Apartment Blog

Tired of spending an arm and a leg on gas? Want to eliminate the amount of hours you spend in traffic? Well the perfect solution is simple, move closer to your job!

I was reading this article “Renters go downtown to save on gas, commuting” by J.W. Elphinstone, and it appears that people are getting the idea to move closer to their jobs or mass transit areas in order to save money. This seems to be a nationwide trend, therefore, making rents higher in those metropolitan areas. Cities where this trend seems to be the strongest are Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, Seattle, Baltimore, Minneapolis and Portland, OR.

Young renters and empty nesters alike want to move within walking distance of their jobs to save time and gas. Although the rents for apartments in downtown are increasing, the math is quite simple. You already spend $900+ on rent and an additional $200-$300 on gas due to your daily commute. So moving closer to where you work might cost more in rent, but you’re saving in gas and essentially getting more hours added into your life by eliminating the long commute.

Apartment seekers need to think about how they will narrow down their apartment search based on the aforementioned reasons. Landlords, management companies and apartment owners are advertising their properties with maps and brochures to showcase where they are in relation to landmarks and public transportation. The informed apartment hunters will do the research about location and ask questions regarding mass transit so they can find the perfect apartment for their needs.

Currently I work in downtown and the rents within walking distance of my job are so much more than what I pay now. However, if I were to eliminate the cost of my car (repairs, gas, insurance and maintenance) the cost would be about the same. And I would save an extra 45 minutes to an hour of my day from commuting. Plus, another added bonus would be extra ‘going green’ efforts by saving on consumption of fossil fuels! So maybe this is something I should think about…..

What are your thoughts?

We’ve posted a few articles previously about how to ‘go green’. It’s a major focus in today’s society. Everyone is concerned about the environment, me included. So slowly I’ve started making adjustments to my daily living. But recently I read an article called ‘The Cheapest way to Save the Earth’ by M.P. Dunleavey. This article talks about ways to conserve the earth by consuming less! That’s the way you save the earth and that’s the way you save your dough!!

She explains that our society tends to spend money in order to effectively better our efforts, such as ‘going green’. When I was recently shopping for baby clothes, I found myself reaching for the organic onesies feeling relieved that somehow I would be making a difference by purchasing them. While the notion is correct, these efforts-such as purchasing organic foods, clothing and other items-can help, but the point is to conserve our natural resources. Reduce, reuse and recycle.

The way this article put it into perspective for me was that everyone should know what their carbon footprint is. The definition can be found in a description on the National Geographic’s Web site:

“When you eat an egg, you’re not just eating an egg. You’re eating the gas the truck used to deliver that egg, the coal used to generate electricity for its refrigeration and the resources used to boil, poach or fry that yummy egg. And that’s your human footprint-how much of the world you use in your lifetime.”

So simply put, it’s better not to create the carbon in the first place. You can do that by thinking of what factors are involved from the moment something is produced to how you consume it and how much that costs the environment.

Three tips this article gives for reducing the amount of your carbon footprint initially are:

1. Reducing your use of fossil fuels. This can be done by making sure your transportation is as fuel-efficient as possible, such as tires being properly inflated, up to date on tune-ups and oil changes, etc. Another way is to drive the speed limit-so take it easy on that gas pedal! And of course the best way to save is by using public transportation whenever possible.

2. Unplug your electronic devises. This is a step I am constantly on top of at my house. Ever since I saw an episode on Oprah where she recommended this. Everyday, or whenever these items are not in use, unplug them. Such as your lights, kitchen devises, cell phone chargers, computers, etc. Power is constantly generated through the outlets when items are plugged in.

3. Control Temperature. Heating and cooling your home consumes a lot of energy, so why not be smart about it so you’ll save? Instead of going straight to the air conditioner when you’re feeling warm, why not open a window for some breeze. Or use a fan. A nifty little piece of advice Dunleavey wrote about is to use the ceiling fan in combination with your air conditioner. By increasing the air circulation, you can actually cool down your home a few degrees!! Good to know….

So while the effects to your wallet and the earth won’t be immediate, over time you’ll notice the difference. And your bank account and your environment will reap the benefits! I’ll leave you with just one more little tid-bit that Dunleavey wrote about, that I of course found interesting. Did you know if you ‘Green Bag’ your lunch instead of eating out, you could save tons of money and spare the environment millions of non-biodegradable packaging! I always bring my lunch, but that was purely to save on the expense of eating out. Now I know I’m also helping the environment! Another check on my ‘going green’ efforts!! Whoo hoo!!