Apartment Tips

There's more than one way to skin a cat

It's obvious that rent is one of your biggest monthly expenses, and it really can't be avoided because you always need a place to live. If you pay $2,000 a month for rent, that amounts to $24,000 per year (the price of car!). And that doesn't include utilities, rental insurance, groceries, etc. If there's a way to reduce your rent, wouldn't you be willing to try? How is that even possible? Well, it takes a little bit of creativity, as well as some sacrifice.

Don't let any of these happen to you

Nobody who rents an apartment wants to get an eviction notice. That's just the kind of thing that can ruin your year, really. There's the embarrassment, the involvement of law enforcement, and of course, having to move out and find a new place. How did you get into this situation? It's more than just about not paying your rent, but not all the reasons for getting evicted are apparent.

Better than clipping coupons

We all tend to accept what we have to pay on our utility bills, but that's probably not the best approach. Not only do utility companies make mistakes sometimes, but we often don't check our actual utility consumption, whether it's gas, water, or electricity (unless it jumps drastically). The good news is that there are some very easy ways to lower your bills, and it doesn't take all that much time or effort.

You don't have to spend a lot to get big looks

Just because your apartment isn't on the top floor in a swanky uptown apartment building doesn't mean you can't have a place that looks and feels luxurious. You don't have to have the most expensive furniture, either. It's mostly about making great decor choices and using your money wisely. As we mentioned in a previous article, you can always start out by purchasing a statement piece that's the launching point for the rest of your furnishings.

It can help save you thousands

Have you ever considered subletting your apartment? You might not even know what subletting is. For starters, it's typically a short-term arrangement that allows you to rent your apartment to what's known as a "sublessor" or "subtenant". The subtenant signs a sublease, agreeing to live in your leased apartment for a pre-determined period of time.

To insure or not to insure? That is the question.

It comes as a bit of a shock to us how few renters actually purchase renters insurance. Some folks haven't even heard of it, actually, and if they have, they're not quite sure what it's for. A study a few years ago showed that while 95% of homeowners have homeowners insurance, only about 37% of renters have policies for their rentals. That's a stark contrast. But what is renters insurance and why do you even need it?