How do people move out after high school?

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Without going full time work to support, pay off their rent i'm assuming. Food (big money killer). Miscellious fees.I know some caucasian friends that moved out after 19 and its extreamtly difficult and i think its unnecessary stress for them.. but this is the generation of turtling in the parents home?I'm currently 2nd year University (19, 20 soon) and I'm thinking on how to move out. Going on full time with four courses is demanding, I work at the university part time but its definitly not enough to support myself or even sharing a basemnt,apartment with a buddy or two. Just enough to wipe my ass with.Anyone here move out at a early age? Please share your experience.The reason why I'm thinking of this is my parents keep hassling me (asian, if it means anything to you) about it and there is a strong visible barrier to moving out and I think its mainly the first hurdle.My personal opinion is that you will be forced to be stuck in working class to support yourself to pay the rent to make the landlord more wealthy and be "WORKING POOR"??Am I wrong?

I moved out when I turned 18. Not because I wanted to, but because my parents wanted to move to the philippines to retire and I didn't want to get in their way. They would have been fine with me going along, but I decided to stick it out in the States and see what I could make of myself. Before they left, they made sure to give me all their tax papers for the year and told me to do their taxes when the time came and to take care of their mail. lol. Thanks.There are sacrifices you have to make. At first, I worked full time and only took home about $1100 a month. With a roommate, I was able to just get by. I also went to technical school, taking evening and online classes.Shop around for a cheap apartment. My main thing was to stay away from the ghetto type areas and get one that I felt safe in. Sometimes, for the money we can't choose to have that luxury.You want to find a reliable room mate that you know can pay their side of the rent when the time comes. My first room mate was a guy that I've been friends with since 1st grade. Very messy and didn't do anything around the apartment except for eat and watch TV and hardly ever clean after himself... but he made good money and paid the rent on time.Time Management. There are a million things I can say about this. Basically, use your time wisely. If you know you have an expense on the horizon and you just can't afford it, what should you do with your free time? Perhaps you could offer services to people. I fix people's computers on the side for a little extra cash. Pays the grocery bill.Be practical. Stop thinking in terms of what you want and think more of what you need. Trust me, it will become a big money saver if you keep it in mind.There are a lot of tips I can give. Just remember, if you're starting from scratch, it requires discipline to work your way up.Fast forward 2 1/2 years later. I'm almost done with school, got a huge raise at work, I'm living in a cheaper apartment, new room mate that's cleaner and reliable paying the rent. I'm still handling my parents mail and taxes. Still doing side work for people with their computers because I've gotten used to that on-the-side cash flow. lol. Hell, if my credit is good enough I may move out of this apartment and buy a small house that I can fix up. And best of all, I'm not in debt to anyone.So, is it possible. VERY.

I think the most important thing is to live within your means. That means going without things. You probably won't be able to afford your own apartment - a room in a shared house is generally the cheapest option here, though sometimes you may be able to find a trailer or shack at the back of someone's house.If food is the big money killer, you are not buying well. Cheap food exists that will keep you both alive and healthy, even if it's not the sort you prefer.Most people who are "working poor" are so, not because of too little money, but because they don't manage it well. If you spend more than you have, you have to borrow, pay interest, and everything ends up costing you three times more. If you spend less than you have, you will save, and be able to pay cash for things you do need. You should only ever borrow for things that will make you more money or save you more money than the interest cost.

Most people who are "working poor" are so, not because of too little money, but because they don't manage it well.

I really have to disagree with that. It is doubtless true in some cases. But there are a ton of people who are not making it because salaries are so damn low and expenses so high, and it gets worse all the time. I forget where you live Ineligible, but that sure is the case in the U.S. And it is remarkable how little that issue is addresed politically.

What is the current minimum wage in the States?As of midnight, the minimum wage has risen here to €8.30, which is almost US$11.00, and in July it will rise again to €8.65, which is about US$11.40!

It is going to $7.50hr here in California and $8.00 in 2008.But with the raise, comes inflation.

The national minimum wage is only $5.15 per hour which is remarkably low. Many states have raised it to the 7 to 8 dollar range. It is virtually impossible to live on minimum wage. That's really interesting Bobalicious that it's so much higher in Ireland- one more example of how backwards the U.S. has become.

[quote That's really interesting Bobalicious that it's so much higher in Ireland- one more example of how backwards the U.S. has become. [/quote]The whole concept of minimum wage has a lot of facets to it. Realize, Thoughtful, that while the wages may be higher, the (taxes) and cost of living in Europe are too. So the net buying power is really less. We really have it good here in the U.S. and don't appreciate it.Keep in mind that when the bottom wages go up, all those earning more that the minimum feel they are due for a raise too. Then the cost of living goes up and everyone is right back in the same place they were or worse. That's called inflation, not wage gain.Most people start at whatever minimum wage is. Those who want more work harder and prove that they are worth more. So in that sense, those who stay at minimum wage in the long run are making a choice. Minimum wage for minimum work.Most economists will tell you that every increase in the minimum wage knocks some people at the bottom out of work because they just aren't productive enough for the employer to recover the increased cost. Sure, the employer will raise his prices to cover the increased labor cost but the customer then has to decide whether the item for sale is worth the increased cost. Couple that with the fact that the buying power of those still employed is reduced (more wages but higher costs) and you really don't get ahead. The only real way to get a raise is to be more productive. That way you raise yourself among the others and not with the others, keeping your relative place the same.

There may well be a difference in reasons for poverty between the US and where I live - though you shouldn't assume the original poster is in the US. However it's a side issue. The point I was trying to make is that living within your means helps you in the long run.You need food to keep you alive and healthy. You need clothes to keep you warm and decent. You need shelter to protect you from the weather. Everything else is a luxury and should be rationed according to your means. This means not having things that you want to have, but the result is that overall you will have more, than if you go into debt to have what you want now.

Im moving out sometime next year.. Yikes! Im terrified!I dont know how Im gonna deal.. hopefully i will have a roommate or 2 to split the bills!

The productivity of American workers has been going up a lot per year for a lot of years, and it's reflected in stock prices and dividends, but not very much in the salaries of people below the 99th percentile (actually, it's worse than that).No one takes into account that health insurance comes with few low-wage jobs. I'm paying over $700 a month, just for me, for non-medically-underwritten HMO insurance. It's the same deal any healthy person my age would get. Plus I have a $500 co-pay for hospitalization.How many hours would a minimum-wage-earning person have to work, and not spend any money on food and housing to pay for that?Aside from all that, in states that raised the minimum wage, unemployment didn't go up at the low end. There comes a point where even McDonalds can't hire people to flip burgers for $5.75 an hour.It's a shameful situation. In some ways the U.S. is at the bottom of the heap versus every other industrialized country.

"That's really interesting Bobalicious that it's so much higher in Ireland- one more example of how backwards the U.S. has become."Not at all, Ireland has one of the highest per capita GPD averages in the world.I'm 19 and moving out in about 1 month's time. I'm also fulltime at uni (or will be again in a couple months) and have a partime job. I'm working fulltime over the summer to save a few grand to help during the year.Here in New Zealand we do have interest free student loans, which we can take out $150 per week to cover living expenses (average rent is about $100 per week for a room, depending on the city). I'm getting a slightly cheaper deal and my girlfriend is moving in too so we'll be able to save money that way.It's going to be hard, but like you I really want to get out of home.

In Canada we have interest-free student loans too; but they give it to you in two lump sums (the start of each semester) but technically, they want it to go towards books and tuition only right...lolAnd I have empathy for you, Steve; I do. I don't believe there is any value in screwing people out of medical care (Granted, I've grown up in Canada, so besides percriptions and eye-wear, we're covered). In the long run, neglecting the workers costs more money than taking care of them. It's a damn shame.

The problem with "no medical care" is that people without insurance will still get medical care (for acute situations), but they won't seek it until they're very sick, when treating them is much more expensive. Or they'll go to an emergency room for routine medical care. The hospitals recover the cost by sticking it to people who do have insurance. That's why I pay $709 a month for a routine HMO policy. The rest is paid by the government.What we have is a system that costs almost twice as much as it needs to. It's to the point where people won't leave their job (with benefits) and do something entrepreneurial for fear of being without health coverage. It's the way Starbucks keeps so many employees for so long.Note to compassionate conservatives obsessed with family values: many, many of the uninsured are children, who are being damanged by not getting the preventative care that they need.

readytogo >>>>>>Minimum wage for minimum work.Not always true. Steve makes a good point about the insurance issue>>>>>people won't leave their job (with benefits) and do something entrepreneurial for fear of being without health coverage. It's the way Starbucks keeps so many employees for so long. I don't think that it is minimum work at a place like that but people want/need the benefits. Here in Ca. we have MediCal, which is state insurance for the poverty level children. Wouldn't it be nice if it were available for families with more than $2000 in assets? With two children myself, I DO qualify for, and utilize it for my children. But I do have to admit, it gets scary to get out of this income level, because, I would have to make three times what I am making now to afford health insurance, and what do I do in the mean time as my income grows?That to me is a GNARLY can of worms! Then, at the 3x level you have to stay there, otherwise you end up in a different tax bracket that essentially turns into a lower spending power. Where is the drive to hit the middle income in this state...or any other state if it is the same across the board here. You are better off it seems, to either be really wealthy, or poor....Frustrating sometimes.

OMG hun, I am in the same boat when it comes to healthcare for my kids. I have my own benefits through my work, which are great, but if I added the kids they would take at least $200 or more out of my pay. Everytime raises come around I get a knot in my stomach and hope I am still eligible for the kids health insurance.Totally agree with it seems it would be better to be really poor or really wealthy.

To that effect, I don't have a source to cite; but I do recall seeing that Children make up the MAJORITY of poverty sufferers. I'll try to find that in my notes.