When you move into your first apartment, the excitement of finally being on your own starts to wear off when you realize that you’re going to have to start paying your own bills, doing your own laundry, and cooking your own meals. How are you supposed to survive without Mom and Dad there every time you get home from work?
This guide will help you navigate the transition into adulthood with ease so that you can focus on the important things, like unpacking and moving into your new place in style.
Eat like a Grown-up:
Getting serious about eating like an adult doesn’t necessarily mean cutting out all your favorite foods. If you’re prone to gastric upset, you could try following something like a low-FODmap diet (which excludes things like gluten and dairy). You can also start by using a company like Gourmend Foods to get your essentials and experiment with delicious recipes you can eat yourself and serve to guests with zero complaints.
Decorate like a Grown-up:
As a kid, you may have never even thought of decorating with plants. But chances are you received some plant gifts when you moved into your new place. So, why not use them! Because plants help purify the air and can even improve your mood, they’re an excellent way to spruce up a living space. Consider buying new plants for your home as gifts and thanking people with them at parties. Better yet, give away some of your favorite houseplants to co-workers (or anyone!) so they can start enjoying greenery as well.
Secure your Apartment like a Grown-up:
This is something that many people tend to overlook, especially when they’ve never lived alone. However, it’s a good idea to protect your home from intruders as well as natural disasters like floods and fires. What are some of the things you can do? In general, having an alarm system is one of your best options. It’s effective in protecting your property. If that seems too expensive, there are other options like installing deadbolts or security cameras or getting a dog (although they don’t come cheap either). Do a little research and make sure to have peace of mind at all times.
Organize like a Grown-up:
The foundation of adulting is organization. Set yourself up for success by creating systems and putting things in order. It’s easier to do laundry when you have a basket to put your dirty clothes in. And it’s easier to remember to clean when you have a set time for your cleaning schedule each week or month. Take some time and make an organizational system that works for you, even if it means setting up a closet with labeled hangers or color-coding your bills so they don’t get lost among other mail. A little bit of organization can go a long way toward keeping yourself on track as an adult.
Take care of your finances like a Grown-up:
Being an adult comes with financial responsibilities that can be a little (or a lot) stressful. Take your credit card debt, for example. When you’re living on your own for the first time, it’s easy to underestimate how quickly charges add up and how much interest they will end up costing you over time (as if it weren’t enough that we get charged extra for paying late!). Before you buy something new, take inventory of what you already have and ask yourself if it makes sense to add more stuff into your life. If not, you could try canceling some of those streaming subscriptions or no longer ordering takeout every night.
If you manage these five areas well, you’ll be adulting like a pro in no time!
