For the first 18 years of your life, and maybe a little more, you are very reliant on your parents. After all, they are responsible for doing pretty much everything for you, including feeding you, providing you with a roof over your head, and teaching you right from wrong.
However, as you get into your 20s, it’s time to get off the mom and dad gravy train and enter the real world, where you should be aiming to well and truly stand on your own two feet.
The best way to do that is by being independent. It might seem scary, but you’ll soon become a much rounder individual if you do.
But how exactly do you go about doing that?
Outlined below are seven of the best ways you can gain independence in your 20s. The more of these goals you can achieve, the quicker it will expedite your journey into full-blown adulthood.
1. Buy a car
Arguably, the biggest form of independence you can achieve in your 20s is to buy a car. This gives you the freedom to travel where you want, when you want, without having to rely anymore on the good old mom or dad taxi.
Obviously, if you have a car, you will need to be able to fund its maintenance and running costs. So, it might be worth starting off with a cheap second-hand model initially.
However, if you can’t drive yet, it’s worth checking out Ezlicence to find a suitable driving instructor who can help you pass your test.
2. Learn how to cook
There is a famous saying that goes, ‘Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime’. For a person just hitting their 20s, this is very pertinent.
One of the best ways to gain independence once you are no longer a teenager is to learn how to cook. You don’t have to become the next Gordon Ramsey, though it would be good if you did. However, the more dishes you can add to your repertoire, the more likely you will maintain a healthier diet.
Oh, and if you can actually learn to fish, you are less likely to go hungry as well.
3. Travel
They say travel broadens the mind. But it also makes you more independent too.
Regardless of whether you stay within your own country or venture overseas, when you visit places far away from your home, you suddenly have to become very independent, especially if you do it on your own.
Not only will you have to navigate your way from one destination to another, but you’ll also have to do it in a way where you stick to a budget, find a place to sleep every day and where you are going to eat.
Additionally, you’ll have to interact with people of different backgrounds and potentially with language barriers, all of which is character building.
4. Earn Money
If you don’t travel, then you should get a job because earning money is a surefire way to increase your independence.
When you start earning money, you no longer rely on your parents for handouts. You can also spend it however you want to, at peace in the knowledge that you earned it.
Assuming you can afford it, you’ll be able to go to a music festival, buy expensive new clothes, or enjoy a few drinks. Therefore, money gives you a bit more independence in how you live.
5. Move out of home
There comes a time in every young person’s life when they will eventually move out of home. And when they do, they will quickly become more independent.
Irrespective of whether they buy or rent somewhere, no longer living with their parents requires a person to learn how to take control of their home life.
Cooking, cleaning, budgeting, paying bills and living with people you are not related to are all aspects of life you’ll have to negotiate once you fly from the nest.
6. Invest money
Financial independence is something everyone in their twenties should aspire to and the best way to do this is to invest as much money as you can.
If you do this in a savvy way, you could potentially set yourself up with an excellent financial footing for when you reach your 30s, 40s and 50s.
The key to successful investment is not to put all your eggs in one basket. Rather, you should diversify as much as you can, spreading your money across several mediums, including real estate, Superannuation, high-interest bank accounts, stocks and shares, and commodities like aluminum or gold.
7. Learn not to have to rely on anyone
Lastly, perhaps the key to being independent in your 20s is learning not to rely on anyone else.
Of course, it is nice to have people, like your parents or siblings, who will always have your back.
But if you can develop the confidence and life skills to make your own decisions and navigate your way out of any difficult situations, you will well and truly become self-reliant.
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