financial & spatial issues

You know what sucks? Taxes. And benefits. And retirement plans.

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Okay, they actually don't suck. Because I got an awesome tax refund this year (I'll probably get a decent one next year since I can deduct moving expenses) and benefits, like health insurance, are awesome... especially since my (future) employer offers them. And nearly no companies offer 401k plans anymore, so that's cool.

But what does suck is semi-calculating how much in take home pay I'll have each month. And it isn't much. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm 1,000% grateful I got a job before graduation and it's with an awesome company. Gross pay, I'm making a really great amount. But after everything that gets taken out.... UGH.

Most of you are probably like "Yeah okay Kim, welcome to the real world."

Listen: I'm learning.

Since I won't be bringing home as much as I'd want to, this means I can probably only afford a one bedroom apartment. Which kind of stinks. Because I have friends and family that will be visiting frequently and I won't have the space to house them. So they'll have to stay in a hotel (this is, of course, if more than two people come at a time. Because I can share my bed and I'll have a couch [eventually]).

And I don't have that much stuff. I really don't. I have clothes and I'll be buying all my furniture once I get down there. This means for a while I'll only have a mattress and bed frame (if I'm lucky). Which brings me to my main point of this post:

How does one go about thrifting for furniture? 

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I see people who go do it all the time and end up getting not that shady of stuff and they fix it up really nice. I know I can get a decent dresser and fix it, no problem. But something like a vintage couch? How do you eradicate it of bugs and crap? I don't want the cost of cleaning it up to outweigh buying a new couch...

And should you get a thrifted/vintage sofa? Or just buy a new one? I have a cat who is so destructive and buying a new one seems dumb. Would it be more worth it to ask family for their old furniture and throw a slipcover on it? Which brings me back to my original plan of buying furniture down there, so I don't have to get a uHaul...

So. Many Questions.

Halp plz?