1. Everything is expensive - Maybe not in a literal sense, but figuratively. It's easy to go to the store or shop online and buy a bunch of items on sale, which end up costing around the same price as if you were to only get a few items at normal price. Now that you're on your own, you can only depend on yourself to buy items with whatever income you're making. Odds are that income isn't providing you with much money. Limiting what you buy or the quantity of items you buy is essential.
2. FOOD EXPIRES - I know, what a mind-blowing concept. If you're a food-lover like myself, it's easy to get carried away when shopping. You may come home with more than a few bags worth of food. However, this can actually end up in the wasting of not only the food, but the money you spent on it. There have been numerous times that I've bought food with the intention of eating it, just for it to sit in the fridge and go bad after a week. My advice: check expiration dates and think about how often you will eat what you're buying. At the very least, buy food items that keep for long periods of time.
3. Taking Care of Yourself - Living on your own really tests your ability to take care of yourself. You have the free will to do whatever you want within your own schedule, but don't take that for granted. It's easy to procrastinate the simplest tasks such as taking a shower, washing laundry, etc. But trust me: DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. There will come a time when your schedule becomes overwhelming and you realize you probably should have washed your laundry when you had a 3 hour break the other day. Be motivated to actually accomplish tasks.
4. Feelings of Loneliness - Living on your own can undoubtedly cause feelings of loneliness to arise, even if you have a roommate or you are constantly surrounded by people. You may not get to see family members or friends as often as you would like to. For this, there are different strategies for dealing with loneliness. Of course one solution would be to make friends wherever you are, but more importantly keep in contact with people that you love. It's easy to get distracted by life and then suddenly not have talked to a friend for a few years. Personally, I sulk in the loneliness for a day. I tell myself it's my day that I will spend by myself and that tomorrow I'm free to socialize.
-Thanks to NaturalBeauty for the layout!
At some point or another we're all going to end up living on our own, whether technically that involves living with a roommate or truly on your own is completely dependent on your situation. But, the main point here is that living on your own, or even away from home for a while, can be challenging because you suddenly come to realize you are in charge of yourself. You have to maintain a higher level of responsibility than you might've thought. You have to learn the art of adulthood, which can be a bit difficult. I knew I was completely lost when I started living independently. For lack of a better wording, here's some "adulting" advice to get you on the right track when living alone.