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So planning to move back to San Diego from Denver in the Spring. My plan is to put my stuff into storage here in Denver, return to San Diego and then once I figure everything out, have my things moved to San Diego. I'll be staying with my folks so there's no need to pay to have everything moved when I leave Denver.
I'm going through my things and am on a kick to get rid of as much as I can. I don't have fancy, small appliances such as a toaster, coffee maker, can opener, pot/pans etc. Actually I don't have a lot of expensive items period
Is it more cost effective to just donate these items and perhaps pick up new, nicer items once I arrive in San Diego? I'll have the time to shop for sale items and such. Just doesn't seem to me from a common sense standpoint to pay to store things and then move them 1,000 miles when they aren't higher end items. Probably more expensive to store and move these cheapo items than it is to buy them once I get settled.
Yes, if you're planning on upgrading, donate all good, working things to charities (Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc). Take a minute and go price what you want. Make sure you can afford the upgrades.
Some people swear by yard sales, but I get so little at them that it pays for me to just donate stuff.
Also keep in mind how much you *really* use. I once had a box of "holiday stuff" cluttering up my cupboards. I decided it wasn't necessary to bake and entertain with as much stuff. Instead of using 8 different cookie cutters, I now use one, for example.
I also had 3 blenders because I didn't really like any of them. When I moved, I donated them and bought a decent one at Target when I got settled.
So planning to move back to San Diego from Denver in the Spring. My plan is to put my stuff into storage here in Denver, return to San Diego and then once I figure everything out, have my things moved to San Diego. I'll be staying with my folks so there's no need to pay to have everything moved when I leave Denver.
I'm going through my things and am on a kick to get rid of as much as I can. I don't have fancy, small appliances such as a toaster, coffee maker, can opener, pot/pans etc. Actually I don't have a lot of expensive items period
Is it more cost effective to just donate these items and perhaps pick up new, nicer items once I arrive in San Diego? I'll have the time to shop for sale items and such. Just doesn't seem to me from a common sense standpoint to pay to store things and then move them 1,000 miles when they aren't higher end items. Probably more expensive to store and move these cheapo items than it is to buy them once I get settled.
Any suggestions and/or opinions?
It sounds like you are leaning towards donating these items and buying new when you get there, and honestly I think that's a good choice. Less to move, less to store, and you'd probably have to replace them before too long anyway. The money and effort you save due to not moving them, will help pay for replacement once you get there.
You might want to write down the brand and model of any that you are particularly fond of, maybe? Otherwise I don't have any suggestions.
When I move long distances like that, I prefer to try to limit what I move to things that are not replaceable such as photos, mementos, and so on. I never quite reach that goal, but it helps to keep it in mind.
I agree, no sense of moving stuff that will most likely break soon I really, really want to get lean on my belongings. It's hard for me but it has to be done. Time to start making runs to the Goodwill store. Thanks for your advice NOLA2SGF and Meemur.
By the time you figure the cost of storage and moving, you could probably buy some really nice new stuff with that same money.
By the way, if you don't want to deal with hauling stuff to the charities, just put an ad in the "free" section of Craigslist and it will disappear instantaneously. I did this and just put stuff outside my apartment door as I moved through closet or room, etc. I'd say where it is and I'm not going to answer the door or the phone, but I'll take the ad down when the stuff is gone. Worked great. Then I didn't have to figure out where to put stuff I was going to donate.
I did sell a few things on Craigslist, too. But I agree that yardsales are a pain and people will steal stuff. And it will take up about 2 or 3 days of your time that could have been spent packing.
By the time you figure the cost of storage and moving, you could probably buy some really nice new stuff with that same money.
By the way, if you don't want to deal with hauling stuff to the charities, just put an ad in the "free" section of Craigslist and it will disappear instantaneously. I did this and just put stuff outside my apartment door as I moved through closet or room, etc. I'd say where it is and I'm not going to answer the door or the phone, but I'll take the ad down when the stuff is gone. Worked great. Then I didn't have to figure out where to put stuff I was going to donate.
I did sell a few things on Craigslist, too. But I agree that yardsales are a pain and people will steal stuff. And it will take up about 2 or 3 days of your time that could have been spent packing.
100% agree, garage sales were awful! People steal stuff, want to buy a $400 coach bag in pristine condition for $2. I was happy to donate for free so I didn't have to deal with the trashy people.
I also agree to get rid of anything and everything you can live without. Will you need a parka is CA, get rid of it. Will you need your 20 below ugg boots, get rid of them.
They only items I would keep would be things of sentimental value or items that would be hard to find or expensive to replace. I keep my tools too since those always come in handy
Don't forget about shipping items to yourself and if you do get a storage unit it would better to move the items first and then get a unit near your new location, that way you can have access to it and purge at your leisure since it didn't sound like you were join back to Denver.
My sister taught me an invaluable lesson long ago. If it costs more to buy new, keep it. If it costs more to ship, get rid of it.
One thing I have kept through the years is a good set of pots & pans. Still have them, 40 years later & yes, they would have cost a lot to replace, especially at the cost these days.
In my last move I did a major declutter. Was it hard to part with things, it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I like the above posters comment about cost analysis with items. For you, I think about the cost to store, then the cost to move all that stuff from Colorado to southern California. Best of luck with your move and safe travels. Keep us posted.
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