When I was 18 years old, I -- like many other millennials -- moved out of my parent's house and moved into an apartment/dorm with my best friend. Suddenly, I had to start doing things my parents just always took care of. Here is a simple list of things I have learned over the years.
1. Once you move out, you're probably going to never move back unless it's a last resort.
If your family is anything like mine, they are stubborn, nosey, and strict. The minute I moved to Richmond, I had a feeling I wouldn't be moving back home unless I absolutely need. Living without your parents means you have the freedom to do whatever you want. I did whatever I wanted and sorry Mom, can't change these habits.
2. You're responsible for taking care of your living spaces.
That means living rooms, dining rooms, kitchen, etc. If you don't clean them, well I guess they're not going to be clean.
3. You need to wash your bedsheets at least monthly.
You sleep on your bed every day. You sweat on your bed everyday. You need to clean it regularly.
4. Laundry is usually done weekly if not bi-weekly.
If you can't find clean clothes to wear, it's because you're not doing your laundry. The day you need to extra nice, is the day you don't have anything clean to wear.
5. You need to vacuum every two weeks at least, more if you have pets that shed.
Dust and dirt build up faster than you think. Pets shed so much and it builds up into fur balls that pile up in a corner. Gross.
6. You can’t leave wet towels soaking in the shower, it will start to mold.
I cannot stress this enough. Same goes for clothes sitting in the washer for hours. I will start to mold and smell horrible. You need to hang up wet towels in the sun to dry out.
7. Trash piles up faster than you think.
Even when I was living with only three people, I swear we were taking the trash out every day. And running out of trash bags sucks.
8. The bathroom and kitchen need to be cleaned at least once a month.
Wet things that are constantly wet will mold. A once a month clean can help with that. Also, if you have long hair like me, vacuuming will probably be a weekly chore.
9. You need to clean the lint tray every time you use the dryer, or it will start a fire.
Do you want a house fire? Because that's how you start a house fire.
10. Turning the AC down to 55 degrees will waste more money and the house will never reach 55 degrees.
I live on the third floor of my house. Heat rises and cold air sinks. It's unfortunate that it just gets so hot on the top floor but turning down the ac to 55 degrees will only make the first floor cold and the top floor will always be hot. The internal temperature of the house will never reach 55 degrees and you're just creating the biggest electricity bill you have ever seen.
11. Dish soap and dishwasher soap are two very different soaps.
One bubbles up and is for hand washing the dishes. The other soap is specifically for the dishwasher. If you put dish soap in the dishwasher, your house will flood with bubbles. If this happens, pour olive oil in the dishwasher and turn on the rinse cycle to diminish the bubbles.
12. You will have to start buying groceries like salt, pepper, butter, cleaning supplies, things that were just always in the house.
At home, whenever I made food, things like salt, pepper, and oil were always in the house. When I moved into my house, I realized that things that were always there, won't be there. You need to regularly buy them yourself. I suggest using Amazon's Prime Subscribe and Save to have things like toilet paper and cat litter shipped to the house monthly.
13. Life is more expensive than you think.
After having to buy things like salt, pepper, toilet paper on my own, I've realized that it adds up. Eventually the cost of household supplies and groceries is basically half a paycheck. Try using money saving apps like Mint to keep track of your finances.
14. Communication is the key to getting anything done.
It's as simple as that. If you want anything to get done, you need to communicate it as politely and clearly as possible. No one will do what you want them to do if you're yelling and insulting them.
It's unlikely that you will (want) to move back home, but living without parent's can be hard. It's okay. As you grow older, you will learn how to take care of yourself -- and eventually, those around you.
