Yuck.  See, at a place for $500 a month rent, I almost expect that.  One problem.  This place is 800.  Thats about $150 more than I had originally planned on spending, and about $100 more than I planned on.

And don’t get me wrong, I could afford it.  With gas prices the way they are, living a mile from work would more than make up the price difference.  But do I really want to spend $100 more on an apartment that is away from friends and family AND that has nothing but bad reviews?

The worst part is, ALL of the apartments under a thousand a month are like that in Eden Prairie.  And $1000 a month is a little more than I was looking to spend.  I could certainly afford it, but I want to have some breathing room for emergencies.  Not only that, but EP doesn’t have the best public transportation yet.  Not important now, but if the car breaks down or gas gets short, I still want to get around.  Shakopee (about 10 miles from work has some places for about $600, but again, bad reviews.  And if I take a job later on in any part of the metro thats not west, well, it will be difficult to get to. 

So, we are down to West Bloomington, which has 494 to deal with), Savage, Prior Lake, or Burnsville.  So, long story short, I am really considering the place in BVille again.  Close to pretty much all major roads (miles from 169, 35w, 35e, and Ceder Ave), free garabge, water, heat, (yeah most EP places make you pay that stuff) and even free A/C.  The place is under new management, and is recently renovated.  Underground parking garage, indoor and outdoor pools, and a fitness center.  All for right around $700 a month.  Shakopee had nothing that compared.  $1000 gets you most of those at an apartment complex out there.

I’d stay close to friends, but far from work, so I’m still giving it thought, but it is looking more and more tempting every day.

Despite last week’s bad news about the job, I am still diligently apartment hunting.  I have found three apartments that I am really interested in, and a fourth and fifth that I am moderately interested in.  All are in different “corners” of the metro, between 3 and 20 miles from work.

I have not yet decided on whether to live closer to work but further from friends and family, or live in the middle of the two.  The middle would be ideal, aside from the gas and commute times, as it would put me about 15 miles from work, but about 10 miles from where I currently live.

Other places would put me about 25 miles from where I currently live, but 7-10 miles away from work.  Most of my friends currently live closer to where I live than where I work.  So, the question becomes, is it time for a fresh start in the interest of saving about $80 in gas a month (but paying about that much more in rent)?  Or is it worth it to stay closer to friends, but extend my commute time to 30-40 minutes, while at the same time paying $80-$100 less for more amenities?

So, about two weeks ago now, we had to put our one year old female cat to sleep.  She was having Grand Maul (spelling?) seizures for some reason, and went down pretty quickly (like 3 days).

To make a long, and sad with a happy ending, story short we got another cat.  Mainly because cats do better in pairs.  She is one year old, and is rather small for her age.  She is a rescue (the only way we do it) and is very cute and cuddily.  I’ll try to post pictures in the next day or so.

What is not known yet is whether the two will get along.  If they don’t, then I am going to take her with me when I move in two months.  If they do, then I will look for another cat for myself, maybe two depending on my lease terms.

So, I was originally told when I was signed on with the current company that I work for, that I would be on a temp to hire contract that would last 3 months.  In talking to my two co-workers, who also started out as temps through this very agency, I started to realize that this might not be the case.  Upon several phone calls, I verified that 3 months was indeed the length of the contract.

Well, three months is up at the end of this week, and guess what?  Yup, rather than it being 480 hours (worked) it is 720.  So, I am a little frustrated, but take this in stride.  Nothing major, I still have a job, and I am still overpaying for COBRA.  I still love my job, and would work there as a temp for up to a year if it meant I would be hired. 

But, this does do one thing that I am not thrilled about.  It pushes my move out date back, which I had already pushed back once because of this very thing.  See, its not that I can’t afford to move out, because I certainly can, rather its that it would be VERY tight under current circumstances.  When budgeting out my money, after everything is paid for I would have nothing left to put into savings, should say, my car bite the dust.

Whereas after my benefits kick in, even if I get hired at EXACTLY what I am making now (which is what I am counting on, FWIW), I will have between 3 and 4 hundred dollars left at the end of the month. 

The other thing, and I don’t think this will be an issue but I do have to consider it, is that anywhere I choose to live will require a 1 year lease.  I have found a few apartment prospects within 4 miles of work, but would be stuck there in the unlikely event I do not get hired on at the end of my contract.  This scenario is pretty unlikely, but I do need to consider that when I am looking.

So, for now, its looking like August 1st for a move out date.  In the grand scheme of things, not that important.  I’d rather wait and be stable, than rush it and struggle.