SAVE lots by being a snow birding?

Being a snow bird is not something most of us rush into lightly. We count our pennies first and then fly south. It occurred to me this morning that in a lot of ways leaving our home in winter is saving us a lot of money. How? Well here is a list:

Image by Always at Home via Flickr

First of all I am healthier. I don't know if that is a savings but it certainly could be.
We don't heat 1500 square feet in bitter cold.
We turn off the water heater to save more electricity/gas.
Our second car goes in storage and we only insure it for storage.
We only use one car in Arizona.
Groceries are cheaper in Tucson than they are here...and more fresh vegetable are available because of the location.
Our entertainment is mostly taken care of in our RV resort. We do not spend much to keep ourselves happy.
I do not have a winter and summer wardrobe. Because the summer temperature in Portland is very similar to the winter temperature in Tucson I only need one set of clothes. I buy all of those off season when they are on sale.
Just turning off our TV cable, computer and telephone save us a lot of money. ($160+ this last month.)
Garbage, computer service, vampire lights all go away here in Oregon.
Image by Always at Home via Flickr

This is the all important departure list that we use:

Mail...the post office with forward mail with a beginning and ending date. If you are in one location, this works perfectly. If you are on the road you can have a family member forward you mail occasionally or you can have your mail forwarded to a service and they will take care of this for you.
Turning off the water if possible...I know, you think this is a no brainer. You need to consider that if you turn off your water you also need to turn off your water tank. The tank could burn up without water. Draining pipes might be necessary if you are from the frozen north! But, no matter what, you need to find a way to have your water turned off. Water damage is a horrible thing and it happens a lot!
Have the insurance for you second car changed...this can save you a lot of money. The insurance company will change the cost for you if you have the car in storage. Cutting the cost for car insurance for six months out of the year saves around $400.
Keeping the bad guys out...I know people that turned on an alarm system and walked away feeling very secure. Be very careful. We have someone check in occasionally.
Make your home look lived in when it is not...(see keeping the bad guys out).
Make choices about turning off garbage, TV, internet, phone service, etc. Most of these services have a "vacation/hibernation" setting. That means that they don't disconnect you entirely and all you need to do when you return is give them a call and they turn your service back on. Talk with your servers for more information.
Decide on a wardrobe. It has taken me years to learn what to take with me and what to leave behind. If you are a total newbie, check on the temperatures during the months you are going to be in a locality. Arizona is NOT hot in the winter. Locals and experienced snowbirds do not dress like it is 90 degree when the temperature rises to the mid 60's during the day.
If you leave the electricity on, UNPLUG EVERYTHING that can be disconnected...the vampires can cost a lot!!!

Hope you find this helpful.

b

Five Little Ducks...stories played out!

The children's song about the little ducks leaving the nest to fly away has always been one of my favorites. Every mother has seen their babies fly away and rejoiced. Life comes full circle. Animals live that same cycle. Babies grow up. Birds leave the nest. Life goes on. So when the three ducks show up every year near my patio I am not surprised. But I am puzzled that it always seems to be the same three. Something just doesn't seem right. It appears the one did not fly away at all. Five little ducks Went out to play Over the hills and far away. The mommy duck went "quack, quack quack," Four little ducks came swimming back... And then Three Two and One. A drake, a female duck (a hen) and a not quite a drake but still not a hen gather here on the 5th green of the golf course. She leads and the other two follow along obediently. They eat, sleep, and guard each other. Each and every day this time of year they come. I have not named them. Jinxing them would be very pos...

How to be a 12 Month Snow Bird

Vacation Rental in Mexico I live around snowbirds 6 months of the year. I have heard those people say that they all want to live the "snowbird" lifestyle when they go home. But it just is not possible. They are isolated and cold. Social activities with friends and beautiful weather are greatly missed when they return to the realities of their "real" life. One couple I visited with lately returned to Florida this morning where they own a home. The woman is a nurse and works in the summer. They are not going home until May this year. It is too cold in Michigan in the spring so they are hoping to extend their good weather season by simply staying away. Besides that they love their Florida lifestyle a lot. Last week I visited with a woman that lives the snowbird lifestyle year around. No going home to the Midwest in the spring. They essentially vacation 12 month out of the year. And I thought their solution for avoiding unpleasant weather and keeping their lifestyle in...

If You Build It, They Will Come...Maybe!

It all began with a antique window in front of a local shop. It had been painted yellow, the glass was loose and all of the hinges and latches were gone. My old friend Betty would have approved...she would tell me it was just broken enough and damaged enough for me to drag it home. When my dear husband saw it, he wondered what he was meant to do with it. Imagine his surprise when he was presented with the plan to build a small neighborhood library exchange. It wasn't the first time he had heard me ask "How hard could it be?" Now it is six weeks later and we mounted the darling little library exchange on two posts in our front yard. I love it. Now the question is, will they come or has the time passed when people actually read something made of paper? Our association president stopped by and admired the box but left after telling me that he only read books on his Kindle. We will see. Would you bring a book and take a book? b+

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