Earthquakes & Hurricanes

Yes, it's turning into quite the week here in NYC!

First, an earthquake in Virginia which we felt (and caused the native NYers to freak out slightly - granted, they don't know about earthquakes over here while the Californian in me just laughed a bit).

Now, the possibility of Hurricane Irene on late Saturday/most of Sunday. The lines at Duane Reade/Trader Joe's/Fairway are out of control. I've never been in a hurricane or even a tropical storm...so why am I not really worried? (The friends I'm staying with and I stocked up on essentials: booze, snacks and flashlights. We should probably get water and bread, too.) Hope everyone stays safe and crossing my fingers that it won't be as bad as everyone seems to be anticipating.

In other exciting news...I'm moving into my new place next Wednesday! My new roommate is setting up his work schedule so he'll be home to let me and the movers in. I cannot tell you how excited I am to be settled. I can't wait to unpack, set up my room and get back into an actual normal routine with a place to call my own for the foreseeable future. Oh yeah, and I can't wait to cook again! (My list of must-do's is long...like get my act together and make dr/dentist appointments. Seriously.)

Also, today is my 5 month mark of moving to NYC. Crazy, frustrating at times but it has been completely and utterly worth it. My friends are amazing and I'm making new ones every month. Best. Decision. Ever. :)

Apartment: Found

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Yes. You read that right. I found an apartment! Or rather, an apartment share in Manhattan.

Let's rewind a bit. By last Friday (July 29th), I had seen almost 10 places that week alone. From places with one-year leases to even a few one-month sublets since nothing else was working out. Again, the ones I wanted immediately never got back to me and I even missed out on one by 10 MINUTES. (Yeah, I don't want to talk about it.) Over the weekend I gave up and found a moving+storage company since I was completely out of options. They came on Saturday and moved all of my belongings: full bed+dresser given to me by the girl I had been subletting from, and 12 boxes. I made a plea on Facebook and was incredibly moved by all the offers of awesome friends to stay on their couches! I cannot thank them enough for their generosity while I'm "homeless."

So after taking a four day break from Craigslist which had been the bane of my apartment hunt in July, on Monday during my lunch break I couldn't resist going back on to see what had popped up over the weekend. I ended up emailing five places and then dove back into my work to have a few hours where I wasn't focusing on the fact that I didn't have a place to live... However, before I even left the office for the day, one of those places had replied to my email. We set up an appointment for that night at 8pm. I didn't have any expectations and I knew to avoid giving off an air of desperation this time around.

And then of course everything worked out exactly how it's supposed to.

I saw the apartment and fell in love with it instantly! And I met my now-soon-to-be (male) roommate and we clicked right away as well. The place is a 2-bed/1-bath with an open kitchen and living room plan. The building is on a very busy avenue but the apartment itself isn't on the street and faces other buildings which means it's very quiet. The location is also amazing! It's on the same corner as one of my favorite restaurants in the city in a bustling neighborhood, it's one avenue from Central Park and one avenue from the subway. As for the finances, my portion of the rent for the larger room with a closet is $1,200. Utilities run around $100 per person for cable, internet and electricity. Altogether it's more than I wanted to pay, but I'd actually set my max rent amount at $1,250 not including utilities so it still falls below that. Plus there's also the one month security deposit and the $75 credit check (ripoff!) fee. You know what? This place is WORTH IT.

I'll be signing onto the lease for a year. I am so excited, but most of all relieved. This is a huge weight off of my shoulders after all of the frustrations and emotional breakdowns I'd been going through! I'm so ready to be somewhere permanent instead of living a semi-nomadic lifestyle.

Life works in funny ways. Just when you least expect it. :)

Frustrated

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This is exactly how I'm feeling right now. This round of apartment hunting in the city is not going well for me. I've sent out over 30 emails and so far I've only seen four places. I've had appointments that got cancelled last minute, or ones that suddenly wouldn't reply, or sounded great but then the people would tell me they lived above a noisy bar...

Of those four, I fell absolutely in love with the most recent one I saw which was located in the Upper West Side. After expressing my interest, they finally informed me yesterday that the room had been filled, which I figured when I didn't hear back from them right away. Darn.

The listings for August 1 are not plentiful in the areas I'm considering. I've even expanded my search parameters and even then, not much is coming up. For some reason, there's something about September 1 that is already managing to be more a "I should move then" point: I have an acquaintance moving to the city at the end of August who needs a place for September 1, I have two friends who are currently roommates that will need a third as of September 1 and I have a coworker on another floor who is moving to the city and needs a roommate for September 1. To top it all off, there are ALREADY listings on Craigslist for September 1, which is unheard of in the city as turn-around is generally 2-3 weeks out and never over a month!

Since it's getting later in the month, I'm starting to toy with the following ideas:

• Sublet or sleep on friends' couches for the month of August and see about moving in with any of the people I know above (and yes, storing most of my stuff for a month)
• Find a 2-bedroom for August 1 and pay the full rent while looking for someone to move in on September 1 (again, possibly the two who need roommates from above)

Obviously, the first option would be the cheapest, even with storage facility costs. The second option...would require a lot of money: full rent, security deposit, potential broker's fee and then sharing the costs of furnishing a place (though I know this can be done cheaply via Craigslist/Ikea). My parents have expressed the fact that they would be happy to help me out if I decide to go that route, which of course makes me incredibly grateful.

The hardest part about this is the fact that I really do not want to have to move TWICE in the next month. I already moved across the country, crashed with friends for a week and have been in two different sublets since the end of March. However, if all this headache and frustration leads me to a fantastic situation with a long-term lease...I think I can manage. Right?

I'm still crossing my fingers that something will magically appear and I'll be able to sign onto a lease in a share for August 1.

Summer Love (and Ramblings)

So I've been rather M.I.A for the past month. I blame summer in this glorious city that I'm still completely enamored-head-over-heels-in-love-with-can't-get-enough-of! I just passed my three months of living here and this place continues to feel like home every day. :)

My social calendar is still crazy and on top of hanging out with my new friends a few times a week as well as now-weekly happy hours with coworkers, June also included a trip to Atlantic City/the Jersey Shore for a girls' weekend, dog sitting on the Upper East Side (for free in exchange for staying a block away from Central Park...I had NO CLUE how many people own dogs in this city, those 7-8am walks definitely opened my eyes!), my Dad visiting twice on business and my Mom visiting for an extended weekend! July is already turning into a similar busy month since my brother is coming to visit this weekend, a girlfriend is coming on the 22nd and my Dad's coming for business again on the 28th. No complaints here, though, because I love visitors! (I also got the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with the lovely Single Filez during her NYC vacation...we had a blast walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and eating amazing pizza at Grimaldi's! I totally agree with Jon Stewart, by the way. I must be turning into a real New Yorker.)

The plus side was that with my parents visiting for a handful of days during the month, they paid for all our meals out and gave me a bit of spending money (mostly for expensive groceries) so I was able to send $200 to my Roth IRA, $100 to my Travel Fund, $100 to my Gift Fund and still have a bit of leftover to be used as I wish. Yay for still being able to save!

I also just had a fantastic July 4th weekend where three of four nights were spent on rooftops. I will admit, however, that the lack of a grill is just killing me. I miss grilling, let along being able to do it ALL year 'round in San Diego! Oh well, small sacrifices for living in New York.

On another note, my current sublet is up on July 31st so all too soon I'm about to embark on yet another apartment hunt. The hardest part is that I really, REALLY want to stay in my current neighborhood, Hell's Kitchen. A 15 minute walk to work? A bajillion restaurants around the corner? Only 2-3 avenues from almost any subway line? Ability to get on the roof of the building and see all of the fireworks on the Hudson? I love it so much more than I ever expected to, especially since I knew next to nothing about the area before I moved to the city and just happened to get my first sublet here. I've already started sending out some emails to ads on Craigslist and all my friends know that I need a place for August 1st, so we'll see if anything comes from that. I just need to heed all the advice I previously wrote about and try to be patient with this crazy process again. Oh, and keep an open mind about possibly moving to a different neighborhood. Even though it hurts my heart just thinking about moving away from here!

How's your summer going? Also, shout-out to a sweet reader (hi, Dee!) who emailed me and made me realize how long it's been since I posted. :)

Apartment Hunting in NYC

So I managed to secure the current (one-month) sublet that I'm currently in with the crazy girls while I was still in San Diego. (Yes, they still smoke, but it seems to have calmed down some - maybe because they are starting to show the place?) Anyway, that was an effort in and of itself to find this sublet while I wasn't in the city but I got really lucky, plus I didn't want to sleep on my friends' couch for an entire month! I figured once I arrived in New York, actually being here would be a huge advantage to finding a more permanent place, a room in an already furnished apartment where I could just sign onto a 1-year lease.

Wrong. Very, very wrong.

A week and a half after I got here, I started looking for shares. A share = your own room in an apartment aka not living by yourself. (Not the same terminology used on the West Coast!) I sent e-mails, I posted on Facebook, I contacted every person I could think of who might have connections in the city. I also figured out a budget and stuck within that range.

And I scoured Craigslist like it was my job. Which is almost was! I had a Craigslist window open on my work computer and would refresh it every hour. I would come home from work and continue to check it in between gym/errands/socializing. Whenever something that sounded decent in the areas I wanted showed up, with or without pictures, I immediately sent an email. I had a short paragraph written about myself, my schedule and my habits that I would copy/paste into each e-mail. I would possibly ask a question or two, inquire about pictures (if there weren't any on the listing) and then ask to schedule a viewing.

Do you know how many e-mails I sent out? 28.

Do you know how many replies I got? 7.

Do you know how many apartments I actually saw? 4.

That's right. I only saw FOUR! Below is the breakdown of each one. Most of the time I just wouldn't get a solid feeling so I would pass based on that. Also, whenever I would get an address from a potential place, I would immediately put it into the Bed Bug Registry website to see if the building had ever had issues. I chose not to look at two places because last year over half the units in each building were infested! GROSS! Not something I wanted to have to worry about.

Apartment 1
Location: Chelsea
Price: $1,175/month (+$60 utilities)
Pros: LOCATION! This was a corner unit on a main avenue and street in the heart of Chelsea. Super cute area, very close to the subway, across the street from a grocery store plus had views of the Empire State Building. The living room and kitchen/dining area were an open plan and LARGE.
Cons: It smelled of smoke when I walked in. The available bedroom was TINY, even by Manhattan standards. It could just fit a full bed and a really small nightstand. There was a closet in the room but it was also tiny/cramped. The room was also directly next to the front door and landing for the floor, plus it was on a very busy/noisy street. Turns out the two other girls in the place were also on similar schedules to me which makes the bathroom situation complicated. It was also awkward because there were three other girls checking it out at the same time and they were trying to compete for the attention of the girls who were showing the room. I've never dealt with a situation like that before for a RENTAL but hey - welcome to Manhattan! ;)
Verdict: PASS

Apartment 2
Location: Upper West Side (low 70s)
Price: $1,075/month (+$45/month utilities)
Pros: Good location, close to to the subway and not too far from where my friends live in the UWS. Two blocks from a Trader Joe's! Available room was very big! It could fit a full or queen bed, wardrobe, desk and dresser plus have space to move around in.
Cons: Very old building which had had bedbug issues in the past, cramped bathroom (I tripped over the toilet walking in!), old everything and gross/moldy tiles in the bathroom. Turns out the two girls who were currently living there were considering moving out in two months as well, even though they advertised for someone to sign onto the 1-year lease after the sublet period was over. I just didn't get a good feeling from this place.
Verdict: PASS

Apartment 3
Location: Upper West Side (high 90s)
Price: $800/month (+$75 utilities)
Pros: CHEAP! Decent location, in between two subway lines and still relatively close to my friends in the same neighborhood.
Cons: Another old apartment, weird bathroom setup, TINY bedroom again and also directly next to the front door. The girl needed someone immediately (as in, sign the paperwork the next day in order to avoid it being put on the market by a broker and to avoid paying a broker's fee!) and there were about 12 people looking at the place! It was like vultures, even worse than the Chelsea place and I didn't even get to talk to the girl who was looking for roommates.
Verdict: PASS

Apartment 4
Location: Hell's Kitchen/Clinton/Midtown West
Price: $1,060 (including utilities)
Pros: Very clean apartment, renovated kitchen (brand new stainless steel appliances!) and bathroom, decent-sized 9x12 furnished bedroom including air conditioner, small closet and some built-in shelves plus lots of under-bed storage, on the same block as my current sublet, laid-back/quiet male roommate who works a lot but was friendly and a NON-SMOKER! The building is kept in good shape and the entranceway/lobby had all new tile work.
Cons: 3-month sublet (I wanted to sign a 1-year lease somewhere to have a more permanent place), no cable, no dining or coffee table. Really? That's what I could come up with?! Those are not deal breakers at ALL but more "nice-to-haves" that I'd definitely give up in exchange for a fantastic place!
Verdict: MINE!

I went to bed last night with a really solid feeling about the place. I knew I had found "the one"...even if it's just for a few months! I got up this morning and immediately sent an email to them letting them know I was very interested if they thought I would be a good fit, and not 10 minutes later I received a "HOORAY! We liked you too!" reply that make me super happy. So, yes, I'll have to move again in a few months, but I feel like I found a gem. Especially when they told me they had received over 20 responses on the first day alone and weeded through them to find the "good people." :) Goodbye, crazy-drunk-smoking-girls that I'm currently living with. You were good while you lasted!

The advice I would give someone looking for a share in Manhattan? Just keep looking! Something will come along. Yes, it's incredibly frustrating and a lot of work, but it's worth it and it will work out in the end! Oh and have a good write-up about about yourself. That definitely made me stand out, from what people told me. Be willing to compromise! Whether that's on price, size, location, length of lease/sublet...something has to give at the end of the day. Last but not least: TRUST YOUR GUT. You will know. :)

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New York City Life: Some Updates

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I'm still on the hunt for an apartment. It's frustrating but I know it'll work out! I've seen three places including the one I briefly wrote about in my last post and I have two more scheduled for this week. Plus I'm sending replying to all the possible Craigslist ads I can, so it really is taking up a big chunk of time.

I'm still eating out for 2 meals a day. (I've been keeping bagels/fruit at work for breakfast though!) It's still fun, even though sometimes I do feel guilty. Sometimes. ;) Oh and I'm in love with vanilla chais from Dunkin Donuts! I had one last Friday and another on Sunday...and could totally go for one now thanks to the rain/thunderstorm. Good thing I'm feeling lazy tonight!

My social life is...okay. One of my best girlfriends lives in city so I'm always included in her and her roommates' plans, but they were both out of town the last two weekends! So, I've been reaching out to other people I know of. I had a blast meeting up (twice!) with Leslie of 27 and Frugal recently and I'm also hoping to meet up with other bloggers soon, like Carolyn and Jessica! (Those last two blogs make me want to turn from a PF blogger to a regular blogger...hmm, food for thought?!) I've also sent e-mails to old friends who live in the city and a family friend's nephew/his girlfriend who said they'd be more than happy to help me make some connections in the city. It's definitely an adjustment going from having a consistent social life (friends, book club, bootcamps, etc) to basically being alone. Don't get me wrong, I am LOVING this time of exploring the city, doing what I want, eating what I want and relishing the time to myself. But I'm a people-person so it IS tough! It will pass though as I start to get to know more people and join things.

Speaking of joining things, I am planning on joining New York Sports Club. I believe I get a discount through work, but I think I have pay for a whole YEAR up front. That'll be about $800! EEK! However, for me it's totally worth it. I loved the Total Body Conditioning class I took and the Cardio Kickboxing was okay (the class had a substitute instruction so maybe that was why), but they have such a variety that I know I'll be happy there. I watched one of the Boxing classes and I definitely want to try it, but they seem tough to get it. (You have to call at 6am when they open or something to be lucky to get a spot!) I'll be doing this in the next month or two once I actually start getting my regular paychecks at work. Until then, lots of walking and occasionally dancing the night away!

By the way, I'd love to hear any of your advice on moving to a new city, meeting people and adjusting to new (yet familiar to me) surroundings. I definitely can't wait to have a more permanent place in the city. I can't even get mail here because I don't know how, hah!

Week One and a Half

This city is a dream come true. Some days I feel like I'm on vacation instead of actually living here! I definitely can't believe I've already been here for a week and a half. It's feeling like home, but maybe that's just because I'm so comfortable navigating through the city on my own? It's just so familiar from all my prior visits!

Work has been going well. I'm still training, I'm still having technology issues and I'm still having a good time with my coworkers. The hours are great (8:30am-5pm) and soon I'll be receiving my keyfob so I can occasionally work from home!

I moved into the sublet last Thursday. That...has been interesting. Turns out, the girls smoke IN the apartment, when I had been told they only smoke outside. As a non-smoker, this is disgusting to me! Luckily, my room doesn't smell and neither does my closet (which is outside my room) or the bathroom. But hey, this is their apartment and after all, I'm only here for a month. The girls also party frequently, come home drunk, turn on ALL the lights in the apartment and are very loud. Unfortunately, they just aren't my type of people. However, the neighborhood (Hell's Kitchen) is fantastic, I can walk to work in 15 minutes and the subway in about 8 minutes. There's also NO overlap in terms of showering/getting ready, which is a big plus!

I knew this transition month would be expensive, especially in terms of food. I have been going out to eat or doing take-out (no delivery for me yet, I'm not that lazy!) for almost every meal. Since April 1 I've spent almost $80 on that! Last week I did make a point of buying bagels and cottage cheese for breakfast, which I keep at work, so at least that is helping a bit. But being a foodie, NYC is like mecca. I love trying different food carts at lunch (quick, cheap and I always have leftovers!) and trying restaurants in my area. The fact that the girls I'm staying with don't own any pots/pans doesn't exactly help matters! But you know what? I'm actually enjoying it! I know I can afford to eat like this because I have money saved up from my bonus/tax refund/sale of my car...and after packing my lunch 95% of the time for the past 2.5 years, I'm okay with dining out for every meal for ONE month. :) (Crossing my fingers that it's not more than that!)

One of my friends in the city got me a free week pass to New York Sports Club. They are all over the city, including one right near my work. I've gone twice already to different classes (a weightlifting class and a kickboxing class) and I definitely plan on signing up! I might try out one other gym just to see what their classes are like and because my work gives a decent discount to a few different ones. But I'll most likely sign up for NYSC using the corporate discount which should come to $70/month. Compared to my old 24 Hour Fitness Costco membership, it's ridiculously expensive. However, apparently this is a SOLID rate according to people I've talked to! Plus with the salary increase I got with my new position, I can afford that! (And hey, I walk everywhere and have been going to the gym so that will definitely counteract all the eating I'm doing!)

I've also started my apartment hunt! I'm looking to move into an already furnished apartment (either one or two other roommates) with either a furnished or unfurnished bedroom for May 1. I definitely want to stay on the west side of Manhattan since this is where my job is and where my friends are, plus commuting from most east side neighborhoods would be an absolute PAIN! I've worked out a maximum budget based on what my friends pay for their apartment in their fantastic location and so far, I definitely think I can come under that! I've been emailing places on Craigslist daily, and tonight I went to see my first one. The location was excellent (in Chelsea), one avenue from the subway and the rent sounded decent. However, upon arrival and the three flights up (not a deal breaker for me), the room was way smaller than the pictures, it was directly next to the front door of the apartment and it's on a very loud, main street. The place also smelled of smoke, not sure if that was from the current people living their or wafting from somewhere else, but obviously that IS a deal breaker! There were three of us there checking out the room/apartment and the two girls who live their currently also get up almost exactly when I do so that would be an issue since there's only one bathroom. That place was a big no for me, but I definitely learned what to look out for and more about what to ask (laundry, bedbugs/rodents, street noise). Obviously, I also have to be absolutely ready to take a place if I really like it, though! Since it's still the beginning of April, I know a lot of rooms will still be coming available so I'm not worried. Next!

I still have more to blog about but I'm getting tired and want to spend some time reading before bed. More soon! Have a great rest of your week. :)

New Renter's Insurance and Car Insurance

I posted last month about getting renter's insurance. I lived in my previous apartment for 2 years without having it (!) and knew that had to change! It's been on my to-do list for way too long.

When I tried to get renter's insurance through my current car insurance company (AAA) to see if I could bundle and get a discount... I was told that I "live with too many additional roommates." Uhh, what? Even if I just want to insure myself, 3 people in an apt is too many? That's not right.

So, I got some quotes online from GEICO, State Farm and All-State. In the end, State Farm was the cheapest so yesterday I went to a nearby office and set up a policy! It ended being $180 for a year to insure $20K worth of stuff. Expensive but worth it and I'm so glad I finally have renter's insurance because you just never know.

While I was there, the (really nice) agent I was talking to asked me about my car insurance. I thought I was paying a decent amount through AAA, which is the company my parents have used for YEARS and where I went to get my insurance through last year when my car was officially titled over to me from my Dad. Well, after going back to the office today with my AAA policy coverage and amounts, State Farm matched the same coverages for $300 less per year! Plus, they don't charge interest if you pay monthly (just a flat debit fee each month, $1 or $2) and you pay in 6 month installments instead of annually. Oh, and then they immediately gave me a multi-policy discount due to my renter's insurance so I'll be receiving a check for $39 soon because it dropped from $180 to $141. Awesome!

It was a bit of an effort, but in the end it's saving me $300 per year... plus there are no more forms to fill out (everything's online) and there was hardly any paperwork. Hooray for State Farm and saving money! :)

Happy Weekend!

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Have a fantastic weekend!
Here are my plans:

• Happy hour with friends tonight! I'm going to walk the 1.5 miles to the bar for a nice after work stroll :)
• Gym on Saturday morning
• Movie/dinner with my book club on Saturday evening (The Girl Who Played With Fire)
• Dexter marathon with old roommate
• Coffee date with a girlfriend on Sunday afternoon
• Errands: take heels for repair, buy a small cooking pot + blender
  
• Organize my desk, closet + do laundry
• Call various companies for renter's insurance quotes

Renter's Insurance

Much like My Pretty Pennies recently asked her readers about car insurance, I'm interested to know about your renter's insurance!

For the past two years, I didn't get renter's insurance. But moving to a new place has definitely made me think about it as a precaution! Unfortunately, I found out that I cannot bundle it with my car insurance due to the fact that I have "too many roommates" according to the company I use. So, that means I need to shop around for a good quote. I'm looking to get about $20,000 in coverage.

How much do you pay, what kind of coverage do you have and would you recommend your renter's insurance company?

A Visitor + Moving Weekend!

I'm SO excited for this weekend! My Mom is flying to spend Thursday through Tuesday with me and to help me move. She's awesome at packing and organizing - but she happens to be amazing at interior decorating! We're going to have a blast getting my new room all set up. :)

I have boxes ready to pack, some friends ready to help and I can't wait. I'm really excited for new roommates and possible friends! Plus mother/daughter time, of course. This is going to be a great change, even if I am only moving 5 miles away from my current location. It's good to shake things up and I definitely need it right now.

In terms of spending, I have $300 saved to help with any expenses. However, whenever any of my family visits... they spoil me. So we'll see how much of that I'll actually end up spending! I'm also waiting to receive the majority of my security deposit back from my current place. At most, I think I'll lose $100 of it for cleaning, but possibly even less since there are three of us in the current place. I also still have to pay my rent and security deposit at my new place, so I'll have to pull some money from my E-fund to help with it while I wait for my old security deposit.

Have a great weekend!

Sold the LoveSac!

I finally sold my LoveSac! I started it at the average price of what similar ones in my area were selling for on Craigslist, and then dropped it every few days. Apparently $175 was the magic number because I received three inquiries about it today!

I work on a first-contact-it's-yours policy, instead of a first-come-first-serve like some people. The young woman who contacted me first kept in touch with me throughout the day and came by this evening with a friend to pick it up. Perfect!

When she pulled out money to pay me, I just let her have it for $160 since she was sweet. :) I was going to put that money towards my move, but I already have $300 saved up for potential costs... so the extra income will go towards a recent mini shopping spree I did!

Moving to a New Apartment

[via; not my actual place]

As of this morning, I've officially got a room at a new apartment!!

I am so excited about this place! It's a 3bed/3bath, 2-story unit with a month-to-month lease. It's in a quiet area of an awesome residential neighborhood with plenty of street parking, plus a 1-car garage that I can use whenever I want. The neighborhood is also very centrally located to everything in San Diego as opposed to my current location. My new roommates are two male late-20s lawyers, very laid-back and they seem outgoing, fun and clean. We talked for almost an hour while they showed me the place on Sunday afternoon. :)

I can move-in anytime since the room's available but I'm planning on waiting until August 1. (Current lease is up August 9th.) My room is a good size and it's separate from the main living area. Plus I have my OWN (tiny) bathroom in my room, which I'm really excited about. And my closet space is doubling. A girl can't complain about that! All the usual is included... dishwasher, washer/dryer, gas range (yay! I love cooking with gas) and decent storage place. There's also a small balcony and a BBQ!

It's 11 miles from work (I currently live 6 miles) so even though my rent/utilities are decreasing, I'll be paying a bit more in gas each month and I'll end up breaking even on my budget. A few stores and restaurants are a few blocks away and an awesome park is less than a mile away. I'll also be a mere 1.5 miles from the beach! Perhaps I'll buy a beach cruiser if I can sell my LoveSac?!

YAY!

Selling Furniture

Since I'm moving next month, I realized I should get rid of some furniture I own! I'm keeping all my bedroom items (bed, dresser, bookcase, desk, lamps & shoe rack) but I need to sell some of my living room pieces.

The first piece I'm selling is my beloved LoveSac! I bought it in my senior year of college and it's been awesome. Everyone loves it because it's so huge and comfy! It's so fun when we have lots of people over... but let me tell you, it is a hassle to move it! Since I'm petite and it literally takes two grown men to carry/lift it, it needs to go. Plus it screams "college" instead of "young professional." ;)

Since it's gently used and still in fantastic condition, I'm hoping to get $250 for it. That's what the other ones I've seen on Craigslist recently are also going for. If it doesn't sell within a week, I'll start dropping the price until I can sell it.

That would be a nice chunk of change to help me out when my own move comes around! :)

Apartment Hunting: Round 1

My apartment hunt is lackluster at best. So far, I've only seen two places. I'm hoping that more start becoming available since it's now July and I'm looking for an August 1 move-in date. I saw both places a few weeks ago, and I've written pros/cons lists for both.

One of the girls in my book club just moved to the same neighborhood and mentioned that she might know some people who are looking for a roommate! I e-mailed her about it, so perhaps I'll have some other options here soon. I also realized that my bi-weekly automated savings for my E-fund (which is now fully funded!) are still occurring, so I've decided to earmark the amounts from June and July for August's moving expenses. I'll have ~$300 available from that, plus I might be selling some pieces of furniture that I have and I'm hoping to get the majority of my security deposit back from the current place. Crossing my fingers on that last one!

Apartment #1
2 bed/2 bath; open room is the Master; 11.8 miles to work; $785/month for rent + utilities

• PROS: Really nice roommate (she's from my home state!), clean, huge closet, water view from room, month-to-month lease, own bathroom, dishwasher, on-site pool, outside balcony/sitting area, lots of cabinet space, parking, very social/fun complex (all people in their 20s/early 30s), she has lived there for 2 years
  
• CONS: 3rd floor walkup; tandem parking & street parking can be a hassle; $100 "roommate change fee" (what?!), older appliances, coin-op laundry in complex, awkward kitchen setup (most cabinets are REALLY high & I'm very short), small unit, she is currently unemployed (but on unemployment and said she has no issues paying rent)
  

Apartment #2
2 bed/2 bath; 1200 sq ft; 11.2 miles to work; $830/month for rent + utilities.

• PROS: Nice roommate, clean, HUGE open floorplan, own bathroom, DVR, extra storage cabinets, shared backyard with neighbors including BBQ, mini balcony, 1 garage spot & spot behind it, ceiling fans, quiet area, hangs out with neighbors a lot (board games/dinner parties), ample street parking
  
• CONS: 2nd floor walkup, no dishwasher, coin-op laundry in complex, no A/C, bathroom has only 1 outlet near light above the mirror (weird!), has only lived there for 6 months, unsure on lease (it was supposed to be 6 months then going month-to-month but no response from landlord yet)

Update: I actually wrote this post two weeks ago but forgot to set it to publish! I never heard back from either place even though I told both of them I was very interested, boo. :( Nothing else has really come up yet so I'm thinking of venturing into different neighborhoods than where I was originally looking... even though I didn't really want to, I need to expand my horizons a bit!

New Neighborhood?

If you follow me on Twitter, I mentioned today that our lease at our current apartment is up in August. That's two months away! One of my roommates is planning on moving in with his girlfriend of a few years. The other is planning on buying a condo. So, that leaves me to my own devices!

Over the past month, I've started thinking about moving to a different neighborhood. I'm in need of a change! While I absolutely love my current location over the two years we've lived here (6 miles from work, across the street from a mall, walking distance to multiple parks and a library, near ALL grocery stores, very safe, etc)... there's something missing. And that missing piece is FUN! Our location is great if you're a college student or retired, but it's not a good location for a single 20-something like myself. Therefore, I'm thinking of moving to a popular neighborhood for people in their 20s and 30s. :)

My commute would increase a bit from my current location... double, actually, to about 12 miles one-way. Not too bad. Plus, I would still have a gym nearby, all my favorite grocery stores, tons of cafes, restaurants, bars and the beach within walking distance! The best thing? My rent would definitely decrease! I currently pay ~$880/month for rent plus utilities. Doing a quick search on Craigslist, the absolute maximum I would pay for rent plus utilities would be $800, which would be an immediate savings of $80 per month. I can almost guarantee that I would be able to find a room for cheaper than that but more importantly, I'll have to make sure I mesh well with the potential new roommates! I know I'll have to find some random people to live with, but I'm a friendly and outgoing person (and a fantastic roommate!) so I don't see that being a problem! :) And I'd rather pay a little bit more if it means having a comfortable and ideal living situation.

I wish it was July so I could start my search already! June is a bit early to be looking for an August move-in date...

Why I Pay 41% of Take Home Pay in Rent

Recently, Debt Ninja over at Punch Debt in the Face asked his readers what their housing allowance was. I crunched my own numbers and realized that 41% of my take-home pay goes towards my rent! Yes, this is the largest expense I have. And no, it doesn't include my portion of utilities, which would tack on an additional 3%. Is it worth it to me? Definitely!

There are many reasons why I am comfortable paying this much towards my rent: I have no debt, I'm still able to save a decent amount each month, I live in a beautiful city where rents can be (and are!) high, the tri-level townhouse I rent with my roommates is huge... but the main reason why I'm okay with that amount? Location!

I live in one of the nicest and safest neighborhoods of my city. In terms of driving distances, I'm 6.5 miles from work and 2 miles (or less!) from all of my favorite grocery stores. There's also a movie theater and driving range nearby! This area is also very walkable: I can walk to my gym, a huge mall, a library, a drugstore, my doctor's office, grocery stores, various parks, restaurants and even bars! In fact, the walk score of this area is 75. :)

I'm now very attached to this location. I don't want to leave it! I drive against traffic, I have a short commute, I feel safe walking at any time of day or night and everything I want/need is extremely close by!

Are you attached to the location you live in? Would you pay more for a better location?

Why I Do Not Want To Buy A Home

Recently, Jim at Bargaineering blogged about the reasons why someone shouldn't buy a home within 5 years of graduation.

As I read the post, I thought about my own situation: I graduated from college a year-and-a-half ago, I'm in my 20s, single and debt-free. I found a job with a fantastic company that I love and that continues to treat its employees like gold. Based on the track record of current employees, it would be so easy for me to "put down roots" in my city and buy a place, since I expect to be with the company for a while. There's a first-time homebuyer's tax credit also working in my favor and real estate prices are rather low. However, the reasons that Jim outlined (and some others of my own) are exactly why I have no desire to buy now or in the near future!

• Loss of Flexibility. My company has a few other offices around the country and around the world, and what if I decide I want take a position at one of those for a few years? Or, if I get a job with another company in another city that would be better for my career? Renting makes it so easy to just get up and go!
  
  
• Home Prices. In my Southern California city, home/condo prices are still VERY expensive, even though they have dropped from their highs a few years ago. I do not have any sort of savings for a downpayment, and a decent place here would require a LOT of money for the downpayment and mortgage.
  
  
• Maintenance. I am not handy. I do repairs, except the occasional lightbulb, and I'm usually too short to even do those! If the toilet breaks or there's a burst pipe... those costs would all be on me, and they would definitely not be cheap and can easily add up! It's so much easier to call the landlord to fix whatever is needed and deal with the responsibility. Some of my maintenance fears would probably disappear if I had a man in my life, though... ;)
  

I am a very happy renter and plan to stay that way for quite a while longer! I really like the apartment that I am renting now. It's huge and in the safest neighborhood of my city, very walkable, near a library, all grocery stores and a mall!

What are your reasons for not buying a place? Conversely, what are your reasons for buying one or wanting to buy one?

Why a Duplicate Key is a Good Idea

For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you would know that last night I managed to lock myself out of my apartment. For 2.5 hours. Without my cell phone or shoes!

I was taking the trash into the garage where our bins are, and the door that leads into the garage always swings shut but it's NEVER locked. Well, guess what? It was locked this time and I didn't know! (One of the roommates had been locking the door because one of our garage doors is broken, which I didn't know either, and can just be lifted open so anyone could essentially get into our apartment.)

When it rains, it pours: My one roommate is out of state on vacation til this weekend and the other was on a business day-trip about 2 hours away. I was able to finally get in contact with him via a neighbor's cell phone (after calling my Mom to get his number, since I didn't know it off the top of my head) and he was stuck in traffic, but headed back. On top of all that, we did have another key outside, but our landlord had asked for it back, so my roommate put it in an envelope. But never mailed it. So it, too, was in the apartment!

I am going to buy a magnetized key holder to put somewhere on my car and get my key duplicated in case this ever happens again. It was frustrating and annoying, since I couldn't do any reading. Luckily the stove wasn't on and my crock pot was on the "warm" setting. Lesson learned, and now looking back, kind of funny!

Do you keep a duplicate key somewhere?

Annoyed!

There are a few things right now that I am annoyed with:

1. The boy I have been dating. We have next to nothing in common, I'm not that attracted to him and he is basically a puppy dog/is also smothering me. He's just not my type. So, I'm breaking it off with him later this weekend. (We've only been on 4 dates, including today's lackluster lunch date, plus other 2 hang-out sessions...) Time to find other guys to date!

2. Our cable got shut off today. When we moved into the place in August, we were giddy that the cable had not yet been shut off after the previous renters left. We knew it would happen eventually and now, it did. After 6 months. Time to check out bundled deals and see what we can get! (Thank goodness my raise is in effect so I can afford the $10 or so extra per month.)

3. My credit limit. It's only $750 because I got my FIRST credit card in June 2008. (The limit started at $500 but was increased to the current amount in August.) Now that I want to register for an industry exam, the ONLY form of payment they take is credit card and you can only pay online. There is a note on the payment page that specifically states to not use a debit card. And my credit limit isn't high enough to cover the total cost. I called my credit card company to see if they could increase the limit but it's a no-go.

Lame on all three accounts!