Moving out of your parents’ home and into your own will always be an important moment in your life. If you are in the early stages of your life, whether you are a college student, a high school student or just starting out in your career, moving out of your childhood home is a marker of starting your own life as a real adult.

It is also a significant part of your personal development and involves a change of life role. To live as an independent adult involves new challenges, and for you to develop new skills.

Natalie Warb, the financial expert of CouponBirds, concludes that more teenagers choose to move out and the average age when moving out is getting lower than before. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the age when teenagers leave home is declining, with an average age of 27 in 1997 compared an average of 23 in 2021. This study also shows that as the economy grows (despite the constant fluctuations in the economy as it develops, and the pandemic as well as inflation currently gripping people, the overall trend in the economy is still trending upwards), young people tend to move out at a younger age.

When is the best time for you to move out? The answer is - it always depends on you! Some subtle things emerge when you are growing up - autonomy is not enough anymore, privacy becomes harder to protect, your personal life becomes inconvenient, and the commute time takes longer when you get a job. Maybe you want to gain independence, or maybe you want to learn more life skills and prepare for your future family life with your partner, either way, just make your decision when you feel it is the right time.

No matter why you choose to move out and live by yourself, it can be a great challenge. So, here are a few life skills that will be helpful when you decide to move out.

1. Start Your Life Budget

Managing money and starting to pay for everything on your own is the first challenge of living on your own. Most importantly, remember to check your bills for the necessities, for instance, electricity, gas, monthly rent, insurance, and phone bills. Set a monthly budget for yourself and make sure you don't spend more than you have budgeted. If you want to get a credit card, make sure that you have built enough credit history as a student and that you will be able to pay all of your bills, if not, the following consequences could be severe, and it will affect your subsequent consumption behavior when growing older. Make sure that you can pay every bill on time, especially your rent and any loans from the bank or you will face more expensive fees and bad references.

2. Learn to Read a Contract

When growing up and starting to live on your own, you will find a lot of contracts to sign, including but not limited to a contract for your rent, your first car, your appliances, and insurance. It’s important to learn how to read these contracts and be careful with the hidden and ignorable conditions and clauses that may cause you trouble in the future. Remember to read any contracts carefully and understand their conditions before signing.

3. Prepare What You Eat

Learn some basic cooking skills when you prepare to move out of your parent's house. If you don’t know how to cook, eating out can be a solution for a short time, but it will harm your health and cost a lot in the long run. With the development of the internet, there are many ways to learn to cook and fantastic recipes within easy reach. Learning how to cook can not only be a practical skill but also can be very interesting.

Also, grocery shopping on your own can be another useful skill in your preparation of food when moving out. Here are two tips if you haven’t gone to a grocery store alone before: Never go grocery shopping when you are extremely hungry or full, and always make a plan before going to the stores. Being hungry or full can distract your mind from choosing items, and making a plan can make your everyday menu more organized.

---

---

4. Maintain Your House Basically and Regularly

When you are living on your own, keeping your room clean and tidy will become a basic duty, and you can’t count on your parents anymore. Make sure that you have enough time for the daily chores like some basic cleaning, floor sweeping, and organizing as well as some weekly cleaning, such as vacuuming, appliance repairing, and unplugging the pipelines. Keeping your room clean can leave a great impression on your landlord and make everything easier. It won’t take you much time to complete these daily chores and weekly cleaning, and you will really appreciate the benefits!

5. Manage Your Time Schedule

You’ve got to handle your own schedule from now on. Remember to note every important event, such as your courses, dates, internships, work, and appointments, on a time chart to help you review it more clearly. Time management is an important responsibility when you become an adult, especially when you are heading to college or work, which means moving into a new stage of your life. Always arrive on time for appointments and make schedules or plans for your study life and work. You can always make some time for your entertainment.

6. Solve Problems on Your Own

Another important and necessary lesson when becoming an adult is learning to solve problems by yourself. You should consider every result before planning anything. Failing an exam, being late for an important appointment, miscommunications… When these happen, you can only blame yourself because you have to take responsibility for your own actions from now on. Making some mistakes at first can help you to prevent mistakes later on, and help you grow up to be a more responsible and reliable adult.

---

---

These are some practical and useful life skills for any teenagers who wish to live on their own. Moving out and having your own life is a big step in growing up, and also a big challenge in your life. Don’t be afraid of feeling that you need to move on, just accept it and you will find it more interesting than you dreamed of as a child!

---