It's been awhile...

[Lisa]

Okay, I have a possibility of a job and living situation change, but I'm not sure if I should go for it.

There's a lady in a town about a 1/2 hour from where I live and 45 mins from where I go to school who is looking for a worker and has a suite available. She has offered it to me, if I take the job. The suite rents for $450 and it would be an actual rental agreement. The job would be $10/hour, after training (training is $8.50) and I would work off the rent. She has said that I basically could work as many hours as I want. If I worked 25 hours per week I would make about $1000/month. She said she's very flexible, she could probably find me more work if I wanted to do gardening or housekeeping or nannying, that kind of thing and make more money, or I could get a second job if I need one. My bills right now are approximately $500/month. If I were to do this, I would have food and internet only to pay for on top of that. I don't really watch tv and I have a cell phone, so I wouldn't need another phone. I would probably have to get a weekend job to cover everything and still have something left over for spending money, I would need about $300 more than what this job would give me.

My schedule would be something like this: Get up @ 5 or 5:30, feed the horses, have a shower, go to school til 12:30, come home, eat lunch, work for about 5 hours, eat dinner, work on school work or relax, go to bed around 10 and do it again lol.

I've never lived on my own before and, while I would be close to my family, it would still be very different. I honestly don't know if I could do it, but it would also be a good stepping stone to living on my own in Alberta.

I'm not sure if I should. There are many pros and cons.

Pro:

-I'd be making more than I am now.

-I would be living on my own.

-I would probably end up working less hours than I am now, and would be less tired than I am right now (I work til midnight on the nights I work).

-I would be working with horses.

Con:

-I would have a lot more bills than I do now.

-I would have to change campus's, since it is too far to go to school every day and still be able to work and live in the barn.

-If I couldn't make enough, I wouldn't eat, which I'm not used to.

There is also an issue that me and my parents are having a hard time getting along right now, but they want me to stay home til I finish school, because they don't want me to live paycheque to paycheque.

I need some advice...

Thanks in advanced.

 

[Marty]

STAY PUT YOUNGIN.

 

[justaboutgeese]

First a lifes lesson, Before you can get ahead you have to get even. Starting out in life several hundred dollars a month behind is not a good formula. I did not hear mention of the cost of commuting nor the cost of several other necessary items, clothing, auto expenses, entertainment, gifts (birthdays, christmas etc), Nor any mention of savings for emergencies. What happens the first time you become ill and can`t get out of bed ?

You would be living under a different roof dependant on the finincial support of your family and living alone is not all its cracked up to be especially when young and not fully independant. Working seven days a week leaves little time for yourself, family and friends.

My advice is the same as Martys, I just added some rational to the answer.

When you have graduated and build a nest egg to start on will be time enough to try being on your own.

 

[Ashley]

well I guess im differnt cause I say go for it.

 

[sedeh]

I'm with Marty and Goose! Stay put! When you move out it should be when you can reasonably afford it. Besides, finishing school is important. You don't need more added stress.

 

[strass]

they want me to stay home til I finish school

There you have it. If your parents are willing to provide you a home until you finish school....

DON'T LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH.

You have the rest of your life to deal with the rest of the world. Right now, finishing school is what you should focus on. It will give you more opportunities later.

Grandpappy always told me: "You can pay now, or you can pay later...But YOU WILL PAY."

I say, pay now and get your schooling done.

Another thing: Your parents won't live forever. Work your problems out now and let them know you care before you blink and find out that you are old and it's too late. Someday, you might just be glad you took some time to get to know them from an adult's point-of-view.

 

[Marty]

When I was 18 I moved out into my own apartment in a very large city because I refused to move with my parents from Connecticut to Florida in their new retirement home.

I held down a full time job during the week, a part time job on the weekends waitressing, plus I went to school at night.

I had no car and had to stand on the corners waiting for the bus, pouring rain, deep snow, in the dark, didn't matter, to get me anywhere I had to go. It was always scarry.

I never had money for food. I was usually starving and weighed about 90 pounds soaking wet. I was always hungry, but refused any help from my parents because I insisted on making it on my own.

I had a number of freeloaders move in my apartment on me, use my place for parties, steal me blind and eat what few TV dinners I had in the freezer. I was sick all the time.

Took me a couple of good years to tell my parent's "I hope you still have those extra bedrooms in your new place because I'm coming down"

I proved absolutely nothing by living on my own except that it's a very hard thing to do at a very young age when you don't have to. Sometimes being stubborn and having too much pride doesn't work well.