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For those of you trying to move out
Talk to the potential land lord about making installments toward your down payment.
This is how I got out my mom’s house both times.
Each pay check start buying things you need for your place. Family Dollar has just about everything that you will need when it comes to hygiene and keeping the place clean.
If it’s safe talk to your other family members to see if they have furniture they want to donate. Most elderly folks especially have lots of furniture they don’t want cluttering their house and they will love to see you.
Craigslist has a section for things left on the kirb. I got my kitchen Cart free and delivered to me when a couple got sick of theirs
Don’t forget to buy a shower curtain and liner….just don’t lol
Once the apartment is secured talk to the utility companies before you get there. If you have no credit or bad credit they may want you to pay a deposit….I found out the hard way after I moved in. It was not a pleasant experience.
Crock pots are your friends
….you will be broke alot. If you have a car or are thinking about getting one, one job probably won’t be enough to sustain you.
The first time I moved out I had 20 dollars to last me until I was paid again. So I ordered a large cheese pizza and ate that for two weeks.
….if you are leaving an abusive situation you may question if you did the right thing a lot. I had panic attacks before and after I moved out.
This does not mean you were wrong to move. It just means the abuse tricked your brain into thinking moving out would be bad for you.
Your apartment probably won’t look how you want it to for a few years and that’s ok. It takes time to build and afford your “aesthetic ”. Don’t feel bad if your apartment is just a bed, a coffee table, and if you are lucky maybe a used sofa. The peace you will have when you close the door and lock it is phenomenal.
Oh if you eat meat chicken thighs and drumsticks are always cheap as are pork chops. Buy them in the large packs, separate them while defrosted into zip locks, throw them the freezer
Craigslist also has a free section. With enough diligence and scrutiny amazing treasures can be found.
Public libraries have free Wi-Fi and cheap printing for resumes, school projects, etc.
Most places like McDonald’s, IHOP, etc have coupon codes on their receipts for completing online surveys. End up with two meals for the price of one.
There are usually local listings for food pantries that you can get groceries from. I have the full list for the NYC area, I’ll post it later.
Also don’t underestimate the power of a thrift shop.
As someone who plans to move within the next year, good tips.
Adding:
For boxes go to the grocery store or family Dollar type places and ask if they have any boxes they can give you. If you work in an office ask the receptionist or the folks in the mail room.
Qvc and hsn have easy pay payment options that will allow you to get items sent to you while making monthly payments. They sell some furniture, mattresses, computers, tvs, etc. Definitely better than lay away, but look out for them over charging.
Counter top dish washers are awesome if you hate doing dishes and your land lord allows them
Salvation Army usually has pretty good deals on furniture. Check with the manger for daily deals. Also check liquor stores for boxes they usually have plenty to spare and they’re always very durable. Check stores like Walmart and Kroger around 7-8pm for deals on whole rotisserie chickens for $3. They’re usually trying to get rid of them around that time. You can make a chicken salad with mayo, mustard, and red onion. It will last you all week for under $6, or you can just eat and store the chicken for a few days.
Also check out https://www.freecycle.org/ !!! We’ve gotten some decent furniture off there and you can post if you’re looking for something specific, too.
I don’t want to sound patronizing, but check if your local dump/ recycling center has a side building where they sell stuff. I found a good dorm fridge/ microwave combo, a decent office chair, and a big ass desk, for about $40 altogether. And they let me take home a bunch of D&D books and other crap for free. Since it doesn’t cost them anything to supply, you can get really nice deals.
My $0.02: Roommates can save you a lot of money, but it can be tricky to find roommates you get along with, and shitty roommates can be just as stressful as shitty family.
Things to think about when looking at rooms for rent/finding roommates:
Why did their last roommate move out/why are they looking for a new place? (My best roommate situation, the previous roommate had lived there four years and was only leaving because she’d gotten engaged to someone in another city! One of my worst, he’d kicked her out for being “a party girl,” and it turns out he was a judgmental douchenozzle.)
How clean do you like your apartment? How clean do they like their apartment? Everyone needs to be brutally honest here. What are all of you willing to live with? How do you prefer to split up chores? Weekly chore wheel? “It looked gross so I cleaned it”? Not bothering to do jack shit until company comes over? Do you prefer to rinse dishes and put them in the dishwasher every time or do you leave them out in a stack until there’s enough for a load? How much will it drive you bananas to live with someone who does things differently than you? (I had an ex who went apeshit when people left dirty dishes in the sink for any reason at all, and none of the rest of us cared. This lead to a lot of pointless arguments and resentment all around.)
What times do people sleep? Do they have to have things quiet? Do they watch a lot of TV? Do they like to host parties? Do they drink or smoke? Are they allergic to your favorite food? Will they be grossed out by the things you like to make and eat? Do you prefer to share meals occasionally or is it completely fend-for-yourself? What amenities will you share? (Cooking oil, laundry detergent, etc.) Do they like to be friendly with their roommates or merely polite? Is it okay for someone to bring someone new over for the night? Is everyone’s job (or other source of income) steady enough to pay their share? What will you do if someone is short one month?
Friends-of-friends is often a good way to go, but definitely still ask some questions, and trust your gut feelings.
I know this shit can sound scary, but I’ve had some amazingly good roommate situations with people I grew to care about very deeply as friends, and who’ve been a positive part of my life even years later! And personally, there is just no way I could afford to live in close-in SE Portland without roommates.
If leaving an abusive home:
Other people doing he same are your best friend and also worst enemy. Be completely honest about triggers, fears, so on. I’ve lived with my roommates for 2 years now, sometimes we have issues where traumas and such butt heads, but we all know how to work them out with each other.
another resource for free/cheap furniture, if you live near a college, and the timing works out, (end of semester/school year) look around dorms and apartments that often students rent, because a lot of them don’t have space for furniture during the summer, and so will just either toss it or try and sell it super cheap. this is also a good way to get a tv, microwave, vacuum, dishes, etc
^^^ That also works for places with a high military population. There are weight limits on how much stuff you can move if you’re in the military, so a lot of stuff gets left behind.
Golf is the most unnecessary sport on earth. After communism wins, golf will be abolished
We still good for mini golf though?
