Tag Archives: Housing

7 Practical College Budgeting Tips
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College is already a stressful enough time without having to sweat about every little expense. The biggest thing you can do to make sure you’re not stressed out about money every month is to set up a budget.

Here are 7 tips for setting up a budget in college:

Tip #1: Be Honest With Yourself

Sometimes the hardest part about figuring out your budget is telling yourself the honest truth. Maybe you have the tendency to splurge on something that you probably shouldn’t. Calculate that in because you can tell yourself that you aren’t gonna go for it next time but you can never be certain. It’s best to just know how your budget looks with that expense. If you’re feeling really ambitious, calculate your budget both ways.

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Finding Your First Apartment: Evanston
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Finding your first apartment is a nerve-racking experience. Whether you are just starting off college or simply moving to a new city, each area has its own unique tricks to finding your perfect place. While there are many options to choose from, there are important details to consider that help narrow down the decision pool. Among these are price, area, utilities included, and also nearby amenities.

Finances: What can you expect to afford in Evanston?

One of the most important things to consider when you are looking for an apartment in Evanston is your price range. Before you begin, you should sit down and figure out how much you can afford to spend every month and then don’t forget to leave an amount to pay your initial security deposit. Costs to take into account are rent, groceries, utilities not included in your rental agreement, and extracurriculars since Evanston is just north of Chicago and offers its own entertainments as well.

Rent is one of the biggest costs of living to consider and it fluctuates depending on what type of apartment you are looking at (studio, 1 bedroom, duplex, etc.), area, and amenities included in your rental agreement. Evanston apartments can generally cost between $700 and $1000 a person per month. Proximity to NU can also affect the price of your apartment. (Many apartment leases do not include electricity and some also exclude internet or charge extra on top of rent.)

Area: Where should you live?

Evanston is a decently sized town and as such, there are a few areas to choose from when deciding where to live. Most neighborhoods are near the university but a couple are a bit far. Areas near the campus include; Downtown, Central Street, Dempster Street, Main Street, and Chicago Avenue. Each area has a different appeal and you should always research the area you are looking at before signing a lease.

Looking: What to look out for.

While you are searching for your apartment in Evanston, be sure to keep an eye out for things included in the rental cost and things that are not. The biggest costs to look for are heat, cooking gas, electric, internet, and if the facility has on-site laundry. Before you sign a lease, read it over carefully because some landlords will try to slip in a clause that you do not need to sign on with. If you are questioning anything in the lease you can search for the Tenants’ Rights Handbook.


Finding Your First Apartment: DeKalb
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Finding your first apartment is a nerve-racking experience. Whether you are just starting off college or simply moving to a new city, each area has its own unique tricks to finding the perfect apartments near NIU . While there are many options to choose from, there are important details to consider that help narrow down the decision pool. Among these are price, area, utilities included, and also nearby amenities.

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Finding Your First Apartment: Madison
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 Finding UW-Madison off campus housing is a nerve-racking experience. Whether you are just starting off college or simply moving to a new city, each area has its own unique tricks to finding your perfect place. While there are many options to choose from, there are important details to consider that help narrow down the decision pool. Among these are price, area, utilities included, and also nearby amenities.

Finances: What can you expect to afford in Madison?

One of the most important things to consider when you are looking for an apartment in Madison is your price range. Before you begin, you should sit down and figure out how much you can afford to spend every month and then don’t forget to leave an amount to pay your initial security deposit. Costs to take into account are rent, groceries, utilities not included in your rental agreement, and extracurriculars since Madison is the capital of Wisconsin and as such has many amenities to enjoy.

Rent is one of the biggest costs of living to consider and it fluctuates depending on what type of apartment you are looking at (studio, 1 bedroom, duplex, etc.), area, and amenities included in your rental agreement. Madison apartments can generally cost between $600 and $900 a person per month. Proximity to UW can also affect the price of your apartment. (Many apartment leases do not include electricity and some also exclude internet or charge extra on top of rent.)

Area: Where should you live?

Madison is a large city, being the capital of Wisconsin. The areas to live in are varied as you will find in all larger cities, but to find a place near campus is a much smaller search radius. Many of the places near campus are categorized by street name and will consist of student tenants. There are still many areas to choose from, including Monroe Street, Campus Drive (which is turns into University Avenue heading east), and then northeast of the UW campus, which is right by the lake. Each of these areas is right near campus and is primarily students living there. Don’t forget to research the area you are thinking of living in before you choose it.

Looking: What to look out for.

While you are searching for your apartment in Madison, be sure to keep an eye out for things included in the rental cost and things that are not. The biggest costs to look for are heat, cooking gas, electric, internet, and if the facility has on-site laundry. Before you sign a lease, read it over carefully because some landlords will try to slip in a clause that you do not need to sign on with. If you are questioning anything in the lease you can search for the Tenants’ Rights Handbook.


Finding Your First Apartment: Oshkosh
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Finding your first apartment is a nerve-racking experience. Whether you are just starting off college or simply moving to a new city, each area has its own unique tricks to finding your perfect place. While there are many options to choose from, there are important details to consider that help narrow down the decision pool to find UW-Oshkosh off-campus housing. Among these are price, area, utilities included, and also nearby amenities.

Finances: What can you expect to afford in Oshkosh?

One of the most important things to consider when you are looking for an apartment in Oshkosh is your price range. Before you begin, you should sit down and figure out how much you can afford to spend every month and then don’t forget to leave an amount to pay your initial security deposit. Costs to take into account are rent, groceries, utilities not included in your rental agreement, and extracurriculars since Oshkosh hosts many activities throughout the year and is home to many shopping centers.

Rent is one of the biggest costs of living to consider and it fluctuates depending on what type of apartment you are looking at (studio, 1 bedroom, duplex, etc.), area, and amenities included in your rental agreement. Oshkosh apartments can cost between $300 and $600 a person per month. Proximity to UWO can also affect the price of your apartment. (Many apartment leases do not include electricity and some also exclude internet or charge extra on top of rent.)

Area: Where should you live?

Oshkosh is a fairly close knit place. College students generally all live within walking distance of campus so there aren’t any differences in neighborhoods to choose from. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t research the specific area you choose to live, but it does mean that there aren’t too many differences between places, making your choice that much easier.

Looking: What to look out for.

While you are searching for your apartment in Oshkosh, be sure to keep an eye out for things included in the rental cost and things that are not. The biggest costs to look for are heat, cooking gas, electric, internet, and if the facility has on-site laundry. Before you sign a lease, read it over carefully because some landlords will try to slip in a clause that you do not need to sign on with. If you are questioning anything in the lease you can search for the Tenants’ Rights Handbook.


Finding Your First Apartment: Milwaukee
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Finding your first apartment is a nerve-racking experience. Whether you are just starting off college or simply moving to a new city, each area has its own unique tricks to finding your perfect place. While there are many UWM off-campus housing options to choose from, there are important details to consider that help narrow down the decision pool. Among these are price, area, utilities included, and also nearby amenities.

Finances: What can you expect to afford in Milwaukee?

One of the most important things to consider when you are looking for an apartment in Milwaukee is your price range. Before you begin, you should sit down and figure out how much you can afford to spend every month and then don’t forget to leave an amount to pay your initial security deposit. Costs to take into account are rent, groceries, utilities not included in your rental agreement, and extracurriculars since Milwaukee is home to a large bar scene, has a beautiful beach on Michigan Lake, a vast park system, and hosts many exciting events throughout the year.

Rent is one of the biggest costs of living to consider and it fluctuates depending on what type of apartment you are looking at (studio, 1 bedroom, duplex, etc.), area, and amenities included in your rental agreement. Milwaukee apartments can cost between $500 and $700 a person per month. Proximity to UWM, MATC, MSOE, and Marquette University can also affect the price of your apartment. Many apartment leases do not include electricity and some also exclude internet or charge extra on top of rent.

Area: Where should you live?

Milwaukee is a big city that has many different areas to find an apartment in. The different universities are all around different areas. The University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee is located on Milwaukee’s upper east side. The neighborhoods surrounding UWM are Shorewood, the Upper Eastside, the Lower Eastside, and Riverwest. The Milwaukee School Of Engineering and Milwaukee Area Technical College is around the Upper Eastside and Downtown. Marquette University is in the heart of Downtown Milwaukee. Researching each neighborhood is always a good idea before you decide.

Looking: What to look out for.

While you are searching for your apartment in Milwaukee, be sure to keep an eye out for things included in the rental cost and things that are not. The biggest costs to look for are heat, cooking gas, electric, internet, and if the facility has on-site laundry. Before you sign a lease, read it over carefully because some landlords will try to slip in a clause that you do not need to sign on with. If you are questioning anything in the lease you can search for the Tenants’ Rights Handbook.