14 Things You Need To Know When You Move Out Of Your Parent's House | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

14 Things You Need To Know When You Move Out Of Your Parent's House

Adulting is hard.

43
14 Things You Need To Know When You Move Out Of Your Parent's House
Cup of Jo

When I was 18 years old, I -- like many other millennials -- moved out of my parent's house and moved into an apartment/dorm with my best friend. Suddenly, I had to start doing things my parents just always took care of. Here is a simple list of things I have learned over the years.

1. Once you move out, you're probably going to never move back unless it's a last resort.

If your family is anything like mine, they are stubborn, nosey, and strict. The minute I moved to Richmond, I had a feeling I wouldn't be moving back home unless I absolutely need. Living without your parents means you have the freedom to do whatever you want. I did whatever I wanted and sorry Mom, can't change these habits.

2. You're responsible for taking care of your living spaces.

That means living rooms, dining rooms, kitchen, etc. If you don't clean them, well I guess they're not going to be clean.


3. You need to wash your bedsheets at least monthly.

You sleep on your bed every day. You sweat on your bed everyday. You need to clean it regularly.

4. Laundry is usually done weekly if not bi-weekly.

If you can't find clean clothes to wear, it's because you're not doing your laundry. The day you need to extra nice, is the day you don't have anything clean to wear.

5. You need to vacuum every two weeks at least, more if you have pets that shed.

Dust and dirt build up faster than you think. Pets shed so much and it builds up into fur balls that pile up in a corner. Gross.

6. You can’t leave wet towels soaking in the shower, it will start to mold.

I cannot stress this enough. Same goes for clothes sitting in the washer for hours. I will start to mold and smell horrible. You need to hang up wet towels in the sun to dry out.


7. Trash piles up faster than you think.

Even when I was living with only three people, I swear we were taking the trash out every day. And running out of trash bags sucks.

8. The bathroom and kitchen need to be cleaned at least once a month.

Wet things that are constantly wet will mold. A once a month clean can help with that. Also, if you have long hair like me, vacuuming will probably be a weekly chore.

9. You need to clean the lint tray every time you use the dryer, or it will start a fire.

Do you want a house fire? Because that's how you start a house fire.

10. Turning the AC down to 55 degrees will waste more money and the house will never reach 55 degrees.

I live on the third floor of my house. Heat rises and cold air sinks. It's unfortunate that it just gets so hot on the top floor but turning down the ac to 55 degrees will only make the first floor cold and the top floor will always be hot. The internal temperature of the house will never reach 55 degrees and you're just creating the biggest electricity bill you have ever seen.


11. Dish soap and dishwasher soap are two very different soaps.

One bubbles up and is for hand washing the dishes. The other soap is specifically for the dishwasher. If you put dish soap in the dishwasher, your house will flood with bubbles. If this happens, pour olive oil in the dishwasher and turn on the rinse cycle to diminish the bubbles.

12. You will have to start buying groceries like salt, pepper, butter, cleaning supplies, things that were just always in the house.

At home, whenever I made food, things like salt, pepper, and oil were always in the house. When I moved into my house, I realized that things that were always there, won't be there. You need to regularly buy them yourself. I suggest using Amazon's Prime Subscribe and Save to have things like toilet paper and cat litter shipped to the house monthly.

13. Life is more expensive than you think.

After having to buy things like salt, pepper, toilet paper on my own, I've realized that it adds up. Eventually the cost of household supplies and groceries is basically half a paycheck. Try using money saving apps like Mint to keep track of your finances.

14. Communication is the key to getting anything done.

It's as simple as that. If you want anything to get done, you need to communicate it as politely and clearly as possible. No one will do what you want them to do if you're yelling and insulting them.


It's unlikely that you will (want) to move back home, but living without parent's can be hard. It's okay. As you grow older, you will learn how to take care of yourself -- and eventually, those around you.


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

14443
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

2871
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

1727
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments