Adding to this: Ikea 365+ line of kitchen stuff is a bit more expensive, but very good and durable. Go to their website and put the stuff you feel you will need in the cart and you'll how much you have to spend.
To be conservative your monthly rent payment should not exceed 30 percent of your take home pay. The rule of thumb is actually based on your gross income but by being conservative you have more wiggle room to account for renter's insurance, regular maintenance, utilities, etc. It's not just about the rent.
Don't feel the need to make your apartment perfect and decorate everything all at once! I fell trap to this the first time I had my own apartment and it becomes needlessly expensive, even if you're not spending a lot on said decorations.
You’ve gotten some really good advice here. One more thing I would suggest is that when you’re figuring out your monthly budget, use whatever your minimum paycheck amounts have been. Even if you’re consistently getting overtime, don’t assume that will continue.
Assume the equivalent of 3 months rent upfront for some combination of first/last/deposit/fees. It might be less but shouldn't be more.
Keep in mind there are a lot of small expenses to moving out that add up and are easily overlooked.
Adding to this: Ikea 365+ line of kitchen stuff is a bit more expensive, but very good and durable. Go to their website and put the stuff you feel you will need in the cart and you'll how much you have to spend.
To be conservative your monthly rent payment should not exceed 30 percent of your take home pay. The rule of thumb is actually based on your gross income but by being conservative you have more wiggle room to account for renter's insurance, regular maintenance, utilities, etc. It's not just about the rent.
I can't give you numbers, but have some tips.
Agreed with all of this.
Don't feel the need to make your apartment perfect and decorate everything all at once! I fell trap to this the first time I had my own apartment and it becomes needlessly expensive, even if you're not spending a lot on said decorations.
rave-unicorn-votive
New things to buy...
You’ve gotten some really good advice here. One more thing I would suggest is that when you’re figuring out your monthly budget, use whatever your minimum paycheck amounts have been. Even if you’re consistently getting overtime, don’t assume that will continue.