NationStates Jolt Archive

So, I decided to try to move out on my own. I'm tired of living with my parents and I need my freedom! Beside I'm 24, kinda time to move out don't ya think? So I started apartment hunting, and I'm hoping to have an apartment in the Fall of '08 when the next school semester rolls around. However, in order for me to have an apartment I need a job, and I don't know of that many job that are flexible enough for the hetic class schedule of a Grad Student such as myself. I however do have someone who could be a possible room mate. A female friend of mine who is a Detention Officer and needs a place to live because she's tired of living with her boyfriend and apparently can't live on her own because she has to pay off her truck. Anyways, I see this as a mutual benefit. We both need a place of our own, we both need more money than we can provide, and my college and her workplace is about an hour away from where we are both currently living, so it's the perfect spot to get an apartment. True I won't be living on campus, but I never was planning to do that anyways. Mainly because I want to take my cat Amelia with me. So, any ideas, suggestions, good idea, bad idea, etc. ?

I have one, get a blog!

I suggest you live in the wild, it's peaceful out here, and there's no chance of being turned down, maybe killed but you won't be rejected.

So, I decided to try to move out on my own.... So, any ideas, suggestions, good idea, bad idea, etc. ?

Put some thought into this. Things like budgets are important.

have sex with your new roommate.

If you are going to grad school in a city then I would suggest picking up as much tutoring as you can. Pay is good (20-50 bucks an hour) and its very flexible. You probably will still need a "primary" job for stability at first but after you establish a tutoring gig you can support yourself teaching nights.

Trust me, finishing my 6th year in grad school. Thank god only 4 more months to go.

Ahh this could end in a train wreck. Living with women is a bit tougher then guys. For all sorts of reasons. She may decide after you move in that she wants to be with her boyfriend. Then you get stuck with everything. Not much fun.

Sit down and put everything on paper, it's for both of your protection.

Sit down and put everything on paper, it's for both of your protection.

Oh trust me, I plan to do this. I am not a very trusting person, I'd even make my own family member sign an agreement before sharing an apartment together.

So, I decided to try to move out on my own. I'm tired of living with my parents and I need my freedom!

You'll be back *evil cackle*

Freedom costs money.

Beside I'm 24, kinda time to move out don't ya think?

If your parents want you out, very much so. If you want out, go go go.
Doing it because "its the normal thing" is bogus. Whatever suits you best, and do think of the olds. They get freedom too! ;)

So, any ideas, suggestions, good idea, bad idea, etc. ?

Hey, it's spring time there ain't it? You'll be fine in your dumpster until the fall.

That's all the unhelpful advice I have. I don't know your area at all.

sort yourself out a job before you do any planning I'd say and remember that as a first time move you shouldn't set your hopes on some palace (though with a wilgrove touch I'm sure;))

A female friend of mine who is a Detention Officer and needs a place to live

don't you pay attention to NS threads?

have sex with your new roommate.

better: have sex with her boyfriend!

Oh trust me, I plan to do this. I am not a very trusting person, I'd even make my own family member sign an agreement before sharing an apartment together.

You also need to think about her boyfreind. How is HE going to take it?

Internships are amazing.

Excuse the list, I am in a listy mood today...
1.a) Rent and jobs: If you havent got a job you are going to need your parents to guarantee that you will always pay rent on time. Unless your parents will do this, you are going to have a hard time. Unless you have had a job for more than 6 months prior to moving in, most real-estates are not going to give you a second chance without the guarantee. That said, multiple sources of income are good, and will only help. Living out of home is expensive.

b) Jobs: common jobs:
- Retail & hospitality- be prepared to work hard for minimal pay & jackass bosses. However, it may be the only option if you don't have some skills already
- Office work: Hard to find any that will work around your jobs
- Factory work: Hard work for jackass bosses, but you will get paid a reasonable wage. It also offers chances to work nightimes so you can go to uni during the day.
- Courier/Taxi driver: If you want to spend your days on the road driving around, could be an idea
- Semi-skilled jobs: Jobs such as lifeguard, First aid event cover, tutoring, tech work. You will need the skills and possibly experience. But the pay is better, the work is easier and you will overall feel better at the end of a shift. Be wary that alot of these jobs are very seasonal, and some weeks you will get 30 hours, over weeks 3 hours.

2. Apartments: Think what you need, and where you need. Set a budget and stick to it. Remember that about 10kms from the uni will probably be about $40 a week cheaper but you will have to wake up earlier to commute. If you can, find an aprtment complex with other students. They are going to be less bitchy when it comes to noise, and they will be quiet in exam times.

3. Housemates: Women: beware that women do have a surprising ability to make absolutely everything look like a males fault. Males: Males are really messy. I know because I am one of them. Be prepared to use a cattle prod to get them to do work. Don't move in with someone you are not prepared to lose as a friend. You may do everything together now, but when you move in you will be around her 24/7. She is going to want time away from you and you likewise. Don't take this personally

4. Other costs: Electricty, Phone, Internet, Gas, Water, Car (including rego, insurance, fuel & repairs), uni stuff, public transport, Food, cleaning stuff. These bills all tend to hit at once, so remember to plan ahead. In the past 2 weeks, I have had electricity ($90), Phone ($90), Net ($15), Parking fine ($50) plus my car broke down ($300). Plus fuel is at an all time high and I have rego and insurance due next month. Not only that but a month ago we got issued with an order to cut the grass, so we needed a lawnmower urgently... Bye Bye $300.... For household costs, decide before hand who pays what proportion of what. Stick to it. Especially in net & electricty. If they say "Oh but I don't have my computer on as much" tell them to fuck off and cough up.

5. Don't move in with someone you are not prepared to lose as a friend. <= Yes I repeated it twice, remember it. Don't use excuses like we have been friends for 20 years... Sounds good in theory but it falls down in practice.

6. Housemates part 2: See if there are other people looking for houses. A house offers more freedom than an apartment, and if you get enough people, it works out cheaper too! To expand on this, be wary of moving in with more girls than boys or vice versa. Girls will gang up, and boys will do the same. I lived in a unit with 2 girls for a while. For 3 months one of them refused to speak to me.

7. Jobs: Organise a roster. It saves a lot of fights.

Any Qs?