In Need of 200 a Month
Hunting for apartments is frustrating. It probably sucks that I don't really want to settle. There's plenty of apartments I could afford. They're just sort of fugly, no character.
I've been looking in the paper for more than a month now at things in the area. I've driven through the neighborhoods I want to live in so much that the Thomas Guide's collecting dust in my backseat. I'm burnt out from the last few days. I'm almost to the point of settling.
Then I found a place, called the number on the black and white "For Rent" sign to find out more information. I set up an appointment to see the place. I saw it this evening. It's the nicest thing I've seen so far. It's a great apartment: Spanish style, hardwood floors, coved ceilings, large kitchen, appliances, and in-apartment laundry. Also, it comes with a monthly rent 200 dollars over what I would prefer to pay. Now I can afford it, but my lifestyle would have to change (e.g. less trips to Borders). I'd have to budget myself, practically to the point of actually writing out a budget.
So I figure, I need 200 more dollars each month. Should I set up a P.O. Box for donations? Probably wouldn't work. I asked my current roommates to start me off with five bucks a month, but they declined. It looks like I might need to find a second job. What can a 26-year old educator with a Lit degree and endless supply of sarcarsm do on top of teaching high school? And gigolo is not the type of on top I mean. I'm one of these literates; I can write, proofread, read, etc. I'm familiar with that thing called the Internet. There's rumours that I'm a people person, that I work well with others. So what part-time work could I get that wouldn't add much stress to what I already have?
I don't have much time to decide about this place. A newspaper ad will go out on Thursday, and by next week, the place will be gone.
I've been in the same place for almost five years now. I need to change things up. I'm incredibly antsy. I want to move. Something has to move.
I've been looking in the paper for more than a month now at things in the area. I've driven through the neighborhoods I want to live in so much that the Thomas Guide's collecting dust in my backseat. I'm burnt out from the last few days. I'm almost to the point of settling.
Then I found a place, called the number on the black and white "For Rent" sign to find out more information. I set up an appointment to see the place. I saw it this evening. It's the nicest thing I've seen so far. It's a great apartment: Spanish style, hardwood floors, coved ceilings, large kitchen, appliances, and in-apartment laundry. Also, it comes with a monthly rent 200 dollars over what I would prefer to pay. Now I can afford it, but my lifestyle would have to change (e.g. less trips to Borders). I'd have to budget myself, practically to the point of actually writing out a budget.
So I figure, I need 200 more dollars each month. Should I set up a P.O. Box for donations? Probably wouldn't work. I asked my current roommates to start me off with five bucks a month, but they declined. It looks like I might need to find a second job. What can a 26-year old educator with a Lit degree and endless supply of sarcarsm do on top of teaching high school? And gigolo is not the type of on top I mean. I'm one of these literates; I can write, proofread, read, etc. I'm familiar with that thing called the Internet. There's rumours that I'm a people person, that I work well with others. So what part-time work could I get that wouldn't add much stress to what I already have?
I don't have much time to decide about this place. A newspaper ad will go out on Thursday, and by next week, the place will be gone.
I've been in the same place for almost five years now. I need to change things up. I'm incredibly antsy. I want to move. Something has to move.
posted by matty at 10:08 PM
6 Comments:
I say go for it. $200 extra seems like a lot, but if you can afford it, you'll find a way to make it work. It will seem tight for a while, but you'll work everything out.
Sometimes you just can't pass up a great place to live.
Go for it, Matt. It's totally worth it. You can make it work. Just find a good used book store to help make that particular habit more affordable. Also, cutting back on my Starbucks (yes, I know it's the evil empire) habit is saving me 50 bucks a month.
You need a cool apartment. It will help you get chicks. Well, last night we were at the new place of a friend of mine. He's single and the place is so nicely decorated that a group of us spent an entire metro ride home afterward trying to decide whether he's gay.
So did you make a decision?
Actually brainiac, $200 x 12 months = $2,400. But I guess it you round up, it's $10k.
And if you're moving out of a group house and into a place by yourself, you're probably going to end up paying more. $200 doesn't actually seem like all that much more.
Ah, Matty, we seem to be in the same boat. I spent last week looking at apartments. I found a townhouse in the historic section of KC that I fell in love with. It was, alas, $200 more a month than we wanted to pay. We decided to rent from our second choice.
I know you'll make the right decision either way. Do what feels right to you. If you think you can't afford it, then don't risk it. If you think you can swing it, don't let it pass you by. Good luck!
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