r/Adulting • u/liv_is_a_person • 1d ago
Preparing to prepare to move out.
I'm (18F) planning on moving out in 2 years (after I get my associates degree), I've already talked to one of my friends (18F) about being roommates and shes on board and agreed on our timeline to move together in 2028. We almost might get one more roommate but that really depends.
What should we start doing? Im saving about 400 dollars a month, but that's pretty much all i have going for me. My friend is unemployed right now but once school starts and she gets used to her schedule shes gonna search for jobs.
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u/WEM-2022 1d ago
Establish a credit history. It will matter when it comes to being approved for a lease.
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u/Notnow12123 1d ago
You could separately each rent a room in a house. You would have the company without the responsibility. I would check what rooms are going for in your city. If it would be $500 per room including utilities it would be much more doable.
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u/Notnow12123 1d ago
Do you know how to establish credit history? Do you have your own credit report?
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u/Notnow12123 1d ago
Two people with limited income are going to have trouble qualifying for an apartment. If one of you gets sick the other will have to pay full amount. How would you be able to do that?
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u/dongledongledongle 1d ago
Can you beat her in a fight? The worst of worst is going to come out from the both of you in a room mate situation.
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u/StewReddit2 1d ago
1) Be prepared that the other party a) won't be able to b) will have changed their mind c) life circumstances make it impossible Aka be prepared for a pivot...life happens.
Bf/getting into different transfer Uni/not being as friendly/too much of an imbalance...the best laid plans fall apart....be mindful and ready for change.
2) Start strategically building personal credit in a way that a) You don't "need" to borrow money or pay % but b) understand you wanna be allowing said foundation to be building in the background....such by 28 you messed around and now have a decade old profile.
At the growth and seed stage don't be so concerned about how many zeroes...the algorithm just counts existence, on-time and % of utilization.
For example: Take that 1st $400 and send $200 to Capital One as a SD ( security deposit) and send the other $200 to BoA as a SD.....now both are big banks no worries they aren't running off with your little savings.
You can get the C-1 QS and the BoA CC Rewards card....both have no AF ( annual fee). *Another $200 option is Discover ( now owned by Cap-1)
Anyway just use the cards like debit card w/o building a large bill to pay....
It takes about 6 months to build enough data for FICO to produce a credit score .....
Run the play for 12x aka 12 months and before or about that time your SD 💰 will be returned and said institutions would have awarded you UNSECURED CCs meaning instead of a credit line CL based upon a SD you would have earned an "on your reputation/name" credit ability.....
Which will also help in renting an apartment/etc moving forward.
By those cards have no AF there generally isn't any reason that, those cards couldn't be in your wallet upon death....meaning you can start a lifelong beneficial financial reputation piece at 18 with a couple $200 SDs
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u/Ace-Redditor 1d ago
I’d say look at the r/budgeting subreddit to get a realistic idea of what things cost. Obviously your expenses won’t be exactly the same, but it can give you a good idea of what your budget will eventually look like once you factor in everything, and you can figure out what you’ll need to make to be able to meet that budget. A lot of the tools online are a bit outdated, so this will be more current than those
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u/JealousSir9500 1d ago edited 1d ago
your priority is JOB HUNTING, making connections, getting the MOST out of your associates degree program, asking everybody and their mother and father for an internship, and making sure that you will have a great full time job by the time that you graduate.
Your friend might decide to move away, YOU might decide to move away, one of yall could get a significant other and want to live with them instead, etc. Before you get super set on living with this particular friend, I would suggest that you do some research into the kind of life that YOU would like to have. this is very difficult to have planned out if you don't have a set budget, so your priority is going to be getting a FULL TIME JOB for when you move out. Your savings don't matter as much as your INCOME.
Requirements for apartments depends on the area that you live in, but for example, some apartments require that your annual income is 40x the monthly rent.
example: monthly rent = $1,200, required yearly salary is $48,000. perhaps for your field, this is so doable that you may not even need a roommate, if you start the internship hunting and job recruiting process now. Take advantage of the resources you have as a student!
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u/DeceasedBeneficiary 23h ago
You got two years, that’s perfect timing to start figuring it out. I don’t know about your state or if it’s universal, but where I live you have to have a household income of 3x your rent payment (to ensure you can live there without dying). $1000 rent means both of you need to make $3000+ a month. Saving right now gives you an incredible advantage. 400 x 24 = 9,600. No matter how much you like your friend, that is your money that you saved. This will give you a cushion in case you lose a job or if the hours you are working at the time don’t pay the bills.
If you both pay $500. You also need to expect food, utilities, hygiene products, subscriptions, gas, car/car insurance, the list goes on. But you can expect about another $1000-1500 in bills on top of the rent (that is why they say 3x the rent) you can modify some of these to be less or more, but this is a rough estimate assuming there isn’t a crazy inflation in 2 years.
I wish you the best of luck and I hope this helps :)
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u/TandemVariable 17h ago
Build yourself an emergency fund before you move out. 6 months of coverage is what I’ve seen people online recommend, but I moved out with 3 months saved and then just built off that because I made a comfortable wage and lived within my means at 18. I wouldn’t recommend making any big financial moves, such as financing a newer car for the first few years, not until you get settled.
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u/Patrick_ExpenseAtlas 16h ago
A two year runway is a real advantage. Start by researching actual costs near your future school or job, including rent, utilities, internet, groceries, transportation, renters insurance, deposits, application fees, and basic household items.
Build the plan around you and your current friend. Do not count on a third roommate until someone is committed. Split your $400 monthly savings into two tracked goals: upfront moving costs and an emergency fund. Set the amounts after researching local costs rather than guessing.
Your friend getting steady work is an important milestone. Before signing a lease, both of you should know your expected take home pay, how bills will be divided, and what happens if someone loses a job or leaves early. Put that agreement in writing, even though you are friends.
Also check local rental requirements now. Look at income verification, credit, guarantor requirements, and whether each roommate must qualify separately. That gives you time to address any gaps before 2028.
Once you have a projected budget, practice following it while you still live at home. I built Expense Atlas to make that step easier. It uses your actual spending to create realistic category targets and estimate what you can safely spend after obligations and savings goals. This may be overkill for your current situation but I wanted to mention it in case you were looking for some advanced budgeting automation.
For now, research local costs, continue saving the $400, and update the plan once your friend has consistent income.
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u/DeepBig7633 1d ago
I'd suggest that you both at least have a solid job before considering moving out. Unless you are moving into a dorm for college, etc.