Things No One Tells You About Moving Out

I'm sure this will be part of some sort of series because I haven't even moved out yet and I already have had about a million reality checks. Now, moving out is an exciting experience but it is also a very stressful one. For someone who has never paid a bill before in their life, I am definitely not used to this kind of "independence." Reality has definitely hit me in the face.

These are the things no one tells you about moving out:

1. Your parents will probably cut you off cold-turkey
     Okay, this may seem kind of obvious, but this is something you should probably drill into your head now, just so you can get used to the idea. I have some very giving parents. They even paid my cell phone bill. Now this can be a good thing and a bad thing. It was great because...well I didn't have to pay it but it was bad because now I have no idea what it takes to survive...or I didn't until now. Don't expect your parents to pay half your bills or give you handouts when you need them. When you cut this idea out of your head then you'll be able to easily make responsible spending decisions.

2. There are many extra costs to living that you aren't even aware of
     When you're looking for an apartment you forget about things like utilities, insurance, groceries, internet, cable etc. I can't even keep track of all of the payments I'm about to be making. I think if I add it up I might have a heart attack. Don't think that the 500 dollars that you will be paying a month in rent is all that you're going to need. Those extras add up quick so you definitely need to keep those in mind when trying to figure out just how much you are going to need to survive.

3. You should have some serious padding saved up
     If you're going to be moving out you should give yourself a cushion, especially if you're like myself and still need to get another job to make sure that you can pay the bills. As far as my Associate Editor's job goes, I have enough to cover the rent and that's about it. Give yourself a little wiggle room so that there is no need to go into panic mode right away. As of right now I have my job lined up plus first and last paid plus $1,500.00 in my savings. This will give me the security to be able to have a little extra time to find that job without automatically having to live off of bread and butter.

4. Grocery shopping takes a lot of attention
     When you're shopping with your mom you probably throw things in the cart all willy-nilly without even considering the prices of things. When you are on your own that won't be an option. Before you go shopping make sure that you have made a list of exactly what you need. Besides that you should set a budget AND go through a flyer in order to look for the best prices. Another little tip which I learned today: make sure you take a good look at your fresh products. I bought half a cantelope today and didn't give it a feel. When I took it home and started eating it I quickly realized that it was too ripe and pretty mushy. That was $3.00 down the drain and a stomach left empty. Learn from my mistakes people.

5. If you want something done you should do it immediately
    As my wonderful future-roomate and I found out, if you need to get something done you should not put it off. We knew that we had to sign up for hydro and gas accounts but we just didn't feel the urgency...until we realized it had to be done for the next day. Then we were scrambiling around trying to figure it all out and at the same time I was being informed that my parents insurance wouldn't cover me and I had to get my own policy which I wanted for the next day (yeah...like that was gonna happen). When something comes up, do it immediately because you will end up running around like a crazy person and while you're doing that something else will come up and you will inevitably give yourself an ulcer.

So my friends, those are the lessons that I've learned while trying to move so far. Trust me, it's easier to get this stuff in your brain now rather than later. That's why I'm here to live your lessons for you.

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown
Reformed Procrastinator, Independent Woman Against her Will