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How do I find an apartment?

January 21, 2013 by Jana 6 Comments

This post is a continuation of the series I started last Monday. Make sure to check out the first post before (or after) you’re done with this one.

While you’re in the process of saving money, you’re also going to start looking for an apartment (or house). After all, you can’t move out if you don’t find somewhere to live! And knowing where you’re going to move also gives you an idea of how much money you’re going to save. But how do you look for an apartment?

This is probably the easiest of all the steps. There are so many places that have “for rent” advertisements that it’s almost impossible not to find them. Before you start looking, though, you need to ask yourself some questions:

Do I want to live by myself or do I want a roommate?
Do I want a whole apartment or do I want to just rent a room in someone’s house?
How small of an apartment would I be comfortable with?
Would I be OK living with strangers?
What amenities are important to me?
What utilities would I like included in my rent?
Is there enough parking/is it close to public transportation?
Are there on premises or in apartment laundry facilities?
Can I bring my pet or get a pet?
What kind of location am I looking for? Do I want it near stores/shops or a bit farther away?
What am I willing to compromise on and what is nonnegotiable?
What can I afford?

Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll be able to start your apartment search. Because now you know what you’re looking for! Not knowing what you want in an apartment makes looking for one even more painstaking. If you just jump into apartment hunting without any sort of parameters, you’re either going to love every place you see or hate every place you see. This doesn’t help make planning any easier.

But where do you look for apartments? There are several options:

Craigslist. This is probably one of the more robust sites for finding places to live. You’ll see advertisements for people looking for roommates, empty apartments or houses, rooms in houses…any type of housing can be found on Craigslist. Use a great deal of caution, however, You never know what kind of scam you might get caught in. Or what kind of crazy person you’ll be living with or renting from. Make sure you thoroughly vet the apartment/roommate/landlord before you sign anything.
Apartments.com. Prior to buying my house, this was the site I used. Well, this site and it’s free companion guide that’s available at supermarkets, libraries, some stores and restaurants. The guide is usually a hard copy of what’s on the website, which is a listing of all apartment complexes in a given area. Just enter your ZIP code, your price range, amenities, etc and it’ll produce a list of places to live.
The newspaper. Either the online or paper version. In the classified sections, you can usually find apartments or houses for rent, and these are typically through a private landlord.
A realtor. Depending on where you’re moving, you may need to use a realtor because a) the online resources are scant or b) it’s so competitive that you need help. For instance, in the beach area my family is moving to, we need a realtor’s help finding places to live because it’s a huge vacation area and the online resources only show vacation rentals. We need someone with insider knowledge to help us out.

It may seem like a lot of work but if you’re going to spend the money on a place to live, you should find the best place possible for you, your needs and your budget.

I just have one post. In 27 different parts.

January 18, 2013 by Jana 5 Comments

No, really, it’s only 3 but I thought that title sounded better than “Jana’s brain dump”. None of these parts are at all related to each other but I wanted to write all of them and there’s not enough to make each one it’s own post. So here we are.

Part 1

Thank you all so much for your amazing, kind, and supportive feedback on Wednesday’s post. It’s encouraging to know that I’m not the only one who freaks out over blogging and it makes me feel good that I’m not the only one who’s considered quitting. But I do love it and as a writer, this is my way of having that outlet. I’m so happy that you all stop by when you do and I’m really trying to make more of an effort to reciprocate.

Part 2

So, Pinterest. I get it now. I really do. And I might be ~~addicted to it~~ a fan of it. In that vein, I’m issuing a challenge, if you will. Every week on Facebook, I’m asking my friends to send me the link to a pin and challenge me to complete that project (if there are more than one pins sent, I’ll either put it to a vote or let my wallet do the deciding). It can be cooking, baking, craft-oriented…things of that nature. In return, I will post what I did, along with details regarding cost and, if possible, a cost comparison between what I did and the store bought product. If the chosen pin belongs to a blogger, I will also link to that blog to let my readers know exactly where the genius came from.

The only qualifiers: no meat since I don’t eat it, no dangerous stunts, and nothing with exotic or really expensive ingredients. If you’re not a fan of DMS on Facebook and you want to participate in the challenge, go ahead and like me. You won’t be sorry (or maybe you will be. I don’t know). [Read more…]

I’m moving out. How much money should I save?

January 14, 2013 by Jana 10 Comments

Last year, in an effort to tell myself that I’m one of those people who can manage more than one blog at a time, I started an independent living blog. The purpose of that site was to help people moving out on their own for the first time figure out their finances and what they really need so they didn’t end up in the same position that I did. Broke and in debt with no clue what to do next.

I’m not sure if I’m going to make this a series or just a general topic (if you have any input on this, it’s very welcomed) but for now, I’m just going to have it as a regular topic.
I'm moving out. Figuring out how much money you need to move out on your own is pretty tricky. There’s not a set formula for everyone. You need to take into consideration where you’re living or moving to, how big (or small) of a place you’re going to want, what amenities you can and can’t live without…all of these factor into how much money you’re going to need.

To get a rough estimate of how much money is required for your first place, it’s best to do some research (note: these figures are for living in an apartment/house. If your first place is a dorm room, that’s a whole separate post and I promise we’ll cover that). Doing your research will give you a rough estimate of how much you need to save.

For instance, you’ll want learn about:

Average cost of rent—This is going to vary based on what you want in an apartment/house, but a cursory search of available apartments will give you a ballpark figure for rent in your area. If the average cost of rent is $800/month, then you know you’ll want to save at least $800 to cover the first month of rent. It’s also important, during this step, that you research if a security deposit or if first and last month’s rent is required when you move in. If so, you’ll also want to save this amount.
Renter’s insurance—Just like homeowner’s insurance is important, so is renter’s insurance. You never know what can go wrong in an apartment. For instance, one of my apartments was burglarized. I filed a claim with my renter’s insurance to cover the cost of the stolen items. Talk to an insurance agent or do some online research to find out how much a yearly policy would cost. Save that money or figure out how to incorporate it into your monthly budget.
Utilities—When you’re looking for an apartment, it’s important to know what, if any, utilities are included in your rent. Is it just heat and hot water? How about cable or internet? It’s important for you to do some research on the average cost of utilities like electricity and internet, as well as the cost of hooking up the services. Where I live, it costs about $50 to have electricity turned on in an apartment. You’ll want to find out the connection fees and save that as well.
Furniture—No matter where you live, you’re going to need, at the bare minimum a bed, a table and chairs, and a couch. How much are they going to cost. Look on Craigslist, Freecycle. Go to yard sales. Talk to family members to see if they have furniture they’re willing to part with. Doing this upfront research will give you a rough estimate of how much money you’re going to need to spend on furniture. If you’re not willing to go the hand-me-down or used route (which I don’t suggest for a bed), go to some furniture stores and price the pieces. Add this money into your “moving out” account.
Groceries—Stocking a pantry and fridge when you first move into a place can be expensive. I figure it would cost me around $400 to fill my pantry and fridge with staples. If I had to pick a ballpark figure for someone planning to move out, that’s the amount I would suggest saving to do your first grocery run. However, this figure will vary based on your eating habits, food preferences and cooking ability.
Miscellaneous—As a guideline, I would suggest saving about $300 or so for miscellaneous items like cleaning supplies, garbage cans, shower curtains, dishes, silverware…pretty much everything that goes into running a home.

When you get into setting up your own place, you’re going to incur a lot of costs. We’ll talk about those costs when we talk about setting up a budget. But for now, focus on getting information together so you know how much money, at a minimum, will be necessary to start a month in your own place. However, if you feel that you must start saving, open up a savings account, preferably a high yield savings account, and just start socking money away for when you’re ready. Can’t hurt to be prepared!

Why do we keep doing what’s bad for us?

January 11, 2013 by Jana 13 Comments

Ah, the new year. Time for fresh starts, new habits, prosperity, building good habits and overall, making our lives better.

For January anyway.

Then February rolls around and for many of us, the enthusiasm that we had in January slowly begins to die. And by April, we’re back to our old ways, telling ourselves that we had to give up on our goals (or resolutions) for whatever reason that we use to justify that quitting is okay.

I know I’ve done this on a number of occasions. But I’ve started to ask myself why. Why do we keep doing what’s bad for us? I’m sure there are plenty of psychology experts who can give you real answers but I’ve come up with a few of my own:

It’s easy. I don’t know about you, but for me it’s just easier to fall back into old habits. I know that before my husband and I got serious about paying off our debt and managing our money this was definitely true. We would commit to not using our credit cards but then, we’d be out or see something that we wanted and, instead of sticking to our commitment, it was easier just to blow it off and swipe the credit card. We wanted whatever it was NOW! And using the credit card made it possible. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that just because something is easy doesn’t mean it’s good (note: this does not apply to cooking). If you are not one of the lucky people who can control her credit card usage, then using that credit card is not easy. It’s the hardest thing you’ll ever have to do because in the end, it’ll just cause you more problems.

It’s comfortable. Using a credit card was like wearing a comfy pair of pajama pants. It was relaxing, it felt good and damn, was it comfortable. I felt warm and fuzzy and calm every time I made a purchase with a credit card. I didn’t feel constrained by the limitations of our income and the sense of swiping the card was familiar. And I liked it. I like feeling comfortable. What I didn’t realize was that that instantaneous comfort was setting me up for years of awkwardness and feeling more uncomfortable than I’ve ever been in my life. So, before you do something that feels comfortable and familiar, ask yourself if you can live with the potential consequences of that action. If the answer is no, don’t it.

It feels good. While I can delay purchases now, it wasn’t always possible. I wanted what I wanted and I wanted it that minute. Having the credit card made it so I could have whatever it was at that moment. And it felt good to walk out of a store with makeup or new shoes or books. I had the satisfaction of bringing home new things and being able to use them immediately. I liked going to work and getting compliments. I liked being able to have a big library of books I’d only read once. Surrounding myself with those things made me feel better (we’ll deal with the fact that I have low self esteem another day).

It’s possible to rationalize that it’s not so bad or we can live with the consequences. I spent years in denial of exactly how high our consumer debt was. Every time we added to it, I told myself “Meh. What’s a few more dollars?” or “We’ll pay it off eventually” or “In comparison to others, our debt is pretty low”. They were lies. All lies. And they were just rationalizations for my poor behavior. Really, thought, that got me nowhere. If you truly want to change, you have to stop rationalizing the end result. You need to confront the reality of your situation and stop making excuses.

Breaking a bad habit is hard work. I’ll never forget the day my husband and I realized we had to fix our finances and get out of debt. That day sucked. We had to confront our poor habits and acknowledge how bad our situation had become. But we did and from that day forward, we did whatever we could to break the habits that had put us in debt. The 5 years we spent paying off that debt sucked. I’ve never worked so hard at anything in my life (including finishing my Master’s thesis). It would have been so much easier to quit and go back to what we were doing. However, in order to break the bad habit, you have to put in the time, effort and energy to reshaping that habit.

While I used my credit card problem as an example, these excuses work in so many other areas: going to the gym, losing weight, building relationships, finding a new job…the list goes on. There are so many facets of my life that remained stagnant because of all the reasons I’ve listed above. And now that I know why I keep doing what’s bad for me, I can pause, reflect, and start asking myself more questions. Because the only way I’ll affect change in my life is to accept that these excuses aren’t good enough.

Readers, how about you? What are some reasons you think we keep doing what’s bad for us?

Better late than never: My 2013 goals

January 9, 2013 by Jana 9 Comments

See...everyone has goals. — See…everyone has goals.

I stopped making New Year’s resolutions a long time ago. I stopped because, for me, they’re just too vague. It’s easy to make a statement like “I resolve to lose weight” or “I resolve to write a book this year”. But really, what do they mean? To me, not a whole lot. They’re just words with nothing concrete and substantive behind them.

That’s why I’ve started setting yearly goals. Rather than a vague, empty resolution, goals give me something to achieve. They’re something to work towards and plan for. They give me progress to measure and track, and I really enjoy the little milestones I achieve along the way.

To make sure that I stick with my goals, I write them down along with the different steps I need to take to get to the end result. I try not to set deadlines that are too specific, although I do need to give myself some sort of time frame (if I don’t, I feel like they’ll linger forever and I’ll never actually get anything accomplished). And I make sure that I share my goals with others as a way of not only holding myself accountable but hopefully to inspire others to do the same.

This year is no different. And, so I hold to my own rules, I’m going to share some of them with you (that way, if you feel like it, you can ask me how they’re going):

Complete my pioneer project. I have become rather…fond of the pioneers of the 1800s. So much so that I’ve decided to sort of live like them (even though, at my core, I know I’d make a terrible pioneer). I’m not giving up some of my beliefs nor do I plan on wearing prairie dresses and sunbonnets but I am going to try to hone some skills and adapt some of their ways of life. I’m not blogging about it but rather, I’m keeping a journal. How pioneer-esque is that? And, when it’s all over, I’m going to write a book about it. Or not. I haven’t decided yet.
Grow the Bloggers Helping Bloggers Mentoring Program. I have lots of ideas and occasionally, one of them is a good one. I feel this way about my BHB program and, with the help of J. Money from Budgets Are Sexy, the program is starting to take off in the way that I had hoped. We have some crazy good mentors lined up for this next round and I’m hoping they stick around (and recruit some of their friends). I plan to figure out ways to grow the program outside of the personal finance niche and maybe (and this is a big maybe) figure out a way for the program to make money. There’s also something else on tap for BHB that I don’t want to share just yet but suffice it to say, it’s a pretty big deal.
Pay cash for all of our trips. This one shouldn’t be too hard since we stopped using credit cards a long time ago. But this is the first year that we’ve planned more than one trip. I’m going to Nashville with my husband in June, I’m going to FinCon13 (whenever and wherever that it is), we’re taking a family vacation at a place TBD, and my husband is going on a golf trip with some friends. So that’s a lot more than usual and our income is much more limited than in the past. But with some careful planning and budgeting, I’m certain we can get it done. Or we readjust our plans.
Read all the books on my list. For as long as I can remember, I’ve maintained various lists of books I want to read. This year, though, I condensed them all into one master list and put it out there on Pinterest. I have a board—Books to Read in 2013—that has 34 pins. My goal is to read every book on that list unless I hate it. I’ve instituted a rule for my life: Life is too short to read books that suck. So if any book on that list sucks, I won’t finish it but I will replace it with something else. This list does not include any of the Little House on the Prairie books I’m working my way through nor does it include cookbooks. I’m also open to recommendations in case I finish these books or for 2014.
Edit my NaNoWriMo novel. One of my long standing life goals is to be a published novelist. I took the first step this past November when I participated in (and won!) NaNoWriMo. But I need to do more if I want the book published. So this year, I plan to make the major edits that are desperately needed and then send that draft off to some friends for their suggestions. I also need to research finding an agent and look into the self-publishing arena. I also need to carve out time to get this all done. But it’s a goal so I’ll make sure to get it done.

So those are the major goals this year. I think it’s just enough to keep me busy and focused but not overwhelmed (which, incidentally, will be the topic for my first “how-to” guide on DMS. Coming in February). They’re also completed doable. Which is kind of the point.

What are your goals? Either leave them in the comments or, if you wrote a post, place the link below:

How do I find an apartment?

I just have one post. In 27 different parts.

I’m moving out. How much money should I save?

Why do we keep doing what’s bad for us?

Better late than never: My 2013 goals

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