Chinese water torture was invented in Seattle. It's a known fact. I once saw a t-shirt at Pike Place Market that says, "Seattle Rain Festival: January 1st to December 31st". Now maybe you think that's funny, but round about late February when you've only seen the sun once in 60 days, I challenge you to crack a smile.  Go ahead, try it!  I can hear it now.  "Why so glum, Jack?  What does a soggy sky have to do with me and my wallet?"  I'm so glad you asked.

Here's the thing.  It's the middle of August.  The sky here in Seattle is a rare shade of blue after a recent 10-day drizzle, the air has a delightful touch on the senses, and yet the maple tree outside my window is already one-third covered in a blazing scarlet.  It just ain't fair.  While the folks in Paso Robles are laying down their hard earned cash for more buckets of sunscreen and beating the 100-degree heat with Midori snowcones, I'm layin' out my winter gear and thinkin' one more time about heading south with the Canada geese.  I do this every year. It's a ritual, see, born of the notion that the gate is open and I can split anytime I want. Long about September, my feet start to itch like my gypsy grandmother's and I take out my U.S. map.  And you know what?  Jeez, it sure is a big country.

Settling On the Best "Here"

See, that's part of the problem. There are so many choices, and they all impact a person's means to live like a fat cat - especially when you're on a money diet! At core, you've gotta know what you want, and you've gotta be open to the possibility that you may already have it.  So how do you know?  Well, having defined the problem brings us one step closer to a resolution.  Don't ya think?

There are a lot of reasons to move, and getting out from under iron skies is just one of 'em. For instance, if you take a look at the market values you can get in real estate right now, a long distance move can actually make a lot of sense.  Even going an hour away could significantly impact your mood and your bottom line.  There are other pieces of the lifestyle puzzle as well, like work, cost of living, and crime - avoiding it, that is, not engaging in it.  (Sheesh. Whadya think I'm promotin' here?)  More factors to consider include things like air and water quality, cost of healthcare, daily commuting conditions, and what kind of fun stuff there is to do in the area.  Anyone can see that with all these factors, picking a place to go can be daunting for some folks.  It's a free country, and that means just about every option is available.  Without a hard look at the stuff you consider most important, the thought of moving can turn into an annual ritual instead of a glorious reality, and enjoying those Midori snowcones in Indian Summer will remain always just over the horizon.

Moving is expensive, too, plus there's a risk associated with  putting your stuff in the hands of brawny guys with names like Guido and Larry. I saw a piece in the news this week about how common it is for a moving company's rate to go up by 400% once you're stuff is loaded onto their truck, and that's not including enforced "tips."  This is not to say that all moving companies are shady.  On the contrary, a lot of people have great relocation experiences all the time.  Some movers offer lots of great reasons to hire them, with different levels of service, depending.  There are companies that do it all - from finding you the perfect pad in your price range, to packing you and moving you in. Some of these guys even unpack at the other end for you.  That's not a bad deal when you consider the value of your time.  Course, it might make things a little hard to find when all is said and done, if you know what I mean, and I think you do.

Having A Star to Guide By

Clearly there are a lot of reasons to move, and there are a lot of logistics to consider once you've made that choice to pull up stakes. How can a Big Spender on a Budget possibly whittle down the options? Where can you find some help in nailing down the process? What you need is a guide to help you pick a location that's right for you. You need a tool to help you research the choices you've made, and a method for putting your plan into action.

Which is why I've ordered my own copy of this book from Amazon.  It's called Make the Right Move Now: Your Personal Relocation Guide, and it's by a gal named Barbara Brady. It sells for $22.45. After I did some looking around, I chose this tool for myself because it's cheap (always a plus) and yet, being a workbook, it's just as effective, as thoroughly engaging as having a coach walk you through the sometimes messy decision-making process. Hey, even football players could use some coaching, right? So if you're thinking about pulling up stakes and traveling on, I strongly advise you to do like I did and get the book first.  You'll save yourself a whole lot of trouble in the long term.  A small investment like this is all but guaranteed to yield big dividends for any Big Spender on a Budget.

While you're waiting for your copy to arrive, here's an online tool that will help you compare a laundry list of factors in different cities.  It's from Bankrate, and I find their tools always work really well.  Plus it's FREE, one of my favorite words.  This is an online calculator for Cost Of Living Comparison between two cities.  Even if your interest is purely academic, it's a neat gizmo. Give it a look.

Odds are that, just like in years past, I'll take a good look at this spot I'm living in, Seattle, and decide it's not so bad.  It has a lot to offer between the mountains and the Sound.  In fact, we go back a long way, Seattle and I, starting in my early school years.  But this year the difference is that I'm taking action toward making that decision to stay or go.  The price of knowing for sure about the place I spend my time is one Andrew Jackson, just a little bit more than a bottle of Midori.  Kinda makes ya think, doesn't it?  ...Yeah, like that.

For more great tips on managing your money, make SectorMatic Money Site your Home Page.  With literally THOUSANDS OF ARTICLES, reading only one article a day on SectorMatic will take you several years to get through the whole site. Start making better decisions, and you'll find your dreams turning into goals, and your goals turning into accomplishments.  Can you imagine the look on your neighbor's face when you start driving that new car, start building that new addition on your house, and put that sweet watercraft in your driveway?  You know, to be friendly, you just might want to tip him off about SectorMatic.  It's not a competition here, and there's plenty to go around.  And it's all there for you - gratis, FREE, no charge.  Now you have the power and the means to start living the lush life.

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Until next time,
Jack Schmidt
Spokesman

SectorMatic Money Site
Everything for the Big Spender on a Budget

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