Moving out of Parents home

Phoenix1401
Phoenix1401 Posts: 711 Member
edited November 2024 in Chit-Chat
I'm finally moving out and moving in a bigger city in 4 months.
Any advice for a 1st timer?
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Replies

  • CollegeGirl19
    CollegeGirl19 Posts: 101
    Bump. Getting an apartment with my boyfriend at the end of the semester.
  • Johnnyswife
    Johnnyswife Posts: 1,447 Member
    Start buying small stuff that you'll need now while your not paying rent. Towels, dishes, maybe a couch or a table, ect. Once you have your keys, take stuff over a few boxfuls at a time and than when the big moving day arrives, you won't have as much to move.
  • Phoenix1401
    Phoenix1401 Posts: 711 Member
    Forgot to add my best friend and her baby is coming with me everything is going to spilt bill paid I'm responsible with my money and everything I'm not worried about money its just being out on my own its like the "last frontier" of stuff...idk
  • catherine4211
    catherine4211 Posts: 944 Member
    I didn't live alone until I was 39 with 2 kids (after a divorce) so I am not sure what to say. If you are young I say just have fun and enjoy your life!!!
  • ace175
    ace175 Posts: 518 Member
    I agree with Johnnyswife...start buying the small things, it'll make moving in so much easier!! For me, everything changed when I moved out, but in a good way.... good luck with your move!
  • formersec
    formersec Posts: 233 Member
    Lock your doors. Close windows when you aren't home or asleep. Invest in a good fire extinguisher and a smoke and/or carbon dioxide detector. Don't answer the door unless you are expecting someone. For anyone who claims to be from the gas company for example or even the police, get identification and call the employer to be sure they are legit. Don't trust an official looking badge, particularly if the person just waves it at you so you can't read it.

    Two women and a child. Be exceptionally cautious. Crime happens in some of the best neighborhoods.
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
    Don't pay interest on credit cards.
  • Phoenix1401
    Phoenix1401 Posts: 711 Member
    Lock your doors. Close windows when you aren't home or asleep. Invest in a good fire extinguisher and a smoke and/or carbon dioxide detector. Don't answer the door unless you are expecting someone. For anyone who claims to be from the gas company for example or even the police, get identification and call the employer to be sure they are legit. Don't trust an official looking badge, particularly if the person just waves it at you so you can't read it.

    Two women and a child. Be exceptionally cautious. Crime happens in some of the best neighborhoods.

    omg that sounds scary :/
  • Classalete
    Classalete Posts: 464 Member
    Don't piss money away renting. Save up until your able to put money down on some real estate. Plenty of low interest mortgages out there in this downed economy. For example I locked in at 2.8 through my credit union, lumped my student debt into my 20 year fixed and make a lower monthly payment that I would in a crusty first floor flat.

    Will be moving in this July! ;D
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    Don't buy small things. Plan a once a week trip to your parents house to go "shopping."

    "mom, i need toilet paper, or im going to have really bad skid marks," works amazing when said in a completely serious voice.
  • formersec
    formersec Posts: 233 Member
    Lock your doors. Close windows when you aren't home or asleep. Invest in a good fire extinguisher and a smoke and/or carbon dioxide detector. Don't answer the door unless you are expecting someone. For anyone who claims to be from the gas company for example or even the police, get identification and call the employer to be sure they are legit. Don't trust an official looking badge, particularly if the person just waves it at you so you can't read it.

    Two women and a child. Be exceptionally cautious. Crime happens in some of the best neighborhoods.

    omg that sounds scary :/

    Not meant to scare. Just meant to keep you safe. If you practice good safety procedures, you can avoid harm. I'd like to see you stay around for awhile.
  • maygans
    maygans Posts: 196 Member
    I moved out of my parents house and to a bigger city 800 miles away for the first time about 6 months ago. Once I moved (with barely any furniture!) I realized there was a lot of stuff I needed but didn't have (and had never thought about needing). Like a bathroom rug. I don't know how you are with your parents, but for me the biggest thing was cleaning. I rarely cleaned back home, but here I'm the only person so I have to clean (or live in filth which...no). I have done my own laundry since about 11 years old, and would frequently cook for my parents back home, so I was fine with both those things on my own. As for money, pay rent and your bills on time, and buy items on sale to save money. Coupons are helpful. Make sure to not leave lights or other electronics on that you're not using, unplug phone or other electronic chargers when not in use (seriously this can lower your electric bill quite a bit, I was diligent about it last month and my electric bill was a solid 20% lower!). There was a lot that I took for granted when I was not the one footing the bill, and moving out has made me better realize how everything costs money.

    Oh yeah, when you move in, take pictures of everything (especially any holes in the walls or prior damages) before you start unpacking. Also make sure to note these with the landlord or if you have a move in sheet you turn in. It'll help you get your deposit back at the end so you don't get pinned with paying for damages that were already there when you moved in, and not caused by you. Document EVERYTHING. Good luck on your move!! :)
  • Phoenix1401
    Phoenix1401 Posts: 711 Member
    I moved out of my parents house and to a bigger city 800 miles away for the first time about 6 months ago. Once I moved (with barely any furniture!) I realized there was a lot of stuff I needed but didn't have (and had never thought about needing). Like a bathroom rug. I don't know how you are with your parents, but for me the biggest thing was cleaning. I rarely cleaned back home, but here I'm the only person so I have to clean (or live in filth which...no). I have done my own laundry since about 11 years old, and would frequently cook for my parents back home, so I was fine with both those things on my own. As for money, pay rent and your bills on time, and buy items on sale to save money. Coupons are helpful. Make sure to not leave lights or other electronics on that you're not using, unplug phone or other electronic chargers when not in use (seriously this can lower your electric bill quite a bit, I was diligent about it last month and my electric bill was a solid 20% lower!). There was a lot that I took for granted when I was not the one footing the bill, and moving out has made me better realize how everything costs money.

    Oh yeah, when you move in, take pictures of everything (especially any holes in the walls or prior damages) before you start unpacking. Also make sure to note these with the landlord or if you have a move in sheet you turn in. It'll help you get your deposit back at the end so you don't get pinned with paying for damages that were already there when you moved in, and not caused by you. Document EVERYTHING. Good luck on your move!! :)

    hmmm good idea about taking pics landlords are very money hungry
  • Phoenix1401
    Phoenix1401 Posts: 711 Member
    Don't buy small things. Plan a once a week trip to your parents house to go "shopping."

    "mom, i need toilet paper, or im going to have really bad skid marks," works amazing when said in a completely serious voice.

    lol Nugga you dumb
  • Sheila1968
    Sheila1968 Posts: 106
    The great thing is that you are actually moving out. My two sisters-in-law, ages 52 and 46, have NEVER left home and my mil still does their laundry, makes their lunches, etc. It's beyond bizarre. Learning to be self-sufficient, pay your own bills, clean your own rooms, etc., is PRICELESS. Not to mention it's called "having a life." LOL Good luck, and I think you were given some good advice in the above posts!

    I would also add to live simply - everything you accumulate, you will have to clean, dust, store, and move some day. Less is more, and an uncluttered home is much more relaxing to come home to than one where you have to move stuff just to sit down.
  • Libby81
    Libby81 Posts: 734 Member
    I totally agree with the buying small things suggestion. Cleaning products, crockery, cutlery, towels, bed sheets etc. These little things all add up and if you can get them over a period of time rather than all at once it will make a difference. Good luck and i hope the move and the house share works out great for you all
  • mznisaelaine
    mznisaelaine Posts: 2,262 Member
    Save money, save, and save.

    Save, save, save, money!
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    If you are renting, get a place that is significantly less expensive than what you think you can afford.

    And make sure you have sufficient insurance.
  • ashnm88
    ashnm88 Posts: 748
    I moved out by myself and all I can say is save up before you move out and get things you will need a head of time so your not doing it all last minute. I'm back with my parents and I plan on saving up at least 3 months worth of bills and rent before I move out again.
  • inetgirl
    inetgirl Posts: 174 Member
    Start your budgeting now. That way when you start paying rent, etc you won't be so surprised. That was my hardest problem when I moved out. I had xx money in the bank and would go out.. Next couple of days the electric bill came and was due in 10 days and I didn't get paid for 15..... Avoid paying late fees, they REALLY add up quickly.
  • sunkisses
    sunkisses Posts: 2,365 Member
    Actually create a real budget. Even budget in stuff like car maintenance if you have a car, contact lenses if you wear them, those little things that happen over the year but you don't think about until they happen. Say I spend 160 on contact lenses a year or $100 in oil changes to my car. To budget it, I'd divide it by 12 to budget that cost evenly. Save your receipts and bills and see how close you were to your budget. Then make adjustments if needed. People are mostly in denial about why they're broke until they realize that they budgeted $50 a week for food and then they ate at restaurants two or three times that week.

    Shop locally for produce if you can. It's usually cheaper.

    Don't be afraid to shop thrift stores. I have a house full of cool *kitten* that I paid nearly nothing for.

    Since you will have a roommate, discuss chores and upkeep before you move in. Seriously. Every roommate I've ever had was a self-proclaimed neat-freak but in reality was a fckin' slob. I literally had to tell grown-ups to mop the floor of the house they lived in and wash the dishes after I made meals for them for the entire week. Make a schedule and some rules you agree on and stick to them.
  • capnwo85
    capnwo85 Posts: 1,103 Member
    "sans"-parents
  • beduffbrickie
    beduffbrickie Posts: 642 Member
    dont become lazy with house work, wash your bed sheets:laugh:
  • Phoenix1401
    Phoenix1401 Posts: 711 Member
    dont become lazy with house work, wash your bed sheets:laugh:

    lol okay cutie ;)
  • KaleidoscopeEyes1056
    KaleidoscopeEyes1056 Posts: 2,996 Member
    Lock your doors. Close windows when you aren't home or asleep. Invest in a good fire extinguisher and a smoke and/or carbon dioxide detector. Don't answer the door unless you are expecting someone. For anyone who claims to be from the gas company for example or even the police, get identification and call the employer to be sure they are legit. Don't trust an official looking badge, particularly if the person just waves it at you so you can't read it.

    Two women and a child. Be exceptionally cautious. Crime happens in some of the best neighborhoods.

    omg that sounds scary :/

    Not meant to scare. Just meant to keep you safe. If you practice good safety procedures, you can avoid harm. I'd like to see you stay around for awhile.

    By the same token, invest in some pepper spray if you're going to walking alone at night. Keep your cell phone on you at all times, and if you can, go places with people you know well. But, if you have to walk alone at night, pepper spray and a cell phone will be your best friends.
  • MMarvelous
    MMarvelous Posts: 1,067 Member
    1. Get renter's insurance as it is worth the fee!
    2. Understand that cohabitation means even if yall break up, neither one of you can force the other to move out, even if only one person's name is on the lease.
    3.Don't buy all new furniture. Definitely don't FINANCE any furniture. CASH ONLY!
    4. Craigslist, newspaper ads, apt bldg flyers will have plenty of opportunity to buy furniture.
    5. Find out the dimensions of the room and measure your furniture prior to carrying it into the apt to realize it will NOT fit
    6. Washer and dryer are the best invests in my opinion LOL
  • KaleidoscopeEyes1056
    KaleidoscopeEyes1056 Posts: 2,996 Member
    Save money, save, and save.

    Save, save, save, money!

    ^^This. Personal suggestion, if you're not already a member of a bank or credit union, join a credit union. They're more fair with rates on credit cards and loans. As for saving money, they give you a better interest rate, too.
  • cressievargo
    cressievargo Posts: 392 Member
    Don't buy small things. Plan a once a week trip to your parents house to go "shopping."

    "mom, i need toilet paper, or im going to have really bad skid marks," works amazing when said in a completely serious voice.

    Please tell me that you are not serious.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Don't piss money away renting. Save up until your able to put money down on some real estate. Plenty of low interest mortgages out there in this downed economy. For example I locked in at 2.8 through my credit union, lumped my student debt into my 20 year fixed and make a lower monthly payment that I would in a crusty first floor flat.

    Will be moving in this July! ;D

    Agreed. Lived alone during college. Hubby and I lived together (rented a condo) for 2 years. Got our first house right before we were married (at 23). A mortgage payment is less than rent in our area in most cases (and you get 3 bedrooms, garage, backyard, free parking...)
  • cressievargo
    cressievargo Posts: 392 Member
    1. Get renter's insurance as it is worth the fee!
    2. Understand that cohabitation means even if yall break up, neither one of you can force the other to move out, even if only one person's name is on the lease.
    3.Don't buy all new furniture. Definitely don't FINANCE any furniture. CASH ONLY!
    4. Craigslist, newspaper ads, apt bldg flyers will have plenty of opportunity to buy furniture.
    5. Find out the dimensions of the room and measure your furniture prior to carrying it into the apt to realize it will NOT fit
    6. Washer and dryer are the best invests in my opinion LOL

    Great advice - my renter's insurance is only $22 a month for $30,000 in coverage plus a rider for my freezer. Also - if you have a car, if you get the renter's & auto insurance from the same company, you usually get a "multi-policy" discount on both policies!

    Not sure what city you are moving to - but also compare amenities of various places (assuming you are moving into an apt complex). Some have free heat, free gym, wi-fi, etc...do a comparison of the rent and what comes with it. Make sure, too, that they are things you'd actually USE.
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