On the move (again), but not so much by choice this time

So I have to move. Yes, HAVE to move. I was informed by SCA that they have chosen not to renew my lease. I suspect that is because I have been having financial troubles which means I have been paying my rent late. Please know: it gets PAID with additional late fee no less, but it has been late the last few months. You see remember a few months ago when I was all excited about the prospect of buying a house and then I went to that thing at the convention center and that guy took one look at my credit report and basically said, "AS IF!!!"? Well, that got me all fired up to get my credit straigtened out. So I contacted several of my creditors and made payment arrangements. Those payments take a HUGE chunk out of my monthly income, and not to lay it all on the feet of paying bills, I must admit that my failure to curb my dining-out habit and other spending has not helped. But in my defense, another problem is our wonky pay schedule at the State. We get paid every two weeks which means I might get paid on say the 1st, the 15th and the 29th one month, but another (like say this one and next month) on the 8th and the 22nd. That means my rent check is the one that comes on the 8th which makes rent 5 days late). Now, you're probably thinking, well then pay you rent with your 22nd check. That would work, but then I have no funds to cover the automatic withdrawals from my creditors that I have prearranged to come out specifically in the middle of the month because I thought that would be easier. Since I was born, raised and continued to be a poor black child with terrible money management skills, I live paycheck to paycheck and don't have any reserves that would allow me to pay my rent and bills on time the right way. Well, none of that matters so much now. I have to move and now I have two months to find a place and this is going to make the $$$ situation worse because I now have to pay application fees and security deposits and first-month's rent (possibly even first and last because that might be my only option without a co-signer) and I also have to worry about being rejected because of a negative rental history because of my late payments and terrible credit report. And let me tell you, I am already worried about what I might be able to find because YIKES!!! The rental market has passed me by. I have been looking at places on Craigslist as well as visiting sites for buildings I've lived in before and man, have things changed. I won't lie, I suspect another reason I'm getting the boot is because they are about to bump the rent up crazy-high. I mean, my place is pretty damn sweet (which is why I'm actually bummed that I have to move). Remember when I was searching last time? I got everything on my wishlist EXCEPT a gas stove. My clawfoot tub, my wood floors, top floor, lots of storage. Plus stuff I didn't as for like dark wood trim and lots of windows (and annoying neighbor dog and radiators with a mind of their own and centipedes, but I digress). This time around I don't even know what I want. I think I might go more "modern" this time. Carpet, a/c, definitely an electric stove. Not sure about what neighborhood. Truth is my neighbor's barky little bugger and dodging dog crap all around the way doesn't make Stevens appealing to me anymore. I can go for a Cats Okay building, but I'm about done with the dog thing. I'm thinking Uptown, but prices up that way are bananas (because you're "close to the lakes" or whatever). I might consider Nordeast, but I'd have to be right by the Quarry because that is what I want! Oh, or in the St. Anthony area near the Wally World/Cub area there. I know my limits without having a car. I have also spotted some stuff over South, as well as in Richfield and St. Louis Park. Anyhoodle, now that we're upon the first of the month and landlords requiring a 60 day notice (or who give a 60 day notice in my case) will know of any openings. I plan to keep searching and seeing what's out there over the next week and hopefully, I can start visiting properties the following week. I am hoping for an April 15 lease start, but I might even consider an April 1st if I found the right place (and they would have me). Maybe SCA could rent my place out early. Not holding my breath. But since I have to be out of my apartment on April 30th at noon, I would need someplace that I can move into at least a few days early, so that I'm not homeless for 24 hours. I also hope I can get a decent moving crew together. Too bad all the boys I know have left the dang state for the most part. Not that it would have to be boys, but I do need someone who is willing and able to drive the truck. Oh, well. I'm babbling. It's a real slow day here and I have jack-all to do, so I have completed my state and property taxes and watched some Fright Night (2011) while sending out a bit of mail and entering some SAs. I've also scanned Craigslist some more and will probably do that some more again once I finish this rambly piece of business. Which I guess I am gonna do right now. More to come on this whole moving/apartment search-y thing.