[my.name.is.nine]

I want to eventually move out of my house.
I've been couped up in this house of my with my annoying sister who can't help but treat me like her slave.
Or have a dad that doesn't know how to be a dad.

Anyway, I wanna know how it's like to be living away from your parents.
What did you have to do first.
Is it hard since you can't depend on your parents on the food, cooking, cleaning(some), rent, bills, etc.

Tell me your experiences.
I'd like to know.

[hamster428]

more than anything, it will be financially burdensome. you should think about how financially stable you are, ie how much money you have flowing in monthly (if it's enough to cover what's flowing out) as well as whether or not that income will continue into the future. and of course you need to furnish the place. a couch here, a table there, the $$$ adds up.
cooking can be a pain too. i like to cook, but not daily. but if you don't cook, you'll have to eat out which costs more. the only time i lived away from home independently was for one summer during an internship across the country. couldn't bother with cooking every meal so i ended up making a week worth of the same dish >_<. that's napa cabbage every day for 5 days until the weekend. cleaning wasn't such a big deal. i do my own laundry and wash dishes even when i'm with my parents.
there's freedom but it could be lonely. i actually have good relationships with my family members so i didn't enjoy living alone. currently my job is also in the same city so i can't justify moving out, especially when i still have student loans to pay (and no i don't leech completely, i help pay the bills too).
all the best if you do decide to move out.

[leesungmun]

i really hate living far my home. But i haven't no any selection. Sometime, i get stress. I just want to be at home. Because i don't have to worry anything.

[boka]

Is it hard since you can't depend on your parents on the food, cooking, cleaning(some), rent, bills, etc.

It's not as hard as you think. Independence is something you need to learn sooner or later and I'd actually say it's quite easy, if not exciting and/or satisfying.

Cooking is easier than you think. I actually got quite healthy when I first moved out because my basic cooking skills and disdain for long/complex preparations meant that I was just applying heat to fresh meats and veges. Try and find a place near a busy grocery store or weekend farmer's markets so you have easy access to fresh produce. A rice cooker is handy, as are eggs and those bags of frozen mixed veges, which both keep well. The preheating of a pan or oven is one o fthe most important steps to getting slices of animals to cook perfectly. For asian tastes, generally use garlic for red meats and ginger for white. Sesame or peanut oil for asian dishes, or "a good olive oil" for mediterranean etc... Lime and black pepper is always good to have on hand, if you don't use the limes for cooking, you can squeeze them into various drinks. Have three or four different kinds of fruits in the fridge for snacking.

Cleaning is mostly dishes and that just takes a few minutes for one person's dishes. Clothes, my only tip is to get a lot of clothes hooks (the S-shaped ones) and hangers so there's a minimum amount of folding (though this depends on how large your wardrobe is. If you air-dry your clothes you can put them on the hangers and hooks straight out of the washing machine and when they're dry it's just a matter of transferring everything to your wardrobe.

Rent and bills are certainly a massive drain on your wallet, but I won't give you financial advice because I tend to buy all the things I think are interesting but don't need and end up broke. When I do my taxes and see how much I've earned and relate that to how much is in my bank account, it's a little confusing and I wonder what I've been doing the past year.

[the_enigma]

im living on my own away from home and at the start it was incredibly lonely. 3 months on im getting fairly used to it but still have moments of loneliness. the only thing keeping me going is my sense of purpose in getting this damn degree, my new friends and my frequent phone calls to friends and family back home. im living in a fully furnished place that includes bills in the rent so its not as financially draining. im getting used to cooking and cleaning and its rewarding to know that u can take care of yourself. as soon as my studies are done with im literally going to run home tho. u really miss the comforts of home when u move out. i wouldnt suggest u move out 'just because', it should be a really good reason.

my advice is to save a large pile of cash before u move out because theres so many things uve gotta buy, especially at the start. i guess i can always ask my parents for money but it just feels better to spend ur own because they have their own stuff to pay for. never get urself in a situation where u dont have some back up cash because anything can come up. u may also need it for medical expenses if something unfortunate arises.

[naoto]

cooking. i can do everything but i hate cooking. so long just for a bit of a meal. eat out, and become sick from having the same food nearest to your house.

[ditsy88]

After living on my own for a little over 6 months I came to realize how much I miss living at home. I took my parents for granted. I even miss their annoying nagging and habits. You have to worry about everything which is very stressful. But you do learn to be independent though. It has it pros and cons I guess. I suggest you think twice before moving out because you'll save a lot money living at home.

[ayahuasca]

I moved out of home, and my country!, about a year ago. At the beginning, I felt quite alone and mostly bored. Fortunately I'm not the sort of person who absolutely has to have company a lot, so solitude doesn't affect me too much. I like to cook as well, especially since my dad used to own a restaurant that he was head cook at, so experimenting on myself can be fun.

On the flipside, I had to learn to be a lot more organised and definitely had to keep an eye on my expenditure. But as long as you keep an eye on your finances you can find ways to have fun. Too many young ppl move out of home then feeling the freedom go completely ape and build up massive debt.

[hikki]

Really isn't that difficult. I left when I was 18 and have been on my own financially since then (over 10 years... my age is showing).

First off, I went to school about a 14hr plane ride away. After four years, I went home for two months to relax, and then went off across the ocean for a year and then went off to another country where I've been for the rest of the time.

Nothing difficult about it... just be sure that you have a steady job at the place you're going to live. I'm nothing special and I've been debt free since I left home.

You know, I never really cooked at home, but once on my own I came to love it; I became quite the cook.

[mekka]

Freedom! I have always lived away from my parents, because I've attended boarding schools all my life, being away from them matures you, gives you a sense of responsibility, yes you miss your parents, but when you see them again it make you appreciate them more, you develop a much more personal and closer relationship.

[mark3289]

Yep! I've always wanted to live away from parents... Not because I hate em or anything but because it will help me mature and prepare me for the real world.
-
The problem is they won't let me. They say I'm still young... I argued about it with them, even after graduating college they still say no... It'd be weird if you took your girl home... Plus, she'd be turned off because I'll still be living with my parents... In a way, I still feel lucky that my parents won't let me go... They don't want me struggling with life and such..

[halp]

if the reason for moving out is to leave your annoying sister and dad, think it again.

in a way, you are avoiding your problems. you'll face possibly larger problems even after you get rid of your sister and dad.

[kpxkimcheexyoja]

it all really depends on you. are you independent enough to live on your own? i moved about four years ago when i turned 18 and haven't looked back since. if you decide to live with roommates, make sure they are ones that you can trust. living with someone is hard. which is why i live alone. but it's nice to have some quiet time. having your own place means that you have to make sure you can make the rent, pay all the bills, and be prepared for when the cost of living changes. for me, living away from my family really calmed me down and mellowed me out. i love it when my place is clean, and i can sit and relax with a glass of wine, and not have anyone tell me otherwise. but then it is a pain in the butt when i'm sick/busy/lazy/etc. sometimes i miss my family. but whenever i butt heads with my parents when i'm home for a visit, i'm reminded of why i live six hundred miles away from them!

[YUNA!]

First off, do you have the finances to support yourself when you move out? You can't expect your parents to spoon feed you even if you move out. Secondly, have you planned out what you're going to do once you move out? You could move out, but don't forget you're on your own once you're gone. Thirdly, can you cook? Sure, you can go out to eat everyday and buy ready-made food, but bills pile up quickly when you're on your own. 'Specially food =P

I was very fortunate when I moved out of the house a few years ago and my city too. I moved from the west to the east coast to live with my boyfriend~ we traveled, made many new friends, and I got to know his family and city. Of course, I did the cooking, but he made enough to support the two of us financially. I didn't have to ask my parents for money (that would defeat the purpose of moving out), or his parents either. However, though things didn't work out after a few years and I moved back home, it was a great learning experience. If you have the support and resources I would definitely encourage you to move out for a while.

[lil.lost.me]

if the reason for moving out is to leave your annoying sister and dad, think it again.

in a way, you are avoiding your problems. you'll face possibly larger problems even after you get rid of your sister and dad.

Halp is right. You can't just move out to avoid your problems. The longer you wait to solve these situations, the longer it will stay with you through your life. Before doing that extra step on your independance road, maybe you should solve all those little things you hold against your own family.

If you're still up for it though, just make sure, like everybody else said, that you are financially stable. Starting your life by your own is very expensive (again, like others said: furniture, rent, electricity, food, etc.). You have to plan out all these things beforehand.
When I decided to move out of my mother's, my boyfriend and I had been planning it for months and had started to buy things already. We are both quite picky and modern people, we adore beauty and trendy styles but had to sacrifice our too-expensive tastes to get second-hand furniture, which still turned out quite nicely and helped us stay in our budget.

The hardest thing, in my personnal opinion, is not being lonely, for I am a very lonely kind of person. It isn't getting the cleaning done or cooking because nobody wants to live in a dirty house. It is managing your budget. Some people have a lot of difficulties doing that, but it is so important to be careful with your money when you have a rent to pay! Since we've been living on our own, my boyfriend and I both made cuts. We stopped shopping as much, planning vacations (such as trips in Europe or even just a week down south) and even eating out, which is a big sacrifice for us. We both enjoy eating out (we both work in the restaurant industry in Montreal) so it was hard for us to give it up, but it was totally worth it.

But, really, you should sort through your own problems before doing anything or it will follow you everywhere you go. Only then should you decide if you are really ready for independance because it could be hell just like it could be heaven for you.

[kaexbabey]

i'm living all the way across the country from my parents ..

so my story .. got pregnant at 18, got married, husband joined the army to support us because we didn't wanna have to depend on either of our families for money, a place to stay etc. there was no room at my house (well, my mom's bf's house), and there really wasn't room at his either. so i waited for him (well, duh) throughout his basic training and he came back to cali. 2 weeks later, we flew to NY which is where he got stationed. it was REALLY weird at first. not necessarily with him (because we already lived together at his parents' house after i was 7 months pregnant), but it was just weird knowing that we were so far away from family, friends, and everything we knew. and if you're from the LA area, then you know all the "privileges" we have being from the city .. having everything and everywhere you would want/need to go to near by. the place we got stationed to is like hmm .. really a country-ish type area. where there's lots of grass and the nearest major city is about an hr away. ok so yeah, first night we cried and blah blah .. and then after that when we got our apartment (we were staying at the army hotel at first), it just felt GOOD. idk, like knowing you have your own place, you can do WHATEVER you want to do. you can decorate however you want. you can leave the dishes in the sink overnight if you're lazy and just take care of it the next morning? know what i mean? financially .. we're fine. we used up a lot at first though because we seriously moved here with just our clothes and my first daughter's baby stuff. we had no bed, no furniture, no nothing since we didn't have our own place in cali, and we had no wedding ceremony yet, so no presents. we bought cheap but decent stuff. like our plates and flatware was just from walmart, but they're still good up to now (2 years later). we had an airbed at first, til we ordered a bed from ikea. we ate on the floor on top of boxes for about a week til we got a dining table. LOL. cooking was fine because, i like to do it. i also bought this cook book by better crocker or something .. and it had typical beginner recipes (american food). i only know a few filipino recipes. umm what else .. the only thing that kind of bothers me is the cleaning! i get lazy, especially after taking care of 2 babies all day. but i mean, i'm not a slob or anything. everything is ALWAYS at least an organized mess. LOL. sure clothes will go unfolded for a few days, but it's not gonna kill me to have a little wrinkle in a shirt. hahaha. i just can't wait til we move back home to cali and have our own place there because i know it'll be better for us. the weather here sometimes makes us depressed (snowy and COLD). lol.

about your dad .. i don't think it's a bad reason to want to get away from him, unlike what other posters have said. idk about you but for me, my dad wasnt around at all when i was a kid. he got deported to the philippines. oh and btw my parents are divorced. but still, even if he was there, he could have called me more than just on my bday and christmas if he REALLY wanted to have somewhat of a relationship with me right? anyways, so he came back to america and was here with me for a while to help me take care of my 2 girls while the husband is deployed. long story short, got in an argument, he said I HATE YOU to ME, as if HE was a LITTLE KID.. so i sent him home. i mean, i didnt need that crap, and especially since he wasnt around for me when i was younger .. how is he gonna have the nerve to talk to me like that when i took him into MY home? you know? so i don't think it's bad to want to get away if your dad really is that bad .. as long as you know for sure you can do it by yourself financially and emotionally.. cuz i'm sure the last thing you would want is to move back home if you realize you can't handle it. as for me and my mom, we've gotten closer since i've moved away =]

[iDoof]

I want to eventually move out of my house.
I've been couped up in this house of my with my annoying sister who can't help but treat me like her slave.
Or have a dad that doesn't know how to be a dad.

Anyway, I wanna know how it's like to be living away from your parents.
What did you have to do first.
Is it hard since you can't depend on your parents on the food, cooking, cleaning(some), rent, bills, etc.

Tell me your experiences.
I'd like to know.

are you/have you been to college or no?

All that technical stuff (laundry, cooking, bills) didn't really bother me that much, especially after having lived in dorms in stuff at school. Sure it's different from college, but it all feels really natural. But it just felt weird in general being by myself. I felt like I was in a dream for those first few weeks or so, but it started to feel completely normal after a while.

Just make sure you have a decent job and a general life plan before you get into it. As long as you have the resources to do all that technical stuff, and a plan for enriching your life, it's really not that bad.

[JJM]

I love living away from my family. It's liberating for me. I've been on my own since college, so to move back would be very difficult since I enjoy my peace and quiet. I'm set in my ways.

[kimbomynizzo]

just make sure you are financially stable before moving out.

[KpXMystic]

I have recently just moved out of my parents place with the nearly the same reasons as you.
Here are whats good and bad.

Good Things
-Gives you a chance to have more responsibility and take care of yourself
-No more curfew (had a curfew to come home at 12... at age 22)
-No more whining and complaining and do this and do that.
-Privacy/Own Space (Gf/Thinking/etc)

Bad Things
-Bills (rent/dwp)
-Dont save as much money as i did before because of bills
-Dont eat as well as i did back at home.

Overall im happy where i am even though it isnt home sweet home, but youll get used to it sooner or later. If you dont have a well paying job and your in school then i suggest u stay home and dorm later when your in a university. If you cant handle yourself and your income, then dont move out because you'll be back home very soon. Make sure if your going to move out, do it when your ready.