Question: Hey, ladies! I've been thinking about moving...

well consider when you sign a lease for an apartment you usually need first and last months rent plus a security deposit. that can be a lot of money up front. i just moved to nyc and i also had to pay a broker fee on top. all together it was about 10,000 (split with a roommate).
also, when you sign a lease, you sometimes need to go through a credit check and make about 4x the annual rent. so if your rent is $1,000 a month you need to make 48,000 a year. this can be combined with your roommates salary as well. if you do not make the required amount a year, you can have a co-signer, ie a parent. they also need to provide a credit check. you usually need to show proof of employment and paystubs/tax returns. state to state, things vary a bit so ask your Realtor/broker what the requirements are.

when looking for apartments-do not settle! you will be living there for at least a year and you can't just end your lease whenever you want. make sure you are able to view the apartment before signing anything. when you look, make sure you check for bugs (open the kitchen cabnit under the sink really fast) and also casually ask some residents you see in the building what they think about the complex. cochroaches do not make good roommates!

this ALL comes before moving all of your belongings-including furniture. I have moved a lot and it is truly exhausting especially if you have to work the next Monday.

I honestly could not have moved out without my parents help. If you have anymore questions, feel free to message me privately!

well consider when you sign a lease for an apartment you usually need first and last months rent plus a security deposit. that can be a lot of money up front. i just moved to nyc and i also had to pay a broker fee on top. all together it was about 10,000 (split with a roommate).
also, when you sign a lease, you sometimes need to go through a credit check and make about 4x the annual rent. so if your rent is $1,000 a month you need to make 48,000 a year. this can be combined with your roommates salary as well. if you do not make the required amount a year, you can have a co-signer, ie a parent. they also need to provide a credit check. you usually need to show proof of employment and paystubs/tax returns. state to state, things vary a bit so ask your Realtor/broker what the requirements are.

when looking for apartments-do not settle! you will be living there for at least a year and you can't just end your lease whenever you want. make sure you are able to view the apartment before signing anything. when you look, make sure you check for bugs (open the kitchen cabnit under the sink really fast) and also casually ask some residents you see in the building what they think about the complex. cochroaches do not make good roommates!

this ALL comes before moving all of your belongings-including furniture. I have moved a lot and it is truly exhausting especially if you have to work the next Monday.

I honestly could not have moved out without my parents help. If you have anymore questions, feel free to message me privately!

I remember feeling this way after graduating college. I'm not sure what your situation is or how old you are but regardless there is good and bad about moving out. Whatever you do make sure you know WHY you are moving out. Independence? Would it make your relationship better with your parents?

I would work hard on getting a boost from minimum wage whether that's working a second job or getting additional training on your off-time. Making ends meet is REALLY tough as a young professional woman even on a salary. You will need furniture, your car will break down and things will come up that may cause you to use credit cards and get into trouble with debt only making things worse.

It sounds like you may need to press pause, make a plan and then work it girl!

Moving out on your own for the first time can be a huge change, and quite intimidating -- for good reason. $8/hr really isn't too bad, but with a roommate it should be a bit better. Here are some tips to hopefully help you on your way:

- If you're working 8 hours/day at $8/hr, you're making around $320/week (before taxes). So, that's around $1280/month (before taxes) to work with. So, let's just say $1000 for argument's sake.
- You have to budget mainly for rent, utilities (electricity, water, possibly gas depending on where you live), internet, cell phone & food in your case.
- When looking for a place (craigslist.com and padmapper.com are great) take into account rent and how much you'll have leftover for your other bills.
- Make sure your roommate is DEPENDABLE. This is hugely important. You don't want to end up with the full rent or a pain in the ass, dirty roommate to deal with.
- Remember that getting into an apartment takes money off the bat: Many places require a deposit, plus first and last month's rent to even sign a lease. You'll also have to have money to move and buy the essentials for the place (cleaning supplies, things like that).
- Look around for a place, don't just take the first thing you see.
- If you have a pet, most places require a pet deposit on top of initial deposits at move-in.
- Many places require a background check and application fees if you're interested in a place.
- DO establish ground rules with your roommate off the bat. Talk about your schedules, boyfriends, friends, whatever.

When I moved out, I didn't end up being as prepared as I thought I was! I did go through some hard times. I've been on my own now for about 5 years, and I've learned a LOT. Make sure you can afford where you live. Don't spend money on too many extra things: Shopping, drinking. If you decide to spend money on those things, keep an eye on it... maybe only do something special every once in a while. And do it with money you've saved up -- pay the bills first!

It all depends on where you live when it comes to affording living on your own. I'd say really take the time to do the math beforehand. It's hard to discipline yourself after living with parents. You have to prioritize things! Good luck, and don't hesitate to ask any other questions :)

I'm in the same boat as you...I don't even know how to find a good apartment! Gah @_@

First of all make sure you are ready to move out. It takes money. Do your research and figure out how much money you need. Good luck!

Don't have parents give you "moving money". they will hold it over your head forever. Also, make sure you and your roommate establish some ground rules...if she has her boyfriend over a lot and they yell at each other a lot it's going to be awful...you can't concentrate on you schoolwork, etc. Also if you have a car make sure you have money put away in your savings for when the car needs repairs..or you have a back-up plan like riding public transit to work and school or something like that. hope this helped. :)