Getting out on your own can be a great thing.  It can provide a feeling of accomplishment, of maturity and pride.  It can also cost you a lot of money if you don’t know how to control your spending.  Bills have a way of piling up and the total cost of your bills and lifestyle, you’re your living on your own, might come as something of a shock.

Cash can seem in short supply these days.  Rent, utilities, entertainment, food, laundry and cleaning supplies all add up and there are other items to take into account.  What if you need to buy new clothes?  Gas for your car?  There are an amazing amount of bills and costs associated with life today, especially living in an apartment. Setting up a budget can go a long way towards making your bills seem less like a mountain you’ll never conquer.

Start with the amount of money you know you’ll have each month.  This is how much you can reasonably expect to earn.  Often times, you’ll have to take an average of your last few months paycheck to get a good average of the amount of money you have to budget each month.  Don’t count on things that haven’t occurred yet, like that raise you just know is right around the corner.

From this amount, subtract all your monthly set fees and bills: Rent, cable, trash, gas and anything else that doesn’t have a fluctuating amount.  This gives you the amount you can spend on the rest of your bills and other things like entertainment.

Don’t forget to calculate things like your phone bill, cell phone bill, insurance costs and vehicle maintenance.  Once you have accounted for ALL of your bills, the remaining amount is what you have to live on.

Landlord issues crop up sometimes.  These can be a real pain and leave you with a bad taste after it’s all said and done.  There are a couple of ways to keep conflicts with the landlord to a minimum, but one of the best ways is to inspect the apartment with the landlord before you sign a lease.  There are a few things you want to look for while you have the landlord with you.

While you have the landlord with you for the initial apartment viewing, make sure you check everything in the apartment.

Check the faucets in the kitchen and all bathrooms, make sure they provide adequate water pressure and that the hot water works. Check all the appliances within the apartment, including the stove, microwave, refrigerator and the washer and dryer if they come with the apartment.

Look for signs of mold, mildew and insect infestation.  The apartment should be clean and well kept with no signs of any of this. Check the bathrooms for mold, in the grout between the tiles and even the ceiling.  Mold can kill, so make sure there’s none evident.

Check the doors and windows to make sure they open and close smoothly and that the locks work.  Ask the landlord if the locks on the door have been changed since the previous tenant; if they haven’t, ask for them to be changed now.

While you’re on your inspection, get any promises in writing.  This is your only defense if the landlord says you didn’t mention the items.  Get it all written down and you can hold the landlord to their word.