For the first time ever, I lived alone off campus and it was definitely an eye opener. During the summer, I made the conscious decision of living by myself to experience life as an adult. I really wanted to try something new and I expected that this experience would teach me a whole new level of what it means to be responsible. Living alone gives a lot of independence and you get to be the decision maker in all aspects concerning your living style.
At the start of the semester, my biggest issue was finding furniture and making my room and apartment feel like a home. I really expected for my entire space to look like something out of a Pinterest board by now but I quickly realized that furniture and decorations can be quite expensive and the bills add up. I am currently still stuck with white walls but that's okay because I learned that I can build my space overtime and I don't need to break the bank in one go!
Having my mum, sister or aunt cook food for me was something that I definitely did not appreciate enough. Having a constant supply of food was definitely a struggle for me this semester. My diet consisted of fried rice, pasta, fries and Uber Eats when I was really out of food. To fix this, over the winter break I will be spending a lot of time learning how to meal prep and some quick but healthy meals I could make. My health is really important to me and food should definitely be a priority!
Living by myself has definitely taught me a lot about financial management. I am not a careless spender but living downtown Toronto is definitely not the cheapest living option. I had to be really responsible and make sure that I got the rent to the landlord on time every month. On top of the rent, there were other monthly expenses such as wifi, phone bills, insurance and hydro. My biggest learning has been that living alone is not cheap and financial responsibility is extremely important.
Overall, it has definitely been a fun experience but it's not a walk in the park. What's your experience living a lone and what was the best part for you?
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