Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Giddeup, Kitty!

So I've been looking at my money situation and trying to figure out a budget for this proposed relocation to Oregon.

Basically this is what I can afford.

15 comments:

tully said...

Don't forget to post a sign:
"When the Prairie Schooner's a rockin'..."

Jarred said...

Really? I would've expected a covered wagon in such good shape to be rather pricy. On a more serious note, does this mean you may have to reconsider?

And that's just terrible, LC. Granted, it's also terribly funny, but that's besides the point.

Andy said...

Actually, I haven't really investigated the cost of a covered wagon. Jarred's probably right. It's so irritating. I don't have that much stuff...a cargo van -- like a Ford Econoline -- would be the perfect vehicle. But NO ONE IN THE COUNTRY allows you do to a one-way rental with one. I've checked EVERYBODY. If you know of someone who rents them one-way, let me know. What's wrong with U-Haul? They could make a killing! ARGH.

Courtney said...

Worked for my great-great-grandmother.

Oh, and while you're at it, you can answer the age-old question, "WHERE ARE THE MORMONS?"

Anonymous said...

gerdarnit, stupid blogger beta won't let me post (actual colorful language much editted)

mmm ... can't remember the websites, but there are sites where drivers (usually college kids) hook up with people who need a car moved (say, family with kids who prefers to fly and meet their moving truck) ... of course, whether this would be a van is up in the air ...

UHaul doesn't rent one way???? How do we end up with Florida vans??

Andy said...

U-Haul will rent one of those big ugly trucks one way. The smallest truck goes for $2400/week, and gets 12 miles to the gallon. Since it's 2900 miles to Oregon (wasn't that the name of a movie?), I can add about $6-700 for gas on top of the rental price, PLUS I'd have to do all the work myself. That's pretty much the same price as having professional movers do everything for me.

Gino said...

i will be moving to TX before long.
i've decided there is no furniture i possess that cannot be replaced at a later date, and then i'll buy stuff to match the home(likely one piece at a time LOL).
ditto for kitchen appliances and brickbrack.

all i'm taking is three cats, a single box of clothes,a 'bed roll', my PC, my gun collection(about 30 pcs),trophy hides,CDs,DVDs, some books and every picture/photo/relic of the kids and family.

it should all fit in, or on top of, my santa fe.

Elizabeth said...

Buy a used van, maybe? You could sell it right away when you get here. Or find a job where they'll pay your relocation costs. :-)

Do you have a car? You could get a trailer and pull it behind with your stuff.

N. English said...

Andy, how could it be more expensive to live in Portland than Manhattan?! Is that really true?

Anyway, I found this nugget below (Can anyone name the game before the answer below?).

"Try taking a journey by covered wagon across 2000 miles of plains, rivers, and mountains. Try! On the plains, will you slosh your oxen through mud and water-filled ruts or will you plod through dust six inches deep?

How will you cross the rivers? If you have money, you might take a ferry (if there is a ferry). Or, you can ford the river and hope you and your wagon aren't swallowed alive!

What about supplies? Well, if you're low on food you can hunt. You might get a buffalo... you might. And there are bear in the mountains.

At the Dalles, you can try navigating the Columbia River, but if running the rapids with a makeshift raft makes you queasy, better take the Barlow Road.

If for some reason you don't survive -- your wagon burns, or thieves steal your oxen, or you run out of provisions, or you die of cholera -- don't give up! Try again... and again... until your name is up with the others on The Oregon Trail Top Ten."

Sound familiar? It's the game description from "Oregon Trail", that awesome game I loved on the original Apple computer in grade school.

Courtney said...

Nate, I adored Oregon Trail growing up. First experience with a computer.

Andy, another option: in our many moves, we've used ABF several times, which is a company that rents you a portion of a larger truck (say 10 feet of it). You pack it, they drive it. I know it was cheaper than hiring movers, although cheaper than a U-Haul, I know not.

Of course, then you need to transport yourself and the cats separately.

Matthew said...

Awww, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

So, you're serious about relocating, then?

Law Fairy said...

I can think of a couple options. You could see what's the largest vehicle Hertz has for rent... they probably have some large SUV/van you might be able to fit a lot into. Hertz will definitely rent one-way (unlike almost every other rental company, as I recently discovered). I rented a full-size from them one-way between Los Angeles and Colorado Springs, and it cost about a hundred bucks a day. If they don't have anything super-huge, what about renting a sturdy car and hitching a trailer on the back?

OR. Are you super-attached to your furniture? If not, I would say, sell your furniture and ship everything else FedEx ground, then either drive or fly yourself out. FedEx ground will deliver your stuff pretty cheap. The first time I moved out of my parents' house, I moved into a furnished apartment, so I only brought my varied belongings (clothing, electronics, assorted other junk), most of which could be fit into shippable boxes (and the rest of which I stuffed into my car). If I recall correctly, it cost less than a thousand bucks to ship about 20 boxes of my crap (including some very large and very heavy wardrobe boxes), and it got there in a few days (a hundred times more convenient than the 14-day window professional movers always give you). I believe that you can even have them come to your house to pick up the boxes for you.

Good luck!!

Anonymous said...

You'll need horses.

Andy said...

Jim: Horses? Are you sure? I was planning on having the cats pull the wagon. I was thinking they could work in shifts, one cat rides with me in the wagon while the other pulls, until we get to the Rocky Mountains (Rocky in the Rockies!) and then they'll probably have to both pull.

LF: Basically those are the thoughts that go running through my brain at 1 a.m. while I lie in bed staring at the ceiling. I think yes, I'm going to rent a passenger van and pack it as full as I can get it, ship a few other things, and just abandon the rest.

Julie said...

For you Oregon Trail fans click here. Memories of playing on my Apple IIe...

Good luck on your move. All this advice is helping me, too. I'm thinking of moving from Seattle to San Francisco.