I am so excited for you... huge kudos to taking the plunge and going out entirely on your own. It won't be easy, but what you risk is made up for in being ENTIRELY on your own without having to worry about a roommate. Plus, there's a lot to be said, psychologically, for having the experience of taking care of yourself and not having to rely upon someone else, but that's a separate discussion... Anyway, spending half of your income on rent seems a bit excessive-- most guides will tell you to keep it at a third (or less) of your take-home pay. So if the rent is $410/month and your take-home is $350-500/week, you should be fine. To start with, ask the landlord of the units what utilities are included and what are not. At our last place, NOTHING was included; we had to pay water, sewer, trash, and electric (no gas), plus the stuff that usually is NOT included: cable, phone (cell and landline), internet, and renter's insurance. (RI, for us, was about $100/year, paid once annually. Some landlords require it, but even if they don't, it's a good idea.) Other things to remember to include are student loans, credit card payments, car payments and insurance, gas and routine car maintenance, public transportation fees, parking fees, laundry money (and I agree, don't bother with buying your own W/D yet), routine medical expenses, and the floating stuff like groceries, clothes, "fun money," etc. Sit down and add up all of these expenses (the landlord should be able to tell you what the utility bills average for your unit; if not, you can find this info out directly from the utility company). When all is said and done, figure how much you have available every week for the incidentals-- cup of coffee on your way to work, lunch with coworkers, dinner and a movie, etc. This is your "fun money" budget. best way to stick to this limit is to withdraw that amount at the beginning of each week from your bank account, and tell yourself that is ALL you have to spend on non-necessities all week. If you start using your credit and/or ATM cards for all of your impulse purchases, you can drown very quickly. As for cooking with gas vs. electric... I've used both, and quite frankly, aside from seeing an actual flame with a gas burner, which you can eyeball to see how high or low it is, you just cook as your normally would. The nice thing with gas cooking is, the heat is much more "instant on" and "instant off" than electric, which makes it easier (IMHO) not to burn things. Important things to ask your landlord before renting: get specifics on the security deposit, and on what grounds you get it back when you move out. Ask what you are allowed to do to the walls-- some places let you paint, some places won't even let you put up a nail to hang a picture. Ask about quiet hours. make sure you know how to contact maintenance in case of an emergency. Ask if there is mail delivery on-site, or will you have to get a PO box. Make VERY sure, when you move in (and before you bring in a stick of furniture or a bag of clothes) to document each and every single defect or flaw in the apartment, no matter how minor it may appear to you. Go over the walls, make note of all discolorations, tiny holes where nails may have been, etc. Stains in the carpet, scuff marks on the floor, etc. Take pictures if you can. Flush the toilet, turn on all the faucets, heaters, A/C units, stove burners, oven, etc., and note anything unusual. Give a copy of this list to your landlord (you should both sign and date it), and keep a copy for yourself somewhere safe. (Now is a good time to purchase a fire safe for valuable documents like this, BTW). When you move out, you can reference this list if there are any arguments regarding damage you may have caused. I hope all goes well for you, and best of luck in your journey... You are taking a brave step forward that you will never regret!

gibby3000: "I sound like an "old" person talking about how we walked five miles to school in a blizzard...." - and uphill both ways, as my dad used to say. It might have something to do with the way our parents were raised, at least mine. My parents were born in 1929, the beginning of the depression and then were 16 when WW II ended. Times were tough and so many kids had to work to help support the family. They probably expected their own children (us) to do the same. They expected their own children to get out and make their own way. There is an adage (how true it is I don;t know) that one parents differently than they were parented. My parents gave me 6 months from university grad to get out of the house and basically to never bother them again. When grandkids started to come along they moved out of the city so they couldn't be babysitters. As an adult I do not have a close relationship with my parents. As an aside - Schooling is more expensive, at least here it is. Tuition and books have gone up by more than 10X since I was in university but minimum wages have definitely not gone up to keep pace and have only gone up 5X as much, grants are not as readily available for financial assistance. I just can't treat my kids the way I was treated. For me, it isn't a matter of spoiling them or not letting them grow up, it's more a matter of showing them that families are a life long family unit and commitment. It's showing them that our lives are forever intertwined, not in a stifling overbearing way, but in a supportive way. I was not raised this way. That is to say that the way I was raised wasn't wrong but it isn't the way that I will raise my children. Slightly OT - I've already told my 2 sons that when their dad and I die that they are, along with future wives and kids (if that happens) each others families. When I mentioned that to them, it was at a time when they weren't getting along very well, they looked at each other quite surprised. Since then, I have seen a change in them in that they accept each others differences but at the same time have each others back and have begun to like each other.

My daughter and I were out today and bought the original print fabric to make one large pillow for the sofa. She also picked out a solid color fabric in the darker green that's in the print for another slightly smaller pillow. I liked a stripe that coordinated well, but she says she wants to keep things simple. She has also decided to use the rug from IKEA. Haven't purchased it yet, tho. End tables, coffee table and lamps will be the next choices to make.

Get an overall plan first - before you do anything else (for a unified look). What is your style? To find out, put in top search box - one at a time: casual, transitional, rustic. I don't know if you can or want to, but this is what I would do if it were my place. Sell couch, tv console, and lamp. Put tv over kitchen half wall. Get a loveseat and an upholstered chair (measure area twice, buy once). For the couch and chair, get some with very narrow armrests. You have very little room here. Put loveseat where the tv is now, and chair in front of the stationary slider part. Get rug from overstock.com. They have a wide selection. Make sure the rug fits under the entire seating arrangement. Lighting: Get a table lamp or wall sconce in each corner at chest height. Lighting is often an afterthought, but is actually very important for room atmosphere. Dining table? Get the tiniest you can find. I like the suggestion of the drop down table from prior poster. Again, measure area twice, buy once. Move shoe tray to kitchen. Put wall decor up on all walls including kitchen. Get from local artist, art gallery, or art.com. If getting from art.com, get a print, then get it framed locally (cheaper and less likely to break in transit).