What You’ll Need

In order to pack your jewelry the right way, you’ll need the following items:

• Jewelry box or other sturdy box
• Stack of tissue paper
• Sheets of packing paper
• Paper pads
• Moving blanket
• Roll of packing tape
• Permanent marker

How to Pack Your Jewelry

The good thing about packing your jewelry is that you can keep all of your pieces in your jewelry box during the move. You just have to protect the items from getting damaged on the way to your new home. If you don’t have a jewelry box, you can use any strong, sturdy box to hold your jewelry.

While it’s advisable to leave all of your jewelry in a box, you will still need to protect the individual items inside. Watches, for instance, could use some extra protection. Simply take each watch and wrap it with tissue paper. This will help to preserve the delicate inner-mechanisms of the watch and prevent it from getting nicked or scratched by your other pieces. Any particularly delicate or expensive items should be given this treatment as well.

After protecting the individual pieces, you’ll need to make the entire box stable, so nothing shifts around. This can be accomplished by stuffing tissue paper into each section or any other openings. Though you want to make sure nothing will move around, you don’t want to put in so much paper that you can’t open the drawers. If your jewelry box has a compartment for hanging necklaces, stuff plenty of tissue paper around the hooks so they necklaces won’t fall off. You should cushion the bottom of the compartment as well.

Once your jewelry box is packed and padded, you’ll need to wrap it up to protect the outside. If your box is small, you can wrap it in packing paper, like you would wrap a gift. Tape the ends of the paper to the rest of the package to ensure it stays protected. It can then be placed in a larger box with your other items. Just remember to label the box appropriately.

If you have a large, freestanding jewelry box, it should be packaged like any other piece of furniture. Wrap it with paper pads and packing tape, and label it appropriately. When putting your large jewelry box in the moving truck, cover it with a moving blanket to give it even more protection.

Packing

If you want to have the moving company pack up your goods, make sure they first come to your home to perform an assessment of your goods. This will allow the mover to get an idea of how long it will take them to pack everything up so they can provide you with an estimate. During the in-home evaluation, you can ask them how they will go about the packing process. Find out what methods and materials they will use and how many people will be in your home to pack your goods. You can also ask how they will pack up your more fragile items, such as artwork and antiques. If any potential mover doesn’t lay out their plans clearly, or says something that you don’t like, then keep looking.

Loading

In regard to loading processes, the mover should take all of the proper precautions, such as:

• Having the right equipment
• Following the appropriate safety procedures
• Making sure the truck is loaded with the weight balanced evenly

While these methods will help to ensure the safety of your belongings, you’ll also want to know what measures the movers will take to protect the inside of your home. Ask them how they will prevent damage to your floors, carpets and walls as they remove the goods from your home and put them in the truck. Also, find out if they will lay out runners or other protective materials to place over your floors if it is raining on your moving day.

Transporting

Once you know the moving company’s loading procedures, find out their policies for transporting your goods to your new home. You can ask the mover about their safety procedures and the experience of their drivers. You should also find out what the company’s policy is regarding shuttle service. If your street is too narrow for a large moving truck to safely park in front of your home, the company may have to use shuttle service. If this is the case, they will load a smaller truck outside your home and then drive that truck to the larger truck. By having the moving company come in person to perform an evaluation, they will also be able to tell you if shuttle service will be necessary. If it is, then ask if you will be charged extra for the service.

Unloading

Don’t forget to ask your potential mover about their unloading processes, since you’ll want to know how they handle your goods as they take them into your new home. Find out if they will bring everything to your specified rooms or just leave them inside the front door. You should also ask about their policies regarding furniture setup. Some companies may only set up the furniture once, while others might move everything around until you’re satisfied. Additionally, you’ll want to know if it’s in the company’s policy to hook up your appliances for you.

Once you have gathered all the information you need about each potential moving company’s policies, you can make a more educated decision when picking your mover.

Driving Better

Perhaps the simplest way to save money and lower your gas consumption is to drive sensibly. For instance, keeping a consistent speed is going to conserve fuel; the more you accelerate, the more gas you are wasting. The same goes for driving too fast. Slower speeds are more conservation-friendly. Making turns correctly and driving in straight lines will lower the mileage you cover in a trip. Though there might not be much of a difference initially, making this behavior consistent will make an impact in the long run.

Taking Care of Your Car

Making sure your car has regular tune-ups and oil changes will ensure that your engine is running properly and using gasoline to its proper capacity. If you have dirty filters or improperly working parts, there will be more strain on your engine, and you won’t get the gas mileage you should be getting. Also, keeping your tires filled with air will make quite a difference. Driving on deflated tires takes a lot more energy than driving on ones that are properly filled.

Purchasing a Fuel-Efficient Vehicle

This step takes a bit more of a commitment, unless you are shopping for a new car anyway. The option of buying a hybrid is available from many manufacturers’ current lines, and that is going to be your best bet for conserving gas over the long and short term. However, simply buying a vehicle that is smaller or geared more toward fuel efficiency in general is also going to make a tremendous difference. Get a car, used or new, that fits your individual requirements without going over the top. If you can manage in a sedan or a coupe, you might forgo the SUV or minivan. Also, check the miles per gallon on the cars that you are looking to purchase, whether at the dealership or online, if you aren’t buying new.

Other Tips

There are other, more general things one can do to get one’s fuel mileage up.

• Using the air conditioning less often will put less strain on your car as you are driving. However, having your windows down on the highway will cause extra drag and make your car less efficient. So, put the windows down for city driving, and use the air conditioning on the highway.
• Don’t drive around with heavy stuff in your trunk if you don’t have to.
• Avoid idling for long periods of time. If you are going inside somewhere, turn your engine off.
• Try to cut down on the number of trips you make in the car. If you plan out your days better, you’ll be able to avoid making frequent short trips to the store, back to the office, etc.
• If possible, don’t use your car! Public transportation, cycling, or walking to wherever you have to go are all going be easier on the environment and your wallet.

What You’ll Need

For packing cutlery, you should have the following supplies:

• Small box
• A stack of packing paper or acid-free tissue paper
• Roll of packing tape
• Permanent marker

How To Pack Cutlery

First, prepare a small box. Use packing tape to secure the bottom of the box and then place a layer of crushed paper inside as cushioning.

Pack your cutlery in bundles of around four pieces. Stack the items on top of each other, all facing the same direction. For example, the sharp ends of all four knives in the bundle should be pointing the same way. Regular packing paper is fine for your everyday cutlery. Lay the stack of cutlery on the corner of the stack of packing paper and roll them in one or two sheets, tucking in the extra paper as you roll. Place the bundle on its side in the box, and move on to the next four pieces.

Use the same process when packing silverware, but, instead of packing paper, use acid-free tissue paper. This will prevent your silverware from getting tarnished. Of course, if you have a silverware case, use it. Just pack the case in the bottom of your cutlery box. Place a layer of packing paper over it to prevent your other cutlery from damaging the box.

You should handle knives with extra care. Use extra paper to help reduce the chance of someone getting cut. You should indicate which bundles contain knives by labeling them. Draw an arrow showing which end the blades are facing. This will help you unwrap them safely in your new home.

Once the box is filled, place one final layer of packing paper on top as cushioning. Then, label the box with its contents and room destination.

What are the Advantages of Purchasing a Home?

Beyond just securing a place to call your own, purchasing a home can actually be a very good investment. Renting an apartment or condo is like paying for a service that stops when you stop paying. When you put money toward a home, though, you’re investing in a commodity that is yours to do with it as you please. If you raise the value of the place or there’s an upswing in the seller’s market, you could sell your home for a very good profit.

If you decide to stay in the home and pay off the mortgage, you can (eventually) say good-bye to monthly payments forever (something that will never happen if you continue to rent).

Owning a home can have great benefits for the very long term; imagine being able to leave your home to your children, making it so they don’t have to put up with a mortgage. Some places remain in a family’s possession for generations. These are just a few of the benefits of home ownership.

What are Prequalification and Preapproval?

Prequalification and preapproval are both processes in which you contact a lender to get an idea of how much money you will be eligible to borrow for a home loan. Prequalification is very informal and can usually be done with a phone call. The problem is that, while the estimate can certainly be accurate, it’s also very possible that it won’t be at all.

Preapproval requires much more paperwork, as it is a formal process. You’ll know exactly what you can get from a specific lender. That way, you can go find a house for that amount or less and be sure that you can get a loan. Some sellers may even require preapproval from you.

What are the Costs Attached to a Mortgage?

Unfortunately, a mortgage requires more than just a simple fee. It’s a legal process involving several parties, so things are a little more complicated. Here are some of the more common things you may end up paying for:

• Underwriting charges
• Processing charges
• Origination fee
• Appraisal fee
• Credit report
• Title insurance
• Attorney fees

Some lenders will try to inflate these fees up front, so it’s a good idea to ask for a Good Faith Estimate (GFE), which will list out all the costs and charges. With this estimate in hand, you can take a closer look to make sure that everything is what it should be.

What is Involved in Applying for a Mortgage?

In addition to filling out the actual paperwork, you’ll have to gather some information. First, you’ll want to go through the process of preapproval (see above). Then, you’ll need to get your credit report analyzed and the property appraised. Finally, you will have to fill out several documents in regard to income, employment verification, assets, debts, and expenses. Your lender will consider all this information along with your application when deciding whether or not to approve you for a loan.

Are There Government-Supported Home Loans?

Yes. Departments like the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) actually guarantee loans to those who meet specific eligibility requirements. If you meet these requirements, you may be able to get a loan with relatively low interest rates or a smaller down payment.

What are Fixed-Rate and Adjustable-Rate Mortgages?

These are the two broad categories of available mortgage loans. With a fixed-rate loan, your interest rate will stay exactly the same throughout the entire length of the loan, unless you refinance or in some other way renegotiate the terms of the loan. With an adjustable-rate mortgage, the interest rate is adjusted periodically to bring it in line with market rates. Adjustable-rates are usually lower at first. This is an attempt to compensate for the risk that the rate may go up in the future.

What is the Difference Between Interest Rate and APR (Annual Percentage Rate)?

The interest rate is the annual interest you are charged over your principal amount. So, if the principal of the loan is $100,000 and the interest rate is 10%, your total interest paid for the year will be $10,000.

The annual percentage rate (APR) includes the interest rate as well as any other lender fees that are required to finance the loan. These fees could include pre-paid interest, closing fees, mortgage insurance, and others. Simply put, APR is the total cost of loan per year, not counting the actual principal of the loan.

What is a Credit Score?

Your credit score is a statistical analysis of your credit files. It represents your creditworthiness. Your credit score takes into account all of your past credit and can include almost anything (car loans, home loans, personal loans, and much more). Lenders use your credit score to help determine whether or not they will give you a loan. If you have a long credit history and have had no problems making payments, you shouldn’t have much trouble securing a favorable loan. On the other hand, you’ll have a little more trouble if you have a bad track record or no credit history.

What is Private Mortgage Insurance?

Private mortgage insurance (PMI) is often required by lenders if you want a loan but can’t afford a typical down payment (usually somewhere between 10% and 20% of the cost of the home).

Putting down a lower down payment (as little as 0-5% with a PMI) is risky for the lender, so they secure a PMI policy for you, for which you pay a fee along with your monthly loan payment. Say you make a 5% down payment at closing: If you were to default on the loan, the lender would receive (from the PMI company) the difference between an ideal down payment of 20% and what you actually put down, in this case, 15%.

PMI can be cancelled after you’ve paid off some of your home loan or if the value of your home goes up (see our guide on the subject for more details). PMI isn’t ideal, but it can make securing a home loan possible for low-income families.

Knowing what you want is a very important part of the home buying process. Doing this will help you avoid looking at a bunch of homes you won’t end up having an interest in. Making a list of the absolute minimum of things your new home must have is a good place to start. You can make a separate list of luxuries you’d like to have, but that are not necessary. Here are some things to think about:

• Number of bedrooms and bathrooms
• Size of each room
• Size of yard
• Level of privacy or space in between neighboring homes
• Amenities like pools or fireplaces
• Storage areas like garages, attics, or basements
• Number of floors
• Style of house (ranch, colonial, etc.)

After you decide what kind of home you would like, think about the neighborhood. Look at things like property value, schools, and crime statistics. Also make a list of some characteristics or features you’d like your neighborhood to have (e.g., parks, restaurants, etc.)

Now it’s time to start looking at homes. Your real estate agent will be a big help with this part (and he or she will probably ask you about all the stuff above). Look as many homes as possible and take detailed notes on each (and maybe even some pictures). Don’t be afraid to ask questions!

Here are three big ones you should ask:

• Will the home need any repairs before moving in?
• Will the value of the home increase or decrease over time?
• Can you see yourself living there for a while?

The first stage of getting organized will take place during the packing process. After all, the best way to reduce the amount of clutter you have is to prevent it from getting there in the first place. Here are some clutter reduction tips for the packing process:

• Plan out what you want to take with you. If you map out where things will go in your new home, you’ll be able to more easily identify which items you don’t need and can, therefore, get rid of.
• Have a garage sale of unwanted items.
• Donate some items to charity. You might have clothes or furniture that are in good condition, but that you just don’t want. Consider giving these away to those in need.
• Use a storage facility for anything you want to keep but won’t need in your new home.

Unpacking is just as important as the packing process when you’re trying to get organized in your new home.

• Take it slow. Once you’ve unpacked your essentials, take your time unpacking the rest. Tackle one room at a time, so that you don’t get overwhelmed and so all of your belongings end up where you want them.
• Clean your new home before you unpack. If your home hasn’t been cleaned for you before you move in, now’s a great time to do it. You’ll be able to get into every littler corner that you wouldn’t normally be able to reach.
• Install any necessary shelving, storage hooks, and other storage devices before (or as) you unpack.
• Arrange documents into files.
• Buy containers for any other items that will be stored.
• Buy toolboxes and anything else you need for garage organization.
• Designate certain places for specific goods and belongings before you start to unpack. For example, set aside a specific cabinet for canned goods and a specific shelf or drawer for the bills. Setting the precedent right away will make it easier to keep using that space for the appropriate items. Also, you’ll always know right where to find the things you need.
• Delegate unpacking duties to the rest of your family. For example, let your kids decide how to organize their own rooms (with your help, of course). They’ll be more likely to keep things organized if their stuff is where they want it to be in the first place.

Planning ahead and organizing your belongings from the get-go can go a long way toward making your life a little easier in your new home. Remember, once everything is organized, it’s much easier to keep it that way.

This sweet photo courtesy of Bella, sxc.hu

Part of getting settled into your new home is figuring out the changing seasons. You’ll have to deal with things like weather changes, holiday frenzies, and school breaks. All of these things will affect you and your daily routine, so be prepared for both the delights and difficulties that seasonal changes may bring.

If you’re moving into a town that experiences all four seasons, there are some things you’re going to need for each. Here are a few things to think about:

• Winter: Buy shovels and an ice-melting agent to keep your walkways and driveway clear. If you have kids, ask the school how they broadcast school closings and other notifications. Prepare your vehicle by purchasing snow tires and an ice scraper. You should also make sure you and your family have plenty of warm clothes.
• Spring: Spring is often accompanied by heavy rains, so make sure you have umbrellas and other rain gear. The beginning of spring is a great time to start a garden or to landscape your yard. Doing these things at the beginning of the season will give your plants all spring and summer to develop.
• Summer: Depending on where you live, summer may involve extreme heat and droughts. Prepare yourself by purchasing plenty of bottled water so you can keep yourself hydrated. You may also want to locate local pools or beachfronts for some summer fun.
• Fall: The changing leaves can certainly be beautiful, but raking and cleanup can be a hassle. Get ready for falling leaves by purchasing a rake or leaf blower. Also, find out if and how your town arranges for leaf pick up. Some towns provide bags for you to put leaves into, which they will then pick up. In other towns, you can just rake or blow the leaves into a pile at the side of the street. A special truck will then come and remove the leaves. Find out your town’s schedule of leaf pickup.

Another thing to think about is holidays and other events. Many towns will feature different holiday events or even their own unique festivals at different times of the year. These might have familiar themes (like Christmas or Thanksgiving), while others may celebrate something new to you like local history. So, keep an eye out for plays, fairs, holiday-themed shops, and other holiday- or festival-related events.

For more on this topic, check out the full article on our website.

What a nice garden path

Your yard presents you with nearly infinite design and use opportunities. Depending on whether or not you own your property (or what your landlord’s rules are) you may or may not have free reign when it comes to landscaping. Assuming, though, you have completely or significant control over your yard, you can tailor it to your specific wants and needs.

Before you actually start any landscaping work, you should first decide exactly what it is you want to do. Here are some tips:

• Create a blueprint - Make a sketch of your yard, visualizing and then marking what you want to do with each part. It’s a good idea to take your blueprint out into your yard to get a better sense of where things should be.
• Plants - Decide what kinds of plants you want and where want to put them. You can determine which plants grow best in the local environment and select those that you will be best able to care for.
• Yard Accessories - There all kinds of accessories you might want in your yard. For example, you might want to install a fountain, pool, or rock wall. Contact installation professionals for ideas and quotes, and then arrange for installation. You can also choose to do some of these projects yourself. If so, make sure you do some research so you know exactly what you’re doing.
• Landscaping - You may choose to hire landscapers to come and restructure your yard, plant trees or bushes, etc. Make sure you do extensive research to find the best price and to make sure that any work is within legal zoning restrictions. Also check with a building contractor to see if you’ll need any building permits.
• Budget - Make a budget for your yard projects. If there are things you can’t afford to do right away, save that section of your yard for when you are ready.

As mentioned above, there are nearly infinite landscaping options out there for you to choose from. Here, though, are a few popular ideas:

• Deck or patio - Plan on having a lot of barbecues over the summer? Use some of your yard space for a deck or patio. There are many options available to you. For example, you can have a classic wooden deck with an awning or a screened-in patio.
• Pool - A pool is a great way to escape from the summer heat. An in-ground pool is the most expensive, but most durable, option. Aboveground pools are cheaper and can be incorporated as part of your deck. A hot tub is another good option.
• Garden - Gardens allow you to grow all sorts of things. You could grow flowers to keep in the garden, put in your house, or give as gifts to others. You could also plant your own vegetables. A vegetable garden is a great alternative to buying frozen or canned vegetables from the store.
• Open space - You might want to leave some open space in your yard. Having some open space makes your yard very versatile. You can use it for sports, campouts, and even events like weddings.
• Grading - You can actually reshape the physical structure of your yard via a process known as grading; level you lawn, remove a hill, etc.
• Other ideas - Consider installing a fountain or buying lawn furniture, lawn sports equipment, a hammock, or whatever else strikes your fancy.

Those certainly aren’t all of your options, but should be enough to get the creative wheels turning!

It's a map! of France or someplace...

Getting to know everything about your new neighborhood and surrounding area can be a lot of fun, but also potentially difficult. After all, you may be starting with a blank slate, with no idea where anything really is. Once you find out what things there are in your new town (perhaps from friend, coworkers, or the internet) there are many great methods for finding routes to them. Here are some ideas:

Online Resources

The Internet seems to be getting it’s fingers into just about everything these days, and why not? It’s certainly smarter than I am. I could probably give you decent directions to places that I know or have been, but the Internet can give you nearly perfect to directions to absolutely anywhere. If you can follow them, you’ll get there.

Sites like MapQuest, Google Maps, and Yahoo! Maps are great online resources.

GPS

A global position system is just like direction from the Internet, but you get to take the Internet with you. You get turn-by-turn directions complete with audio (often with a variety of different voices. I believe there’s actually a GPS out there that has Snoop Dog give you directions). If you go of course (say to a restaurant), it will redirect you back to where you need to be going. Using a GPS also saves you the hassle of having to print out your directions ahead of time. With a GPS you can literally find your way anywhere at anytime.

Maps

If you’re feeling more independent and want to find your own route to where you’re going, a good-old-fashioned map is still a great an effective tool.

Word of Mouth

While people are fallible and can often give you wrong directions, they can also do something that no other resource can give: distinct landmarks. An online mapping tool might tell you about a gas station by your turn, it won’t tell you about that big old stump that sort of looks like an eagle. Landmarks like these help commit routes to memory, making the trip a lot easier the second time around. Plus, word-of-mouth directions can often come along with great stories, even further cementing the route in your mind.