CINDY, INCIDENTALLY:

In the last few weeks, I have learned that apartment hunting is all about strategy, decoding real estate lingo and understanding personal deal breakers.

“Rustic cottage” often translates to “renovated shed with no insulation in walls.”

“Stone’s throw away from the beach” can mean Garden Grove.

“Efficiency studio” means a hot plate and a prison sink in the corner of the room.

And P.S. to Realtors: Even an ocean view can’t make up for a studio apartment that doesn’t have any closet space, rents for $1,500 and is 250-square-feet.

When moving back to Southern California I was excited about the sun, surf and city living. But I also knew that the days of paying $695 for a one-bedroom 1,000-square-foot-apartment were over.

According to federal housing guidelines, rent is the largest slice of a monthly budget and it typically should only consume 25% to 30% of one’s gross income. For recent college graduates or career switchers apartment hunting can feel limiting and even a bit frustrating in high rent areas like Orange County.

It boggles the mind how most of my peers have chosen from three options: Live with roommates, live in quarters no bigger than a bread box or pay half their monthly salary for an apartment and then supplement income with credit cards and increasing their debt for the future.

How beautiful. It’s the American Way.

Trying to stay within one’s budget can be hard, but I don’t think it is impossible. I did a little research on how to find the best budget for rent and learned it’s best to write out your monthly bills, from fixed, variable and lifestyle. This includes how much you like going out to eat in a week, what you spend on buying coffee per month, do you like expensive wine and how much you spend on shopping. Also add in possible emergency expenses and savings.

Once you break down your budget and spending, it’s more realistic (if you’re honest) on what you can actually afford for rent.

After you do this, I think it’s also important to write out what you can and cannot live without when it comes to personal space. I don’t think people should settle just because they’ve can’t spend a lot of money on some fancy apartment. You can still have it all — I really believe that.

Personally, I require lots of closet space — fine I’m a female cliché, I can live with that — I also need to be able to bring my cat with me, I must have an airy and bright apartment, I would like a large kitchen and would really love a good coffeehouse within a 5-mile radius from my apartment, so on Sunday morning I can stumble out and buy a half-pound of whatever when I run out.

There are some things I can live without and others that I absolutely will not. I’ve had to learn to walk away from almost perfect apartments that are too dark and damp or that don’t have kitchens or maybe they won’t let me have my pet. But, I just won’t settle when it comes to my living space or anything else in life for that matter.

So, until I find the perfect place, it’s back to the hunt. I just read an ad about a cozy little efficient beach shack just minutes away from downtown Huntington Beach, which I betcha roughly translates to bachelor apartment with a seashell wind chime hanging on the front door of an apartment in Midway City.

Sigh.

CINDY ARORA is a freelance writer. She may be reached at [email protected].