Mom Of The Gym Gives Advice

Jermaine once gave me the nickname of "Queen of the Gym", but last night I felt like "Mom of the Gym" when JJ called to ask for information and advice concerning renting an apartment. He and Mort have been trying to get money together so they can move out of their parents' respective houses for months. Both guys are old enough to be my sons, if I had any.

He started out by asking about the cost of renting in my neighborhood. JJ lives in Evanston, and traditionally, a lot of young adults who live in that town have looked to the Rogers Park neighborhood to find cheaper apartments. Evanston is not cheap to live in. High property taxes is one reason why it's expensive. There are mostly houses, and like most other cities and towns, condos have proliferated like cockroaches. Unfortunately, Rogers Park has lost its reputation as an area where affordable apartments can be found easily. New condo developments and former apartment buildings that have been converted to condos have driven the price of the rentals that are left up very high.

The first apartment I had was in the Gold Coast, an upper middle class/wealthy area not far from downtown Chicago. Amazingly, I was paying a little over $200 a month for an apartment that my late dad had to co-sign the lease on. I was making not much more than $10,000 a year at the time. Nobody making that small of a salary today could afford anything there or anywhere else for that matter.

It seems to be very hard for young adults to start out on their own these days. Those graduating from college find themselves living back at home, even if they have a job. Starting salaries often aren't enough for them to live on their own. Those with only a high school education have an even harder time finding decent paying work, which cuts down on them being truly independent. Getting a roommate saves some money, but often, there's still a lot of penny pinching going on.

I advised JJ to look at apartments where he wouldn't have to pay utilities at all. "Never move into any apartment where you have to pay a heat bill. That bill will take a big chunk out of your paycheck," I said. I also told him ways to cut down on his electric bill if he has to be responsible for one.

I only touched on having to figure groceries and transportation costs into his living expenses. When I see him later this week, we'll discuss it more.