Moving into an apartment... Need HELP
 

I plan on moving into an apartment in the spring. It's on a golf course (I've wroked at the course for the last 5 years) and is less than 5 minutes away from my university and a major shopping mall and strip malls.

Anyways, Im wandering if I'll have enough money to do this or should I wait. I'm thinking I will.
I'll have around 10K dollars in my checking by the time I would move in.

Bills: Rent - 630
utility - 120
phone/cable/internet - 100
gas for car - 100
misc (food, rent insurance, etc) - 200?

That's a total of about $1,100 a month in bills rent, etc. That's about exactly how much I make working my hourly job, so all the money i make from when I move in woudl be towards the bills.

Again, I would have 10K saved before moving in. I figure I'll use about 4K dollars to actually move and buy furniture, TV, desktop, everything I need. That would leave me with 6K left in savings if I would have to dip into that.

Also, I would only have to be doing this for a little under a year before I got my internship (have to be a junior) and then I would fairly easily be able to pay bills and have money left over for savings.

So, think this is sufficient or should i wait to have a little more money before moving in?

EDIT: That's also only working about 40 hours a week, no more. I would have no problem working a weekend job to bring in a little extra cash and use that towards gas and food. Sooooo...............?

go for it dude! Nothing like having the freedom of your own place.....I have to say your rent is pretty damn cheap.....My rent is $1,435! ha ha ha...nuts huh. I just bought a house and that is going double! YIKES.

Anyway, go for it man....you'll have a blast with it and if you can afford it then do it!:beerchug:

Remember Deposits on Elec, and the Apt.

All I can say is make SURE that you're ready to spend this kind of money. Im 19 yrs old and I moved out about a year ago.. Wish I never had.. Since then Ive spent well over $9,000 in just bills alone (that pertain to the apt.) That's $9,000 I could have spent on a new stang or somethig else... Just be sure that you are ready to do it, it sounds like you've prepared well but bills get old QUICK...! :poke:

I think you should be fine, you wont need 4k to move and furniture, all you need is a tv a couch maybe a chair and a computer. ive been living in an aprtment for the last year and a half. I spend about 70-100 on food a month and during the summer/fall the electric bill is anywhere from 30-60 and 60-80 in the winter. Just make sure you save as much electricty as possible and when you set up your cable and internet ask if they have any promotions, thats what ive been doing. I save money by making my food last not using the AC and only getting things if i have to.

If your cutting it too close get a roomate, and if all else fails:

Cut out cable and internet, buy used or garage sale furniture, etc.

or if it gets real bad cut out food

not only do you save money on food but you dont have to buy toilet paper!

That's the advice I'm looking for. I definately tried to overestimate on bills and such. And I never have lights on anyways, so I'll definately know to save on electricity.

Furniture I'll get is will just be cheap stuff from like Target or cheap furniture stores. The only thing I wanna spend a little money on is a couch. Also I definately want a TV and a desktop so I can have wireless (can't live with out it). A decent 400 dollar desktop should be fine.

My biggest concern/question is if I would have enough money by the time I moved in and after furniture.

Personally I think you will have plenty.

You can get a great couch for $200-500, a Decent PC for around $600, The things that will get you are all of the little things that you don't think of. Dishes, Silverware, Laundry detergent, soap etc... Just be careful, and budget yourself according to what you have to spend and you will be fine. :boink:

do you mean you want a laptop so you can have wireless? why would you need wireless if its a desktop! lol

Yea, i figured I'll budget around 300 for kitchen. I can get a lot of combo things (dishes, sivlerware, pots/pans for good prices) at like target and such.

So 4K should be more than enough I guess

Wal*Mart / Target are your friends.... Also, don't forget Dollar general stores, it may be cheap sheet but there is actually alot of good INEXPENSIVE stuff to be found there.

Look around in local newspapers and online for people selling couches, when people want to get rid of stuff, they will sell it to you a heck of alot cheaper than a store price... Same thing goes for end tables, coffee tables etc.. You'll save ALOT of money by doin these simple things.. It may not be new stuff, but it will be new to you!

As far as the kitchen as a total goes, unless it it FULLY furnished you will need a: Microwave, Blender, Toaster, maybe a toaster oven (saves alot of elec. over conventional oven).

Trust me, take this advice.. If I had known this when I moved out I would be a heck of alot happier!

I'll need a blender, microwave, and toaster... but that's like 75 dollars total, so not bad.

Also a plus about the apartment I want to move into is that it not only has dryer/washer hookups but includes the dryer/washer at no additional monthly fee. Also I can just walk to work and not have to worry about gas money.

Do yourself a favor and spend a little more money on a good Microwave. I never realyzed how much I used a microwave until I moved out and Mine is a cheap $60 walmart deal... Spend a little more money on one you can keep for a good amount of time and works well (doesn't take 5min to warm up a hot pocket! lol.) :hittingthefan:

Same thing goes for the blender, cheap ones will burn up in no time flat. Spend a little more now so you don't have spend more later!.

dude best advice i can give you is, if there is NO NEED to move out, dont move out. Use that freedom to secretly save up as much money as possible till pretty much you need to move out. I still live with my parents and I have about $30,000 saved up in a secert bank account plus another $10,000 in my normal checking out and a paid off truck. Im just sitting here not paying rent or any utilities till I know i can move out without any financial problems.

Im with Spin, why do you want to grow up so quickly for. Just save up all your money. If you feel like a free loader just do chores around the house,like wash cars,dishes or cutting the grass for your parents. You are going to have plenty of bills to pay in the future, enjoy your youth.

Also, if you must feel like you need to move out, id find a room mate to go half and half on everything.

I agree, dont move out unless its necessary for you to feel complete in life, or unless you just cant stand living at home. No bills = great deal. Free food, meals every night, etc are great benefits.

Ill be at home for at LEAST another year, saving. My car will be paid off soon and I can really start putting money away. Cant wait to watch the account grow like mad. :D

I wanted to say that, but wasnt sure... my older brother (20) wants to move out... he is just weird, and loves the idea of just going out and having a real job etc... right now he just got offered a management job at tweeter where he already makes tons of money (enough to pay for his 01 GT vert, a sizable mod list including a KB, and recently buy a 1999 audi a4 quattro... just for a DD)

I think there's two kinds of people:

Those who don't want to move out (I think they're nuts)

And those who want to move out and have their own place to come home to, kick back, and live life. (this is me)

Of course you have to pay bills and such, but $hit, this is life, I ain't living at home my entire college carreer. You're supposed to move out, mature, get a real job and support yourself. Not live at home till ur 25

Who is telling you to live with your parents until your 25?

That sucks you have ot pay rent and utilities seprate thats weak ****. Most places around here near UCF have internet,utilities and rent all in one. And its alot cheaper than that.

thats because its just a big college town and they cater to college students. in the real world utilities are seperate at most places especially internet.


whitethunder, i say if you're only making $1100 a month and thats what your bills come out to DO NOT MOVE OUT. you dont want to be dipping into your savings to make ends meet. thats a horrible idea. as a general rule, you should be able to pay your whole rent payment and possibly utilities with one weeks pay.

I'm with floppy.

Yeah man, I agree with floppy. I guess its how your parents treat you.

For me, I live in a nice big home and have a lot of privacy, i like to consider my room an apartment, it has my own outside private enterance, my parents dont ever mind me bringing people as long as the noise is kept to a reasonable level, my parents ADORE my g/f so she can come and sleep over whenever, and its a great feeling to come home to already made food. I dont want to be living "the struggle". I mean hell yeah id love to move out and have my own place, but untill I know for sure that its not going to hurt me every month to shed out so much money just to survive, then im not leaving anytime soon. I have everything I need here and its nice to know that ALL my money goes to my savings account. So come weekend time when im hanging out with my buddies and my g/f and her friends, while all my buddies are broke and cant afford to go out to the beach and have a good night, i always have money to be able to go out anywhere, buy drinks, pay for gas, go on small vacations, etc etc etc.

To continue my reply^

Its another reason i still havn't bought my vette yet. Because even though I have the money too pay for it, i want to wait till I have enough money to buy it all at once and not have to pay for it on credit. Because even though I make around $3,000-$10,000 a month, thats $800 a month in car and insurance I dont want to be worrying about every month.

isnt he going going ot college he said? Regardless renting sucks. I never had to live in an apartment, good luck with all that renting garbage.

Yes, I am in college and I'm lucky enough where my parents pay for my tuition.

However I pay for everything else. I lived in the dorms for 2 quarters and those sucked. I also had to pay for living in the dorms.

I've made a decision to not move into the apartments until I have 15K in my checkings account. This should be before the school year of next year, so I'll be looking forward to move in then.

BTW, I'm buying a used 2001-2005 Honda Civic to save/make some money.