Going out on my own

[Rumpy]

Thought I'd just explain it, never know who does or doesn't know something. (Like Spaz from the Opie and Anthony show who had no idea that cc charge interest. And he's an idiot).

[Diff-chan]

On a side note, you pay 525 for a one bedroom apartment?!? We pay 625 for a three bedroom 2 bathroom! I live in southern Texas so housing must be cheaper than in the big city.

When I lived in Westwood (a part of Los Angeles sandwiched between Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Bel Air), it was $2000 a month for a 2 bedroom apartment. Yes, surprisingly, living in a big city like LA, NYC, or Philadelphia is more expensive than some backwoods Southern Texas hick town. The laws of supply and demand can reveal some interesting truths.

What sucked about being on your own?

The drudgery of paying bills, and having to keep them in mind every month, for one thing. Also, its hard to live with people especially if they say, are not as clean as you. After a while, little things get on your nerves when they really shouldnt. Living together has a knack for breaking up friendships, Ive seen it happen so many times.

Of course, the flip side to this is living by yourself, but that can be lonely after you're used to living at home, or in the dorms, or in a fraternity house, or in an apartment with friends (ive lived in all of these for extended amounts of time).

Past a certain point, it does become desirable to move out of home, obviously. But it comes with a whole new set of challenges which are all... kinda shitty.

[Rumpy]

True that.

[Fe 26]

Guess I could throw my two cents in.

put off getting cable or a advanced form of the internet. You may screw up in your math and would really like to have that extra money at the end of the month.

Quit drinking soda of any sort. You will save money, and probably feel a little bit better through the day.

Don't get a credit card. If you can't buy it with cash, you probably don't need it.

Here are some things if you have to pay for your own water:

Put a milk jug full of water in your toilet tank. This will save you a few bucks each month.

This one is nasty, but don't flush everytime you take a piss.

Don't buy cheap toilet paper. You can do with out cable TV, you however can not do with out NOT haveing pains in your ass.

[mollipen]

First, seriously... if you are to the point where you aren't flushing every time to save money, you shouldn't be living on your own. End of story.

Anyhow, $100 a month for electricity? Where are you talking about? I guess I forgot that electricity can cost that much in certain parts of the states. My advice on utilities is go for the level payment plan. They give you a level monthly payment according to the standard usage for your place. That way, you know what you're going to pay each month, instead of being hit by a big surprise. This is especially nice if you live somewhere colder and can get shocked by high gas bills in the winter.

Learn to not rely on the AC so much. When I lived in Japan, it was hot and humid as all hell, but even using the AC on a semi-regular basis could easily get us $200+ electricity bills. At the least, find the setting you would set the AC to, and turn it up a degree or two.

I'd recommend having a decent amount of money ready to drop on your first month of bills. If you don't do the even payment thing, then live "normally" your first month, and that way you can get an idea of what "normal" would be for you. From there, you can tell if you need to be a bit better about things, or if you'll be okay for your budget.

DO NOT FORGET ABOUT DEPOSITS. This can kill you if you forget to think about it. Security deposit for the apartment, power, gas, water, phone, whatever. You should have at least an extra month's rent in money ready to use for deposits.

Eat more at home. DO NOT just buy a lot of frozen food - that crap is not only crap, but expensive. Buy basics - fruits, vegetables, meat, bread, whatever - and actually do some cooking. It's cheaper, and better for your health.

I'm living on my own right now, and to be honest, I'd prefer to NEVER have a non-girlfriend roommate again. It's so much nicer having your own place. And as far as my apartment goes, I'm paying $465 a month for a nice downtown two-bedroom apartment. Of course, I then have to pay $75 for my garage parking space, which sort of sucks.

I guess I should also say, put a lot of work into looking for a place. Most places have a one-year lease, and if you get stuck living somewhere crap for a year, that can really suck. When you go, check over EVERYTHING, and don't let the person showing you the apartment rush you. Open all of the cupboards and see how things look, see if there are any signs of any sort of unwanted guests.

Check all the walls for outlets, see where they are placed, how many of them there are, and if things will work for your desired set up. Check doors, windows, faucets, the toilet, etc. for the condition they are in.

Try to find a place that has a better layout for reducing noise. For example, try to find a place where both bedrooms aren't right next to each other. Myself, I prefer older buildings, or office buildings that have been converted into apartments. (That's what I'm in now.) In my current apartment, the floors are so thick the person below me can't hear anything, and the walls are thick enough that I can almost never hear my neighbor.

Check how your apartment lies directionally. If your apartment faces the east, it's going to be warmer.

Check online to see if there are any opinions on the apartment building / complex. There are various websites out there to help give reviews of different apartments, so check them out.

[kabuki]

Be sure you both have full-time jobs, or at least a combined income of three to four times the amount for a month's rent. EVERY place I looked at forced my roomate and I to prove our income levels (this could be different in other areas of the country though, I'm not sure). To avoid that pitfall, you may have to steer clear of large apartment complexes.

Remember to have cash for new one-time expenses. In my case it was a new bed and new sheets/matress cover/pillow covers, setting me back about $650. Don't foget about furniture -- family and friends donations are great, second-hand stores are your next good bet, but furniture store prices will rip you a new one.

Set aside at least $300 for move-in expenses (long-term food items such as condiments, cleaning supplies, general food, etc.). Go to Sam's Club or BJ's or another wholesale club and buy paper towels and tissues and (as IronPlan pointed out) GOOD toilet paper in bulk.

My electricity bill here is about $30/month, and water/sewage/trash/etc. is about $30/month as well. I pay half of the $1250 rent on a spacious 2-bedroom / 2-full-bathroom apartment. Rent differs so drastically between regions that I can't even begin to predict how much you'll pay.

I love living on my own, or rather with my roomate. Its probably my nicest living experience to date (and I rather enjoyed living with my parents).

[lithium]

When I lived in Westwood (a part of Los Angeles sandwiched between Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Bel Air), it was $2000 a month for a 2 bedroom apartment.

Around here one can easily rent a 3 bedroom house for about $500 a month. Get two roommates and rent pretty much becomes irrelevant.


And to op, forget a land line. You probably only have one phone company, so they charge you through the nose. Lots of competition in the cell market, they're a much better deal. Around here cell phones are vastly cheaper than land lines, and better to boot.

[Timber]

And to op, forget a land line. You probably only have one phone company, so they charge you through the nose. Lots of competition in the cell market, they're a much better deal. Around here cell phones are vastly cheaper than land lines, and better to boot.

Wow, we only have one company it's not like that around here. I had a land line with unlimited local calling & caller ID for $25 a month (plus DSL for another $20 a month). I can't find a cell plan that even comes close to that. I guess it really depends on your area.

[Razor Ramon]

I hate Jersey City. Every apartment that is decent downtown is expensive as hell because it's close to NYC. I tried looking for a place to move into, but in order to afford a place downtown(away from the crime) I would have to room with about 6 other people in a one-bedroom apartment. Dorms at my college are also about $6,000 a semester.

[lithium]

Wow, we only have one company it's not like that around here. I had a land line with unlimited local calling & caller ID for $25 a month (plus DSL for another $20 a month). I can't find a cell plan that even comes close to that. I guess it really depends on your area.

I have so far, in 7 months of living here, only met one person with a land line. Cells dominate by far here.