So you are thinking about moving out, huh? This is one of the first huge hurdles in becoming a big, bad adult and making your own path. After searching for and selecting your new palace, there are a few thing you may not realize when moving out. Here are 5 helpful facts and tips to help you transition out of that wonderful land of childhood and into the solace of adulthood and apartments. Here we go.
1. You will miss your family. A lot.
Yea, yea, yea, your family blows right? Nope. You will miss every single one of those crazy people everyday. Your mom seemed like a nag and never let you get that tattoo you wanted but now in that empty apartment, you crave someone to give you stupid advice. It sucks big time for while, but after a month or two and several sobbing phone calls, living in your own apartment begins to be really freaking cool.
2. Now you have to fend for your self, hopefully that doesn't mean ramen every night.
Learn to cook, dear Lord, PLEASE learn to cook. Take out is awesome occasionally, but budget yourself. Learn to prepare meals for the week in advance or buy a simple cook book to liven up your menu. Here's a website with a butt ton of recipes that are tasty as heck and save you all that dough!
http://www.college-cooking.com/
Microwave dinners are not always your best friends either! With high levels of sodium and fats, they lead to extra pudge and other yucky, not so nice side effects. These meals seem very convenient, but they will add up quickly, leaving you in a tight situation. It is best, and I know from experience, to buy your own groceries and prepare meals yourself. Check out Aldi's and other discount stores to help your money stretch, or leave an extra few bucks for a fun stuff fund!
3. You realize all the things you took for granted. Like the ungodly amounts of laundry and cleaning your own toilet.
Yes, my friend, toilets should be cleaned once a week and now it's all on you. The easiest thing to do with household chores is make a schedule. Plan out two to five chores to do a day, that way you are not swamped and your little cozy castle stays tidy. Chore charts are cute and super duper helpful. Here's a cute one to get you started! Print off a good dozen and tack one to the fridge. Each day mark off the tasks you did and perhaps reward yourself at the end of the week (Normally a bottle of wine or a movie for me!)
4. You will grow up. You will be adulting in no time, and by adulting I mean being broke.
Budgeting is huge when you become self sustaining. Take some time and divvy out your funds. Cover important things first like rent and food, but then lay out some to save and some for fun. You have to have a fun fund, it's a necessity. You are a 20 something living on your own, you will want to go out with friends or do spontaneous dumb crap. But don't spread yourself too thin, always leave a tad of leeway if things come up. I remember when I was studying at Valparaiso University that my friends and I randomly drove to Chicago. We went to shows, ate at nice restaurants, shopped, and saw the sights; spending a bit too much as well. Thank God I had extra in my fun fund and could manage, but because of my budgeting skills. everything worked out fine, and I had a blast in the Windy City.
5. It will take a bit to get used to, but you will love it.
It's a lot of work, and it's hard, but it is so worth it. When you finally take the plunge and get your own place, it is one of the most reward feelings of your life. You have done it. You made it. You have your own castle to come home to, you can walk around naked if you please, because this is YOUR place. Have fun, take a deep breath, and remember to clean your toilet. It gets real nasty, yo!
