New Research On The Best Way To Pay Off Credit Card Debt

May 23, 2017 | By J Simpson AuthorMy First Apartment

Paying off credit card debt is hard at the best of times, let alone while paying rent in an unsteady economy. Researchers from the Harvard Business Review have been conducting studies to find the quickest, most effective way to pay off credit card debt and the answers may surprise you. Here’s what they have found…

5 Apps To Help You Furnish For Cheap With Online Yard Sales

May 2, 2017 | By J Simpson AuthorMy First Apartment

Do you remember waking up early on Saturday mornings, to go loot through other people’s knick-knacks with your Aunt Suze or your Granny K? If so, you might remember garage sales and yard sales as unsorted, slightly-dirty collections of used tube socks; squirrel candles with their heads burned off; cross-stitch samplers from deceased elderly relatives;…

This is How Much You’ll Save in Rent by Living With Roommates in Top 25 Markets

April 27, 2017 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

Our first apartment budgeting boot camp continues with a roommates edition. Today we show you how much you’ll save living with roommates vs. getting your own place. What do you save getting a 2BR with one roommate vs. a 3BR with two roommates? Luckily for us, the real estate site Trulia.com has collected information about…

First Apartment Budgeting Boot Camp: Couples

April 21, 2017 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

As promised last week, this is the couples week at the first apartment budgeting boot camp. We’ll try to figure out answers to Rachel’s, Celeste’s and Jimmy’s questions. Rachael Rachael asks: “Do you think $810 would be too much rent for my boyfriend and I together?” See Rachael’s question as a comment to https://www.myfirstapartment.com/2012/08/how-much-should-you-plan-for-utilities/this post.…

First Apartment Budgeting Boot Camp: Brit and Billy

April 14, 2017 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

Your first apartment budgeting boot camp continues. Today we look at two real life examples, based on questions we have received from two of our readers, Brit and Billy. (Next week’s lesson will cover apartment budgeting when you are moving in with your significant other.) Brit: “Hi there, I’m also looking to move out of…

First Apartment Budgeting Boot Camp – Formulas and Guidelines

April 7, 2017 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

Moving into your first apartment is a big learning experience in so many ways: How to deal with landlords? How to keep your place clean? How to manage to cook and eat a healthy diet? However, for most first time renters the biggest learning hurdle is how to manage all the new expenses. For the…

Upgrades That Aren’t Worth The Cash in a Rental

March 14, 2017 | By Sarah AuthorMy First Apartment

Many apartments will try to catch your attention with fancy upgrades or add-on’s that tack on serious cost to your monthly rent payment. Some of them may be worth it…but some upgrades simply aren’t worth the cash. If you’re on a serious budget during your apartment hunt, check out the common upgrades below, and keep an…

More Ways to Save on Eating In and Out

March 11, 2017 | By Sarah AuthorMy First Apartment

One of the first things I noticed about living in my own place is that food expenses can really add up if you let them. At first, I didn’t pay much attention to where I spent my money, instead just watched for my bottom line at the end of each month. However, looking a little…

5 Tips to Save Money for Moving Out

March 2, 2017 | By Sarah AuthorMy First Apartment

When you’re on the hunt for your first place, a HUGE thing to remember is that you need to have about 3 TIMES your expected rent ready to go. This money goes towards paying a security deposit equal to (at least) one month’s rent, your first month’s rent due on signing of the lease, plus…

Part-Time Side Hustle Ideas to Stretch Your Cash

January 30, 2017 | By Sarah AuthorMy First Apartment

After moving in to your first apartment, it’s no secret that the bills can start to come faster than expected. More than anything, it’s important to select your apartment that is safely within your budget. Use these tips to calculate what you can afford. However, if you need some extra cash for your savings account,…