Moving into My First Apartment | 5 Things to Consider

In the beginning of 2019 I knew it was time to cut the umbilical cord and move out of my mother’s house. After graduating high school my mother and I came to an agreement that as long as I was in school, I could live with her for as long as I needed to. Although I lived with her, I was still responsible for half of the bills of the house including my own. So even though I was living at home, I still knew what it was like to make rent, pay my bills, and budget myself in order to still travel. 

There were pro’s and con’s I considered when moving out, but I realized it ultimately came down to what I was willing to sacrifice and what would make me comfortable. So just like I did, here are 5 things to consider before moving into your own apartment!

Roommate or Nah?

Back in 2012 I studied abroad to Florence, Italy. It was a half semester over the summer and during that time I room mated with three girls in a two-bedroom apartment. My experience studying abroad was such a beautiful time of my life and it would always be one of my highlighted moments during my 20’s. Not only did that summer teach me a lot about cultural experiences, it taught me a lot about who I was and how I like to live.  

I realized quickly having roommates didn’t allow me to be my true authentic self. I couldn’t be creative in the kitchen without there being a huge mess from the night before, or decompress in the living room without having a group of people I barely knew (that was clearly invited by one of my roommates) hang out on the couch. I couldn’t take long hot musical showers without having to time how much hot water I used, or sleep with the windows open without the noise bothering my friend. 

My experience in Italy was romantic and blissful, but the reality of having room-mates caught up to me by the end of the summer and I knew right away that I couldn’t do the whole roommate thing again. 

 So, my advice is if you find yourself contemplating whether or not you should roommate consider your factors: 

·     What am I willing to compromise? 

·     Can I afford to live in an apartment without a roommate? 

If you are someone like me who has a very particular way of living - and doesn’t like the idea of compromising their way of living for someone who might pay the rent on time - then you’re better off living on your own. 

 Studio or One Bedroom Apartment?

Searching for an apartment was nearly a nightmare as it was an emotional rollercoaster. If the apartment was affordable it was too far (over 45 minutes away from work), if it was close it was too expensive (over $200 my budget), and if it was close and in my budget, it was in the hood. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m from New York and I am very familiar with the hood, but your priorities in safety change when you’re a single girl living on your own. There is a price in safety and sometimes it’s worth paying a little extra for it. 

I learned, while hunting for an apartment, that apartment complexes base their rent on the supply and demand of their units available. So, if there are only two one bedroom apartments available there is a chance it could be more expensive or the same price as a two-bedroom apartment. That’s why if you ever look at floor plans online, some units don’t have their pricing posted because it’s according to what’s available.

Which explained why I was so confused that at times a studio would be more expensive than a one bedroom or why the pricing was even the same. After a while, I let go of the idea of living in a studio like Carrie Bradshaw and decided that I would solely look for a one bedroom apartment, between the price and square footage, you’re better off just going for the one/one instead.    

Financial Breakdown

So, the way I broke down my financial means was adding up all my bills and dividing the total amount by four weeks to understand how much I needed to average a week in order to afford my cost of living. Here is an example: 

So, you see I need to average $600.75 a week in order to afford my apartment and lifestyle. This helps me know what extra shifts I need to work or when in the week I can allow myself to splurge. 

How To Take Care of Your Place on a Budget

The funniest moment I experienced when shopping for my apartment was when I was shopping for a garbage can. My mother mentioned she had an extra garbage bin in the garage that I was more than welcome to take. It was a standard plastic garbage bin that was in perfect condition, but since I wanted those silver metal fancy ones I declined the offer and suggested to go to Walmart instead to look for what I wanted. We arrive at Walmart and while I’m browsing the aisle of garbage cans, my mom is casually standing nearby knowing damn well what my reaction was going to be once I saw the prices. 

“$65 TO LITERALLY HOLD TRASH?! What the F***? Garbage cans could be this expensive?” I took a moment to breathe while I noticed my mom in the corner smiling and laughing to herself. 

With a soft tone, I looked over to my mom and asked, “Mom? Can I still have that garbage can you have?” 

 I quickly learned there were some things you can go cheap on and other things you can’t. Like you should never go cheap on your laundry detergent or garbage bags. OMG do not go cheap on your garbage bags because you would hate yourself.

 I cut corners in my shopping to make room to splurge on other things. For example, I buy generic canned beans instead of Goya beans, and buy generic cereal instead of the name brand boxes. As a result of buying cheap items, it leaves me room to buy expensive products I prefer like name brand soy milk and wine. I shop at places like Walmart, Aldi’s, local Spanish supermarkets, and try to avoid overly priced markets like Publix and Wholefoods. I find a balance in what I shop for because ultimately, it’s what I choose to consume and what works best for me. 

Having to Sacrifice Traveling

I knew the biggest sacrifice I’d have to make when moving out on my own was missing out on traveling as much as I had in the past. If I’m being honest, it’s the reason why it took me so long to move out of my mom’s house. 

I could never afford luxurious trips (no matter how fancy I made them look on Instagram) but spontaneous trips to New York to visit my sister and niece wouldn’t happen so often, vacations in Dominican Republic to visit my dad would have to be properly planned, and anything after that would have to be saved up for months instead of weeks. It comes with the territory when you’re an adult with more responsibilities, and I understood that when deciding to move out on my own. 

Consequently though, it surprised me how well I adjusted with the idea of not traveling as much. Having my own apartment gave me such a rewarding feeling that I suddenly became okay with not being able to travel as much. I had a fabulous kitchen I wanted to cook in every night, a beautifully decorated dining room table I wanted to host dinners in, and a living room filled with art that I can just stare at while I drink my morning coffee. This new chapter in my life felt more exciting than a week-long vacation somewhere out of town. 

 Don’t get me wrong, I still love to travel and will always find a way to make sure that part of my life gets fulfilled, but being able to have my own place makes the sacrifice more worth it. 

Thank you so much for reading my article and I look forward to any positive feedback and questions any of you have. Be sure to subscribe to my website or follow my on any of my social media platforms!