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

93celicaGT2 wrote: The 1st year isn't hard. The 2nd year is hard, because then you've gotten comfy with "hey, this isn't bad, i can afford this!" Keep your place CLEAN. It does wonders for your mood. Save some money, get back to the basics for entertainment. Play music/movies ALL the time. Cook. You'll be dumbfounded when you find out how much extra time you have working a 40/hr week. Try not to spend money when you're bored. That was always my biggest problem. "Hrmm... what should i do? I think i'll head to Fry's and check out electronics. Or maybe i'll start perusing Ebay."

Some good advice there. Especially on the CLEAN part. After nearly 10 years of near neglect, I was forced into cleaning my house around the end of the year. While I'm not done, just looking at the place makes me much happier now.

Definitely do NOT go shopping when you're in a bad mood. The Dark SIde, does that path lead...

Oh yeah... just say NO to Ramen noodles... maybe once in awhile, but they really shouldn't be a staple. The sodium content is staggering... and were likely a main cause of my recent kidney stone... and trust me, you do NOT want one of those.

Right now I have no TV (cable) and no interent access at home... I just listen to the radio... cook.. clean... read... try to play my guitars again... hoping to start exercising more and will work on the cars when the weather warns up a bit.

+1 on the book Joy of Cooking. My copy is 3 years older than I am and was a wedding present to my parents that was left behind. Amazing that book was first published in the 30's.

Twin_Cam wrote: Speaking of living with a girlfriend, mine has been dropping hints like crazy that after I get settled somewhere that she wants to move in with me. ...

Um yeah......thats cool and all, but part of this adventure is that you are making it on your own, let her in too soon and you are cheating yourself out of that experince. When you figure out how you want to live, then you will be ready to adjust to another body, but trying to figure it out while another person is there is trouble.

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

Ramen noodles are cheap but the sodium will murder your blood pressure.

Buy used Craigslist furniture, or even just drive around big neighborhoods. You'd be amazed what people get rid of because they're tired of it. Then again, RE: Craigslist, you'd be amazed what some people think total crap is worth.

Good luck, man!

The advice offered so far is very good.

My advice is take good care of your health. That means eating right, limiting alcohol (and other drugs) and making exercise you enjoy part of your life style. If you are healthy, you can handle whatever the world throws at you. If you are not healthy, simple things can balloon into crisis quickly. Health is much easier to maintain than get back once it is gone.

With regards to money, if you don't know how to do a compound interest calculation, learn. You will understand all the credit card warnings at a whole new level.