Adulting 101: how to live alone as a student

Disclaimer: I live in the UK so this mostly applies to uk students, although some of the stuff I mention are just general life tips

Keeping your home clean

• A mop, a vacuum cleaner, white vinegar, washing up stuff and microfiber cloths are all you need (do some research on how to use white vinegar for cleaning)
• Very basic home cleaning: dust off dirt from surfaces and vacuum clean & mop the floor. Get rid of limescale in the shower (tap, glass shield, pipes) and on your sinks. Clean your toilet (seriously that’s one way of checking if a place is clean or not). Wipe any kind of surface like windows, kitchen countertops, tables etc. There, the house is already quite clean, not so difficult eh?
• Do some cleaning regularly, try to wash your dishes right after using them instead of leaving them in the sink, don’t let laundry pile up, empty your bin (seriously it’s nasty if you leave it full for a long time, you’ll get mold), learn how to wash your clothes properly (best thing is to wash everything at 30C and air dry, I only wash sheets and towels at 60-95C) so your clothes last longer
• Set a 10 min timer daily to do any tidying in your flat. You’d be surprised how as little as 10 min can make a big difference

Food

• ALWAYS make a list before going to the shops and stick to that list as much as possible
• Learn how to cook very simple meals: have a portion of carbs, vegetables and protein (animal or not!), that’s already a healthy meal!
• One word: Mealprep!!! It saves you so much money, it’s much healthier economically and physically than buying food out every lunch!! Take time out on your Sundays to make 4-5 lunches. I usually make 4 and have a day I allow myself to buy something nice! You can even meal prep your dinners. When i cook at night I make a big portion that would last 2-3 dinners. Takes me the same amount of time as cooking one portion so might as well make lots!
• Save the Earth, reuse plastic bags or bring your own bags (a great way of using all those free tote bags that are piling up)

Rent, bills, money

• Always pay all your bills in time. You do not want any surcharges.
• Don’t be scared to fight lettings agents, energy companies etc. It’s not because you’re a student that you’re easy prey for them.
• Don’t be afraid to say no to things when it’s out of your budget. For example, say you’re looking for a place to live with potential flatmates. Make sure you state how much you can pay in rent and don’t hesitate to speak up when things get too expensive. Worst case scenario you can always find new flatmates lol