I am moving into the real world soon!

[FutureSpartan]

I have my sweet bachelor pad and job lined up after I finish school. So excited to finally go out there, start making some real money, and having my independence.

My sex life since breaking up with my long-term 6 months ago has been non-existent thanks to school, lack of money, and living with the rents....so I am hoping these events will give me a little boost of confidence when I get back into the field. Trust me, living with parents is a huge handicap if the women arent already throwing themselves at you where it doesnt matter.

I have lived with my parents for so long....love them to death but I am ready to spread my wings and do the things I want without being nagged at or walking on eggshells.


What was your transition like into the real world?

 

[synergy1]

I think I posted about it a while ago, but that thread is no doubt gone by now.

Frankly it was ****ty. Having my own place in a city area was pretty pro, but all that money I was earning was being spent just to live. I was up at 6:10 am every day to drive 35 miles to work outside the city, and I had no vacation time to do anything I wanted. My perspective changed a lot because what I thought life would be after college and what it was were different.

After time, I settled in and stopped disliking it. I moved to a better apartment, and started enjoying life more. It took about a year or so before I liked the "real" world, but it happened after making some necessary adjustments. Eventually I landed a higher paying job closer to where I lived, got a sick house w/ the boys and cut my commute down to a couple of miles!

Basically it takes some time to acclimate to working after college. Don't worry if it sucks at first because you'll get used to it and change some shiat up. Also , FWIW, once you have everything in order, women are easier than they were in college too! bonus!

edit: where are you moving? what will your job be? details!

 

[Da Realist]

I've had my taste of it. It can suck when you're money just goes toward living, but you have your freedom. Your buddies will think you can run off at the drop of a hat eventhough you may have to clean up or take care of stuff. The thing is though if you keep your stuff in order, it's great. No one can tell you when to come in or if you can't bring anyone home. I don't get why people want to stay at home as long as possible now.

 

[Phenomenal One]

I've had my taste of it. It can suck when you're money just goes toward living, but you have your freedom. Your buddies will think you can run off at the drop of a hat eventhough you may have to clean up or take care of stuff. The thing is though if you keep your stuff in order, it's great. No one can tell you when to come in or if you can't bring anyone home. I don't get why people want to stay at home as long as possible now.

even thou my mother has told me multiple times that as long as i have a job (without even contributing to the bills) i can stay home as long as possible, i don't plan to be here by this time next year (or at least early 2011).

No matter how old or independent you are, there will always be that frame of "you live in MY house, you play by MY rules".

I know alot of people who even thou have lived on their own for years are still struggling. they have trouble choosing between Pleasures or Responsibilies.
Also some of em were being finanicially supported by their parents in the past.

 

[WaterTiger]

DON'T GO CRAZY SPENDING MONEY!

Don't get the $150. cable/sports package! Get the very minimum package & use Netflix for your movies.

Don't buy a bunch of new furniture! Look on Craigslist & get cheap/free furniture. You can always paint it or get matching slip covers.

Buy appliances carefully at Wal- or K mart. Seriously, you need a toaster, microwave & can opener....everything else you can borrow from the neighbors!

About food~~~

Buy WHOLE chickens and cut them up. (Yeah it's kinda gross. You're a MAN dammit! Deal with it!)

Buy bulk brown rice, flour & dry goods.

Buy on sale and clip coupons! (I save $12-15 bucks every week with those things! It adds up!)

Make large portions & freeze 1/2 in small containers for future meals. (Like when you're broke or have no time to cook.)

Buy and use a GOOD multi-vitamin. I can preach the "eat healthy" thing at you, but we both know you'll be living off beer, chips & pizza the first few months just because you can.

Enjoy!

 

[Desdinova]

What was your transition like into the real world?

Forced and sudden. I already had a job, but was pretty much booted out of my parents house. It was intimidating, but I got a lot of support from my (then) girlfriends' parents. They were wonderful people, and I have a lot to thank them for.

 

[ENIGMA16]

I graduated in May and am still looking for a job. I've had my own place for a few years, but not having a degree job is really sucking right now. Instead of making bank, I'm scraping by with barely any spending money (due to poor budgeting and being stupid and spending my extra money on food, which I'm changing).

I have a ton of **** I want to buy, and I'd really like to not have to worry about finances like I am right now, and I want to start investing and am thinking about starting a business eventually, and that's all on hold for me until I find a job. So that's my only real crutch personally.

Some tips, though:
-Clean your place often. The more often you do it the less time/work it takes to do, the nicer your pad looks (which women will be blown away by) and ultimately prevents you from having to dread spending a whole day cleaning up. I do stuff around the house almost daily (garbage, dishes, cleaning up) and I hardly ever have to actually clean anything (vacuum and do chores like that maybe once a month). Once the dishes/laundry/etc... build up it sucks. So trust me, do them often and you will not suffer.

-Set up your paycheck to direct deposit 25% into a savings account and/or investments. Most people say 10-20% but I think it's critical to get the ball rolling as fast as possible. Also, the more money you have saved up early the more you can do with it, which means less financial obligations when you want to start a business, for example. Which leads me to my next point.

-Invest, invest, invest. Don't simply save. Put your money into a portfolio composed of a handful of funds and keep it there. Add to it every paycheck, and don't sell off your securities even if they take a turn for the worse.

-Budget! Seriously, a budget is the most important thing you can do. Budgets are not meant to be a burden but rather to keep you on top of your finances. I can't tell you how blown away I was by the amount of little things and stupid **** I was spending money on when I first sat down to write out a budget. It seriously is mind boggling how little food/drink purchases can add up even over the course of just a month.

I also agree with everything WaterTiger said. People think that these little costs don't matter, but they add up, and they add up fast. Plus, you can look at it a different way by adding up how much money you save from doing these things, and then add to it the money you would be making if you took all of this money and invested it over the long term. It adds up HUGE. I'm currently reading Common Sense on Mutual Funds by John Bogle and he discusses how much of an impact over time transaction costs have, and if you want to see how far a little amount of money can go I suggest you pick it up and read that section. It makes a HUGE difference.

 

[FutureSpartan]

Yeah definitely watching the finances will be important to me, I am gonna be a public accountant/auditor after all so it would be retarded for me to not have a handle in that area.

Food, drink, and entertainment will be kept to a minimum, once a week or less. Its amazing how quickly a few dollars here and there eating and drinking add up when you don't keep track.

For big purchases I will scour craigslist and ebay first. You can save a boatload of money buying stuff used.

Nice clothes are going to be my main investment next year. I am willing to pay a premium for this b/c quite frankly, my wardrobe really sucks right now and if I want a shot at the classy upscale women (screw the club rats) I need to look money.

 

[OzyBoy]

I have just recently moved into a place on my own. It's expensive but i think it will be alright. Just be careful with your money and stay out of debt.