Budget

The money side of moving out: how much to save, what rent you can afford, every hidden cost, and how to furnish a place on almost nothing.

• How Much to Save Before Moving Out

  The savings calculator — your real number, not a rule of thumb.

• How Much Rent Can I Afford?

  The affordability calculator landlords wish you'd never use.

• The First Apartment Budget Planner

  One-time move-in costs, monthly costs, and the budget killers.

• The Hidden Costs of a First Apartment

  Application fees, deposits, and the ambushes nobody budgets for.

• Furnishing on a Tiny Budget

  The $500 furnishing plan, plus the free-stuff channels.

• The Dollar-Store List

  What's genuinely good there — and what to never buy there.

• Buy Used First

  The secondhand list, where to hunt, and what to always buy new.

• Splitting Costs With Roommates

  Fair split models with worked examples — and the awkward scripts.