Help, My Roommate’s a Vegan!

January 8, 2020 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

Roommates can make moving into your first apartment a more affordable endeavor. Whether longtime friends or people newer to your life, roommates can help make paying bills way easier, and if you’re prone to feeling lonely, you’ll have a friend you can easily hang out with at home. On the other hand, if you often…

Your Hassle-Free Electricity Budgeting Checklist

January 3, 2020 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

Modern life simply isn’t possible without electricity, but power for your apartment doesn’t come for free. Monthly electric bills are an inescapable part of apartment living, but that doesn’t mean you can’t cut some simple corners to lower the amount you pay. With the five tips in this hassle-free electricity budgeting checklist, you can easily…

Why Moving With Debt Isn’t Right For Everyone

December 30, 2019 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

Rent payments tend to comprise a massive chunk of the average person’s budget. If you’re looking to move into your first apartment, your rent payments might feel like even more of a strain on your finances if you’re also paying off debts such as student loans, an auto loan, or credit card debt. Thus, if…

Here’s How To Recycle Your Christmas Tree

December 27, 2019 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

Apartment life often means limited space, so fitting a standard-sized Christmas tree into your living room can be challenging. Smaller trees (and many other ways to decorate for Christmas in an apartment) exist, but you might be tempted to dispose of even these less imposing trees between this holiday season and the next. While your town…

How To Prepare to Rent an Apartment in 2020

December 23, 2019 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

With the end of the year rapidly approaching, you might be wondering how your living situation could change next year. The start of a new year provides a great opportunity to review your expenses and establish your annual budget, and as you get to know your limits better, you might come to better understand how…

How to Host a New Year’s Gathering in Your Apartment

December 20, 2019 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

As New Year’s Eve approaches, you might be wondering how you can properly celebrate. If you’re the entertaining type, you might be considering hosting a gathering in your apartment (or at least a smaller event for some close friends before heading to the night’s big blowout). You’re probably confident your gathering will be fun, but…

Six Tips for Moving Apartments in the Winter

December 18, 2019 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

When you think about moving, you probably picture breaking a sweat as you load your belongings into your moving truck, unload them into your new apartment, and unpack and organize all your possessions. Chances are that you’re picturing sweat because you’ve often moved in the summer – after all, summer moves are far more common…

Should You Rent-to-Own or Just Rent? Pros and Cons

December 16, 2019 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

To some people eager to own their first apartment, it may seem like there’s no easy purchase option without putting down cash or getting a mortgage. Rent-to-own apartments offer a solution. At the end of an apartment rental lease, the tenant has the option to buy the apartment for a predetermined price fixed in the…

Here’s Your Ultimate First Apartment Utility Budgeting Checklist

December 13, 2019 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

Winter has already arrived in most of the U.S. That means increased utility bills as you try to keep your apartment properly warm while the temperature outside dips below freezing. If you’re living on a budget, this bump in utility bills might cause you some stress, but with this ultimate first apartment utility budgeting checklist,…

How To Prepare to Buy an Apartment in 2020

December 11, 2019 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

As 2019 winds down, you might be thinking about your living situation for 2020 (especially if your lease winds down sooner than later). If you’re a New Year’s resolution type, you might even be thinking about major life changes you can make not just for the next year, but for the start of a new…