4 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Moving Out at 18

1. Planning ahead is good. 
   • Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re crazy for buying dishes or towels that are on sale. I admitly went a little overboard with the preparedness however, when it came down to actually moving in, I didn’t have to worry about buying the basic necessities. I also was able to skip out on extra little costs, like paper plates,  plastic wear, and one random towel that doesn’t match anything in my house. I’m not saying you have to run out and buy these things right now, but if you know you’re moving out soon and black friday is coming up, I recommend at least looking at the deals because you’re saving yourself in the long run.
2. Planning  too much is bad.
   • Anyone who knows me knows I am obsessed with scheduling and planning. With that being said, I wish I had maybe given myself a small amount of mercy when planning my move-out/ move-in, and housewarming party. After a long summer of renovations and working three jobs, I was one foot in and one foot out of my parents’ and my house. So, when I finally started sleeping at  my house I had only given myself about four weeks to completely unpack, decorate, and finish major main floor renovations, as well as clean up the yard. Not cool of my sleep patterns and stress level. I wish I could have been a little nicer to myself and had maybe 6-7 weeks to settle before hosting a party. I did have a great party nonetheless, and no one but me could tell what wasn’t finished, but financially and mentally the better move would  have been to wait.
3. You will get “judged”
   • What I mean by this is, you will have people (especially the people who don’t even know you) make comments about you being young and ask questions like “are you sure you know what you’re doing” etc. etc. In my case, I moved out with my boyfriend. That only made it 10 times worse for me. I constantly was asked questions about my relationship, that are absolutely no one’s business, from strangers. Honestly, it didn’t bother me horribly, and I do recognize that what I did is not something that most 18 year olds do. On the other hand, I am not like most 18 year olds. I know very few teenagers who are even remotely close to being as mature as I am. To me this is a touchy subject so I will leave it at that, but just be prepared for people to put their two cents in, even when you don’t want it. And to combat this I suggest, making sure you really think thoroughly about what you’re doing and make an extremely thoughtful decision and once you make it, make sure that you have real life reasons why this is best for you. And then tell other people some crazy story about it and let them judge you at home! 🙂
4. Lastly, know that things won’t be easy 
   • You absolutely must know that it is normal to have difficulties and to not know how to fill out the address change at the post office. But, please know your boundaries! If you have a choice and you are moving out on your own terms like I did, please please please learn your limits!  What I mean by this is, learn what you are comfortable with BEFORE you are forced to come up with an answer. Think about what you are willing to put up with from your partner, your family members, and your friends. For instance, some people are allowed to walk in to my house at any time, and some people I have politely asked to call or text in advance (everyone knocks when they arrive, that’s just common courtesy).  That is just an example and something I never would have thought about before having my own home. I think this is so super important because the transition from being a child into being a young adult is one without rules and guidelines, and being able to have mature conversations with your loved ones about this new chapter in your life will help everyone with the transition.

I hope this helps you a little bit with the big move! If you have any more questions or want more tips feel free to leave them in the comments below!