The Rough Yet Beautiful Life Of Renting Your First Apartment In The Big City

Welcome to the real world, where renting your first apartment in the city, close to all of your friends will be equivalent to living at a carnival every weekend.

Ah, yes, the feeling of moving out of your parents’ home and into your own is one of pure bliss with a main course of stress. Everything your parents said about your life becoming a little more difficult once you move out... is completely true.

I mean, why would anyone want to move out of his or her parents’ place anyway? They offer the luxury of clean clothes and food on the table every day, for crying out loud.

Let me be clear: Living in an off-campus house is totally different than renting your own place. Actually, anything before graduating college is completely different because you are probably still considered on a leash, according to your parents, until you get a job.

In college, rent is paid for, meals are paid for and alcohol is definitely paid for, (especially when you have to convince your father that the liquor store name that shows up on the bank statement is a food mart).

Anyway, once you make that tough choice to move on out, it’s a whole new, bittersweet world. Here are 10 encounters you will undoubtedly have when renting your first place:

1. You pregame just as much as you did in college.

...But, you do it for different reasons. In college, you had to pregame so you could go out and converse with people from class, with no inhibitions (or to have the balls to talk to the person you like).

When you pregame on weekends while renting your own place, it’s only to save money. Drinks aren’t cheap in the city. $9 for a beer? Get real. I’ll brew my own.

2. You appreciate your parents more.

Calling your parents and telling them you’re sick will only get you the “take medicine and rest up” reply. (During my sick days, I move back home so I can get soup and tea, like a little baby.)

You’ll also start to realize exactly why your dad would yell every month after the bills came. Hopefully, you will call them more to check in and tell them about how amazing your workday was, when in reality, it sucked.

3. Your parents will still nag you about all the money you are spending.

Unless you show them you’re making a fortune of a salary each year, expect them to tell you how to spend your money (aka, put it all in the savings).

4. You start to work a little extra harder.

Your motivation at work tends to skyrocket, and that’s probably the only reason why you’re still living in your own place.

5. You live for the weekends.

In college, you lived for whatever time class ended. When you have a stable job, you live for Friday at 5 pm and when that time comes, you can let loose (aka, take off your pants and breathe).

6. Brunch

Brunching on the weekend is a beautiful thing. Saturday brunches get you drunk and Sunday brunches cure the hangover. What more can we ask for?

7. You learn how to budget.

“Okay, so $750 a month goes to rent, $300 for alcohol and food, and $50 in savings.” Deal.

8. "Celebratory” Drinking

Birthdays, promotions, great weather, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, etc. — in the city, you can find a reason to go out and enjoy life at any given time.

This is especially true in the summer, when festivals and beer gardens are open. Praise those wristband specials that will get you drunk for $35 with a side of hangover in the morning, due to you drinking all night, but hey, it works.

9. Cooking, cleaning, taking out the trash and unclogging the toilet aren’t considered chores anymore.

“Do I have to defrost this chicken before popping it in the oven? (Calls mom.)”

“Okay, this chicken is disgusting. I’ll order pizza.”

“Oh my god. I hope I didn’t just clog the toilet. Please flush.”

“Sh*t... I just clogged the toilet. (Calls dad because you don’t want to embarrass yourself to your landlord.)”

"Do I really have to pay $5 for every load of laundry? You better believe I'm taking my ass home this weekend."

10. Game Time

When you live in a city where everyone breathes sports, going out to a bar and meeting up with friends is a necessity. You’re in the city, for goodness sake! Game on!

It's going to be difficult to wake up every Monday morning, only to feel the pain of your debit card balance decreasing. We can only hope it gets easier, but in the meantime, keep on living, friends. Youth calls and so does a nice cold beer after work.

Photo Courtesy: Tumblr