Living on your own is a big and exciting decision to make. It has its great advantages, but it isn't always easy. Being on your own has a way of teaching you so many lessons that living at home with your parents wouldn't necessarily. Here are 5 things that I have learned while living on my own.
1. Shopping for groceries is rough
At home, my food was provided for me. I would just open the fridge and it would be magically stocked. Now not so much. I have to actually plan what food I want to eat and make a list. This seems much easier than it is. You need to strategically plan what food you can use for multiple different meals. You also need to make sure you can eat all of the food you purchase before it goes bad. Nothing is worst than spending money on a loaf of bread only for it to mold before you eat half of it. Now lets just talk about money for a moment. Some food items seem so ridiculously priced. I swear they just over price some items just because you need them and they can do that. It's not cool! Who has $3 to spend on a gallon of milk every couple of weeks? Not this girl, yet I buy it anyway because dry cereal is no fun.
2. Homesickness is real
While i'm off living on my own and "adulting" I often feel the need to share all my small accomplishments and irrelevant stories with my parents. This is something I was used to doing every day back home. When you're off on your own it is slightly frowned upon to do this. Of course my parents want to hear about my life, but I don't think they need me to call them to let them know I successfully made spaghetti by myself or that I baked cookies and only burned one batch. This desire to tell them pointless details about my life stems from homesickness. Being away from your family can be really hard and sometimes you just want to go home, but in those moments you need to remind yourself that being off on your own is helping you grow as a person. It is shaping you into a person that you and your family will be proud of.
3. No one tells you when its time to clean
My mom was the neat one holding our house together. I swear if she wasn't around, you wouldn't be able to find the floor in our house. Now that i'm on my own, my mom isn't here to tell me when its time to pick up my room, do a load of laundry or wash the dishes. These are all things I had to learn to control on my own. This can be tricky at times, but it is something that I have learned to keep up with. Don't get me wrong, my room isn't spotless by any means, but at least you can see my floor. That's an accomplishment, right?
4. Managing your money is super important
When you are on your own making your own money, you need to be conscientious of how much money you are spending and on what. There is no one around to scold you when you spend too much money. You need to form a budget and follow it closely. You have more freedom on your own, but with that freedom comes responsibility. You need to keep yourself on kind of a short leash, and make responsible decisions with your money.
5. You are capable of more than you think
There is nothing like being on your own to teach you just how much you are capable of. There is no one around to hold your hand, and that makes you step up and make decisions you haven't necessarily had to make before. You are completely in control of your own life, and guess what? You haven't derailed yet! That must count for something, right?
