Make Moving Easier Complete Guide for a Long-distance Move | Page 5

Think of a handful of recipes to master before going out on your own. Pinterest is an excellent
source of easy-to-make meals, and YouTube is a great place to find tutorials on just about
anything you’ll need to do in the kitchen.
2. Grocery Shopping
Hand-in-hand with basic cooking is the ability to grocery shop. You may think there is not much
to it, but if you haven't shouldered this responsibility before, there is a lot more involved than
you think.
Make sure you know how to shop based on the meals you will make in the coming week. You’ll
also want to know the best prices for the items you will typically buy since supermarket prices
fluctuate. Additionally, you’ll need to know how to pick the best produce and which cuts of meat
to buy.
3. Doing Your Laundry
If Mom and Dad have been doing your laundry, make sure you have this all-important skill locked
down before leaving home. Learn how to sort your clothes, which temperature to use, and know
when something should be hand-washed or dry-cleaned. Along with this, you should learn how
to treat stains and also iron your clothes.
4. Cleaning and Basic Home Maintenance
When you have your first place, cleaning will be your responsibility. Set yourself a schedule to
make sure you clean routinely.
You’ll also want to make sure you’re capable of basic home maintenance. Your landlord will be
responsible for any significant repairs, but you should know how to perform basic tasks like
changing light bulbs, fixing a running toilet, or what to do in the event you lose power.
5. Routine Car Maintenance
Believe it or not, car maintenance goes further than just getting gas. You should know how to
pop the hood, change a tire, jumpstart a car, and change the oil (or at the very least know when
it’s time to have it changed). Also, be sure to take your car in for regularly scheduled service.
6. Budgeting and Paying Your Bills
Managing your money responsibly is crucial when going out on your own for the first time. Know
how to do a monthly budget, and have an understanding of how credit works.
Be sure to devise a system for paying your bills. Automation is a great way to prevent paying your
bills late, but you’ll still need to know when and how much is due as well as how to balance your
checkbook or you’ll risk incurring costly overdraft or insufficient funds fees.
7. Time Management