Most, if not all, of us think about moving out and living alone at some point. Whether it’s because our parents like to tell us what to do and we have no privacy, or it’s because we have no choice – we all want our own spaces at some point. 

So, you have the money, you know where you want your new home to be, and you know what it’s gonna take to get that place set up. But what do you actually know about living alone? Are you really ready?

How to (actually) budget

Moving out and gaining your independence isn’t only about making money. You need to know how to budget. And I don’t mean writing down the bills you need to pay each month. I mean you need to know the ins and outs of managing your money.

If you’re itching to lay hold of your independence but don’t know how to plan your finances, don’t know how to save efficiently, or how to shop for groceries without spending all of your rent money, then you might be itching to go back home to mommy too. 

What kind of budget will you need? Well, do you get paid monthly, fortnightly, or weekly? That will impact the amount you allocate for things each time you get paid. What type of emergency fund are you building? Are you saving towards anything major? Are you treating yourself to something nice this month? I would be best for you to have all that noted and calculated before moving out of the comfort of where you are now. 

Proper money management is the only way to stay afloat long enough to keep swimming in our economy.

How to fix things around the house

Don’t tell me you plan to call your mother and ask her how to clean the fridge, or how to unscrew your broken lightbulb. Before you think about moving out, answer this: how handy are you with practical tasks? You don’t have to know how to wield a Stihl 651, but you might need to know how to work garden shears. 

If you’re getting ready to move out on your own, then you should also be preparing to handle all the things that life will deliver to you. 

If you aren’t handy at all, and have no interest in learning how to do these things, then you should add a new category to your budget. ‘Handy-Man Fixes’. You’ll be hiring someone to do all those tasks for you.

If you aren’t handy but want to learn how before you fledge, when something goes awry at home, pay close attention to how the person fixing it does it, or volunteer to do it yourself. You’ll thank me later.

Basic cooking skills

I know you know better than to order pizza and KFC every night. For multiple reasons, that can’t work. You’ll be blowing your budget, risking your health, and soon you’ll start to hate your favourite menu items. 

Between you and me, if you don’t already know how to do some basic cooking, then you need to get cracking. In Jamaican culture, the ‘basics’ range from eggs, to porridge, to rice and peas, to Christmas cake. Lest we forget, Saturday is soup day, and you need to know how to make that flavorful red peas soup like your mom makes it for you.

You don’t need to be embarrassed that you don’t know how to do it if you don’t. Just pay more attention to the cooking process while you’re at home. Soon, mama’s cooking will be left behind, and you’ll have to eat your own cooking. Yeah, you heard me. You’ll have to eat it.

Best of luck with your preparations, and happy independence day when moving day finally comes.