Gramma died recently, and moving in with grampa just seems … logically beneficial for all concerned. Never mind that I love him, I’m his favorite grandchild, and we get along really well.
Certain things - like my books and bookcases, the few knick knacks I possess, some furniture, silver, crystal, personal items - that’s all coming with me.
But I’m wondering about things like dishes, kitchen utensils …
Eventually (and, preferably, not anytime soon) grampa will die and I’ll need to set up a new house. My dishes are neither porcelain nor that Corelle shit, but they WERE pretty pricey at the time of purchase. I think of things like spatulas and measuring cups and whisks and blenders and my Kitchen Aid (gramma has…er, had…er, the house I’m moving into has one, of course) and cookie sheets and flatware and tupperware/tupperware knockoffs. Things that, when purchased separately over time don’t add up to a lot, but when purchased while setting up a new house cost quite a bit.
Thinking ahead here … when grampa dies and I explain I got rid of stuff when I moved in, I’m certain my family would be more than happy to let me keep that mundane gotta-have-it-to-have-a-place-of-your-own stuff, so that’s not really a problem.
So the nittty-gritty of this possible dilemma is:
Should I hang on to mundane stuff like that or store it in the attic?
Anyone ever, after living on their own for 10+ years ever move back in with a family/friend with an existing household?
I would say hold on to the mundane stuff for a while. What if you decide it’s not working out and move after a month?
Most of the stuff you could put in the attic. Anything electric you should probably keep in the kitchen, in the back of a cabinet. If it’s in the attic for more than a year, it may not work very well. Actually, if things work out, you should probably give things like this away to people who can use them.
Eventually, some of the things in the attic will be too old to use. Plastic gets brittle with time. But one thing to keep in mind, as the years pass things will wear out and you’ll be buying new things. Ten years from now the blender will be the one you bought to replace the old one when it broke.
Keep all the mundane stuff in the attic. When Grampa’s mundane stuff breaks, wears out, gets lost at a covered dish supper, you will have the backup.
I lived alone (w/dog) before moving back home (long boring ugly story). Find a place in Grampa’s house where you can be alone, preferably not the same room you sleep in. A second TV can be a wonderful thing, especially with generation-based differences in taste.
It would also be really easy to get a bunch of boxes, and pack them up. Once you got this done, take em on over to a long-term strorage garage type place. This will cost ya money, but if you don’t have an attic or basement to store stuff in, this may be the only answer. Also check out what storage some of your relatives may be able to offer you. I am sure that you have someone with some space that is empty. Good luck with whatever you do.
lesa - excellent point about holding on to stuff til other stuff breaks. Hadn’t thought of it before.
Chrome Spot - sigh. Thanks for reminding me of the TV. Grampa’s 27" is in the living room, gramma had her 27" in the TV room (which, BTW, WILL be my second space; that’s where grampa has decided my computer is going to go) … so what am I supposed to do with my 19" European/Asian compatible? Three TVs for two people is a bit much, no?
Evnglion - Outside storage space unnecessary, but thanks for the luck
