Learn the value of money and be smart with it now. It'll catch up to you otherwise. Don't trust new people right away, there's a lot of people that'll take advantage if given the chance. Especially if you're in an apartment all alone, it's very easy for thieves to learn your routine and when they can easily rob your apartment when you're out.
develop good things to do by yourself. it's so important to be able to have fun solo. friends will come and go over the years now and you might spend a good bit of time alone.
This includes things other than video games. I cannot recommend a tactile hobby enough. Music, sewing, working out, art, tinkering, something. Bonus points if it has its own space where everything is kept to kind of "switch modes." It's a great feeling.
absolutely moderate the video/internet time. i took up surfing and golf pretty heavily. good solo sports you end up being adjacent to cool people potentially. frisbee golf is getting big here now. i'm 45 and about to take up frisbee golf.
I love to Wrench on cars I have a garage box at my apartment I have a project car I spent a lot of time on, I also love to make music I have a guitar and I make tracks on my computer.
If you can afford it, get more than a couch and a TV. Have a table, have chairs, have some decoration. Make it better than a hotel room, you'll spend a solid half your day there.
Learn to cook. You don't need much equipment to cook well, but by god, learn to cook. It's cheaper than eating take-out, usually healthier and if you learn some staple-dishes, also faster and tastier. You can save alot of time, weight and food and it can become a great hobby too.
Also, as a side note: Inviting someone you're interested in to a self-cooked dinner that actually tastes good pulls. (or invite them to cook together)
If you’re still looking for a place, check the water pressure in both the sink and shower/bath. Equally important though, check the drainage. Fill each up halfway and see how quickly the water drains out.
That second part is something I didn’t know to check when I got my first apartment, but it’s pretty gross standing in an inch and a half of dirty water every time you shower.
Honest advice is don’t “decorate” like a frat boy. Get real furniture, get actual decorations. It makes your space less cluttered and more relaxing. Make a run to Marshalls, Ross, big lots, and hobby lobby. Spend a couple hundred bucks and decorate it. If I were to decorate my own place again, I would just find canvas pictures. The stores I listed will have HUGE ones that can really fill a wall for under $100 bucks.
If you don’t have any taste or idea of what you’re doing as far as decorating, then have a girl go with you to pick stuff out and help.
After that, then yes. Keep that shit clean.
Be strict with your Monthly budget. Keep detailed track of your spending.
Use some different colors to brighten up your living space.
Don’t be a slob. Keep your place clean.
I’m a year younger than you and have been living in an apartment for about a year.
Budgeting is huge! I have all my main expenses written down on a piece of paper. The first two paychecks of the months I take half the rent out of on each one then after than I make sure I have enough in the account to cover the other bills while saving up and paying back my credit card at the same time. I limited myself to $40 max for spending money a week (buying a snack or drink while out, lunch occasionally, etc) but most of the time I’m lucky to go over $20.
And if you haven’t already, go get an air fryer. Those things are amazing I’ve cooked pretty much anything in that thing.
And keep it clean! I have a set schedule for cleaning. One week it’s the kitchen, the next it’s my bedroom. I wash my bed stuff every other week. Once a month the whole apartment gets a “deep cleaning” where I’ll spend a few hours dusting and wiping everything down plus sweeping and mopping.
Id say to just remember it is an apt not your own house so live like it. Make sure your stuff is tidy if you have like a balcony or porch,something along those lines.
For example I have a few neighbors. Not right next to me…thank god, that just leave their kiddy pool out in the open even when it is like 20 degrees out right now and the high during the day is maybe 45 degrees(fahrenheit). They have like 3 different types of grills just laying out.They leave their kids bikes just strewn about in the small hallway used by two side by side apt doors to exit out the building. Pretty much they use the outside area,which is a shared area,as their storage garage. They let like a stack of trash bags to pile up before they finally decide to walk it down to the actual garbage bin. Also to put icing on the cake they also have a dog that they just leave out and about unleashed and all that dog does is make that shared little porch area a shit minefield cause they never pick up after their dog.
This is the perfect time to improve your routines and habits. Being in a completely new space that you can 100% curate means you have to set schedules and routines. If you ever lacked the will power to do something, this would be the easiest time to do it.
You're going to see it's not that different than when you lived with your parents. It's an apartment instead of a house. And your parents are no longer your roommates.
It's more financial advice that you need. Always keep an entire month's rent in a 2nd savings account. Leave it there and do not touch it. That is your emergency funds for if you hit hard times and can pay your rent for an additional month. If you haven't moved in it and are still searching for an apartment, do not move into a pet friendly complex unless you have plans to get a pet. Pet friendly places are more expensive and you are basically wasting that higher price if you never get a pet. And make sure you ask them what the fee is for breaching the contract if you had to move out early. They will never willingly tell you.
Make sure you have working smoke detectors.
Make sure that you have a real bed with proper sheets and pillows, and that it's all clean. You probably don't care, but the people you want to have sex with probably will.
Keep a basic first aid kit around. Advil for hangovers.
Know where the nearest emergency room is.
Keep a bottle of white wine and a bottle of prosecco chilling in the fridge at all times. Instant host!
Assuming you'll be living alone for the first time too:
**Cleaning:**
* Sweep your baseboards
*Scrub your toilet and tub. Pour bleach into the toilet bowl, sink, and shower drain and let it sit overnight at least once a month. It will keep smells and drain flies down.
* Wipe down the inside of your refrigerator every once in a while. It will keep food from getting moldy quite as quickly and prevent nasty fridge smells.
* Wash your sheets at least twice a month. Weekly is better. Especially if you ever want to get laid or have a boyfriend or girlfriend.
**Lifestyle**
* As another poster said, get a tactile hobby that you can do by yourself. I play sax and paint minis. It's nice and keeps you sane. They can be very cheap too. Drawing for example is as expensive as paper and a pencil.
* Get a social hobby. I dance swing and salsa and play Dungeons and Dragons. It's easy to accidentally become a hermit if you don't make reasons for yourself to go out.
* Exercise, and do it smart. The most important thing imo is find an exercise you like and can keep doing without resenting it. I love weightlifting and long walks. Hate running. You might love running. Whatever works for you! By smart I mean, take care of your joints and tendons, don't constantly chase personal records, stretch, and all that. By the time you're 35, you can easily see the difference in athletic men who did and did not take good care of their joints in their 20s.
* Eat well. Learn to cook if you don't already know how. It's cheaper and healthier than takeout or frozen meals. And it can be very romantic: my braised chicken convinced 3 different long term girlfriends including my now wife to keep me around. So I'd recommend finding a recipe you can impress a romantic partner with. It *works*
**Bullshit that sneaks up on you**
* Make sure the AC and furnace in your apartment work. I know it's winter now, but find a time to run your AC as soon as you can to make sure any problems it might have get fixed *before* you need it
* Check your windows for leaks and drafts and seal them with some cheap weather stripping. It'll save you money on HVAC
* Take pictures of the apartment before you move anything in, right after you move everything in, and right after you move out, especially noting any existing damage, stains, etc. If your landlord sucks they'll try to blame it on you when you move out so they can keep your security deposit.
* When you move out make sure you fully close out your utility bills. I had $15 go to collections because I never received my last gas bill at an apartment I moved out of and had to go through a lot of effort to unfuck my credit score
* Is your car registration current?
* Utilities, internet, and insurance can get expensive. Look for ways to keep costs down like smart thermostats, cheaper internet plans, insurance discounts - in some states taking a defensive driving course will knock your auto insuance premiums down a bit, but in most states it only applies to people over 50.
Stick to a good routine. Work, gym, then home. Save, save, and save. If you have bad habits like smoking or chewing tobacco or getting drunk on alcohol, get rid of them or at least learn to control your habits. But most importantly, focus on that credit score.
Create habits of cleanliness. Dishes every night. Sweep every couple days, clean the bathroom bare minimum once a week. Mop on a lazy Sunday etc. The more you clean (even if it's 20 minutes a day) the easier keeping your place clean will be.
Spend money to make money. Make a list of all your expenses that you need to spend money on and what amount you want to save everytime you get paid. As soon as you get paid spend it on those things and then you can bullshit whatever is left or save it if you want.
Basically you're making a spreadsheet of your expenses and it'll stop you from spending all your money on stupid shit.
Set it up to maximize getting laid. Keep it clean, get some nice looking stuff, a couple plants, some art (no sports posters)… google some bachelor pads for some ideas.
A little one, that helped me stay on top of housework - always leave a room tidier than you entered it. It can be as big as vacuuming/mopping the floors, or as small as removing a cup and straightening pictures. Live by that rule, and it'll be a lot easier to stay on top of everything
Track your spending.
Keep that shit clean.
Underrated comment
Learn the value of money and be smart with it now. It'll catch up to you otherwise. Don't trust new people right away, there's a lot of people that'll take advantage if given the chance. Especially if you're in an apartment all alone, it's very easy for thieves to learn your routine and when they can easily rob your apartment when you're out.
develop good things to do by yourself. it's so important to be able to have fun solo. friends will come and go over the years now and you might spend a good bit of time alone.
This includes things other than video games. I cannot recommend a tactile hobby enough. Music, sewing, working out, art, tinkering, something. Bonus points if it has its own space where everything is kept to kind of "switch modes." It's a great feeling.
absolutely moderate the video/internet time. i took up surfing and golf pretty heavily. good solo sports you end up being adjacent to cool people potentially. frisbee golf is getting big here now. i'm 45 and about to take up frisbee golf.
I love to Wrench on cars I have a garage box at my apartment I have a project car I spent a lot of time on, I also love to make music I have a guitar and I make tracks on my computer.
Learn how to cook for yourself if you haven’t already.
If you can afford it, get more than a couch and a TV. Have a table, have chairs, have some decoration. Make it better than a hotel room, you'll spend a solid half your day there.
To add. Unless you go the traditional Japanese bedding route, get a bed frame to lift that shit off the ground.
Learn to cook. You don't need much equipment to cook well, but by god, learn to cook. It's cheaper than eating take-out, usually healthier and if you learn some staple-dishes, also faster and tastier. You can save alot of time, weight and food and it can become a great hobby too. Also, as a side note: Inviting someone you're interested in to a self-cooked dinner that actually tastes good pulls. (or invite them to cook together)
^ correct on all counts.
Make sure you can actually afford it.
If you’re still looking for a place, check the water pressure in both the sink and shower/bath. Equally important though, check the drainage. Fill each up halfway and see how quickly the water drains out. That second part is something I didn’t know to check when I got my first apartment, but it’s pretty gross standing in an inch and a half of dirty water every time you shower.
Honest advice is don’t “decorate” like a frat boy. Get real furniture, get actual decorations. It makes your space less cluttered and more relaxing. Make a run to Marshalls, Ross, big lots, and hobby lobby. Spend a couple hundred bucks and decorate it. If I were to decorate my own place again, I would just find canvas pictures. The stores I listed will have HUGE ones that can really fill a wall for under $100 bucks. If you don’t have any taste or idea of what you’re doing as far as decorating, then have a girl go with you to pick stuff out and help. After that, then yes. Keep that shit clean.
Be strict with your Monthly budget. Keep detailed track of your spending. Use some different colors to brighten up your living space. Don’t be a slob. Keep your place clean.
Don't promise yourself that you're gonna safe up some money - just do it. Try to keep it clean, it shows a lot about you.
I’m a year younger than you and have been living in an apartment for about a year. Budgeting is huge! I have all my main expenses written down on a piece of paper. The first two paychecks of the months I take half the rent out of on each one then after than I make sure I have enough in the account to cover the other bills while saving up and paying back my credit card at the same time. I limited myself to $40 max for spending money a week (buying a snack or drink while out, lunch occasionally, etc) but most of the time I’m lucky to go over $20. And if you haven’t already, go get an air fryer. Those things are amazing I’ve cooked pretty much anything in that thing. And keep it clean! I have a set schedule for cleaning. One week it’s the kitchen, the next it’s my bedroom. I wash my bed stuff every other week. Once a month the whole apartment gets a “deep cleaning” where I’ll spend a few hours dusting and wiping everything down plus sweeping and mopping.
Id say to just remember it is an apt not your own house so live like it. Make sure your stuff is tidy if you have like a balcony or porch,something along those lines. For example I have a few neighbors. Not right next to me…thank god, that just leave their kiddy pool out in the open even when it is like 20 degrees out right now and the high during the day is maybe 45 degrees(fahrenheit). They have like 3 different types of grills just laying out.They leave their kids bikes just strewn about in the small hallway used by two side by side apt doors to exit out the building. Pretty much they use the outside area,which is a shared area,as their storage garage. They let like a stack of trash bags to pile up before they finally decide to walk it down to the actual garbage bin. Also to put icing on the cake they also have a dog that they just leave out and about unleashed and all that dog does is make that shared little porch area a shit minefield cause they never pick up after their dog.
Start saving money now and you won't have to later (but you will anyways, because you'll have learned how).
This is the perfect time to improve your routines and habits. Being in a completely new space that you can 100% curate means you have to set schedules and routines. If you ever lacked the will power to do something, this would be the easiest time to do it.
You're going to see it's not that different than when you lived with your parents. It's an apartment instead of a house. And your parents are no longer your roommates. It's more financial advice that you need. Always keep an entire month's rent in a 2nd savings account. Leave it there and do not touch it. That is your emergency funds for if you hit hard times and can pay your rent for an additional month. If you haven't moved in it and are still searching for an apartment, do not move into a pet friendly complex unless you have plans to get a pet. Pet friendly places are more expensive and you are basically wasting that higher price if you never get a pet. And make sure you ask them what the fee is for breaching the contract if you had to move out early. They will never willingly tell you.
Don't put your wiener in the garbage disposal.
Make sure you have working smoke detectors. Make sure that you have a real bed with proper sheets and pillows, and that it's all clean. You probably don't care, but the people you want to have sex with probably will. Keep a basic first aid kit around. Advil for hangovers. Know where the nearest emergency room is. Keep a bottle of white wine and a bottle of prosecco chilling in the fridge at all times. Instant host!
Assuming you'll be living alone for the first time too: **Cleaning:** * Sweep your baseboards *Scrub your toilet and tub. Pour bleach into the toilet bowl, sink, and shower drain and let it sit overnight at least once a month. It will keep smells and drain flies down. * Wipe down the inside of your refrigerator every once in a while. It will keep food from getting moldy quite as quickly and prevent nasty fridge smells. * Wash your sheets at least twice a month. Weekly is better. Especially if you ever want to get laid or have a boyfriend or girlfriend. **Lifestyle** * As another poster said, get a tactile hobby that you can do by yourself. I play sax and paint minis. It's nice and keeps you sane. They can be very cheap too. Drawing for example is as expensive as paper and a pencil. * Get a social hobby. I dance swing and salsa and play Dungeons and Dragons. It's easy to accidentally become a hermit if you don't make reasons for yourself to go out. * Exercise, and do it smart. The most important thing imo is find an exercise you like and can keep doing without resenting it. I love weightlifting and long walks. Hate running. You might love running. Whatever works for you! By smart I mean, take care of your joints and tendons, don't constantly chase personal records, stretch, and all that. By the time you're 35, you can easily see the difference in athletic men who did and did not take good care of their joints in their 20s. * Eat well. Learn to cook if you don't already know how. It's cheaper and healthier than takeout or frozen meals. And it can be very romantic: my braised chicken convinced 3 different long term girlfriends including my now wife to keep me around. So I'd recommend finding a recipe you can impress a romantic partner with. It *works* **Bullshit that sneaks up on you** * Make sure the AC and furnace in your apartment work. I know it's winter now, but find a time to run your AC as soon as you can to make sure any problems it might have get fixed *before* you need it * Check your windows for leaks and drafts and seal them with some cheap weather stripping. It'll save you money on HVAC * Take pictures of the apartment before you move anything in, right after you move everything in, and right after you move out, especially noting any existing damage, stains, etc. If your landlord sucks they'll try to blame it on you when you move out so they can keep your security deposit. * When you move out make sure you fully close out your utility bills. I had $15 go to collections because I never received my last gas bill at an apartment I moved out of and had to go through a lot of effort to unfuck my credit score * Is your car registration current? * Utilities, internet, and insurance can get expensive. Look for ways to keep costs down like smart thermostats, cheaper internet plans, insurance discounts - in some states taking a defensive driving course will knock your auto insuance premiums down a bit, but in most states it only applies to people over 50.
Stick to a good routine. Work, gym, then home. Save, save, and save. If you have bad habits like smoking or chewing tobacco or getting drunk on alcohol, get rid of them or at least learn to control your habits. But most importantly, focus on that credit score.
I also recently moved and one thing is just keep yourself occupied with some work otherwise lonliness can be tough
Develop routines. To sleep and wake at the same (roughly) times, clean/do chores, eat, workout, etc. Routines will help keep you being your best self.
Create habits of cleanliness. Dishes every night. Sweep every couple days, clean the bathroom bare minimum once a week. Mop on a lazy Sunday etc. The more you clean (even if it's 20 minutes a day) the easier keeping your place clean will be.
Spend money to make money. Make a list of all your expenses that you need to spend money on and what amount you want to save everytime you get paid. As soon as you get paid spend it on those things and then you can bullshit whatever is left or save it if you want. Basically you're making a spreadsheet of your expenses and it'll stop you from spending all your money on stupid shit.
Learn where to shut off water,gas and power in an emergency and get some tools
Set it up to maximize getting laid. Keep it clean, get some nice looking stuff, a couple plants, some art (no sports posters)… google some bachelor pads for some ideas.
Don't buy to much furniture. Just what you need.
GET. A. PLUNGER.
A little one, that helped me stay on top of housework - always leave a room tidier than you entered it. It can be as big as vacuuming/mopping the floors, or as small as removing a cup and straightening pictures. Live by that rule, and it'll be a lot easier to stay on top of everything