Many apartment renters don’t always set aside an exact amount of money for their rent payment before it becomes due. Most of us pay our monthly rent obligation after we get our salary. While it may not be easy to plan ahead to avoid being late on your rent payment when it is due, you need to learn these practices to help you pay your rent on time.

If you are looking for the easiest way to reduce your monthly rent - get a roommate. It may not be the ideal situation to have to share your apartment with someone else, since you won’t be able to enjoy as much privacy, but you can save a lot of money. If you have already decided to get a roommate, make sure that your lease agreement allows you to have a roommate, or to add one to the lease. If getting a roommate is not stipulated in the lease, ask your landlord to modify the lease.

To start searching for a roommate, you can start by asking a friend or someone you know if they are interested. If no one knows of someone looking for a place, you can post an ad online seeking a roommate. If someone has responded to your post, arrange an interview, whether online or in person, and be thorough during the interview process. Since you will be sharing a close space with this person, make sure you’re comfortable with whomever you choose. Ask them about their finances and work schedule. You may even want to ask for personal references.

Talk to your landlord if you feel you will be late on your rent payment. Some landlords are considerate when you inform them that your payment will be late by a week or two. Take the time to explain your specific situation to your landlord and ask for an extended due date. Just be honest about your financial situation, and always let your landlord know if you’re going to be late on your rent payment. Your landlord will be more likely to work with you if they know up front what is going on with your current situation. 

Another practice to help you pay your rent on time is to trim your monthly expenses in other areas so you can free up some money to add to your monthly savings for your rent payment. Try taking a look at your spending habits, by reviewing your monthly bank statements. Look at the areas where most of your money is spent. For instance, if you eat lunch at a restaurant often or eat dinners out frequently during the week, that may be taking up a bigger portion of your budget than you think. When you cook at home and pack your lunch, you can easily save a lot of money every month.

Also take a look at some of the other categories that are easy to trim down. You can get rid of your cable TV subscription, which can help lower your utility bills or look for a less expensive gym. You don’t need to trim all of your monthly expenses, but trying to cut some of them can make a big difference.

If you have a car, you can use it to make extra income by working with Uber or Lyft driving services. As a popular driving option, you can utilize your vehicle for delivery for DoorCash, Amazon Flex, and many others. If you only have a motorbike, you can also use it for delivery. You can ask companies like DoorDash and Grubhub to allow delivery to be made by a bike. These driving options will enable you to enjoy a completely flexible schedule that will enable you to work whenever possible during your free time.

If you’re looking for a sideline job that will allow you to start making money right away, freelancing may be the right work for you. You can find many kinds of freelance jobs online that include writing, coding, proofreading, editing, working as a graphic designer, and much more. If you complete work as a freelancer, you will be paid within a few days. You can start by looking at a home-based work site such as Upwork or other online job opportunities posted to Craigslist.

If you want to avoid being late in paying your rent each month, you should choose a few of these above practices to help you pay your monthly rent on time.

Thousand Hills Realty is Branson’s premier management company. If you are looking to sign a long term lease on a Branson apartment, call us today at (417) 337-8081. We would love to help you find a new apartment to call home.