Tuesday 31 December 2013

Bed Has a Date With the Moving Man

Okay, today I moved some stuff to the storage depot. I keep taking a load over and not a dangerously overloaded pickup truck load either. After all it is just little old me who is moving this stuff over there.

I don’t want to leave things to the last minute and since I have time I look around and ask “what can I take there today?” I then load up the truck and off I go to the storage depot.

When I was there today I asked them a question “What would it cost to move my bed for me?” I am not looking forward to moving that bed and while I know that I could find a way to move the bed in pieces, the dresser is big and heavy.

Add to that I would more than likely rent a larger truck or a box trailer and have to round up someone to help me . . . the hundred bucks was worth it.

So, by the evening of the eighteenth of January my bed will be in storage and I will be sleeping in a cot in my bedroom . . . yes I said cot. I left one cot and my sleeping bag out of my “Plan Z Equipment” for just this reason.  

I will hold off on moving more stuff over there as I am getting low on stuff to move for one and the stuff I have left over here I need to function. 

I will more than likely move my computer and desk into storage on the same weekend as my bed (sniffle). I will at least have my laptop though.

Monday 30 December 2013

Plan Z is Ready

Okay, yesterday was definitely a day that I needed to not move much and let myself feel like an old man. I was sore, so yes I know I need to get into better shape (get off my back).

I am feeling better today and I moved the camping stuff into storage. It is good that I have put my camping stuff into storage because I now have a backup plan to my backup, backup, plan . . . Or as I call it “Plan Z.”

Just before I was closing up the storage unit I looked at it and tried to imagine what else I could cram into it.  

That was when I reminded myself that I still have my: desk, bedroom suite, and computer to get into here. Once that is there, then I will be able to see if I can cram in a few more items into it.

Sunday 29 December 2013

Box in Plastic

Okay, I was going to do this yesterday but I forgot, so here goes.

This is your box.




This is your Saran-Wrap.


This is your box in Saran-Wrap.


Saturday 28 December 2013

Boxes In Storage

Well now Boy’s and Girls, I am feeling a bit sore this evening. Perhaps it is just me showing my . . . well . . . shall we say that perhaps I am not in as fine a shape as I once was.

I have moved the boxes that I have packed up so far (all eighteen) as a few storage shelves (packed up) and into my storage unit today.

So now I have most of my stuff into storage, I have my bedroom suite, my computer and desk and the kitchen.

On Monday I will move some odds and ends of furniture and my camping gear into storage. I will keep one camping cot and my sleeping bag out for use later next month, once I put my bed set into storage.

It looks like I will put my bedroom set and computer setup into storage by the middle of next month. That way I will know for absolutely certain what extra room I have in there. I am a third generation Pack-rat . . . I am sure I can sneak a few more things in there after that.

Friday 27 December 2013

I Got My Storage Space

Okay, well one step forward, and an elegant solution to another problem. For those of you who have been following along, I had been intending to get a 5’ x 5’ Storage Space so as to save money.
 
Well that would have meant that there would be no room for my Bedroom suite. While I am willing to get rid of it, if I need to, I also would like keep it (if I could).

Well, I get that chance. I had originally looked at a 5’ x 10’ Storage Space for $ 115.00 a month. I had decided to settle for a 5’ x 5’ Storage Space for $57.00 per month. I checked out today to find out that there were no 5’ x 5’ Storage Spaces available and only one 5’ x 7’ Storage Space.

This is more than I had wanted to pay but not yet into the “Ridiculous Zone.”  So while it is not the $1140.00 that I had originally intended to spend with the 5’ x 5’ Storage Space, it is not the $2300.00 I could have spent with the 5’ x 10’ Storage Space.

Since the 5’ x 7’ Storage Space is $74.00 per month and the same every sixth month is free deal applies, that means that it will cost me: $74.00 x 20 (months) = 1480.00. While this is more than I had wanted to spend, with this, I get to keep my bedroom suite . . . and I like my bed.

So I went down today and signed the papers and got my storage space. 

 
Here is my storage space, so you can imagine how everything will fit.

I know it will be a bit of a stretch but I know that I can store all of the stuff I want to keep and still keep the bedroom suite. I was tempted to try to keep the washer/dryer and freezer, but for one, that would be pushing it and two, appliances should be used and not stored.

For another thing, I have decided that from now on, once I am through this process, I only want nice things. That doesn’t mean that I will be a snob or only by the most expensive things but what it does mean is that I don’t want to always look at the price. I have been so fixated on the cost of things that “no-name groceries” seem normal and “brand name” is splurging.

So when I do get a new place, I don’t want the cheapest washer/dryer that they had on special, I want a nice pair . . . ones that I actually want, not the ones that will suffice.

Tomorrow I will shrink wrap the boxes and take them down to the storage space. I will wait till next month before I move the bed, desk and computer into the storage space. It is good to know that I have a place to keep what I want to keep. I can sleep in my truck if I have to but at least the stuff I really want to keep is safe. I will get something, I know it.

Wednesday 25 December 2013

Merry Christmas All

Okay boys and girls, I have been busy and almost ready for the next stage, which is putting the stuff I want to keep in storage (Merry Christmas by the way). I have been forced to take the day off as I woke up this morning with a . . . well I don’t know what to call it but a sore lower back.
 
I have had these before and generally it requires that I take a muscle relaxer and don’t move too much for the day. So needless to say I am not doing any kind of work today, just watching television (okay and a bit of blogging).
 
I am reminded of my mother who was forced to slow down by a cold of flue, otherwise she would keep going. As for me, I tend to go at a slow and steady pace with work and fun intermixed (bit of work, but of fun, bit of work, etc.).
 
So far I have packed up nineteen boxes and approximately six or seven tubs. The rooms that I have packed up is my room (well as much as I can), the hallway, the living room, the dining room, and the storage room. The kitchen and bathroom will be left till last, for logistical reasons. 

All I have left to pack-up is the lower boot room where my camping gear and my computer. The camping gear will be done tomorrow and the computer will be packed up when I get my storage room.
 
Once the things I really want to keep has been secured, I will be then able to sell what I don’t want to keep. That will be early next month, as I want to focus on where I am to go and not worry about what to do with the large and bulky things I can’t keep as the month ticks down to when I must be out. I can only imagine the panic if it is two days before I am to be out and I still have my whole bedroom suite.
 
On a personal note I have been talking to a few people including one woman who I had almost considered dating. She confirmed one of my fears that women want all of the typical things they want in a man but also to make sure that he can provide a house.
 
So, it is true that no woman will consider getting involved with a man who is over 17K in debt let alone help me pay it off. So until I am debt free and can qualify for a mortgage, dating is pointless. 

Sure a younger woman may date a poor man but she is either not serious about him or she is banking on his potential. 

So lads, do yourselves a favour and get yourself into a position to buy a house as soon as possible, then the ladies will flock to you. 

I do not revel or delight in this discovery. 

Monday 23 December 2013

Packing is Well Underway

It is somewhat poignant that I have actually started this process, really and truly committed myself to this process on the winter solstice. Every day gets longer now, every day gets brighter, every day gets warmer. The rebirth and renewal is beginning, this is what I have to focus on.

I don’t like change though. I know me and sometimes I will intentionally drag my feet and fight the change that yes, I myself, initiated.  It is an odd thing but thus is the complexity of human beings.

It is for that reason that I started to pack boxes on Saturday, even though I don’t have to be out till January 30th.

I want to make sure that I get myself into the right mindset and keep moving forward with this project and not just lull myself into a comfortable place until I get to the end of the month and nothing is done.

I got my room packed up (okay my clothes are still hanging up but otherwise it is packed up. The bathroom I will leave for last (but I have a box set aside for it) for logistical reasons.

The same goes with the kitchen, though most of the dishes I am getting rid of. I have a mishmash of clashing sets and don’t get me started on the cutlery.

I have the living room, the storage room and the camping gear to go. I have now packed up sixteen boxes and two plastic tubs. Not to mention the larger pictures that I had to shrink wrap.


 My Stack of Boxes


See how roomy and practical they are? 
(Note the Ziploc Bags)

I will get them done this week. As soon as it turns to January I want to get that storage unit and load it up. Why?

Well I want to secure and save what I am keeping so I can more easily see what I am selling off and getting rid of, then I can focus on selling what I don’t want. Disposing of what I don’t want to (or can’t sell) is easy. Either drop it off at a thrift store or just toss it into the bin.

I am still hemming and hawing over the “rent a room vs buy a trailer” thing. So far the trailer is winning.

Saturday 21 December 2013

Boxes, Boxes, Boxes

9 boxes packed today. Making great progress.  Still a ways to go, but it is a start. I am emptying the plastic tubs and transferring them to the cardboard boxes. I will use them for the camping gear or the stuff I will keep with me.

The Rubicon Has Been Crossed!

I sit here and write to you just after paying my rent (the last portion). As I may or may not have mentioned before, I pay (or did) pay my rent using interact debit at the Townhouse Complex Office. Since the rent is more than my “Daily Limit” I have to pay it twice, a portion on Friday, and a portion on Saturday.
 
After paying my rent I hand delivered my letter stating that I am moving out as of the end of January 2014. It was a bit of a nervous move for me and to tell you the truth it is still sinking in. While I plan to cross the Rubicon, I don’t intend to blow the bridge. I will move out nicely and with dignity, so as to get a good reference for the next place, and keep my honour intact.
 
Yesterday I picked up the boxes I wanted and while they were a bit more than I had hoped to pay, (the special that drew me in was long since expired). I was able to get the boxes I needed at a decent price., As well I made sure to pick up the roll if shrink-wrap.  I also made sure to pick up packing tape and shipping labels (6 per sheet). 
 
While I have already started to fill the boxes with stuff, I will not shrink wrap them until I am going to take them to the storage depot. This way I can still access the boxes and put that last item into that certain box as I find little knickknacks and whosawhatsits.
 
A good tip for packing things up is to put a computer printed label (with really big font on it) on at least two sides, one long and one short side). Yes, uniformity is key; keep the labels on the same sides of all of the boxes, this way you can read quickly what is in it at a glance when they are stacked up. I don’t recommend doing an inventory list, but rather general descriptions.
 
Also remember not to fill the box up just because there is space in it. Keep in mind that someone will have to lift that box so don’t make it too heavy.
 
Ziploc bags are your friend; they will keep all of the small items that are supposed to be together, together. As well they are good to put light bulbs in, so if they break they do not contaminate the whole box.
 
Don't forget that just before the box is to got into storage shrink wrap it completely, so as to ensure that no moisture will get in to damage the items you are going to put in storage. No leaky pipe or flood will damage my stuff!
 
I have started packing up stuff in my bedroom and the reason that I did this was to make sure that I do not get (or remain) comfortable in this place. That is not to say that I have packed up my bedroom set, (though I did think of it). One reason is that it is a comfy bed but the main reason is that I still plan to sell it.
 
SHAMELESS PLUG:
 
It is a queen sized bedroom set: Queen Bed, Dresser with Mirror and two wide End tables (Kennedy from the Brick, just two years old, new it was $2300.00, I am asking only $1000.00 . . . talk to me).
 
Also for sale is a round Dining Room table with 4 chairs, solid and elegant with a glass cover to the wooden top. I also have a nice suede Love Seat and couch for sale. Who could forget the 10 cubic foot chest freezer (1 year old) and of course the washer and drier (A year and a half old). These items are all for sale at the best offer).
 
SHAMELESS PLUG OVER.
 
I will slowly and steadily take things down and sort through them and toss away stuff that I really will not use. This will be my Christmas, as I want to have this stuff ready to put into storage so that I know what I am keeping and what I am not. Then I will sell what I am not keeping (which is good) or just dump what I am not, and is of no use.

Wednesday 18 December 2013

66 Cents Saved Me

66 cents prevented something happening that hasn’t happened to me ever . . . (okay it might have happened once in the early nineties, but I can’t be sure).
 
So there I was last night, I decided to go to the grocery store to get a few essentials. Nothing too drastic mind you but I was out of peanut butter . . .  gotta have peanut butter! I was feeling a little down about the uncertainty of my destination yet still resolved to hand in my notice this Friday the 20th. This is when I expect to get paid, and thereby pay the rent/ hand in my notice.
 
Like I said I was at the grocery store and had picked out about thirty bucks worth of small essentials. There I was at the “self-checkout,” I scanned my items and dutifully put them in the bag. Then came the time to pay, I pulled out my debit card and waved it over the “tap to pay” scanner. I do like that little toy . . beep and you are done.
 
Well, this time it beeped but the screen said “transaction not complete”  . . . I tried again . . . same response . . . This time I inserted the card in the slot and paid the old-fashioned way . . . again it didn’t work. I was sure that this was a glitch with the store’s system or what have you. I pulled out my ace in the hole, my Visa with a smidge of room on it. I waved it over the “Tap to pay” and this time it did go beep and was happy.
 
I was already out of the store by the time I had successfully logged into my online banking using the app on my phone and stared in disbelief that I only had 65 cents in my account. Okay, to be fair I only had 65 cents from the rock bottom of my overdraft.
 
I blinked and scanned the transactions, fearing fraud or some other crime, as I thought I had at least six hundred more than that. There I saw it . . . my truck payment had gone through with only 65 cents to spare.
 
My decision to renew my: License, Insurance, and Registration had almost bounced my Truck payment. Heck, one more fast food meal on a whim would have done it. Let this be a lesson to all of us . . . if you make a budget and a plan (as I had) stick to it!.
 
I had intended to renew my: License, Insurance, and Registration after I had gotten paid, but I got a bit discouraged by the size of the rent in comparison to my estimated paycheck and decided why wait. It wouldn’t give me much extra cash and I wanted to do something to further me on this path.
There is a reason why I put off most expenses till after the fifteenth . . . there are three things in this world you don’t mess with: Rent, vehicle payments and Insurance premiums. You can eat less, drive less, piss off any other creditor of your choosing, but you don’t mess with a place to stay or your way of getting around.
 
I now know what I will be doing over my one week of Christmas break (well, that is unless the boss decides to make us work a half day on the 23rd . . . that is still up in the air). In any event during my time off I will be sorting through all of my belongings and packing up what I want to keep.
 
I have decided to buy a number of “Bankers file boxes” and use them to store my stuff. They are a standard size, stack well and not too bad, I found a place where I can get them for 2.50 a box. I know that I could go to various stores and pick up boxes for free but they are usually falling apart and of all kinds of different sizes, thereby they don’t stack well. 

Since I have limited space in my storage unit, I decided that the uniform size is worth the cost. In addition I will label each box on two sides with what is in them then shrink wrap them to prevent moisture damage in the two years this stuff will be in storage.
 
This will be the hard part, deciding what to keep and what can simply be bought again. Space is at a premium and I don’t want to store and keep crap.

Sunday 15 December 2013

Registration, Insurance, and Driver's License done!

Okay boys and girls, it seemed that renewing my Registration and Insurance wasn’t as bad as I thought. There was only one “ticket” on file, I use quotes because I think it was a red-light camera. I have not been pulled over in years, but each year there is at least one “ticket” on file, despite how carefully I drive.  

Remember when cops actually pulled you over for traffic violations? Now they just monitor a bank of cameras and send you an invoice.
 
Since I changed my address on my Insurance and Registration for the truck I needed to update my address on my Driver’s License as well. Since (in my opinion) the cops need to know exactly where to send the Swat team if they ever get bored. 

That means that you need to have a “Physical Address” on file, not simply a Post Office Box or “Mailing Address.” So I changed the address to the Post Office box that I have and left the “Physical Address” to be my current address. Come Feb 1 I will need to spend $22.00 to update that Physical Address to . . . some other place . . . (to be determined in the future).
 
As far as checking out a trailer park, well it was a nice trailer park or rather “Manufactured Home Park” and while I did not get a chance to talk to anyone at the office there, it was clear that they would not let me park my RV Trailer there. Even then it was full, so was every other trailer park that I have checked out.
 
I know of one year round campsite but what I hear about them is that: 1) they have small campsites which pack you in and 2) they have a lot of rules and seem to have an overly strict atmosphere. This is not a place I want to live for the next two years, even if they give me a smokin’ hot deal.
 
The next thing I need to decide is whether or not to sell stuff (bedroom set, washer/dryer, deep freeze, table/chairs, couch/loveseat) now (when people are in the buying mood) or wait till January and risk not selling anything.

Saturday 14 December 2013

The Day the Camper Died.

Okay the last few days were productive. I finally figured out just what the payload capacity of my Truck is. There is a lot of conflicting information, but with the help of the Owner’s Manual, the two Manufacturer’s Specification Stickers on the door jamb (I have 2) and yes the window sticker (I kept it for reference), I was able to determine that my truck can take a payload of 1510 pounds.
 
What this means is that the camper idea is out of the question, as the dry weight (unloaded) of the Lance 825 is 1726. Since my truck can only handle a payload of 1510 pounds that means me damaging my truck in the parking lot or just down the road from the RV dealership. 

Safe to say that the Camper is out unless I upgrade my truck, to at least an F250. Since I am just one year in to the 6 year financing and I like my truck, this is not likely.
 
I did find out that my truck can two much more, meaning that the 2012 Arctic Fox 22H that I have had my eye on is suddenly not only more affordable but also quite towable. Well, as long as I don’t load it down with the 1000 pounds of cargo that it can hold. 

If I make sure to get a decent hitch and the electronic breaking system for the truck and not drive like an idiot, even the mountain passes won’t prove a problem, though I may piss off some motorists as I may have to slow down a bit on the hills, but such is life and I don’t plan any long distance trips anytime soon.
 
As far as finding a place to park said Trailer, well that is not as easy. The sense that I am getting back from my inquiries is that the trailer parks are full and they don’t like RV trailers in them. Add in the fact that I seem to get a range of prices for the pad rent, the average being 1000 or so, this seems less likely.
 
So I am back to either renting a room somewhere or towing this trailer around for the next two years. I can handle either, I simply want to find a nice place to park near yet not noticeable to my work, as I still want to keep this somewhat private, if I do decide to live in a RV trailer that I tow wherever I go.
 
As far as storage, that too I found out yesterday and brings up another challenge. The average price that I got back for a 5 x 10 (foot) storage space is about 160.00 per month. I found a place that has it for 115.00 month.
 
Okay even at this price I have to really think if this stuff is worth keeping. Since  this is an estimated 2 year project and they do give you the 6th month free, I will still be paying: $115 x 20 (months) = $2300.00 all to keep what mainly is my bedroom suite that I paid about that price for in the first place.
 
I like my bedroom suite but I might as well save the cash now and buy a new one down the road. That way it would be new furniture for my new house. I like that thought as getting, or buying rather, a new house is the whole reason why I am doing this.
 
The other storage option is to rent a 5 x 5 (foot) storage unit for $57.00 per month. This way I can simply keep the boxes of stuff that I really don’t want to lose, just the stuff that I need to keep. This option will cost me: $57.00 x 20 (months) = 1140.00. This is less than half the price and while it is more painful, it is the better option.
 
I just have to remind myself that the stuff I have is just that, stuff; I’ll get more. The whole reason and function for this is to live cheaply so as to get this large rock of credit card debt off of my back, so I can move on.
 
I have looked into consolidation loans and they only are available as long as you have an asset big enough to secure said consolidation loan. The only asset I have worth that much is the truck and with only a year into its 6 year financing, it is leveraged to the hilt.
 
This means that I am back to just me and my own resources and ingenuity to get rid of this credit card debt. One way or another I will get it done, and then move on.
 
Well, I am off to renew my registration and change the address on my: Registration, Insurance and if possible, my Driver’s License. Then I will check out one Trailer Park near here and see if I can actually talk to a human there, and get the straight goods on Trailer Parks in the area.

Thursday 12 December 2013

Exploring my Options

Okay, so I have been enquiring around and have a few places to check out Friday (tomorrow) afternoon. It is my early day so I will be able to see things and talk to people both in the light of day and during normal business hours.

One stop is to my dealership where I bought my truck to get the straight goods on just what my truck can carry and what it can tow. There is a lot of conflicting information on the net as to what the capacities of my truck are.

I also want to talk to a few campgrounds/mobile home parks and see if there a chance to find a site/lot for a reasonable cost. I really don’t feel like paying $500.00 for the RV and $1000.00 for the pad rent. That is not getting me ahead, that is getting me further behind.

I will check out some more campsites and places on Saturday, as I want to have a good idea as to the feasibility of this option before long.

One odd idea I have is to float the idea of trading in my truck for an F250 but with only a year into it, this is doubtful.

It looks more likely that I will end up putting my stuff in storage and renting a room. This seems to be the most realistic option. 

The trouble is, that I just don’t feel like paying rent anymore, I just want to break with the whole system for a short period of time.

I know that unless I can somehow get a truck and camper, this is not even possible. People will notice me towing a trailer to and from work, even if I park down the street.

The one thing which has not diminished is my commitment to this course of action. With Rubicon now 8 days away (Friday, December 20th) I would like a clear direction before then, rather than this foggy unknown.  I will not delay another month, I can’t and I won’t.

Tuesday 10 December 2013

Another Bump in the Road

Okay, I have been doing some research on what camper to get like any good consumer should. This has revealed another problem in my plan. The likely choice for a camper on my 2012 F150 is a Lance 825. It is 4 Season rated, (meaning that it is designed to work in winter).  There have been a few negative reviews as to the construction quality but that is not the problem.
 
The problem stems from the fact that the “dry weight” (or unloaded weight) of the camper is 1726 pounds, and the max payload for my truck is 2000 pounds. That means that even: just me, the water, my stuff and the full septic tank may be more than the manufacturers max payload.
 
This is frustrating because this camper is advertised to go on my truck! Perhaps if you are just going out for a weekend hunting trip it may not be so bad, but I plan on living in this thing for the next two years.
 
The next logical step would be to get a trailer. While this would be preferred for the added space and the fact that towing is different than cargo on the truck. I know that my truck can tow an Arctic Fox 22G trailer quite nicely. The added cost does not bother me, it is the fact that I have nowhere to park it that is the problem.
 
While  leaving a camper on the back of a pickup truck year round is one thing and people rarely look twice, a truck towing an RV trailer around all year round will get people to look twice and ask questions.
 
I will have to think this over and decide what to do. If I knew someone in Calgary (Preferably the South East) who wouldn’t mind me parking my trailer in their back yard and living in it for the next two years, that would be fine. I have not had any luck finding someone who will allow this.
 
One this is certain, I am going ahead with this, one way or another.

A Bump in the Road

Okay, for some unknown “bizarre” reason an RV Dealership decides to shut down for the month of December? *scoff . . . (sarcasm intended). What this means is that they will not be back up and running until January 6th, well after my Rubicon of December 20th.

What this means is that I will not have made or even secured the deal for the Camper for my truck until half way into January. Whilst this runs in conjunction with my plan to not pick it up until then, it also means that I will not know if it will go through until I have already decided to move out. This may leave me scrambling for a place to stay.

The logical thing to do would be to push this endeavour off for another month, wait until I can know for sure if I can get the trailer. I know me and that will make it that much easier to push it off another month due to the weather. Then there will be the little voice saying, “save up some cash first.”

I know that I simply must decide to go and just go. If I don’t go, I will always find an excuse not to go. There is some truth in the words of Tracy Chapman “Leave tonight or live and die this way.” I must go; and I must go now . . . no matter what.

A small part of the reason why I am starting this adventure now, in the dead of winter is that winter has always been a fear of mine. How would I handle living in a camper in a Canadian Prairie town? It was primarily that fear that stopped me from doing this last spring.

By leaving now (apart from the new life direction for a new year, thing) I am proving to myself that I can do this, that I can and will survive in winter.  Each day will get a little better and a little warmer, come next winter, I will not be fearful, I will not be afraid. I can then enjoy the warmer weather that much better all spring, summer and fall. I will know that I will be okay.

In order to do this, I need to be willing to rent a room for a few months, or even sleep in my truck for a few weeks. I just need to commit and go, no matter what. There will always be reasons to stop, there must be the determination to simply go . . . and go on.

So the next step for me will be to scout out places of logistics, once I have my camper . . . where are good places to park for the night? Where are the sani-dump locations? Where are the nice parks around for my evening meal? Which ones have the outdoor barbecue pits? All of those things, are next for me.

I have decided to push off renewing my Insurance/Registration/driver’s Licence until I get paid on the 20th to make sure I can get it done in one sitting. (I do have till the end of the month).

Monday 9 December 2013

I told my roomate today.

I told the roommate this morning ; he took it better than I expected. I had imagined him freaking out and telling me how I was screwing him over, etc, but he understood about not being able to afford the place.

It’s funny, each time I am about to take a real and concrete step on this path, on this journey, I am hesitant and need to nudge myself forward to take that step. (Such as getting the Post Office Box, telling the roommate, etc.) Once I take that step I feel better and know that this is the right thing for me to do, at least at this stage in my life.

I know that the real test will not be changing my driver’s licence, insurance and registration over to the new post office box address (along with any and all bills). The real test will be actually telling my landlord that I am moving out, that will be my Rubicon; that will be when this gets real.

As for my next step, I will be going to an RV trailer dealership this Friday afternoon to see about actually buying that Camper for the back of my truck.

I checked my credit score and credit report this weekend and it turned out that I have better credit than I thought.  I don’t need/nor want  the Camper till late next month but I had better find out if it is possible before it is too late to find a room to rent.

Friday 6 December 2013

Got my Test Letter today!

Okay, I got my test letter today. It was a good thing that I sent it as I had my postal code wrong. Let me tell you that looking up postal codes for a post office box is not an easy thing.

The next step will be to wait until my key payments have gone through (ie: Truck Payment, insurance). Then I will renew my Truck registration, change my insurance and renew my driver’s license, all with the new post office box address.

After that leaves putting in my notice at the townhouse I live in when I pay the rent on the Friday the Twentieth of the month. That will truly be the point of no return for me.

I am both looking forward to it and a little apprehensive. Planning for this odyssey is one thing, actually doing it and shaking up my norm is another. 

Thursday 5 December 2013

The beginning of my Homeless Odyssey

Let me get one thing straight, I am not desperate, nor am I destitute. I have a job, a good one. I like my job and my boss; I am paid well. 

My problem is a cash flow issue, yes my bills are paid but all I seem to manage to do is pay the minimum payments on my credit cards. Currently their collective balances are somewhere north of 17k. 

How did I end up with that much in credit card debt? Well it started out when the ending few months of my Film School, my cash ran out, so I had to live on credit cards. Then there was the transition period as I tried to get a job, after college.  The trouble is that nobody wants to hire you if you have a BA, because they figure that you will simply leave them as soon as an opening comes up in your field. (but I digress).

I have done the roommate thing and have one now, but the trouble is that since everything is in my name the buck (or bill rather) stops with me. I have to make sure that everything is paid and paid on time. If the roommate feels like being a bit late it is no big deal because they do not suffer the consequences or have to pick up the slack, I do.

I finally decided that since my problem is a cash flow issue, I need to simply radically drop my expenses. Thus I have decided to forgo renting a place for the next one and a half to two years. After which I will be in a place to buy something.

I have just gotten a Post Office Box at a post office near my work, and will change my mailing address over there (as soon as my test letter makes it safely).

I have decided that I will only get a storage unit which is 5 x 10, and simply pack it to the rafters. Whatever does not fit will not be salvaged. If I got anything larger it would be more costly and then it would not be worth keeping anything, as after two years the money I would have spent on it meant that I could have pocket the money and bought new stuff. So only the things which mean something to me will be staying.

As for where I will be living, I will do one of two options.

1)    Live out of a duffle bag and rent a room as cheaply as I can near my work

2)    Buy a new winter rated camper for the back of my truck and simply live in that. This option is what I plan to do once it gets warmer, but we will see.

That is it for now, I will keep you all updated on my progress. I haven’t put my notice in, but I will at the end of this month. I have decided that as of the end of January 2014, I will be on my Homeless Odyssey to debt freedom.