Hunter's Moon Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Does anyone have a Moving Out Checklist for teens? I won't be moving out for a few years, but in my planning, I know there are unexpected expenses I am forgetting. If someone has seen a checklist online, made their own, or would like to throw out unexpected things on here, thanks! One thing that came to mind was dishes. I don't know, I must have thought they would magically appear by themselves when I moved :tongue_smilie: :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 You could get a catalogue from Sears or Penneys and create a list from that. Just be sure to keep it a "need" list, not a "want" list! I'm thinking you are college bound - dormitory life can be wonderful for helping you save on expenses and always have a meal ticket - that helped me focus on studies. I got better grades when I lived in the dorms than I did when I lived in an off campus apartment. I don't know what your options are, just be sure to seriously consider the dorms. Either way, an emergency fund of at least $500 cash is a great place to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond both carry lists in my area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 How about we start another type of list: things young people should be able to do before they leave the home? I will post my list later, no more time at the moment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virg Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Would love the above list! My 15 year old DSS is in la-la land (I have heard boys his age usually are :)) and thinks he will just join the military so he doesn't need to learn to do or have anything! The US gov will just take care of all of his needs :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 I remember moving out of my parents home when I was 19. :001_smile: My mom filled a box with her old dishes, coffee cups, cooking utensils, sheets, blankets etc and then bought herself all new stuff. :lol: I kind of did the same thing to dh's younger brother when he moved out on his own. I filled a box with all my mismatched cutlery, glasses, bowls, linens etc. When my neice moved out I gave her a (NEW) bucket, mop, broom, dustpan, and all the cleaners to go with them. She seemed happy to receive it, but now I wonder if she thought I was implying something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Would love the above list! My 15 year old DSS is in la-la land (I have heard boys his age usually are :)) and thinks he will just join the military so he doesn't need to learn to do or have anything! The US gov will just take care of all of his needs :lol: This plan worked pretty well for me. :tongue_smilie: Though I already knew the basics of taking care of myself and my surroundings. We felt really sorry for one girl in boot who had never swept a floor before she got there. We made sure she had no further gaps in her education, you betcha.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Scroll down, there are a few extensive (IOW, you don't need everything listed!) lists here: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/BtsSurvFirstApartmentHome.asp? You might use these as a starting point, and start marking the things you use now (for example, from the toolbox list, I use my tape measure several times a year, but rarely use Allen wrenches, so I would put the tape measure on the "must have" list, but not Allen wrenches.) The 1st things you need to buy are the things you already use regularly. You might also put some of these items on gift lists - birthday, Christmas, graduation, etc. Mrs. Mungo, looking forward to your list! things young people should be able to do before they leave the home Best wishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarreymere Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 No, I want to adopt you! Mine have all left kicking and screaming at the very last minute before I tossed them out......after giving them months and months of time to save up and prepare during which they ate out a lot and saved nothing. It has been very discouraging. I guess what you need will depend on where you are going to when you move out (a dorm means you need less than an apartment) and what level of affluence you insist on. Some people are happy to shop at a thrift store for things and there are some people who feel that is unthinkable. It is a lot less expensive to buy things like lamps, dishes, utensils, sheets, and curtains at a thrift store. I have had good luck with automatic coffee makers from a thrift shop but I have never bought a microwave there. The pots and pans in a thrift store sometimes look okay to me and other times not. Anyway, you will have two kinds of costs, start-up costs and your ongoing operating budget (sounds official, right?) You are most likely aware of things like rent, including first, last and security deposit for apartments in the area where you think you might live. Utilities usually want deposits too. You might have to pay for sewer, water, and trash. I had one daughter who was just horrified that she had to pay for trash service. Think about the monthly cost of those things plus things like internet access and cell phone cost and any online subscriptions you want to continue like Napster, ect. What kind of meals do you see yourself eating and what kind of utensils and equipment do you need to make those? What ingredients, down to the salt and pepper do you see your self using and what kind of cleaning supplies and equipment? What do you use now at home to clean with equipment-wise? What do you use at home now to prepare food? Make a detailed list of food and cleaning supplies and see what that would add to your monthly budget. You can add thinks like salt and pepper to your startup budget but since you don't usually need to buy it every week you may not want to put in on your on-going budget. Don't forget toilet paper, light bulbs, batteries, and feminine supplies. You might need a shower curtain and bathroom rugs too. Will you have a washer and dryer? Some apartments have them and some have hookups for them and some places don't have either so you have to figure in the time and money needed to use a laundrymat. Or the purchase price of a new or used set of laundry equipment. Don't forget that you may want to have an iron and an ironing board. Will you have a car? How much will your car insurance be and how much do you think you should budget for gas? It is a good idea to set aside some money in savings for car repairs and annual maintenance. I think being a bit OCD now will help you avoid a lot of the problems my own kids have run into, like having Starbucks a couple times a day then panicking at the end of the month when the bills are due because they spent all their cash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter's Moon Posted June 23, 2011 Author Share Posted June 23, 2011 Thank you everyone. I'm looking forward to that list as well, Mrs. Mungo! I plan to attend CC and am not sure if it will be the one- or two-year program yet. Believe it or not, I've seen more job offers for the one-year program, so I'm still flipping and flopping between the two. While attending, my parents will allow me to stay at home and if I have a job (which I plan to become state certified and work as a Pharmacy Technician with the help of my supervisor) they will look at what I bring home weekly and determine how much I will pay in room and board, depending also on my car insurance, fuel, etc. They will allow me to eat their food and such because I do many things around the house. Plus, they want to help me save up to move out. Thrift store shopping, definitely. I love thrift stores but have never really perused their dinnerware so I'll look around next time I go. I also plan to meal plan so that should help me figure out my food budget. I think the next time I go shopping with my mother I'll bring a mock meal plan and get the prices for all needed ingredients to see what I may be working with for a food budget. (My parents don't meal plan or budget so I'm alone on this little venture...) Where I live, rent is looking like it'll be from $750-$900. I've seen a few for less but generally it falls into that range so I'll need to put anywhere from $2250-$2700 down all at once (it's common around here for security to be 1 month's rent). I can't really say what car insurance will be but my sister recently got a quote for $8000/year as a new driver :svengo: So, I'm hoping that isn't the norm. I'll also be getting AAA but that isn't too much per/month for what they offer. Cell phone is $27/month and I can't get any lower than that. Internet will be about $40/month, unless I look into internet/cable bundle but I doubt it'd be lower than $40. Food, I'd say for 1 person I'll budget about $75/week, but again, I'll be doing a grocery store walk through sometime to see what the actual total will be. I have state insurance, so I'll only need to pay for prescription meds ($3/month per med, so $15-$18/month). Since I don't know if the apartment will be gas, electric, or both, I can't really budget that in, but I can come up with a lose range of about $150-$200/month. So, my first month, I'm looking at about $6,000 in "start up" costs. That includes: first, last, & security (I used $2700 as my figure to be on the safe side), phone bill ($27), internet ($40), grocery ($300), utilities ($300), car insurance ($300 - hopefully an overestimate), fuel ($400), meds ($18), hygiene products ($100), cleaning products & equipment ($100), bathroom decor (shower curtains & rugs & such - $100), kitchen items (trash bags, towel sets, dish clothes, etc - $100), bedroom items (linens - $60), household items (curtains, blinds, light bulbs, etc. - $100), furniture ($500 - used), miscellaneous ($300), & emergency ($500). Most of those are on the far end of expensive, but I'm lucky enough to have time to plan ahead & parents who will take into account my need to save. I'd rather be pleasantly surprised by how much I have left than freaking out about things I still need. When I graduate, I plan to work full-time and with the future job I have in mind, there are many full-time job openings. I also already have my foot in the door at a major hospital. The lower end of the job in my area pays about $12/hour but the median is about $15 starting out. I can't say though until I actually graduate and get a job. I'm sure I'm missing items in my list though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysticmomma Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 love to see the other list too! unclog a toilet (turn off the water to it as well) sew a seam or button find the fuse box change a tire laundry dishes budget recycle check the oil and tire pressure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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