12 Essential Lessons in Living Alone That You Need to Learn Before You Hit 25

Thinking about moving out? Here are the things you need to consider before making that move.

If you’re entering your 20s, chances are you’re contemplating moving out of your parents’ house and going solo. If you ask me, everyone should experience living alone. It’s a big eye-opener and gives you an entirely different perspective on life. You get to know things that you will never get to learn if you just live with your family.

Before you start looking for the perfect condo to move in, it’s best to know exactly what you’re getting into. Take it from someone who knows: I got out of my parents’ house in New Jersey when I was 19 and moved in a shared flat with five roommates. I lived with them for three years before finally getting my own condo before I turned 25. So, let me educate you on the lessons you need to learn about solo living. Hopefully, you’ll be well-adjusted and playing it cool by the time you hit 25.

1. Be Friendly with the Neighbors

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If you’re living in a condo, start with the people living in units surrounding your own. Get to know your neighbors and try to forge a comfortable relationship with them. Not only will you get to know the people around you (and if you can feel safe with them), you will also have someone to count on in times of emergency. I’ve been friends with my next door neighbor for more than a year now and I feel at ease knowing there’s someone who can call my parents in case something goes wrong.

2. Learn How to Cook

With no mother around lecturing you on your eating habits, you can now feast on crackers and canned goods anytime you want. But, you can’t live on instant food forever. Take-out food is terribly unhealthy and expensive in the long run.

I was a total klutz in the kitchen before living solo and I really worked on learning how to cook when I moved out of my folks’ house. Nothing fancy though: just simple dishes like casserole, rice, and chicken – stuff that I can easily cook and reheat in the microwave or oven toaster.

3. Be Conscious of Your Utility Consumption

Once you start receiving your utility bills, you’ll become aware of just how much your consumption is. This time around, you will be paying for it all by yourself since there’s no family member to split the bills with you. Now you have to set aside a budget for water, electricity, cable and internet. You can save money on costly maintenance by learning how to do simple home repairs.

4. Do Your Own Laundry

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The temptation to just dump your dirty loads at the Laundromat is strong, but imagine how much you’ll save if you do your own laundry instead. A durable washer and dryer are only some of the essential things to have when you decide to live solo. If you’re living in a condo, make sure that there’s a place for you to hang your clothes.

5. Keep Your Grocery Bill in Check

Grocery shopping is so much fun if you live alone but be careful not to go overboard. When I first went grocery shopping after moving into my flat, I went crazy stocking up on fish, meat, and dairy without carefully planning how to consume all these food.

A lot of those items went to waste and into the trash. People living alone may tend to overestimate the amount of food they need for storage. Make sure you get your portions right before loading your grocery cart.

6. Try Secondhand Furniture

Moving into a new home doesn’t mean buying brand new furniture and equipment. Before shopping for new items, try scouting around for secondhand stuff from family and friends first. Chances are, they have old but still functional furniture and electronics that they are only too willing to dispose of.

If the hand-me-down couch you get is a little too battered for your taste, you can have it reupholstered to make it look new. It still beats buying a brand new couch that may cost hundreds of dollars.

7. Learn How to Clean

Just because your mom isn’t around to clean the house doesn’t mean you have to live in a pigsty. Dirty rooms are best left for college dorms, not for homes of single, independent adults. If cleaning is really a hated chore for you, then fix your house in such a way that it doesn’t need much cleaning. Keep furniture and appliances to a minimum. Don’t allow dishes to gather in the sink and don’t wait for the bathroom to get all moldy before cleaning it.

8. Learn How to Deal with Your Landlord

I don’t have to spell out how difficult it’s going to be dealing with landlords from hell. The first order of business when you move into your solo digs is to become friendly with the owner of the property. If you find yourself dealing with a difficult landlord and moving out is not an option, then you have to deal with it the best way you can.

Do your part and be a good tenant, which means paying rent on time and following building rules. If you plan to live with a pet, make sure that your landlord is okay with that. Communicate your needs clearly and respectfully, preferably both verbally and in writing.

9. Keep Your Entertainment Expenses Manageable

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This is important, especially if you’re living on a tight budget. When loneliness strikes, it’s all too easy to fill the void with shopping, dining out and going to the movies.

During my first few months of living alone, I didn’t know how to entertain myself at home, so I was always going out and spending cash. It really hurt my budget, so I had to learn to restrict my entertainment expenses. There are lots of inexpensive ways to have fun times at home. Tell your friends to come over and hang out – you can cook meals together and watch DVDs.

10. Split the Costs with a Roommate or Tenant

Let’s face it: living alone is expensive—especially if you’re living in cities like New York. If you find yourself struggling with the monthly payments, consider getting a roommate to split the costs. I know: living with a housemate can be hard. It may involve some trial and error and you may end up having to ask someone to leave, but think about paying only half of what you’re paying right now when you finally find someone you can live with.

Dealing with roommates is a lengthy discussion on its own, but the basics are simple enough: set ground rules, be considerate when it comes to noise and light, exercise cleanliness at all times and, most important of all, hands off when it comes to other people’s stuff.

11. Keep in Touch with Your Folks

Unless you’re on bad terms with your parents, you will find yourself at times pining for the familiar comforts of your folks’ house. I’m super close to my mom, so the first year of living without her constant presence was hard on me. Sure, I enjoyed the exhilarating feeling of being free and all that, but I missed my mom’s cooking and fussing so badly. Ward off the living alone blues by giving your folks a call.

12. Decide if Living Alone is Really Best for You

Living solo is great, but it’s not for everyone. Feeling lonely at times—especially during the first few month—is normal, but if you find yourself getting chronically lonely or depressed when you’re all by yourself, it’s time to rethink your plans. If going back to your parents’ house is not an option, you can get relatives or roommates to share your home.

What are some of the things you considered before deciding to move into your own place? Let us know below.

About the author

Jeanette Anzon

Jeanette Anzon is a graduate of Architecture . She enjoys photography, sketching, arts, film and continuous education. She works as a broker and as a home stylist, accommodating clients mostly in North America. Her exposure to the market has initiated a deeper learning to real estate, marketing communication and home design.

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