According to some studies, most millennials are more likely to move out of their parents’ homes for an extended stay. The catch is, many from this generation lack the basic life skills, such as personal care and money management, they need to survive an independent lifestyle. Whether you’re completing your college semester or simply moving out, opting to live on your own is a big step. It’s not easy, but it can be done smoothly.
If your first step into adulthood is to move one, it’s important that you first possess the life skills you need to take on every responsibility. To guide you with that, we’ve already listed the top skills you must master to make your moving out less stressful.
-
Table of Contents
Focusing on your health
Living alone can be stressful: emotionally, physically, and financially. This is the reason taking care of yourself is important. This includes looking after your physical health by scheduling health appointments, from eye exams and dental checkups to skin checks. Keep an eye on your health and seek proper medical help.
For instance, if you suffer from malocclusion, you’ll need to visit a clear aligner dental lab to get the right orthodontic treatment for your case. Or, if you’re noticing a problem with your vision, don’t hesitate to schedule an eye screening exam. Apart from these health care appointments, you also need to practice healthy habits to maintain an active lifestyle, from eating well, exercising regularly, to getting enough sleep.
-
Grocery shopping and cooking
To survive, you need to fulfill your most basic needs, which are water and food. And obviously, to make that happen, you need to go grocery shopping. The great thing is, you can conveniently do this online using free apps, which even allows shoppers to store their coupons, manage their money, and make grocery lists. Having your groceries delivered is an ideal option if you want to save time and effort of driving to the store.
The hard part is cooking. Luckily, there are tons of easy recipes out there that you can start with. To make the meal prep easier, it’s best to prepare the food ahead of time and store them in microwavable-safe glassware or plastic. But if you have the time to spare and want your meals freshly cooked, you’ll need to create a more comprehensive meal plan.
-
Managing your time
We’ve all heard the importance of managing our time. But it’s pretty obvious how many people always struggle in balancing their personal life with school or work. Creating and maintaining an organized schedule is crucial. If you’re still studying, keep a calendar of your classes, exam dates, and due assignments. If you’re working, you can log your working days and times. Jotting down everything on your calendar is simple, but sticking to the schedule is often the hard part. Be sure to stick to your schedule while keeping it flexible.
-
Budgeting and paying bills
As much as liberating living alone is, it always comes with more financial responsibilities that you need to work on. It’s time to learn how to budget. You need a budget for expenses such as food, transportation, and utilities. You’d also need to build up your savings, especially for emergencies and big purchases.
At the same time, a YOLO mindset might not work if you’re opting for an independent lifestyle — rational spending decisions should be made. If you want to live a financially stress-free lifestyle, you need to make decisions that will benefit your finances. Some of the popular tactics in managing the cost of living alone include planning your meals, shopping secondhand, monitoring heating bills, setting up savings accounts, and rethinking any subscriptions.
-
Doing the laundry
Many people take advantage of laundry services because they are often too busy. But if you’re moving out, want to save some bucks, and become a more responsible adult, you also need to learn how to do your own laundry. Some things your need to figure out include how to sort out the clothes, what temperature to use, how to treat stains, and how to iron specific types of clothing.
Just think about how much you can save from paying for laundry services that range from $2 to $10, not including the ironing and folding, which often cost you an additional $2. At the same time, you get to ensure that your clothes won’t get damaged or lost at the laundromat.
These life skills may seem like responsibilities at first, but if you manage to master them, you’ll realize they’re actually opportunities to give yourself more freedom and independence. Moving out of your parent’s house can help you explore life and broaden your wisdom in many ways. Take this step the right way by mastering as many life skills as you can.
