Everybody knows that hindsight is 20/20, but I love to look back on my life and wonder what I could have done differently, that could have had a positive influence on my life. Today was no different. Some days I just wish that I could turn back the hands of time and do it all over again. Below is my list of 5 things I should have done before I moved out, check it out!
- Paid Down Debt: If you have any credit cards, pay-day loans, private loans, you should seriously consider paying them off before you move out. If you have student loans with multiple entities, you should start the paper work to have them consolidated. {Disclaimer: Do your research first, there are positives and negatives to consolidating student loans}.
- Found a job that I loved: You see, it’s really hard to just up and quit a job when you have bills to pay. Every.single. month. I mean, you have no room for error. It’s not that you won’t have anywhere to go or that you’ll be homeless because most of us can always move back home. It’s moreso the embarrassment you feel when you have to tell friends or family that you have to move back home.
- Emergency Fund: Before moving out, you should seriously consider saving at least a 6 months worth of expenses. At minimum, this should include an ideal amount you plan to spend on a mortgage or rent per month, your car note and car insurance, and student loan repayment (Sallie Mae can be a real b… nvm). You’ll want to add about $500.00 on to that amount for miscellaneous expenses. Seriously, this is a real issue! Companies are always making layoffs trying to cut expenses, don’t be caught with your pants down.
- Traveled more: Geez, for most of us entry-level, independent adult-ers, it is hard as h*ll to scrape together extra funds for traveling. Do road trips, leave the country, go to the beach.
- Volunteer/ Take Unpaid Internships: It is literally impossible to work an unpaid internship when you have bills coming in every month. An unpaid internship, especially if you’re a recent graduate, can’t do anything but make your resume 10x more appealing (obviously it needs to be related to a job you aspire to get). Even better, some times you get lucky and the company you are doing an internship with/ volunteering with will offer you a full-time paid position. Seriously!
What are some things you wish you would have done before you “flew the coop?”
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