Meet The Neighbors

Now that you’ve got the boxes unpacked, it’s time to meet your neighbors. Meeting new people can be a little nerve-wracking, so here are some hints on how to meet your new neighbors.
Just say “hi”
The quickest way to get to know the new neighbors is to simply wave to them. When you’re standing on the porch of your new home or driving by in your car, give them a big smile and a wave. This will tip them off that you’re a friendly person. Greet your neighbors as you see them out and about.
When you stop by for introductions, be sure to keep it short and not ask too many questions. You don’t want to seem like you are prying. Just keep the conversation light. For example, tell them where you moved from or ask for a local restaurant recommendation. Another benefit to keeping it short is that you can get a good read on what that new neighbor is like. If you aren’t getting a good vibe, then you’ll know it’s not a friendship you want to pursue. You don’t have to be friends with everyone, but you should give them all a chance until you find the folks you bond with best.
Join in the fun
Your next move is to start getting involved in community activities, so you can get to know everyone better. It’s easy to start up conversations when you are sharing a common interest. It can be as easy as going to the neighborhood pool or gym and chatting up friendly-looking folks. It’s also good to participate in a regular meeting like neighborhood watch or the homeowner’s association. Or go nuts and start your own club! If you love to run, create a running group. Put flyers on mailboxes announcing a kick-off meeting at a neutral location like a clubhouse or local coffee shop. Taking the initiative shows everyone that you want to be a part of their community and aren’t afraid to step up.
Connect online
Meeting face-to-face is great, but if you live in a really big neighborhood it’s sometimes hard to reach everyone — and you don’t want to miss out on meeting the other guy who loves building miniature train models! You can connect online by searching your neighborhood’s name and the phrase “neighborhood association.” Once you find yours, sign up for the email list, Facebook page, or whatever tool they are using to network. Connecting electronically gives you access to informative conversations about local events, political issues, activities for kids and neighborhood meetups. Even if you just read the emails and don’t post your own, you can get a good idea of who’s who in the neighborhood.
Open the doors
Okay, you’ve been working really hard at meeting the folks on your block and finding new friends with common interests. Now it’s time to open your doors and invite your neighbors over! After a few months, you’ll know enough people that you feel comfortable with, plus you can branch out by inviting some neighbors you haven’t met yet. Host a casual open house, barbeque or potluck where people can come and go over a period of a few hours. Be sure to have nametags on hand.
Before you know it, you’ll be making new friends in your neighborhood. Don’t forget to pay the goodwill forward and say hi to other new folks on the block when they move in.

Money Tips for Young Professionals

So you’ve landed your first professional job, but you’re not making a lot of money – at least not yet. Though you may be a few smart career moves away from your dream job and its rewards, you’re treading water in the present. This is the scenario a lot of young professionals face when starting a career.
Breaking into an awesome career may mean struggling with a low-paying job for a while, but some planning and awareness may help with your long-term financial goals. These money tips will show you how to invest in yourself.
Surviving on a too-small paycheck
If paying your dues (or starting over in a new career) means receiving a smaller paycheck for a while, consider using credit wisely to fill in the gaps. While most financial planners will tell you that credit card debt is a bad thing — and they’re right — credit cards can help you survive when you simply don’t make enough to live on. The key, however, is to use credit only for bills and living costs after you’ve divvyed up your paycheck. Use a card for your needs – not your wants — and you’ll be using credit wisely.
If you need to use credit to cover living expenses like utility bills, food or rent, shop around for a low interest rate credit card. Do your homework, and you may be able to get a card with an initial zero-percent interest rate, provided that you’ve got a high credit score. Failing that figure, shoot for an interest rate that’s 15 percent, or lower.
Think of using this credit card as giving yourself a career loan. You’ll be able to afford a lower-paying job and get great experience while financing your extra expenses for a time on a low-rate card.
Pay off high-interest debt first
When you finally do get a raise or land that dream job, you can set yourself up for financial success by paying down your highest interest rate debt first. Don’t confuse high balance with high interest. Even if you’ve got $500 in credit card debt and $30,000 in student loan debt, your best bet is to pay off the credit card first. That’s because credit cards usually come with higher interest rates, and if that $500 debt comes with a 20-percent rate, you want to chip away at that balance first so it doesn’t grow exponentially.
Start an emergency fund
If you have extra money at the end of the month, sock it away in an emergency savings account. Aim to save four months’ salary, and don’t touch this fund unless you’re in dire straits. Having that emergency fund will be important in the event you lose your job. (It might keep you from having to sell everything you own and move back in with Mom and Dad!)
Begin saving as soon as possible
Even though you may be strapped, saving money is a good habit. Train yourself to save when you don’t have very much extra each month, and saving will be second nature when you begin to make more money. As soon as you can manage it, start saving part of your paycheck by investing in a retirement account like an IRA or a 401K. (In fact, if your employer offers a 401K, you’d be wise to contribute to it. 401Ks are fantastic retirement savings vehicles because they allow you to make contributions that your employer may match. That employer match is basically free money, so don’t pass it up.)
Hang in there
Finally, one of the best money tips for young professionals is a reminder to be patient. When you’re starting a career, you have to work hard to achieve your goals. Do great work, hang in there and in time your employer will likely recognize your hard work by rewarding you financially. You may not have your dream career yet, but you’ll be working hard, steadily building a resume of great experience that will help you move up the ladder of success.

How to Declutter Your Apartment

Apartment dwellers often battle for storage space, beating back an ever-growing deluge of belongings, paperwork and the accumulated detritus of daily life. It is possible to win the war, however, and maintain your clutter-free supremacy with a short daily skirmish. Read on for some tips and tricks on how to keep clutter from taking over your apartment.
Pick a room
Where to start is often the hardest part of any cleaning endeavor. If you are a brave-hearted soul, begin in the messiest room in the apartment. More timid persons may want to start in a smaller space, like a closet. Whatever your choice, be sure you are mentally prepared to be ruthless and have assembled the proper arsenal.
Decluttering equipment
The tools are simple. Arm yourself with garbage bags, empty boxes, magic markers and a dust rag. Now label each box with “donate”, “toss” and “keep” or whatever similar phrasing suits you.
Let the games begin
Your first step is getting rid of things that don’t belong in a given space. Put the ones you want in the “keep” box, and worry about where you will actually put it later.
Your criteria for deciding what to do with the remaining clutter is to ask the following questions: Do I love this? Have I used it in the last year? Do I have two? Am I sentimentally attached? Do I feel sad and guilty when I look at it? Then get rid of everything in the room that doesn’t make you feel positive in some way or that you just don’t need. Either pass it on to someone else who would enjoy it, or, if it can’t be used by another, toss it!
When your garbage box is full, take it outside to the bin and bring in another. Do the same for your donations, sealing each box and taking it to your car as you work. The goal is to get the stuff you don’t want anymore out of your place.
When the “keep” box gets full, pick it up and carry it with you around the apartment, putting each item in the proper room, if not yet the perfect storage place. Go back and keep at it, taking breaks or setting a timer over several days so you don’t burn out on the big jobs.
The daily drill
Flylady.net offers a detailed decluttering method that works for any size household. She advocates daily 15-minute sessions, focusing on cluttered hot spots that collect items, such as entranceways, countertops, desks or catch-all dresser drawers and baskets. For serious cases, also try going through your home daily with a garbage bag and throwing away 20 items, then doing the same process with a box for donations.
There are a number of online resources to help you curb the chaos of your worldly possessions. Use the tips above, or sign up for free emails that offer advice on how to organize your home, such as CreativeOrder.com, and you’ll be sure to stay on the straight, narrow and uncluttered path to happiness.

Ways to Make Cleaning Chores More Interesting

Do your cleaning chores feel like a scene out of Cinderella, but with extra drudgery and fewer singing birds? Perhaps it’s time to make your everyday tasks more interesting.
Mixing in some creative cleaning ideas can make common chores downright cool. Check out these tips on how to improve your daily duties about the apartment.
Pump up the volume
Dance the dust away! Common chores instantly become more fun with the right soundtrack. Crank up a clean-house playlist that puts you in a good mood and shake your booty while you sort your laundry. If you continue using your same house-cleaning music mix each time you tackle your cleaning chores, the sounds may actually trigger you to get excited about cleaning. Take it to the next level by slipping on a pair of cleaning slippers to mop the floor. By the time you’re done, you’ll be warmed up and ready for a night out on the town.
Grab a buddy
Solo chores can be a bore, so why not dish the dirt while you clean up? Grab your partner, spouse, child, or (very helpful and generous) friend, and put him or her to work. Cleaning your apartment is much more fun when you have someone to chat with while you scour the bath. Plus, your everyday chores will take half the time!
Reward yourself
If you like having deadlines, make plans with a friend for a specific time so that you have a real incentive to get your tasks done by then. If you are cleaning alone, you can motivate yourself by setting goals and rewards. It could be something small like setting a timer and treating yourself to a piece of chocolate every time you finish fifteen minutes of cleaning chores. Or you could reward yourself with a pedicure or movie once you have completed your housework chores.
Get fancy
Another way to add some spark to your sparkle is by testing out new cleaning products. Swap out your grocery store degreaser for something sassy like the cleansers from Better Life or Method. Pick up some new tools like hand-knitted dish scrubbers or fun reusable cleaning cloths. Give these new products a whirl, and then write reviews of the products online afterward.
Soak in the benefits
After you’ve spent the day making your apartment shine, take time to stop and smell the cleanliness. Settle on the sofa for five minutes and really appreciate the benefits of the hard work you’ve done. Notice the lemony scent of your spic-and-span home. Admire yourself in your newly-clean mirrors. Take in the joy of climbing into a freshly-made bed. A few moments of appreciation might help you realize it was all worth it.
Cleaning chores don’t have to be a drag. Simply tackle your tasks in a fun way and they’ll be done before you know it!

Preparing Your Apartment for Spring

Though sometimes it may seem that winter will never end, the coming of spring is inevitable for all apartment dwellers. Preparing your apartment for spring and doing a little apartment maintenance today will help you welcome warmer weather and good times into your apartment.
Spring cleaning
For many people, preparing for spring means spring cleaning. When you’re ready to roll up your sleeves, you don’t want to search endlessly for supplies. Assemble everything together ahead of time in a handy cleaning caddy and you can save your time and energy for scrubbing. Ready-to-work clothes, rubber gloves, scrub brushes, old toothbrushes, cleaning cloths and some standard cleaning agents are a good basic beginning. You’d be amazed at what can be accomplished with vinegar, lemon juice and baking soda, for instance.
In addition to a more thorough version of your regular apartment cleaning routine, you’ll want to tackle all the areas you may have avoided for the last year — windows, appliances, mirrors, light fixtures, vents, cupboard/pantry shelves and under the beds. You’ll also want to make sure your vacuum cleaner and mops are in working order with fresh bags and heads, respectively, and ready to conquer your floors.
Lose the dust so you can breathe easy
With warmer weather, allergies are also an issue. Keeping a handle on dust year-round is a necessity, with regular vacuuming, dusting and laundering, especially if you have pets. Give your apartment a good dusting now and you will be able to maintain a dust-free pad. While you’re changing you linen and vanquishing the big-game dust creatures under your bed, also vacuum your mattress.
As the temperature rises, so can the humidity, increasing the chance for mold and mildew. This duo can especially be an issue in bathrooms, but they can build up in any area of your apartment. You might want to consider a dehumidifier to help keep your apartment’s humidity at between 30 and 50 percent.
This is also the time to get your heating and air system serviced, filters changed and, if necessary, ducts cleaned.
Out with the old
While you’re preparing for some major apartment cleaning, you’ll want to get as much stuff out of the way as possible. This makes it a great time to sort and remove all the detritus that’s built up since last spring. Make one pile for what you want to keep, one for what gets sold, and another for donations. Include a garbage can or bag for the jetsam that should just be tossed. Perform this purge in every room, cabinet and closet in your apartment and you can truly say you’ve done a spring cleaning.
Play it cool
Now is the time to swap out cold-weather bedding and clothing for the warm-weather alternatives. Make sure all linens and clothing are clean and mended before you pack them away in hanging bags or plastic bins. Keep moths from nibbling at expensive knits by using repellents (such as moth balls or less intrusive lavender or cedar), in addition to storage bags or containers. You’ll also want to reverse the direction of any ceiling fans so that they run clockwise, pushing warm air up and away.
Got a little cabin fever? Why not take your apartment-bound time to get ready for spring? Get the hard work done now, and you’ll be free to head outside and enjoy the warmer weather when it arrives.

Featured Rentals:

BROAD STREET LOFTS
713 WEST BROAD ST.

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Featured Rentals:

 GRACE AT MONROE
401 W. GRACE ST.

Two blocks from the new VCU School of Business and School of Engineering

• Two blocks east of Belvidere at the corner of Grace & Monroe
• All new appliances include microwave, electric range, dishwasher, refrigerator, garbage disposal, some apartments with washer/dryers
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