I've been apartment hunting.  In some ways it's fun.  I get to walk into these places, smell them, feel their juju, imagine me living there, what life would be like in that part of town.  How will life be different?  How will it be the same?  Just the prospect of the adventure of starting over in a new place is exciting.  

But y'know, the adventure of moving to a new place means the logistics of moving to a new place.  Which is not always so fun and exciting.  In fact, it sucks.  And it's what keeps some people in a crappy apartment.

Not to say that my apartment is crappy, because it isn't. At all. 

I'm just saying… I know people.  People who stay in crappy apartments.

ANYWAY…

I decided about a month ago that I was ready to move out of my perfectly good apartment.  Why?  I'm restless.  I have too much space which equals too much stuff.  I need to downsize.  Not only my space but my rent too.  I mean, I'm fine and I'm making it and everything is swell.  But a few hundred dollars more a month never hurt anyone, right?  Right. 

So moving I was. I made decisions.  I started getting rid of stuff.  I sold the giant couch and loveseat.  Yay!  I listed a wedding dress on ebay.  Yay!  I've taken a few things to D.I.  Yay!  I've started organizing and collecting boxes (which are still in my car).  Yay!  I'm making decisions about the things that I really need and the things I can totally live without.  Yay!  I looked at 7, yes s-e-v-e-n, different apartment complexes on Saturday. Yay!  The ball is rolling.  Yay!

But I've now decided to stay.  In my perfectly good apartment.  

Why?

Because of the logistics.  

You know what I didn't realize when I started this whole process?  It takes spending money to save money.  Hello!  You can't move to a new apartment with $20 in your pocket And $30 in your bank account!  Humph.  

Also, I can't decide what my biggest needs are.  Close to work?  Rent?  Space?  Location?  School? How can I decide which part of town I should be in?  Or what is the max amount of rent I want to pay?  How much and for what and I willing to go over?  Is a fitness center and pool more important than on-site laundry?  Do I really care about hook ups if I don't even own a washer and dryer?  I really want a balcony, but and I willing to give it up for a walk in closet?  Or a bathroom that's not in the bedroom?

That and people want you to move into their apartment NOW.  Not in 4 weeks after you give 30 days notice at your current place.  The deals are NOW.  The vacancy is NOW. We want your money NOW.  Not in 4 weeks.  NOW.

If you're that responsible of a tenant, why haven't you purchased yet?   Huh? HUH? HUH??

Argh.

And there's this other issue about this dog.  My cutest little sausage dog that loves me. She costs an extra $35 a month.  And an extra $100-$300 dollars NON-REFUNDABLE deposit.  And while their mandatory $100 cable/internet/phone package means I cancel my USB portable internet and might save me money in the long run, her NON-REFUNDABLE deposit doesn't.

Overall it's cheaper to just stay put.

Why haven't I purchased yet?

So while I'm waiting for spring and trying to save money in the mean time, I'll be downsizing my stuff.  So that hopefully, when the money is good and the timing is right, I'll take my cutest little sausage dog and relocate from 1000 square feet to 450 square feet.  Because the two of us really don't need this much space.