How to Live on Your Own as a Teenager | 19 Essential Tips For Teenagers

If you are a teenager and want to live on your own, you must learn the process. In this blog, I will guide you step by step on how to live on your own as a teenager.

Living alone is great. You can place anywhere according to your preferences; you can leave and come back at any time without being accountable to anyone. Moreover, it gives you a very high level of freedom and liberty to live your life in the way you want without feeling tied to another person.

It’s the dream of any teenager who can’t stand living with their parents anymore. But once you’re really on your own, you’ll notice that these are things you may not have been prepared for. This is at least on principle.

Teens and mostly young adults need to be able to cope with everyday tasks before moving out. Learning how to shop and manage your money is important for independent living. Some independent living skills are tough for people with severe learning and attention issues. However, let’s review the most important things to learn.

How to Live on Your Own as a Teenager

Here are some best tips to live on your own as a teenager:

• Take personal care
• Learn laundry
• Try to manage money
• Prepare food
• Go to study
• Learn transportation
• Shopping
• Wash clothes
• Use home appliances
• Be responsible
• Make friends that will eventually be your family.
• Save money
• Wait for someone to text you and invite you to lunch.
• Go out
• Be a responsible person.
• Be Mature
• Do stuff to get some extra money
• Use your charm to apologize for an overdue rent bill.
• Do your best not to get sick.

Personal Care

This includes:

• Practice good personal hygiene, such as showering and brushing teeth regularly.
• Participate in fitness activities, for example joining a neighborhood soccer team or going for a walk every day.
• Understand the dangers of smoking, drug use, alcohol, unprotected sex, and abusive behavior.
• Know when to see a doctor, and how and when to take your medications.

Difficulties in self-care can greatly affect social and professional relationships. This is why you need to purchase personal care items before you move. Remember to know how much they cost and how often they need to be replaced. 

Doing Laundry

You will need to know how to do laundry at home or at a Laundromat. A good way to teach youngsters how to care for their clothes is to do it in several steps.

Try practicing at home before you move in. Make a list of the items you need to do laundry. Learn to separate dirty clothes, wash them, then fold them and put them away when they are clean.

Manage Money

Young people living on their own need to learn managing money pay bills withdraw and deposits. So, there are some terms of money you may learn.

Make a list of the expenses you will have while living away from home. This includes rent, utilities, food, medicine, personal items, and recreational activities. Be sure to note the things you must pay for regularly so you budget accordingly. Remember that you can have credit cards, insurance policies, credit plans, housing plans, medical care plans, and all that stuff.

Prepare food

You will need to know how to plan well in advance for what to eat and how to shop for food. This includes buying foods that will last for several days and knowing which foods can be stored for a long time. Remember that you will need to know how to buy these items a little at a time, so they don’t go bad.

You may want to create a shopping list. You should know what items are stored in the pantry and what items go in the refrigerator or freezer. You can also prepare simple meals to enjoy.

Go to study

Remember you have many choices to get a school diploma. So, go to school, and work on yourself. If you don’t know what to do, try consulting a school counselor to discover what you can do.

Transportation

You will need to know how to get around on your own. This means understanding how long it takes to get somewhere and the cost of travel.

Suppose you plan to use public transportation, practice taking the train or bus. Transportation schedules can change, and she will need to know what to do if this happens.

You can schedule frequently visited addresses in advance.

Shopping

You are living on your means regular shopping as well as shopping alone. Therefore, you need to know what stores offer. You can mark specific stores near the house on a map. For example, if she wants to buy a shirt, she will need to know which clothing store she goes to, its size, and the approximate cost.

Living on your own is a serious decision. It is important that you agree that you are ready to live on your own.

Clothes don’t wash.

It may seem easy, but you’ll quickly discover that your laundry, folding, and ironing chores won’t do themselves.

If you’re already used to doing laundry chores, there may not be a big change. But some people go from having no responsibilities to having all of them, and it takes time to make the adjustments. Living on your own as a teenager is fun but stressful at the same time.

There’s always something to clean.

The furniture, the floor, the bathroom, the cups, plates, and silverware seem to be in constant competition to decide which gets dirty the fastest. You will get used to this. 

Shopping doesn’t happen by itself.

How nice to wake up late to find that your parents had already done all the shopping, right? Well, that will never happen again, and you’ll learn what to keep in the fridge.

Using home appliances

Some devices are much less intuitive than they seem and will make it harder for you to get used to them.

The bills won’t stop pouring in.

Life is expensive. Water, electricity, gas, Internet service, entertainment, everything costs money and the bill will arrive every month without fail.

There is no room for anything.

When you get more items, you will notice that there isn’t room for anything else, and you will probably become frustrated with the boxes that keep appearing in your aisle, no matter how many times you move and rearrange them.

There’s no place like home.

Life can be busy, and now is the time to understand the true meaning of this saying. Teens will do whatever it takes to get out of the house, but many adults find that one of life’s greatest joys is staying home to recharge. Family comes first! Don’t do the petition for emancipation without thinking about all this.

Despite the frustrations, we learn that living alone can be very rewarding. All of the above points are worthwhile life lessons that will enrich you and make you a better-rounded person ready to adapt to challenges. Hence, the keys to living on your own as a teenager:

Be responsible

Being responsible is the first lesson you must learn while living alone. To prepare breakfast, you must get up early in the morning. You can rely on us. Every task at 7:30 a.m. is a grind. You’ll also learn to cook, clean, and save energy. You are in charge of your health. So, although being responsible might be difficult, it is the most effective method to mature.

Eventually, your friends will become your family.

You will ultimately find who your true pals are among 1000 or more friends and colleagues, such as those who will go to your home to cook for you. Your siblings and sisters from various moms and dads will cease being pals and join your family! You can rely on us. It is not always necessary for your family to be your kin.

Putting money aside

Consider this scenario: you only have five pears to eat healthy in a week. As a result, you’ll need to consume one apple every day. However, since there are seven days a week, two apples are absent. Saving with a minimal allowance is best described in this circumstance. It’s a difficult task that requires sacrifice and focus.

Everything will be worthwhile if you have saved enough money. It’s also common to have slip days now and again. There’s nothing wrong with eating two pears if they’re good apples in one day. You must assess all of your sources of revenue. Be astute!

Wait for someone to text you and invite you to lunch.

It may seem minor, but hey, grab it if there’s a chance to save money! You’re only waiting for anyone else to text you, after all. Why not accept someone’s invitation to dinner as a gift? First, it’s inexpensive; second, you’ll be eating a lump of meat, poultry, or pasta for the whole day. With practice, you can grow into a beautiful adult.

Going out by yourself will not be an issue.

If a waiter approaches me and says, “How much is a table, sir?” “For one,” I can confidently respond. It will be uncomfortable the first few times, but you will grow accustomed to it. You’ll also understand how enjoyable it is to go out independently. When you live alone, taking time for yourself is a terrific idea.

This might be a great hobby to pursue if you wish to live independently as a teenager. Sometimes the most suitable time you’ll ever need is when you’re alone. Trust us when we say that this will occur to you often!

You will grow as a person.

You will ultimately learn to grow up if you previously thought about yourself as self-centered and childlike. Living alone teaches you to think of the people around you, particularly those who aid you, rather than only about yourself. This might be an excellent chance for you.

Maturity does not always come with age.

Age is nothing more than a number. We’ve met numerous individuals who are older than us but think as we do, and those who are the same age or even younger yet believe as we do.

Do stuff to get some extra money.

A little more cash can always come in handy. So, if you’re looking for strategies to save money to aid your family with their bills, you’ll have to learn it by heart.

Make use of your charm to make amends for a past-due rent debt.

Hey, you never know when you won’t be capable of paying your rent every month. Hide from your landlord, believe me, it won’t help. Instead, using your charisma will be very beneficial to both parties.

Hopefully, communicating gently with the landlord, apologizing, and setting a payment date will result in a satisfying resolution. The landlord might establish a payment deadline for you, and you won’t have to hunt for another place to live.

Determine how often you’ll need to contact or text your folks to inform them that you’re still alive.

You must notify your relatives that you are still alive since you are away from home. Living alone does not imply that you have forgotten about your parents. Because they were your caregivers, you must communicate with them regularly.

There is no such thing as a curfew that does not exist.

At 4:00 a.m., our subdivision has a curfew of 10 p.m. As a result, it’s advisable to return home late at night. You must be able to regulate your time if you do not have a curfew. Because you live alone, you must know when it is safe to return home and when it is not.

There will be days when you are alone.

There are going to be lonesome days when you live alone. You’ll miss your family from time to time. You may also be successful at times, and you’ll want them to celebrate with you. You’ll overthink things at times, driving you insane at others.

You will, however, find a method to overcome them.

But the issue is that you can’t stay alone indefinitely. Over time, you will discover new ways to be joyful and no longer be afraid of being alone.

Make every effort to avoid being ill.

Being unwell is the absolute worst. When you’re sick, you occasionally want to be a baby and not worry about who will look after you. When you’re alone, you do everything you can to maintain your health.

Everyone congregates in your flat.

Expect your pals to inquire whether your apartment is open when they run out of places to go. Some flats will be the homes of everyone.

Sleeping in a bed still doesn’t mean anything.

What about if your share sleeps time in a bed with friends? People think it means something sexual has happened. But maybe the answer is no. This happens especially when it comes to two men sleeping together in a bed. It also means when you sleep next to a friend. As we said before, you’ll treat your friends like brothers, so if you sleep.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it illegal to live on your own at 16?

It is not illegal if you get parental consent. It is a kind of regulation that there is for the emancipation of young people. The important thing to know is that certain conditions must be met to obtain this legal benefit.

Is it illegal for a 15-year-old to live alone?

Yes, because emancipation applies from the age of 16. You need to know that in the United Kingdom you can live alone from the age of 16, but you must meet certain requirements. Remember that the most important thing is your integrity.

Can a 13-year-old live on its own?

Not without their parents’ permission. Although, let’s face it; there are kids at that age who already live on their own, but it’s because they don’t have family members nearby. Some people have to live a very hard life. That’s also likely, and that’s why it’s good to prepare yourself first. Living alone is not easy.

Can my parents call the cops if I leave at 16?

If you are from the United States, they can deny your consent until 18. They can even give instructions not to let you go far away with the authorities. Remember, they are your caregivers.

Can my parents call the cops if I leave at 17?

As in the previous question, the answer is yes if you do not live in the UK. In the UK, there are laws for you to ask for your emancipation through the courts.

Learn can you live by yourself at 17 with parental consent?

Can my parents kick me out at 16?

No, they can’t because they are your legal guardians. In the case of the UK, young people can decide to live on their own. It is different from your parents kicking you out.

Final Words

You can live on your own as a teenager but gradually. Being a teenager is difficult, but if it is within your means, always try to train yourself first in everything you need to learn. Any household chores are important. Also, learn all about solitude and routines. 

All of these tips are helpful, so go ahead and put them all into practice.

So, think about this decision wisely. Going from home is not the best choice sometimes. You must be aware of what this means. Remember your family will be there with you. Emancipation services will be there for you. However, you will need your parents’ consent. This could not apply if you live in the UK.

This emancipation process could take some time but can be worth it for many young people. Get some financial discipline. Learn about terms like a source of income, credit card debt, good and bad debt, personal expenses, and interest rate.

Finally, don’t run away from home. You can try to look for a family therapist or talk with your parents. Most young people do this with some angry feeling inside. So, think about it well, and have the best life possible.