Congratulations, you survived dorm living! Now, you’re moving into your first apartment… I know it seems intimidating at first, from having to pay bills for the first time to cooking for yourself without easy access to the dining hall, but living off-campus is so worth it. From living with roommates to making your space feel like home, here is my ultimate guide to loving your off-campus life — and doing it on a budget.
the roommates
I know everyone says you should never live with your best friends, but for me, living with my friends has been my favorite part of my apartment experience. Of course, it is completely normal to get frustrated with your roommates every once in a while, but my biggest tip is to always focus on the good and to remember to COMMUNICATE. When you respect each others’ boundaries and make time for yourself, living with your friends can be the most amazing experience. Try to always be the roommate you would want to have: clean up after yourself, pay your share of expenses on time, and be respectful of other people’s things. It’s likely a small space that you’re sharing, so make the best of it and make memories with your friends while you’re still living together.
Furniture and decorating
My greatest piece of advice is to gather up as much free furniture as you can. Whether it’s passed down from a family member or even sitting on the side of the road, almost anything can be refreshed with a coat of paint. You don’t have to buy a brand-new couch or kitchen table to make your space feel like home. Just stock up on little accent pieces to fill your space with things that bring you joy. These could be anything from fresh flowers for your kitchen table to fun throw pillows for your couch. Places like FedEx and Staples let you create cheap photo and poster prints, which makes it super easy to get wall decor to personalize your room without spending a ton of money.
cooking and your kitchen
There seems to be an endless list of random kitchen utensils that you’d never normally think of buying, but then kick yourself for not having. For me, these were things like a can opener, whisks, and measuring cups. You’re in luck though — they have all these items (and more) at Dollar Tree. I would have never expected it, but they seriously have everything you could possibly think of for all your cooking needs, without breaking the bank.
If it’s your first time living off-campus, it might also be your first time grocery shopping for yourself. It’s tricky to come up with a list when you want your grocery haul to last a while without having to buy too many things that will go bad within a few days. It helps to plan out meals for the week before you go to the store. It’s also important to get ingredients that you can use for multiple meals. Change up your snack selection every week or so, and you’ll be good to go!
Bills, bills, and more bills
Now we get into the not-so-fun stuff. Keeping track of your bills for rent, WiFi, electricity, water, and other expenses is intimidating. Try to keep all the due dates written down so that it’s easy to keep track of. Each roommate can be in charge of one bill’s payment process to divide the responsibility, or you can just have one person in charge of it all. Either way, make sure to set reminders and come up with a system that works for you so that you don’t get a surprise charge to your card every month or miss a payment.
You know what they say: you never forget your first apartment. Remember to have fun and make it your own!
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