Installing Laminate Flooring in a Basement

It was time to replace the carpet in our basement.
*Options I considered for this project:
We considered tile, wall-to-wall carpet, carpet squares, concrete staining and painting the concrete subfloor.
*Questions and unexpected events that arose during the project:
It seemed like every step of the way there were questions that came up: where do we start the project -- in the corner of the room, in the middle? Which direction should the flooring go? How do we transition the flooring between two different rooms? How should the underlayment be installed? Do the baseboards need to be removed? Was laminate suitable to the basement because of elevated humidity levels in a basement?
* Cost Comments:
.78 a square foot plus the underlayment that came in a roll of 25 feet x 2 1/2 feet and costs about
*My motivation to do this project:
The carpet was about 8 years old. 2 kids and three dogs later, it had seen better days.
*Project Steps:
We started by making several trips to different stores to evaluate the costs of the materials and speak to the professionals at the big home improvement warehouses.
After considering the pros and cons of the different flooring materials, we decided on the laminate wood looking material. Our decision was driven largely by the desire to have low-maintenance, low cost and easy to maintain flooring.
Advice:
Do not be afraid to tackle this yourself.
Do watch some of the videos available online through Lowe's and other home improvement sources.
Do get the "tamping" tools that are needed to adhere one piece of laminate to another.
Do buy extra materials since you will make a few mistakes.
We used a jig saw and didn't end up needing the circular saw that we bought and now own.
Do be patient.
Materials:
laminate flooring - $0.00
Underlayment - $0.00
Tools - $0.00
Shoe molding - $0.00