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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Ogre in the Playground
     
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    Default An apartment of my own.

    Welp I guess it's time for me to become an adult and so exactly one month from now I will be moving into my first apartment.

    So any tips and tricks for living alone for a poor university student?

    It's just a small studio apartment and I do not have an oven but there is a stove and a microwave and there is a washroom with washing machines in the basement.
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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Make sure you have a decent number of easy and healthy recipes on hand. While "bachelor food" as I call it, is by definition easy to make and tasty, it is also not that healthy and will leave you low on energy and feeling like a brick in the long run. I suggest finding a few things you can make regularly and maybe even setting up a weekly meal plan.

    As an aside, my favorite bachelor dish is spaghetti with sauce, into which I grade so much cheddar the sauce turns orange. I also add ground beef if it is around. As with all bachelor food, eat it straight out of the pot if at all possible.
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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Set time regularly to clean up, do dishes, etc.
    Try to keep on good terms with the landlord.
    Respect your neighbors.

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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Do laundry more than once a month
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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    1) Photograph everything in your apartment before you move in. No exceptions.
    If you ever need to settle any sort of dispute about the condition of your apartment, before and after photographs can be a huge help.

    2) Don't settle for a verbal contract on anything regarding your apartment ever. No exceptions.
    For much the same reasons for having a photograph of your apartment before moving in, having a written (and signed) contract on everything regarding your apartment between you and your landlord/lady is absolutely invaluable.

    I tend to browse through Reddit's "youshouldknow", "lifeprotips", and "howto" subreddits. Lots of helpful commentary there (particularly the top-scoring advice).

    I hope that'll help you out.

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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Honestly, this is a great chance for you to start making your own mistakes decisions. Finally, no one can tell you what to do! Revel in that. You're going to do some stupid stuff, but you'll look back at that stupid stuff with fondness.

    I still have many fond memories of those wild college years. God, they were great. I was a freaking legend.

    But, if you want some practical advice. Make a budget for 90% of your income. 10% goes to savings. You'll need that savings money to bail you out of trouble when you do something stupid. Pay your bills first, do what you want with the rest.

    I did this, and regardless of how much trouble I caused, I had almost a quarter million dollars in available credit, a brand new Camaro, and a nice 3 bedroom starter home by the time I was 22. And no, I did not have rich parents to give me a great running headstart. I grew up poor, and on a couple of occasions, homeless. I earned everything I got. Of course... I lost it all in the economic collapse, but that's another chapter. The moral of the story is still the same.
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    Troll in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Previously in GITP:

    Quote Originally Posted by Manga Shoggoth View Post
    Off the top of my head:
    • Make sure that utilities (Gas, electricity, phone) are set up. Take meter readings when you arrive in case of disputes with bills - even if the bills are included in the rent.
    • Make sure you know how the division of bills is going to take place.
    • Make sure that anything like TV Licences are sorted out.
    • Make sure you have enough food for a short period to allow time for finding shops (and shopping, naturally).
    • Make sure that you know what is going to be in the flat:
      • Is there a bed there?
      • What do you need in the way of bedding (I reccommend having a sleeping bag just in case)
      • Do you need to supply cutlery, crockery, kettles and other such aids to gracious living?
      • How many of the fixtures and fittings are going to be there? (Not joking - previous tenants have been known to remove everything not nailed down. Including light bulbs...)
    It's worth doing a search on the message board - we seem to get these requests every couple of months. The advice in the posts above is also good.

    As far as shopping is concerned - when I was at Univeresity I set aside an amount of money to live on during the week (£15 was a lot then...). In the weekly food shop I allowed myself one "treet" item and then concentrated on the basics.

    And remember, this is an ideal time to find out what you can live without. I was amazed how little I missed television...
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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Never go shopping hungry.

    Remember to turn off as much stuff as possible before you go to sleep. This means turning the TV off at the wall, not over charging your phone.

    Don't overstock your fridge. Wasted food is wasted money and a mess. Don't get suckered in with buy one get one free offers and the like.

    Try not to sign up for stuff to avoid junk mail.

    Buy quality not quantity. You want stuff to last.

    Treat your neighbours well, use them when needed. If you ever need someone to watch your place, borrow a tool or some sugar or whatever, it is good to have the neighbours on side.

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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Never go shopping hungry.

    Remember to turn off as much stuff as possible before you go to sleep. This means turning the TV off at the wall, not over charging your phone.

    Don't overstock your fridge. Wasted food is wasted money and a mess. Don't get suckered in with buy one get one free offers and the like.

    Try not to sign up for stuff to avoid junk mail.

    Buy quality not quantity. You want stuff to last.

    Treat your neighbours well, use them when needed. If you ever need someone to watch your place, borrow a tool or some sugar or whatever, it is good to have the neighbours on side.

    And if you are looking for recipies, I'm about to start posting some for fun.
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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Try to find those knock off food shops; Aldi or Lidil or whatever the equivalent is where you live. Trust me, it tastes just the same but it's much, much cheaper.

    Learn how to properly microwave cook. I don't mean use it to heat up food, but actual proper recipes designed with a microwave in mind. Being able to do that will increase your options dramatically.
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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Quote Originally Posted by Sturmcrow View Post
    Set time regularly to clean up, do dishes, etc.
    Try to keep on good terms with the landlord.
    Respect your neighbors.
    Yes. Very much.

    Quote Originally Posted by inexorabletruth View Post
    But, if you want some practical advice. Make a budget for 90% of your income. 10% goes to savings. You'll need that savings money to bail you out of trouble when you do something stupid. Pay your bills first, do what you want with the rest.
    This is not negotiable. Do it if you ever want to even think about not living hand-to-mouth for the rest of your life. It's very easy to piss away your entire income, and living ain't cheap.

    Quote Originally Posted by Trilby View Post
    Never go shopping hungry.
    Unless you're like me. I won't buy food unless I am hungry. The rest of her post's pretty solid, though.

    I live in a barracks, so it's similar in some respects. Among the lessons I've learned is the importance in being a good neighbor. Sure, you probably won't find yourself in a situation where all your neighbors know how to kill people with their bare hands and have more knives than close personal friends, but it's always a possibility.

    Don't be that guy who complains about everything to the landlord and/or police. Realize what's worth complaining about and what isn't. He sets fires and tortures cats? Worth complaining about. Once in a while he has a loud party on a weekend? Not worth complaining about. This builds up a reservoir of good will - or at the least, helps keep your neighbors from hating you with a fiery burning passionate hate.

    Introduce yourself to your neighbors. They'll look at you funny, especially if you're in the States (I didn't catch your location), but it isn't at all a bad idea. At the very least, they'll recognize you if you lock yourself out of the complex (or if you accidentally stumble to their door, drunk, they'll know where to drop you off). Be available to help them out, but don't be a sucker either.

    Accept that most of your neighbors are going to be *****. People are bastards. The sooner you accept this, the sooner you'll get to hating each other in peace.

    Don't be that guy who doesn't keep his place clean, and for the love of all that is fluffy and cute don't be that guy who doesn't keep himself clean. I don't know how many eighteen-year-old kids I've had the pleasure of working with who didn't seem to get it through their skulls that Sergeant =/= Mommy and I'm not coming into his room to clean it up - I'm coming into his room for him to clean it up. (and oh how he's going to clean it - I've been known to duct tape green scrubbies to their chests and make them scrub the entire floor clean while in the front leaning rest) I shudder to think of how they'd live without someone breathing down their neck.
    Don't require someone to breathe down your neck to keep your place clean. Please, God, don't require someone to breathe down your neck to keep your place clean.
    Take pride in where you live. You live there. It's your territory. Don't leave messes in the hallways, and clean them up if you find them.

    Keep a mind to security. If you can, get a firearm and learn how to use it. If you can't... well, don't get an apartment on the first floor. Keep your door locked at all times, and be careful who you open it for.
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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Quote Originally Posted by Trilby View Post

    Buy quality not quantity. You want stuff to last.
    That is probably better advice for someone is hasn't specified broke student. Its good to add a nice thing here or there but really don't worry about it to soon or you'll just stress.

    My personal advice:
    -ramen noodles are pasta for $.16 just put spaghetti sauce on those and save the flavor packets for other things it is way less expensive.
    -don't let your friends come over and drink a whole bunch and trash your place, unless they bring all the boozes, then it balances out
    -get a maid service to come in before you move out, the $60 you spend on that will get you a lot more back on your security deposit
    -get ahead on any bill you can when you come into money. little purchases happen otherwise and before you know it your phone bill money was spent.
    -have like two plates, bowls, glasses and pieces of each sliver ware. Since you wont have a lot of dishes to pile up you wont end up with a mountain of dirty dishes and it is way less expensive then buying disposable ones.

    oh and one my hubby taught me (more directly then the others even though he kinda taught me most of them)
    - Getting groceries at the dollar store is nothing to be ashamed of. Same thing goes for clearance items. If you buy half way decent spices you can make cheap food taste pretty good. Will it be amazing for you? Not so much. Is food better then starving? Totally. Just don't buy a bunch and end up tossing it.

    And my personal favourite
    -Never turn down free food. So many of my friends complained when their parents would come by with food for them after they moved out. Not me, even if its something you wouldn't normally eat, take it and be grateful. You might work it into a meal and have it turn out to be pretty good or maybe its the last thing in the house you have to eat before you completely run out but one day you will eat what ever canned/ boxed food they brought.
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    Ettin in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Check your basement for hungry wolverines. You'll be grateful you did.

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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Quote Originally Posted by The Succubus View Post
    Check your basement for hungry wolverines. You'll be grateful you did.
    There's a story there. I can tell.

    Oh, one more thing: Fast food is a good way to make sure you're always broke.
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    Be very mindful of the vegetable drawer in the fridge. It can get outright scary in there.
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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Dollar stores aren't always a good deal, always check how much you are paying per ounce.

    The advice to save money is great. Learn to budget and budget well.
    A lot of cheap food is really unhealthy but if you are careful you can manage dont try to live on fast food or microwave meals. Way to expensive. Learn to make meals that you can save and reheat a couple times.
    Last edited by Sturmcrow; 2012-05-01 at 06:58 PM.

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    Colossus in the Playground
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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    The budgeting advice is probably the most crucial. You need to set a hard line of how much money from each check you can spend. (Its easier if you have a fairly steady pay per check) And ALWAYS make sure you have extra to put in the bank. Oh sure you have everything perfectly split between rent and bills and food, but then you get a speeding ticket thats due the week you need to pay your auto taxes, or your insurance company decides its time to bump your rates because they can, or you lose your job for whatever reason, or you bust a tooth and need to drop a few hundred to get it fixed/yanked. These things happen, and they happen more than you expect. So saving up every spare cent and only touching those savings during these emergencies will save your life.

    I have been doing that ever since I got my first job at 15 just to get into that habit. I was never prouder than when I went 4 months between jobs and still had an open bank account and hadnt missed a single car insurance or student loan payment because I knew it was due to me thinking ahead and budgeting properly.
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  18. - Top - End - #18
    Surgebinder in the Playground Moderator
     
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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Quote Originally Posted by inexorabletruth View Post
    But, if you want some practical advice. Make a budget for 90% of your income. 10% goes to savings. You'll need that savings money to bail you out of trouble when you do something stupid. Pay your bills first, do what you want with the rest.
    10% is nice. 20% is better. I, personally, have around 35% of my pre-tax income going into savings. After accounting for taxes, I think I'm saving roughly half of my income. That is what the road to early retirement looks like. Admittedly this is made easier by me having a higher than average income, but the point remains that I am living far below my means and that this is a very good thing financially.

    Such a high savings rate is probably not possible for a "poor university student", but it may become so in the future and it's a good idea to get into the mindset of saving being a major thing you allocate money for up front rather than merely something you do with your leftover money.

    Quote Originally Posted by Trilby View Post
    Don't overstock your fridge. Wasted food is wasted money and a mess. Don't get suckered in with buy one get one free offers and the like.
    Indeed. BOGO sales can be great, but think first about how quickly you will actually consume it all compared to how long it will take to spoil. Canned foods that can sit on a shelf for years with no problem? Exploit the sale for all it's worth and stock up (within reason). Milk, fruit, meat, and other perishables? Sure, take advantage of any sales, but keep the quantity down to what you will eat quickly.

    Quote Originally Posted by Trilby View Post
    Buy quality not quantity. You want stuff to last.
    Yeah, cheap stuff can be a nice up front savings, but there's an element of "you get what you pay for" to consider. In some cases, buying cheap can cost you more in repair, maintenance, and replacement costs in the long run.

    Quote Originally Posted by missmvicious View Post
    That is probably better advice for someone is hasn't specified broke student. Its good to add a nice thing here or there but really don't worry about it to soon or you'll just stress.
    This is also true. Most of the things for which quality is a major concern aren't really things a broke student should be buying anyway. I'd say the best course is probably to get by on whatever cheap stuff you can for now, and save up in the mean time with plans to switch when you have enough to go straight to "it'll last forever" stuff.

    Quote Originally Posted by missmvicious View Post
    -get ahead on any bill you can when you come into money. little purchases happen otherwise and before you know it your phone bill money was spent.
    This should be part of a more general policy of deliberately setting money aside up front for all your really big and important expenses. You really don't want a shortage of money at bill-paying time to come as a surprise, and it's very easy to do that if you don't plan your spending.

    Quote Originally Posted by missmvicious View Post
    -have like two plates, bowls, glasses and pieces of each sliver ware. Since you wont have a lot of dishes to pile up you wont end up with a mountain of dirty dishes and it is way less expensive then buying disposable ones.
    The quantity of dishes is largely up to preference and whether you ever expect many guests, but I definitely agree you should get permanent washable dishes. The reuse will pay for the higher initial expense over time.

    Quote Originally Posted by Solaris View Post
    Oh, one more thing: Fast food is a good way to make sure you're always broke.
    More accurately, frequent restaurant eating is a good way to make sure you're always broke. If you do eat out a lot, then fast food is actually probably the cheapest option.

    Home cooking is preferable if you can manage it. I'd suggest getting a few good, cheap, healthy (yes, all those in combination do exist) recipes, making large batches of them, and eating a lot of leftovers. Have two or three sets of leftovers running at a time so you don't get too sick of eating the same thing for days on end.
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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    One thing I don't see mentioned already is a basic set of tools. Sure, you can probably get your landlord to show up for everything that goes wrong, but unless it's in the lease that they have to do all repairs, it's just a hassle on your part to have to notify them whenever something minor happens that you can fix yourself. Also, you'll probably be buying something that needs to be assembled at one point or another, and it's always embarrassing to have to ask around for tools.

    I've got more or less a full set of tools, but if I were to limit myself to things to keep in a drawer, there's these:

    A 4-in-1 screwdriver: Generally, you don't need more than one screwdriver at a time, and since this one comes with 2 phillips and 2 slotted heads, it'll work on most anything you come across. If you limit yourself to just a normal screwdriver, about 3/4 of all screws are #2 phillips.

    Normal and needle nose pliers: I prefer vice grips, but in the interest of price, these work fine unless something's really stuck on there.

    wrench: a set of wrenches or ratchets in both imperial and metric are really preferable, since you're less likely to strip the bolts/nuts, but if you're tight on money or space, an adjustable wrench isn't absolutely terrible.

    Hammer: You'll probably want to hang things, and most fasteners need to be hammered in. Also good for whacking a wrench, vice grips, or pliers to try and knock a bolt or fitting loose. If you have the space, a rubber mallet is a good idea as well.

    Drain snake: Sooner or later, you're going to have a drain clogged so bad that a plunger isn't going to make a difference, or maybe your roommate accidentally knocked a toothbrush into the toilet and flushed. These are a heck of a lot cheaper than a plumber. A lot of people recommend the 25 foot ones, but my 15 footer works fine for me.

    Duct tape: MacGyver carried it with him everywhere for a reason. This stuff is invaluable when it comes to repairs.

    These won't get you through a remodeling project, but for things like fixing a leaky faucet or putting together that desk from IKEA they'll do the job.

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    Quote Originally Posted by douglas View Post
    The quantity of dishes is largely up to preference and whether you ever expect many guests, but I definitely agree you should get permanent washable dishes. The reuse will pay for the higher initial expense over time.


    More accurately, frequent restaurant eating is a good way to make sure you're always broke. If you do eat out a lot, then fast food is actually probably the cheapest option.
    It doesn't take long at all anymore for those disposable dishes to be more expensive. Dollar stores do have plates typically and so those two plates are already less then a pack of disposable dishes.

    And fast food is still not worth it for eating out. Its like $8 for a combo meal at burger king pre tax. You could look at possibly doing a secret shopper thing for restaurants. I got into that and you don't make a lot but it will reimburse what you spend when you eat out so at least that same $20 eating out budget lasts a while.
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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Quote Originally Posted by missmvicious View Post


    It doesn't take long at all anymore for those disposable dishes to be more expensive. Dollar stores do have plates typically and so those two plates are already less then a pack of disposable dishes.

    And fast food is still not worth it for eating out. Its like $8 for a combo meal at burger king pre tax. You could look at possibly doing a secret shopper thing for restaurants. I got into that and you don't make a lot but it will reimburse what you spend when you eat out so at least that same $20 eating out budget lasts a while.
    On the other hand, taco bell is about half that for a decent meal. Those $2 meal deals are great. You get the meal, a snack for later, and a drink to hold you over for a few hours. But even a couple of cheesy potato burritos are about 4 bucks and change and more than enough for this lardass to consider a filling meal. Still probably cheaper (and healthier) in the long run to just buy your food and make it yourself, but there are fairly cheap options out there for fast food.

    Personally, my main food source is the frozen section of Costco. The prepared stuff I get, perogies, potstickers, the popcorn chicken of various flavors, etc, are all reasonably priced, and can last for several meals. So you spend 11 bucks on that sack of pot stickers, but get a solid 5-10 meals out of the bag before you run out. And its all frozen so it stores for a solid length of time. Stretch it out with side dishes so you dont need as much per serving and it can be a really good deal.
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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Research a few food stores near where you live, and determine which is cheapest, and especially determine if one does certain things cheaper than another.

    If your budget can stretch to it and you feel competent, cook with fresh veggies. Your will feel the difference in your energy levels.

    Turn electrical stuff off when not using it.

    Don't forgot to include "fun money" in your budget. Unless you're a monk, you'll spend it anyway, so may as well plan around it.

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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Quote Originally Posted by missmvicious View Post
    And fast food is still not worth it for eating out. Its like $8 for a combo meal at burger king pre tax.
    Try skipping the soda and ordering from the value menu. A whopper junior plus fries is between $3 and $4, even if the fries is a large, and fills me up just fine most days.

    Home cooking is still cheaper and potentially both better and healthier, but if you're smart about what you order fast food isn't that terribly expensive.

    Quote Originally Posted by Traab View Post
    Personally, my main food source is the frozen section of Costco. The prepared stuff I get, perogies, potstickers, the popcorn chicken of various flavors, etc, are all reasonably priced, and can last for several meals. So you spend 11 bucks on that sack of pot stickers, but get a solid 5-10 meals out of the bag before you run out. And its all frozen so it stores for a solid length of time. Stretch it out with side dishes so you dont need as much per serving and it can be a really good deal.
    Cheap, yes. Healthy, probably not.
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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Quote Originally Posted by douglas View Post
    Try skipping the soda and ordering from the value menu. A whopper junior plus fries is between $3 and $4, even if the fries is a large, and fills me up just fine most days.

    Home cooking is still cheaper and potentially both better and healthier, but if you're smart about what you order fast food isn't that terribly expensive.


    Cheap, yes. Healthy, probably not.
    True, but add in some side dishes like veggies and whatnot and stay away from some of the more obnoxiously unhealthy items and you would do ok. Alot of the stuff I get, the unhealthy part is extra sodium or something. They arent riddled with fat and cholesterol. The potstickers I get, the fat works out to about 13% of your daily amount per serving. The sodium is a quarter your daily amount, but thats your supper, its not like you will be eating 7 meals of it a day. So really, while its not likely you will find these items listed on a diet menu, neither will it be your own version of "supersize me" if you eat these types of things for dinner every night. Especially if you eat decent side dishes with them. Pop a multivitamin if you are worried about vitamins and minerals.
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    Cauliflower soup can be amazingly flavorful and is remarkably cheap. Make it in a blender, it will take you all of 5 minutes, and it is astonishingly good for you.

    Chili is a very cost effective bachelor chow if you use lentils. And lentils are extremely good for you.

    Learn to properly cook rice without a rice cooker. No really.
    A vegetable steamer is really worth the investment. Steam your veggies and make rice at the same time. Focus your efforts on a good cut of chicken or fish or beef or pork or whatever you got, and you have a great meal.

    Slow cookers/crock pots are your friend. I make all kinds of stuff from curry to pasta to roasts to soups. All while I'm out at work.
    If I'm making roast, I set up the roast in marinade the night before, in the slow cooker, and leave it in the fridge. Next morning, pull the slow cooker out, load up the veggie steamer. When I get home, I start a pot of water boiling for potatoes. When water hits boiling, dump in potatoes, turn on steamer. Dinner is ready within 20 minutes of me walking in the door.

    Eye of Round beef is an excellent cut of meat for it's cost. I cut whole roasts into steaks and freeze them individually. They grill quick and take marinade well. I recommend only cooking it medium rare and not a second longer or it turns to boot leather. Cutting them thick, a full inch thick, is recommended, and trim the fat before you freeze them. But you can get away with a thinner cut.

    Pork is cheap. Stupid cheap. I can buy a whole pork tenderloin as long as my arm. For $15 here in canada. That turns into about 30-40 pork chops, and it's easier to trim the fat on them. Pop them into ziplock sandwich bags and freeze them, 4-6 in a bag. When you freeze them you can even dump in some seasoning and marinade so that they are ready to go once they are thawed.

    Pork chops also turn into schnitzle really easily. Pound them flat, bread them, fry them, kind of like chicken parmisean.

    Bean Sprouts. Cheap, packed with nutrients, and if all you do is add a handful to some ramen noodles (with or without the broth) you're already eating better than most. I boil up the noodles without adding the broth flavoring to the pot. Strain the noodles out. Line the serving bowl with a handful of bean sprouts. Lay the noodles on top. Season, maybe hit it with some hot sauce or some sweet chili or some hoisin. Enjoy.

    Potato Soup is stupidly easy to make. Can you make mashed potatoes? You can make potato soup. Mash your potatoes, add in more milk/cream than normal, add in a generous amount of cheese. If it's too thin, add some sour cream or more cheese. If it's too thick, add some milk. Protip-Leave the skins on, lots of nutrients in the skin.

    Do. Not. Buy. Pop. It is such a waste of money. Even the bargain brand junk. And it is terrible for you.

    If you are going to buy chicken, sometimes it is actually smarter to buy a whole chicken pre-cooked. Why? That whole chicken is sometimes cheaper than what you would pay for chicken breast individually. And you still have the rest of the chicken. And the bones to make stock.
    Even if it isn't cooked, sometimes the whole chicken is a better buy, so long as you know what to do with it. Don't forget you can fit a whole chicken into a slow-cooker, and it is perfectly safe and sanitary to slow-cook a chicken all day while you are out.

    Ham. If you buy the right kind, it is dirt cheap, and it has a lot of uses. Drop a whole ham into your slow cooker with some gingerale, some fresh ginger or ginger powder, and a tablespoon of honey. It will change your life. Pork shoulder works too.

    Snacking. I'm a big fan of veggie trays if you live alone. Why? For usually a fair price you get a portion of carrots, celery, peas in pods, cherry tomatoes. And if you bought them all separately, you would pay more and have more than you might use. If you have a veggie tray instead, first off, you can snack on it. Second, you have probably 4 ingredients on hand, most of the time already pre-cut into convenient sizes. Seriously, when you think about it they aren't really a waste of money if you use them. If you bought all those ingredients separately, they might go bad before you can use/eat them all, which is a waste of money at that point.
    A veggie tray where I am is $11 for a good one. A bag of baby carrots is usually around $5. The peas are $5. The cherry tomatoes are minimum $5. And it's more than I would normally use. Think about it.



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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Get a cat. Because no home is complete without a cat.
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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Quote Originally Posted by Asta Kask View Post
    Get a cat. Because no home is complete without a cat.
    Who could live without that smell?
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    Quote Originally Posted by Asta Kask View Post
    Get a cat. Because no home is complete without a cat.
    I would love to but unfortunately there is a no pets rule

    Rest of the thread: Thanks for all the good advice so far.
    Last edited by pffh; 2012-05-02 at 02:58 PM.
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    Default Re: An apartment of my own.

    Herb garden is easy if you have enough sunlight access.
    Basil, chives, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme. Possibly oregano.
    The key to herb gardens is use them. Harvest regularly. Dump basil and oregano into pasta sauces (chopped up of course) in vast quantities if you have to.
    Last edited by Karoht; 2012-05-02 at 03:19 PM.
    ~~Courage is not the lack of fear~~
    Quote Originally Posted by gooddragon1 View Post
    If the party wizard can't survive a supersonic dragon made of iron at epic levels it's his own fault really.
    "In soviet dungeon, aboleth farms you!"
    "Please consult your DM before administering Steve brand Aboleth Mucus.
    Ask your DM if Aboleth Mucus is right for you.
    Side effects include coughing, sneezing, and other flu like symptoms, cancer, breathing water like a fish, loss of dignity, loss of balance, loss of bowel and bladder control."

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    Quote Originally Posted by Solaris View Post
    Who could live without that smell?
    Cats don't smell. They're cleaner than most animals.
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