Moving out of your parents’ house is a big deal. Whether you’re moving into a dorm or moving into an off-campus apartment, it takes a lot of adjustment. After two years at community college and one term of online classes at Wayne State, I moved in January to live with my boyfriend Andrew (if you want more on him, check out my first article here.)
FINALLY.Before I moved out, the big joke in my house (I lived with my mom, dad, older sister, and younger brother) was that I would be surviving on chicken nuggets and caesar salad. No joke, these two dishes are still staples in my diet. But I just laughed and went along with it, thinking that once I moved out I would somehow learn to cook for myself. As if it were that easy.
But it isn’t. You don’t magically become an adult. And besides missing my parents and my hometown, the biggest struggle I have had has been feeding myself and Andrew. After six months on our own — and it did take that long — I think we finally have it almost figured out.
MEAL PLAN
Seriously, sit down and plan ahead — we do it every Saturday evening or Sunday morning. It isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be super complex. You can say that you want to do taco Tuesdays and hot dogs every other day of the week (it isn’t healthy, but hey, it’s a start at least), but stick to it. Stick to it. Let me repeat that: Stick to your meal plan. It will help later on in the week when you can’t decide what you want; if you already have something planned, then you should already have the food there, which you don’t want to go to waste.
This will also help you be realistic on what and how much you are going to eat, which is probably not the same amount that you think that you will.
SHOP EARLY
We shop on Sunday mornings, ideally before church gets out. Yeah, it isn’t fun to get up that early on the last day of the weekend, but beating the crowds and getting first pick of the new stock of produce and meat is worth it. Plus you don’t have to walk behind slower people or wait in lines so long. Trust me, it’s a blessing to get in and get out.
HAVE A BUDGET
I struggled with where to put this bullet because it is probably the most important one, but also the least fun. When we first moved in, Andrew and I were spending upwards of $200 A WEEK on groceries. Excessive, I know. But we were spending so much money on things that we never ate. Since we started meal planning and being more realistic, we have gotten it down to under $100 a week, which for two people really isn’t too bad.
When it comes to actually cooking, things get a little more complicated, and I am no master chef. My dad is a chef, but that’s as close as I come. Luckily, my motto is “fake it ‘til you make it” -- I literally pretend I can do something well until I actually can. Here’s how you can, too.
TRUST GOOGLE
It’s amazing how many millennials take this tool for granted. If you don’t know something, ask the “person” who knows everything. This person may be a 12-year-old (as was the girl who taught me how to fishtail braid my hair), or it might be Bobby Flay, who taught me how to cook my burgers just right. Point is, ask Google.
TRUST REVIEWS
If you don’t trust yourself to cook without a recipe and need to find one on Google, always look at the reviews. Some people will tell you that they added more or less of an ingredient for a certain flavor, or even added a magic ingredient that makes everything that much better. Either way, do your research.
TRUST YOUR TASTEBUDS
When you’re unsure about something, taste it. If it doesn’t taste right, add a little more seasoning (also, live by the rule that you can add more but never take any away). You will never know until you try. Sometimes, I get nervous about trying something that I’ve made, so I make Andrew try it first. If he doesn’t make a crazy weird facial expression, then it’s all good.
TRUST YOUR RESOURCES
Like I said, my dad is a chef; I ask him cooking questions all the time. All. The. Time. He FaceTimed me once to walk me through cooking green beans. Literally one of my texts to him was, “I put corn in a pot of water, now what?” I’m unashamed. He knows these things and I don’t. He’s like a personalized Google. And I have absolutely all of my cooking abilities because of him (they’re limited so far but I’m getting there!)
Unless you already cook at your parents’ house, this transition is not easy. And it seems convenient to just eat out all the time, but it isn’t cost effective or rewarding. Even just making pasta salad makes me proud of myself, and the victory tastes better than delivery ever could. Except pizza, I can order that from my phone and not even get off of my couch. Seriously, though, don’t live on pizza -- it isn’t sustainable. Learn to shop and cook; it’s one of the greatest gifts you could give yourself.
