“I live with my parents, I am 22 years old and I don’t have a college degree yet. But I have a full-time job which helps me to pay my own bills. Never once have I felt like a burden to my parents. If anything at all, I think they appreciate my help around the house and the fact that I don’t bother them about money. I even saved up enough money once for a vacation with my parents, aside from my personal vacations from time to time.

The thing now is, I feel like I’m not really an adult yet because I don’t pay rent. I get this nagging feeling that I’m a failure, even when I should be happy seeing as everything is perfect with me and my parents. From what I’ve learned, it is a struggle to live alone – rent, cooking, gas, and so on. But I still want to have a taste of it.

Should I flee the nest, or will I regret it?” – Olie

What do you have to say to this?

Olie’s condition brings a lot of things to mind.

First, he lives in paradise and does not know it. Most mothers would have started dropping subtle hints here and there, hoping their 22-year-old adult child will get it and move out of the house. If the child does not get the hint or decides to ignore the hint, then their parents would come out straight and be like – “We’ll always love you forever, but IT’S TIME FOR YOU TO GET YOUR SH** TOGETHER AND LEAVE MY HOUSE!!!”

Maybe fleeing the nest might be the way to go.

Also, Olie’s not going to live with his parents forever. He will have to move out at one point. So long as his parents are not sick or something, and he’s beginning to get the nagging feeling that he’s a failure, then the time is just right.

If you’re planning to leave your parents’ house (especially for the first time), here are some basic tips that’ll be very helpful if you apply them.

1. HOW MUCH CAN YOU AFFORD?

Let’s assume you have a job and you’ve saved up enough money. If not, you may need to stay back and reevaluate your decision properly.

With a good job and some savings, then you can choose an apartment based on your budget.

Would it be a good idea to buy or rent a home? Do you have student loan debt and other debts to take care of? An insurance policy?

These are just some of the things you have to take into consideration before deciding on how much you can comfortably spend on your new residence.

You can use any effective budgeting tool to help you plan yourself better.

2. INVEST IN THINGS THAT ARE BASIC FOR YOUR APARTMENT

You’re most likely going to want to skip your furniture purchase, especially if you’re on a budget, but it is important to at least invest in a good mattress. You need to sleep well in order to effectively live life to the fullest. Do not forget the sheets and curtains as well! Privacy is important when living on your own.

Other basic stuff you’ll need to invest in include:

  • Bathroom supplies
  • Appliances
  • Brita Filter
  • Cookware
  • Clean up supplies
  • Electronics
  • Garbage disposal
  • ETC

It’ll be a nice idea to put money into fancy decorations if you can afford it. If not, a simple decoration will do just perfectly.

3. LIVE LIKE THE ADULT THAT YOU ARE

If you’re going to live on your own, you’ll need to develop a higher level of discipline for the sake of your finances as well as your well being.

Resolving financial problems is one of the most common problems a lot of millennials are having today. This is not surprising because a lot of young people find it hard to save money.

You have to start making plans for your lease renewal as soon as you move in. This will help you not to fall behind in your rent when the time comes. You should know that lack of money is not the problem, rather, lack of discipline is the problem.

Comment below your experience living on your own for the first time. Check out our newest blog about questions to ask before renting, and stay tuned for more tips and tricks about renting and moving!