It is the first Wednesday in August, so that means it is time to link up for:
A monthly REAL WORLD math blog link-up hosted by
I have had this in my drafts for a long time, but just haven't had the time to write it! I don't have any pictures, because this is spur of the moment and totally spontaneous and sometimes you just have to live on the edge. So, here goes. Hopefully my train of thought makes total sense!
As soon as we signed off on the contract to build our new house, I thought to myself that I would have TONS of blog posts about how to use math in real life. Seriously, it is ALL math ALL the time. Even being a math nerd, it gives me headaches sometimes. I don't know how normal people do this.
When we started building our house, we had to start packing. We knew we had to get a storage unit. We would have shopped around for the best rate, but since we already had a small storage unit, we wanted to stay in the same complex. We still needed to decide what size we needed. Since we had already started packing, I was able to find the volume of each box, and keep a running total. Storage units are measured by the area of the floor, but you can't forget about the height! Boxes are meant to be stacked!
So, long story short, I calculated that we would need about 290 square feet of storage to store everything that was in our 2100 square foot house. Honestly, it didn't seem like we had that much stuff until we crammed it all into one space! We settled on a 10x30 foot unit, and our stuff was stacked about 10 feet high!
This was about 75% full. This is such a big unit that it has two entrances!
The best part of the whole move? We hired movers to move everything! So, naturally, more math was involved.
There were several factors to consider: hourly rate, number of movers, trip charge, insured/bonded, etc. We ended up with 3 movers for $110 per hour with a $45 trip charge. BEST $675 I EVER spent :)
I promise to be more prepared next month--when we are MOVED IN to our new house. Maybe that post will be all about closing costs? UGH. How do YOU use math in real life?
UGH...moving is SUCH a chore! Glad you hired help...we hired help for most of our landscaping project and I have never been so relieved. 15 tons of boulders? No thanks. Glad you could link up this month!
ReplyDeleteMoving is so much work! We built our forever home 4 years ago so hopefully I never have to move again. However, moving is a great time to throw stuff out and since I not haven't moved in 4 years I have accumulated a lot of junk! The math that goes into building a house is amazing!
ReplyDeleteTara
The Math Maniac
Great use of math! A little planning is definitely worth it to avoid the frustrations of getting a space that is either to small or too large. Good luck with the house! My Real Math post this month is about remodeling.
ReplyDeleteDonna
Math Coach’s Corner
Absolutely the best money you ever spent!! Moving can be such a pain! Thanks so much for linking up! I hope you can join us again in the future!
ReplyDeleteJamie aka MissMathDork
Moving is the worst!! We had to rent a storage unit when we moved. Good for you for planning it out. My husband and I "winged it", and stuffed it until it was full!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the rest of your move.
Kim
Teaching Math by Hart