The transition from your parents’ house to your own place can be both exciting and nerve-racking. You may be excited about it, or you might dread the thought of it, but it will be an adjustment period no matter what. Being out on your own requires you to change the way you look at things like money and the space you live in. To ease this difficult transition, we’ve come up with a few tips for living on your own for the first time that should help you feel more secure.

Live Within Your Means

We can’t overstate this one enough. Living on your own can get expensive, and you’ll need to be ready for the increase in costs you’ll incur. That’s why budgeting is so important. Figure out how much you make in a month, and weigh that against your rent and other expenses. You may need to give up a few luxuries at first to make ends meet—and that’s okay! It’s all part of growing up.

Personalize To Feel Comfortable

Once you’ve survived the move-in process, it helps to start making the place feel like your own. Even if you don’t plan to stay in this one place for too long, you want it to be welcoming and comfortable. Your home should be a place that relaxes and soothes you, so don’t be afraid to surround yourself with things you love. Plants, decorations, stuffed animals—it’s your own place! You can design it in whatever way you want to match the feel you want to have while you’re there.

Have a Stock of Essential Supplies

It’s easy to take these things for granted when you’re at your parents’ house. Here are a few things you’ll always want to have close by, just in case:

• First aid kit and painkillers
• Flashlight and spare batteries
• Cleaning supplies
• Non-perishable food (canned or boxed)

In the unlikely event of a power outage or natural disaster, you want to have a few things to get you through the worst of it.

Don’t Socially Isolate

One of the biggest tips for living on your own for the first time is to refrain from isolating yourself just because you’re on your own now. Being independent is all well and good, but you’re still a human being, and you need social connections to feel whole. If you’ve moved to a new area or city, stay in contact with your parents or friends you moved away from, especially early on when you don’t know anyone yet.

Show Compassion to Yourself

You’re going to make mistakes when you live on your own for the first time. The important thing to remember is that you shouldn’t beat yourself up over them. If you burn a meal, set off the fire alarm by accident, forget to lock your door, or leave the windows open in the rain, that doesn’t mean you’re not fit to live on your own. Cut yourself some slack, and you’ll get through it just fine.