I am a sophomore at in college, majoring in Fine art. I live at home with my mom in a dilapidated home which I have been eager to get out of for years. I have a small bedroom that's cramed with years of collecting things I need. I NEED MORE ROOM! Exspecialy with art. I am expected to finish projects at home. I wish I had an art studio separate from where my bed lays and where my clothes are stuffed in a small closet. I don't even have a desk just for homework or drawing. Anyway... I really want to move out on my own. But I go to school part time and work 2 days a week at the most- for $9 an hour.

So. My question... how do you guys do it? Do you take out all the loans you can get and live off that and plan on paying it later? I assume that's an easy thing to do if you are attending graduate school. (you're going to make a lot of money when you graduate!) I might get a mastor's in art... but even that won't get me very far. Do you think it would be bad idea for me to live off loans? I'm terrified of debt but I'm tired of living with my mom.

I'm 20 by the way, how old were all of you when you moved out? I know a lot of kids who moved out right when they were 18 (which is what I always thought I would do when I was a teen) but they ended up back with their parents not even a year later. I'd like to hear all of your experiances and advice on the subject.

Hi Snotbubble,

I'm 26 years old and married with a child, I currently live at home with my parents and my other siblings, I had the same intentions as yourself, move out asap. The only reason why I didn't is cause I'm trying to save as much as possible and at the same time afford to provide for my child doing this is an easy way for me to steer away from debt which I know your afraid of, I pay my parents for boarding by means of helping out with shopping for the house, I am employed full time but it still doesn't go a long way, your lucky your still young and with no child/children, and you have a good paying job, you could try doing some work from home if you have access to the internet and a computer, internet cafe's are OK too! So while your at home save as much as possible help out where you can study hard and pray that everything will go as planned.
Hope this helps you!!

Jess:)

It will take time and a lot of self control to move out on that income. If you set a goal and a limit to what you want and have to purchase. Needs, not wants, I think you have a chance. When I moved out I was 15, believe me I slept in my car on occasion, but for the most part, two jobs and a lot of friends and friends parents help, I made it through those first really hard months. After that, it all set in and I could make it. If I would have added school it would have been tough with out extra loans and stuff like that. So save and be really specific about your real needs, give yourself a few months, you will be surprised at what you can do sweet. Good luck! Set a goal, write it on a calendar that you can see every day. Remember what is really important to you!

Whatever you do... DON'T take out loans you absolutely do not HAVE TO HAVE. I learned this the hard way... now have tons of student loans to pay back. It may be really hard but I would say stick it out at home... save money for down payments you will need in the future. I truly understand you want your own space. It would be really sad to pay for that for years and years to come. Think long and hard. Good luck.

OK, so working 2 days a week is not going to cut it
No way no how if you want your own place (by the way be thankful for the small house your mom has, some children are homeless or have to share a room with their parents or worse)
My mom kicked me out when I was 14 and I have made it on my own every since. It has been tough but I have been in my own place since 2001, and I love it
Of course I work my butt off to have my own place but I could never see living with someone under their rules EVER again. I work anywhere between 32-60 hours a week, AND GIRL ITS HARD!
Take your time and finish up your schooling, or meet someone in your art major and you 2 get a place together, you can split bills, get a nice little 3 bedroom place, you both will have a bedroom and a spare bedroom for an art studio/office/desk area
GOOD LUCK BUT Don't RUSH

Why can't you work more than two days a week? School is part time and I understand homework but why couldn't you increase your work? Many students work near to full time or full time and continue with college. I understand that you are tired of living with your Mom but right now, that is the best you can do. Student loans come back to haunt you for many, many years, so taking out massive loans just leads to massive headaches. Although some student loans are just unavoidable.

I would say to adjust the attitude of where you are, try and find at least one more day of work, keep focused on the goal of your degree, and understand that this will pass and you will have the day where you can see your success came with hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and you can appreciate where you came from to where you want to be. Just remember, it could always be worse. Listen to the other responders - they can tell you from direct experience.

Why don't you completely empty your bedroom and re-do it with only the necessities that you need to make a little more space and to give yourself a new perspective? Once you decide that staying at your mom's is best for you right now you may be able to adjust your attitude to appreciate it more. It's not forever, it's just best right now to give you the greatest opportunity for a better future.

I've been homeless before when I was 12 or 13 and had to live in an attic that I couldn't stand up in, and had to sleep on an air mattress with my mom and sister, and had a cooler for a fridge. Other living arrangements such as that happened for more than a year. The house my mom has now is the most we've ever had. But we have holes in our floor that go right to the crawl space (which is the earth ground) and we always have all kinds of bugs coming in that look like they belong in Africa. No air conditioning in 90 degree and higher weather, we use as screw driver as a doorknob for the bathroom, there is mold throughout the house which is horrible for our health, there is no insulation. (our house was built so long ago that it used to have that foam insulation stuff that you had to refill every few years, and they don't make it anymore!) To use hot water for a shower, we have to go out to the furnace to turn it on and then turn it off ASAP, so it won't flood and rot the wooden floors more. My mom and sister are also slobs and I'm a neat freak. They both smoke and I have asthma. I feel like I'm past due for moving out, but that I can't. I feel like this isn't a home and that if I moved out my health would improve and I wouldn't be depressed- but on the other hand, debt would cause so much stress if I moved out now in my situation. I know there's not much to do about it... but for some reason it helps to complain about it;)

If I did move, would move with my boyfriend, who is also a full time student and only works once a week. I've wanted to meet people at school to share a small house with and share a studio space with. I also, think my dad is going to let me move in with him. He's in a band and wants a basement to practice in, So I hope I can steal a corner of the basement for a studio.

Well, anyway... thanks for the advice, it was nice to hear from you. Why did you get kicked out when you were 14 and how did you SURVIVE?! That's horrible that she did that to you.

School is full time but I know everything you say is true but its so frustrating. I baby sat for a 24 year old woman who goes to the same school as I do. She is going to school full time to be a nurse, works in a hospital, and has 2 kids and is great mom... I don't understand how people can do it at all. The purpose for me posting here was to find out how those people do it- or if they're just taking out massive loans, which everyone tells me to stay away from. I think I'm just going to stay here though and spend more time on campus.

I wonder if you could find more people like yourself at school who would be willing to rent a house with you. Also, I don't know what kind of job you have, but waitressing is probably your best bet right now. The hours are flexible and you have the potential to make good money. But in order to move out you really do have to work more than 2 days a week. A couple of nights and all weekend would probably work for you.

Budget your money. Go to second hand shops, yard sales and flea markets.
Look for sales.