The first thing you need to do is figure out how much money you can afford to spend. You'll need to make a budget. The easiest way to create a budget is to use budget software or search online for sites that will help you create a budget for free.

Ask your parents to sit down with you and show you their household budget. You may be surprised at how many bills there are that you hadn't thought of. Discuss each bill with them. Ask if the bill varies from month to month or if it's usually around the same amount. Things such as heat or air conditioning can vary a great deal depending on the season. Over the years your parents have probably hit some rough financial patches, so they're also a good source of information on how to squeeze as much money as possible out of your budget and what areas are the easiest to cut back on if need be.

Once you know what you can afford, you'll need to decide if you want a roommate. There are pros and cons to both situations. If you have a roommate, you will be able to afford a bigger apartment, but you will lose quite a bit of privacy. If you choose to live alone you will have all of the privacy you want, but won't have someone else to work with if you fall short on the budget.

Ask your friends and family for advice and stories they can share about moving out of their parents' home. You may be surprised and encouraged that everyone is a little nervous about being on their own for the first time.

Discuss arranging a financial safety net with your parents before you move out. If they see that you're doing your best to stay within a budget and keep your spending at a reasonable level, they will be more willing to help you out when you have a financial emergency or hit a rough patch.

Before you move out of the house, learn to cook a few things. You may be planning on eating out quite a bit, but being able to cook some basic meals on your own will help you stay on budget. Be sure to learn how to do some basic cooking as well as some complete meals. Learn how to cook different types of basic meats like hamburger, chicken and beef. Learn how to cook pasta and rice. By getting comfortable with these basic cooking skills you can use spices, vegetables and other add-ins to make a variety of meals out of some meat and rice or pasta.

Moving out on your own is a big step. By planning ahead, learning as much as you can about running a household before you move out and keeping to a budget, your transition to living a life of your own will be an exciting rather than a stressful time.