MML Alex: Prepping for some new expenses in 2016

A lot has happened since we last spoke before Thanksgiving. Since we last spoke I’ve found an apartment and set a move-in date. In early February I’ll be saying goodbye to my childhood home permanently, and saying hello to downtown Indianapolis. I’m excited to be downtown and to get to know the city I grew up around better.

Although my life has absolutely started since I graduated from college, it really feels like a new beginning when you move out. It’s weird, but I feel like life will feel more like my senior year in college than my time spent at home after graduating. The level of independence is greater when you are in school, even compared to post-college at home.

It seems like it happened fast, but the decision was well-researched and thought out. If there is an apartment aggregator website out there that I haven’t been on I’ll be surprised. In total my roommate and I visited six different complexes during our search, some of them multiple times. Calculating all the different expenses involved has been yet another exercise in realizing how complex adult life is. Everything is complicated. When you want to rent you have to consider the rent price, lease length, utility costs (which doesn’t include internet/cable usually), renters insurance, security deposits, application fees, parking costs, location, and more.

Once you figure out what your monthly and one-time apartment related expenses are you need to figure out how to furnish the place. This will be an on-going process, but we did make progress using Black Friday deals. I never thought I’d be that guy, but there I was standing in line outside an Ashley furniture store after Thanksgiving dinner. Don’t judge me… it was a $130 couch.

So far everything has turned out well, so I’m pleased at the progress. The biggest change I’m preparing for is the introduction of more monthly expenses. I’ve been living at home and my expenses have been extremely low. So I’m mentally preparing myself for the responsibility of these on a consistent basis. The flexibility I’ve had to attack my student loans and other goals will decrease as well. A budget reconfiguring is due, and I’ve got around two months to figure it out.

By the way, shout out to my parents for letting my crash back at home for a few months after graduation. It helped me save a ton of cash and I appreciate it immensely. You're the real MVPs.