Sharon E Mckay - Good To Go: A Practical Guide To Adulthood

PENGUIN CANADA

GOOD TO GO

KIM ZARZOUR is a journalist whose articles have been published in Todays Parent and Macleans. She is a former features writer for the Life section of the Toronto Star as well as a former columnist with Home and School magazine. She is the author of several books on schoolyard bullying, a contributing author of Growing with Your Child: Pre-Birth to Age 5, and a contributing writer for Cup of Comfort for Inspiration, and Me to We: Turning Self-Help on its Head.

SHARON E. MCKAY has been an author for more than twenty years and in the process has written more than fourteen non-fiction books. She has won or been nominated for the Sydney Taylor Book Award, the UNESCO International Youth Library, Europes White Raven Award, and Canadas Governor Generals Award.

GOOD

TO GO

GOOD

TO GO

A Practical Guide to

Adulthood

Kim Zarzour &

Sharon E. McKay

PENGUIN CANADA

Published by the Penguin Group

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First published 2008

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (WEB)

Copyright Sharon E. McKay and Kim Zarzour, 2008

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author and is designed to provide useful advice in regard to the subject matter covered. The author and publisher are not engaged in rendering health or other professional services in this publication. This publication is not intended to provide a basis for action in particular circumstances without consideration by a competent professional. The author and publisher expressly disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, that is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book.

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ISBN: 978-0-14-305569-3

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TO THE TWO SAMS, FIRST OUT THE DOOR

Honey,

This is ityou are finally moving out! But before you go, there are just a few things I think you should know. Did I tell you not to flush kitty litter down the drain? Itll gunk up the pipes. Oh, and ironing your shirt directly on the rugbad idea. Theres glue under there. And did I mention that cheap feather pillows can explode if you throw them in the washing machine? And not to defrost the freezer with a knife? And oh, there is so much I havent told you yet!

But yes, I know, you gotta go.

It wont be easy out thereespecially these days. Thats partly my fault. I wanted you to have it all, from that pram that cost more than our first car, to the violin, karate, fencing, acting, Cantonese, hockey, voice, guitar, and drum lessons. Maybe I should have given you laundry lessons instead. Taught you how to do a budget, rather than a pirouette. But the fact is, I did the laundry for you. And the bill paying. And the paperwork. And now its time for you to do it yourself.

Thats why Ive written this book. I have tried to think of all the things that I might have missed, all those things youll need to know. Doubtless there are a few I left outI couldnt possibly cover it allbut I have faith in your ability to figure it out. Surely you can work out how to make ice cubes, despite the fact that you have never, not once, done it yourself. I know that you will one day learn how to replace the toilet paper roll when it runs out. And, with luck, you will discover that you dont have to return a jacket just because a button fell off.

So here it isyour last lessons before you fly from the nest. Please take this book in the spirit with which it was writtenwith love.

Mom

SECTION ONE

The Homefront

Finding a Roof for Your Head

Where thou art, that, is Home.

EMILY DICKINSON

Youre on your way! Theres the door, the world is waiting! But first youll need a roof for your head, a place to hang your hat, and some way to heat up your can of Alphagetti. Chances are your new place wont be as nice as home, but on the other hand being homeless, squatting, or living in a car isnt nearly as romantic as it might appear.

Oh, and find something before you leaveits cold out there.

Ask yourself:

How much can I afford?

Do I want to live alone or share my space?

How long will I likely live there?

Where do I want to live?

What kind of housing do I want?

Lets break it down.

How Much Can I Afford?

Of all the things that will cost you money when you move away from home (and believe me, there are many), housing is number one. So how much should you spend? Try to keep the total cost of rent plus utilities below one-third of your net income. Another way to figure it out: take your monthly salary and divide it by threethat should be your rent. If youre moving to an expensive big city, it might be tough to find anything decent at that price, and youll have to scrimp in other areas in order to afford a little bit more. Ideally, youll want your housing, transportation, and food costs to come in at less than 65 percent of your take-home pay.

TIP: Get a taste for living on your own by paying rent to your family and buying and cooking your own food. Might as well do your own laundry, while youre at it. This is called taking care of yourself, and if you do it for a while youll have a pretty good idea of what life will be like on your own.

One way to find out if this is doable: before you move out, keep track of everything you spend for one month. Try grocery shopping for yourself for a week or two and estimate how much you might need for food for a month. Add on what you spend in a month for public transit or gas and car payments. Then scan the apartment rentals section in the local paper to get a feel for what you will have to pay. If you have friends who rent, find out how much they pay for heat and electricity. Add it all up. Show your list to your friends and whoever does the budget in your own home to see if youve forgotten anything. If the grand total comes in at less than 65 percent of your spendable income, go for it! (For more help making a budget, see .)