This is part two of a five-part series written by guest blogger Josh Knoll about his experience moving from Fort Smith, Arkansas to Phoenix, Arizona with U-Pack. If you haven't already, make sure to check out Moving to Phoenix with U-Pack Part One while you're at it!  The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are solely those of the original author. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Upack, the blog.upack.com staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.

Moving to Phoenix with U-Pack – Part Two

Naturally one cannot become a Sun Devil without money! So, I started looking for ways to supplement the meager income I was receiving in my part time job.  I started eating ramen noodles and pot pies instead of going out.  I started selling random "junk" I had accumulated on eBay, and I used a bike to get to work each day (a four mile round trip).  I also decided to research my 401-K from a previous full-time position I held with the University.  Wow!  What a godsend!

If you are reading this now, and you are looking for ways to generate "hidden money," I would highly advise you check to see if you might have any money sitting in a 401-K that you may not be aware is liquid.  Although they do charge an exorbitant fee for cashing it out, it might be worth it when the opportunity cost is factored in.  If you're like me, you are far away from retirement anyway.  I found the account had over $3000 in it and I was able to get a nice chunk of that sent to me within a week.  The reality of moving to Phoenix immediately became extremely vivid.

I started looking at the cost of tuition for in-state students vs. out-of-state students at Arizona State.  There was a big jump in price between the two!  I decided the more prudent plan would be to move to Phoenix and establish residency in Arizona before applying to grad school.  In checking the general cost of rent for a studio or one bedroom in the city, I knew my next step would have to be finding a roommate.