Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Moving out for the first time is a significant milestone in a young adult’s life. The vision of independence and increased freedom of leaving your parent’s house is extremely exciting! Whether you’re moving away to live on your own or heading off to college, the journey will be full of joy but can also become overwhelming. There will be many moving parts and decisions you will need to be prepared for during the process. Not to mention the life adjustments you will need to make after moving out. But before those days approach, Collegeboxes has tips to help you be prepared and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Preparing to Move Out for the First Time
Your journey moving away from home will start well before your actual moving day. Even with the aura of excitement still surrounding you – there will be a great amount of preparation needed to make sure the leap of faith when leaving your parent’s house is a success. You will need to be prepared to leave the financial safety net of living with your family. You will also need to ensure your new living space has everything you need for it to become your new comfort zone. Here are a few tips to be best prepared when moving away from home.
Start with a Plan
Moving away from home for the first time will require plenty of logistics and decisions to be made. Mapping out a solid exit plan will make your journey away from the nest much easier. Early in your process consider drafting a plan that will cover your entire move, especially your financial needs.
Understand Your Finances
Your financial stability after moving out will be the most important aspect of your preparation. As this will be your first time leaving home, you will surely be new to the concept of paying rent and budgeting. Before anything else – be sure to understand your financial outlook, what you can afford, and how much you need to finance your new life.
Ensure You Will Have What You Need
Now that you understand your financial needs for your move, be sure to acquire items you’ll need for your new living space. If you’re a student packing for college, consider what you should bring and what can be left behind. How you want to decorate your dorm room is also important to keep in mind. If you’re a young adult moving away to live on your own, consider the items you may need for your new living space right away.
Ask and You May Receive
To follow up on the previous tip – if there are a few things you don’t have the budget to purchase don’t be afraid to ask your parents, friends, or extended family. You’ll be surprised to see who’s willing to pass along the toaster they never used, the couch they were going to sell, or the coffee table they don’t like anymore. Finding a few things like this will really help when moving out for the first time.
Consider Getting Help for Your Move
Moving can always be a stressful process, especially if it’s your first time. Consider using services to assist your journey moving away from home, especially if you’re moving out of state or a long way away from home. If you’re a college student, Collegeboxes has many services to make college moving stress-free.
When moving away for the first time, it’s extremely important to create a plan for your journey and to fully understand your financial needs.
Life After You Move Out
If you believe the initial moving process will be the toughest part of moving away for the first time – you are in for a not-so-pleasant surprise. Living on your own or moving to college will involve a great adjustment period. Now more than ever will you have to pay attention to your habits of cleanliness, the ability to manage your time, and several other aspects of “adulting”. Establishing critical routines such as grocery shopping, cleaning, and cooking for yourself will take time and of course come with growing pains. But don’t worry too much as we have some important tips that should be helpful during that process.
Create a Chore Calendar
You don’t have to become your mom – planning out an entire weekend of cleaning. But setting time aside during the week and throughout the month to maintain a proper living space can go a long way. You will feel much better about your living situation when it’s kept neat.
Grocery Shop with Smarts
Since this is your first time moving away from home, you are likely on a budget when it comes to buying groceries. A great tip to stay within budget when grocery shopping is to only purchase items that can be used in several different recipes. You can of course save even more money buying items that are on sale. As a young adult, we know you’re not checking the Sunday paper for sales. An alternative we can suggest is checking if your local supermarket has an app that offers digital coupons or a loyalty program.
Find Easy Meals to Cook That You Enjoy
You can’t eat fast food every day. Well you could, but on the days that you don’t – you’ll need easy meals to cook for yourself. Whether you’re a college student cooking meals in your dorm or any other young adult, it’s important to find simple recipes to prepare that you enjoy.
There will be an immense adjustment period after moving away from your parents. Look to develop simple but valuable habits to make the switch to the life of “adulting” much easier.
Hopefully these tips will help you not become overwhelmed with your journey and keep the excitement of moving away from home for the first time. If you are a college student, Collegeboxes is the No. 1 student storage and shipping provider, powered by U-Haul. Simply sign up with us and we’ll handle the rest.