Our rent just went up $55 per month...

[Coney]

So, okay. We've been in our apartment for 10 years, and our rent's gone up every 2 years. The Housing Board of NY just raised the percentage that a 2 year lease can go up, so this time the jump was $55. :sweat:

This wouldn't be such a big deal, but 3 months ago I cut down a day at work to try to be an artist for a living. I really needed the extra day to draw and paint. I'm married to a banjo player. You see our dilemma?

We're trying to pay off our credit cards so we'll have $300 more per month that we can use to, say, put in our Savings account. But the CC won't be paid off for quite some time.

So I'm trying to brainstorm on how to save money. We like to hang with friends and have drinks, which is where most of our spending goes, unfortunately. (I'm good at making dinners that cost nothing, so I don't really need any help there.) It's mostly the bills and the rent that I'm worried about.

We're pretty good most of the time about not spending anything, but we're definitely gonna feel the crunch with this rent increase. For quite a while we didn't really need to worry about it, 'cause my guy had a day job, but he quit to be a banjo player about 3 years ago. Now it's my turn to try to be an artist for a living, so I've cut down to 4 days.

We can't move out of the city, because we'd be spending the same on rent no matter where we'd go. I've heard the real estate prices are just insane no matter where you are.

Does anyone here have secret ways of saving on electric bills, or maybe, how to find money? I've been looking on the ground for $20 bills, but haven't found any yet...

[madder]

Yikes, that sucks.

I don't have any magic solutions though! For saving on electricity, maybe turn down your heating, try long-life bulbs, make sure you switch appliances off completely (i.e. don't leave on standby, this can use lots of juice), switch lights off when you leave the room - I'm sure you've already thought of all of these.

Good luck anyway!

[nixona]

I feel your pain, my rent is going up $65 next month. Luckily they put the offer on the table BEFORE the town got rated the #3 best place to live in the US.

[bstutzma]

Maybe your spouse should get a flex-job. I had a job where I called people doing political polls (I would not recommend actual telemarketing, but most people actually enjoy being polled politically so it wasn't a bad job and paid well.) The hours were very flexible, and you don't have to do it all the time (just when polls come in - and only when you want to.) There are other jobs out there that one could get and easily earn the $55 back with good hours and less than a day of work. And, that way you can continue to enjoy evenings out with friends without giving up on the banjo ;-)

[dk_art]

I just sent you a message Coney ... hope it's useful

[kentauros]

Those are good ideas, bstutzma :)

Alternatively, here's a good site for jobs (and everything else) - craigslist - new york (http://newyork.craigslist.org/)

I hope you can work something out, coney. We certainly understand, too, about moving. We're "lucky" enough to have bills like water and electric paid by the landlord, but it's still $650/mo, which is a little much for us. Still waiting on that high-paying drafting position to come by ;)

[SeaSiren]

Depends on how Frugal you are comfortable being. Pick up a copy of The Tightwad Gazette (I, II, & III) from the library. You'd be amazed at how little things add up to big savings (wash plastic baggies, reusing vacumn cleaning bags, aluminum foil, etc, oatmeal instead of boxed cereal, cooking from scratch, etc).

[4 Life]

Use coupons and don't buy name brand stuff. You'd be amazed at what you could save. Do you have a farmers market? Most of the time if you go like an hour before they close you may be able to get a better deal. We have an open air market here and that's what I do. The sellers don't want to pack it up and haul it back so they discount it big time. I'm not sure if you want to go this far, but way back in the day I used to hand wash all my clothes in the tub and line dry them. It saved me at least $30 a month not going to the laundrymat.

[veggiewriter]

Brown-bagging it to lunch saves me tons of money. Especially if I'm brown-bagging Ramen (which, of course, if terrible for you...).

As for your rent going up: can you fight it? My apartment complex had given me a free month (to spread across the year's rent) when I moved in last year; when this year's new rental agreement came around w/out that free month added on, it was a big monthly different. I told them I wasn't certain whether I wanted to stay, since if I moved, my new complex would surely offer me a free month. My landlord instantly offered me 1/2 a month free. I took it, but I bet if I'd waited a bit longer I could have gotten an entire month.

Would something like that work for you? Maybe split that $55 and tell them you'd feel comfortable paying this much this year, otherwise you'll be looking at other places? If you're a good tenant, it's likely they'd rather cut you a break than risk loosing you and having to find someone else.

[remilard]

Would something like that work for you? Maybe split that $55 and tell them you'd feel comfortable paying this much this year, otherwise you'll be looking at other places? If you're a good tenant, it's likely they'd rather cut you a break than risk loosing you and having to find someone else.

Presumably rent controls in NYC eliminate this type of leverage. While the rent is going up it is still possibly well below market rates.

[bstutzma]

I agree, $55 is probably non-negotiable. Here in Boston, my friends routinely were facing increases from $100-$250 a month, every year! My husband and I live in a rent controlled area, thankfully - but if I told you what we paid a month for our "rent controlled" apartment I think most of you would faint.

I definitely think that a very-part-time job is the easiest solution - or not spending money on liquor when you go out (which EASILY can eat up $50 a month between two people.)

[4 Life]

Plus, don't forget the cost of utilities has skyrocketed. Not to mention materials for general upkeep and maintenance has increased. When that happens, the costs get passed on to the end user, i.e. renters.

[remilard]

My rent went up exactly $55 per month last month on subsidized student housing. They attributed $30 of that to expected electricity rate increases (utilities are included) so $25 only for the actual rent. That is an annual raise though the price is never flat through multiple years.