Renting as easy as 1, 2, 3.

You’re an adult now, or at least you think you are. You’ve got a good steady job and you’re ready to be out on your own. Great, but where do you start?

First, create a budget. How much can you afford for rent each month? Then factor in gas, electric, water, etc. Then factor in grocery costs and daily living expenses (car payments, gas, nights out, etc.). Also don’t forget to factor in savings. You don’t want to waste every penny living on your own. You risk not being able to pay bills if an emergency happens.

Then follow these steps…

1. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. I cannot stress this enough. Look online to find apartments or homes in your area that are for rent. Compare prices, sizes, features, and decide which would be the best fit for you.

2. Find the Fair Market Rental Value of homes/apartments in your area.

3. Preview it. Call or email the landlord and set up a time to visit the home. Have them show you through it.

If you aren’t comfortable, don’t rent it. This is potentially where you will be living; if you walk in and don’t feel at home, walk away.

4. Ask questions. Find out how long the person has owned the home. Why they are renting? How many tenants have they had? What is there turn over rate? What are the average utility costs? Some owners can provide recent bills.

5. If you’re happy with the price, remember everything is negotiable, ask to see a copy of the lease. READ THE LEASE. I can’t stress enough reading the entire lease, several times. Feel free to ask questions. If you don’t feel comfortable with a part of the lease, talk about it before you sign. Once you sign it’s a legally binding contract.

6. Deposit. Make sure you’re lease is never more than your monthly rent and it’s fully refundable, minus necessary repairs. You landlord can retain part or all of your deposit if major repairs need to be made after your lease is up.

7. Be comfortable with you’re lease term. If you know there is a possibility that you may not be able to fulfill your lease term ask for a shorter lease period or look for another property if they will not shorten it. Short term leases are harder to secure and often come with a higher rent or deposit.

8. If you feel comfortable with your lease, landlords, and rental property. Sign the lease, you’re ready to be out on your own.

Food Sense: Shopping on a Budget

You’ve got that wonderful new kitchen and all you need is food to stock it. If this is your first grocery trip keep in mind you’re going to need EVERYTHING. When I say everything, I mean everything; from food to kitchen utensils, to bathroom supplies and spices. Plan for your first trip to be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. By buying ahead in small purchases you can eliminate the need to buy the daily household items on your first trip.

Here are a few tips to get you through.

1. Make a list. It sounds silly but planning ahead can cut down on buying more things than you need. Here's a basic list.

2. Create weekly menus. Creating menus ahead of time can help reduce your shopping budget by a lot. Shopping for meals instead of grabbing things of the shelf can create a healthy diet as well as a healthy budget. There are great online sites to help you plan meals ahead of time. Check out All Recipes or the Food Network.

3. Know your budget limit. Knowing your budget limit is a big help. Walk into the store with a set amount in mind. Plan some flexibility in your budget. There may be something you’ve left off your list that you didn’t factor in.

4. Total your shopping as you go. By totaling your purchases as you go along, you make it easier to stay within your budget. This also helps you decided if you really need that something extra.

5. Coupons really do make a difference. A few cents here and there really do add up. By clipping coupons you can save on name brand items that could reduce them to prices lower than the off brand. Also, do your homework, some stores will except coupons for items already on sale. There are plenty on online coupons sites available.

6. The less you buy the less you waste. Buying in bulk is great, if you’re feeding a lot of hungry mouths. But for a household of one or two, less is better. By buying foods that last longer you can reduce your weekly budget by not throwing out as much.

7. Flier research. Do your homework. What local store is having the best sale on what item? More often than not it’s cost effective to visit 2 or 3 stores to complete your shopping trip.

The Real Deal about First Time Car Buying

Buying your first car is exciting. Getting behind the wheel and breathing in that new car smell is as exhilarating as bunging jumping off the highest surface. Wait, before you sign your life away how are you going to pay for that new set of wheels? Did you choose dealer financing? Is someone co-signing for you? Did you get a fair interest rate? Did you even do the research on the car your looking for?

Put the pen down, don’t sign anything yet. Dealers can smell a newbie a mile away, and girls, not to be sexist, but bringing along the male muscle can add a lot of clout to your asking price.

Follow these few quick and easy steps to get yourself on the right track towards purchasing your first car.

1. Figure out your budget. There is no need to go rushing out looking for the hottest car on the market. Even if you’ve got a wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket, hold on, sit down, and crunch the numbers. You want to find a car within your budget, missing a payment can create bad credit. There are plenty of free online budget helpers, but sometimes the good old fashion pencil and paper will do just fine.

If you need a little help, check out this template from Help.com.

2. What type of car are you looking for? So you know your budget. Great, start surfing the web or cruising the local dealers to get a feel for what type of car you want and what the price range is, new or used. There are a ton of great sites online that are geared towards car buyers. Check out Kelly Blue Book or Edmunds.

3. Financing? Now, you’ve got your car, you’ve got your budget, it’s time to talk financing. As a first time car buyer it’s going to be hard to get a loan with a lower interest rate. Unless you have some amazing credit built up already there are some things you need to factor in.

A. Do you know your credit score? By law you are allowed to check your credit report for free once a year. Don’t pay attention to all those online sites that scream FREE CREDIT REPORT. The only legal site is Annual Credit Report. Learn More.

B. Start doing research on credit rates from local banks. Some large insurance companies offer financing. If you’re already with a major company ask your agent if they offer financing and if you’re available.

C. Prepare to be denied loans. Every time you apply for loan or a credit card your credit takes a hit. So if you’re serious about shopping around for the best rate, have a plan for who you want to apply to and do it all in one day. This shows that you are shopping around and doesn’t hit your credit as hard.

D. Be prepared to need a co-signer. You may be able to afford the monthly payments but the loaner doesn’t know if you’re reliable. So they may ask for a co-signer. Co-signers can lower your interest rate at the time of signing. However if it’s still too high, after making 6-12 months of solid payments, refinance and eliminate your co-signer. REMEMBER, a co-singer is held responsible if you CAN NOT make the monthly payments. This puts both of your credit scores at risk.

E. So, you’ve found an interest rate your happy with. Good, now you’ve got the preapproved loan in hand. Wait, you’re not preapproved? Well, get preapproved. A preapproved loan can help drive down a dealers price. Dealership financing is very competitive. They may be able to match or do better than the rate you were preapproved for.

F. Finally, you’ve found your car. You’ve got the dealer exactly where you want them. Hold out just a few more seconds, phew, okay, sign that paper! Baby, you’ve got a hot, well deserved, new set of wheels.