Cost of Living

The other night we were looking for a place to move. Our lease will be up in Dec and here they have a 60 day rule where you have to give 60 days notice if you're not renewing your lease. And hubby wants to be closer to DC or at the very least close to a Metro station. I on the other hand LOVE the space we have here. Two bedrooms, two full bathrooms AND two walk-in closets! And while its a bit a little more than twice what my first apartment of similar size in Nashville was, and its $400 more than my townhouse in Nashville is, our rent here is a great deal considering we have a w/d in the unit and we don't have to pay for parking and we have a secure entrance! Downside to it is that the nearest Metro station is 30 min away. SO all that said, we found and looked at a fantastic apartment community. Lots of shops and restaurants in walking distance and close to the metro. It even had covered parking available and while last winter we didn't get much snow it would be nice in the even that we do get snow not to have to stand outside scraping away! And there was plenty of uncovered parking available as well. Oh and ridiculous amenities that we would probably never put to use. For example, there are two tiny little green spaces they call "dog parks" ( a small dog would be able to run around but anything over 10 lbs would only be able to do their business) Oh and did I mention that the apt does not have a w/d? There is a Laundry Center on each floor (1 washer, 1 dryer - card operated of course) But for those who don't want to share laundry facilities with just anyone (that would be me! I'm a bit of a germaphobe) there is a laundry service where for $1/pound they will wash/dry/fold it all for you. And that wonderful parking I mentioned? It is only an additional $75/per car or $200 for a tandem space - And really who doesn't love tandem spaces??? As I know some people aren't familiar with Tandem parking - it just means one car in front of the other and it isn't always practical. Now all that said. The 1 bdrm apt was starts at $1725! These people are NUTS!  This is to rent a 736 sq ft apt. Oh but this apartment does feature something interesting - Many years ago (according to the leasing agent) it was an apt for the very affluent members of the community. Off the kitchen there is a service entrance that was used for the purpose of maids and butlers to bring in supplies. But it is a case of paying for the area and convenience of living close to a Metro and near DC. Seriously the cost of living here is outrageous compared to living in Tennessee. And the other night Hubby was browsing online and came across a job near Nashville that is right up his alley and then started looking at houses in the area - He had to make himself stop before he applied. LOL He enjoys his job and while we've talked about moving back to TN at some point, for now we're going to stick it out here. (unless of course he applies and is offered enough $$$ to make it worth moving back home). When I left home at 17 I moved across the country to go to school. While Hubby stayed in Nashville and aside from Summer internships he had always lived in TN and now Maryland. So I totally understand getting away, in fact, I recommend it to everyone! It is always nice to get away from the familiar and have new experiences. If it's meant for us to make our way back to Nashville we will. For now, I'm content and happy to be here with him. Even though I do get a little homesick when my friends in Nashville get together and post the pics on Facebook, I wouldn't want to be anywhere he isn't. So Maryland is home for now. This post has gotten way longer than it was supposed to be so, I'll end it here. 

Happy Wednesday!