Transfer the amount into the Rent category on your personal budget
sheet.
Utilities
Utilities can also be a substantial part of your budget. Costs of utilities may vary
according to use. You need to be aware of the costs and be able to estimate your
expenses in order to keep within your budget and avoid over-spending.
Can you list all the utilities you will need when living independently?
Some utilities (often water, gas, and electric) might be included in your rent. If you rent
an apartment which excludes utilities, you will have to pay for them separately.
Telephone utilities and additional services like cable television are never included in rent.
NOTE: For more comprehensive information on utilities and start-up costs, please refer
to Module IV.
Somewhere in or around your house or apartment building, there are various types of
meters (most often for electricity and gas) which detail exactly how much energy you
use. Your bills are created by the services based on estimates and actual readings of
these meters of these meters, which are checked every two or three months. Make sure