Hello!
Car... car.. car.. the biggest question.. when you move: should I get a new vehicle or should I ship the car across the country.... do I even need a car at all?
Well... the answer is... it depends on your situation and your budget!
- If you move to a place where public transportation is great and there is no place to park, selling your car is probably the best option because you might have to pay extra for parking and if it is not used very often or useful, it might not be very beneficial to have it. A bike might serve your better :)
- If you move to a place where there is not a lot of reliable public transportation, you might need to own a car there. So should you buy, lease, or ship your car to your new home?
The answer is quite complicated. But here are the pros and cons of each option, you can base on it to choose which fits your situation and benefits you the most.
- For buying car, you can either by a new or used car.
- Buying a new car
Pros: it's new. might not have any defect. still under manufactured warranty for a few years. Could have better mileage depends on the make, model, and year of the car.
Cons: could be very expensive and hurt your budget. Will your new job or career or whatever makes you move can afford this? Would you want to have an extra debt that you might or might not cover? If your budget is great, you can go ahead a buy a new car, if not you might rethink about this option. Insurance might be higher because it's a newer car.
So a few questions you can ask:
- what is my budget?
- do i need a new car?
- how is my current car doing? should I take it to a mechanic to have a look? (preferred that you take to a trusted mechanic)
- Buying a used car:
Pros: Could be less expensive (depends on where you get your car and the condition of the car). Insurance might be a little bit on a lower end.
Cons: You need to spend time and investigate the origin of the car. You have to work through the paper work to make sure the car is in good condition. So basically, if you have time and expertise or know someone who is adept (like a mechanic, or a friend who loves car), this option might work better for you.
If you decide to buy a used car, have somebody going with you to look at the car (someone who is genuinely interested in looking at the car for you) because they might know something that you don't know. In addition, you can ask for the VIN number to run a report on the car. (car is just like people, they have identification number and you will know whether it has been salvaged or not) Carfax.com is a good site to go to.
So here are a few questions that you can ask before buying a used car:
- are you comfortable driving someone's car?
- do i have a budget for it?
- what kind of criteria am I looking into a car?
- do i need a used car?
- does the car have a clean title?
- is it worth it?
Besides buying car, you can also lease your car. Although it is not the best option to choose from, it can have some benefits.
- Pros: It can be easily seen that the car is new and under manufactured guarantee. So you won't have to worry much about maintaining the car.
- Cons: It can be even more expensive than buying a car. Assuming you make a out the door payment (which is usually not refundable) and then making a monthly payment, you still do not own a car afterward because you rent the car, you do not buy it. So although it might saves you a headache of maintaining it, it might cost you a lot more. But if your lifestyle fits in having a new car every few years, this might be a better of option for you.
Here are a few questions that you can ask:
- what is my budget?
- can i afford a monthly payment?
- does it fit my lifestyle?
- the cost?
- how would i feel when i lease my car?
Another option is shipping your car.
This option is quite appealing because it actually costs less than buying a car or leasing a car. However, it all depends on the value of your car. If your car costs about 3,000 at the time and the shipping costs 1200, you might want to consider whether it's worth it to have it shipped to where you want to be.
But if your car is relatively new, in good running condition, and you really like your car and see that you can use it for at least another 5-6 years, it might be a better option for you to ship your car.
Pros: might be cheaper than buy or lease a car. It's the car you've been driving and if you've been keeping track of the maintenance, the car should work fine and you feel more secured in driving it.
Cons: you might have to endure a few days (depends on the shipping time) not to have a car. The car might be a little bit dirty after being shipped.
A few questions you can ask before shipping your car:
- how old is my car? how long can I drive it?
- how much does it cost?
- can i live for a few days without having a car? (you can always rent a week or two)
- does it fit in my budget?
- So buying, leasing, shipping... there is still another option, drive your car to your destination!
if you want to go with this option, here are the few things you might want to consider
- how far is your destination from where you are?
- will your car be able to get there without any problem?
- is it safe to drive that distance by yourself with your belongings in the trunk? should you drive with someone else?
- if your car is in good condition, will the continuous driving cause any problems to the car afterward?
- estimate the cost of driving to see if it's worth to drive
- do you enjoy driving? if not, it might not be a good option
So there are many things to consider when car involves. But it comes down to a few basic questions:
- What is your budget? If money is not an issue, what gives you a peace of mind is probably working best for you. But be sure though, buying a new car might still not give you a peace of mind. So work out what best fits your lifestyle!
- Does it necessary to have a car? (how close are you to everything like work, grocery, and where you usually go to)
- What would make you happy the most?
- What is the most cost effective way to have a transportation?
So good luck! Leave any comments or suggestions if you want to. :)
Monday, June 23, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Some tips on moving
Moving is an interesting process. It can be real pleasant to someone but it can also be a real pain to others. For me, it has been both of them and I always have to try to find something in between.
First of I have to say, moving is not easy. It's actually a pretty hard thing to do especially if you have to move on your own. I don't want to classify that oh you're a girl you will have to care about this stuffs, oh you're a boy you will have to care about these stuffs. No, I believe as human beings, we mostly care about the same thing but we care about them at different level because we have different degree of tolerance. Who wouldn't care about safety? Even a drug dealer cares about his/her own well-being. This is just an example.
Anyway, so here are a few things I think you should ask yourself when you decide to move. (Different people have different priorities, so these are not ranked according to priority. You should know what is the most important thing to you.
1st: Where do I move to?
2nd: What is my budget? (How much can I afford?)
3rd: When will I move?
4th: Another thing could also be, why do you want to move or why do you move to the place you want to move to?
Once you have asked these questions, you will be able to eliminate a lot of options. Then you can ask another few options.
1st: Do I want a place of my own or do I want to share it with other people?
2nd: Do I want to rent it directly from the landlord or do I want to sublease it from somebody else?
3rd: How long (estimate) will I be there?
4th: If you have a good budget, you can even ask this question, should I buy or should I rent? (depend on your situation, you can either rent or buy. If you're going to be there for a very long time, buying might be an option. If you're just trying out the water, it might not be a good idea)
5th: Can I commit to things? (So that you won't break your lease and decide to move to something else, breaking a lease might be pretty damaging).
Once you have asked these questions, you will be able to eliminate a lot of other stuffs as well. Now, you can start listing different criteria that you want to have in your new place. Seriously, I can't stress how important this is. You should always know what you're looking for so that you can look for those things when you come and see the place. Here are a few things to make you think:
1st : is there good transportation nearby? can I do it without a car (in case I don't have a car)? Or if you have a car, will there be a place to park?
2nd: bathroom? can I share bathroom with others without having any problems? or do I prefer to have my own bath?
3rd: laundry. should I have my own washer/dryer or should I go to the coin operating machine?
4th: kitchen. am I a cook or am I not a cook? do i want a big kitchen or a small one?
5th: do I want the place to be new? or it doesn't matter?
6th: if i am to have roommate, what am i looking for in the roommate? same qualities as I am? (so you should also know what you're looking for if you're particular or sensitive to certain kind of pets)
7th: do I want the place to have natural light or it doesn't matter?
So each individual has different things that they're looking for. You should list things that are important for you to help reducing your time and money.
Then, once you start narrowing down your search, you can look into the posting and start looking for places. Once you find a few potential places, here are the few questions that you can ask. (I mean a few, because you can't just find one place and think that you're going to get that place and nowhere else. It's great to look at different one to compare and contrast because then you will learn more about the area). I suggest you look at them online (craigslist is great) or on the newspaper or just walk around the neighborhood if you are local.
1st: If you can, come and see the place to see if this is what you want. If you are not local to the place that you'll be moving to and you're particular, ask the landlord to have some pictures taken so that you have a sense of how the place looks like. If the landlord really cares about the tenant and wants good tenant, they really should take time to do this and understand that the tenant can't see the place physically. I can't stress how important this is. Well, at least to me, it's very important. Have you ever bought a car without even seeing it? It's kind of show how nice and how flexible the landlord is as well. So if the landlord is firm that he/she can't give you the pictures, at least be aware and ask why. If he/she gives reasonable reasons, and you're okie with it, it is in your decision to make.
2nd: watch around the neighborhood to see that you can fit it
3rd: check the crime rates. read the review about the place (if it's an apartment complex, you can find those ratings online like www.apartmentratings.com, or if you're lazy like me, you can also go to google maps (maps.google.com) and search for apartment (provided the city and state), they will usually give you location of the apartment that you're looking for. They also pull information from other websites if there are reviews or any info about that apartment. It won't be completely comprehensive, but it's a pretty good service.)
4th: Distance. Does it matter to live far or close to where you will usually go to (work, place, school, etc). That can help the determine where you will end up.
5th: landlord. If you see the landlord, see if he/she is nice and thorough. If you can't, at least try to talk to the landlord on the phone or know and try to know as much info about the landlord as possible. If you will be sharing with another tenant or landlord, try to find information about him/her as well. Try to make sure everything is clear and if anything breaks, they will be fixed in a timely manner.
After all these are done, you can take notes and see which places will you like best and then decide from there.
One thing to remember is, if you're going to share, have someone who is reliable to share with you because the last thing you want to do is having to pay the place by yourself when your roommate leaves you in the middle of the terms. Have it clarified clearly in the beginning will help a bunch.
If I find anything else, I sure will keep you posted. And if you have any tips, please do so as well.
for now, bb :)
First of I have to say, moving is not easy. It's actually a pretty hard thing to do especially if you have to move on your own. I don't want to classify that oh you're a girl you will have to care about this stuffs, oh you're a boy you will have to care about these stuffs. No, I believe as human beings, we mostly care about the same thing but we care about them at different level because we have different degree of tolerance. Who wouldn't care about safety? Even a drug dealer cares about his/her own well-being. This is just an example.
Anyway, so here are a few things I think you should ask yourself when you decide to move. (Different people have different priorities, so these are not ranked according to priority. You should know what is the most important thing to you.
1st: Where do I move to?
2nd: What is my budget? (How much can I afford?)
3rd: When will I move?
4th: Another thing could also be, why do you want to move or why do you move to the place you want to move to?
Once you have asked these questions, you will be able to eliminate a lot of options. Then you can ask another few options.
1st: Do I want a place of my own or do I want to share it with other people?
2nd: Do I want to rent it directly from the landlord or do I want to sublease it from somebody else?
3rd: How long (estimate) will I be there?
4th: If you have a good budget, you can even ask this question, should I buy or should I rent? (depend on your situation, you can either rent or buy. If you're going to be there for a very long time, buying might be an option. If you're just trying out the water, it might not be a good idea)
5th: Can I commit to things? (So that you won't break your lease and decide to move to something else, breaking a lease might be pretty damaging).
Once you have asked these questions, you will be able to eliminate a lot of other stuffs as well. Now, you can start listing different criteria that you want to have in your new place. Seriously, I can't stress how important this is. You should always know what you're looking for so that you can look for those things when you come and see the place. Here are a few things to make you think:
1st : is there good transportation nearby? can I do it without a car (in case I don't have a car)? Or if you have a car, will there be a place to park?
2nd: bathroom? can I share bathroom with others without having any problems? or do I prefer to have my own bath?
3rd: laundry. should I have my own washer/dryer or should I go to the coin operating machine?
4th: kitchen. am I a cook or am I not a cook? do i want a big kitchen or a small one?
5th: do I want the place to be new? or it doesn't matter?
6th: if i am to have roommate, what am i looking for in the roommate? same qualities as I am? (so you should also know what you're looking for if you're particular or sensitive to certain kind of pets)
7th: do I want the place to have natural light or it doesn't matter?
So each individual has different things that they're looking for. You should list things that are important for you to help reducing your time and money.
Then, once you start narrowing down your search, you can look into the posting and start looking for places. Once you find a few potential places, here are the few questions that you can ask. (I mean a few, because you can't just find one place and think that you're going to get that place and nowhere else. It's great to look at different one to compare and contrast because then you will learn more about the area). I suggest you look at them online (craigslist is great) or on the newspaper or just walk around the neighborhood if you are local.
1st: If you can, come and see the place to see if this is what you want. If you are not local to the place that you'll be moving to and you're particular, ask the landlord to have some pictures taken so that you have a sense of how the place looks like. If the landlord really cares about the tenant and wants good tenant, they really should take time to do this and understand that the tenant can't see the place physically. I can't stress how important this is. Well, at least to me, it's very important. Have you ever bought a car without even seeing it? It's kind of show how nice and how flexible the landlord is as well. So if the landlord is firm that he/she can't give you the pictures, at least be aware and ask why. If he/she gives reasonable reasons, and you're okie with it, it is in your decision to make.
2nd: watch around the neighborhood to see that you can fit it
3rd: check the crime rates. read the review about the place (if it's an apartment complex, you can find those ratings online like www.apartmentratings.com, or if you're lazy like me, you can also go to google maps (maps.google.com) and search for apartment (provided the city and state), they will usually give you location of the apartment that you're looking for. They also pull information from other websites if there are reviews or any info about that apartment. It won't be completely comprehensive, but it's a pretty good service.)
4th: Distance. Does it matter to live far or close to where you will usually go to (work, place, school, etc). That can help the determine where you will end up.
5th: landlord. If you see the landlord, see if he/she is nice and thorough. If you can't, at least try to talk to the landlord on the phone or know and try to know as much info about the landlord as possible. If you will be sharing with another tenant or landlord, try to find information about him/her as well. Try to make sure everything is clear and if anything breaks, they will be fixed in a timely manner.
After all these are done, you can take notes and see which places will you like best and then decide from there.
One thing to remember is, if you're going to share, have someone who is reliable to share with you because the last thing you want to do is having to pay the place by yourself when your roommate leaves you in the middle of the terms. Have it clarified clearly in the beginning will help a bunch.
If I find anything else, I sure will keep you posted. And if you have any tips, please do so as well.
for now, bb :)
The new entry
Hello!
Welcome to another blog!
I have too many blogs that I can't even count or even remember. Some seem to ancient. Some seem so technologically experienced difficulty (if these make any sense).
Anyway... this blog really has no purpose. I will be just posting random stuffs but hopefully you will be finding them useful in some way.
I'm in the moving process. Yes, I will be moving across the US. I will be the West coast transplant. In this process, I have learned much and when it is totally done, I hope I will be able to share some of my insight with you. As we have always thought, we have learned and experienced everything in life, but really we don't. When I thought I had them all figured out, I definitely only touched the surface of things.
So please be patient if you're reading this, I will be back soon once everything is done. I will try my best to make the entry short and to the point as the title suggests. So just be still and wait for the next entry!
ciao!
Welcome to another blog!
I have too many blogs that I can't even count or even remember. Some seem to ancient. Some seem so technologically experienced difficulty (if these make any sense).
Anyway... this blog really has no purpose. I will be just posting random stuffs but hopefully you will be finding them useful in some way.
I'm in the moving process. Yes, I will be moving across the US. I will be the West coast transplant. In this process, I have learned much and when it is totally done, I hope I will be able to share some of my insight with you. As we have always thought, we have learned and experienced everything in life, but really we don't. When I thought I had them all figured out, I definitely only touched the surface of things.
So please be patient if you're reading this, I will be back soon once everything is done. I will try my best to make the entry short and to the point as the title suggests. So just be still and wait for the next entry!
ciao!
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