While studies have shown that just about everyone experiments with drugs at some point in their life, there is a difference between experimentation and abuse. If you feel that your roommate has a dangerous substance abuse problem, you need to take action quickly, not just for your own safety but for the well being of your roommate, as well. Here are a few things you can do.

First, try talking to them about their problem and see what they say. As is the case with alcoholics and other similar addictions, many people believe that they can stop if they want to and that they aren’t really “addicted.” Make sure you express how you feel and don’t frame it as you are concerned about your safety, tell your roommate that you are concerned about them and see what they say. If you feel that you aren’t making any progress here, you can try something more drastic.

Depending on how well you know your roommate and your roommates’ friends, you can try for an intervention. Simply gather your roommate’s friends one evening and wait for your roommate to get home. Once he or she arrives, have everyone in the room talk about how the addiction is changing how they feel about your roommate. For many, an intervention is a life changing experience that can lead to real recovery down the road.

As a last resort if you feel an intervention is not working, try calling the police if you feel that their addition is to an illegal substance that is in the apartment with you at that moment. This will likely force them into rehab, but it will also give them a criminal record. However, you don’t have to live in an unsafe environment, and no one will blame you for what you did if you gave your roommate several changes to fix things on their own.

If you are new to apartment renting, you may be surprised at all of the extra add-ons that you can choose from. You may be able to pick from vaulted ceilings, a water view or the use of a garage. On the surface, renting a garage may seem like a great idea, but there are a few things you should do before you sign on the dotted line.

First, call your car insurance company to find out how much your insurance is going to change now that you live at your new address. You will need to have some basic information to give to your car insurance company, such as your work address, so they can figure your new rates. One area in which you might be able to save significantly is if you use a covered or secured parking area to park your car. Depending on your neighborhood, the car you drive and how secure the garage is, you may be able to save a ton on your car insurance.

Try and take a look at car crime statistics in your area. Most cities have these statistics available on the Internet and you can see how much safer your car will be if you lock it up at night. If the lock on the garage is flimsy and your landlord doesn’t want to let you put your own lock on the door, than it might not be worth it, but if the garage is secure, it might be worth the extra investment.

Many people simply decide to park their car outside, but don’t think of the consequences. Not only are you allowing leaves and tree debris to cover your car year round, you will be much more susceptible to bird waste and to irresponsible drivers who might ding your car and drive away. If your car is worth anything at all, then it is probably a good idea to park it in a safe and secure spot like a garage.

Every year, a new word or two makes its way into the English language. This year, staycation, or a stay at home vacation, has been a popular term thanks to the fact that fewer and fewer of us can afford to leave home and travel this summer or this holiday season. Just because you can’t afford to jet off to your favorite destination doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your hard earned vacation. Let’s take a look at some common sense staycation options when you have to share your home with a roommate.

Unless the two of you are very close, you probably won’t be enjoying your staycation with your roommate, which means you are going to have to be considerate of the fact that your roommate is still going to have to get up for work while you are relaxing at home. This doesn’t mean that you can’t kick back and enjoy yourself, however. Try doing things only when you have the place to yourself, such as moving furniture around or having a theme day where all you do is watch your favorite movies.

One of the best parts of going on vacation is eating at new and exciting places. Chances are, no matter how small the town is that you live in, there are a few places you have never tried before, so why not go out to eat several nights in a row to sample some new things. You can even take your roommate or a significant other out with you and pretend that you are far away from home.

Going on vacation is a state of mind. If you set your mind to it, you can have a wonderful time away from work anywhere, even if that means having a staycation this year instead of a real vacation. The only thing holding you back is your imagination.

Finding a roommate who already has an apartment can be both a blessing and a bit of a curse. You don’t have to worry about moving in at the same time and you don’t have to worry about deciding who gets what, but at the same time, it can be like moving into a strangers home where you feel like an intruding visitor and not someone moving into their own home. Here are a few tips you can follow to find roommates that already have apartments.

In most cases, people use one of two avenues to find roommates that already have apartments: friends and work. Both of these routes can work just fine since you know your friends and already trust them to a degree, and you know many of the people you work with. After all, at least they are employed and able to pay rent and bills. By simply asking around your circle of friends or posting a note on a community board at work, you can likely get several leads that can be pursued within days. Make sure you clearly communicate any requirements that you need before you agree to move in with someone as you don’t want any problems later on.

If friends and work contacts fail, you can try places like Craigslist, assuming you live in a city with a large enough population to have a CL page. There are also a plethora of roommate websites where people in the same city can hook up and live together.

Depending on where you live, your landlord has certain rights when it comes to raising your rent. You, as a renter, also have rights guaranteed by the city, state or country you live in. For instance, some areas publish booklets on renter’s rights that are free to anyone who request one. These booklets clearly state the legal amount that your landlord can raise your rent every year. The average is usually between 3 and 4 percent yearly, although those numbers can vary. Let’s look at a few places you can look for renter’s rights in your area.

Your best resource is going to be the Internet. Do a simple Google search for your area, such as “California renter’s rights” or “Michigan renter’s rights” to see if there is an official web page with updated and correct information. The link provided will often come with a phone number you can call, but be warned, many of these grass roots organizations are staffed strictly with volunteers who may not really know that much, so you have may have to call over and over again to get someone.

You can also try your Housing and Urban Development office in your state or city. They may have some information on the legal rights and responsibilities landlords and renters have in your area. In most cases, a landlord can not raise your rent more than once in a year, and there are caps on how much rent can be raised, especially if you live in a rent controlled area, such as Manhattan. The phone book can also be a great resource for those looking to learn about renter’s rights. Even if you know the limits on how much your landlord can raise your rent, it might be worth it to order a new copy of your local renter’s rights booklet to have on hand in case a problem ever comes up between you and your landlord.

If you are new to renting, or if you have ever lost any possessions in a fire, you may want to learn about renter’s insurance. Renter’s insurance is a type of insurance you can get that covers things like fire, and sometimes theft. Every brand of renter’s insurance is different, so be sure to read the individual policy before you sign. Also, prices can vary wildly from policy to policy and from state to state, so be sure you shop around to find the best deal. Here are a few shopping tips.

Harness the power of the Internet

Without a doubt, the greatest tool in insurance shopping is the Internet. While there aren’t any sites yet that can compare your rates with other brands like that one car insurance company, you can easily piece together the coverage you want and then get an estimate right from the comfort of your own home. One thing you need to watch for, however, is the fact that many policies are not transferable from state to state, so if you’ve just moved to a new state, contact your renter’s insurance company right away. Since laws are different in different states, there may be aspects of your current policy that don’t apply where you live now.

Read the fine print

Renter’s insurance policies are notoriously complicated. They cover one thing, but not under certain circumstances. If you want to make a theft claim, for instance, you may have to have photographs of that item to prove that it was yours or the policy may not pay out. Be sure to read every word of your policy so that you aren’t greeted with any surprises should something go wrong. Renter’s insurance can be a real life saver but like most kinds of insurance, it pays to read your policy first.

If you could make a top ten list of the most traumatic events of your life, moving would be at or near the top of that list. No one likes moving expect for moving apartments or companies. However, as traumatic as moving is for you, it is a hundred times worse for your pet. As far as your cat is concerned, your last place was their universe. This is especially true if you own an inside cat. Here are a few things you can do to help make the move a bit easier to take for your pet.

Your cat will probably figure out something is up when you start packing and cardboard boxes begin piling up everywhere. You’ll notice that their behaviour will change and they will seem more animated and nervous. There isn’t a whole lot you can do other than simply paying more attention to them. Offer more affection, more play time and simply keep an eye on them.

On moving day, try to get them out of the way early. If you can, move them first and keep them in a bathroom with the door closed along with food, water, toys and, of course, the cat box. If that doesn’t work, give them to a friend for the day so they are away from the noise and the commotion. As soon as you are moved in, make sure Fluffy has everything she needs and then go get her.

The first week or so at the new place is going to be tough. Expect to be woken up in the middle of the night be howls and meows and you might even find a present or two on the carpet when you wake up in the morning. Try to wade through this tough period. Offer all of the love and affection you can and make sure you play with your cat during this time, as well. You may even want to up the amount of treats and catnip you normally give. Moving is stressful for pets but there are things you can do to make it better.

If you have recently welcomed a new kitten into your home, congratulations, there are few things in life as rewarding as owning a pet. However, teaching your new family member where the cat box is can be difficult. Here are a few tried and true tips for cat box training.

First off, if you have an older cat already in the home, the chances that the kitten will pick up on what to do is greatly increased. On the flip side, there is a chance that your older cat may not appreciate having to share the cat box with a new kitten. Try getting a second cat box if you have room. You can always take it away later.

If your kitten is going outside of the box, make sure that there is enough litter in the box, that the box is as clean as possible and that the kitten can climb inside of it. Sometimes the walls can be a little high on some models and it can prevent your cat from getting inside.

You may have to lift your kitten up and put him or her in the box every few hours if you notice they haven’t used it in a while. This behaviour shows the kitten what the box is for and that it is okay to use it. Cats are a lot like kids. Sometimes they need repetitive behaviour that can teach them what to do.

Finally, if your kitten does start using the box, make sure you praise him or her to teach them that the behaviour is positive. You won’t keep this kind of positive reinforcement forever, but a little praise now can go a long way in the future. Kittens are smarter than you think and they want to please you, they just have to know how.

Sometimes, no matter how well you plan out your budget, things happen that blow everything out of the water. We all know that rent is due at the first of the month, but what happens when the money just isn’t there. Every lease out there has a different rule about when rent has to be paid by. Some of these clauses are influenced by state or local law so it is important that you understand clearly when rent has to be paid by and what the penalties are if you can’t meet the deadline. Here are a few other tips on how to handle late rent.

First, be in clear communication with your landlord or management company the moment you know that you won’t have rent in on time. Believe it or not, if you treat your landlord with respect and honesty, you have a much better chance of being treated in the same way. That’s not to say that your late fees will be automatically forgiven, but there is at least a chance that could happen if you are honest and up front about your situation.

Some leases allow you to pay rent as late as the third of the month without penalty while others absolutely require you to pay on the first. You don’t want to get into the habit of paying late, but if you know this clause exists you will be in better shape.

Finally, know exactly how much your landlord can legally charge you in late fees per day. If you think the amount is too high, talk to a renters rights representative in your area to find out. If you are renting from a big corporation, chances are they are playing by the rules, but if you are renting from an individual, they may hope that you don’t check to see if they are fleecing you or not.

Moving is one of those adventures that almost always costs significantly more than what we thought. More and more people are choosing to move without the aid of professionals, but even then, the cost of packing materials, gas and the sheer amount of time it takes to move from one place to another can be downright depressing. If you see a move in your future, consult this checklist to ensure you have the available funds.

First, you need to decide if you are using professionals or not. If you are, call and get a complete estimate. If you aren’t, you need to decide how you are going to get from point A to B. It is human nature to underestimate how many boxes full of things we own, especially if you’ve moved within the last few years. It is natural to assume that you have just about the same rent for stuff, when the truth is that you likely have a lot more.

Next, you need to get an idea of how much you are going to spend on packing materials. If you live near a grocery store, you can probably get all of the boxes you need for free. Otherwise, you may need to buy them, and that can cost a small fortune. You also need to decide what you are going to use for packing materials or if you can rely on newspaper. You’ll also need tape and some kind of organizational system so you can keep track of what is in every box.

Finally, if you are going to be relying on friends to help you move, you are going to have to reimburse them in some way. If you want them to continue to be your friends after your move, you won’t cheap out. It is only when you really sit down and calculate how much a move costs that you can make an educated decision on whether you can afford it or not.