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Costco Vs. Sam’s Club: Which Warehouse Club Should You Choose?

February 22, 2017 by StacyUncategorized

Do you want to be a warehouse club shopper but can’t decide between Costco or Sam’s Club? Here’s some background:

COSTCO: The Costco chain started in Seattle in 1983. 10 years later, it merged with another club store, called Price Club, which had been catering to business owners since 1976. Today, Costco has hundreds of stores stretching across the entire United States and beyond. The chain sets itself apart from other warehouse stores with its focus on high-end goods, such as organic food and designer jeans.

SAM’S CLUB: Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, started Sam’s Club in 1983. It’s now a nationwide chain with more than 600 stores and 47 million members. Its products range from groceries and office supplies, to big-ticket items such as jewelry and furniture.

Now check out this link:

Costco vs. Sam’s Club

When Is the Best Time to Rent an Apartment?

February 20, 2017 by StacyMoving Tool

A variety of factors must be considered when choosing the best time to rent an apartment. Ultimately, in order to be supremely picky, an individual must have sufficient cash flow, savings and a temporary place to stay until an apartment can be chosen. For an individual with the necessary time and space to be choosy, among the major considerations are whether the renter is seeking the best available choices or the lowest available rental rates.

Summer for Choice

The busiest rental-moving period is between the months of May and September. This is largely due to the fact that a number of life changes tend to occur in these months. For example, many high school graduates are leaving home, and college graduates are seeking real estate close to where they will start their careers. Also, the beginning of nicer weather makes for more convenient loading and unloading of furniture.

Life and weather changes during the summer season mean a much higher turnover rate. This means that finding an apartment is easier, and there is a wider selection of apartments to choose from.

However, precisely because the summer season has the most moving activity, demand for rental space is extremely high. This generally leads to higher rental fees, sometimes up to double what might be negotiated during the off-peak seasons of winter and fall. Also, with demand up, the quest for the perfect apartment leads to higher-than-normal competition for the same space and thus forces individuals to act fast in order to lock in an apartment.

Winter for Savings

For the lowest rental rates, the winter season is the best time to rent, especially right after the Christmas-New Year’s holiday season, when demand is usually at its lowest level of the year, with fewer renters interested in moving. Individuals renting between the months of January and March typically find the best rental bargains. However, the low level of moving activity and turnover at that time of year usually means that it’s more difficult to find exactly the apartment you’re looking for.

How to Apartment Hunt

Once a target moving season has been determined, narrow the choice down to a specific month. For example, consider that the target move month is August. The ideal time to begin the search for an appropriate apartment is at the end of the month prior to the target move month; so, in this example, the individual would want to begin the apartment hunt during the last two weeks of July.

While this tactic may seem somewhat last minute, it is actually ideal, because the majority of renters have leases that expire at the end of a month, or within the first few days of the next month. Renters that are about to leave vacancies will have given, or will be giving, their 30-day notices during this time, and individuals are apt to get first choice of available space if they begin their apartment search within that time frame.

Individuals willing to take a gamble or who have the flexibility to move on a moment’s notice may do well to employ a different apartment-hunting approach. Waiting until the second week of the month to move can prove lucrative, as landlords trying to fill vacancies become more eager to secure new renters.

How to Pack Artwork

February 19, 2017 by StacyMoving ToolPacking Tips

Learn How to Pack Artwork

All artwork, mirrors, marble tops, glass tops, pictures should be packed in mirror, picture boxes, unless they are very small. The small items may be packed in dish pack box on edge. The van line professional packers should crate the very large glass tops and marble tops. Their weight makes them impractical to be moved by a box.
The following moving supplies will be needed to secure your artwork, mirrors, marble tops, glass tops, and pictures for moving:

  • Tape
  • Blank newsprint paper or Bubble Wrap®, picture boxes

Framed Art Work and Prints

  1. Prepare a picture box for the artwork by putting wadded newsprint paper on the bottom of the box. Do not close the top end of the box.
  2. Wrap each individual artwork or print with newsprint or wrap them in Bubble Wrap®.
  3. Put the item in the box and if they fit loosely in the box, fill in the spaces with lightly wadded newsprint paper.
  4. Tape the box shut and mark it “Fragile-Art Work.”

Glass Tops

  1. Prepare a picture moving box for the glass top by putting wadded newsprint paper on the bottom of the box or each box. Do not close the top end of the box.
  2. Wrap each individual glass top with newsprint or wrap them in Bubble Wrap®.
  3. Put the glass top in the box and if they fit loosely in the box, fill in the spaces with lightly wadded newsprint paper. If two boxes are needed for the glass top, then put the second box on top of the other by telescoping them together and fill spaces with lightly wadded newsprint paper.
  4. Tape the box or boxes shut and mark it “Fragile-Glass Top.”

Marble Tops

  1. Prepare a picture box for the marble top by putting wadded newsprint paper on the bottom of the box or each box. Do not close the top end of the box.
  2. Wrap each individual marble top with newsprint or wrap them in Bubble Wrap®.
  3. Put the marble top in the box and if they fit loosely in the box, fill in the spaces with lightly wadded newsprint paper. If two boxes are needed for the marble top, then put the second box on top of the other by telescoping them together and fill spaces with lightly wadded newsprint paper.
  4. Tape the box or boxes shut and mark it “Fragile- Marble Top.”

Mirrors

  1. Put tape across the front of the mirror like an X to keep the pieces in place in case the glass cracks or breaks.
  2. Prepare a picture box for the mirror by putting wadded newsprint paper on the bottom of the box or each box. Do not close the top end of the box.
  3. Wrap each individual mirror with newsprint or wrap them in Bubble Wrap®.
  4. Put the mirror in the box and if they fit loosely in the box, fill in the spaces with lightly wadded newsprint paper. If two boxes are needed for the mirror, then put the second box on top of the other by telescoping them together and fill spaces with lightly wadded newsprint paper.
  5. Tape the box or boxes shut and mark it “Fragile- Mirror.”

Paintings

  1. If your painting is framed with glass put masking tape across the front of the painting like an X to keep the pieces in place in case the glass cracks or breaks.
  2. Cover the framed paintings or canvas with Bubble Wrap® and tape it closed.
  3. If you are packing a painting with glass then put the painting in a picture, mirror box and if it fit loosely in the box, fill in the spaces with lightly wadded newsprint paper. If two boxes are needed for the painting, then put the second box on top of the other by telescoping them together and fill spaces with lightly wadded newsprint paper.
  4. If you are packing a canvas painting (no frame, no glass), wrap the box in Bubble Wrap® again, tape it, then build a second box for the first box. Your chances of sharp objects puncturing the box and canvas during the move to slim.
  5. Tape the box or boxes shut and mark it “Fragile- Art.”

Uses for Leftover Cardboard Boxes

February 17, 2017 by StacyMoving ToolPacking TipsUncategorized

Moving into a new house, after all the hard work of packing up and getting moved brings such a feeling of satisfaction and belonging. With each box you unpack, you discover a new place to store your belongings and new ways to make your new space feel like home. What you are left with, however, are the empty cardboard boxes and no idea how to get them out of the way or make use of them. Take a look at these creative uses for leftover cardboard boxes and see what you can come up with for the dozens lying around after your move!

Kids

You might be surprised at how entertained a child can be with something as simple as a cardboard box. Then again, the possibilities are only as limited as their imagination. A cardboard box and a handful of crayons, markers, and maybe even stickers is just a canvas waiting for a child’s masterpieces. A box can be turned into a racecar, a castle, or a fort to hide in and play. Cardboard boxes make excellent robot costumes or makeshift sleds. Again, the possibilities are almost endless.

Pets

Your four-legged friends might also enjoy some fun with the leftover cardboard boxes you were thinking about throwing away after your move. Cut a few holes in a box and you might find that your cat loves to sneak in and out of their own little corrugated cave.

Papers

Whether you have a filing cabinet that is full or you don’t necessarily want to spend the money on a filing cabinet, but need to hang onto paperwork that seems to just stack up and clutter your office, those extra cardboard boxes could be the perfect solution. You can create dividers with leftovers from other boxes or purchase some file folders and get your paperwork organized and out of the way in a stackable, square box that’s easy to access and easy to store.

Waste

Most cardboard boxes are recyclable, so why not renew your environmental efforts and use it to separate your recyclable waste in? When the box gets full, you can dispose of it and the contents in your household recycle bin or at a local recycling plant.

Crafts

The web is full of crafty and creative cardboard box ideas that you can make yourself. Decoupage letters for your wall, accessories for your office and decorations for your shelves can all be created using leftover cardboard boxes and minimal extra supplies. If you are not the crafting type yourself, consider donating the boxes to a crafting group, a preschool or a local organization that might be able to use them for arts and crafts projects.

Why You Shouldn’t Use Newspaper as Packing Material

February 16, 2017 by StacyUncategorized

Everyone has their own tips and tricks for moving. Using newspaper to pack has been around for years, but it might be time to think about replacing newspaper with something better. Here’s why you shouldn’t use newspaper.

The black ink on newspaper can rub off and transfer onto things you are moving which is why you shouldn’t use newspaper as packing material. China and other fragile items can end up covered in newspaper ink once your boxes have arrived at their destination. While it isn’t harmful and doesn’t stain (most of the time), it adds an additional step once you move into your new home or apartment. Nobody wants to spend their time unpacking by placing dishes into the dishwasher to remove black marks rather than into their new cabinets.

Here’s what we recommend wrapping your fragile items with:

  • Packing paper free of ink

  • Fabric for non-fragile items (you can use dish towels and clothing items)

  • Bubble wrap

  • Leftover holiday wrapping paper

The best part of using dish towels and clothing items is that you kill two birds with one stone. Those cloth items will need to be transported anyway, so why not put them to good use?

While paper is usually the preferred material, one thing to be aware of is the weight of things you’re packing. Ink free packing paper might get flattened during a move if used with heavy items, decreasing its ability to cushion fragile items.

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