Knowing where I'm going... (housing)

A management book popular in the 1970's included the maxim, "If you don't know where you're going you'll probably end up somewhere else." (The Peter Principle. I think.) I think I've finally decided where I'm going. It's not clear to me yet how I'm going to get there.

When my lease expires on July 31 I would like to renew for six months.

I've wanted to move for more than two years but medical crises kept interfering.

When I rented this apartment my income was more than double what it is now. When I renewed the lease in 2006 I had a balanced budget, but it included regular restitution payments as well as self-employment income from both mystery shopping and Memory Keeping. Neither of those has reached the planned level.

The cost of living is rising rapidly, and I don't expect that to change. Every time I buy gasoline or groceries I experience sticker shock. Utility bills, haircuts, toilet paper -- I expect all of these costs to go up. I am less able to work than I was previously. These factors would support moving to a less expensive apartment, or giving up having my own home completely.

On the other hand, moving is expensive. Besides the financial costs -- deposits, utility connection fees and the move itself -- there are tremendous physical and emotional costs. Right now I simply don't have the resources to spare, in any of those areas. Also, I have made tremendous progress this year in decluttering and organizing my home. I would like to see some specific projects through to completion, rather than moving things that will just get discarded or donated.

Finally, my oncologist gave me three months to reverse the deterioration of my health or face chemo. That requires extra rest, extra attention to my diet and wellness practices and, above all, a reduction in stress. I believe that if I move the last week of July I will spend August in my oncologist's office.

Renewing for six months will allow me to focus on my health for the next few months. I'll continue the projects at home, but with a much more relaxed timetable.

Heat seems to aggravate some of the annoying symptoms of the leukemia; I'm already having increased problems since seeing my doctor two weeks ago. Renewing my lease would allow me to rest during the worst of the Arizona heat.

This feels like the right decision. I don't know how I'm going to make it happen.