Minnow's Guide #12: Moving on

Now that Tad has been out of school for a few days, Skip and I have been talking and looking at our choices. We've lived in this community for 12 years and it's time for us to move on. A large part of this decision was based on our current employment. Or lack thereof. Skip and I had a small family business with one major client. It's always a big mistake to put all your eggs in one basket, but it happens. We could see the end of the line coming at least three years ago when the revolving door management of our client changed--they ran the CEO out of town on a rail. The new CEO was inexperienced and a "my way or the road way" kind of guy. He's currently running the company he works for into the red. Again, it happens. Anyway, despite his years of service, Skip no longer has the contract with the company, which has outsourced it to a group in Washington.

What this means is that we have no money coming in for the last few months and that we have had to take a long hard look at our family finances and the best choice is for us to leave Soldotna within the next month.

Some of our strategies:

1. Savings: we have enough in savings that we can last for at least a year. When you run a small business out of your home, you can put money aside for the lean periods.
2. Medical insurance: Skip has insurance through his business. It's expensive, but we'll hang onto it.
3. Work: The best and toughest choice is for Skip to leave the community to find work in a bigger market like Anchorage or Portland.
4. House: We have to sell our house to free up the equity. Don't be sad. It's a good house, in town, energy efficient, and I think another family will be glad to live in it, especially with gas prices as high as they are now. It's on the sunny side of the street, which means that the snow melts on our driveway way before it does on our neighbor's across the street. We'll move our stuff out of the house, put it up for sale and leave, probably by mid-July.
5. Garage sale: I learned this one from our neighbor down the street. She moved here from the lower 48 with not much more than a small trailerful of stuff, leaving all of her furniture behind, except for what had sentimental value. We're not taking much with us. If we wind up moving out of state, with current fuel prices, the cost of moving our belongings would be prohibitive. So far I've sold most of our furniture--the couch, all the beds. Skip was a little too helpful at the 1st garage sale and sold the step ladder, which we could have used. My own suggestion is to identify the items that are going to help you with the house and yard (vacuums--shop vacs, regular, handheld; step ladders, hoses) and not sell them until you're ready to leave.
6. Online sales: I listed some of the more unusual & heavy items online to attract the visitors from Anchorage who come down here in the summer for the fishing. So far I have gotten rid of the rowing machine, the big TV (CRT--still works, but very big), the DVD player and I may be able to sell some vintage speakers to audiophiles. I still haven't been able to get rid of the weight machine or had a nibble on my car--I priced it low NADA blue book, but maybe it's not the time of year that people look for reliable used vehicles.
7. Give it away: In past years, we were able to donate to local thrift stores (Bishop's Attic, Salvation Army) but new IRS regulations have made that much more difficult and less attractive. So, we'll give things to our friends. I've already started making the offers. The little greenhouse is gone and the desk is now sitting in the corner of a friends office. The magic mirror (makes you look good) is now at our next door neighbor's house. I gave all our food away to another family. Now for the lawnmower.

I'll keep writing my Hubpages as long as I can. Our cable and internet service are cut off, so I'm having to use the library for internet. I am packing & cleaning as fast as I can.

Good news: Skip may have found a job and we may have a buyer for the house. Keep your fingers crossed for us.