Posts Tagged: budgeting for first apartment

First Apartment Budgeting Boot Camp: Couples
First Apartment Budgeting Boot Camp: Couples

First Apartment Budgeting Boot Camp: Couples

  |   By 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.…
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The First Apartment Experience: Do’s and Don’ts
The First Apartment Experience: Do’s and Don’ts

The First Apartment Experience: Do’s and Don’ts

  |   By AuthorMy First Apartment
This past March, I finally made the big jump to getting my own place. It was quite the journey and there were a lot of steps involved but I made it! Moving into your first apartment can be quite daunting, just thinking about the budgeting aspect, finding that perfect space, and starting from square one.…
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How to Use Your Rent Payments to Boost Your Credit Score
How to Use Your Rent Payments to Boost Your Credit Score

How to Use Your Rent Payments to Boost Your Credit Score

  |   By AuthorMy First Apartment
By Christine DiGangi One of the many reasons someone might look at your credit scores is to figure out if you’re likely to repay any money you borrow, so you’d think having a history of paying a huge monthly bill on time would be good for your credit. But in many cases, one of the…
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10 Costs First Time Renters Don’t Think About
10 Costs First Time Renters Don’t Think About

10 Costs First Time Renters Don’t Think About

  |   By AuthorMy First Apartment
By Stephanie Lynch If you recently found the perfect apartment — congratulations!  It can be pretty time consuming to find the right area, amenities, landlord and price.  There’s nothing better than walking into an apartment and instantly clicking with it. While signing the lease to your new apartment may be exciting, most apartment tenants, especially…
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5 Apartment-Friendly Dining Sets Under $250
5 Apartment-Friendly Dining Sets Under $250

5 Apartment-Friendly Dining Sets Under $250

  |   By AuthorMy First Apartment
A few weeks ago, we brought you the first installment of The Affordable Apartment Furniture Basics Series (if you missed it, mosey on over here to check out 5 awesome couches for under $500). This week, we’re heading out of the living room and into the kitchen to bring you 5 apartment-friendly dining sets—often with multi-use functions (can…
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How Much Rent Can I Afford on My Hourly Pay?
How Much Rent Can I Afford on My Hourly Pay?

How Much Rent Can I Afford on My Hourly Pay?

  |   By AuthorMy First Apartment
2017 Update: You can download our new Printable Apartment Budgeting Worksheet and use it to estimate your rent and budget for all your expenses. The basic target rent formula that landlord’s use is annual before-tax income divided by 40. When you are on a straight salary estimating the number is easy. However, if your are…
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How Much Should You Budget for Apartment Utilities?
How Much Should You Budget for Apartment Utilities?

How Much Should You Budget for Apartment Utilities?

  |   By AuthorMy First Apartment
This post was originally published in August 2012 and has been a reader favorite since. It has been updated with our 2015 and 2016 utility cost survey results. To find out what our readers actually paid for utilities in July 2015, check out these results of our online survey.  Our January 2016 utility survey results…
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Financial Planning to Make Sure You Can Keep Your First Apartment
Financial Planning to Make Sure You Can Keep Your First Apartment

Financial Planning to Make Sure You Can Keep Your First Apartment

  |   By AuthorMy First Apartment
If you’re just starting out in your first place, it’s likely that you’ve secured a job (or some sort of income) to ensure your bills can be paid each month. While the job market has stabilized in recent years, it’s always important to prepare for a worst-case-scenario when it comes to money. What would happen…
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Saving for First Apartment: How Much Money Do You Need to Move Out?
Saving for First Apartment: How Much Money Do You Need to Move Out?

Saving for First Apartment: How Much Money Do You Need to Move Out?

  |   By AuthorMy First Apartment
This post was originally published in September 2013 and has been updated here for 2016. Check out the comments to the original post for some detailed examples on how to calculate your savings target. For many of our readers, moving into their own apartment is the ultimate goal. You want a place of your own,…
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Bills, Bills, Bills… And Splitting Them with Roommates
Bills, Bills, Bills… And Splitting Them with Roommates

Bills, Bills, Bills… And Splitting Them with Roommates

  |   By AuthorMy First Apartment
By Kalee Cowan Receiving monthly bills that are your responsibility can be a major wake-up call. When I moved into my first apartment, the whole concept of living away from home was new to me. The biggest misconception I had was about bills. Away from home and my parents, I discovered a lot of bills…
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