1st time Snowbirders - leave home or pack?

DustyR wrote:

bighatnohorse wrote:
Taxes; all needed appropriate tax receipts are in a shoe box that I take with us. All other documents can be obtained on-line from their respective financial institutions.
A laptop and TurboTax are all that's needed.

X-2

I did this five years running, my laptop and TurboTax did the job for me. My CPA friend would have liked for me to come home before the 15th so he could do my taxes for me. There are several ways to keep 'concise careful records' without a filing cabinet. A small 3-in-one printer with a scanner take care of producing e-copies of all the important items and a simple envelope system by the month the rest.

Between Quicken and just having my income forms I do mine in minutes as Turbo tax automatically downloads bank stuff, mutuals and stock info and more. After you do it one year it retains all the info for the next. easy stuff.

bighatnohorse wrote:
Taxes; all needed appropriate tax receipts are in a shoe box that I take with us. All other documents can be obtained on-line from their respective financial institutions.
A laptop and TurboTax are all that's needed.

X-2

I did this five years running, my laptop and TurboTax did the job for me. My CPA friend would have liked for me to come home before the 15th so he could do my taxes for me. There are several ways to keep 'concise careful records' without a filing cabinet. A small 3-in-one printer with a scanner take care of producing e-copies of all the important items and a simple envelope system by the month the rest.

Have your tax accountant file for an extension. Deal with it when you get home. It cost us a total or $13 to file late in May.

My next door neighbor had a place in Vegas. He didn't go until March, enduring the 2 worst winter weather months in New England because he had to get his taxes done before he left. Lunacy.

Taxes; all needed appropriate tax receipts are in a shoe box that I take with us. All other documents can be obtained on-line from their respective financial institutions.
A laptop and TurboTax are all that's needed.

When it comes to tools it seems like once you get to your winter home there is enough tools in the park to build an entire house or an engine, all you need do is ask around for the things you need.

With the advent of cell phones, internet, online bill paying, Walmart prescription drugs and cash back living on the road is not as hard as most people think. Years ago it was an adventure for sure, but now it more of a lifestyle to be enjoyed.

Only really sticky issue for us is taxes. Do you do them on the road, get home early, or file an extension. If you pay more then you should during the year, that extension and later refund is the way to go IMO.

This won't last long if it is being switched to another of many gun threads.

I hope this is not so or we are losing the Darwin race to the top
"Seems like 99% of US snowbirds are packing. Also seems like 99.999% never need it."

I pack along enough tools to overhaul a truck or a tank. Never needed them. Cannot find a pair of pliers and a screwdriver when I need them. Used to take along a ladder. Found out that most parks have them to loan. Same way with large coffee pots etc. Don't bother bringing along slide shows of your trip to Yellowstone. We have been there too, or just don't care. Leave your troubles up North. We have them too, or just don't care.

I have never needed my tow rope, floor jack, or jumper cables. You won't need two extra propane tanks. You are going south, not north. Leave the unfinished chores at home. You won't have time for work.

Needed better footwear. Every plant out there tries to stab you, my wife had a thorn/needle/spine of some sort go through her sneaker and into her toe, hurt for days. Had hiking boots, at home. Now we have 2 pair.

Thanks for all the reply's. Not sure why I feel the need to pack differently. Just seems that if we are going to be gone longer we'll need more stuff. Ha ha.