It's not impossible to get a mover, no, but I'm not aware of any services that actually involve coming into your home and boxing up all of your things. That's what I'm hoping to get done next week so we can move the following weekend. We have a LOT of stuff to still box up.

My husband has to work until next Friday at 5. He's then planning on driving back down here, but it's a 3.5 hour drive even without traffic, and there will be traffic on a Friday. He probably won't get here until quite late. Then, Saturday morning, we will pick up the moving truck and start loading it. We can't do that unless everything is already boxed up. Then, we'll have another 3.5 hour drive up to the new town. We're planning on staying in a motel Saturday night and then unloading the moving truck Sunday so we can return it Sunday afternoon.

If we can move the weekend of the 19th, we'll only be separated from Sunday afternoon until Friday evening. But that depends on me being able to pack up the entire house in basically a week. I've been packing for the past two days while my husband has been at work (old job) but it is taking a lot longer to get these boxes packed than I anticipated.

Only!!?? That is almost a week. A long time to be separated for any couple much less one who has to adhere to EPs.



I just Googled it for Southern California. Found a tonne of advertised professional packers who will do the lot for you - it took me five minutes.

Or pay a student or local teenager to do it for you. Maybe get a couple of them in to help you box up this week so you can leave with your H and then return to do the moving.

Isn't your area full of people struggling to get work? There are probably a lot of people nearby who would come in to help you for a cheap evenings work.

Why not make a party of it with your friends? Everyone brings a snack, a box and duct tape and you all blitz it and then sit down for a gossip.

My friend did this and six of us did the packing in two nights.

What is the deadline on getting eveything packed up? Can't you leave your stuff there until you both have the time to come back together and deal with it properly?

Sell the stuff and rebuy?

It sounds like the plan is set in stone and being together isn't even being considered.

The plan drafted seems to have gone through the following motions

1) Be at job when employers say it starts
2) Find the cheapest moving quote possible
3) Bend around the above two considerations up to and including separation.

Start with separation not being an option and you will be surprised at the ideas you will generate.

I guess the separation part doesn't bother me that much. We've been separated longer than this before. Just last summer, I participated in a writer's conference nine hours to the north and we were separated for an entire week. It wasn't a problem. We talked on the phone multiple times a day. We don't spend nights apart on a regular basis, but it does happen occasionally.

OK. I can't help you then because that is not MB!

I also don't understand your problem with doing this alone then since that is the path you want to take. You've chosen to separate and do this on your own. Now you don't think you can -sooo either change the plan or don't.

If separation is the go-to solution in situations like this then things will be a struggle. You will find yourself doing things alone. Things will get overwhelming.

It's the whole reason why people partner up in life - to help each other with big tasks like moving! Not to mention being together.

I don't think it is a great plan and I don't think you will get it done on time alone - so it will end up being as expensive as hiring movers most likely.

It just seems like my only choice is one of us being here next week to do the packing (me) or neither of us being here next week to do the packing. I may struggle to get it done alone, but I don't think there's any chance of getting it done if neither of us are here to do it. My husband staying an extra week to do the packing with me isn't an option because of his new job.

I have checked the internet and called moving companies in the area, but all of them have said we need to have everything boxed up before they get here. I haven't been able to find any that offer packing services. Really, I need to go through the stuff as I'm packing anyway, since much of it is my mother's and I have to decide what to keep and not keep.

Also, I'm really not enthusiastic about trying to entertain a 5-year-old in a motel room all day, everyday while my husband is training for his new job. I think I would feel more productive here packing.

My H and I have discussed this and we have both agreed to this course of action. Of course, we would prefer not spending time apart. That's why we're pushing for a move date of the 19th instead of the 26th.

So can he take a week off in a months' time to do it?

In the meantime just take what you need.

We need to be out of our current place before then. We've already given our notice and we can't really afford two houses at once. That would pretty much take my husband's entire salary.

The condo we're in now is about $250/month more than the house we'll be renting in the new town. We haven't really been able to afford this place since my mom passed away, so we've been using a lot of savings to pay rent. The new house is bigger and cheaper (and an actual house with a yard, not just a condo). It's also half a mile from my husband's new job, whereas right now, he's been commuting 44 miles a day round trip. We'll be in a much better situation overall after the move. Just have to make it through the next couple of weeks.

Is buying still out of the question writer? That would be so much better use of your capital.

Probably not an option for us right now since we had our home foreclosed three years ago and filed for bankruptcy a year and a half ago. Plus, we'd like to make sure this area and job are a good fit for us before we put down permanent roots.

Writer,
How did your move go? Hoping you are getting settled now..

Hi emilyann.

We made the move over the weekend. Still getting settled in. Just got the internet hooked up today. Things are going pretty good, even got a couple hours of UA time in last night amidst all of the unpacking and trying to figure out where to put things.

My husband seems to be enjoying his new job. He finishes up training tomorrow. Still getting used to the new town. It's so much smaller and more isolated than we're used to. Definitely going to take some getting used to, but I love the weather here! It's been in the 100's where we used to live, and the upper 70's to low 80's where we are now. I love the ocean breeze here!

That's great!