So - there comes a point in most peoples lives when they leave the nest. (I say most, because not everyone does... and in fact, some cultures value staying at home!! Which I find is great, but I am totally ready for some independence. ;P)

I've started thinking about and planning my move - which will probably take place the summer of 2017; and I've heard all kinds of advice from the very serious to the very silly.

(Save up money before you leave home to buy toilet paper before you move in! :P)

What kinds of things did you wish you knew leaving home for the first time?

And of course, here are some questions I have for you all:

Should I rent? Or try and buy? Does this change if I'll be moving in with my long term partner? (As it is now, we will most likely be making around $6000 a month after taxes, union dues, etc... And, by the time we move out, both of us will have passed out probationary period at our new workplaces.)

What home basics cannot you not live without? (Say, you can live without a microwave, but you need your toaster oven).

What kind of small things really made your new abode 'home' for you?

Laundry - did you have a machine in your place? On site? Or did you lug it to a laundry mat (Or your parents/a friends)? And did it make a difference for you?

I know this can change upon location - but what are your grocery bills like? (I like a lot of fresh produce, and want to buy locally as much as possible, so being able to budget a decent amount for groceries is important to me. I also just really enjoy cooking and great tasting food? So quality too. More likely to get slammed on expensive spices and cheese then junk food tbh.)

Gas vs electric heat? (I live in the north)
All inclusive vs pay your own?

How much 'fun money' do you give yourself a month?

My boyfriend has his uniforms included for work - but I'll be needed new scrubs every so often.... How do you budget for work clothes? Go all out all at once? Or buy a new piece once a month?

Landlords.... Gosh - I've heard horror stories. Do you think it would be hard to find one willing to let me do renos? Or would it be better to just save my $$$ for when I have a more permanent location?

Basically.... I want to talk about things related to first time moving out!? Hear your experiences, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

to be honest if your earning that much a month you should be able to buy a home rather then renting one... in the long run its actually cheatper to buy then rent.

i would DIE without my microwave, i consider a microwave to be just as important as a cooker.

you should get your own washing machine, washing really piles up quickly so your better off buying one to save on laundry bills.... i often forget to buy deturgent though lol

where i currently live we buy our food shopping to last for 2 to 3 days.... because we share a fridge/freezer so theres not much space, but overall its not too expensive, its only expensive if you make it expensive.

we don't have gas anymore... was shut off years ago because we didn't pay it but we can live without it because we have an electric cooker and plug in heaters, just need to make sure we keep the electricity topped up (we pay for that whenever, we use a key that we take the our local shop buy like £5 or £10 to top it up, easier and cheaper to do it this way rather then paying monthly).

also when it comes to needing new clothes... i buy mine piece by piece every time i get paid, but i'm unemployed so yeah, since its your work stuff your on about you should buy it all at once just incase, because you never know really.

as for spending money/fun money... i spend as i go, i don't get alot of money being unemployed so its harder, but you seem to earn quite alot... so shouldn't really be a problem for you.

Ok, so this is coming from the perspective of someone who was in the middle of an ice storm for two weeks:

Gas stove. Gas heat. The house I was in at the time, the heat would kick on even after the power went out (don't ask me how; it was an old system), but even if your heat requires electricity to kick on, the stove does not. If you're ever without power for an extended amount of time in winter, you can turn on the oven and keep the door open to heat at least two rooms. It's also safer than keeping propane heaters in the house. Basically gas heat made the difference between riding out the storm in my own home and having to risk the roads to get to a shelter.

Laundry wise, if you can have your own unit please do. I currently live in an apartment without the hookups for it, and I hate it. I can't just throw my laundry in and go to sleep/go out, I have to sit and babysit it. Also the quarters add up.

Originally Posted by VixieMooCow

to be honest if your earning that much a month you should be able to buy a home rather then renting one... in the long run its actually cheatper to buy then rent.

seconding this sentiment

Firstly, congratulations!
Moving out on your own is always an exciting change, even if you don't feel you're entirely prepared. Mostly you'll figure out your own groove and what works in your own time. I would suggest that, if you choose to rent, to brush up on your local landlord/tenant laws and never be afraid to be assertive.

good luck to you both!
buying would be smarter,
but it has its drawbacks, too
who's name would be on the title
your name, their name or both of y'all's
also you have to fix all the problems that occur
i would suggest home warranty insurance for that

what state would you be looking to buy/rent in, sweetie

Well, never buy unless you're absolutely sure you want to stay in that area for a long time. Always rent to test out the area you're moving into. I almost moved into a house with a former friend of mine and bought it with her, then when we couldn't find one, we rented. That woman ended up verbally abusing me a lot, so I was glad I didn't but a house. And I am a person who is going to end up moving a lot for school, so I chose to just rent. Most people don't buy houses until they're in their thirties. (My parents didn't by a house until they were 30 something, I think.)

Basics? It depends on what you like doing. I, personally, enjoy cooking more than zapping something in the microwave, so I could live without one of those. A toaster oven, since I just use the oven, I would just exnay the toaster one too. You just have to think how you would use that appliance and then think about how often you'll use it. It's all dependent on you.

Little knick knacks and Halloween decor. I love Halloween and I'm a huge nerd. The first thing you see when you walk into my house is a Pokemon poster. Then my room is decked out in nerdy stuff and skulls.

Luckily, the place I'm renting was partially furnished (the beds ended up having bedbugs though, we got rid of them real quick) so I have a washer/dryer in my place. It definitely helps. But, usually, if you have somewhere you can take it for free and you don't have your own, do that.

I'm terrible at making grocery lists, but if I got out and buy my essentials of what I need, it's only 20 or 30 dollars. I get everything that's super cheap because I only make around 1000, well, 500 now, a month, I don't have room to be picky.a

Gas heating. It will save you in the end. When we use gas here, it's only 50 a month and when we're not using it all around the house, it's only like 20. Since gas is really cheap right now, always go with gas.

Fun money? Well, that depends on what you mean. I usually put fifty in savings (I don't make a lot to begin with) and then pay my bills. Anything after that can be counted as "fun money"

It depends on what I need. I don't buy clothes all that often because everything still fits. At work I just have to wear a t-shirt and jeans/basketball shorts, which I have.

My landlord is pretty chill and I think she loves me, so I kind of just ask her for whatever and she's cool with it. Usually, as long as you have that line of communication with a landlord, it'll be alright. But she also the only landlord I have ever had, so I don't know, man.


I hope some of this helped, if not, feel free to ask questions. I'm not a pro, but I'm always willing to try and help!!