We believe there’s a little geek in all of us. That’s why, when we were asked recently, “if you could have anyone as a roommate, who would you pick?” we answered, without any hesitation, Sheldon and Leonard from the hit TV show Big Bang Theory. Maybe that apartment wouldn’t be everybody’s choice, but it would be ours. Of course, living amongst so many science geeks would require extra renters insurance, but that’s OK. It would be worth it.

The first thing we would have to do, if we ever got the chance to move in with Sheldon and Leonard, is to get rid of one of the “other” friends on the show. Sheldon has made clear in several episodes that he only has room for so many friends, and in order to add another one, one would have to go.

If we had to get rid of one, of course, it would be Walowicz. Let’s face it, geek or not, if we moved into that apartment, our immediate agenda would include competing for Penny. Even knowing that she’s been with Leonard. What can we say? She’s HOT. Not that we fear Walowicz as competition. He’s way too creepy. It’s more that we would view him as a distraction. And since Raj can’t even talk to women, he’s no competition at all.

Our next order of business would be to clear out Green Lantern’s ass. I know, that sounds like it doesn’t make sense, but if you follow the show, you know that Sheldon keeps wads of money inside a hollowed out compartment in the backside of a life sized model of the Green Lantern. We wouldn’t clear out all the money at once, of course. That would be noticed. We’ll just take out enough to cover the renters insurance.

Of course, living with Sheldon would probably get tiring after a while, but we have that one figured out, too. When we finally decide we’ve had enough of Sheldon’s anal retentive nonsense, we’ll simply befriend Wil Wheaton. The shock of seeing his arch nemesis sitting in his spot on the couch when he comes home should be enough to throw Sheldon into cardiac arrest.

Image by popculturegeek.com

Choosing where you live is very important, especially when you are raising a family. Picking a place to live can depend on what jobs are available as well as the school districts around. Doing your research is important to insure you are happy with where you are living and going to enjoy it. Some people choose to live in the country with lots of land while others choose the city. Whether you are a farmer at heart or a chic city gal, these sites can help you pick the best cities to live and rent in.

1. Best Place to Live in the US: One blogger shares what is considered to be the best place to live in the US. What is your ideal place to live?
2. Best Cities to Live in the World: Stop by here to look at the top 25 cities to live in the world. Are one of these on your pick list?
3. 10 Best Cities for Success: If you are looking to move into a new city to be successful, these are the top 10 cities.
4. Best US Cities in 2010: Check out here to see which cities made the cut for the best cities to live in 2010.
5. Five Best Cities Abroad: If living abroad is your idea, check out the best five cities to live in.
6. Cary, North Carolina: Check this city out if you are looking for a new place. This has been ranked 23^rd in the best cities to live in America.
7. Worlds Best Cities: Here are the worlds best cities to live in. The city with the highest quality of life is ranked as Vienna in Austria. Find out where the other cities are.
8. Amherst #42 on Best Places to Live List: Read here about this great city and why it was named one of the best places to live.
9. Top Ten Places to Live: Whether you are a family or a bachelor, this list will show you the top ten places to live in the world. From best cities for singles to best places for families, this list has a little of it all.
10. Best Cities for Artists: If you are an artist or a designer, this list works great for you. These have been ranked the best cities to live in if you are artistic.
11. Ann Arbor: Ann Arbor was ranked in the top 50 cities to live. Find out about this small city here if you are looking for a change.
12. Fishers Indiana: See what Fishers Indiana was voted one of the best small cities to live in.
13. Ann Arbor Ranked 3rd: If you are a recent college graduate, Ann Arbor may be just the place for you. This small town ranked 3^rd in the best cities for college graduates.
14. Where is the Best Place to Live: One blogger tackles this question as a parent. Finding the right place to live is improtant to most all people, especially if there are children involved.
15. Parenting’s Best Cities: If you have children this is the list you want to look at. This list covers the best cities for families to live and raise their children in.
16. Illinois Cities on Best Places to Live List: Check out which cities in Illinois made it on the best places to live list and see why they are.
17. Best Cities for Singles: If you are a single living in North America, are you in the right city? Find out here on the best cities for singles list.
18. Denver Ranks 6th: When looking at quality of life, Denver ranks the 6^th best city to live in. Find out why it ranks this high and why you may want to consider living there.
19. 10 Worst Cities: If you are considering a move, look at this list first. These are considered ten of the worst cities you can move to in the US.
20. Top Tens: Here are a few lists of the top ten cities. You will find the top overall cities to live in and other lists like the top ten most affordable places to live.
21. 10 Best Cities for New Grads: Check out this list of places to be if you are a new graduate from college.
22. 20 Best Cities to Live in for Wheelchair Uses: If you or someone you love uses a wheelchair, then this list will help you. They have chosen the most wheelchair friendly cities to live in and put them all together.
23. Top 29 Cities: Here are the top 29 best cities to live in for 2010. Are you in one already or considering to move to one?
24. The Best Cities for Renting: If you are not wanting to buy a home or property yet, this list will help you determine the best places for your to rent.
25. Boston and Eastern Massachusetts: See why people think this is one of the best places to raise your family.
26. 10 Worst Cities to Raise a Family: These cities have been rates some of the worst if you are looking to raise your family. Check this list out before you make a big move.
27. Best Places: Find out from this blogger which cities are some of the best places to raise your families.
28. 100 Best Cities: Check out this list of the 100 top cities that are great for raising families. Is your city on here?
29. Louisville: This city as been chosen as a great, affordable, place to raise your family. Read here to find out why people think that.
30. Bay Area: Find out why some consider the Bay Area one of the best places for you to raise your family.
31. The Best City: Discover the city voted best city to raise a family. You may not even believe that this city would be voted that but it was.
32. Best Cities for Work, Families, Playing: Sometimes you just need a change. Whether you are looking for work, a place to play or raise your family, this list can help you pick the best city for all of those.
33. Best Small Towns: If you are looking for a small town to raise your family, try one of these great towns.
34. Best Cities to Raise Wealth and Your Family: If you are wanting to move to a city where you can raise your family and work, then try one of these great cities. Check out this list to see where you can find both.
35. 10 Cities You Do Not Want: If you have a family to raise you want to stay away from these cities. Find out which cities ranked the 10 worst cities to live and raise a family.
36. 10 Florida Cities: If the Sunshine State is your destination, here are ten cities that are great for raising your children.
37. 100 Best Cities: Check out this awesome list of the top 100 cities to live in. If you are looking for family friendly cities, these are the best.
38. New Jersey: See why one blogger says this is the best city to raise your family in. Listen in as they tell you about their city and why they love it.
39. Canada’s Best Places: Check out this list if you are thinking of Canada. This list will help you pick the best place to live in Canada.
40. Burlington, Vermont: Read up on this wonderful cities awards recently. Find out why this would be a great place to raise your family.
41. Marin County, CA: Read why Forbes Magazine thinks this is one of the best places to raise your children. Read about this town here and find out the wonderful things about it.
42. Expert Ratings: One blogger shares what the expert ratings have been on where the best places to live are. Experts take several factors into consideration when rating these towns.
43. Athens, GA: In 2009 Athens was voted one of the best places to raise your children. See why this town was on the list here and learn about this wonderful Georgia city.
44. Collin County: Find out why this area in Texas has been put on Forbes list of the best places to raise children.
45. Marietta GA: See what the folks say about this town here and why it is one of the places to raise your family.
46. 100 Best Places: MSNBC released their new list of the best 100 places to raise your family. Take a look at that list here as you plan your next move.
47. Albemarle County: Check out the 13^th best place to raise a family according to Forbes. Find out why it made the list and what others from there think of the town.
48. Best Places to Raise Children: Take a look at this list of the best spots out there for raising children. Knowing you are safe and your children are safe and educated are a few things that people look for.
49. Best Place in Georgia: One person discusses whether you should live in Peachtree Ga., or if you should go towards Roswell. See the pluses of each town and which would work better for you.
50. Japan Today:  Find out whether Japan would work to raise your children. See what others say about living and raising their children there.

Image Credits: joi

At the risk of sounding like a protective parent, be careful out there. There are all kinds of ways for you to get into trouble when you’re young and you have your own apartment. Here are a few things to look out for, some of which should be obvious, and others which you may not have thought of:

• Avoid the credit trap. Now that you have your own mailbox and your own address, you’ll find that companies will come out of the woodwork looking to loan you money. Credit cards are a big temptation. Used the right way, they can be very convenient and helpful, but if you’re not careful to pay off the balance every month, you can end up in a world of hurt when high interest rates kick in and interest starts piling on top of interest. Remember this: no one gives you money for nothing. You’re almost always better paying cash when you can.

• Avoid the friends trap. We’re not saying don’t have friends, or even that you shouldn’t have them over. What we are saying is be careful about “friends” who want you to let them do things that are illegal in your apartment. You’ll no doubt have a friend or two who wants to use your house to have an underage drinking party, or to smoke weed, or any number of things their parents won’t let them do. The thing you have to consider is this: will it still be fun if we get caught? Some things carry legal consequences that are just too stiff to mess with.

• Get renters insurance if you haven’t already. You might think you don’t have much, but trust us on this one. If you start adding up the value of your stuff, it doesn’t take long for it to reach thousands of dollars. Have an agent help you determine how much coverage you need. We know you think fires and other disasters are things that happen to other people, but trust us, it could just as easily happen to you.

Enjoy your apartment and your new found freedom. Just enjoy it responsibly. These first few years of being on your own can be the most enjoyable of your life. Or, they can leave you in a mess. It all depends on what you do with your new found independence.

Photo via marioanima

• Most college dorms, which are essentially efficiency apartments shared by two or more students, cost between $7,000 and $10,000 per year. That amounts to a range of roughly $580 per month to about $800 per month. The deal is even worse if you consider that students will only live in the dorms for about 9 months out of the year (making the actual rent $775-$1,100 per month).

• Depending on where your kids go to school, they may be able to get a small apartment for the same amount of money or less than what you are paying for their dorm room. The other benefit is that they will have access to the apartment year round.

• Some landlords in college towns will allow renters to take out short term leases. That way, your student can still come home for the summers, and only pay for the months they actually stayed in the apartment.

• With an apartment, you can choose your roommates, if you are going to have any. This significantly reduces the chances that you (or your kid) will be stuck with a room mate who makes studying difficult.

• You might have to pay for your utilities in an apartment. Check your lease carefully so you know going in what to expect. Are utilities included in the rent, or do you have to pay for some or all of them? If you do have to pay the utilities, ask the landlord or (preferably) those who live in the apartment building, what average utility costs are.

Chances are, when you start doing the math, that you could rent a small apartment near campus for less money than it costs to stay in the dorm room. You’ll have to decide, if course, whether or not the “campus experience” is worth the extra couple hundred dollars per month. In either case, it’s a good idea to take out some renters insurance to protect yourself against loss from fire or theft. In college, the value of your textbooks alone is worth insuring.

Photo via wharman

That said, here are some things we’ve heard new renters say or seen them do. Renters, believe it or not, have actually said and done these things:

• “Don’t worry, mom and dad, I have lots of money. See, I still have six checks left.” This poor guy was in the military when he got his first apartment, and he was under the delusion that, as long as he had checks, he had “money.” After all, with a check, you write down any dollar amount you want to, and the store hands over the merchandise, right? Fortunately, somebody set him straight before things got too out of hand. Unfortunately, it was too late to prevent him from having to move back in with mom and dad.

• “It’s not like we’re going to get caught.” Spoken by a young lady in her first apartment while supplying liquor to her minor friends. She was 21. Them? Not so much. Come to find out, the police take a rather dim view on that, even if the friends are “almost 21.” One hint: if you are going to have underage drinking in your apartment (and we DON’T recommend it), don’t play the stereo loud enough to upset the neighbors.

• “I don’t need renters insurance. I don’t have much stuff.” Within a couple months of renting an apartment, everybody has lots of stuff. It’s inevitable. Even if you only consider the value of your clothes, electronics, and food, you probably have several thousand dollars’ worth of stuff. And if you ever do have a fire, you’re going to need that insurance money to find a new place in a hurry. Either that, or move back in with mom and dad. And nobody wants that (well, except maybe mom).

Here’s the thing: when you gain your independence, you gain a lot of responsibility. It’s a good thing, and a normal part of life everyone is supposed to go through. It’s also a bit of a perilous time, because you can really hurt yourself with too much freedom. Use your head and make good choices. And don’t be afraid to ask mom or dad for help and advice before you find yourself in a jam.

Photo via iLoveButter

If you do find yourself in that unfortunate circumstance of needing a quick excuse for why the rent check is going to be a few days late (or a few dollars short), here are some you can try:

• I just got back from my mother’s funeral. This one actually works pretty well. Everyone has a mother, and even landlords will occasionally float you a little grace if you had to take a sudden unexpected trip. The biggest drawbacks to this one are that you can only use it once and you have to make sure your mother never shows up to the apartment when the landlord is there. Of course, you could use the same basic idea with different relatives (cousins, aunt’s grandparents, etc.) but none of the other relatives have quite the emotional impact claiming you lost your mom has. And after the third or fourth relative in a year, most landlords will begin to suspect.

• My bank account was closed. I don’t know why, but I’m looking into it and I’ll get the rent to you as soon as I get it straightened out. The real reason your account was closed, of course, must never be exposed.

• Didn’t my roommate already pay you? Are you sure? I was sure he was going to pay you. Anyway, he’s got your money. With luck and a little coordination, you can keep this going back and forth for quite a while.

• My dog had parvo (or rabies, or any other serious canine ailment). This works best if the landlord is a dog lover. It also tends to work better if (a) you have a dog and (b) your landlord allows pets.

On a serious note, if you are going to be late paying the rent, renters insurance, utilities, or any other bill, it’s always better to let your landlord know as far ahead of time as you can. It doesn’t guarantee that he’ll be understanding, but it does keep you from having to avoid your own apartment.

Photo via jpctalbot