Moving out is a major milestone in everyone’s life. Various cultures often differ on what the right age to move out should be. In most Western cultures, it’s in the early 20s; in Eastern cultures, it’s often when the person intends to start a family. Regardless of what age individual plans to move out or whether they intend to start a family, one thing is clear. It’s a clear sign of adulthood and a clearer sign that you intend to take control of your own life.
However, to ensure that your independent life starts seamlessly (and continues to be so), you need to prepare for it. There’s no one way to guarantee a smooth start, but some practical steps can decrease the risk. Here are some steps you can take.
Before You Move Out: Practice Good and Healthy Habits
Here’s something that will benefit everyone and anyone: start developing good habits. This includes but isn’t just limited to eating healthy and exercising. This also means forming good habits that you’ll carry when you’ve finally moved out.
Learn how to do the chores, study cooking, and not just any food, but actual healthy food. It also helps if you’re familiar with minor home repairs. Before you prepare your things to move out, the best thing you can do as preparation is to learn how to do things around the house.
Keep a Steady Job
Once you’ve moved out, you’re all on your own. Of course, you can still ask your parents for help, but the last thing you want is to rely on them when you’re supposed to be proving to yourself that you can be self-sufficient. The first order of business to prove that to yourself is to keep a steady job.
Do your best to stay in one job for as long as you can. Or at the very least, find a steady source of income. If that means having a freelance gig on the side, so be it. But you always want to protect yourself financially when you’re finally on your own, and having a stable income stream is necessary.
Manage Your Finances Well
Along with having a steady job, you need to manage your finances. This includes knowing your monthly expenses. This isn’t the time to go out splurging on the things you like. This is the time when you sit down and pinpoint which expenses you need and which ones you need to drop. You might have to cancel subscriptions to meet payments, but that’s what managing your finances means.
Take Care of Your Credit
Another thing you need to remember is to take care of your credit as soon as you can manage your credit. Don’t make a mistake many first-time credit card owners do and spend it with careless abandon. Be careful with it, and maintain at least 30% availability of credit limit.
This can affect your banking options in the future, so it’s best to approach it wisely. Ideally, clear your credit card every due date. This will prop up your credit score and increase your choices. If you can do well, you can even take out a mortgage loan sooner than most. That’s something that can make it worth your while.
Get Insured
This might come after you’ve sorted out your finances, but it’s a good thing to remember. Once you’re able to, make sure to get yourself or the house insured. It’s hard to be sure of the future, and the only way to decrease the risk or at least get compensation for what may happen is through insurance. Think of it as a backup plan for absolute emergencies; you always want one when you need it.
“Adulting” and Responsibilities
Life hacks and adulting tips are virtually everywhere on social media. That’s great because if you sift through those types of content, you’ll get ones that are relatable and helpful to your situation. But you don’t have to wait until you encounter great life advice from random strangers on the Internet. Even before you leave your parents, familiarize yourself with various adult tasks that you’ll need to do once you set out on your own.
Number one on your list should be your finances, specifically your taxes. It’s a personal chore, and you’ll mostly be alone doing it. You can hire an accountant, for sure, but learning to do it on your own can impact your budget and give a sense of fulfillment. Ask your parents or a trusted mentor for advice regarding adult tasks so that you won’t feel frantic at the last minute every time responsibilities catch up to you.