Hi internet. My name is Julia, and this is my first article ever! If you don’t know who I am, hop on over to my about page to hear my story. Basically, I am a recent college grad about to move to the windy city for my first big girl job. I started this blog to bring you all with me on my journey, but also to share what I learn along the way. Adulting is hard so why not figure it out together?
The next couple months will be full of research and decision making for me as I get ready to live on my own and be financially independent for the first time ever. I’m going to walk you guys through exactly what I will be figuring out and most likely writing about in these next couple months. You can also think of this as a checklist for yourself if you’re going through a similar transition period!
Apartment Hunting
So far, I’ve looked at a few websites and scoped out some neighborhoods, but I’m still waiting to dive into the search until it gets a little closer to my move-in date. I’ll definitely be taking you guys along on my search to share tips and tricks I learn on the way.
Create a Budget
I am super excited about this one. Budgeting is super important to prepare for a shift in your financial situation. It can help give you a comprehensive view of your finances which can help you make smart money moves later on. I’ve been developing a pretty comprehensive budgeting tool that I will be sharing with you guys very soon. I have already used it for my own budget and let me tell you—it was life changing! Definitely stay tuned for the release of this awesome tool!
Investing and Saving Plan
See above because my budgeting tool will also help you in this area!
Organize my Wallet
This encompasses many things including applying for a new credit card (since mine is expiring) and consolidating and/or creating bank accounts. Many times, the banks you used in college or your hometown may not be the best ones to use where you are relocating, so it’s always a good idea to reassess your banking needs. Also, stay tuned for a lot more content related to credit and credit cards. I’ve been doing A LOT of research around this topic and can’t wait to share it with you.
Out with the old
Moving always comes with a natural purge of old belongings. This is never truer than when moving is accompanied by a complete lifestyle shift. I plan to get rid of a lot of stuff that served me well in college but would only be taking up space in Chicago. Let me know if you would be interested in more content about how I declutter!
In with the new
This one is exciting for a shopping enthusiast like me. I plan to be searching for new furniture for my apartment as well as new clothes for my job. You’ll definitely learn this about me later, but I love thrifting so I’m hoping to be buying secondhand for at least some of these purchases.
Health Checkups
I don’t know about you, but finding doctors in the city seems pretty intimidating, so I’m hoping to get as many of my checkups done with my current healthcare providers as I can.
Hopefully this rundown of post-grad/pre-adulting things to do is helpful for you as you prepare to make the transition to a new city, job, or lifestyle. If you’re interested how I tackle each of these things, continue following my blog to see how it goes!