1. Purchase Renters Insurance and Document, Take Pictures, of Everything I Own.

So, turns out that you don't need to document everything you own to get renters insurance, they just trust your word, who would have thought?  I had plans to create a spreadsheet with every book, shirt and electronic I owned, which seemed slightly obsessive, but necessary.  It's not.

My friend Joel is a Liberty Mutual Insurance Agent, and after much chasing, finally got me to swap car insurance when I bought my new one last year, and I have to say I could not be happier.  The payments went down $70 a month and I have even BETTER coverage than before, it was a total no brainer.  Since he did a great job hooking me up with stellar insurance for my car, I figured I'd give him a call and see what kind of quote I could get for renters insurance.  For someone who is paranoid about serial killers, shark attacks, break-ins and food poisoning, plus has a crippling fear of bridges, you'd think that I'd at LEAST have insurance to protect my apartment and belongings  I do have nightmares of a fire ripping through my place, which was magnified once I moved into a town house, so it's about time I put at least ONE rational fear to rest.

After a phone conversation with Joel, I found out renters insurance was pretty cheap, about $21 a month.  It covers up to $25,000 worth belongings, with a $500 deductible.  It doesn't just cover items in my apartment, but all of my things.  If my car got broken into and my ipod was stolen, that would be something I could claim.  If my bag is stolen and there is more than $500 worth of things in there, I can file a report and get a check to replace my things (I did look into this when my bag was stolen, but I only lost my digital camera, which wasn't valued anywhere near $500, so it wasn't worth it).  Even if I lost an expensive watch, Joel told me that Liberty Mutual would take care of replacing it.  How amazing is that?!  Granted, I would still have to pay the $500 deductible, but if it something worth a few thousand dollars, it'll be worth it!

It has definitely given me peace of mind, and it is totally worth the $21 a month.  It comes straight out of my checking and I never even know it's gone.  It was uber easy to get and I recommend it for anyone who rents.  You can never be too careful.  Look who you're talking to.  Hi.