Whether you're 18, 26, or 52, we all have to move out of our parent's house eventually. When I was 18 I loaded up my mom's soccer van with a butterfly chair, an electric kettle, some bedding and every item of clothing I owned to cram into a small two person dorm in San Diego.

After four years on campus, I moved in with two other girls who had all the furniture, and was pretty set, but then our landlord took some crazy pills and after a very cold winter and a lot of mold I ended up moving somewhere else with a friend. This time, though, I realized how little I had in terms of household items. I didn't even have a glass to drink out of let alone a couch to sit on or a dining table to eat at! Once we had our new place it seemed I was forever forgetting something else (oh yeah, lamps would be nice I guess...) and it took a few months until I felt like I could cook a meal without realizing I had to go buy a can opener or a spatula.

Recently a colleague of mine moved out of her father's house for the first time at 25 years old, and asked me what I thought she needed to get. I started listing off some of the main things I had forgotten, and then began to make her a list. I'll start with the basics:

A bed (and please, don't have a mattress on the floor. My husband made the mistake when we were engaged of tipping his memory foam mattress up when the carpet was cleaned and putting it down again before it was completely dry. Months later when we finally did get a box spring and frame and lifted the mattress up again, the bottom was covered with mold...so please...don't put your mattress on the floor, let it breathe).

A nightstand-you don't want to have to get out of bed to turn off the light do you? Get one big enough to hold what you need-books, a drink, alarm clock, a lamp, even a laptop if you're a workaholic or MySpace addict. Or you could just drop stuff on the floor and trip over it in the morning. Your choice.

Someplace to put your clothes-whether it be in the closet, hanging shelves, a dresser, an 18^th century cherry wood armoire, or in bins, you need someplace to keep them tidy.

A laundry basket (yes, men, you do need one if only for transportation purposes).

A mirror-to make sure your just as pretty as you think you are. And warning, those over the door mirrors sometimes can distort to make you look larger than you really are...talk about depressing.

Something to sit on-a couch, a sofa, a beanbag, an inflatable chair, just something comfortable. Remember, you can always get a slipcover to give an ugly couch a cute face.

A coffee table and/or side tables-as refined as most of us claim to be we usually do a lot of our eating in our living rooms in front of the TV, so it's helpful to have something to put your beer and cheese puffs-I mean Chardonnay and brie cheese-on. Consider something with drawers for remote control and magazine storage.

Something to put your TV on-be it a custom built entertainment center, a $15 Ikea TV stand, or an old desk, put your TV on something. It's helpful to have some media storage as well so you don't have stacks of Sex and the City DVDs lying around. 

Lighting-Floor lamps, table lamps, ceiling lights, assess what your place needs and make sure it's well lit. You can find fun lanterns for as litle as a couple bucks. A dingy place looks dirty and uninviting. A well lit home looks warm and welcoming. Plus it scares away the cockroaches.

Dining table and chairs-these too can be found second hand, and don't worry if the chairs don't match...just call it "eclectic."

A desk and chair-this is optional but useful to keep a computer or laptop on, your mail organized, and for writing those long letters to Aunt Gracie that we all do.

Some other optional furniture pieces are bookshelves, an entry table/entry hooks or coat rack for keys and jackets, shelves to hang for either books, media, knickknacks or whatever you wish to display, rugs to cozy up a room and bring color, artwork or interesting accessories to decorate, curtains to keep out nosy neighbors and cover those hideous vertical blinds, and in the kitchen if you need more countertop and storage space, a microwave cart or buffet is always useful.

Now for the nitpicky stuff. I'm not going to list every kitchen and bathroom item you should have, instead, I'm going to suggest searching for "wedding registry checklist" and you'll find a lot of ideas... Bed, Bath and Beyond or weddingdetails.com will have more than you'll ever think of. While you may not need 12 fine china place settings, it's a good reminder list to maybe print and check off when you go shopping for basics like toothbrush holders and cutting boards.

Finally, here's a list of some things that might get overlooked:

Trash cans (kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom)

Cleaning supplies (vacuum, broom, dust pan, mop, bucket, Windex, paper towels, anti-bacterial cleaner, scrub brush or sponge, toilet bowl cleaner and brush, duster,

Towels (kitchen, bath, hand, washcloths, cleaning cloths, etc.)

Shower Curtain (if you need it, and go with something PVC free. I use a cloth one and it's a snap to clean by just throwing it in the washer and dryer)

Toilet bowl scrubber & plunger (get the plunger before you really need it)

Iron & Ironing board (if you care about your appearance)

Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Detectors (so your mother can sleep soundly)

Fire extinguisher (to aid in your Top Chef attempts)

Tool Box (you can buy a basic set just about anywhere. Make sure you have essentials like a hammer, flathead and philips screwdriver, measuring tape, level, nails and screws, and don't forget some duct tape!)

For some of the most essential kitchen things, here's what I use most in my kitchen:

Coffeemaker (but then again, I'm a severe addict...)

A good sized skillet with a lid that you can make just about everything in

A 1.5 qt. and/or 3 qt saucepan with lid

A stockpot with a lid

Mixing bowls

For utensils: wooden spoon(s), spatula, slotted spoon, slotted turner, ladle, can opener, bottle opener, and tongs.

Oven mitts

Glass or ceramic baking dishes-I mostly use an 8x8 inch or a 9x13 inch.

Cookie sheets

Cutting boards

Knives-a large chef's knife, a serrated knife, and a small utility knife for everything else

Kitchen shears

Measuring cups & spoons

That should be enough to help you survive your first week without ordering out every night. Don't forget toilet paper, either. That one could be an awful realization after you've eaten that Havana omelette. Or your pets. It's sad to think that actually happens.

Remember, it may be a bit expensive right at the get go but you can always plead to family and friends for old furniture and dishes, go bargain hunting, and once you have your basic set up continue to add décor (make sure you have dishes before you get that amazing hand painted urn) as time and money allow. Good luck and here's to independence and living on your own!

Places to look online: http://www.craigslist.com/, http://www.freecycle.org/ (everything is free on this site), http://www.furnituretrader.com/, http://www.livedeal.com/, and of course http://www.ebay.com/.

Places to shop for good deals (that also have websites with more items): Ikea, Wal-Mart, Target, and your neighborhood thrift stores.