Y6 D40

Well we got a new place yesterday. And while we will not be saving as much as I hoped, it will be $500 a month minimum saved. That's significant enough to make some serious changes for us. The upside is that we will be in a place that while we will be saving money won't be so horrible we hate living there. Here's what happened...

In the morning I called the apartment complex we had originally planned to move into. They had a 2bd coming available 8/2 for $1300. We decided okay, let's take the drive and deal with it. The whole way over there I was grumpy and apathetic because I knew in my heart I didn't really like the place. But it was $800 a month we were going to save and I just needed to suck it up and deal with it. When we got over there I was really looking at the complex through more objective eyes and I hated it. It looked dumpy, dirty, and just too big. The paint was peeling, people had junk on their patios, all these little things. Ironically B was thinking the same things I later discovered but she too was thinking about the savings. We pulled up and they were on lunch. It was 12:30 and they would be back at 1. We decided to go get lunch and while we were at lunch I said hey, let's go check out the other complex we didn't look at. There's a third complex in town that we hadn't originally looked at because everyone warned us that since it was like 5 years old it was expensive. I should have taken that with a grain of salt as expensive is part perspective. We get there and immediately I can feel a difference. Clean, up to date, well manicured. The other complex is run by a building company where as this one is run by a true property management company and it showed. We went into the office and the funniest thing was going on. This crazy eyed black lady who by the look of her couldn't afford a place like this, was asking questions and on her way out asks "can I use the pool?". The agent thinking she means as a resident was like "of course..." but then it clicked in her head and she added "as a resident or if you know someone". To this the woman goes "oh, well I don't know nobody here." and walks out. We were all kind of wtf was that?? The agent notices us, sees we are not like crazy eyes and comes over to greet us. As she does I extend my hand and go "cans I use yo' pool?". And that set the tone. We were all in good mood, she showed us the largest floorplan they have, about 1070 sq ft. We liked it as it had a full size w/d, a laundry nook, and you could tell immediately this place was new. She saw my look of disappointment though when I saw the bedrooms. She says, look, let me show you the one down from this. It's 1030 sq ft, BUT the bedrooms are bigger. I said sure thinking ok whatever. We go into the unit and boom I am sold. The 40 sq ft difference, half of it was the laundry area, and the other half was unnoticeable. The bedrooms were significantly larger, especially the master. The place has everything new and upgraded, crown molding, nice paint, ceiling fans, a/c, AND a w/d. It's a full size stackable, but it's a w/d. No more laundry room. On the property they have security at night (8pm - 5am), gym, nice pool with cabanas, propane tank grill area that they provide the propane for, club house, and a business center with fax. I was sold as was B. The catch? $1600 a month. Sigh. Okay. Fuck it. We will still save money and it was a good compromise. We filled everything out and 15 minutes later, done, we had our new apartment. We take the keys 8/9. We will be getting a second bathroom with more sq footage and a fucking washer/dryer. AND still saving $500 a month. That's enough to make a dent in my bills.

After we left, B told me how excited she is because this was the kind of complex she would have seen back in MI and known she could have never afforded. This is to her, a rich people luxury place. I do see where she is coming from because even there, it's the upper level of apartments. While it won't be the nicest apartment I have ever lived in, I do feel for the price and what we are getting it will be good. We signed a 13 month lease. Let's see how we do. We also discussed B getting a small P/T job after we move to help make up the difference in what we are saving. I asked for her to bring in at least $500 a month to make our savings match what it would have been. She 100% agreed and anything she makes will go directly to the wedding or honeymoon fund to allow me to use the monthly savings on bills. Deal and deal.

After all that we went and had a celebratory dinner at BJs. Before that though, B decided to buy my birthday present. She asked if there was a cycle gear in the area. Um yes? We went in and she bought me new saddlebags for my bike. I managed to get them to give me the previous month sale price too. Down from $180 to $120. NICE. I love them. Headed home and our friends came over. As a result of that, we now have an officiant for our wedding. He has agreed to perform the service for free in exchange for travel and lodging. Okay. We were looking at 450-500 for a professional out there and then we would have been under their rules. This way we get someone who will work with for about the same price and we have one more friend at our wedding. B ended up going to bed around midnight and we all stayed up talking until about 2.

Yesterday was a great day and a great way to start my vacation. I also learned of an upcoming project in BC Canada which makes me excited.

Lastly, a shout out to my buddy who is currently recuperating from surgery. Hope you are feeling well today and I look forward to you making a speedy recovery.