The one thing that has surprised me about moving: I have saved some money.

I know I have spent a lot of money buying items for the apartment and it seems like everytime I go into a store I walk out with something but all that spending was planned for years (really, years).

What has surprised me is that the stress that was in my life is gone. Well, almost gone. My former land lord is dragging her feet about final payments, that I owe for “lost” silverware (interesting story see below.) but overall there is lots less stress I feel. That has translated into me not spending money. I have been eating at home, enjoying my peace and quiet and just loving the apartment. I have not bought fast food (which was a staple for a while when things were so bad, where I could buy almost every meal out Mon-Fri.)and buying groceries for the house that I someone have $500 left over this month. Yes, I know that there is still a week to go but with only a couple of items needed at the store, it will be nice to end the month with money in the bank. I have not bought fast food since i moved on the third.

As for the lost silverware story…in my lease there is a clause that says the flatware she uses belonged to her mother and has sentimental value. She tells us that when a house mate moves in and out a count is done and all the house mates put money toward the flatware purchase. She told me my third of the flatware bill is around $300. I questioned that and asked for the inventories that “were completed upon my move in, when MC left and when BC moved in and when I left but especially when MC left because I have no record of having to pay her money for a purchase.” She has no inventories from previous times. NONE. She just ways that this is what is owed by me for my time in the house. Um, excuse me?

I then asked my former housemate MC what she had to pay because I have no records of having to pay anything when MC left. MC sad that she didn’t have to pay anything. LL never did the count and told her she owed anything. So…LL is saying I owe $300…and I say no, if you can’t prove what I owe, why do I need to pay this amount? She said I am calling her a liar. Yep. Sure am.

Oh, did I mention that MC fond two spoons and a couple other pieces in her stuff when she moved (over a year ago) that she JUST returned to LL? No mention of this from LL, no change in what I owe to her. MC also mentioned other items that she did not have to do: shampoo the carpets, extreme cleaning, etc, etc.

If LL refuses to give me back my $450 security deposit because of this I am going to file papers and take her to small claims court. She can’t stick me with the bill just because I am leaving and she is pissed that things are not going her way. She was pissed I gave 30 days notice then moved out on the 3rd. I paid for the month and the utilities. What does it matter when I moved out? With the wedding, dad’s visit, moms heart stuff and work stuff it was the time line that worked for me. There is no way I could have moved the week of Thanksgiving, this week. I had a long scheduled stay-cation that worked with the coupon I had from the moving company. And LL tried to say that I never shampooed the carpets or returned two items that got “shuffled” into my kitchen items. I returned them last week and spent chatting 20 minutes with the neighbor who liked me. I asked him to witness the drop off of the key to the mail shoot and the drop off of the items. LL said I owed her XX dollars for the stuff. I said I dropped it off , oh and did I mention that R says hello, we had a lovely chat when he escorted me onto the patio and stood there as I dropped all of it off. Ha! HA! I am SOOOOO GLAD I am gone!

I really hope that I get the chance to take her to court. She brags about how she has taken former housemates to court and always won. Let’s see her win this time, especially with the comments and email from MC.

And being able to control the heat/ac is nice too! I use lap blankets and wear layers in the winter. I hope my bill is less than $40 for the month each month! I am waiting for my first bill to come for electric and hot water.