Living on your own...it's terrifying! Who knew!

I just got my first real full-time job of my life, and it has nothing to do with what I went to school for (so glad I paid over $100K for that Music Recording Technology degree). I have to move two hours away to Harrisburg. I'm looking at apartments tomorrow, and then the job starts Monday. I'm living with my grandparents in nearby Lancaster until I find an apartment.

What all that means is, holy E36 M3, I'm living on my own for real. College was not living on my own. I am terrified. Not to mention the job doesn't have the highest rate of pay in the world. Good thing Harrisburg is cheap to live in.

Any words of comfort/wisdom/humor to cheer me up?

Oh, at least my job is working at a brewery

Welcome to the real deal.

A brewery huh? Cool.

Congratulations! A big step!

Nothing like loss of a safety net to change your life, except for a kid.

Twin_Cam wrote: Any words of comfort/wisdom/humor to cheer me up?

Billions have gone before you. If they can do it...

Congrats. My advice: Easy on the credit cards. I watched a few people fall into credit card debt. Getting there is quick and easy. Getting out is slow and painful.

Haha...yeah I did basically the same thing, UMass's Sound Recording Tech program. Studios and all that stuff. Graduated in '03, haven't stepped into a studio since then. The only good parts are that I can say I went to college now and going back for something else will be closer to a 2 year ordeal than a four year one.

I moved in with my brother while I did my internship. The internship turned into a job, my brother met a girl, I bought his place and he moved out and got married. THEN I was on my own. It was a gradual transition for me, so I didn't freak out too much.

For as long as I could remember, I couldn't WAIT to be done with school. Always hated it. Always. And I remember thinking I'd have enough time for TWO jobs when I got out. I absolutely love being out on my own, single and free to do whatever I want, whenever I want.

Like David said, don't hit the credit cards too hard. Be cheap at first, and GET TO KNOW WHAT YOUR CASHFLOW WILL ALLOW YOU TO DO. Look at what your monthly expenses are, look at your income, see what's left.

As for work, I went into the higher-end custom A/V field and it was a good transition for what I learned in school. Some of the principals carry over a bit, but nothing specific really does. I'm doing really well these days - waaaaaaay better that most of the guys I graduated with.

A brewery? Awesome .

If it makes you feel any better, this February I'll also be moving away from home, 3000 km away in fact, to study/live in Western Australia. I've bought the plane ticket, organised a place to rent, but I'll have to find a job once I get there. I'm also desperately trying to sell my car at the moment, so I can buy something new in W.A. (got my eye on a sweet e28 535i)

Congrats on getting out on your own. I have a bachelors degree and am at a job that needs a high school diploma. First priority is if you have any student loans pay em off asap. no other debt till then if you havent yet. and like everyone else says STAY AWAY from credit cards. if you need finanical help there are worse people to listen to than Dave Ramsey. Remember this. if someone wants you to hurry into ANYTHING, its a scam.

ah living on your own is great! just try not to get into the habit of walking around naked... it can be awkward when you have people over and forget to put some on out of habit

Harrisburg is okay, not quite as 'safe' as Lancaster. Just make sure you don't venture into the wrong part of town after dark. And, try to get a place on the same side of the river as you work. The bridges are commuter bottlenecks. Other than rush hour, I've always found Hbg easier to get around than Lanc. Also unlike Lanc, Hbg actually has things to do for a hip, young, man-about-town like yourself.

Do NOT use credit cards. Disaster waiting to happen. Use sparingly, and pay off each month. If you find you can't pay them off each time, stop using them.

You're in the big city, so never leave anything visible inside your car that can tempt a break-in. Keep the inside of your car clean and empty.

Remember, about 2/3 of the autocrosses take place in Hbg or Hershey.

ddavidv wrote: Remember, about 2/3 of the autocrosses take place in Hbg or Hershey.

Watch out! We may draft you to work hillclimbs!

(Unfortunately no Hershey Vintage Hillclimb this year)

Enjoy. Embrace. Own it.

You'll do fine.

If you have to use other peoples money to buy it you cant afford it........

Enjoy being your own man

David S. Wallens wrote: Congrats. My advice: Easy on the credit cards. I watched a few people fall into credit card debt. Getting there is quick and easy. Getting out is slow and painful.

x1000.

Congrats..

advice.

get the minimum apartment you need. I did fine with a studio for 4 years. $350 a month w/ all but the phone included.
Don't get Credit Cards as previously mentioned.

The freedom is wonderful.

you'll be fine

Marry a hot babe who likes to autocross.

I can't believe the rest of you guys left that out!

Like the others said - watch your cash flow and get to know the local car clubs when the weather warms up. You'll meet a bunch of new people that way.

congrats...

I just turned thirty, have a wife and the kiddo is in the oven..

Life is crazy.

credit cards are bad

paying cash for everything is bad

invest like a ho..

ignorant wrote: invest like a ho..

Ho's are notoriously poor investors.

All good advice. Avoid CC debt, live cheaply, learn to cook good stuff so you don't develop the fast fod gut. A few years of saving and you'll have a nice buffer of funds for when times are tough. Then you can gradually start 'enhancing' your lifestyle, if you choose.

gunner wrote: First priority is if you have any student loans pay em off asap.

Good thing to bring up, though I wouldn't worry about it unless the interest rate on it is out of hand. As soon as I moved in with my brother after school, he told me I could work that stuff out to get a lower rate. I re-fi'd with Citi and since then they've sent me a letter each year at tax time saying I didn't pay enough in interest to use it as a deduction on my taxes (it was about $500/yr).

It's actually a pretty low cost for keeping money in your pocket at a time when you need it most.

When I first entered the real world, it took me quite some time to grapple w/ the fact that life in the real world and life's plan had nothing to do w/ each other.

It was driving me nuts for awhile until I started thinking more about "how things are" rather than "how things should be". When I adopted more of a "live for today" attitude, things started making more sense.

Years later, I'm doing work that still has nothing to do w/ what I went to school for (Communications degree--lol), but I'm doing fine. It all pretty much turned out OK.

My best advice is--don't worry. Worrying is so toxic and damaging. Things tend to sort themselves out. Who knows what's going to come up for you in the next few years? You're going to meet new people, who will also be ever-important new networking connections.

Networking and connections are the hands-down KEY to opening up new doors.

This clip is probably the best life wisdom I've heard:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI

I moved into an apartment about 6 months ago, but I am still in college...and I have 3 roomies.

I move out for real in about 4 more months...My girlfriend and I are relocating to wherever I can find a job....I think I am more freaked about my job prospects than the moving out thing....

Dont be afrait to move to a new city for a job. Just make sure the employer helps or pays for the move. Dont be too tied to one city/ state. As for credit cards just dont have them, If you are more comfortable with the "security blanket" of a card get one with no anual fee and freeze it insde a block of ice. By the time you get it thawed the "crisis" will probably have passed. You also spend about 15% more when using cards, why do you think merchants pay 1 to 3 percent to the card companies?

Thanks for all the advice. I am definitely staying away from credit cards. I only have one, and I pay it down every month, like it's a debit card. I am also trying not to worry, I know I'll make everything work somehow.

And I realize lots of autocrosses happen in that area haha. I'll try to be at some if I have the money. Plus a stock '00 Saturn SL2 isn't exactly a class killer...oh, and my girlfriend likes cars and has been begging me since we've been dating to let her try autocrossing. I think I'll keep her I sort of let it slip in front of the parents that she was thinking about moving in with me in a few months after I get settled. They didn't like that...

And yes, a brewery. I start bright and early tomorrow. Yay beer!

gamby wrote: My best advice is--don't worry. Worrying is so toxic and damaging. Things tend to sort themselves out.

E36 M3 I'm still working on learning this lesson...