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Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Lessons So Far...

Current Mood:
CC is listening to: Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2 In F Minor, Op. 21: II. Larghetto--Emil Gilels (Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2)

Being newlyweds (although I don't think you'd call three years in September "newlyweds" :-)), there are a few things that I've learned about having our own place:

Invest in a really good vacuum cleaner (I learned this from Steve's mom, and I wholeheartedly agree--it's worth it, especially if you have pets).
Invest in a good bed. The two most popular beds in the market right now are the Sleep Number Bed and the Tempurpedic Bed. I know a few people that use and enjoy a Tempurpedic bed because it uses memory foam technology to cushion your entire body and minimize pressure. Personally though, I prefer the Sleep Number Bed because 1. It can achieve the same thing PLUS you have the ability to control the firmness of the mattress (some nights I want a firmer mattress for lower backaches), and 2. Your side of the bed can have a totally different firmness level than your partner's side of the bed. Steve and I have a different definition of "comfortable" when it comes to a mattress. But the good news is, no matter what we feel our backs need, the Sleep Number Bed will be able to adjust and cater to it. "Does getting a good mattress really make such a difference on how you sleep?" you ask. Oh, absofreakinlutely :-). I wish I could afford to get one for my parents. They'd love it :-). You can see what it's like by clicking here. You can play with the remote and see how the bed changes in terms of the pressure it applies against your body. I'm a 45, by the way :-).
Wireless high speed internet connection. 'Nuff said :-).
When starting out, I believe an apartment is better than a house. This is primarily for financial reasons, but it also allows you to have a feel for the neighborhood you're living in. When you're renting, and the neighborhood isn't as good as you thought it would be, you can just pack up and leave. It's not as easy (or as financially feasible) with a house. And when you find a neighborhood that you're happy with and know for sure that's where you're going to stay, then it would probably be a good time to think about investing in a house.
The higher up your apartment, the greater your sense of general security. You can't run an errand and leave your bedroom window open if your apartment is on the first floor. And if your apartment complex doesn't have elevators, what do you think the chances are of burglars wanting to break into your apartment and steal your stuff when they have to lug it down several flights of stairs :-)?
For the same price, it's better to get a smaller apartment in the best neighborhood than a bigger apartment in an average neighborhood. Sounds like a no-brainer, I know, but too often we let price be the ultimate deciding factor when it shouldn't be, especially when it comes to where you'll be living for a while.
Filipinos in general shun credit cards because it makes them susceptible to spending more than they should. And this is sensible thinking. However, I learned that in the US, you need to have credit cards (I'm still having trouble explaining this to my dad). How well you pay your bills (and yes, they track it ALL--they even give you a score based on it) gives other people a picture of how trustworthy you are. And get this: In the US it's better to have 3 credit cards where you owe 20% of the spending limit on each rather than having one credit card where you owe 60% of the spending limit. Why? Because having three cards with a lower debt is seen as more responsible than having only one credit card where you owe a whopping 60%. Your credit score can be easily researched by banks and lenders. If they see that you have a good credit score, it's more likely that they'll give you a better deal on their products and services because they can at least trust that you'll be able to pay.

I guess these lessons are things that people who were born and raised in the States already know. These things are new to me, though :-).

Labels: Reflections

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