[ChrisMcN]

I anticipate being single again within the year and need to set up a budget and find an apartment. Since it's been a very long time since I've been on my own (yeah, I'm clueless!)I need some help estimating what utilities would cost (electric, heat, phone, cable, internet access, laundry, etc.) for a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment (vs. a 4 bedroom house) I plan on staying in the same general vicinity (Tolland) and would also appreciate recommendations on apartment complexes in the area. I'd like to keep rent under $900/mo. Ideally, I would like a close commute to where I work in Storrs but don't want to end up in student housing so I was thinking of Rockville/Vernon or Ellington areas.

Speaking of phones, will I really need a land line if I have a cell phone?

Besides the above and grocery and car expenses are there any other costs to consider?

[willow wind]

You can't be that clueless- lol. Surely you realize that phone, cable, internet depends entirely upon what provider you choose and what plan you chose from that provider. You can go very, very basic or sky's the limit. What are you paying now for those items ?

Depending upon what type of apartment you finally pick, will also depend upon what you pay for utilities. You will always pay for your own electric service. However, some apartment complexes will include heat and hot water in the monthly cost, some won't.

Townhouse type rentals are more likely to not have heat and hot water included. Apartment types with a unit above, below you are more likely to have heat & hot water included.

Some units may have a washer/dryer hook-up in the apartment. If they don't, most will have a laundry room somewhere in the building. That will normally be coin operated.

You don't need a land line. However, I think virtually everyone in the state has figured out in the past two months that when climate disaster strikes, cell phone, internet,cable may be the first things to go when the power is out. Then a land line comes in handy for sure. Even with emergency plans on hand, towns may take a few days to get charging stations for electronics set up. Yes, you can charge from your car, but that usually requires running the engine and since gas stations may be closed, that means wasting gas. Make note to self, make sure to top off gas tank prior to climate event.

One other expense you will want to plan for is to take out renter's insurance. This will cover your furniture, valuables, contents of your apartment in case of fire, theft, etc. Again, as with all insurance, cost depends on the value of your stuff , how much coverage you want and what insurance carrier you chose. You don't insure each item individually, but total value of contents.

Good luck

[ytlh]

Heat can vary drastically from place to place-I would recommend trying to get an estimate for the specific apartments you are looking at. For one example, my heat and electric is combined and varies from ~$65 - $120 but if you search old threads you will read about a huge range of costs so I don't know that any one estimate is particularly useful (but the old threads on this site might be). As the poster above mentioned, you can create less uncertainty in costs by renting a place where some utilities are included.

My building has a laundry room that is shared by all apartments: $1.95 to wash one load, $1.75 to dry one load. This is fairly typical, if maybe on the expensive side, for in-building laundry rooms. My last place was about .25 cheaper per load. I get internet and a land line for ~$65 per month, but don't use cable and have a minimal phone package-those options would push it higher. I know many people who are perfectly happy without a land line, barring major storms. My cell phone is ~$45 per month.

I guess the only other thing you should remember to budget in if you haven't been doing household purchases in a while is various non-food supplies-paper towels, soap, shampoo, etc...not usually too expensive though.

[JayCT]

Actusally during both Irene and the snowstorm our cell phones worked and the land line did not. Jay

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Actusally during both Irene and the snowstorm our cell phones worked and the land line did not. Jay

Same here.

[Uconn97]

Just make sure where you end up you have good cell service before you decide not to get a land line. We actually have horrible cell service at our house which doesn't give us a choice. I would look in vernon which has lots of apartment options from really nice ones to basic, no frills kind of places. Also had a friend who lived at cornfield apt in ellington and she liked it there an I think she was paying under $1,000 for a 1 bedroom which included heat and had a hook up for washer/dryer in her basement...

[willow wind]

Jay, you were lucky. We were not impacted by the snowstorm as it mostly rained down here on the south east shore.

But we out of power for a week with Irene. And nothing worked right, cell or land line. We made do with intermittent, scrambled service. Calling out of state was a joke. Calling the local area was better after AT & T & Verizon ( my cell provider) set up generators underneath their transmission units ( which took a couple of days) Trying to talk to anyone in the western part of the state or Westchester county was frustrating to say the least.

[anthonyfromMA]

My wife and I found a beautiful country setting 1300 sq ft apartment in Broad Brook (part of East Windsor) for $1,150/month which includes cable, internet and water (although not heating which is where the hot water comes from)

[ChrisMcN]

Originally Posted by Uconn97

... Also had a friend who lived at cornfield apt in ellington and she liked it there an I think she was paying under $1,000 for a 1 bedroom which included heat and had a hook up for washer/dryer in her basement...

I checked this place out today. The 1 bedroom townhouse is "cozy" but very nice and I liked the fact that there's a basement with w/d hook ups. It's $840-870/mo but does not include heat. Electric and water is not included in the rent. The office manager who showed me the model said that electric could run anywhere between $60 (summer)-$200 (winter) and water would be $45 every 3 months. It's a little far from work but very convenient to shopping.

Thanks for the tip!