I’m Moving: A Follow-up

By Nicole Ouellette • October 30, 2009 • Home Improvement • 8 Comments

Great news for me this week is that I have found a new rental and I am moving in two weeks. Here’s my new house, which is three times as large as the apartment I am living in right now.

My little house, some random car for scale.

I was told how hard/impossible it would be to find something affordable and year round in Bar Harbor but here’s how I performed my real estate miracle:

Why Renting A Bigger Place May Save Me Money

By Nicole Ouellette • October 26, 2009 • Home Improvement • 4 Comments

It’s really interesting to shop for unique things like apartments or cars. Each is so different it’s hard to compare, you can’t exactly hop online and find the best deal like you would for, say, a certain model of digital camera. The whole thing is a bit more nuanced than that.

Clearly costs are an issue to me and, in looking at larger spaces, my rent is going to cost more. But there are some additional features that a larger apartment can accomodate that might make this move actually less expensive than where I live now.

I’ve attempting to assign some monetary values to some of this stuff, if only so I can fairly compare apartments. What do you think? Have I forgotten anything?

Washer and Dryer access- $25/month

Currently at the Bar Harbor Laundromat, I am paying about $6 for a load of laundry. A big load, sure, but $1 for 16 minutes of dryer time? Come on!

Why I’m Getting A Bigger Space

By Nicole Ouellette • October 23, 2009 • Home Improvement • Leave a comment

Those of you who are my Facebook friends know that this week, I’ve begun the process of looking for a new apartment to rent. If I move, this will be the 26th time in my 28 years I’ve put my things into boxes and moved to another location.

Currently, I live in 220 square feet several blocks from the ocean in beautiful Bar Harbor Maine. Everything in that sentence sounds great, but I challenge you to measure out 220 square feet and then imagine yourself living and working from that space. Don’t forget your bed, desk, kitchen, bathroom, table…Now in your mind, add a dog and those items that come with dog ownership to your floorplan. So you may understand why I’m beginning to feel a little squeezed in over the last year.

To Move Or Not To Move

By Nicole Ouellette • October 14, 2009 • Home Improvement • 2 Comments

There comes a time in every person’s life when they realize they need to make a change, even if it requires spending more money. My moment came last week.

Having someone visit my apartment is always interesting if only because it makes me realize how small it is. Most of the time, I can ignore it but someone else is around, I get questions.

I Bought Myself Flowers… Just Because

By Nicole Ouellette • April 16, 2009 • Home Improvement • 6 Comments

There are times that I realize that I'm not really that hard core of a personal finance blogger. I do watch my spending pretty closely and tend not to buy things when it comes down to a decision. But if my mind keeps coming back to a purchase, I tend to rethink it.

I have been wanting flowers for about a month now. I waited until after the Easter rush and then went to my local florist and asked them what they had as far as deals going on.

I walked out with some gorgeous (and local!) lilies and a carafe/vase for about $13. The owner tried to sell me $15 vase but after she realized I wasn't buying, she departed briefly and came back with a five dollar option. (I think she actually physically went in the basement to get it.)

When asked about what discounts were being offered, I found out that customers automatically get 25% off for picking up their own flowers at the store. Interesting, and good to know for future reference!

So my apartment smells fantastic right now and it was a small price to pay for it. Because I deserve a little treat once in awhile, right?