So, you’re thinking of moving out. Naturally, we tend to gravitate towards our dream living room board on Pinterest. Finally, you get to live out all your mood board dreams and go on an ‘add to cart’ frenzy. However, let’s settle down for a bit and let’s think about the responsibility moving out comes with. No more home cooked meals, waking up to clean sheets, and budgets are a thing now? Lucky for you, I’ve compiled a list of things that should be at the top of your moving out checklist.
- Budget! Budget! Budget!
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Trust me, budgeting will eventually become just as easy as organizing your Pinterest boards. Budgeting is SO IMPORTANT not only thoughout your moving out process, but also throughout the duration of your adulthood. If you find yourself to be the kind of person to spend more than you can keep count of, this tip is especially for you. I get it, for us millenials, budgets aren’t really in our vocabulary. Between worrying about our student loans and wanting to stay on top of the highest fashion trends, financial literacy doesn’t come easy. This comes faster and easier when you start to become consciously aware of your spending habits. Those few coffee runs throughout the week tend to add up and fast. Set limits for yourself little by little. Keeping track of your finanancials has been made so easy now that we have our entire financials at the tip of our fingers. Financial planning doesn’t have to be stressful. Set up strategies that make you feel like you’re in control!
- Prepare Emotionally
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Independance comes with a cost. Having mom and dad a couple feet away at all times isn’t going to be the reality anymore and trust me, this is harder than it seems. Sure, not having to answer to anyone and moving at the beat of your own drum has been a lifelong dream come true, but there’s those moments where you need the comfort of your loved ones after a long day at work, post break up, or even when you just miss your mom and dad. I found this to be the hardest part about moving out (yes, even harder than budgeting.) When getting ready to move out, emotionally and mentally prepare yourself to have those moments of lonliness. Don’t worry, this gets better as time goes on. However, this tends to be something that does not seem to be spoken about very much. Make sure to set up time aside to go visit or even schedule to have some virtual quality time with your loved ones
- Creating Good Habits
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You’d be surprised as to how broad this tip goes. Creating good living habits is essential for a healthy lifestyle. When living on your own, you no longer have any one to pick up after you. There is no one to hold you accountable for picking up your dishes or doing your laundry. These are habits that to some have to now be instilled in one’s head. Creating checklists or writing down your every day tasks in your planner are great ways of instilling these habits in your every day life. Living on your own certainly does not mean having to have the picture perfect life, but making a lifestyle that best suits you and your needs is essential for healthy living.