Mail

If you are receiving mail where you live, the mail box should be locked. The postman who delivers your mail will have a key to unlock the box and be able to deposit your mail and you have a key to unlock the box and retrieve your mail. The next safest option is having a mail slot in your home so that when mail is delivered it drops directly into your home and there is no outside access to it.

The safest option is having a post office mail box to which you have a key.  There is a charge for this and it is based on the size of box you get. A standard letter size box should be sufficient. You can pay for the box six months or twelve months at a time.

Having these options for mail delivery prohibits others from being able to steal your mail which may contain highly personal information, credit card offers or possibly checks. If someone should steal checks they can endorse them and cash them or if the checks are from credit card companies the checks can be forged and max out your limits, leaving you responsible for paying back money you didn’t get in the first place.

Always take your out-going mail to the post office to mail rather than placing it in an unprotected mail box. (One that is not locked.)  Taking the mail into the Post Office and dropping it into one of the mail slots is by far the safest, but there are also drive-through lanes where you can drop the mail into an outside mail box.

However if it is close to the pick-up time for these boxes and the boxes are stuffed with mail, don’t leave the mail there. It is easy for someone to drive through and help themselves to the mail not safely inside the box.

When you need proof that you have mailed a letter or package you can send it     Certified Mail which will give you documented verification of the date and time that you mailed the item as well as when it was delivered or that the delivery was attempted.

When you move always complete a Change of Address form and either mail the form to the Postmaster in the City you are moving from or turn to your post office if it is the same. This way your mail will not be lost or returned to the sender.

Mayonnaise Uses

Besides using mayonnaise on sandwiches and in a multitude of recipes, it can also be used as a hair conditioner!

For short hair, rub about two tablespoons of real mayonnaise into your hair. Use more for longer hair. Your hair needs to fully penetrated. Wrap your hair in plastic wrap or a plastic bag large enough to cover your hair. Then wrap a towel around your head. Leave the mayonnaise in for 30 minutes.  Shampoo as you normally would to remove the mayonnaise.

For nourishing your house plants that usually have or should have shiny leaves, put a small amount of mayonnaise on a cloth and gently rub each leaf gently. This will clean the leaves, leaving them shiny and will also give some added nourishment.

Moving

 

There is a lot to do when you decide to move. You will need to give a 30 day written notice if moving from a rental property.  You may need to make arrangements for utilities disconnections and connections for both where you are now and where you will be. You will need to pack and to make arrangements for the move itself.  One way of keeping track of everything would be to get a notebook and make notes as you think of different things. Anything to do with the move can be kept in the notebook and this way you will have all your information and lists in one easy to find place.

Moving boxes are available at local truck rental locations and come in many sizes for a price.

When buying boxes the price goes down when you buy in bulk.

Boxes are also available free at many stores including grocery, office supply, furniture, drug stores and department stores. Call ahead and ask if the store manager if they will hold them for you until you can come by and pick them up. Otherwise, if you don’t call ahead, boxes may not be available because they have been broken down or crushed for easy disposal.

Or if the boxes are in a dumpster, do ask before just snatching them. You could get into trouble without permission, SO just take the time to ask the store manager and get his or her name. This way if someone questions you, you can say, “So and so told me I could.” Otherwise, if you don’t call ahead, boxes may not be available because they have been broken down or crushed for easy disposal.

Use newsprint for wrapping glass, dishes and other items that need protection from scratches or breakage. Then put shredded paper in the bottom of the box and begin packing the wrapped items. Layer the shredded material and use it to fill in holes that nothing will fit into. This makes the boxed items snug and less likely to break. Use this for shipping, (it saves on buying the ‘popcorn’) packing for moving or storage.

It can later be tossed in the trash and information on the shredded documents is destroyed too. It’s also messy but effective.

Use newsprint for packing because it’s cheap. If not subscribing to a newspaper that can be saved over time then go to the newspaper offices and request ‘End Rolls’. These are the ends of the paper rolls that can’t be used to print on because they are too close to the end of the roll. They have no ink on them and are great for packing white items. No ink to rub off and no need to rewash when unpacked because the paper is clean. Generally these are free and if not, will probably be only a couple of dollars. One end roll will go a long way.

If you are moving from a rental property you don’t forget  give a 30 day written notice.

Start sorting and packing when you give the notice and this way you won’t have everything to do at the very last minute. This is a good time to get rid of things you haven’t used for a long time and think you will probably not use in the future. You can donate these items to thrift stores and write them off on your taxes. You can also have a yard sale which can give you some extra cash.

If you have friends who can help, talk to them when you have given notice to move as well and then remind or verify with them that they will be able to help a few weeks before the move. You don’t want to find yourself without help at the last minute.

If you are going to rent a truck call the different truck rental companies in your area to get their rates for the different size trucks that are available. The size of the truck you will need will be based on how many rooms of furniture that you have.

If you have a lots of books and other things, that will need to be considered too.

The rate will be determined by the size of the truck and the distance you will be moving and whether it is a one way or if you will be returning it to the location where you rented it. One-way is when you are moving to a different town many miles away or a different state. If moving to another state and you will need a car carrier, ask for those rates as well.

You may need to rent a hand-truck when you rent the truck so get rates for that. Some truck rental companies have crews who will load and unload the truck for you. Ask for those rates if you will need that service.

In order to have an estimate on all the rental expenses you will need to factor in deposits, the cost of the truck, hand truck, blanket rental (blankets will protect your furniture from being scratched), car carrier, insurance and gasoline.

To determine an estimate for the gas you’ll need to know how large the gas tank is, how many miles the truck gets per gallon and the distance you will be traveling. You will need to make sure the truck has as much gas in it when you return it as it did when you picked it up or you will be charged almost double the cost per gallon of gas in some cases.

If you and your friends will be packing the truck, the rental company probably has manuals explaining how the truck needs to be loaded. Usually this is with the heaviest pieces of furniture to the front of the truck bed near the cab. It needs to be packed tightly so that boxes and furniture don’t shift when the truck is moving or making turns.

Be sure to turn the truck in within the time frame designated on the rental agreement or you will be charged for each extra day. You might ask what the extra charges will be just in case and so you will not be surprised.