Moving for a Job When You Live with Your Significant Other

April 15, 2015 | By Audra AuthorMy First Apartment

So, you’ve landed a fabulous new job… but it requires that you move to a new city, or, maybe even a new state. You’re excited and ready to pack your things and move right this minute. But, wait — what about your live-in significant other? Will he/she be so keen on moving for your work? Will he/she…

From the MailBag: “What to do when your roommate doesn’t follow the house rules?”

February 23, 2015 | By Audra AuthorMy First Apartment

Having a roommate (or two or three) can be a really great experience. Roommates can turn into great friends, if they aren’t already, and they can make your time in a shared apartment a really fun journey. And, being able to split the rent with someone else is an awesome bonus, if we do say so…

Top 10 Best Blogs for DIY Apartment Decor Ideas

February 18, 2015 | By Audra AuthorMy First Apartment

Whether you’re an avid My First Apartment follower or an apartment dweller who pops in every now and then for advice, you probably know by now that I’m the self-professed “decor queen” around here. I’m crazy for color. I lose my mind over awesome vintage finds (my latest score: an adorable turquoise cart for $20!).…

Roommate Dilemma: How to Split Rent Fairly When Rooms Are Not Equal

January 28, 2015 | By Audra AuthorMy First Apartment

When you’re sharing an apartment with a roommate/roommates and you all get rooms that are equal in size and desirability and you all share the common space equally, splitting the rent and the bills isn’t that complicated. Most of the time, the rent is just divided by the number of roommates and everyone pays the same…

How to Recover Financially After Overspending During the Holidays

January 24, 2015 | By Audra AuthorMy First Apartment

If you’re looking at your bank account and your January credit card statements and wondering what happened to all your money between the holiday season and now, you’re not alone. For some reason, during the holidays, I get really generous and really frivolous about actually sticking to a spending limit I can afford. Ever year I convince myself that…

10 Awesomely Good Places to Shop for your Apartment

January 14, 2015 | By Audra AuthorMy First Apartment

There are few things I love more than decorating a new apartment. I guess, in the same way that an artist gets a thrill out of filling a blank canvas or a writer a blank page, I get so much satisfaction out of taking four walls, a floor, and a ceiling, and turning it into…

Your 2014 Holiday Tipping Guide

December 19, 2014 | By Audra AuthorMy First Apartment

Ah, the holiday season… it’s a time filled with hot chocolate, perfectly packaged gifts, family traditions, and a general outpouring of generosity. If you’re an apartment dweller, this time of year can be both magical and stressful all at once, especially when you’re dealing with a limited budget and a first go-around with the concept…

14 Alternative Christmas Tree Ideas for Small Apartments

December 16, 2014 | By Audra AuthorMy First Apartment

The first holiday season I ever spent in my very own apartment, I went a little crazy. I was absolutely convinced that I had to deck every hall (wall, doorway, etc., etc.), make ALL the ornaments for my way-too-big-for-my-tiny-apartment fake tree (I’m sadly allergic to the oh-so-pretty real trees), buy every useless decoration I saw, bake…

From the MailBag: “How to Deal with Roommate Conflicts”

December 4, 2014 | By Audra AuthorMy First Apartment

Welcome back to the MailBag, everyone. A couple of weeks ago, we dove into our very first advice topic and helped one reader with her question about “when to begin an out-of-state apartment search.” Today, we are taking a different route — we’re addressing several issues and many readers at once. Here’s why: Since My…

10 Tips for Choosing a Winning Self-Storage Facility

December 1, 2014 | By Audra AuthorMy First Apartment

A few months ago, my boyfriend and I downsized from a spacious apartment to a small area of his mom’s house. Not willing to part with our furniture for a stay that will likely be short, we decided our best option was to store our things until it’s time for us to pick up and move somewhere…