Moving out of my parents house!

United States
June 7, 2009 6:54pm CST
Hello! I am 19 years old and beginning my second year of college this fall. I just recently decided to move back home and go to college here instead of staying at the school I was attending. The only problem with this is living at home. I am fully aware that I need to stay at home and save money. I'm just not sure how much I should save before it is safe for me to move out? I live in a fairly small town that has a very low standard of living. I don't want to move out and then have to move back home because of financial issues. So, is there a certain amount of money that I should save before moving out? And how long should I expect this to take? I work at a daycare part time that pays minimum wage.
2 people like this
13 responses
@pansy45 (153)
• Indonesia
8 Jun 09
i still live with my parnt now.in my parents house.i did this cause my parent want me to acompany them.but honestly i want to go out from my parents family.it's so bored to live in here,,but if i want to move,i'm not ready to live alone.
• India
8 Jun 09
It is good to stay with parents because we will be more secure and that parents will be happy.
@mmiceli (382)
8 Jun 09
Well, I suggest you find a roommate first. That will help you to get a nicer place while still not paying that much. You should do some research first then save enough money for the security deposit and rent. Also save up for furniture and stuff. If you can afford rent monthly with the job you have, then once you saved the first month's rent, got furniture and saved for a security deposit then you should be good!
@mmiceli (382)
8 Jun 09
also... you can use school loans to pay for rent too. That's what I do. Typically living off campus is cheaper anyways, so while people will claim that's a bad idea, they probably have no idea what they're talking about. I'm a junior in college and just moved into my own place also btw.
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
8 Jun 09
i think you are still so young and have many years ahead of you... right now, i think it is not really a good time for you to move out yet as you are not that ready yet... just stay with your parents first and concentrate on your study to build up your future... trust me... living outside on your own is not as easy as you think... i would love to stay with my parents for as long as i can if i can... but now i am already married, i can't and have to move out from my parents house... but i really miss the times that i spend with them... so just enjoy your time with your parents until you are really ready... good luck... take care and have a nice day...
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
8 Jun 09
LISTEN TO ME!!!! Get an education first and foremost! No matter what.. get your education first! Trust me... if you don't, you'll end up like me with literally nothing.. no pension, no retirement, no 401k etc. I didn't get an education. Didn't really know back then how important it was and had no one to guide me.. and I literally learned it the hardest way of all! So.. moral of the story.. forget about moving out.. you'll have PLENTY of years to move out and be on your own... but for now.. do the smart thing and just stay at home as long as you are in school.. save your money so that when you are out of school and looking for a job you have money to sustain you at that point PLUS.. if you get a good job right away.. you got a nice nest egg to help with the move out when you have job stability. But while you have the option, ability and luxury of living at home.. take advantage of it!!!! You won't be sorry!
• United States
8 Jun 09
Thank you for the response!
@Archie0 (5636)
8 Jun 09
Even i moved out of the house quite a bit early as i wanted to go for studying in cities my home town did not have much facilities for higher studies as well.Well i just started to work by then and my parents helped me with needed money in the strat.but well if you want to setle on your own terms then it depends on your comfprt on how you want your things to be get done and according to that we can set the amount as well.
@tkwt96r (28)
• United States
8 Jun 09
Well I'm planning to move out soon aswell. Right now the best advice I've gotten is take an average rent payment from your area along with an estimate of all bills (electric, water, food, etc) and combine them. You should save up at least double that and find yourself a full time job that will be able to support yourself while making a little bit of profit. Good luck, hope I helped at least a little bit.
@YazEid (1139)
• Philippines
8 Jun 09
Hello cecilia I have faced the same problem when I decided to move out from my parents house , but with a little help from here and there , and some part time work I could manage it .. Actually the amount of money you are talking about depends on the place you are going to , as you said that your town has a low standards of living , If you moved to a big city maybe you will need 10x more than what you used to need in your town ... you should think well about it before making your decision because it is not an easy step for you ,, and If you could find a part time work it will help you a lot have a nice tome cecilia
@laydee (12798)
• Philippines
7 Jun 09
Well, there's no easy way to do this but to compute! How much do you usually need for food money? Gas money? Bills (power, heat and water), rent? etc. and all the nitty-gritty stuff. Go into details to the last cent that you need and if you have computed for all those multiply it with 6. It is said that if you can have enough money to live 6 months without working, then you have saved enough. But of course, don't stop working because the bills would come piling in.
@reckon21 (3479)
• Philippines
8 Jun 09
Being independent is every young people's dream. Not staying in the house with you parents is already a big accomplishment. But there are many things to consider first. The important factor is about financial matter. Are you ready now to feed yourself?
• India
8 Jun 09
Well you work and earn money,you know the value of money,being at home will save you a lot of money and if you want to stay in a hostel I think that depends on how much you earn
@bird123 (10632)
• United States
8 Jun 09
make sure you have a secure job that pays more than your expenses. A little math will tell you. If you really want to be secure, have 6 months to a year of expenses saved up before you go. Then if you lose your job, you have plenty of time to find another.
@zzyw87 (1254)
• Philippines
8 Jun 09
I think it is better if you just live with your parents for a year or so. Save up first before being independent and living on your own. Living on your own means more expenses. It is best if you have maybe 3 or 4 month's worth of income saved in case of emergencies. Also, if you decide to live on your own after a year or so, it is better and cheaper if you have a roommate.
• United States
8 Jun 09
My mother always told me you should have 2 months of living income saved up this means rent, electric, gas for your home and your car, car insurance, food, pretty much everything you pay per month. There are a lot of factors to take into consideration like whats min wage in your state and whats the cost of living where you are moving. Honestly it's pretty hard to determine. You should at least take advantage of student loans but don't get any credit cards unless you know you are only going to use them for emergencies. I work full time and go to college part time. I rent a house at the moment and the cost is tooooo much for me. The rent is the same as an appartment but the heating costs and electric is through the roof. Don't get sucked into this and try not to get room mates unless you are liveing in a dorm. Dorm life is pretty cheap cause colleges know kids don't have alot of money. Also try and find a job before you move out that will help out alot!