Vegas Baby - Uh Oh

I have been thinking about the upcoming Vegas trip. I really do want to go. I tend to be impulsive and not think about the future, it is going to happen anyway right? But I have been thinking recently and wanted to share with you my dilemma. I am about to sign a lease on a new apartment. I have been looking for a while and I finally found the perfect place. An 850 square foot flat in San Francisco in an old red brick building with lots of character and storage. I am not overly pleased about the parking situation, mostly private, but not covered, but I love the neighborhood. There is a great restaurant taking up the first and second floor of the building and the upper 4 floors house 10 apartments. There are also has about 6 clubs outside my front door. The manager warned me that the area is not quiet and that there is always some action on the streets at night. Who wants quiet – I will get all the quiet I need when I am dead. So anyway…the place is great.

However, here is the issue. The move in cost is outrageous. OK not outrageous, but expensive. I will have to spend about $4600 to move in. Now normally that alone would not deter me from taking a little mini vacation. But, then I started thinking, something I generally try to avoid, about all the additional things I need in order to, you know, actually live in my apartment. You see, I own nothing! I am completely starting over. Here is just a small list of the stuff I need to get in order to furnish my apartment.
· Bedroom furniture (especially a bed)
· Couch
· Chair (not required right away if I had a couch)
· TV
· Stereo
· Dishes
· Silverware
· Glasses
· Linens
· Cleaning supplies
· Food (not your every day food, but the stuff you buy once and don’t have to get again for a while – like salt and pepper)
· Kitchen appliances (Can opener, cuisinart etc. – not kidding, I own nothing)
· Iron and ironing board
· Rugs (cement floors in the place)
· Book shelves
· Desk with chair

How much do you think all of that is going to cost me? Here is a list of the things I already have for my apartment.
· Toothbrush (almost out of toothpaste)
· Clothes (and to many of these)
· Pots and pans (bought them last week)
· Some artwork for the walls
· Bird and bird cage

I don’t know. I am starting to think that giving my ex everything might have been a bad idea. Taking all of this into account, oh and the fact that the people who rent my home in Dallas are moving out at the end of August and it may take a couple months extra to sell the house. I am not sure how I can afford to drop money going to Vegas. Although, I really want to go, I don’t see how it is possible. I will not completely dismiss the idea, but if I can’t go, you will understand why.