When you are moving into an apartment, it is time to take a closer look at some of your finances and see whether you are able to set up a budget that will help you reach all of your financial goals. Knowing how much money comes in during the month and how much you are spending, and then learning which expenses you are able to cut down on will make a world of difference in helping you put together the budget you need.

One of the first things to consider is whether you are dealing with a fixed expense or a variable expense. These are different and how you handle each one is going to determine how you set up your budget. For fixed expenses, we are going to talk about the expenses that are going to stay the same, or pretty close to it, from one month to the next. Some examples of fixed expenses include:

# Your mortgage or your rent?

# Any gym memberships that you choose to have

# Most of the insurances that you would keep

# The streaming services that you choose

# Day care if you have kids to take care of

# Any subscriptions that you decide to add to your daily life

# Your internet and phone bill

Now, some of these expenses are going to go up annually, such as your phone bill or the internet. And over time, you may be surprised at how much they can go up on you. And if you have a life change, such as adding a phone for one of your kids, then you will see the price change as well. But the amount on these bills will not fluctuate from one month to the next. This is good news for you to provide you with some steadiness when it comes to your budget. The more you can keep with the fixed expenses, the easier it is to keep your budget in check.

When you move to California, you will likely want to bring along your pet to live with the family. Finding a great place that allows your pet to stay with you and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg can be a challenge in many areas. That is why you should check out some of our pet friendly apartments in Alameda. We are excited to welcome the whole family to come and check out our apartments and see if they are the right space for all your needs. Come and take a tour, ask some questions, and fill out an application to get things done!