Living on your own.

Post Reply New Topic

I don't exactly live on my own, because i live with my bf, but he's hopeless at practical things, so I have to pay all the bills and take care of all the practical stuff. My own income is low for the US, but I rarely buy anything that isn't food.

Some of the expenses you don't list are for household items. Do you already have furniture, pots and pans, linens, towels, etc. And do you really spend $200 a month on clothes? I don't think I spend that in a year.

I had some friends from Norway and they said that food is very expensive there, but other expenses are much more here. A phone costs at least $40 a month, and many people have both a home phone and a cell phone, so it's doubled. My internet connection is $46 a month. Electricity is $60 a month, Water is $45 a month, and so on. I own a house so I don't have to pay rent, but the bills alone, including taxes, are about $400 a month (and that's for only half the house, since I have a tenant who lives in the other apartment so I'm not including what I pay for her bills).

I guess my point is that everything costs more than you might expect, even though the parameters are different in your country so your expenses will be different. But as long as you don't make impulse purchases or buy things you don't really need, you should be okay. I keep all the bills in one place and I sit down once a month and pay them all.

Living in an apartment that you rent has some important advantages in that you don't have to make repairs yourself or pay for them, and if you have problems of that sort you can just call the landlord.

buying linens, towels. Furniture is included. Steady supply of pots, pans cutlery from my parents. No, I normally don't spend 200$ a month on clothes. But I've been in living on a minimum, barely having any income during my first year of university, lived with my parents (who aren't exactly wealthy). I didn't receive the standard scholarship because I lived at home. I like to dress nicely and my taste is somewhat expensive but I only buy on sales. Basicly I don't have alot of clothes atm, so I plan to buy them gradually.

Yes food is indeed expensive. Almost 4$ for a 1.5L coca cola (random example), it's getting ridiculous. My impression is that our payment is accordingly, there's no way anyone would work for 10$ /hour here, which I've heard isn't unusual in the US.




Paying bills electronically, much easier I don't want help with cleaning it would hurt my progress^^ Having my own yard is a distant dream, I'll get back to you when I graduate in 5-6 years.

Uh people can go without a coca cola. I don't even drink pop. On occasions I do but I don't buy it.

I used it as a way to illustrate the price difference, I don't enjoy soda myself

i live in my own home now, but have rented - it was actually more expensive for me to rent - and i live in the same, middle class suburb.

i made/make 3x the cost for rent/mtg + utilities...i do everything myself - okay, my son (he's one of us, btw) now does the lawn mowing and takes out the trash - usually...then again, i pay him to do those things...and have to remind him again and again... .

i'm able to keep the living room and bathroom spic and span all by myself...the kitchen, semi-decent, all by myself. our *bedrooms*, however? - wow, now those are "Hoarders" tv show material.

I went to see four apparments today, and to my surprise I actually made a good impression on the landlords Two of them called back and offered me an place to stay. I'm waiting for the two others to call (tomorrow) as their apparments were both quite large, were modern and had nice furniture. I was afraid that my lack of eye contact would screw me over, but after the meeting me they described me as a nice and polite person. After all there might be hope for us all^^

i live on my own and have been for over two yars. i just make shure my rent is paid and i save money for my fire agate sweetheart, everything else can really be put on hold. even eating as i only eat once everyother day or so because my god son food is expencive!

I am currently aspiring to move out, hopefully by the end of the year. I have a growing collection of towels, cutlery, dinner sets, glasses and other wares accumulating in the boot of my car. And I have a few bits of furniture so far too such as a dining and coffee table. I get $585/week net in wages per week and I'm looking for places to rent in the $200/week range. That should get me a two bedroom place with an internal laundry. Yes, I'll have to buy a washing machine but I feel safer washing my clothes in my own laundry, safe and secure in my own flat (I don't want my clothes to get pinched by unsavoury neighbours). I've been thinking of getting a storage bay so I can collect more furniture.

If you can, try buying your dishes, clothes and other stuff at a thrift store. They aren't exactly the bastions of modern taste, but they have things that are useable for a lot less cost.

This is what I learned after getting my own apartment, because the initial expenses are more in the beginning (when you are buying dishes and such, not merely maintanence costs like food and whatever.)

Also, don't just ask the landlords questions, but go to the other tenents. Do they have difficulties with getting the landlord to fix things if there is a problem? Has there ever been a pest problem? (Especially if the apartments/flats are adjoined, the pests can go right next door.)
These things are always good to ask, because often neighbors aren't trying to get you to move in (unlike the landlord), and will likely be quite honest.

Always been independent even if I suck at certain things such as cleaning... Lived on my own since 17. I have a disability check covering my rent, then I only have a very few bills (I don't even have a cell phone). I live cheap, I get the best food I can for the lowest price, I don't buy fancy things, a lot is hand me downs, my furniture is that or bought in thrift stores and a few dumpster dives. Living like that makes me able to save a litte every month, not sure yet what to spend that money on. I really hate spending on stupid things, so I don't. Things are going well part from organizing and cleaning. I struggle a lot with that. It's been OK a long while, but it just takes some more depression or fatigue (have physical illness), and I suck at it again.

Update: I got the appartment that I wanted as one of nearly 30. It's a nice modern appartment, 55 square meters with furniture like a nice sofa, large comfy bed, two tables, bookshelves, desk ++ Modern kitchen and bathroom, fire escape, owens, tv. Electricity and broadband included. Also a large storage space and a wardrobe. The owner is a polite gentleman who works in the field of chemistry. For the first time in a while, life is smiling at me. I'm doing great academically, is less depressed and I'm about become independent. Moving out in 2-4 days, it'll be great.

nice im happy for u how much is rent?

833$ ( I don't live in the US), but it's worth every penny. I think he could have gotten up to 1500$ for it, but then again I'm not in the property buisness. You'd think being autistic would lessen my chance of finding an appartment, but I hit it off on 3/4 of the appartments I went to see. It gives me some confidence in both myself and humanity - people being able to see past my quirks and oddities.

my dream is to get in proberty bussiness as its great income and u dont need much just good apartment from nice area in here they dont wanna give out many houses to students/un-embloyment's even sosial services would pay up a rent...

When you move to a new place, it's only natural to not have a job. Best thing to do is not to reply with an email, because you rarely get a response this way. I responded to 20-30 and only got 3 replies. Time was running out, so I forced myself into calling instead - something which I rarely do. When I called, however I was offered to come and look at the appartments. I'd take the emails I sent over any caller, nts are strange indeed. Property buisness is nice indeed, sure is socially demanding but aquiring social skills isn't supposed to be easy. This experience has made me more confident that I might have the basic social skills required for a doctor, but only time will show. BTW I'm not going to mention social services to my landlord, I generate enough income from various scholarships to pay for the place so it's none of his buisness. It sure is hard to get an apparment here as well, in my city there was 630 who wanted a place to stay and 580 appartments.