Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If your Mom won't supply the needed tax/$$ info...make an appointment ASAP with your school counselors. They can declare you an independant, then all you need is your own info. Otherwise, you're considered a dependant until age 25 and will need to go to your Mom yearly for this info.
A little motherly advice that I always harp @ my daughter about...every week that you get paid, put $5-10 away for emergencies. You'll not really notice it missing (skip a latte) and eventually you'll need it. Car repairs, tires, roomate that won't pay her share, etc..
Not trying to be the buzz kill here but...
Moving out is never as great as it sounds. The bills are always higher than you think they will be. Stuff comes up. You get sick and have to go to the dr., You get hurt and can't work, you don't have enough to pay for all the things you forgot about like toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, etc.
You are now going to be spending every dime you make on your expenses. What happens? You drop out of school to work full time to keep up with the bills. You say you will go back but it never seems to be the right time.
Sorry, but I am older. I've been there. I say.. unless you are being abused at home, stay there. Save every dime you can until you can easily have enough in the bank to pay for 6 months of bills. Stay in school. Get the education that will allow you to get a job making a decent wage.
Trust me... you won't be partying much when you can't afford the beer.
One thing I'd look in to is not having a car. Even if you buy a $2500 car that lasts 5 years, add in insurance, maintenance, and gas; you're looking at a couple hundred a month. If you're looking for the $15-$20 your friends owe, a couple hundred a month is probably a good amount.
If you must have motorized transport, how about something like a scooter? Insurance on bikes is cheap, usually around $100/year. Way better mileage.
Not trying to be the buzz kill here but...
Moving out is never as great as it sounds. The bills are always higher than you think they will be. Stuff comes up. You get sick and have to go to the dr., You get hurt and can't work, you don't have enough to pay for all the things you forgot about like toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, etc.
You are now going to be spending every dime you make on your expenses. What happens? You drop out of school to work full time to keep up with the bills. You say you will go back but it never seems to be the right time.
Sorry, but I am older. I've been there. I say.. unless you are being abused at home, stay there. Save every dime you can until you can easily have enough in the bank to pay for 6 months of bills. Stay in school. Get the education that will allow you to get a job making a decent wage.
Trust me... you won't be partying much when you can't afford the beer.
But 21 years of age is plenty old enough to grow up and leave home. Forever most people become adults and leave their parents' home somewhere between ages 18-21 - some stay a couple years longer but that's only if they can accept that it's the parents' house and the parents make the rules for it.
And someone who can't stand her mother because her mother doesn't want her partying until 4 am isn't likely going to make a go of it in college anyway.
Not trying to be the buzz kill here but...
Moving out is never as great as it sounds. The bills are always higher than you think they will be. Stuff comes up. You get sick and have to go to the dr., You get hurt and can't work, you don't have enough to pay for all the things you forgot about like toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, etc.
You are now going to be spending every dime you make on your expenses. What happens? You drop out of school to work full time to keep up with the bills. You say you will go back but it never seems to be the right time.
Sorry, but I am older. I've been there. I say.. unless you are being abused at home, stay there. Save every dime you can until you can easily have enough in the bank to pay for 6 months of bills. Stay in school. Get the education that will allow you to get a job making a decent wage.
Trust me... you won't be partying much when you can't afford the beer.
At last, someone writing that is giving some good advice. Yeah, moving out is a big deal for a kid just out of school, but most of them have never had to pay their own way and don't realize it isn't easy. My son moved out of my house when he was 19, but only because he had made a down payment on his first house. He had a part time job throughout highschool, but still maintained good grades. Get a good job, and have some money in a bank account before you move out. You will look pretty foolish asking your mom if you can come back home, when the money runs out, otherwise. Don't depend on grants, one of these days our government is going to wake up and stop giving money away, and the sooner, the better.
Not trying to be the buzz kill here but...
Moving out is never as great as it sounds. The bills are always higher than you think they will be. Stuff comes up. You get sick and have to go to the dr., You get hurt and can't work, you don't have enough to pay for all the things you forgot about like toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, etc.
You are now going to be spending every dime you make on your expenses. What happens? You drop out of school to work full time to keep up with the bills. You say you will go back but it never seems to be the right time.
Sorry, but I am older. I've been there. I say.. unless you are being abused at home, stay there. Save every dime you can until you can easily have enough in the bank to pay for 6 months of bills. Stay in school. Get the education that will allow you to get a job making a decent wage.
Trust me... you won't be partying much when you can't afford the beer.
This is what I was going to say too.
I was really excited to move out at 17 - until I realized that there were all these little hidden costs and fees that I didn't consider. I lived on ramen and bologna sandwiches for months because I could afford nothing else.
If you simply cannot stand staying at home for a bit longer to save up a few thousand dollars, I would at least make sure that you do not burn bridges with your mom. More than likely, you are going to need her help with something.
I'm also skeptical about the amount of grants you are hoping for. At this point in the game, you are way too late to just now start the process of financial aid and such. There are usually strict deadlines for those applications - and even if you can get around that, there is only so much money allotted each year, and once it's gone, it's gone.
I think it's great that you want to move out. I do think that your rushed timeline is going to burn you, though. Good luck.
PS - if your mom claims you on her taxes, you will not be declared an independent. That means her finances will have to be considered on your financial aid. The age is 24 where I'm from, not 25.
But 21 years of age is plenty old enough to grow up and leave home. Forever most people become adults and leave their parents' home somewhere between ages 18-21 - some stay a couple years longer but that's only if they can accept that it's the parents' house and the parents make the rules for it.
And someone who can't stand her mother because her mother doesn't want her partying until 4 am isn't likely going to make a go of it in college anyway.
Not saying it's not old enough. I am saying that it always cost more than you think and not having money makes life dull. You watch all your friends going out to dinner, bars, shopping, and you are sitting at home eating Ramen. It's not glamorous.
I am in my 40's. I have a 21 year old son who is a full time college student. He lives in his own apartment and for the most part pays his own bills. He also has a crap load of student loans that will come due one day. He comes home every summer, moves back in, gets a full time job and saves up for fall. At Christmas he gets a job and works the whole break. That's what it takes to get the degree and he knows it will pay off.
If you party till 4am, you won't be making an 8 or even 9am class. It's that simple. If you don't take classes until later, you won't be working enough to pay the bills. Simple economics. Sorry if it's a buzz kill...it's also the truth.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The OP is enjoying blazing her own path. Sorry it didn't work out for you. Everyone's experience is different.
Moving out
