As I sit in my small, simple apartment for the second summer in a row, I can now say I have experience living completely on my own. Single living has its ups and downs, but overall is an experience that makes you grow up REAL QUICK.
It has been an interesting and fulfilling journey attempting to successfully adult, and I have learned about things I never thought I would have to encounter. Based on my limited, yet eventful experience, these are the things that I wish I had known before living on my own, and what I have learned thus far. I definitely have not figured it all out by any means, I just hope my experience is helpful (or at least comedic) to those in a similar situation.
WHAT I WISH I WOULD HAVE KNOWN
How To Cook
And by cook, I mean actual food.. not yet ANOTHER box of mac n' cheese.
Upon moving in, I knew how to successfully cook pasta, eggs, french toast, and chicken. If I followed a recipe closely, I could usually figure it out. Besides that, I was pretty clueless. I'm not going to lie, there has been more than one occasion where I have called my mom/dad/sister (insert adultier adult here) to ask them how to cook potatoes, fresh green beans, etc. I'm usually hangry at that point and don't really care about them laughing at me because I don't know basic cooking. I just want my potatoes.
Since it's just me, I don't cook up big meals very often, but when I do, you know I'm trying my hardest not to end up like JLaw.
How To Budget
I have worked a part-time job since I was 15 years old. You would think after five years of having my own income, I would know how to handle my money...nope.
Since I have real adult things to pay for now (rent, gas, groceries, etc.) I've had to learn how to budget. While I am extremely fortunate that my parents still pay for some of my things (like my phone and car) I pay the rest myself. It can be tricky when I'm only working part-time, especially during the year, but I've made it work.
I've found it helpful to use some sort of budgeting app on my phone (I use Mint!) That way I don't spend the money that SHOULD go towards school on things like makeup and iced coffee.. even though that still happens sometimes.. oops.
I've also found it helpful to plan out your shopping. I use coupons when I can for gas and groceries, and try to shop at cheaper grocery stores (like Aldi!).
Overall, living by myself has been an interesting experience, and I've learned a lot about myself and about "adult" life. One of the biggest things I've learned is not to be afraid to admit that you have no idea what you're doing. I've called my parents on numerous occasions to ask for their help or advice, which, of course, they always provide. (Thanks, parents!)
I hope to continue figuring out how to adult, but this is what I have so far:
1.) Shop smart (use coupons, buy local, set aside "spending" money)
2.) Cleaning small messes as you go is better than cleaning a big mess all at once.
3.) Don't be afraid to ask for help, and accept that you'll make mistakes!
Adulting is hard. Here's a picture of a dog.
