So I signed my first lease by myself. Matt and I have lived together for about 2 and a half years now, and before that I lived with my ex for a few years, then with roommates for about 6 months.
So I've never really had a place that was just mine.
I managed to income qualify for a one bedroom apartment at the same complex where Matt and I have been living.
It is $595 a month, plus I pay the electric, internet, water, and renter's insurance.
This is pretty nerve-wracking. It means I have to be more careful about budgeting. I need to make sure I'm working full time every week and hope they don't decide to cut my hours again. And I need to stop buying adorable Hello Kitties, and possibly trim down my pull list and start just borrowing trades and movies from the library instead of buying and renting.

Being an adult is dumb as a butt and I hate it.

Best wishes to ya, Shelby.

So...when's the Mazola Party?

How big is your place altogether? Square footage? Walk-in kitchen?

720 sq feet, I believe.
Here's the floorplan:

it has a new dishwasher and microwave, which is cool.
the first floor is kinda like a basement level - if I look out my living room window, the ground is only about a foot or two below the window. Which is scary, since the possibility of a break-in seems higher with such easy access. I'm going to keep the window locked at all times, and buy one of those sticks to put in the runner at the bottom to jam it.

damn you for making me google that.

Cool! My first apartment was similar (but smaller), and the living room and kitchen were one room. And I shared it.
I guess the only time I've gotten to live "alone" was my last year at college, when I rented a room in a boarding house.

I'll bring the plastic mats.

Hey cool, Good Luck.
If it were my place I would reverse the usage of the two big rooms.

I have never lived alone.

And, yes, being an adult is dumb as a butt.

I would also reverse the use of the rooms, except the bedroom would be a studio space for making art and shit.

Also - CLOSETS!!!!!! Wow. Closets.

An idea for your living room:

Congrats and good luck!

That's a great apartment! Exciting!

Wow

I'm jealous

My place is not as big, and costs me a grand a month (sterling)

congrats, hope you are very happy there

Awesome!

*high five*

That's a good space at a good price, though -- floor plan is almost identical to a one-bedroom version of the two-bedroom apartment that was our favorite back in Maryland. And you're gonna like havingthe dishwasher.

Wooooooooot!!!

Real nice Shelby. Good luck.

Well, that's a given....

My office doubles as my "art" room, but I wouldn't recommend making shit anywhere but the bath... (too easy?)

awkwaaaaaard....

Being an adult is mostly wonderful. Paying for it, not so much.