Girls who rent...

Arez16 · December 2009

FI and I are in heavy discussion of costs of renting. He wants to move out of his parents house and live with a friend until we get married. But I really cannot justify it seeing as how he would only be able to put money aside for the wedding...not for more important things...like our immediate life after the wedding and the lack of things we own.....and in my eyes, its a total waste of money.

so in discussion....we seem to disagree on the costs of rent/utilities/food....

can you girls help me out? I would like to to be able to share real costs with him and not the estimates we both throw around. Because he thinks I too high and I think he is too low...

We are talking a 2 bedroom apartment in amherst/nashua/merrimack/machester/hudson area

so can you help please??

If you don't feel comfortable answering on here feel free to PM me or email me at arez1016 AT gmail DOT com

thank you! sorry this was kinda long!

Lilac022 · December 2009

Well, we just bought a house this summer, but prior to that we rented in Nashua. It was a one-bedroom with a 1 car garage and electricity included for $1100/month. When we were looking, most 2 bedroom places were between $900-$1200 per month. Some included utilities, some didn't. Older buildings have terrible insulation so heating can be around $300 per month in the winter. I think electricity is probably $70-$100/month? A/C in the summer can get expensive. There's also the monthly cable bill and internet... Grocery varies a lot on the types of food you eat (and if mom's not cooking meals every night, you'll probably eat out more or order in). Maybe $50/week on groceries? Those are my generalizations

Shandie_725 · December 2009

I live in Concord so my price might be a bit lower:

2-bedroom rent: $850/month (and don't forget the security deposit of $850 as well)

Electricity: Approx. $50/month

Propane (heat/hot water): Approx. $30/month

Cable/Internet/Phone: $135/month

Cell Phones: $120/month

Food: $175/month

HTH!

Shandie_725 · December 2009

OH!!!

And don't forget stuff like car insurance, car payments, student loans, eating out, deposits on electricity or propane (if needed), and of course, paying for the wedding!!

If you need anything else, you can shoot me an email at shaun.mcgahey AT gmail DOT com

candi516 · December 2009

YGM!

dls.1215 · December 2009

YGM!

FireDancer04 · December 2009

YGM

amandasblum · December 2009

I live in Andover MA which is a very "rich" town.. a mile from my house are multi million dollar houses, with that being said my rent per month for a two bedroom "townhouse" (just an apartment with two levels) is $875 a month ... SUPER low for MA and Andover.

We pay around $50 a month for electric for most of the year it gets higher in the summer and sometimes in the winter. We have gas in our house so generally we pay around $75 in the summer and in the winter it gets to about $200 a month... (INSANE)

Then there are the things like cable... which is $130 or so a month, plus all your other bills like car insurance, student loans, car payment, credit cards and food...

Its pretty expensive when you think about it.

GL

ericcaah · December 2009

Hi There! I can't be as much help as some of the other girls, as FI and I are currently living with my mom, but if it's any indication, the #1 reason we moved in with my mom is to save money for the wedding. When we were renting earlier this year, we were paying $1000/month for rent, plus $120 for phone/internet/cable, plus $50 for electric, plus about $150 a month for groceries... we were finding it very hard to make ends meet, while trying to save money for the wedding and our life after the wedding. We're paying for most of the wedding ourselves, so we really had no choice but to move to my mom's so that we would be able to afford to save. We'll start looking to move our after the wedding is paid off. Also, another thing to keep in mind is that many places have a 1 year rental contract. Since you are under the 1 year countdown until your wedding, would he be required to stay in that lease with a friend for 1 whole year? Just another thing to think about, as I'm not sure if you and your new husband would want to live seperately for your first few months of marriage.

[Deleted User] · December 2009

We rented at Bay Ridge in Nashua (Exit 1) for two years starting in 2004. When we left in '06, our 2 bed/2 bath apartment was up to $1250/mo with no utilities included. The only reason we chose that place was that it had washer and dryer in unit, and we wouldn't have to utilize a common washroom or laundromat. Our security deposit was waived during a promo, but it was about $1000 down they were asking for. The place was convenient for both of us to get to work, but the rent just wasn't worth it after all. Heat was expensive in the winter, and since the place was in the shade, it was always dark and we had lights on for everything.

The other girls bring up good points about bills you don't take into account right off the bat - car payment, car insurance, gas/commuting, food, phone, grocery, loans, pets, etc. It's so daunting, I don't know how I was ever convinced to move out! In the end, it's truly worth it, but if you're planning the wedding and are accustomed to a certain lifestyle right now, it will definitely be a lot harder of an adjustment.

Good luck talking to him!

Steffy3217 · December 2009

Ok I can help you out with Manchester a little bit.

We've rented from a few different places. Our last place was more expensive rent wise (1200) for a 2 bedroom townhouse.
Our apartment now is $900 a month and it's 1500 square feet. We get 2 parking spots. Deposit was $400 but it can differ up to a whole 1st month's rent.
The highest our electric has been was during the summer with 3 ac's going and it was about $150 (give or take a couple bucks). During the rest of the year it stays below $75.

We have gas heat and it was high last year during the winter because we didn't winter proof a lot and we had a roomate who get very cold. The most for a month we paid was about $300. We're expecting to pay no more than $150 during the coldest months. The rest of the year we didn't see a bill over $50. (Covers our hot water and cooking gas as well)

Our renter's insurance is $16 a month, it covers us up to $50K and also covers our cars when they're parked at our home.

Furniture you can get at thrift stores. Manchester's Family Outfitters is AMAZING! We got a great table with 8 chairs for $150. We also got a couch at a store that was going out of business for $240. You can get deals, you just have to look for them. We did get some more expensive stuff, but overall to furnish we probably paid 2-3k. Get hand-me-downs, freebies as much as possible. That's what we started out with, and as we had extra money, we replaced. Remember you're getting married and can register for a lot of stuff, so get only what you need to get by for now.

Spend the money on curtains/blinds, they'll help with heating and cooling costs.

Comcast cable/internet for us was about $160 (we have HD).

Like pp's remember all your other bills, and do your research. Make sure it fits into your budget. You may have to downgrade what you're looking for, or get a roomate for a little while.

Any other questions feel free to PM me.

Arez16 · December 2009

Amanda - That is an amazing price for Andover!!! Especially near the Indian Ridge!

Thanks SO much girls!!! I will be sharing these numbers with FI tomorrow!!

And thanks for all the little advice and tidbits....there is SO much to consider once living out of the house...

FI knows I am 90% against him moving out right now, so hopefully real data will help my argument. He is a numbers guy

He just doesn't want to be home anymore....

I will certainly be coming to all of you girls again once we do look to get the scoop on the good areas!!

Steffy3217 · December 2009

Also you've got PM!

shauni27 · December 2009

i have not lived at home with my parents (and neither has my fiance) for 5+ years....we are adults and sucked it up and moved out on our own. it is expensive (especially in ca!!! we spend around $2000 a month for our tiny a*% place plus utilities) but we are getting married. we will not rely on our families to pay our bills. i am not at all trying to sound harsh, and i understand what i mean, but you guys will have to spend the money to live on your own after the wedding, so i think it is worth it to spend the money now so you know what you are dealing with. but, with that said, i am not in either yours or your fiances situation and therefore i cannot tell you what is best for you guys. everyone is different, and yes, it IS expensive to move out of your parents home. but i definately think it is worth it.

nikkiblueeyes823 · December 2009

If we didn't own 2 homes with the loss of both our jobs last year I probably could have talked him into the move back to MA to rent from his parents for less than $500 a month.

The first home we had was a condo.
$850 a month plus condo fees of $211.
We joined the board so it went down to $100. (And yes if you rent a condo the fees are in your rent most of the time)
electric bill at the highest was $150.
Cable/Internet $111.
We had 2 cars w/loans. $700.
Car insurance for both $2000 a year.
Cell phone bill $174 for both.
Biggest Bills: $2363

Then that leaves: credit cards, renters insurance, spending money, gas, car maintenance, food for home, going out to eat, etc.

barbnsteve · December 2009

I'm a little late to this but just wanted to throw in one other thought...someone mentioned the deposit on an apartment. Some places require a deposit, first month, and last month up front - so that can run you a lot. GL!

chica7484 · December 2009

Your FI may want to consider the move-in costs as well. We have a LOT of second-hand stuff from our families and friends, but there are a lot of things we had to buy ourselves. We had to buy everything for our bathroom (ran us about $100), quite a few kitchen things (approx. $150), and decorative things (probably about $400+ including a couch cover). We could not find a dining room table, so we ended up having to purchase one.

We live in Nashua and pay a lot in electricity. We were able to cut our bill almost in half by turning off our internet router when we left/slept. Seriously. The washer and dryer in our unit runs our bill up more than $50, but it's definitely worth it.

Arez16 · December 2009

shauni - thanks for the input, but I don't want to live with FI before we are married. (Even though I practically did in college, but that was different because I had my own place that I also had to spend time at)

Call me old fashioned or what have you, but that is what I chose to do.

FI just doesn't like living at his parents house and wants to move out, but if we can avoid spending that money (for living out of our parents homes) as long as possible it will be better for us after. But believe me, I cannot WAIT to be married to and therefore live with FI expenses and all

Chica/Steffy - Thanks for the info about the store in Manch I will definitley be telling some of my friends about it! And I am trying to convince my parents to buy new couches & kitchen table/chairs so I can take them hahah But of course my mother is all "No no noooo you don't want old furniture you want nice new things!" Yes, yes I do mom, but it would be nice to start with old things and then upgrade when we have the money!

Thanks for all the newly added input girls!!! I am putting together a little spreadsheet to show FI haha he'll get a kick out of that

Megglez2008 · December 2009

You've got a PM! :-)

[Deleted User] · December 2009

We live in Manchester, we pay $790/month for a 2 bedroom, and we have pets (rabbits).

our electrc is usually around $40, heat im not sure- fiance pays that.
we dont have cable, and i pay $40 for internet

neither of us make very much money, but by scrimping a bit, we do fine

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