I'd like some advice. I'm a 2nd year student at UH right now. Currently living with my parents. I work part time to pay my tuition and stuff. However, I'd like to move out to live on my own. But I really have no clue about living expenses. So I'd like some pointers. Especially about how much I need a month to get by. Here are some specific items I'm not sure about. 1. Living. Probably the biggest issue to address, with safety the main concern. I grew up in a nice neighborhood without really worrying about anything. Any advice on how to look for housing, and roughly how much it would be? I'll most likely be living with a roommate or in shared house. 2. Regular expenses. I'll be applying for a student loan, so that should be out of the way. I can live cheaply. My cell is shared with the family plan and cost ~$20 a month. I'll need my own DSL/Cable line, but I can afford to cut out other entertainment expenses. I eat cheap and work at a resturant, so food cost shouldn't be too high. My car drives fine, but it's quite old so I have to take into account repair cost if needed. I'm not sure how much I should account for in electric cost. Plus, any other expenses I'm leaving out? 3. How much do I need to make? Currently, I make ~$700 a month. But I should be able to make $1100 a month if need be, and still have time left over for school. Is that enough? Sorry if my topic seems a little disorganized. As you can probably tell, I pretty much have no clue. My friends are all either full time workers, and hence make a lot more money, or students with enough parental support. But I really want to be fiscally independent of my family, while still not lag in my education.
I don't think working PT making 1 g a month will set you free. My advice is to continue to live at home until you graduate and then set off on your own.
I just saw something the other day that said the average UH student works 30 hours a week and takes 8 years to graduate. You don't want to risk something like that just so you can get out of the house. Stay at home two more years and finish your degree. Your life will be much better in the long run.
awe, how i long the days when i was young and ignorant. $1100/month won't even get you passed the first 2 weeks on your own.
God no. I had to get out the minute I turned 18. I lived in a small house with 8 other young people (who just kind of came and went) and my share of rent was $65 a month. Those were good times.
I wish I could help you, but I went to university during the '60's and early '70's. (I took my time! ) Two places stand out for me from the period. I rented a 2 story house off of West Gray and Montrose with a friend (split the rent... you should look into doing that) for $130 a month, bills paid, with a huge living room, fire place, 2 big bedrooms upstairs, a corner lot, a place on the roof you could get to from upstairs and hang out at night with a girl, naked, and no one was the wiser. The other pad was a garage apartment 2 blocks from Hermann Park, $65 bucks a month, bills paid, and it was like Seinfeld's place. You opened a door downstairs and walked up to a landing, with my place on one side, and across the landing, another the same size, wherein lived a beautiful Hawaiian chick going to Rice. We had so much fun! Neighbors popping in and out, spontaneous parties, wild happenings. Totally groovy. After 4 years there, my future girlfriend, and eventual wife, moved into the 2 story duplex in front, a house inhabited by hordes of girls going to Rice or UH. Then we moved into another pad in the area that was great, but I'll spare you the details. No help at all, right? Sorry for the trip down memory lane. Good times!
Yeah, but a good percentage of those people have families and/or are going back go to school. That's how most of my classes were anyway.
So I guess it's pretty much impossible unless I can make more then. That sucks. Thanks for the help. I really want to see if I can make it on my own. But I guess 1k per month just doesn't cut it, huh?
$1000 doesn't get you very far these days, especially w/o a roomate...My advice, stay at home...although doing so does affect the ladies you bring home...
meh, IMO you could get out of the house and live with a roommate, but you would have to give up this way of thinking.. I think you could do it on 1100.00 a month, but it would be a struggle and you wouldn't like the place you're living and you'll burn up in the summer heat because of electric cost.. If I were you I stay at home with the 'rents and milk it until you get out of school and get a real job..
Man, living at home. I miss it. I stoped living at home in 11th grade of high school. Granted that was bording school, and they still paid back then. But I don't think I could live under their roof anymore. I love my family and all, but I like the freedom. I'm not making much money, about $3 grand a month if it's a good month. But i'm still going to school too. So it pays the bills and more.
Get a student apartment. I need around $600 bucks a month to live on and I make it just fine and I just got a start. Your FinAid helps alot but you need roommates and a place that includes bills. Its possible though.
Stay at home. I was one of the unlucky ones who got forced out of the home due to medical circumstances at 18. I work non-stop to pay the bills and am only able to get 6-9 hours a semester done depending on UH's night schedule for the semester. Depending on what you mean when you say move out, 1k is not nearly enough to support yourself if you want to live in a nice apartment. If however, your parents are still paying parts of your expenses you'll be fine.
You should not be in a hurry. I am 21, and this May I will graduate (3 years.) It wasn't possible without help from family. Unless you're kicked out, I'd suggest living at home until you are graduated. Think you're poor now....
i hate to say it, but stay with your parents. the last thing you want to do is get into a bad financial situation and fall further into debt. enjoy a nice house while you can...b/c it will be a long time before you will get one again
You people are crazy! Moving out was the best thing I did in my recent memory. 1000 bucks is a low budget, but you definitely can live with it. You can find a four bedroom apartment for around 300 bucks a month per person. Groceries shouldn't cost you more than 300 bucks per month. The rest would be for the gas, utility, etc. Trust me, you would be glad when you take a random girl you meet at the club back to your apartment.
