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10 Tips For Independent Living
Posted on January 2, 2010 06:00PM
SAN FRANCISCO - I was multitasking the other day, keeping an eye on dinner cooking on the stovetop, loading up the washer with laundry, and folding clean clothes straight out of the dryer. A couple of hours before that, I made a dent on my Christmas shopping, got the mail from the post office box, stocked up on groceries, and took the car to the car wash.
"Looks like you know how to get things done," my mother observed. It was a big deal coming from her, because every time I brought up the subject of moving out before, she'd say it's up to me if I want to get my own place--then follow it up with a long list of the things I'd have to deal with myself. Independence comes at a hefty price, as all parents say.
I know doing the errands and tasks I mentioned above does not even comprise the tip of the iceberg when it comes to surviving on your own--physically, mentally, and financially. But in a lot of ways, I'm glad that when I graduated from college back in 2007, my parents didn't pressure me to go find a job immediately afterwards, even if I was already looking for job openings. I was encouraged to spend a bit of time abroad, and in the half-year I was last here in the States, I got to call my own shots and have a dry run at independent living.
Since I stayed with relatives, I learned how to be more considerate of other people, too, in terms of sharing space and coexisting harmoniously. Traveling from place to place exposed me to many interesting individuals with different norms, points of view, and beliefs--and in some cases, I really had to keep an open mind when I talked to them!
Here are some of the things I've learned from the experience. Some may seem trivial compared to the others, but in living alone, you need every bit of smarts in your arsenal:
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