Moving out at 18 and starting an independent life can be overwhelming for any girl or man. It is obvious that up to this time you lived in the comfortable conditions of your parents’ home. And at the age of 18, after graduating from high school, it is customary to move. It is clear that some young women and men move out only after graduating from university, but this is an insignificant figure. We’ll look at some solid advice on how to move out at 18 and live on your own?
Number of people who move out at 18
The number of people leaving home in the United States is declining, according to a report from the Pew Research Center. By July 2020, or during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, about 52 percent of all people between the ages of 18 and 25 were living with their parents.
That’s a sharp increase of about five percent from the number of young adults living with their parents in January 2020, according to the Pew Research Center.
However, on average, about 90 percent of all high school graduates move home between the ages of 18 and 20, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said in a report.
Most of these young women and men – about 52 percent – move within the state where their parents live, the rest move elsewhere, and a very small percentage – about one percent – go to study abroad.
The remaining 48 percent usually move to pursue higher education within or outside the same state. This is because they want to study a specific course at a specific university.
However, it is expected that the number of young women and men who leave their parental home or are about to return until 2021 will grow exponentially.
This is partly due to job loss after the Covid-19 pandemic, the closure of colleges and universities, or simply the desire to be together as a family, despite the fact that the disaster is showing no signs of abating, and more and more mutants of the virus are infecting more and more people in America and other countries. In addition, many young Americans are returning home from other countries to escape the virus.
Obviously moving at 18 is one of the most important steps in your life. In fact, it can shape your entire life, including your career, personal development, finances, social status, and more.
Therefore, an independent move at the age of 18 should be done only after careful consideration and necessary actions. If you think you can move out at 18, then follow this article for some of the best tips on how to move out of your parental home at 18 and start living on your own.
Therefore, I will tell you about all the necessary steps, how to move out at 18 and start living on your own.
How to move out at 18 and have funds for it
1. Plan ahead
I would advise you to start planning your move out at 18 at least three to four years before you reach that age and graduate from high school. This means that around the age of 14-15.
There is an old axiom that says: “Not planning is to fail the plan.” Of course, you don’t want to become a failure in life, career, finances, social and personal life later on when you move out at 18.
Therefore, you need to think about what kind of career you would like to make, where you would like to live after moving, what social status you would like to have, and so on.
There are several ways to do this correctly. Moving at 18 becomes much easier when you plan. You will know exactly where to go, what job to look for, what salary to expect and what people you want to communicate with. Planning also plays an important role in determining your future lifestyle as well as your personal life.
2. Job search for 14 year olds
In the United States, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) allows people as young as 14 to work in certain jobs. This is mainly work during school holidays, and sometimes it can be a part-time job, but daily. Finding jobs for 14 year olds is pretty easy if you visit some special sites, especially job boards.
There are several reasons why you should apply for a job at age 14. The first is that you will earn some amount of money that you can put into a savings or investment plan. This money will come in handy when you move out at 18.
By that time, your savings or investment will grow, which means you will get more out of that money. Second, you will also get into the habit of saving and investing. This is a very important life skill that you will need as you get older.
Working early in life teaches you to be accountable to work, other people and, of course, yourself. This is another life skill that will come in handy when you move out at 18. In addition to learning to value money, you will also understand the value of time. After all, work for 14-year-olds is paid hourly. This means that you will know how valuable the hour is.
The skills you acquire at age 14 can also help shape your career path. At this age, you will meet several people, and some of them will make a strong impression on you because they work in the field that you like.
So when you move at age 18, you too can try this kind of job to build your career. Finally, working at age 14 also gives you the opportunity to make some contacts on your own or through your employer. They can be helpful when you decide to move out at age 18 and start an independent life.
3. Find yourself a great part-time job
At age 14 or slightly older, there are several part-time jobs you can find for yourself. In fact, FLSA rules and regulations require employers to obtain special permits when hiring 14-year-olds or younger.
However, there are a few part-time jobs that can be obtained much earlier than you move and start living on your own.
One of those excellent side jobs is blogging. Blogging is not difficult to learn and maintain now. You can learn a lot about how to start a blog by reading great articles and watching YouTube videos.
To open a blog, you need a domain name and web hosting. You can easily get them for as little as $ 9.99 per year or a little more.
You may be wondering what topic you should blog about. Honestly, there are countless topics for starting a blog. This could be a topic from a high school or college curriculum in which you are an expert. Or your blog might be about your favorite sport or hobby.
Another best activity in my opinion is video blogging. A vlog is actually a video blog. You can open your own free YouTube channel and start vlogging. Again, pick a topic or niche for your blog based on your main topics or hobbies, movies, or just any other topic.
A lot of money can be made from a blog or vlog. The first source of income is a Google Adsense subscription, which is free. They will display ads on your blog, and when someone clicks on that ad, you get paid.
There are other ways to make money from blogging and vlogging. These include selling your own merchandise, affiliate marketing, and sponsored posts.
A popular blog will provide you with money and a source of income when you move out at 18.
Read Also: Best Business Plan Examples
4. Find a place to move
The next step is to find a place to move. This is one of the important things to know when moving. Most people who move at age 18 tend to stay in the same city or town where their parents live.
This is understandable, since there they have social connections, as well as the ability to return to their parental home in the event of any emergency or crisis. This is because moving to other places is a very emotional affair as it involves saying goodbye to old friends and relatives.
However, the main reason most teens moving at age 18 choose to live in their city is that it is easier for them to find work and get to work. They are familiar with local transport systems and areas.
At the same time, if you are thinking of moving to another city or state, choose carefully. Your best bet is to find out which cities and states are the best to move in.
I personally chose Boulder in Colorado when I moved out at 18. This is because the city has a low crime rate, relatively inexpensive prices, and excellent medical facilities.
Here I would advise you to pay attention to the cities where retirees move. You will find a lot of work here as a young man. To be honest, there are no good or bad places to move.
There are, however, places that are better suited for your lifestyle. As a young person—who is nowhere near ready to retire—you will want to establish yourself in a city that has high employment rates, as well as a median salary that is better than average. Therefore, you will want to do a fair amount of research to determine which location meets these needs. A cost of living calculator is a great tool to use as well. This will help you in the initial stages, before you’re actually making the move physically.
Finding a job in our time, especially during the new normal situation after the Covid-19 pandemic, can be challenging for many people aged 18 and over.
5. Build a healthy credit score
A healthy credit history is perhaps the most important part of your financial situation when you decide to move at age 18. If you had a credit card while attending school, make sure you pay all fees on time.
It is worth remembering that having some credit card debt does not spoil your credit history. On the contrary, it can improve it if you pay your dues on time.
You can also build up a healthy credit score by having some investment in your name. Most adolescents mistakenly think that investing is for rich and working people. In fact, this is largely not the case.
There are great apps that you can use to get started investing. In fact, some of these apps allow you to start investing with as little as $ 5. And you can invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds, mutual funds, currencies and cryptocurrencies, as well as commodities.
Also ask your parents to open a bank account for you as a joint owner before you turn 18. All of these steps will help you develop a healthy credit history that will come in handy when you move at age 18.
6. Find a job
Perhaps you have some savings, or perhaps your parents will give you some money when you decide to move out at 18. However, this money will not last long, unless you are making millions of dollars. Therefore, it is best to find a job before you move at age 18.
It is quite difficult to find a job these days. However, thanks to different message boards and LinkedIn, you can easily apply for multiple jobs at the same time in the place where you want to live when you move out at age 18.
To do this, you need to take several steps. The first and most important one is creating a killer LinkedIn profile. You may wonder why I am talking about LinkedIn. The reason is simple. LinkedIn is the largest online site for professionals in a variety of fields, as well as for aspiring candidates.
Once you’ve created an awesome LinkedIn profile, you’ll also be able to search and apply for jobs that will appear on your Page. At the same time, employers in your area and across America can also view your profile and find out details such as your education, skills, and other important things. Then they can offer you a job.
In the meantime, create excellent jobseeker profiles on various job boards such as Indeed.com, Monster.com, ZipRecruiter , Glassdoor.com, and more.
Apply for jobs that you are capable of and enjoy doing. It is worth knowing here that your first job is always a stepping stone to a long and successful career. So choose your career wisely.
Finally
These six steps will help alleviate some of the problems you may face when moving out at 18 and living on your own. This process is not difficult as long as you think it over and act early.
The steps I’ve written are designed to take care of your financial and social life as well as your career when you decide to move at 18 to become independent from your parents.
Millions of American teens and their peers around the world move between the ages of 18 and 20. And most of them do it successfully by following these simple steps. You too can become one of those teenagers.
