Moving out is never easy. And moving out of your parents’ house in India? That’s like a whole other level of difficulty! If you come from a conventional family, you know what I am talking about. Just mentioning that you want to move out means creating a whole lot of family drama. But after some convincing and begging, you might be able to get the green signal to move out of your parents’ home.

So, what now? Finding a house and living on your own. Finally! Sounds easy, right? It may sound like a dream come true, but this dream can turn into a nightmare really fast.

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are some things that you need to know before you take that huge step and move out of your comfort zone aka mummy papa ka ghar.

1. Be financially independent

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This is very basic and you might be rolling your eyes. But you must earn enough to survive on your own. There are a lot of expenses to think about when you’re supporting yourself. When you’re living with your parents, you generally don’t have to think about the everyday functioning of the household. But as soon as you move out, you have rent to pay, bills to clear, groceries to buy, and hire and pay domestic help. It’s a real thing and, all combined, these expenses can add up to a lot if you’re not careful. So, make sure that you can cover your expenses before you decide to move out.

2. Learn basic domestic skills

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When you move out, you will really regret not learning how to do any chores when you were living at home. I know, you might be thinking that you can hire domestic help who will cook and clean. But it depends on whether you can afford it or not. More often than not, you will end up doing these things on your own to control expenses. And even if you do have help, you have to account for days when they may not be available. That’s a valuable lesson the lockdown taught us this year. So, you must learn basic life skills like cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry. Learn while you still have time or at least know that this is something that you might end up doing when you’re living on your own.

3. Learn to adjust

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Life is not going to be a party when you’re living on your own. Your weekends will mostly be spent doing laundry or deep cleaning the house. Be prepared for that. You might also have to sacrifice some social events because you might not have enough money and that’s completely okay. Just try to create a balance and you will be fine.

4. You are going to be broke (sometimes)

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Living on your own can be expensive, apart from the rent and the bills. With the newfound freedom, you might splurge a little as well, which is completely normal. But make sure that you don’t end up being broke. But even if you do ending up with no money at the end of the month, it’s okay. You will learn your lesson and get better at managing finances. Don’t panic.

5. Loneliness could get real

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If you are living alone or with people who you don’t like, you are gonna get lonely. There will be days where you will feel homesick and sad. It’s bound to happen. When it does happen, call your parents, your siblings, your friends, or whoever helps you feel less alone. Maybe light some candles, set a mood, and watch a movie. It will pass.

5. Set up an emergency fund

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You never know what the future will hold for you. Unless you’re an astrologer! Okay, keeping my weird sense of humour aside, you need to set up an emergency fund. You must have a certain amount of savings which you can use during an emergency. To do this, you need to consistently save money every month. You might think you don’t need to do this, but trust me, you do. To know how much you need in your emergency fund, here’s a simple exercise. Calculate your monthly expenses and multiply the number by 6. That’s the amount you need to have in your emergency fund. For example, if your living expenses are 30,000 per month, you should have 1,80,000 in your emergency fund. So, start saving today! You can also try Kakeibo, the Japanese art to effectively save money. Read the article here. 

Lastly, don’t freak out. I know this step is huge and kinda scary. Nonetheless, it is an extremely rewarding experience. The more you explore, the more you will feel at home. So, take the first step and everything will fall into place.

Related: How To Save Money And Invest On A Beginner’s Salary In India