As a 14 year old, how can I prepare right now to move out at 18?

Assuming you're in the USA:

  • See if you can locate your social security card and keep it safe.
  • Same for birth certificate.
  • Same for passport, if you have one. (Minors only will if their parents got one for them. It's possible to turn 18 and not have one...I'm in my 30s and don't have one.)

Do as well as you can in school. It will help with college scholarships.

Or, focus really intently on a trade if that's your thing...the trades pay well and tend still to have union protection, unlike many white collar jobs. Electrician, welding, mechanic, computer repair person, etc.

You can take shop classes at school if you're allowed to, or study youtube videos or, if your family gives resources (dunno how rich/poor your family is), you can make stuff with your hands.

If you like computers, you don't need a degree to be a computer programmer, and computer programmers make a LOT of money. Like, 50,000 as a junior dev, but easily 100,000/year as a senior dev. Even if you just start out in tech support that's like 35,000 which isn't cushy but it's enough to shelter/feed you.

But, you really do need to learn to code, and you need to have a portfolio to show off to potential employers. HTML/CSS is nice to have but isn't real programming, just a side skill. Try to pick up python, Java, Javascript, etc. And avoid aiming for a game-development company. Unless it's the thing you want above all other things in the world. Game studios treat their programmers like SHIT. Long hours, low pay, lots of stress. They do this because everyone wants to make games so they have a never-ending pool of talent which means they can get away with using and abusing their people because another naive moron will always be around to take the job because it's the game industry.

Depending on if your family will financially abuse you, you could also get a part-time job when you're 16. In retail or something. However, until you're adult (or emancipated) your parents/guardians can siphon money out of your bank account, so it might be hard to save if they constantly steal from you. So if they're just going to take all your money, it's more worth it to study for school, and to learn marketable skills, instead of working part-time only to have it stolen from you.

/r/raisedbynarcissists Thread