Moving out alone!

Also is it seriously creepy? because i often leave a light on when i'm home alone but when its me paying the bill i won't be! But i can't help but imagine serial killers lurking!

When you move out would you be able to take a bed from your mums? Stuff from there?

DP and I rent on a VERY tight budget. We are renting a place that is $350 (Wellington, 3 bedrooms) so about average price. Power, we turn everything off when not in use. Only one light on and stay in the same room (lounge) at night...

Showers/Baths, DD and I do that together and DP by himself... Supposedly to save water.

Look for a place that has fridge and washing machine and/or dryer if you want.

$250, what does that include? 1 bedroom or more?

Where we were looking $250 was a 1 bedroom or a small 2 bedroom. $250-300 was our initial budget so for us renting a $350 a week place means that would have been our savings $50 a week.

Groceries we spend $100 a week/$200 a fortnight. Meet, vegies and bits and bobs. Some weeks we spend under $200 other weeks we spend more. When we spend under $200 we save the difference and use it for the weeks we need more - things you don't get weekly like flour, cleaning stuff (unless you make your own) etc.

If you think moving out will be a while, slowly start buying things now.

Would having a flat mate be an option?

Otherwise look out for sales and often places like Briscoes, Warehouse, Kmart etc sell 'starter kits' for pots and pans, etc.

Work out a budget first...

We save $50 per week for power so $200 a month, $25 per week for internet (it's actually $70 for internet so we have $30 left over), we don't have a phone line - just cellphones so that's what we use the $30 for - DPs is $20 per month mine is $10. We have $100 per week for groceries or $200 fortnight. Umm... What else... I can't recall but definitely do a budget first of what you are getting now and if that changes then you can adjust it!

Sorry, this is for 2 people + baby so may not be helpful but hope it helps!

It's not too creepy living alone unless you've got little ghost vents around the place. I always have to cover them up incase of zombies.

I'm back at my mums now for what looks to be quite some time, and I have a full kitchen worth of stuff that isn't going to be used to a very long time, so you are welcome to all of that. Kettle, toaster, crockery, cutlery etc.
We've also got a large bar fridge that you're welcome to on long-term loan, and possibly a washing machine.

Nwaah thats guys, Bec i won't take your things off you! You never know when you and bubs might want to strike out. Though having said that i have a mega box of NB naps here if you want them if you havent already popped!!

James im in the south island i think you're in the north, right? I am starting to accumulate things like plates and sheets and things. I am fairly sure my mom will let me take a bed and probably a couch. Besides i spend 99% of my time on the floor with bubs anyway so i dont need chairs haha.

I guess its just so overwhelming and i'm lazy. I am aiming to move out closer to summer anyway so im not hit with mega power bills on top of everything else.

$250 here will get you this creepy house, or this one which i may go view or i could go $360 and get this pretty one!

I live on my own in Tauranga and am also on the DPB.

I pay 280 a week rent for a small two bedroom (the prices here are horrendous, but I live in one of the best areas so gotta pay the price)...

I manage incredibly well to be honest. I put 50 a week aside for bills (power and internet/phone arent much when its just me), 25 aside for formula and spend around 70 on food and 20 on petrol. That leaves me with around 50-60 dollars for "spending money" to get what ever else I need, like clothes for LO or myself, or just top ups of things like bread and milk. I usually dont spend all that though, so put it aside for bills or whatever.

I love that house in Geraldine, I would love to live there but I'd have to dress up all old-timey and steampunky everyday and prance around the halls all day long.
And have a ghost dog.

D&M Properties have a few decent priced places every now and then.

sh*t, Wriggles thats a brilliant list i should break it down like that. Now i just need to accumulate enough *stuff* to move with. I got the goal in mind to be in our own place by new year, if not Xmas so a bit of time to accumulate stuff! Actually should make a list of stuff...

pots/pans
cutlery
crockery
fridge

washing machine

couch/chairs
TV
Table/chairs

Bed
Drawers

Storage/bookshelves

Drawers for DS
Storage for DS's toys and whatnots.

Linen (bed, towels, tea towels etc)

Vacum Cleaner

- thats the absolute basics i can think off, anyone want to add to that? Excluding baby stuff (cot etc) obviously because i have all that already.

Edited by Bowie

Haha yeah i just went out to the briscoes 60% off sale and was like toasters! cooking utensils! heaters! lamps!

Im pretty sure my mom will hook me up with some reject towels and sheets and things but i dont like to take these things for granted.

I am lucky that I have a reasonably well paying job, but in saying that my mortgage is crippling for a single parent on a part time wage good though it may be. Hence why I have a flatmate.

She is away a bit though and I don't really find it creepy on my own so much as incredibly lonely. Even when she is here she sticks to herself and watches her own TV and eats her meals downstairs by herself. I love that she is not in my face but still....very lonely.

When I split with my husband I replaced a lot of the stuff I lost with stuff I brought at the Salvation Army and local second hand stores. I brought a cool table and chairs off trademe and got my TV + cabinet for $50. My couch was on massive mark down as it had a rip in the back of it (can't see that when its against the wall) and I got DD's drawers really cheap because the leg came off them and they had a big scratch in the side (damaged in the delivery truck) and Farmers were selling them for $50! Didn't take much to get the leg fixed and I don't care about a scratch. You just gotta write a list of what you need and keep your eye out for good deals. The Salvation Army is great for kitchen utensils and crockery if you don't have a lot to spend. And in their shop here the stuff turns over really quickly so I go in quite a bit coz they always have new stuff.

Don't forget about stuff like a laundry basket, buckets, basic tools (hammer, screwdrivers etc), rags for cleaning, dish rack, plastic containers etc. Also you could stock up on stuff that costs a bit like cleaning prodcts, laundry powder, basic food items (tinned stuff) that you will need when you move in.

When I moved back in to my place there was so much that I needed that I had forgotten. Mosty stuff like I would go to cook something and realise I didn't have sugar or butter, or beef stock or a whisk or something. When you do stuff during the day think about what you are using and try and write it down. Its the little stuff that gets forgotten till you need it. Like we had a power cut not long after DD and I moved into our house and I realised I had no candles or matches and I didn't have a torch!

The Crows Nest would be good for all your kitchen stuff, you could probably get the lot for about five bucks.