6 Items You Won't Regret Investing In When You Move Out On Your Own
So, you finally got your own place. Whether moving in with friends or your SO, this is a huge step in your life.
When your moving day arrives, the people helping you cart your stuff from your car to your new place (usually your parents) will also be the same kind souls who will present you with a parting gift of a jumbo bag of toilet paper or paper plates — you know, the things you forgot you would need.
It's impossible to plan for every single thing you'll need, and the first couple weeks will consist of countless trips to Target and various grocery and drug stores to get items like extension cords, lightbulbs and soap.
Chances are you will have forgotten about all of that until the moment you have to wash your hands and you have nothing to wash them with.
If it's something you use daily and are likely to take with you when you move out, then it is worth paying a little extra to get the best quality you can find. These are the six things worth investing in when you move out:
1. A coffeepot or kettle
You need some form of caffeine every morning, and you don't want to spend major bucks at the coffee shop every day, so this one is a no-brainer.
It will save you a ton of money in the long run, especially if you get a good quality that will last for years to come.
2. Utensils
Do not buy kitchen utensils from the dollar store. They will fall apart at the most inconvenient times or melt in the dishwasher, and if it happens when that new guy or girl you're trying to impress comes over for the first time, you'll be sorry.
You may be tempted to just have plastic silverware, but this isn't a picnic — it's your life, and you need decent silverware.
3. Medicine
Just like every other mortal on this earth, you will get sick. Maybe not today or next week, but it will happen.
You'll wake up and expect your mom to be ready to open the medicine cabinet and give you everything you need, only to realize you moved out six months ago and all you have in your cabinets is ramen.
Take my word for it: Buy cold medicine ahead of time for when you or one of your roommates gets sick. You will be so glad you did.
4. A fan or space heater
Air conditioners break. Heaters break.
When it happens (and it will happen) you will be so glad you had a fan or space heater handy to pass the time while you wait for the repair guy to show up or the blizzard to stop.
5. Towels
Hand towels, bath towels, any kind of towel. It doesn't matter so much what it looks like, as long as it is a good-quality towel that can say, serve as a guest towel... or sop up the water when your toilet overflows unexpectedly.
All of these things will happen, and since towels are cheap, there is no reason not to have plenty of extras on hand.
6. Alarm clock
If you oversleep, your roommates will not wake you up like your mom used to do. They have their lives, and chances are, it doesn't involve chasing after you to make sure that you get to work on time.
Get a decent alarm clock to have as a backup to your phone (if you insist on still using it) and get the kind that has battery-powered backup in case the electricity goes out.
Now you might be put off by the word invest, but when I say invest, I don't mean to shell out all of your hard-earned money the week you move in order to buy expensive household items. Just like with everything else you're now juggling, you have to be strategic about it.
If you invest in these items before you move your life will be infinitely easier and less stressful and you'll have more time and money to focus on things that you love, like your friends or roommates or SO, which is the whole reason you moved in the first place.
