3 Things I learned from living on my own for the first time

You look through the plane window as your blood is receding from your feet. A stomach full of tingling sensations and a general feeling of anxiety accompany your flight. You feel your palm sweating and yet you’re smiling. The thrill and impatience is taking over as you depart further away from your home. It’s your first time.

First time on your own. Fear mixed with excitement and homesickness expands in your body and move around like living entities. As you watch the fluffy clouds unfold underneath the plane, you realize how fast you’re distancing from what used to be familiar.

The journey becomes purgatory and medicinal. It’s the spot between two places and you use it to rewind, once more, the memories you have from your origin, and to create fictional scenarios about the one you’re headed towards.

That’s exactly how it felt in 2016 when I left my hometown and my country to go and live abroad.

If you ever wondered how it is to leave the nest you came to the right place.

Here’s what I learned from living on my own:

Budgeting

The first three months I really struggled to pay my rent. I had money coming in every week from my job but I wasn’t being used to paying rent or being paid a weekly wage.

So, when I found myself with my first wage ever I tended to overspend. I was late at paying my rent (one time I even forgot to save money off my wages to pay it) and I was spending money on various stuff I didn’t need.

After a while I learned to take better financial decisions like not going to work by Uber every day or signing up for a fancy gym I never went to (obviously!).

Being inexperienced may cost you a little in the beginning but what you learn in the process it’s priceless. Because you’ll never forget it later down the road.

Basic cooking skills

After I realized I need to make some changes to the way I spend money, I spotted a habit that drained my bank account. That habit was regularly eating in town.

There’s nothing wrong with going out and having your lunch there two or three times per week. But what I was doing was having two of my main meals in town every day of the week. And that cost me a lot of money.

Ordering food all the time was just as bad as eating outside with friends. When I figured I need to make some changes I started learning basic cooking skills.

So in addition to making sandwiches and frying eggs (the skills I had when I left home) I learned to make soup, pasta, cook in the oven and prepare a meal following a recipe.

Not only that it saved me money but it was a lot more healthy than the junk food I was having.

Decision-making

Back at home you’re used to having your parents decide for the more important decisions. I mean, when is the last time you decided on which electricity supplier to switch to? Never, right?

Well, independent living teaches you how to make good decisions. Things like which place to rent next and in what area, what kind of contract you should make when buying a new device (so you won’t get ripped off) and how to identify and avoid dishonest people are among the things you’ll learn in the process.

And if you don’t make good decisions at first, don’t worry. Remember that good decisions come after you’ve made bad decisions. The more bad decisions you make, the more you learn.

Living on your own can seem a bit daunting in the beginning. However, the experience it’s priceless and it can be fun. You’ll learn how to manage yourself and how to live independently.

I believe everyone should aim to leave the nest and step outside of the comfort zone. You will struggle a bit but the person you become in the meantime is of great value.

When do you plan to venture in the unknown?

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