living on your own?

[quaidum]

when i moved out(was 19) i had not ever even owned a car but was doing tile
on the west coast of florida. the job wasn't having steady paychecks(not to mention i was paying for a place i wasn't living at). so quit that job and my grandma ended up buying a new car and giving me her 93 lx sedan then found a job delivering pizzas and you would be surprised how much money you can make if you work 40+ hours a week i make 7.50 an hour and make tips on top of that usually make about 15-20 bucks an hour

like everyone has been saying save up money try to finish plans with car and have AT LEAST 2 MONTHS rent and bills saved up so in case anything i mean ANYTHING pops up to ruin your day(ex. losing job, motor breaks, trans goes out) you won't be strapped for cash.

its a great step forward in the walk of life

[deevergote]

I moved into my own house at 23. I had never rented in my life.

My best friend moved in as my roommate, so I wasn't totally alone. I mowed the lawn, fixed things that broke, and saw to it that the bills got paid. He cleaned inside, cooked dinner, and did the shopping. He was the best wife I ever had. Then he moved out and my fiancee/wife moved in. Things were basically the same, with a little more sharing of the duties (she wasn't a renter and roommate, she was a co-owner, or at least soon to be).
When she left, THEN I was truly on my own.

Budget, and be sure you can afford it. I'm a bit conservative in my spending and budgeting, but it has worked for me. Calculate how much you make per year, and then subtract some to account for unexpected unpaid time off. Calculate how much you expect to spend per year on ALL expenses... rent, utilities, vehicle expenses, food, entertainment... and then add at least 10%.

If you can't survive comfortably on what you make, don't risk it.

Your best bet is to find a roommate that you can trust and get along with.




Now that I'm 100% on my own, I've put myself in a position where I'm financially stable. That was step 1. Now... the place is an absolute mess. I'm actually taking today to clean everything.

[mayberry]

I moved into my own house at 23. I had never rented in my life.

My best friend moved in as my roommate, so I wasn't totally alone. I mowed the lawn, fixed things that broke, and saw to it that the bills got paid. He cleaned inside, cooked dinner, and did the shopping. He was the best wife I ever had. Then he moved out and my fiancee/wife moved in. Things were basically the same, with a little more sharing of the duties (she wasn't a renter and roommate, she was a co-owner, or at least soon to be).
When she left, THEN I was truly on my own.

Budget, and be sure you can afford it. I'm a bit conservative in my spending and budgeting, but it has worked for me. Calculate how much you make per year, and then subtract some to account for unexpected unpaid time off. Calculate how much you expect to spend per year on ALL expenses... rent, utilities, vehicle expenses, food, entertainment... and then add at least 10%.

If you can't survive comfortably on what you make, don't risk it.

Your best bet is to find a roommate that you can trust and get along with.




Now that I'm 100% on my own, I've put myself in a position where I'm financially stable. That was step 1. Now... the place is an absolute mess. I'm actually taking today to clean everything.

Why the fuck are you on CB7tuner then?

I just moved into a new place with my fiance. It's not the first time I've been out of my house but it's the first house I've ever been it. The last place I had was an apartment. We're renting with the option to buy. We'll know if we want to keep it in another few months.

[deevergote]

I'm posting as I pass by... cleaning the floors, doing laundry... about to throw out the obnoxious amount of soda cans and beer bottles I've amassed, thanks to snow-filled recycle cans...

[steelbluesleepR]

You talking about Gus, the Cuban/Floridian, going to cold weather? Dont get me wrong, Ive known the kid for a while, and he's always in a tee, and jeans. I doubt he'll make a move like that.

i didnt say he has to be cold, southwest missouri has great property prices and is hot as fuck in the summer. sure there has been 3-4" of snow on the ground for almost 2 weeks now, but aside from a few weeks when people drive like complete idiots its fine.

[excalibur02]

I live at home with my mom. I'm 24.. when I was 18 my mom stopped working since she has bad arthritis. That made me get a full time job after high school. Been paying half the house and all utilities each month. I'm use to it now but it takes a toll.

Other friends still live at home but don't pay anything. I would like to know what that feels like. I would have probably finished most of my mods years ago!

All in all its fine I don't mind, my mom isn't home for like 5 days out the week since she stays at my sisters house taking care of her grand children.

[JoshM]

Pros:
Being on your own.

Cons:
Being on your own.




lol.

I've been living on my own (without parents, but with my fiance) for 4 years. Times have been tough every once in a while, but I've just kept my head up and kept moving forward. There are obviously a lot more responsibilities, but the reward is much greater. I'll admit, I have had to bum money from my mom on more than one occasion, but I've always shown her that I've grown up/ more responsible by paying her back in full.

I have been in an apartment, so there's no fees regarding broken appliances, housework, etc. But, I'm moving into my own home in June, so I'm sure that'll be another "fun" experience to look forward to. lol

[cb7pr]

I live at home with my mom. I'm 24.. when I was 18 my mom stopped working since she has bad arthritis. That made me get a full time job after high school. Been paying half the house and all utilities each month. I'm use to it now but it takes a toll.

Other friends still live at home but don't pay anything. I would like to know what that feels like. I would have probably finished most of my mods years ago!

All in all its fine I don't mind, my mom isn't home for like 5 days out the week since she stays at my sisters house taking care of her grand children.

Wow, I couldnt say I know how you feel, but I can tell its hard, even though youre used to it. But more respect to you big man, and its all for the good like my Dad says, you learn to be a better adult/person.

[ChIoVnIdCa]

I have an odd situation but... A con is every month I need to spend $1600 on just mortgage, home ins, taxes. ....... I pay all other bills in full for a year... Ex.. Car insurance ($1300 a year... I pay that in full in the beginning of the year so I don't need to worry about it..)

[Straight Success]

When I had a full time job and going to school full time I had my own apartment. I handled everything on my own for a while, but then school got serious. My professors would say they didn't care if you had outside jobs or any other outside issues. It was the professors classes or nothing. Most engineer majors at my school don't work full time, or for the vast majority don't really work at all. We try our best to make it.

I began taking school seriously after only my second semester at college. With the work load that the professors give you, there's no time for anything else. I in turn stop working full time and had to opt for a salary cut at a new job with Mercedes in which I simply couldn't afford anything on my own anymore. The dire side of being an engineer major. The bad part is that some of the classes I needed are only offered once a year, and at the most awkward times, making finding a good job almost impossible (factor in the recession).

The freedom is the upside. Walk around butt naked, shower as much as you want (you pay the bills), cook/eat when ever you want, clean when ever you want, company when ever...

The bad side, paying bills in full left me broke, so there was no room for fun or extra curricula activities. Oh, and the complex manager was an @sshole for about a month. I had a leak from the roof, and I had to call the township to get it fixed. It took about 3-4 weeks. The maintenance men also stole some of my fly @ss wardrobe too; consequently, because I called the township on the manager. Them dirty bass.... I handled it though.

I will be back on my own shortly.

[led_fut]

I highly reccomend living on your own. I lived on my own through university, paid for everything myself. When I was done, I had an opportunity to move back home, and took it. Renovated half the basement, made my own space.

But it wasn't near as good as living on my own. I lasted a year, and now am back out of the house. I live about 10 min down the road from my parents, and it is awesome. I hang out there once or twice a week, and can do my own thing the rest of the time.

Stay up late without bothering people (well roomates but they usually stay up late as well). Sleep in without feeling guilty about it. Have friends over when you want. Eat what you want. I really enjoy the responsibility of taking care of your own self as well.

Sure, it costs more. But it's worth it. What it boils down to is responsibility. If you are a responsible person, or are willing to step out and try it, then GO for it. If your not ready yet, then stay.

Not to say that those of you who are NOT living on your own are not responsible. Many of you have completely different situations than mine. People you support. That also is responsibility.

For me I began to feel I was being irresponsible by staying at home and living off my parents so much. My thoughts.

[PR CB7]

moved to the US since i was 17, and till this day i live with roomates,

i sucks at first, you get home sick very quick, especially when home is 3k miles away . Now im living w wifey, she worked at first, she got laid of and now things are almost the same as its been for 2 years, it really takes some of the strees out when your partner is helping you on bills, but w wifey i learned that when we go out to eat $5 at MC wont do it no more.

the best times were:
college + older roomates+ single + cool landlord

[deevergote]

I have an odd situation but... A con is every month I need to spend $1600 on just mortgage, home ins, taxes. ....... I pay all other bills in full for a year... Ex.. Car insurance ($1300 a year... I pay that in full in the beginning of the year so I don't need to worry about it..)

Yeah, when you have some hefty bills, it can get hairy.

Renting is probably MUCH easier when you're first starting out on your own. I hate the idea of throwing money away like that... but it makes it easier. You're not responsible for repairs. You're not responsible for taxes. You're not responsible for selling anything if you can't afford it anymore. If you find that an apartment is too expensive, you just leave. If you break the lease, you break the lease. You lose your security deposit. It's easier than losing a house to foreclosure!

I pay about $1200 a year for oil (oil heat). My house is small, my dog has all the blankets he wants, and I'm used to being cold... so I keep the heat down to 58-62 most of the time. STILL, I pay about that much. Usually 2-3 fillups at about $450 a pop.

Gas and electric ranges from $65 to $125, depending on the time of year (central air is expensive to run, even in my small place... like the heat, I run it sparingly, more for the dog than for me).

Water is cheap... $200 a quarter, perhaps... and that's with leaky faucets.

Cable is $65 a month (with internet... I need that!)

Cell phone is better than a land line, so I use that only... $120 a month (iphone...)

Food... i spend way too much on food, since I rarely cook. I could live on $50 a week if I had to. I usually spend $200-$250 on food and drink per week. I REALLY need to cut back there!

Car insurance is about $1200 a year.

The Fit costs me $350 a month.

Then my mortgage, taxes, and insurance are all wrapped into one. Not bad, at about $1000 a month. I put a lot down, and my house was cheap. I lucked out! I pay extra, so I can pay this sucker off ASAP!



So yeah... aside from overspending on eating out all the time, a new car payment, and my expensive phone plan, I live pretty cheap... and I pay about $33,000 a year in living expenses.

That's also not including recreation, home repair, car repair, this site, gifts for people...


Holy crap... I typed all that up to illustrate how expensive it can be to live completely on your own, and now I'm looking at those figures thinking "holy crap, I need to bring that down!"

[led_fut]

Food... i spend way too much on food, since I rarely cook. I could live on $50 a week if I had to. I usually spend $200-$250 on food and drink per week. I REALLY need to cut back there!

lol. You do spend alot on food. I'm a brick/stone mason, and still 23 so I eat alot... But I can usually keep my food budget down to 200-250 a month. That of course, doesn't included a case of beer, and doesn't include eating out, 2-3 times a week. So add 200.... ah. more to that. Crap. So double it lol.

I spend alot too, apparently. But I pay in Canadian dollars!

[LinX]

Living on your own is a testament of your maturity and responsibility. I moved out with my gf during college and we rented a house with room mates for 2 years. In order to pay the bills I had to work 2 jobs while attending college full time for a mechanical engineering degree. Needless to say my junior year was the toughest time I've had in my life. I would literally wake up at 5am, be at work by 6 get off around noon, go to class, then head to my other job. By the time I got home around 11 all I wanted to do was sleep. Looking back at pictures during that time, I noticed that I lost ALOT of weight because I was so overworked and stressed out.

My senior year was only easier because I only had to contend with one job but I was still stressed out since I needed to find a career (not job) after graduation. In the end it's all worth it though. I graduated in 4 years with a BS in ME and I currently live with 3 other roomates in a rented house. I have a steady job and can pay the rent. Even though I don't make bank, I can still afford the finer things in life largely due to saving and budgeting.

You'd be surprised how much money you can save if you really limit your spending and actually look at what you're buying each month. The trick I've found is to set goals and actually work hard to reach them. Don't bullshit yourself and make imaginary goals. I'm 22 and I'm 100% independent. My car is paid off, I don't owe ANYONE a dime, I have a gf and a full time career and I'm loving it man.