“Most Hospitals In America Are Non-profits, Which Means They Must Have Financial Assistance Or Charity

Phantom comic

Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36(end of chapter 1)

Chapter 2

Page 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

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i’ve been doing my homework on how to break into a writing career and honestly. there’s a Lot that i didn’t know about thats critical to a writing career in this day and age, and on the one hand, its understandable because we’re experiencing a massive cultural shift, but on the other hand, writers who do not have formal training in school or don’t have the connections to learn more via social osmosis end up extremely out of loop and working at a disadvantage. 

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if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live in the midwest, this is it. 

via NYPost: Immigration and Customs Enforcement is preparing to launch a “big f–king operation” across sanctuary cities — including Chicago and New York — immediately after President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, multiple sources told The Post.

Starting Jan. 21, multi-day “ground operations” will be launched across cities that have served as safe havens for migrants because the local authorities do not cooperate with the federal government when it comes to immigration issues, sources said.

it's really funny that even people who support luigi mangione have like fully bought into the propaganda being pushed that he's the one who did it when he hasn't been convicted of shit and is extremely likely just some guy the nypd and eric adams could reasonably pass off as the person who did it to save face. That huge fucking perp walk (that shouldn't have even been legal to do) was to plant the idea in the public's mind that yeah, obviously this guy did it, why would they be doing this if he wasnt, and you all fell for it without even thinking about it.

A scorpion, not knowing how to swim, asked a frog to carry it across the river. “Do I look like a fool?” said the frog. “You’d sting me if I let you on my back!”

“Be logical,” said the scorpion. “If I stung you I’d certainly drown myself.”

“That’s true,” the frog acknowledged. “Climb aboard, then!” But no sooner than they were halfway across the river, the scorpion stung the frog, and they both began to thrash and drown. “Why on earth did you do that?” the frog said morosely. “Now we’re both going to die.” 

“I can’t help it,” said the scorpion. “It’s my nature.”

___

…But no sooner than they were halfway across the river, the frog felt a subtle motion on its back, and in a panic dived deep beneath the rushing waters, leaving the scorpion to drown.

“It was going to sting me anyway,” muttered the frog, emerging on the other side of the river. “It was inevitable. You all knew it. Everyone knows what those scorpions are like. It was self-defense.”

___

…But no sooner had they cast off from the bank, the frog felt the tip of a stinger pressed lightly against the back of its neck. “What do you think you’re doing?” said the frog.

“Just a precaution,” said the scorpion. “I cannot sting you without drowning. And now, you cannot drown me without being stung. Fair’s fair, isn’t it?”

They swam in silence to the other end of the river, where the scorpion climbed off, leaving the frog fuming.

“After the kindness I showed you!” said the frog. “And you threatened to kill me in return?”

“Kindness?” said the scorpion. “To only invite me on your back after you knew I was defenseless, unable to use my tail without killing myself? My dear frog, I only treated you as I was treated. Your kindness was as poisoned as a scorpion’s sting.”

___

…“Just a precaution,” said the scorpion. “I cannot sting you without drowning. And now, you cannot drown me without being stung. Fair’s fair, isn’t it?”

“You have a point,” the frog acknowledged. “But once we get to dry land, couldn’t you sting me then without repercussion?”

“All I want is to cross the river safely,” said the scorpion. “Once I’m on the other side I would gladly let you be.”

“But I would have to trust you on that,” said the frog. “While you’re pressing a stinger to my neck. By ferrying you to land I’d be be giving up the one deterrent I hold over you.”

“But by the same logic, I can’t possibly withdraw my stinger while we’re still over water,” the scorpion protested.

The frog paused in the middle of the river, treading water. “So, I suppose we’re at an impasse.”

The river rushed around them. The scorpion’s stinger twitched against the frog’s unbroken skin. “I suppose so,” the scorpion said.

___

A scorpion, not knowing how to swim, asked a frog to carry it across the river. “Absolutely not!” said the frog, and dived beneath the waters, and so none of them learned anything.

___

A scorpion, being unable to swim, asked a turtle (as in the original Persian version of the fable) to carry it across the river. The turtle readily agreed, and allowed the scorpion aboard its shell. Halfway across, the scorpion gave in to its nature and stung, but failed to penetrate the turtle’s thick shell. The turtle, swimming placidly, failed to notice.

They reached the other side of the river, and parted ways as friends.

___

…Halfway across, the scorpion gave in to its nature and stung, but failed to penetrate the turtle’s thick shell.

The turtle, hearing the tap of the scorpion’s sting, was offended at the scorpion’s ungratefulness. Thankfully, having been granted the powers to both defend itself and to punish evil, the turtle sank beneath the waters and drowned the scorpion out of principle.

___

A scorpion, not knowing how to swim, asked a frog to carry it across the river. “Do I look like a fool?” sneered the frog. “You’d sting me if I let you on my back.”

The scorpion pleaded earnestly. “Do you think so little of me? Please, I must cross the river. What would I gain from stinging you? I would only end up drowning myself!”

“That’s true,” the frog acknowledged. “Even a scorpion knows to look out for its own skin. Climb aboard, then!”

But as they forged through the rushing waters, the scorpion grew worried. This frog thinks me a ruthless killer, it thought. Would it not be justified in throwing me off now and ridding the world of me? Why else would it agree to this? Every jostle made the scorpion more and more anxious, until the frog surged forward with a particularly large splash, and in panic the scorpion lashed out with its stinger.

“I knew it,” snarled the frog, as they both thrashed and drowned. “A scorpion cannot change its nature.”

___

A scorpion, not knowing how to swim, asked a frog to carry it across the river. The frog agreed, but no sooner than they were halfway across the scorpion stung the frog, and they both began to thrash and drown.

“I’ve only myself to blame,” sighed the frog, as they both sank beneath the waters. “You, you’re a scorpion, I couldn’t have expected anything better. But I knew better, and yet I went against my judgement! And now I’ve doomed us both!”

“You couldn’t help it,” said the scorpion mildly. “It’s your nature.” 

___

…“Why on earth did you do that?” the frog said morosely. “Now we’re both going to die.”

“Alas, I was of two natures,” said the scorpion. “One said to gratefully ride your back across the river, and the other said to sting you where you stood. And so both fought, and neither won.” It smiled wistfully. “Ah, it would be nice to be just one thing, wouldn’t it? Unadulterated in nature. Without the capacity for conflict or regret.”

___

“By the way,” said the frog, as they swam, “I’ve been meaning to ask: What’s on the other side of the river?”

“It’s the journey,” said the scorpion. “Not the destination.”

___

…“What’s on the other side of anything?” said the scorpion. “A new beginning.”

___

…”Another scorpion to mate with,” said the scorpion. “And more prey to kill, and more living bodies to poison, and a forthcoming lineage of cruelties that you will be culpable in.”

___

…”Nothing we will live to see, I fear,” said the scorpion. “Already the currents are growing stronger, and the river seems like it shall swallow us both. We surge forward, and the shoreline recedes. But does that mean our striving was in vain?”

___

“I love you,” said the scorpion.

The frog glanced upward. “Do you?”

“Absolutely. Can you imagine the fear of drowning? Of course not. You’re a frog. Might as well be scared of breathing air. And yet here I am, clinging to your back, as the waters rage around us. Isn’t that love? Isn’t that trust? Isn’t that necessity? I could not kill you without killing myself. Are we not inseparable in this?”

The frog swam on, the both of them silent.

___

“I’m so tired,” murmured the frog eventually. “How much further to the other side? I don’t know how long we’ve been swimming. I’ve been treading water. And it’s getting so very dark.”

“Shh,” the scorpion said. “Don’t be afraid.”

The frog’s legs kicked out weakly. “How long has it been? We’re lost. We’re lost! We’re doomed to be cast about the waters forever. There is no land. There’s nothing on the other side, don’t you see!”

“Shh, shh,” said the scorpion. “My venom is a hallucinogenic. Beneath its surface, the river is endlessly deep, its currents carrying many things.” 

“You - You’ve killed us both,” said the frog, and began to laugh deliriously. “Is this - is this what it’s like to drown?” 

“We’ve killed each other,” said the scorpion soothingly. “My venom in my glands now pulsing through your veins, the waters of your birthing pool suffusing my lungs. We are engulfing each other now, drowning in each other. I am breathless. Do you feel it? Do you feel my sting pierced through your heart?”

“What a foolish thing to do,” murmured the frog. “No logic. No logic to it at all.”

“We couldn’t help it,” whispered the scorpion. “It’s our natures. Why else does anything in the world happen? Because we were made for this from birth, darling, every moment inexplicable and inevitable. What a crazy thing it is to fall in love, and yet - It’s all our fault! We are both blameless. We’re together now, darling. It couldn’t have happened any other way.”

___

“It’s funny,” said the frog. “I can’t say that I trust you, really. Or that I even think very much of you and that nasty little stinger of yours to begin with. But I’m doing this for you regardless. It’s strange, isn’t it? It’s strange. Why would I do this? I want to help you, want to go out of my way to help you. I let you climb right onto my back! Now, whyever would I go and do a foolish thing like that?”

___

A scorpion, not knowing how to swim, asked a frog to carry it across the river. “Do I look like a fool?” said the frog. “You’d sting me if I let you on my back!”

“Be logical,” said the scorpion. “If I stung you I’d certainly drown myself.”  

“That’s true,” the frog acknowledged. “Come aboard, then!” But no sooner had the scorpion mounted the frog’s back than it began to sting, repeatedly, while still safely on the river’s bank.

The frog groaned, thrashing weakly as the venom coursed through its veins, beginning to liquefy its flesh. “Ah,” it muttered. “For some reason I never considered this possibility.”

“Because you were never scared of me,” the scorpion whispered in its ear. “You were never scared of dying. In a past life you wore a shell and sat in judgement. And then you were reborn: soft-skinned, swift, unburdened, as new and vulnerable as a child, moving anew through a world of children. How could anyone ever be cruel, you thought, seeing the precariousness of it all?” The scorpion bowed its head and drank. “How could anyone kill you without killing themselves?”

Everything I want from a Danny Phantom x Harry Potter Crossover

Based on amazing crossovers such as the Half-Dead Phoenix, Spirited Away, Weirdward, The Phantom and the Potter, Wand of a Halfa, and Evanesco!

(Edit: added links to all the fic recs. Some of them have some cussing, but I don’t remember which ones, so read at your own risk)

Danny does not get an owl or a toad. He gets a cat. A black ghost cat with bright green eyes. He did not mean to get said cat, it just happened. Inky (Marsalias/Lula’s ghost cat OC) is alarmingly persuasive. Danny had nothing to do with this.

No, really. Inky got wind of it, followed Danny to Diagon Alley, and waited for him inside. She then presented a very strong argument as to why she should go with him to Hogwarts. Not only would she be a ghostly ally that can blend in wherever she goes, she can take messages back and forth far quicker than an owl.

“Don’t you live with the Westons?” “I am perfectly capable of taking care of all my kittens, thank you very much.”

To McGonagall and Jack, this looks like Danny getting annoyed and talking to a random cat who seems to be meowing rather pointedly

(yes Jack Fenton takes Danny to Diagon Alley. I’ve been reading too much fanfiction to want to deal with Maddie right now but I still want Danny and Jazz to have at least one semi-decent parental figure)

The wands hate him. Ollivander had to get out the strange heirloom from a man called Charles Worth. Danny has a good secret chuckle over that (Wand of a Halfa)

When the Weasley twins say he has to fight a dragon for the Sorting Ceremony (The Phantom and the Potter), he takes it seriously.

“Again?! Whatever. Fine. How big is it and are outside weapons allowed?”

When he finds out that it’s actually a mind-reading hat, he asks if he can fight the dragon instead. 

He gets sorted into Slytherin because he locks the Hat out of his mind and then asks which House will make people trust him without question like that one HP meme

He just wants to not be blamed for everything going wrong all the time but the Hat doesn’t know that

Now the teachers are confused because after the dragon comment they thought for SURE he’d be a Gryffindor. Aren’t Slytherins supposed to have self-preservation instincts?

Gosh Danny would be so fantastic in all the Houses but his colors being green and black and silver and already having to deal with being pre-labeled as evil and devious just the narrative parallels are so fantastic

On the other hand, badger Danny…

…no, I couldn’t do that to him. But it sure would be funny!

The ghosts all gather around him wanting to know what he’s doing and he’s just like, can I eat my chicken in peace please

When he finds out Astronomy is a required class he almost combusts

He’s also super fascinated with wizard watches and goes on and on about how sensible they are. No one has the heart to tell him that 99.99% of the population does not have the time or the willpower to memorize entire star maps and planetary movements just to tell the time.

Peeves listens to him. Not just because he’s scary, but he helps with some of the (more harmless) pranks.

Danny gets into a prank war with the Weasley twins. Halfway through, he convinces Lee to switch sides, leading to Lee being called the Sympathizer (affectionate/derogatory) for the rest of the year

Danny adopts some of the more feral children and teaches them all he knows of combat. He simultaneously knows too much and too little

Like, he has no idea how wizard duels work, or what kind of offensive/defensive spells there are, and his hand-to-hand has decent form but is lacking in discipline

However, he does have in-depth advice on how to analyze a fight and determine the threat level, improvise weapons/use the environment, and troll an opponent into insanity

He also lists common pressure points and weaknesses (joints, thinner skin spots, nerve clusters, etc) and how to injure/not injure someone. He does not mention that most of this knowledge comes not from injuring others, but being injured himself

Feral children include Neville, Ginny, Luna, the Creevies, a few Puffs and pretty much all the Slytherin firsties who haven’t been corrupted by the propaganda yet (kinda-sorta The Potter and the Phantom, I’m a little salty about the most recent chapter)

I would add the HP trio but they’re too suspicious of Danny because all their interactions have been unfortunately creepy and he makes Harry’s scar prickle like crazy 

Also I don’t want to deal with main plot drama I am here for Mandalorian-esque background shenanigans and not-my-division

Danny’s parents send a care package of fudge. It comes alive and tries to attack everyone. Suddenly everyone understands why the Monster Book of Monsters didn’t faze him

Seriously he growled the book into submission what the heck Fenton (aka my current favorite part of The Phantom and the Potter)

Danny and Hagrid get along like a house on fire. Everyone looks on in awe and horror.

Danny asks if the owls have some kind of tracking magic and if they’re used as wizarding bloodhounds. Nobody can answer this

Actually, Danny asks a lot of questions and makes a lot of comments that leave everyone in the vicinity vaguely disturbed

Danny has a list of people that he’ll regularly prank out of vengeance for his feral children. His friends affectionately call it ‘Danny’s Hit List.’ Current victims include Zacharias Smith, Draco Malfoy, and Cormac McClaggan. He also occasionally targets Ronald Weasley for intimidating his Slytherin firsties.

Danny feels a bit sorry for Harry because he knows intimately what he’s going through, and encourages his feral children to give him space. The HP trio sees this as an avoidance tactic and their suspicion rises.

Danny does not like Mad-Eye’s vibes. He sets off his alarm bells in a similar way to Severus Snape and Igor Karkaroff (I don’t know which fic has Danny sensing Dark Marks but it’s somewhere). He especially doesn’t like that Mad-Eye can somehow see him while invisible.

Barty Crouch Jr. has no idea what Danny is. He looks human, but there’s something else there that he can’t pin down. Is it the glow? The buzzing edges of his figure? The fangs? Well, he doesn’t seem like he’s interested in interfering, so Barty will leave him alone for now.

Danny is not exactly here of his own free will. MACUSA has no desire to get in the middle of whatever is going on in Amity Park, and is definitely not eager to deal with the Fentons (Spirited Away). It was either Hogwarts or be forcibly removed from his family and have their memories wiped. Nobody is happy about this (except for Dumbledore).

This means that he’s practicing opening portals. His future self could do it, so he knows he can learn it. It’s slow going, but Inky helps. Once he knows he can go back and forth quickly, he’ll sleep a lot more easily.

He tries to keep up with his muggle schoolwork for if when he goes back to Casper since he’s not hampered by sudden ghost attacks (this is where the family genius shines through; he gets pretty good grades on all of his schoolwork, even if some of it is a bit late or unfinished due to the sheer workload. Of course, Danny does not see this at all).

He is both envious and distraught that wizards don’t learn science or math or language. He then decides to force his feral children to at least learn basic math (“Your monetary system is as least as bad as the Imperial measurement system, you need this”) and biology (“Okay, this is just the broad strokes of how your body works. This is how you can break your body. Please don’t. This is how you can fix your body if there’s no mediwitch available. Please do.”). They are both intrigued and annoyed.

I’m tempted to have him suddenly realize he’s never flown while intangible while talking about brooms to Ginny. Super-fast wanderer Danny is a concept that lives in my head rent-free.

On the one hand, I don’t want to flood this crossover with too many AU concepts, but on the other hand super-fast wanderer Danny

He’d still prefer portals for quicker travel, but having a backup could be a good idea. I’ll have to think about it.

Ending? What ending? The shenanigans will last forever and a certain wizarding war can’t stop them

In all seriousness I don’t think having Danny interfere too much with the HP trio is a good idea, I get a little tired of alternate canon events or having major plot points magically averted just because of an OP other-dimensional character. 

I’d rather have Danny setting up safe houses and taking care of his feral children in the background, more focused on taking care of survivors than doing Harry’s job. Someone’s gotta protect them, after all, and Danny can do it much more easily than the HP trio ever could

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I'M DOING AN EXPERIMENT

To prove something to a friend, please

REBLOG IF YOU THINK ASEXUALS BELONG IN LGBTQ+ SPACES

LIKE IF YOU THINK ASEXUALS DON’T BELONG IN LGBTQ+ SPACES

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There will never be enough "regular human unfamiliar with Amity Park's nonsense has the misfortune of doing crime around local cryptid Danny Fenton" content out there.

Don't get me wrong there are some absolute gems:

Shots Fired by @things-i-cannot-do-in-amitypark

Things Just Happen Sometimes by Thatweirdointhecorner

Poor Life Choice by @princessfanonanona

maybe one day I'll be home again by anthrop

Suffocation by @sapphireswimming

This post by @lucifer-is-a-bag-of-dicks

(and a few more that I can't find / are escaping my memory right now. feel free to reblog with additions!)

...But there will never be enough

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I want to live by myself when I move out of my parent's place but I'm really afraid of money problems? I'm afraid that the only place I can afford will be in the ghetto and it'll all be torn apart and I'll only be allowed to eat one granola bar a week. I'm really stressing out about this. I don't know anything about after school life. I don't know anything about paying bills or how to buy an apartment and it's really scaring me. is there anything you know that can help me?

HI darling,

I’ve actually got a super wonderful masterpost for you to check out:

Home

what the hell is a mortgage?

first apartment essentials checklist

how to care for cacti and succulents

the care and keeping of plants

Getting an apartment

Money

earn rewards by taking polls

how to coupon

what to do when you can’t pay your bills

see if you’re paying too much for your cell phone bill

how to save money

How to Balance a Check Book

How to do Your Own Taxes

Health

how to take care of yourself when you’re sick

things to bring to a doctor’s appointment

how to get free therapy

what to expect from your first gynecologist appointment

how to make a doctor’s appointment

how to pick a health insurance plan

how to avoid a hangover

a list of stress relievers

how to remove a splinter

Emergency

what to do if you get pulled over by a cop

a list of hotlines in a crisis

things to keep in your car in case of an emergency

how to do the heimlich maneuver

Job

time management

create a resume

find the right career

how to pick a major

how to avoid a hangover

how to interview for a job

how to stop procrastinating

How to write cover letters

Travel

ULTIMATE PACKING LIST

Traveling for Cheap

Travel Accessories

The Best Way to Pack a Suitcase

How To Read A Map

How to Apply For A Passport

How to Make A Travel Budget

Better You

read the news

leave your childhood traumas behind

how to quit smoking

how to knit

how to stop biting your nails

how to stop procrastinating

how to stop skipping breakfast

how to stop micromanaging

how to stop avoiding asking for help

how to stop swearing constantly

how to stop being a pushover

learn another language

how to improve your self-esteem

how to sew

learn how to embroider

how to love yourself

100 tips for life

Apartments/Houses/Moving

Moving Out and Getting an Apartment, Part 1: Are You Sure? (The Responsible One)

Moving Out and Getting an Apartment, Part 2: Finding the Damn Apartment (The Responsible One)

Moving Out and Getting an Apartment, Part 3: Questions to Ask about the Damn Apartment (The Responsible One)

Moving Out and Getting an Apartment, Part 4: Packing and Moving All of Your Shit (The Responsible One)

How to Protect Your Home Against Break-Ins (The Responsible One)

Education

How to Find a Fucking College (The Sudden Adult)

How to Find Some Fucking Money for College (The Sudden Adult)

What to Do When You Can’t Afford Your #1 Post-Secondary School (The Sudden Adult)

Stop Shitting on Community College Kids (Why Community College is Fucking Awesome) (The Responsible One)

How to Ask for a Recommendation Letter (The Responsible One)

How to Choose a College Major (The Sudden Adult)

Finances

How to Write a Goddamn Check (The Responsible One)

How to Convince Credit Companies You’re Not a Worthless Bag of Shit (The Responsible One)

Debit vs Credit (The Responsible One)

What to Do if Your Wallet is Stolen/Lost (The Sudden Adult)

Budgeting 101 (The Responsible One)

Important Tax Links to Know (The Responsible One)

How to Choose a Bank Without Screwing Yourself (The Responsible One)

Job Hunting

How to Write a Resume Like a Boss (The Responsible One)

How to Write a Cover Letter Someone Will Actually Read (The Responsible One)

How to Handle a Phone Interview without Fucking Up (The Responsible One)

10 Sites to Start Your Job Search (The Responsible One)

Life Skills

Staying in Touch with Friends/Family (The Sudden Adult)

Bar Etiquette (The Sudden Adult)

What to Do After a Car Accident (The Sudden Adult)

Grow Up and Buy Your Own Groceries (The Responsible One)

How to Survive Plane Trips (The Sudden Adult)

How to Make a List of Goals (The Responsible One)

How to Stop Whining and Make a Damn Appointment (The Responsible One)

Miscellaneous

What to Expect from the Hell that is Jury Duty (The Responsible One)

Relationships

Marriage: What the Fuck Does It Mean and How the Hell Do I Know When I’m Ready? (Guest post - The Northwest Adult)

How Fucked Are You for Moving In with Your Significant Other: An Interview with an Actual Real-Life Couple Living Together™ (mintypineapple  and catastrofries)

Travel & Vehicles

How to Winterize Your Piece of Shit Vehicle (The Responsible One)

How to Make Public Transportation Your Bitch (The Responsible One)

Other Blog Features

Apps for Asshats

Harsh Truths & Bitter Reminders

Asks I’ll Probably Need to Refer People to Later

Apartments (or Life Skills) - How Not to Live in Filth (The Sudden Adult)

Finances - Tax Basics (The Responsible One)

Important Documents - How to Get a Copy of Your Birth Certificate (The Responsible One)

Important Documents - How to Get a Replacement ID (The Responsible One)

Health - How to Deal with a Chemical Burn (The Responsible One)

Job Hunting - List of Jobs Based on Social Interaction Levels (The Sudden Adult)

Job Hunting - How to Avoid Falling into a Pit of Despair While Job Hunting (The Responsible One)

Job Hunting - Questions to Ask in an Interview (The Responsible One)

Life Skills - First-Time Flying Tips (The Sudden Adult)

Life Skills - How to Ask a Good Question (The Responsible One)

Life Skills - Reasons to Take a Foreign Language (The Responsible One)

Life Skills - Opening a Bar Tab (The Sudden Adult)

Relationships - Long Distance Relationships: How to Stay in Contact (The Responsible One)

Adult Cheat Sheet:

what to do if your pet gets lost

removing stains from your carpet

how to know if you’re eligible for food stamps

throwing a dinner party

i’m pregnant, now what?

first aid tools to keep in your house

how to keep a clean kitchen

learning how to become independent from your parents

job interview tips

opening your first bank account

what to do if you lose your wallet

tips for cheap furniture

easy ways to cut your spending

selecting the right tires for your car

taking out your first loan

picking out the right credit card

how to get out of parking tickets

how to fix a leaky faucet

get all of your news in one place

getting rid of mice & rats in your house

when to go to the e.r.

buying your first home

how to buy your first stocks

guide to brewing coffee

first apartment essentials checklist

coping with a job you hate

30 books to read before you’re 30

what’s the deal with retirement?

difference between insurances

Once you’ve looked over all those cool links, I have some general advice for you on how you can have some sort of support system going for you:

Reasons to move out of home

You may decide to leave home for many different reasons, including:

wishing to live independently

location difficulties – for example, the need to move closer to university

conflict with your parents

being asked to leave by your parents.

Issues to consider when moving out of home

It’s common to be a little unsure when you make a decision like leaving home. You may choose to move, but find that you face problems you didn’t anticipate, such as:

Unreadiness – you may find you are not quite ready to handle all the responsibilities.

Money worries – bills including rent, utilities like gas and electricity and the cost of groceries may catch you by surprise, especially if you are used to your parents providing for everything. Debt may become an issue.

Flatmate problems – issues such as paying bills on time, sharing housework equally, friends who never pay board, but stay anyway, and lifestyle incompatibilities (such as a non-drug-user flatting with a drug user) may result in hostilities and arguments.

Your parents may be worried

Think about how your parents may be feeling and talk with them if they are worried about you. Most parents want their children to be happy and independent, but they might be concerned about a lot of different things. For example:

They may worry that you are not ready.

They may be sad because they will miss you.

They may think you shouldn’t leave home until you are married or have bought a house.

They may be concerned about the people you have chosen to live with.

Reassure your parents that you will keep in touch and visit regularly. Try to leave on a positive note. Hopefully, they are happy about your plans and support your decision.

Tips for a successful move

Tips include:

Don’t make a rash decision – consider the situation carefully. Are you ready to live independently? Do you make enough money to support yourself? Are you moving out for the right reasons?

Draw up a realistic budget – don’t forget to include ‘hidden’ expenses such as the property’s security deposit or bond (usually four weeks’ rent), connection fees for utilities, and home and contents insurance.

Communicate – avoid misunderstandings, hostilities and arguments by talking openly and respectfully about your concerns with flatmates and parents. Make sure you’re open to their point of view too – getting along is a two-way street.

Keep in touch – talk to your parents about regular home visits: for example, having Sunday night dinner together every week.

Work out acceptable behaviour – if your parents don’t like your flatmate(s), find out why. It is usually the behaviour rather than the person that causes offence (for example, swearing or smoking). Out of respect for your parents, ask your flatmate(s) to be on their best behaviour when your parents visit and do the same for them.

Ask for help – if things are becoming difficult, don’t be too proud to ask your parents for help. They have a lot of life experience.

If your family home does not provide support

Not everyone who leaves home can return home or ask their parents for help in times of trouble. If you have been thrown out of home or left home to escape abuse or conflict, you may be too young or unprepared to cope.

If you are a fostered child, you will have to leave the state-care system when you turn 18, but you may not be ready to make the sudden transition to independence.

If you need support, help is available from a range of community and government organisations. Assistance includes emergency accommodation and food vouchers. If you can’t call your parents or foster parents, call one of the associations below for information, advice and assistance.

Where to get help

Your doctor

Kids Helpline Tel. 1800 55 1800

Lifeline Tel. 13 11 44

Home Ground Services Tel. 1800 048 325

Relationships Australia Tel. 1300 364 277

Centrelink Crisis or Special Help Tel. 13 28 50

Tenants Union of Victoria Tel. (03) 9416 2577

Things to remember

Try to solve any problems before you leave home. Don’t leave because of a fight or other family difficulty if you can possibly avoid it.

Draw up a realistic budget that includes ‘hidden’ expenses, such as bond, connection fees for utilities, and home and contents insurance.

Remember that you can get help from a range of community and government organizations. 

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