Movin' out

Bob The Mercenary · 01-03-2011, 10:52 PM

So a friend and I have done some math and figured we have enough income to finally move out of our parents' houses. I've obviously never done this before and I know a lot of you have had experience owning your own place. We've done some looking and have found a few places with two bedrooms that come in at around $1000/month and aren't too far from the interstate. The neighborhoods are far from seedy too.

I'm just looking for some advice as to how to proceed with this. Because my car will finally be paid off and I now effectively have two jobs and a side job, I'll be able to pay my share of the rent and still have plenty left over for groceries and other things. If I want to save a little more I also have the option of taking the bus to work. But, I still want to be prepared for the unexpected.

Seil · 01-03-2011, 11:00 PM

Here's my advice: don't. Remember when I moved out, and made a thread about what to do in a new area and stuff like that? Well, I had moved out with a friend. He had been my friend since high school. We hung out a whole bunch, we talked a bunch. Then we moved in together. Six months later, we moved out.

We're not friends anymore.

Someone is different when you're living with them, and they will grate on your nerves because of different living styles. I don't think it's a good idea.

Bob The Mercenary · 01-03-2011, 11:06 PM

That's the same thing everyone keeps telling me. But, the benefits of living with a friend that I have full knowledge of his pros and cons trumps living with my parents. At least to me. I'm willing to give it a shot for a year. That's kind of the reason we're looking for a two bedroom, so we both have some privacy and so I have a door to slam if we get pissed at each other.

What exactly made you guys grow apart, if you don't mind me asking?

pochercoaster · 01-03-2011, 11:08 PM

Hey, congrats on finding your own place! $500 a month isn't bad.

1. After your bills always make sure to save a portion of your income, preferably at least 10% (I save 8%). Your savings will help you out in emergencies. DO NOT spend your savings on frivolous things... they're there for when your car breaks down and stuff like that. Savings are a necessity!

2. Buy furniture second hand, unless it has a lot of material cause you don't want to get be bugs or anything nasty. I went to Goodwill and got a coffee table for $5, a shelf for $15 and a kitchen table for $10. The table was slightly ugly so I covered it with a table cloth and then it didn't look so bad.

Also, if you need to buy a mattress then check the Salvation Army because brand new defective mattresses are donated there. There's usually barely anything wrong with them, like the fabric is mismatched or something, so you can snag yourself a perfectly fine mattress for less than $200.

Second hand dishes are also perfectly acceptable and much cheaper than new ones. Just wash them thoroughly! Sometimes you can find pretty good pots and pans too.

3. Write a budget and stick to it. Don't forget to budget in entertainment since if you're a video game or movie junkie that can get expensive fast! Avoid fast food too because it's quite costly if you eat it all the time.

Edit: Personally, moving out on my own was one of the best decisions I've made in the last 3 years. However, I didn't move out with a friend.

While I was working two jobs to save up for my apartment, EVERYONE told me I wouldn't be able to do it, I was in over my head, I was too young, etc. etc.

Fuck 'em.

I am so much happier now that I'm a proper adult with responsibilities and control over decisions that affect my life.

Unless your friend has a severe personality defect I would suspect rooming together would be okay AS LONG as you make sure you each get your privacy & have certain rules set out in regards to household management. Like, "don't be a slob," "don't play music really loudly at 6am," etc. My roommate (I ended up moving into another apartment) and I take turns cleaning the bathroom every weekend, and we also take turns buying things like paper towel and milk. Being upfront about such rules can go a long way towards reducing conflict.

rpgdemon · 01-03-2011, 11:54 PM

Be careful about used furniture: Bedbugs are on the rise these days.

Specterbane · 01-04-2011, 12:34 AM

pocheros put some great advice up there. Having lived with room mates in the past I could add a few things.

Go ahead and label your food. I know it seems like it'd be cool to go in together and split the cost of all the food, but it's something that'll grate on you when you were hankering for the block of cheese you bought and he finished it off. But paper towels and toilet paper (things you do share) should be traded off as to who buys them.

Having your own space is essential, the two bed rooms are a great call. As a part of that respect your room mate's privacy and try to be noticeable about when they'd like to be left alone or not. It really goes a long way to reduce conflict if you try to respect the other person and see problems from their perspective.

If you're going to split chores, make sure it's agreed upon for who does what when. BUT! Don't hold them to it all the time, if something needs done then you do it if you can because they could be having a hugely busy week. Going the extra mile on your own is a good way to be a great room mate, just don't complain about it unless you're obviously joking.

Just to reiterate: Budget and Savings are crucial, in fact you should put your savings for things in your monthly budget; setting it aside a little at a time to accumulate into an emergency fund.

This is going to be an adjustment for you and your new room mate. Endure the hard parts and be patient about getting to know each other as room mates not just as friends. It will be different, but this is a make or break situation for a lot of people.

Good luck to you, I've been there before and I'm going there again soon (moving out of my parent's). It's a big change, but it really is worth it once pull it off.

Nique · 01-04-2011, 12:49 AM

Watch out for utility bills.meaning try not to leave faucets running or lights on (as young men are wont to do), stuff like that.

I'll echo saving 8-10% of your income. 'Pay yourself first' as they say - and that doesn't mean spending the money on video games. If you're smart you'll eventually have thousands of dollars to fall back on in case of emergencies.

Seil · 01-04-2011, 01:07 AM

Quote:

What exactly made you guys grow apart, if you don't mind me asking?

Let's leave it at lack of communication.

We didn't say when we were mad about something until the breaking point.

phil_ · 01-04-2011, 01:26 AM

Living with twin. Can't help. Suggest you move in with your twin.

Nique · 01-04-2011, 01:43 AM

Quote:

Living with twin. Can't help. Suggest you move in with your twin.

Actually I would love to hear about this cause if I had to live with my brother I think I'd go nuts.

01-03-2011, 10:52 PM	#1
Bob The Mercenary Bob Dole Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Bob Dole Posts: 5,606	Movin' out So a friend and I have done some math and figured we have enough income to finally move out of our parents' houses. I've obviously never done this before and I know a lot of you have had experience owning your own place. We've done some looking and have found a few places with two bedrooms that come in at around $1000/month and aren't too far from the interstate. The neighborhoods are far from seedy too. I'm just looking for some advice as to how to proceed with this. Because my car will finally be paid off and I now effectively have two jobs and a side job, I'll be able to pay my share of the rent and still have plenty left over for groceries and other things. If I want to save a little more I also have the option of taking the bus to work. But, I still want to be prepared for the unexpected.

01-03-2011, 11:08 PM	#4
pochercoaster rollerpocher tycoon Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 1,808	Hey, congrats on finding your own place! $500 a month isn't bad. 1. After your bills always make sure to save a portion of your income, preferably at least 10% (I save 8%). Your savings will help you out in emergencies. DO NOT spend your savings on frivolous things... they're there for when your car breaks down and stuff like that. Savings are a necessity! 2. Buy furniture second hand, unless it has a lot of material cause you don't want to get be bugs or anything nasty. I went to Goodwill and got a coffee table for $5, a shelf for $15 and a kitchen table for $10. The table was slightly ugly so I covered it with a table cloth and then it didn't look so bad. Also, if you need to buy a mattress then check the Salvation Army because brand new defective mattresses are donated there. There's usually barely anything wrong with them, like the fabric is mismatched or something, so you can snag yourself a perfectly fine mattress for less than $200. Second hand dishes are also perfectly acceptable and much cheaper than new ones. Just wash them thoroughly! Sometimes you can find pretty good pots and pans too. 3. Write a budget and stick to it. Don't forget to budget in entertainment since if you're a video game or movie junkie that can get expensive fast! Avoid fast food too because it's quite costly if you eat it all the time. Edit: Personally, moving out on my own was one of the best decisions I've made in the last 3 years. However, I didn't move out with a friend. While I was working two jobs to save up for my apartment, EVERYONE told me I wouldn't be able to do it, I was in over my head, I was too young, etc. etc. Fuck 'em. I am so much happier now that I'm a proper adult with responsibilities and control over decisions that affect my life. Unless your friend has a severe personality defect I would suspect rooming together would be okay AS LONG as you make sure you each get your privacy & have certain rules set out in regards to household management. Like, "don't be a slob," "don't play music really loudly at 6am," etc. My roommate (I ended up moving into another apartment) and I take turns cleaning the bathroom every weekend, and we also take turns buying things like paper towel and milk. Being upfront about such rules can go a long way towards reducing conflict. Last edited by pochercoaster; 01-04-2011 at 01:47 AM.

01-03-2011, 11:54 PM	#5
rpgdemon Not a Taco Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 3,313	Be careful about used furniture: Bedbugs are on the rise these days. __________________ I did a lot of posting on here as a teenager, and I was pretty awful. Even after I learned, grew up, and came to be on the right side of a lot of important issues, I was still angry, abrasive, and generally increased the amount of hate in the world, in pretty unacceptable ways. On the off chance that someone is taking a trip down memory lane looking through those old threads, I wanted to devote my signature to say directly to you, I'm sorry. Thank you for letting me be better, NPF.

01-04-2011, 12:34 AM	#6
Specterbane Safety First Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Land of Gumdrops and Ice-cream Posts: 746	pocheros put some great advice up there. Having lived with room mates in the past I could add a few things. Go ahead and label your food. I know it seems like it'd be cool to go in together and split the cost of all the food, but it's something that'll grate on you when you were hankering for the block of cheese you bought and he finished it off. But paper towels and toilet paper (things you do share) should be traded off as to who buys them. Having your own space is essential, the two bed rooms are a great call. As a part of that respect your room mate's privacy and try to be noticeable about when they'd like to be left alone or not. It really goes a long way to reduce conflict if you try to respect the other person and see problems from their perspective. If you're going to split chores, make sure it's agreed upon for who does what when. BUT! Don't hold them to it all the time, if something needs done then you do it if you can because they could be having a hugely busy week. Going the extra mile on your own is a good way to be a great room mate, just don't complain about it unless you're obviously joking. Just to reiterate: Budget and Savings are crucial, in fact you should put your savings for things in your monthly budget; setting it aside a little at a time to accumulate into an emergency fund. This is going to be an adjustment for you and your new room mate. Endure the hard parts and be patient about getting to know each other as room mates not just as friends. It will be different, but this is a make or break situation for a lot of people. Good luck to you, I've been there before and I'm going there again soon (moving out of my parent's). It's a big change, but it really is worth it once pull it off. __________________ http://www.nuklearforums.com/showpos...ostcount=10436

01-04-2011, 01:26 AM	#9
phil_ Just sleeping Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: At home, probably in bed. Posts: 6,482	Living with twin. Can't help. Suggest you move in with your twin. __________________ Be T-Rexcellent to each other, tako.

01-03-2011, 11:00 PM	#2
Seil Super stressed! Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: British Columbia Posts: 8,081	Here's my advice: don't. Remember when I moved out, and made a thread about what to do in a new area and stuff like that? Well, I had moved out with a friend. He had been my friend since high school. We hung out a whole bunch, we talked a bunch. Then we moved in together. Six months later, we moved out. We're not friends anymore. Someone is different when you're living with them, and they will grate on your nerves because of different living styles. I don't think it's a good idea.

01-03-2011, 11:06 PM	#3
Bob The Mercenary Bob Dole Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Bob Dole Posts: 5,606	That's the same thing everyone keeps telling me. But, the benefits of living with a friend that I have full knowledge of his pros and cons trumps living with my parents. At least to me. I'm willing to give it a shot for a year. That's kind of the reason we're looking for a two bedroom, so we both have some privacy and so I have a door to slam if we get pissed at each other. What exactly made you guys grow apart, if you don't mind me asking?