the move begins!

Today the packing starts! I actually don't mind packing, since it gives me a chance to itemize everything we have. When we move, we're going to adjust our contents insurance. We've bought a lot of stuff since we first got our policy, so I don't think our coverage amount is adequate anymore. We're sitting at $20,000 right now and I'm thinking of boosting it to $30,000. Better to be a little on the high side! I've also gathered model & serial numbers for our electronics (we have a lot - two flat screen TV's, Wii, PS3, HD-PVR, digital box, surround sound, Macbook, desktop PC, laptop PC, two cell phones) so once I just organize the rest of our stuff a bit, I'll know for sure what we have and draw up a final list. That way if anything happens, we'll know exactly what we need to get our lives back together and be organized for insurance purposes.

Packing puts everything into perspective for me. We have a lot of stuff. We have spent a lot of money. Most of the electronics listed above were things that J bought on his own, but I definitely threw some money down too. At least we know where it all went, but at some point, you've got to step back and be happy with what you've got. And now's the time to do it! It's going to be hard for J though, I think. He's used to having a lot of disposable cash and those electronics speak for it. Today he called me wanting to buy a new mouse for his laptop, even though there's nothing wrong with his current one. He put it back, which is good...but I know it will be hard for him to get in the habit.

As for other things going on today, we picked up our first moving expense. We spent $48 on a bunch of boxes and tape from Budget. Last time we moved, we didn't buy a single thing and just collected boxes from the grocery store or wherever. This time, we opted to buy nice, sturdy, standard size boxes because we're actually going to hang onto them and put them to use. We currently rent a storage locker for things we don't have space for but need/want to keep (childhood keepsakes, winter coats, summer stuff, etc). The locker is an absolute DISASTER. The boxes are all old, falling apart, they don't match and stack well, some stuff isn't in boxes...ugh I just can't even think about it. So, after the move is done, we're going to take the boxes to storage and pack up everything properly. Our new condo comes with a storage space, so we want to make good use of it and not turn it into a pigsty!

I didn't buy too many boxes so we can reuse them all instead of waste our money by recycling them when we're done. It means we don't have enough for everything though, so we're definitely going to have to make a few trips on the move. I'm just hoping it goes smoothly and we get it over with ASAP!