Furnishing With Cheap and Free Finds

August 28, 2010 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

Our guest blogger Elyse is an NYU student who just recently managed to free herself from the college dormitory system. Free Craigslist: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Free Furniture Once I signed my lease, I revelled in the idea of finally having my very own space to live in, free of…

Mercedes Finds Her Dream Off-Campus Apartment

August 12, 2010 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

Mercedes from Laramie, WY, reports on her hunt for an off-campus apartment. It comes with a pool, hot tub and tanning bed, among other amenities! For $389 amonth, furnished! (It’s up to $429 now, but Mercedes got a deal by signing early.) “I decided to attend the University of Wyoming after I graduated from a community college.…

What Elyse Learned from Her First Apartment Hunt

August 10, 2010 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

Our guest blogger Elyse is an NYU student who just recently managed to free herself from the college dormitory system. Elyse and her two roommates are now rubbing elbows with the hipsters in the Lower East Side. “The Hunt Is On” The first thing I think of when I look back on my apartment hunt…

Top 50 U.S. Cities for Renters

July 15, 2010 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Hey Ya’ll! Surviving the heat? I am — as long as I’m in my apartment. If I’m traversing the city underground via subway — fuggedaboutit! So, aside from the heat, what’s up? The best cities for renters across the country that’s what! It’s true, we have the scoop from a blog about rental property management…

NY Mag’s Top NYC Neighborhoods and Time Out’s Rental Deals

April 23, 2010 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

TimeOut NY & NY Mag Apartment Issues Have Arrived! Which means…it’s officially Apartment Season in NYC! Think of it like the hunting season, except that instead of coming home with a poor, dead animal, you just get to come home. To your own place. No small feat! It kind of baffles me that both Time Out and…

How Much Should You Budget for Utilities?

March 30, 2010 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Today, we have a question from our MyFirstApartment mail bag. “How much should you budget for utilities? Thanks! Lacey” The short answer is — anywhere from $75 – $200+ per month. What’s the long answer? In terms of possible utilities, here’s a comprehensible checklist: electric, water, heat, trash pickup, gas(**HEAT), cable, internet, and telephone. Off…

Your Roommate Can Now Text You Their Share Of the Rent With Venmo

March 18, 2010 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Say goodbye to passive aggressive notes on the fridge reminding roomates that you need their share of the rent. With Venmo, you can take the money directly from their savings account as long as they “trust you.” What is Venmo? It’s a cellphone app that lets you send and receive money from friends, without all…

Should you be building a . . . first apartment dowry?

March 11, 2010 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

I was talking with a good friend last night who happens to be from Botswana. I met him while studying abroad in Ireland, where he’d been studying to be a doctor for the 3 years already at this point. He has a solid British accent and was fluent in English — to the point that…

When Dealing with Sublets, Get Everything in Writing

February 17, 2010 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Solid communications skills are important in all areas of life — but especially so when trying to close any sort of deal that’s open to negotiation. Living in the U.S., with fixed price department stores, there aren’t a ton of learning opportunities. You can’t exactly go into Best Buy and try to bargain down that…

Stay Warm …and Frugal!

February 4, 2010 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Brrr Honey, it’s cold outside! And inside! Not to worry, there are ways to avoid the deep freeze in your apartment. The first consideration of course is $$. Heat is sometimes included in rent by law and sometimes not. What’s the deal with that? Well, it has to do with the way the heat is…