1st apartment- help me save $$$ please

[ItsJustMe]

Hi everyone,
I'm about to move into my very first apartment. I'm so excited. . .but not looking forward to the onslaught of bills that I know is coming. I need your tips and advice on how to save a little $cash$ each month. I'm happily employed as a nanny, and due to my looong hours a 2nd job is out of question. I've thought of a few things already- I'm not getting cable, I'm going to start clipping grocery coupons and I'm going to turn the heat way down when I leave for work in the morning. Any more suggestions/tips? I appreciate the help. Thanks

 

[mudnuri]

Be careful how far down you turn the heat....there is a line where it will actually take more fuel to re-heat the place than it would have had you left it at a set temperature.

I plan my meals in advance...well supper anyway. I cook a lot in the crock pot now that winters here, and very rarely do I buy pre-ready processed foods...It is cheaper and healthier to cook real food.

Name brand vs store brand- only you will know if you like the change. There are certain things I wont buy store brand of, but other things we cant tell the difference of.

I do have cable- the cheapo basic...the DD's went without it over summer and will again once school ends, but sometimes it just too cold here for a couple days in a row to play outside...and they get on eachothers nerves couped in the house.

DSL, vs dialup vs cable internet- again, thats your decision

Landline phone vs cell phone only- I have a land line- for my DSL, but nobody calls it LOL...if i had digital cable I might go with cable interenet, but its more cost effective to keep the phone line and dsl than upgrade to digital cable here.

Congrats and good luck

Brandy

 

[Lisa L from MI]

I remember when I got my first apt...I was 20...I actually lived on pot pies (4 for a 1.00) and eggs!!! It was pretty tough...but I made it!!!....I have to admit too, I actually miss apartment living!!!

Good luck!!!

 

[ItsonlyExperiment626]

I agree with the home cooked meals being cheaper and healthier than fast food. May I suggest getting a food saver and lots of bags. Make food like soup, stews and pork chops with gravy and put them in the freezer. When you get home all you have to do is pull something out of the freezer and put it in boiling water to heat. Get a bunch of small plastic containers and prep salad fixings in them. Wash the lettuce in advance and ready to tear.

I know after working a long day it's hard to get motivated to cook a meal for yourself from scratch. Make it as simple as just taking something out of the freezer and putting it in boiling water to heat while you change, relax and throw together a small salad, I think you then will be more willing to eat at home.

 

[tmt martins]

If you also already have a cell phone you might want to think of not getting a land line .If your service offers free incoming thats a bonus .If I know my conversations are going to be long I just ask them to call me back that way it's free.

 

[bettyann29]

First of all.. Congrats on your 1st apartment Its always so exciting when you get your own place for the first time.. Everyone has given great tips.. But definitely cooking your own food is cheaper than eating out, etc.. Cutting coupons is good, but make sure that its something you are going to buy anyways.. I also look at the smaller size if the coupon doesnt specify and I get things free or almost free... Had I bought the larger size it would have cost more money.. and I might not have needed the larger size anyways.. I buy the double newspaper on Friday for .50 more and I get the double coupons, so its worth the extra .50 I pay.. (my walmart sells 2 papers together for $2 vs 1.50).. When you cook a meal, freeze the leftovers and then you'll have dinner for another night too.. Im sure you'll get more responses with great tips..

 

[barkley]

if you dont have one already invest in a microwave (a quick meal you can heat up vs. grabbing something at a fast food place can make for saveings), go to the dollar store and grab kitchen gadgets cuz it will be cheaper than running to the grocery to get that cheese grater or meat thermometer mid meal, start getting a roll of quarters everytime you cash your paycheck, use what you need for laundry and put whats left over each pay period (along with any loose change you have in your purse) into a change jar (it builds up and can come in handy when money is tight one month for a grocery run), don't let your friends eat you out of house and home (i had friends whose other friends would drop by several times a week, they did'nt eat much in the way of snacking but it would "eat up" a considerable amount of her grocery budget each month, furnish it with other people's stuff (ask friends, employer, parents to ask their friends-everyone always has some article of furniture or a duplicate appliance they are happy to get out of the garage), get renters insurance-it's not that expensive and can be a life saver-if you buy it from the same company you get car insurance from you can save more (had a friend who lost almost everything when the unit above his caught fire, between the water and smoke damage it was trashed-he had no renters insurance and landlord did'nt have to cover anything so he lost 1000's in clothing, furniture, books....).

 

[MoniqueU]

Stock up on items for your house at IKEA if you have one. I can't believe their prices on some stuff.

 

[tmt martins]

GET RENTERS INSURANCE-it's not that expensive and can be a life saver-if you buy it from the same company you get car insurance from you can save more (had a friend who lost almost everything when the unit above his caught fire, between the water and smoke damage it was trashed-he had no renters insurance and landlord did'nt have to cover anything so he lost 1000's in clothing, furniture, books....).

THIS is a must my brothers family just lost everything in a fire caused by landlords illegal hookup to their dryer .They are now being sued for damage from the landlords insurance company as well .My family lives with my DM and still carry our own separet policy to cover our stuff take pics. of your stuff and store them at another location .A firesafe is good but most Apt.fires result in very little being recovered so it's important to keep duplicate records at another location.

 

[grlpwrd]

Yes, definitely get renter's insurance.

To help bring food costs down here are some sites:

http://www.justpeace.org/better.htm#Recipes for the Frugal Kitchen

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/#newinfo

GL!

 

[wuv tigger]

I also got furniture from my siblings ... silverware, glasses, knife set, couch, table & lamps from sis & bil; kitchen table from bro & sil; kitchen gadgets from the $1 store.

I also found some great yard sale deals. I bought 2 boxes of Pfaltzgraff dishes and later sold them at my 1st yard sale after we were married for the same price I bought them for 3 years earlier.

I had braces so the 1st year I ate alot of "soft" foods or things that could be processed in the food processor.

 

[Shellie722]

Also chek the clearances at Target and Walmart for stuff you need like dishes or even a microwave. I got a 16 piece set of dishes for $2 at Walmart last night and saw a microwave for $22 at Target. And checkot freecycle.com, you can get some great stuff free sometimes.

 

[staci]

No cable, no caller id or call waiting (or just use a cell phone and cancel the home phone if that is more practical for your work), Turn heat down when you are gone and at night, when you get home turn it up but not very much, pay bills as soon as you get them not 3 days before they are due (to avoid possible delay in the mail and late charges), pay rent on time too, get your groceries all on sale or at discount stores like aldis, get the energy saving bulbs for the lights that you use most frequently and remember to take them when you move out as they last a REALLY LONG TIME, dont charge things, pay any credit card balance off each month, dont buy too many groceries at once if living alone or a lot will spoil before you eat it, keep some good food around at all time to avoid the urge for eating out/pizza delivery, allow yourself x amount of money for dining out and stick to it, allow yourself x amount for groceries and stick to it.....

 

[Lil_Tink]

What about instead of a land line just use a cell phone..Maybe even pre-paid.

 

[N.Bailey]

I seen others saying not to over buy with the groceries, but I think buying family packs of certain meats (chicken for one) and dividing it up to one portion sizes is the cheapest way to go. It costs a fortune to buy many things in single serving sizes. Frozen veggies can be taken out of the packaging in single serving portions too.

I agree with a cell phone and no land line too.

I think you should get cable if you enjoy watching TV though. I think it's probably the cheapest form of entertainment you can buy.

 

[Alaska Catdog]

Save credit cards for emergencies. Don't give in to the temptation of using a credit card to buy things you don't really need especially eating out. When I was 20 I made the mistake of thinking of my credit card as free money, I was oh so very wrong.

 

[disneylizzy]

Save credit cards for emergencies. Don't give in to the temptation of using a credit card to buy things you don't really need especially eating out. When I was 20 I made the mistake of thinking of my credit card as free money, I was oh so very wrong.

This is exactly what I was going to say - BEWARE credit cards! Seriously!

The food advice is good, but if you are working looong hours as a nanny you are most certainly not going to have the time and inclination to simmer stews and cheaper cuts of meat - just not realistic. Eat your meals at your employer's house and don't by shy about accepting hand-me-down furniture, pots & pans, etc. I have friends that redecorate every other year and I'll bet your employers have friends like that, too.

Good luck to you sweetie, you may not have much money, but you'll have fun!!

 

[ItsJustMe]

You all have been so helpful! Thank you, thank you, thank you

 

[Dan Murphy]

Best wishes on this big step, you'll do great, congratulations and Happy New Year.

 

[LadyyRedd]

If you're anywhere near me (Frederick, MD), I've got some stuff you can have! ie, furniture, dining table, miscellaneous dishes, etc.

Kimya