Enjoy your last meal.

Food costs alot.

I moved outta home over ten years ago and have lived on soup and discount meat ever since.... yum. Sigh.

The furthest I've lived away from home was in a tent at the bottom of the garden for a few hours - I got into an argument with my parents once when I was small (can't remember over what, exactly), and threatened to leave home. Well, a mandarin tree in the backyard was as far as I got. I took some biscuits with me. I figured I'd rely on my Mum for a change of clothing each morning - but I didn't get that far.

Wednesday morning at five o'clock as the day begins
Silently closing her bedroom door
Leaving the note that she hoped would say more
She goes downstairs to the kitchen clutching her hankerchief
Quietly turning the backdoor key
Stepping outside she is free.
She (We gave her most of our lives)
Is leaving (Sacrificed most of our lives)
Home (We gave her everything money could buy)
She's leaving home after living alone
For so many years. Bye, bye
Father snores as his wife gets into her dressing gown
Picks up the letter that's lying there
Standing alone at the top of the stairs
She breaks down and cries to her husband
Daddy our baby's gone.
Why would she treat us so thoughtlessly
How could she do this to me.
She (We never thought of ourselves)
Is leaving (Never a thought for ourselves)
Home (We struggled hard all our lives to get by)
She's leaving home after living alone
For so many years. Bye, bye
Friday morning at nine o'clock she is far away
Waiting to keep the appointment she made
Meeting a man from the motor trade.
She (What did we do that was wrong?)
Is having (We didn't know it was wrong)
Fun (Fun is the one thing that money can't buy)
Something inside that was always denied
For so many years. Bye, bye
She's leaving home. Bye, bye

I Lived at the CIT for about 6 months back in 98, I Found that on a budget of $160 p/w i only had $20 left (the rent included power and 3 meals a day) I Only had enough for smokes and beer. It wasnt the emotional issues that concerned me - just the money. So i ropped outta tech, got a job and moved back in with my folks where i still am hopefully for a few more weeks.

Dont flat with Emerald Greeen....

*smirk*

just kiddin Mel!

If you're moving into an existing flat, ask them what kind of cleaning roster they have, and if it works. If a flat that has post-it notes stuck up saying things like "DO YOUR (insert profanity of choice) DISHES!" leave immediately. Also, don't be that person that sticks up post-its.

Similarly, take a good look at the kind of messages left up on the communal whiteboard. Phone messages = good, complaints about domestic hygiene = bad.

In my experience, disputes over dishes have always been the single biggest factor in flat dischord. If you don't like doing dishes, find a place with a dishwasher. Sneak a look for any large piles of dishes not only in the kitchen, but also in the existing flatties' rooms.

Don't flat with couples - if you get on the wrong side of one of them, you're instantly on the wrong side of both. That is, unless they're over 60. Retired couples will insist on feeding you.

flat meetings! try not to be the nazi who can't compromise.

...oh, wear and tear is the landlord's problem, but if you see an odd mouldy patch anywhere in the bathroom walls, or a tap starts leaking, or toadstools suddenly start sprouting from the windowsill, tell the landlord straight away - call and write. Doesn't matter if they do anything about it or not, but if you don't tell them immediately then you're liable for any cumulative damage. First-hand experience.

NEVER EVER flat with other people - My cousin learnt this the hard way. when chosing a flat go for a 1 b/room, even if you think flatmates keep the rent down, the full price is a small price to pay for not having a nazi-dictator flatmate getting at you for the smallest of things.

It's a big bad world out there, and I would suggest the following:
If you can, take your time to find a good location for yourself, and a decent place. Nothing worse than rushing into something just because you have to.
Make sure you know what the deal is with payment of food/utilities etc. (has been discussed above), some flats split utilities etc but cook/buy food individually - good to know these things. Also know the deal with domestic chores - this has caused huge ruckuses in some of my old flats.
If you do end up "seeing" one of your flatmates - make sure you're prepared for a shift in flat dynamics, because it will change no matter what.
It is a bit scary living with people you know or with total strangers - you never know what their habits are until you start living with them anyway, sometimes you just have to go with the flow.
Flatting can be incredibly rewarding, meeting new people and some of my best friends are old flatmates, and some of the best life stories revolve around flatting!!!!
Good luck!!!

Most people who leave home don't use removal companies because they usually get family and friends to help. But if you do end up using a moving company, best get them to do the shift on a weekday, because on weekends they are notoriously late because everyone moves on weekends!

The other thing is you should probably consider using something like flataccount.com to manage your flat expenses rather than getting a flat account. One flat I was in, one of the flatmates tried to do a runner with the flat money. I use flataccount.com in my flat at the moment and works a treat. You basically pay for expenses yourself and flataccount.com works out who owes what, so you don't have a shared flat account. It's pretty easy to use.

The only other thing I'd say is that I'd definitely recommend flatting people you know, or at least one person that you know.