5 New Year’s Money Resolutions You Can Actually Keep

January 1, 2019 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

These simple money tips by Alex will give your 2019 a great start. Maybe last year’s resolution to hit the gym and drop 10 pounds didn’t work out so well, nor did that plan to write a best seller. Perhaps you were over-reaching a bit. Luckily, a new year means new beginnings and a chance to make realistic…

Your Five Most Popular Online Mattress Options

August 4, 2018 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

Even if you’re on a budget, it pays to invest in a high-quality mattress. Why? You’ll be laying on it a lot. Eight hours every day, in fact. So, invest in a good night’s sleep and a healthy back: get a mattress that you really like. Like much in life, mattress shopping has migrated online.…

Everything You Need for Your First Apartment: The Ultimate Checklist 2018

June 26, 2018 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

You’ve done it. You’ve found a place, signed a lease and put down a deposit. Congrats! You’re close to living your new home, but you’re not quite done yet: you still need to furnish your place. What do you need? How should you prioritize? Our ultimate checklist 2018 is organized by room and shows your…

Decorate Like a Pro: Secrets of TV’s Biggest Home Design Stars

April 22, 2018 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

If you’re addicted to TV shows on home design, like Love It or List It, Fixer Upper and Property Brothers, you’d love to know their secrets. Even if you are living in a rental, are there tricks you can use to get your place to look like their place? Can you decorate like your favorite…

Should You Get an Apartment Before You Have a Job?

April 18, 2018 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

As May is fast approaching, many new grads have a burning question in mind, “Do I get the job first or the apartment first?” Of course, often there is no choice – you usually need to have a job before a landlord will rent to you. On the other hand, job hunting long distance can…

Should Your First Apartment be a Rented Condo?

December 12, 2017 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

In your search for an apartment, you might come across a condo for rent. This can be a good option, but it does differ from renting in a traditional apartment building. When you rent a condo, you’re renting from one person, who likely owns only that unit within the building. You’ll probably notice immediately that…

Should You Hire a Professional Cleaner?

June 29, 2017 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

As a first-time renter, you’ve just started your career and you’re on your own for the first time. You often don’t have a lot of money and you’re just learning how to seriously follow a budget. A cleaning service is for the wealthy, for those older than you, totally unnecessary. Right? Mostly, yes. But there…

New Year’s Resolutions You Can Actually Keep

December 30, 2016 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

These simple money tips by Alex, originally published three years ago, will give your 2017 a great start. Maybe last year’s resolution to hit the gym and drop 10 pounds didn’t work out so well, nor did that plan to write a best seller. Perhaps you were over-reaching a bit. Luckily, a new year means new beginnings and…

Roommate Gift-Giving: A Complete Guide

December 10, 2016 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

This post by Alex, first published in December 2012, has everything you need to know about successful roommate gift exchanges. Here at My First Apartment we love the holiday season – it’s a time to get together with old friends, it’s a time to reflect upon the year gone by, and it’s also a time…

How to Plan a Perfect Friendsgiving Party

November 12, 2016 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

With Thanksgiving just two weeks away, maybe you also want to celebrate with your peeps before heading home to your family. For the past year you’ve been living in your own home and your friends and roommates make up your day-to-day world and you want to honor that. So here’s what you do: host a…