My girlfriend and i just got an apartment. We can make it, but we would like to know. How can we save money?!
204050
Live on cheap groceries.  Use half the amount of laundry detergent per load - still cleans fine.  Wash dishes and use cloth towels instead of buying alot of paper products.  Drink more tap water and less pop.  Watch what's on TV and don't go out as much.
79445
get your own apartment
142793
My dear . . . it is normal . . . especially when you were in a situation where you were sharing expenses with someone else . . . to assuming responsibilities for your own action.\n\nYou are doing the correct thing . . . I wished you would have done that in the beginning . . . instead of moving in with a boyfriend.  I believe because of that . . . you were hooked into a tied circle . . . where you had no freedom.\n\nNow you will be free . . . to make your own choices in life.  Seize them . . . treasure them.\n\nMany people and couples live from paycheck to paycheck . . . it is normal and scary at times.  Check to see if you could find a roommate . . . to share the apartment with you.  Split the cost . . . of your living expenses.  That may give you a little breathing room . . . but make sure you get a written agreement with them to take care of certain responsibilities . . . in case you have to take legal action.\n\nYou can do it . . . I believe in you . . . I trust in you . . . it will be hard . . . but you are strong.
591260
Whatever is in your budget. Figure out how much you spend on food eating out. clothes you don't need but want. You can save money by figuring out who much you spend on this you really don't need, then the following month instead of spending it save it. Save it in a place you know you will not have easy access to it. That way you will be able to save even more. Good luck!
275836
there is a school to learn apartment managment, alot of times you manage apts in exchange for reduce rent or i've heard even free rent and if you find the right place and had good schooling, you may also get paid as well. somtimes i see apt. managers needed in the newspapers
18357
I suggest you have an apartment for several years to save a large down payment and find exactly the right home for yourself.  Paying rent IS like flushing the money, but in the long run, the investment of a good solid home is worth the wait.
445524
Your husband and yourself should be sitting down with a piece of paper and listing all the income and expenses. You should know what is in the bank accounts and what is going out. Marriage is also a financial contract and every woman should know how the money works. Do not pay extra on the rent - there is no need your husband and yourself pay 2/3 of the rent and flatemate the other 1/3. Flatmate is liable for 1/3 of all expenses.When the both have you have gone through all the expenses and worked out what you both earn...then you work out a fair way for both to pay the expenses. You both should also have seperate spending accounts with a little from each pay for your own to spend or save as you like.
235682
maybe u can get a job to save up money! or go to the college and get info on how much exactly it will cost. and try a proposal. or go to many places not just one, and keep on trying! Good luck!
511662
How is it that we are supposed to know what your spending rates are for a year on these things?  Your telephone, cable, and internet should be very easy for you to arrive at.  Just look at your monthly bill.  Same with your utilities. Heating of course will vary with the seasons.  Food is possibly the most difficult to get a handle on.  I alway pay my food bill with my credit card. At the end of the month, I know exactly what I spent on food for the month. Don't forget eating out. You will probably be surprised how much you spend in that category.  And of course there is entertainment. For a single person, that will most likely be one of the major expense items.
332701
You have to estimate all your monthly expenses, add them together, and subtract that from your total monthly income after taxes. You should remember some emergency funds and some "fun funds" as well as the basic necessities like food and rent, car insurance, etc.
236822
We saved a lot of money by doing fingerfood buffet, purchasing flowers from a wholesaler warehouse, Buy your gown second hand and have it altered, find a park or garden with lots of flowers.  Usually you can reserve areas which are outdoor for really cheap.  If you have a friend or family member with a big yard, that could help you save.  Our local zoo, yes zoo had a beautiful banquet room and garden area overlooking the city and ocean.  The great thing about this was I did not need to buy as many flowers.  Don't discount your local zoo or botanical gardens.\n\nAlso, cakes can be EXTREMELY expensive.  You can either have a mini wedding cake with just 2 tiers done beautifully for "pictures" and then purchase a less expensive sheet cake for serving.  Another idea is to do wedding cupcakes that maybe a friend could make. \n\nA simple and inexpensive, yet meaningful giveaway would be to write your vows down, put on a computer and copy onto nice paper, roll into a scroll and put a ribbon around it.  If you don't have a computer, find someone with really nice handwriting and do maybe 20 a day.\n\nFinally, instead of hiring a caterer and using their food, We found someone who prepped the bulk food we bought from Costco.  They also set up and cleaned up the room and waited on people.  It only took 3 of them since it was buffet and 1 of them set up a mini bar where we only served Champagne and sparkling cider.  We got the champagne for only $2.99 a bottle from Trader Joes. It was a good brand of Asti Spumonti too.\n\nI hope this helps.  Oh the cost was $1,500 for Everything with 150 people and we had a BEAUTIFUL wedding that looked like it cost $6,000.  \n\nCongratulations and remember that the MARRIAGE is more important than the Wedding.
318585
To learn to budget effectively, I am using the envelope method with my kids.\n\nGet a bunch of envelopes. On each one, write out what the expense is: for example, one might be Rent $600 ($150/week), another might be Car Payment $325 ($81.25/week), etc. Make sure you have an envelope for each expense, and one for savings.\n\nEvery payday, cash your check, and put the correct amount of cash in each envelope. Whatever is left is yours to spend during the month. When you reach the month's end, all your bills can be paid without stress. On the months with 5 paydays, divide your money as usual, but if you get in a tight spot, it's no worry.
358211
There are some excellent resources out there for saving money on a budget. \n\nLucy Lazarony with Bankrate.com has some excellent advice tailored specifically for college students:\n\n1. Track it\nTrack your spending for two to four weeks to find out where your money is going. Are four trips to Starbucks a week really necessary?\n\n"They don't realize how much they spend on little things," says Vickie Hampton, a financial planner and an associate professor at Texas Tech University in Lubbuck, Texas. "That's the most common revelation."\n\nMark Oleson, director of a financial counseling clinic at Iowa State University, adds, "Usually, just by tracking expenses, you'll start to curb expenses." \n\n2. Get a plan\nThe best way to manage your money over the course of a semester is to sit down and map out a budget. List sources of income such as scholarships, loans, money from summer jobs and cash from your parents as well as expenses, such as tuition, books and groceries. \n\n3. Good time money\nIf you know you need to buy a new CD or go to concert or a party every week, make room for that in your budget. \n\n"You need some entertainment," Hampton says. "A student is going to get really burned out if you don't do anything fun."\n\n4. Pace yourself\nIf you spend, spend, spend at the beginning of the semester, you could be tapped out later. Give yourself a spending limit for each week. Stick to it and you won't have to eat macaroni-and-cheese every day in December.\n\n5. Go easy with the credit cards\n"One quick way to spend beyond your means is to charge it," says Mallary Tytel, president of Healthy Workplaces. \n\nUse credit cards sparingly. Once you get into the habit of reaching for a Visa, it can be hard to stop. \n\n"I saw a student pick up a bag of chips and charge it," Tytel says.\n\nWho wants to pay interest on a bag of Doritos?\n\n6. Set your own credit line\n"Just because you have a credit card with a $2,000 credit line doesn't mean you have to spend $2,000," DiSpirito says. "If you know you can only pay back $500, then just spend that."\n\nAfraid you'll spend as long as there's room on the card? Call your credit card company and request your credit limit be lowered. Keep at it. Card companies will try boost up your credit lines so you spend more. Tell them "no" each time they try. \n\n7. Get real\nYou can do what you want, but you can't do everything you want. You're going to have to make some choices. Whatever you choose is going to cost some money. Be realistic. \n\n"You need to understand you can't have everything and you have to understand there are consequences," Tytel says. "At some point there needs to be a reality check in terms of what things cost. Most kids have no idea."\n\n8. Stuff happens\nIf you bust your budget on something you really, really want to do this week, make up for it next week.\n\nIf you find that you must go out to dinner and a movie one week, spend the money; be satifisfied with the decision, and commit to staying home, eating at home and not making any other purchases the following week.\n\n9. Look ahead\nWhether it's a road trip with friends or an auto insurance bill, if you know a big expense is coming, start putting some money aside to pay for it.\n\n"It's a lot easier to set aside $50 every month than to come up with $300 when the bill is due," Oleson says. \n\n10. Get in touch with your roomie\nContact your roommate before the semester starts and divvy up expenses. Chat about who will bring a refrigerator and who will bring a microwave. \n\nThis way you avoid duplicating purchases and excess spending, but will still have all the conveniences to make college life easier.\n\n11. Spread it out\n"Most of the big expenses are at the beginning of the school year," Tytel says. "Buy books as you need t
644563
Make a deal with yourself to save a certain percentage of your money.  Think through things that you want to buy. Don't just buy on impulse.  Use coupons at stores and compare prices at different stores before buying something so you can buy it cheaper.  Have self-discipline.   =)
529217
Hide your money in a safe place. When it's not lying around, you won't remember to spend it.\n\nDon't bring too much money whenever you're out and about because you'll be tempted to spend it.\n\nWhenever you pick up anything you want to buy, ask yourself why you want it, do you really need it now or at all, is it worth it, how will it benefit you, is there anything wrong with it, could you get a better deal somewhere else, etc.
672648
pay month to month\nthe finance charge is already figured into your monthly payments...it would be silly to pay it all off with savings
472758
why don't you share an apartment in the beginning[share the costs]get a job first!!!a credit card can get you into debt!!you have to pay monthly payments and a credit card only gives you so much money!!