As you get ready to move into your own apartment, one thing that you need to consider is how much you can afford in rent. You may have a magical number in your head that you would like to go with, but is this a number that actually makes sense with what you earn and what you are able to afford? Most landlords will not let you move into an apartment if the rent is more than 1/3 of your income, so you may need to figure out how much that income is before you begin searching. You  also have to consider your debts and other obligations at the same time.

To start, you need to figure out how much money you have leftover at the end of the month after everything is paid. You can take your expenses that you should tally up from your checking account and then subtract it from your income. If your projected expenses end up being higher than your income, then it is time to go back and find ways to cut some of your costs. And one area that is easy to cut the costs on is your rent, meaning you may need to go with something that is smaller and more affordable than what you originally planned to go with or that you will need to bring along a roommate to offset some of the costs.

Once you have this number, you will be able to come up with some calculations on what you could afford to pay the landlord in rent each month. The less you can pay, the better, because this frees up more money to help you reach some of your other financial goals along the way. Stick with no more than 30% of your income, though you may want to make the percentage lower if you have a lot of debts you need to work on first.

There are a lot of different apartments out there that you can choose, but none will compare to our  apartments in Mission Valley. We have taken the time to create an apartment unit that will check all of the boxes and works well for your needs. No matter how big or small of space you need or which amenities are on your list, we are confident that we can help you find a place that you will love to call home. You could check out a lot of other apartments, but you may be discouraged and disappointed. Contact a member of our team today to learn more and to schedule your tour.