<p>I commute around 50 miles a day to get to school but this semester is really tough on me. I am having to leave my house before the sun comes up and I come home around 8 at night. I do not think it is healthy and I started to look into moving out of my house. I have been working but I make almost minimum wage. So I have some questions for those of you that have done this.
If you feel comfortably answering this please do if not I appreciate any advice.
1 About how much should I have saved up in my bank account before moving out?
2 Is 18 too young to be living in an apartment?
3 About how much a year in orange county will you spend living on your own? (food, gas, utilities, and so on)
4 Parents are really protective and do not want me to move out. How to approach this?</p>
<p>The dorms at my school are expensive and it is cheaper to live off campus.</p>
<p>Orange County is one of the most expensive areas in the country. You’re going to need quite a bit of cash saved up just to make it. To give yourself an idea of what it would cost, try finding an apartment that you would consider renting and just see how much the rent is + security deposit, total up the things you need to pay for such as food, clothes, toiletries, gas, insurance, monthly bills, new furniture, tuition, books, meals out, entertainment, etc. Think about the things that you use, the things that your parent pay for, the new things that you will need to buy. Total up all that stuff and see where you’re at. </p>
<p>It’s really hard to give you an idea of what you’ll spend because it’s so different for everyone. For me, I would stay home and just suck it up about the driving because I know that I wouldn’t be able to afford all of the things that I would want to have/need. </p>
<p>As far as 18 being old enough, lots of people do it but that doesn’t mean you have to. That’s different for everyone too. It depends on your maturity level, how responsible you are and your ability to be independent.</p>
<p>Oddly enough, going to your school you may find flyers for someone wanting a roommate offcampus…</p>
<p>1 About how much should I have saved up in my bank account before moving out?
I think this really depends on you. Personally I would want at least two months of rent plus enough to cover two months of other bills set aside that would never EVER be touched save for an emergency. Really the more the better when it comes to saving.</p>
<p>2 Is 18 too young to be living in an apartment?
No, I don’t think so. Most 18 year olds live in the dorms in my university. Personally I think dorms are a great stepping stone to living on your own because they remove the need to pay monthly bills. At my school apartments are cheaper than dorms as well but there is something you need to keep in mind and that is you absolutely must have the cash to pay for everything. That doesn’t sound bad until you realize that you need to have the money for your food, utility bills, rent, and internet all ready to be paid for at about the same day. With dorms, it does cost more, but you don’t need to have the money in your bank account to be able to live there.</p>
<p>4 Parents are really protective and do not want me to move out. How to approach this?
Talk to them like an adult. Give them the reasons you want to live in an apartment. Don’t get mad or anything like that. Come to them with some research already done, like where you will live and how much stuff costs. Look for a roommate, my mother would die if I roomed alone but she is perfectly happy with me having a roommate.</p>
<p>1.) Have some emergency funds. I’d say you should have at least $2000 in emergency funds to be safe.</p>
<p>2.) This really depends on your maturity level, but you should generally be OK. I’ve seen 16yos live on their own and do just fine. Will you know how to talk to your roommate when there’s a bad situation? Do you know how to do laundry? How about money management and paying bills on time? Feeding yourself? If you can confidently answer all of these, you are probably ready enough to do it without serious consequences; everyone moves out at one point or another, and like everything else in life, it’s a learning experience.</p>
<p>3.) Having lived in north OC, here are the rough expenses: food $300/mo, gas + electricity $70/mo, rent $650/mo (if you share a 2bd apartment), internet $30/mo.</p>
<p>4.) Discuss it with your parents. Make them feel confident that you will be OK moving out. Also, address their concerns of loneliness if they have any hint of it. You’ve been part of their lives for more than 18yr; moving out after that is probably just as scary for them!</p>