Monday, August 3, 2015

No Money, Mo Problems

Last week I visited Small Town, Tennessee to find an apartment and meet my new bosses. Based on what I've observed of Small Town so far, the people there really like fried food, country music, and Jesus. Their favorite word is "ma'am," as in "Yes, ma'am," "No, ma'am," and "Would you like that fried, ma'am?"

Based on the people I talked to, Southerners are polite and friendly, and not only take five minutes to answer every single question but also think it's necessary to tell you their entire life story, even if all you said was, "Is there a Starbucks nearby?"

In Chicago, there's a Starbucks on practically every corner. But the people in Small Town apparently don't like coffee as much as fried food, which makes me wonder where they get all their energy. Maybe it's from listening to all that country music.

I was able to rent an apartment that's more than twice the size of my studio in Chicago for more than a hundred dollars less. But nevertheless, I am going to be thousands of dollars in debt due to this move to Tennessee. And this was AFTER I finally paid off all my credit card debt. (Not to mention I already owe thousands of dollars in student loans.)

I have to pay for movers to transport my furniture, and all the moving companies I called apparently have this motto: We overcharge because WE CAN. I could have had the Salvation Army pick up my unwanted furniture, like my fifteen-year-old lumpy mattress and box spring, for free if I had called them a month in advance. But since I only found out I got this job two weeks ago, I now have to spend hundreds of dollars on 1-800-Got-Junk to recycle/get rid of my furniture.

I am required to attend orientation for new employees. The Human Resources department told me they didn't have specific dates set up yet when I called them a week and a half ago. Of course, after I signed my lease, I learned that the orientation would be held three days before my move-in date. So now I have to spend hundreds of dollars on a rental car and a hotel room (I can't change my move-in date), since my parents aren't coming to Tennessee until a few days later. If I don't attend orientation, I won't be able to access any of my benefits (like health insurance) until October.

My parents are loaning me money for the down payment on a car (which is why they're coming to Tennessee for a few days to "help" me move. They're more likely to "help" me have a panic attack, seeing as how when I visited them during Christmas break, I ground my teeth so hard that one of them broke). I will repay them, and I will also be responsible for monthly car payments, car insurance, and gas.

I've also had to spend money on boxes, masking tape, and bubble wrap, and I have to set aside money to tip the movers. (Question: Do I tip the movers when they come to my apartment in Chicago, or after they deliver it in Tennessee? Or do I tip them both times?)

Since I'm getting rid of my old mattress and my broken desk, I have to buy new ones, which will also cost hundreds of dollars. I might not be able to buy those right away, which means I'll be sleeping on the couch for a while and using my desk in my office at school (and I use the word "office" loosely, since it's currently being used as a storeroom and I was informed that they would "probably get around" to cleaning it out by the time school starts).

Since I am a visiting, untenured faculty member, I get absolutely no financial assistance for my moving expenses from my new school. They also think that moving to a new state is "easy-peasy," which is why they want my syllabi for the classes I'll be teaching ASAP.

I know that I should be grateful that I have a job. I am, especially since it was so hard to find one. But I can't help resenting the fact that I've already had to spend a large percentage of my annual salary for this move, and I haven't even gotten paid yet. I thought I could finally quit my website job, but I'll have to work extra hours instead, and excuse me while I go bang my head against the wall.

What about you? Have you ever had financial problems or difficulties with the moving process? How did you deal with them?

31 comments:

  1. That sounds like a huge headache. :( We moved cross-country last year and other than realizing that the bank thought our cards were compromised while we were trying to buy lunch in Louisiana, the biggest ordeal was living in our new house with nothing but a couple of leaky air mattresses for two weeks before our furniture finally arrived.

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    1. Hi Caitlin,
      I think I might have to sleep on the floor for at least a few nights; the moving company I hired isn't so great at customer service (which might explain why they're cheaper than the other ones), and they were vague about when they'll arrive with my stuff. I wish I knew how to drive one of those U-Haul trucks and that I was strong enough to move all my own furniture. I feel like it would be a lot easier (and less expensive that way).

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  2. I'm sorry about the debt but I'm glad you were able to find an nice, big apartment for a good price.

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    1. Hi Chrys,
      My new apartment is the one thing I am looking forward to; I've been living in tiny apartments that I hated for years, so it'll be nice to finally live in a more affordable place that has more space.

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  3. I've never moved further than 6 miles down the road and back again - the move out we did via cars and many trips, the move back via a hire van. Hopefully these problems will be easy to overcome.

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    1. Hi Annalisa,
      I don't have a car, which is why I had to hire a moving company. I will be buying a car in Tennessee, though, since I need it to get around town (no public transportation there, unfortunately). I'll just be glad when this whole moving process is over.

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  4. I've lived in the same place all my life. Sorry, that you are experiencing so much stress right after accepting your new job. I hope things will get easier in a couple of months. Wishing you the best.

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    1. Hi Murees,
      Thank you. Hopefully it will get easier once I get settled. I thought the hardest part was going to be finding a new job; I didn't really think about what would happen after that. Even though I'm ambivalent about this move, I kind of hope that they'll renew my contract next year, just so I won't have to move again.

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  5. I've only ever moved once in my life and I'm thinking I've been super lucky. I hope it all sorts out soon for you and you can settle in properly. And I hope the job is super satisfying for you.

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    1. Hi Lynda,
      Thank you. I just couldn't help venting, because I have to get so much done in just a couple weeks. I wish I had more time, but at least this process won't last forever. I hope the job will be satisfying too.

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  6. Yep, moving is expensive, no way around it, even on the cheap. And I've never even done a long distance move (only many, same-city moves!) I bitch and moan but really there's nothing to do but suck it up past a certain point. I hope you can get back on an even keel ASAP.

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    1. Hi eemusings,
      I think it'll take several months before I get back on an even keel, at least financially. But at least I'll be settled in the new town within the next couple of weeks, and maybe then I can finally get a chance to breathe.

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  7. I just moved myself, although not to a different state, and that was very overwhelming. I can't imagine what you're going through, and not just financially. Sounds like a completely different culture than what you're used to.

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    1. Hi Melanie,
      I was only in Small Town for a few days, but it definitely seemed like a different culture down there. For one thing, almost all the music stations on the radio were country; hardly anyone listens to country in Chicago. And I could tell that certain mannerisms were different down there too.

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  8. Good luck with your move! I just moved to a different state as well, and I didn't tip the movers until they delivered all of my furniture at the new address. They were the same guys, though, so make sure you'll have the same crew packing and then unloading, with regard to tipping. Enjoy your new home and town!

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    1. Hi Julie,
      It turns out it'll be different crews, which means the tips will add up to twice what I thought, sighh... But thanks for the advice! I wish that I could just hire someone to do all of this stuff for me, because then I wouldn't mind moving so much.

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  9. Yes, tip movers on both ends. I would reach out to a local church about donating unwanted furniture. Chances are you can totally get rid of it without spending a dime. Moving for us (do-it-yourselfers) typically costs between $2500 and $4000 cross country. We usually pack everything and drive our own truck though. (Penske) I'm wishing you sanity through this time. You'll look back a couple years from now and marvel at how awesome you are, having survived it all.

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    1. Hi Crystal,
      Thank you fro the advice! I wish I could drive my own truck, but I am not a very good driver; I never needed to drive in Chicago, where I could rely on public transportation. I guess I'll have plenty of opportunities to drive in this new town, because they don't have buses or trains there. I do need sanity during this time; all of this work and hassle in such a short period of time are driving me up the wall.

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  10. I'm so glad that you found a job, but it sucks that getting there puts you even deeper into debt.

    I hope you'll be happy in your new home. :-)

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    1. Hi Misha,
      Thanks! I hope I'll be happy there too; right now I've been so stressed about moving, because it seems like one problem after another. It's hard to imagine being happy there, but hopefully I will be once things settle down.

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  11. Hi,
    Congrats on your new job. Your plate is full and you have lots to do. I've been there before. I was self-employed with eight employees working for me. When my business took a sudden deep dive that I wasn't expecting it was horrible. I had to balance about seven or eight big financial situations at one time and It was a battle for seven years. People asked me how I got through them and I always say with prayer and taking one day at a time. Oddly enough, I didn't panic until the day I realised I was paying the last bill out. I didn't know how I was going to handle being debt free.
    So hang in there. It is tough for you at the moment but don't give up.
    All the best.
    Shalom,
    Pat Garcia

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    1. HI Pat,
      Thanks! That's impressive that you have your own business, and that you were able to recover from the difficult financial situations. It will be decades before I'm debt free, due to my student loans and the car that I have to buy to get around the small town that I'll be moving to. I hope that eventually it will pay off.

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  12. Gah! I can't believe it's been this long since I've been to your blog. Dammit! I'm so sad I wasn't here to say CONGRATULATIONS immediately for successfully defending your dissertation and achieving your doctorate. Congrats, congrats, congrats. That must feel amazing.

    Though, yeahhhh, then the next phase sets in and it's back down from the cloud. It's wonderful you found a good job so fast. Even if it means you have to leave Chicago sooner than you wanted. But you can always come back one day, you know.

    Good luck w/ the move, and don't stress about the debt. You'll start paying it off as soon as those paychecks start rolling in. As long as you know what to expect from mum & dad, maybe that'll make it easier to tolerate them - and hey, they'll be gone after a few days, so that's something to smile about, yeah?

    Best of luck w/ the packing and the moving and the finding of a good coffee joint.

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    1. Hi Nicki,
      Thanks! I am glad that at least I'm finally done with graduate school. I was worried that I wouldn't find a good job, especially since I was rejected by so many schools. I even thought about applying for retail jobs again, which I really did not want to do.
      I think that my first paycheck has basically already been spent, due to all these moving expenses. I think I know what to expect from my parents, which is why I'm dreading their "visit" to the town I'll be moving to. They keep calling to give me "advice" about my move, to the point that I just pretend to agree with them. I think I'll be able to relax more when they go back home.

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  14. Hi, I'm new to your blog. I had to delete my first comment because of typos (note to self - remember to proofread) I can remember being in financial difficulties after finishing Uni when I lived in Canada though it does seem like it was eleventymillion years ago now. Wait, it *was* eleventymillion years ago now. Sigh. I seem to remember that it took me a few years of working to pay off my student loan, and then I moved to England to study midwifery. Not vote as crazy as that may sound because midwifery is a bursaried degree course over here so I was paid to study for three years. Much better way of doing things! I hope it doesn't take you too long to recover financially, and that one day soon you can work just the one job and have some spare time to enjoy being an adult.

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    1. Hi D.J. Kirkby,
      Welcome to my blog! I think it would be interesting to study midwifery, especially in England! And that would definitely be great to be paid to study. I had a tuition waiver when I was in grad school due to my teaching assistantship, but I still had to apply for student loans and work extra jobs in order to have money to live on. For years, I've always worked multiple jobs; that's why I became a workaholic, because I was always on the move and felt anxious if I wasn't working. Hopefully it won't take too long to pay off all these debts.

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  15. Congratulations? Seriously, congratulations! It's expensive and nerve-wracking, and new. But it's the next step. Good luck!

    My move from NY to MA wasn't cheap. Luckily, we rented a truck and could drive. My uncle helped. But the housing prices were more expensive here. It was a stressful two years until our income got a little bit higher, so we no longer were in the danger zone.

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    1. Hi Theresa,
      I wish I could have hired a truck, but I can barely drive a car (speaking of which, I'm going to have to get used to driving, now that I live in a small town without public transportation). I'm definitely in the danger zone now, which is a major reason why I've been stressing so much. I usually try to be careful with my money, and I've never spent so much money in such a short period of time. I just hope it will be worth it.

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  16. I definitely hear you. My wife and I hauled all of our stuff and our two kids down south last year for my new job. For all the reasons you listed and more, it was a huge hardship. For a bit there, we didn’t think it was going to work out. Very fortunately, it did not take too long for us to land squarely on our feet. The wife is now happy, the kids are happy, and I’m happy mainly because they’re happy.

    Ronnie Hogan @ Sycamore Terrace Temecula

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    1. Hi Ronnie,
      My apologies for my late reply; I've been swamped with work all week and haven't done any blogging. I'm glad that your move turned out for the best for you and your family. I'm still hopeful that my move will lead to good things for me too, even though all these other problems came up as a result of it.

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