Moving from MA to AZ

[bruinsrme]

I’m moving from MA to just south of Phoenix.
With recent marital issues I essentially had to furnish a 1 bedroom apartment.
Now I am faced with a dilemma.
I owe about $3000 on the furniture.
It will cost about $5000 to move everything or about $1500 for the essentials.
My options are:
Move the essentials, buy new (pay cash) and still owe on the current furniture.
Or take the current furniture, pay to move it and still owe on it.

I would love to hear your thoughts

 

[SDColorado]

If I understand correctly you will owe $3,000 on the furniture and the move will cost $5,000 brining the total cost and debt to $8,000.

Moving the essentials will cost $1,500 plus a plus a loss of $3,000 for a total of about $4,500.

What you haven’t said is what percentage of the $3,000 you owe for the furniture is the total cost. If you paid $10,000 for the furniture and owe $3,000 that changes things.

Also are you able to sell the furniture to cover a percentage of the $3,000 you owe?

How well and how long can you live with the essentials before having to replace the furniture you left behind, should you choose to leave it? Could you get buy with rented furniture for awhile if you had to?

A lot to think about and a tough decision to make.

 

[Gutwrench]

I’m moving from MA to just south of Phoenix.
With recent marital issues I essentially had to furnish a 1 bedroom apartment.
Now I am faced with a dilemma.
I owe about $3000 on the furniture.
It will cost about $5000 to move everything or about $1500 for the essentials.
My options are:
Move the essentials, buy new (pay cash) and still owe on the current furniture.
Or take the current furniture, pay to move it and still owe on it.

I would love to hear your thoughts

My brain is sluggish.....can you move the essentials, sell the non-essentials and pay down on the principal? Replace non-essentials over time?

My main concern is you’re moving to the desert. Food doesn’t grow in the desert. Pack sandwiches!

 

[bruinsrme]

I

My brain is sluggish.....can you move the essentials, sell the non-essentials and pay down on the principal? Replace non-essentials over time?

My main concern is you’re moving to the desert. Food doesn’t grow in the desert. Pack sandwiches!

The items would go to my Niece.
It’s just going to be me, so the definition of essentials is rustic
[doublepost=1557679215][/doublepost]

If I understand correctly you will owe $3,000 on the furniture and the move will cost $5,000 brining the total cost and debt to $8,000.

Moving the essentials will cost $1,500 plus a plus a loss of $3,000 for a total of about $4,500.

What you haven’t said is what percentage of the $3,000 you owe for the furniture is the total cost. If you paid $10,000 for the furniture and owe $3,000 that changes things.

Also are you able to sell the furniture to cover a percentage of the $3,000 you owe?

How well and how long can you live with the essentials before having to replace the furniture you left behind, should you choose to leave it? Could you get buy with rented furniture for awhile if you had to?

A lot to think about and a tough decision to make.

Great questions.
I paid $6000 for the furniture so it's half paid off.
Selling it - it would be given to my niece to no gain there.

The company has given me $9000 to move and a $10k signing bonus, before taxes.

 

[chown33]

My main concern is you’re moving to the desert. Food doesn’t grow in the desert. Pack sandwiches!

There's food in the desert. You just have to be ingenious to get it.

Spoiler

At least more ingeniouser than a Coyote.

 

[myapple2019]

I’m moving from MA to just south of Phoenix.
With recent marital issues I essentially had to furnish a 1 bedroom apartment.
Now I am faced with a dilemma.
I owe about $3000 on the furniture.
It will cost about $5000 to move everything or about $1500 for the essentials.
My options are:
Move the essentials, buy new (pay cash) and still owe on the current furniture.
Or take the current furniture, pay to move it and still owe on it.

I would love to hear your thoughts

If I were you, since I have $19,000 (moving cost and bonus) on hand, I will move everything and paid off the furniture, which leaves you around $11,000. That is my preference. Especially, when you have to live by yourself. I assume you are separating from your wife, which generally leads to a divorce proceeding. I am sorry to hear this, but you will be living in great weather on a positive side. I wish you all the best.

 

[bruinsrme]

Thank you
[doublepost=1557691625][/doublepost]

If I were you, since I have $19,000 (moving cost and bonus) on hand, I will move everything and paid off the furniture, which leaves you around $11,000. That is my preference. Especially, when you have to live by yourself. I assume you are separating from your wife, which generally leads to a divorce proceeding. I am sorry to hear this, but you will be living in great weather on a positive side. I wish you all the best.

Thank you

 

[Gutwrench]

There's food in the desert. You just have to be ingenious to get it.

Spoiler

At least more ingeniouser than a Coyote.

Suuuupeeer-ingeniouser!

 

[bruinsrme]

There's food in the desert. You just have to be ingenious to get it.

Spoiler

At least more ingeniouser than a Coyote.

Too funny....

I saw a Waffle House or two

 

[chown33]

Too funny....

I saw a Waffle House or two

In the desert, it only works if it's an Acme Waffle House.

For small values of "works".

Extremely small.

 

[jpn]

I’m moving from MA to just south of Phoenix.
With recent marital issues I essentially had to furnish a 1 bedroom apartment.
Now I am faced with a dilemma.
I owe about $3000 on the furniture.
It will cost about $5000 to move everything or about $1500 for the essentials.
My options are:
Move the essentials, buy new (pay cash) and still owe on the current furniture.
Or take the current furniture, pay to move it and still owe on it.

I would love to hear your thoughts

if you bought $5000 of furniture on credit, and still owe that, then i would leave the furniture in the old place, and take almost nothing with me to Arizona.
in Arizona I would buy almost nothing except a sleeping bag and toiletries, and basically camp in the new apartment in Arizona until the furniture in MA is paid off - even if it takes a year to repay for the furniture you left in MA.

i would try to save about 50% of any sign on bonus in a CD or something that keeps it out of checking or debit card reach.

 

[bruinsrme]

if you bought $5000 of furniture on credit, and still owe that, then i would leave the furniture in the old place, and take almost nothing with me to Arizona.
in Arizona I would buy almost nothing except a sleeping bag and toiletries, and basically camp in the new apartment in Arizona until the furniture in MA is paid off - even if it takes a year to repay for the furniture you left in MA.

i would try to save about 50% of any sign on bonus in a CD or something that keeps it out of checking or debit card reach.

The cost of moving it. Or buying something new.
To your point, I appreciate your advice. I envision you sitting there thinking wth is wrong with him.
I don’t know what to do.

 

[jpn]

The cost of moving it. Or buying something new.
To your point, I appreciate your advice. I envision you sitting there thinking wth is wrong with him.
I don’t know what to do.

to get out of a financial hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.
pay it all off. wait for a while before you buy anything more. save part of yr sign on bonus.
you will be happier this way.

you are not in an uncommon situation. many other, especially late 20 something early 30 something persons with opportunities in hand, but also a complex situation they need to get out of.

 

[chown33]

Is the $9k moving amount restricted in any way? That is, can you only use it for moving expenses, or can you spend it in any way you like?

If it's restricted to only moving expenses, then check whether paying off $3000 in furniture debt is covered. It could be, since you'd be moving the furniture (presumably), but I've found it's always best to check first, before making a financial commitment.

You should also check whether moving expenses covers buying new furniture at the AZ location. If it does, then it may be more cost-effective to pay off the $3k debt, sell that furniture (or even give it away) in MA, then buy new (or used) at low cost in AZ.

There's quite a climate difference, and you may find that some furnishings make little sense in AZ, while others, such as patio/outdoor furniture, get more use (or in different seasons) than their MA equivalent.

Personally, I like the idea of only bringing the essentials to AZ and buying cheap after arrival. There's an IKEA in Phoenix, so a few trips there might cost less overall than moving what you have, if the moving allotment permits.

 

[bruinsrme]

$9000 is deposited into my bank account.

Is the $9k moving amount restricted in any way? That is, can you only use it for moving expenses, or can you spend it in any way you like?

If it's restricted to only moving expenses, then check whether paying off $3000 in furniture debt is covered. It could be, since you'd be moving the furniture (presumably), but I've found it's always best to check first, before making a financial commitment.

You should also check whether moving expenses covers buying new furniture at the AZ location. If it does, then it may be more cost-effective to pay off the $3k debt, sell that furniture (or even give it away) in MA, then buy new (or used) at low cost in AZ.

There's quite a climate difference, and you may find that some furnishings make little sense in AZ, while others, such as patio/outdoor furniture, get more use (or in different seasons) than their MA equivalent.

Personally, I like the idea of only bringing the essentials to AZ and buying cheap after arrival. There's an IKEA in Phoenix, so a few trips there might cost less overall than moving what you have, if the moving allotment permits.

This is exactly what I am thinking at the moment.
But if you ask me in 20 minutes I will be thinking something else.
I have a suspicion that I will let this furniture here go, pay the $70 interest free a month. When I arrive figure it out.
At the moment one thing is confirmed. My vehicles will be shipped and I will meet them there

 

[chown33]

I look at it this way:
Step 1 - Eliminate the furniture debt.

With that debt eliminated, then you can decide what to do with the furniture. With no emotional factors considered, does it really make sense to move all of it to AZ? If the answer to that is "No", then does it make sense to move any of it to AZ? If so, what are the exact (rational, justifiable) reasons for moving it? Those answers should provide a kind of baseline you can always refer back to when looking at other What-Ifs.


I'd probably be putting together a Costs/Benefits list, aka a Plus/Minus list, or Advantage/Disadvantage list. For example, start from the "Furniture debt is eliminated" point. Assume that you'll move some, but not all, of it to AZ. What are the Plusses and Minuses for the different ways of disposing of the remainder?
Give it to a relative -
- plus: the favor might be worth something in the future
- minus: might never return the favor

Give it to Goodwill:
- plus: may be tax deductible
- minus: you may not be in a tax bracket where it's deductible

Sell it on ebay or Craig's List:
- plus: cash
- minus: really hard to do with furniture in MA and you in AZ

Hand it off to a consignment store:
- plus: cash (eventually, hopefully), easier to manage remotely than ebay
- minus: might never sell, so you have to take it back

Hand it off to a relative to sell on ebay or CL:
... etc.

Personally, I like writing things down (really, typing it into a plain text file), even if I don't do any of them, because the process of writing things down helps my thought processes. For one, if I write it down, then I can go back and read it, instead of having to remember every niggling detail. It also helps me lay out sequences of actions when I can see them listed sequentially, and move them around. That helps avoid blunders like "Attach battery, then check for short-circuits", where the safe order is reversed from that (check for shorts, then attach battery).

Honestly, I'd also be looking at which decisions I don't need to make right away, vs. those that would be difficult to defer. One of my Rules-of-Thumb is "Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow, when you may understand the problem better". Or maybe that's just my rationalization for procrastinating.

 

[Huntn]

I

The items would go to my Niece.
It’s just going to be me, so the definition of essentials is rustic
[doublepost=1557679215][/doublepost]
Great questions.
I paid $6000 for the furniture so it's half paid off.
Selling it - it would be given to my niece to no gain there.

The company has given me $9000 to move and a $10k signing bonus, before taxes.

Which option can you better afford, versus which option costs more in the long run?

 

[bruinsrme]

Looking at the numbers it’s awash +/- $1500.
Not that is chump change but in the big scheme of things.

If I get out there and the style furniture or size doesn’t fit or if it does.

I will probably have 30 boxes, 2 large screen TVs, each over $5k then furniture.
[doublepost=1557759634][/doublepost]

I look at it this way:
Step 1 - Eliminate the furniture debt.

With that debt eliminated, then you can decide what to do with the furniture. With no emotional factors considered, does it really make sense to move all of it to AZ? If the answer to that is "No", then does it make sense to move any of it to AZ? If so, what are the exact (rational, justifiable) reasons for moving it? Those answers should provide a kind of baseline you can always refer back to when looking at other What-Ifs.


I'd probably be putting together a Costs/Benefits list, aka a Plus/Minus list, or Advantage/Disadvantage list. For example, start from the "Furniture debt is eliminated" point. Assume that you'll move some, but not all, of it to AZ. What are the Plusses and Minuses for the different ways of disposing of the remainder?
Give it to a relative -
- plus: the favor might be worth something in the future
- minus: might never return the favor

Give it to Goodwill:
- plus: may be tax deductible
- minus: you may not be in a tax bracket where it's deductible

Sell it on ebay or Craig's List:
- plus: cash
- minus: really hard to do with furniture in MA and you in AZ

Hand it off to a consignment store:
- plus: cash (eventually, hopefully), easier to manage remotely than ebay
- minus: might never sell, so you have to take it back

Hand it off to a relative to sell on ebay or CL:
... etc.

Personally, I like writing things down (really, typing it into a plain text file), even if I don't do any of them, because the process of writing things down helps my thought processes. For one, if I write it down, then I can go back and read it, instead of having to remember every niggling detail. It also helps me lay out sequences of actions when I can see them listed sequentially, and move them around. That helps avoid blunders like "Attach battery, then check for short-circuits", where the safe order is reversed from that (check for shorts, then attach battery).

Honestly, I'd also be looking at which decisions I don't need to make right away, vs. those that would be difficult to defer. One of my Rules-of-Thumb is "Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow, when you may understand the problem better". Or maybe that's just my rationalization for procrastinating.

Solid advice thank you.

 

[bruinsrme]

It looks like I will be taking the furniture.
The prices to move are interesting.
The savings is abut $1000 with other concessions that would more than likely cause the savings to be even less.
Nothing is for free in the moving service world.

I appreciate the advice

 

[MacNut]

You can hope the Red Sox pitch a no hitter in July!

 

[bruinsrme]

The cost of the move was about $3500. Without the bed and chair it would have been $3100.
I ended up taking it all. It was cheaper this way.

I do appreciate all the feedback you guys gave me. Moving is extremely stressful and overwhelming.

The truck is on a truck heading out there and the furniture is getting loaded onto the 18 wheeler tomorrow.
The second car will be paid off next month with the money saved from taking the furniture.

I am exhausted but in a week I will be in AZ.

you are not in an uncommon situation. many other, especially late 20 something early 30 something persons with opportunities in hand, but also a complex situation they need to get out of.

I look at it this way:
Step 1 - Eliminate the furniture debt.

.

Which option can you better afford, versus which option costs more in the long run?