live below my means

My boyfriend and I qualify for low-income housing. Usually, this would be a not-so-neat-sounding idea BUT we were looking for apartments and came across the NICEST place we’ve been in. And it is brand new. With all new appliances. INCLUDING a washer and dryer , dishwasher, and garbage disposal (not to mention is has a back porch and an extra storage closet outside… oh and a huge place to lock up the bikes, swimming pool, hot tub, internet access, fitness room, entertainment area, and cats and dogs are allowed..) And it is $150 cheaper than what we are paying for right now. We got a call today saying we were approved and we go in tomorrow for another interview and some money for holding the apartment. It will be SO nice having cheaper rent again. This place has been sucking us dry. Next thing to really reign in is the grocery bills.

Well a small but wonderful one. I’ve convinced my boyfriend that we don’t need this apartment (this was surprisingly easy) and we’re down sizing from a 2 bedroom to a studio. When college ends around here in a couple of months we’re going to move into that area. One step forward!

I just charted out my monthly expenses and they came to… $350 OVER what I make each month. My next few weeks are going to be spent seriously looking for ways to cut back and get over it. One big thing is that my boyfriend and I live in a two bedroom apartment, which we really don’t need. He loves it, and I do too.. but he doesn’t want to get a roommate so I personally cannot afford this right now. We can’t afford to move yet but that may be in the cards for us soon. I’m off to re-indulge in my simple living book and try to find my way.