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Photo Credit: Bald Eagle89
The 151st edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance hosted by Alpha Consumer featured this article.
Renting a place has a connotation of just trying to find something affordable and safe. It can so much more than that. Renting in a good neighborhood can improve your quality of life, reduce stress, and save you money in the long run.
Start with Google. It pays to look ahead on some things before considering a move, such as:
- Crime (look at the amount of crime and the type of crime)
- Shopping Areas (Are conveniently located?)
- Libraries, Parks, Attractions, etc. (You’re trying to find places that interest you.)
If the area doesn’t do well with the above criteria you may just want to skip visiting the location and save yourself time.
Here are some things to do while going though a potential neighborhood:
- Visit on a Friday or Saturday night. This visit lets you know if the place is too noisy and rowdy for you or if it’s not exciting enough. My cousin is a city girl, so she needs things to do and happen. (She’s a great salsa dancer.) My sister likes someplace peaceful and quiet at night. Each would have a different opinion of the same neighborhood.
- Look to see if your bank is located nearby. (This might not be an issue if you’re considering changing your bank.) With banks charging $3 for out of network users, this is something to seriously consider. I wrote some tips on how to cut down the ATM fees.
- Ask for directions a few times. Try and see if the area is generally friendly or not.
- See if good public transportation is available. Rising gas prices have made public transportation a consideration. If the area has a great system, then you can save thousands of dollars a year and reduce the stress of sitting in traffic .
Renting a place is a good opportunity to ‘test drive’ a place that you may considering owning a condo, townhome, or house. What are some tricks and tips you’ve used when looking for an area to rent in?
If this post was helpful, please buy me a cup of coffee. :D
Posted in Lifewith 3 Comments →
Photo Credit: Pwbaker
Lending money to friends and family is a tough situation. Perhaps you want to help someone with a geniune need, but you’re not sure if they’ll actually pay you back. Both parties are put in a tough spot. How do you handle it? Well, since I think most people are inclined to want to help out, I include some cons to loaning money. It’s up to you to weigh the options and come up with the right answer for you.
Some Reasons NOT to lend money.
1. You can’t afford to lose the money. If this loan will be a strain on your finances and family, then don’t loan money.
2. You will not be able to see your friend in the same light and it puts a strain on your friendship.
3. Your friend will keep looking for a way to repay due to guilt or they’ll resent you for giving the loan.
4. You can become an enabler of his/her bad spending and non-savings habits. Some people just don’t budget well and giving them money will not solve that problem.
What you can do:
- Don’t loan them the money. If giving them money would make it worse, then don’t loan them the money.
- Give a smaller one time gift. Remember give what you can lose. It removes the tension of being in debt to someone without you going in debt.
- Share with them some ideas on how you budget. Sometimes it’s a matter of helping one learn to fish. Without pulling out numbers, just show them the basics of budgetting. Be careful with how you approach them with this. Nobody wants to feel like a fool.
- Share with them some ideas on how you cut costs. Be tactful and show them what money saving habits you’ve developed.
If you do loan the money:
- You have the right to have it put into writing.
- Include how much is going to be repaid, how much each payment is, and how frequently they’ll pay. It’s not just a protection for you, it’s to help clarify what the plan is.
- Having this can reduce having awkward conversations.
- You have the right to know why you’re loaning them the money. Is it for neccesities or it for vacations or a business venture? Obviously having this information will determine if you loan the money or not.
It’s ultimately your decision, but please consider it carefully. Have you given or received a loan between family or friends? How did it turn out?
Some references:
If this post was helpful, please buy me a cup of coffee. :D
Posted in Relationshipswith 3 Comments →
Photo Credit: A Princess
Yesterday my husband and I got a washer and dryer for the apartment. The total cost was around $190. We got the pair from Craigslist for $150. We asked a friend if we could borrow his truck and we paid $20 to cover using his gasoline.
The gentleman who sold the washer and dryer kept them in good condition. His wife just bought a new set and they needed to get rid of the older one. We just needed to get a new hose for the dryer and another hose for the washer. That was about $20 to get them from Lowe‘s.
The hardest part was getting it to our apartment which is on the third floor! To be honest, my back is a bit sore from the move. A kindly neighbor helped us move the washer, which was very much appreciated.
Installing a washer and dryer wasn’t too bad. You just need to put the hoses and plugs in the right spots. I’m happy we got this used set, as the cost of renting one for the apartment would be $20/month or more (depends on who you rent it from).
Since I’m relaxing at home for a bit, I decided to share some of my favorite post from his week:
I hope everyone’s weekend is going well. My brother is coming to visit this afternoon so I’m looking forward to hanging with him.
If this post was helpful, please buy me a cup of coffee. :D
Posted in Savings, Webwith 6 Comments →
