Credit Card Debt Galore – What to Do?

January 24, 2012 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

Last week, we talked about what to do if you have a good, but not great credit score – about how to subtly raise your score into the upper echelon. But what if you have justifiably terrible credit? What if you’re more like those people who rack up $20,000 in debt on nine cards and…

How to Raise Your Credit Score

January 15, 2012 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

Last week, as part of our new year’s resolution coverage, I talked about how to check your credit report. I suggested that getting the score itself is not as important, as long as the report is error-free. But let’s say you went ahead and spent the seven dollars to get your score and it was…

New Years Resolutions, Part 2: Get Your Credit Report Checked

January 9, 2012 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

Last week, I made some modest New Year’s resolutions suggestions. This week, I’m covering the big papa, the thing you’ve been meaning to do for years. The credit report. Everyone tells you it’s important to have good credit. But how can you have good credit if you haven’t even seen your report? You’ve got to…

First Apartment New Year’s Resolutions, Part 1

January 3, 2012 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

Well, the New Year is here! The time when we vow to do better. What does that mean for apartment dwellers? In part one, I’ll cover things you can do in your apartment to save you money, as well as improve your living experience. In part two, I’ll cover checking your credit report, which is…

A Male’s Perspective: Should You Give Holiday Presents to Your Roommate(s)?

December 18, 2011 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

It’s an important question. You live with these people, you see them all the time. But do you need to give them presents? It depends … Last year we considered how to do a Roommate Gift Exchange, but this year a consideration of whether to do it is covered in depth – both in the…

It’s Over: You and Your Live-In BF/GF Broke Up, with 6 Months Left on Lease

December 7, 2011 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

This is the last part of the series about moving in with a Significant Other, one that we hope you never need. But it’s come to this. You thought the fights might be a normal part of moving in together, but they’re intractable, they’re deeper than that. And now you have six months remaining on…

I Just Moved In With My Significant Other. Why Are We Fighting?

November 30, 2011 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

So you decided to move in together, things were going well, you were both excited, and you’ve had some great moments, but you’ve also had a lot of fights. It seems like every other week it’s something. Did you make a mistake to shack up? Not necessarily. Here are some reasons why your fighting might…

Moving In With Your Significant Other: Issues to Discuss

November 22, 2011 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

So in a previous post, I went over some of the basics of the decision to move in with your Significant Other. If you think you’re ready, here are some Nitty-Gritty details to consider: 1. How much money do each of you have? A crass question, I know. But when you live together, you will…

How to Know You’re Ready to Move in Together?

November 18, 2011 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

So, you’re dating someone, and have been for a while. You and the Significant Other have been talking: maybe it’s time to move in together? You’re already swapping nights over at each other’s apartments anyway, and you each have two toothbrushes, one for your apartment and one you keep at the Significant Other’s. The relationship…

The Finishing Touches: Decorating Your Apartment Walls

November 8, 2011 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

So, you’ve moved in to your first apartment, you know your way around your kitchen, you’re starting to learn the neighborhood and you have all your furniture. Life is good, except something feels a bit off. What is it? There’s hardly anything on the walls – you haven’t finished decorating, and things you do have…