I want to be free of my parents, and that means being financially independent. Over the last week or so, I've been trying to hammer out a plan for reaching this goal by the end of 2009, ideally sooner. I just don't want them to have leverage over me anymore. In the past, they have threatened not to pay for my college education if I did anything as insignificant as getting another piercing or a tattoo (even a small one!). Here's the kicker -- I hadn't even mentioned anything about wanting more piercings or a tattoo! Two of my friends were getting tattoos, so they threatened me before I even said anything about maybe wanting one. It's stupid stuff like that. I want to be able to speak my mind on important issues (like last week's Prop 8 mess) and not be afraid of them pulling a stunt like that. I am essentially a good, obedient, respectful daughter (get good grades, graduating this spring, don't do drugs or get in trouble...), and it kills me when they try to control me like that. I love my parents, but they need to let me make my own choices, my own mistakes. That, and I'm 21; I really ought to be on the road to financial independence anyway, yes?
Some things that I will need to be able to pay for myself:
Apartment : ~$1500/month
Healthcare: ??
Auto insurance: ~$600 every six months
Groceries: ~$100/month
Utilities: ~$200/month give or take
Am I missing anything else?
Of course, roommates will make the financial burden much easier by cutting the cost in half or even in thirds. Hopefully, whatever job I manage to land once I've graduated and moved back up north will provide me with health insurance after a few months.
And then I can get my small tattoo or belly button piercing... which one to get first?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
