Owning your first apartment is pretty exciting! When you move out of your home or flat share, it’s not just the housing market that poses a challenge. Looking for a new place to live is difficult almost everywhere in in the world – especially in the popular university towns. In addition: Especially if you recently moved out from your parents’ house, you first have to get used to the fact that from now on you have to do the planning and housework on your own. When your musty laundry is piling up in the room and dirty plates are piling up in the sink, or your cellphone bill is taking a negative toll on your account at the end of the month, it’s high time to get organized. We have five tips to help you if it’s your first time living alone.
Living Alone For The First Time – Here are 4 Tips
Create A Budget
Living alone means that you have to bear all the costs yourself. You should start budgeting early – before your account runs out. Monthly charges such as electricity and internet costs are added to the rent. Your mobile phone contract, gym or insurance also affect your budget. It is best to create a list of all your expenses to get an overview of your monthly fixed costs. You can do this, for example, in the form of a household book. This way, you know exactly how much money you have available for food and other activities each month. A schedule helps you think about regular tasks and transfers. For example, place it on a pin board in the kitchen that you keep an eye on every day.
Be Practical
You still have to furnish your new apartment. To save money here, you can ask your family and friends if you can get cool or practical mucked-out furniture, electrical appliances and cooking utensils from them. But don’t let yourself be talked into something that you don’t need. Otherwise, you just fill your apartment with unnecessary clutter. If you are missing something, you will probably find it on Ebay or at the flea market.
Easy Cooking
From all the tidying up and paperwork you will definitely get hungry at some point. Living alone also means that you have to cook your own food. And since eating out too often becomes too expensive in the long run, you should make sure when you go shopping that you don’t just take ready meals with you. You can also get fresh ingredients at discounters for a reasonable price. Get different recipes, for example for Asian noodles or curry rice, and just start cooking. Practice makes perfect here.
Don’t Forget To Register!
If you want to live alone, you will have to deal with a lot of paperwork at the beginning. You must register with the registration office of your new place of residence within the first two weeks after your move. After you have done this, you are obliged to inform various offices, authorities and institutions of your move. This applies in particular to your insurance, your bank and your health insurance company.