By the time most of us graduate college, our parents are practically begging us to get out of their homes. It's about time we left dishes in our own kitchen sink and made a mess in our own living room.
And most young adults can't wait to get their first apartment or house. It's a step to being a full-fledged adult
But over time, most of us realize that living on our own isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Apparently, being an adult comes with unanticipated responsibilities.
Doing dishes is basically a full-time job.
If you're fortunate enough to have a dishwasher in your first big-kid apartment, God bless you. The rest of us will be forced into the realization that washing dishes by hand takes up at least 25 percent of our adult lives.
The bathroom doesn't actually clean itself.
And as if this discovery isn't heinous enough, you'll also find that you're a lot grosser than you ever realized.
It doesn't matter how much money you make. You'll never see any of it.
Whether you're living on a $30,000 salary or a $60,000 one, I'm convinced that none of us actually see the majority of that money — not after your landlord, cable company and debt collectors have their say.
Savings accounts are sort of like unicorns.
Have you ever seen a unicorn? Once you move out, you'll probably have a better chance of a unicorn sighting than of seeing money in your savings account.
A refrigerator full of beer isn't exactly nutritious.
Remember when your college mini-fridge was your pride and joy? Well, it turns out that it takes more than an 18 pack of Budlight to stay nourished. Who knew?
Groceries are expensive as heck.
After a few grocery bills, you'll start to miss coming home to a house full of goodies courtesy of good 'ole mom and pop. And no one ever buys your favorite Oreos for you anymore...
Laundry is seriously a project.
If you grew up with a washer and dryer downstairs from you, you're not going to like this. Unless you're lucky enough to snag a laundry unit with your first apartment, you're probably going to have to dedicate actual hours of your life to washing clothes.
That's right, no more binge-watching Netflix series while your underwear dry. Woe is adulthood.
Decorating is harder than it looks.
We've all daydreamed about designing our own living space. But between the high cost of furniture and the stressful decision-making that goes into choosing home decor, you'll quickly conclude that your daydreams were a tad on the optimistic side of things.
The reality is that decorating is a headache, especially when you can't decide if your curtains match your carpet. And wait, what do you mean you were supposed to measure things before buying these?
Half of the things you own need to be repaired or replaced at some point.
Remember when your mom used to stay home so that the plumber could come over? Or your dad used to buy lightbulbs and patch up the ceiling when it leaked?
Well, kid, you're on your own now. Have fun.
You still need permission for everything.
Just because your parents aren't always around anymore doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. Your landlord is sure to have a few rules for your new living arrangements — and sadly, they're far less likely to be susceptible to your pouty face than your parents are.
You won't want people over unless you've cleaned your mess.
Well, there goes your social life. And to think, you seriously believed that getting an apartment meant throwing parties and having people over all the time.
But hey, at least Netflix won't judge you for the growing pile of laundry in the middle of your floor...
Actually, you won't want people in your clean house either.
If you've ever cleaned your entire apartment, just to have friends litter it with pizza boxes and soda cans a few hours later, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
