Apartment-hunting sucks.

There's no experience quite like being shuffled from unit to unit in a little golf cart while someone rambles about amenities, half-price deposits and free paint for one wall with a one-year lease.

That's presuming you don't get stuck in an apartment that can't live up to what it was supposed to be.

Perhaps the only thing worse than looking for a place to live is being trapped in a home that ends up feeling more like a jail cell. There's no foolproof way to avoid that scenario, but there are things you can do to protect yourself and get a better deal along the way.

To get the best price for your apartment, ask about employer, military and student discounts. Many complexes offer them, but they don't always mention it if you don't ask first.

Ask who pays the water bill. If you're responsible for the water bill, ask if the units are individually sub-metered. If they are, you will pay for the water you use. If not, your water bill will be based on something more arbitrary like the size of your apartment. That could leave you paying more than your fair share.

To estimate what your new electric bill would be, call the electric company and give them your proposed address. If someone has lived at that address before, CPS Energy can tell you about the unit's past utility costs.

Plan to pay a security deposit of about $100 per bedroom. In theory, this deposit is refundable, but in all the apartments I've rented and all the renters I've known, I can recall two instances in which security deposits have been returned. Neither was to me.

Read your lease and rental agreements thoroughly before you sign them. Your rental agreement is different from your lease. It generally contains the complex's rules in addition to other move-in information.

Check to see that every figure quoted to you and every deal promised to you is reflected correctly in the documents.

I once lived at a place where the first lease was typed up with an inaccurate rent figure. Next, it was printed with the wrong security deposit. The third incorrect lease didn't include the free month of rent I was supposed to receive by signing a one-year lease. You'd think the fourth time would be the charm, but in my case, it had the wrong apartment number listed.

It took five times to get that lease right. I was amazed, especially since the property turned out to be a pretty good place to live.

Always ask to see the unit you would be living in. Sometimes the models are far nicer and far more functional than the actual apartments themselves.

You don't want to look at a Cadillac and get stuck with a Kia. Not that there's anything wrong with a Kia.

Being a smart apartment-hunter makes the process even harder, but it's got the power to save you cash.
And that's worth it.