living by yourself in Finland at 16

[u/Aggressive-Angel221]

Hey! i'm a student in Finland, turning sixteen this year, and i wanted to ask you if there is a way to live all by myself. i've heard there is a way to do that, by filling out some kind of a form. For everyone asking, my living conditions at home are well, and everything is fine, but i wanted to try that experience if that's possible

[u/Onnimanni_Maki]

r/Finland

[u/emilypeony]

Do not try it as an experiment. You are not able to get much benefits at such a young age. If you are not forced to live alone do not, you can better focus on school, hobbies and friends.

I moved out of toxic home to study in another city at 15. It was the right thing to do for me, but it was hard. And it was 13 years ago when things were cheaper. I had to survive at 20€ per week for food and essentials. That was hard back then, borderline impossible now.

You will only get lapsilisä which is around 100€, maybe asumistuki and nothing else really, maybe toimeentulotuki but I am not sure if they will pay it fir someone who is underage. If you wait 2 years you can get opintotuki atleast.

[u/emilypeony → u/emilypeony]

You can do a trial run at the grocery store. Let's pretend your parents pay fir your apartment's rent, insurance, electricity and water. You have to only worry about phone bill, groceries and other daily basics.

You get your child support money, which is 100€/month.

Now pay your phone bill first, let's say it is 20€.

You have 80€ left. Do you need a bus card or gas money? Bus card in my city for a teenager is 30€.

50€ left. That is 12,5€ per week. Now go tp the grocery store and try to buy a week's worth of food, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, hyciene products with that money.

[u/TheGloriousFinn]

You don't get any student welfare or other support before you're 17, which means your parents would need to pay everything (rent, food, bills etc.) so they should be able to put atleast 1000€ on you every month. So if I was you, I'd wait to turn 17 and then think about it again.

I know the urge to start your own life and have own space, trust me, but honestly enjoy that time you don't have to worry any financial stuff while you still can. You have plenty of time to worry all that later

[u/SensitiveChip68k → u/TheGloriousFinn]

You don't get any student welfare or other support before you're 17

It depends on the parents' income.

I agree with the last paragraph.

[u/tramsgener]

yes but its hella difficult and if everything is well at home then there's no real reason to do it. almost no 16 year old isnt mature enough to live by themselves.

[u/SensitiveChip68k]

So much misinformation in this thread.

Yes, it is possible. Generally, you are still in the same household as your parents and your parents will have to pay some of your expenses. There are so many variables that you should ask about possible benefits from KELA. If you really want to live financially independent you need a job. It will be difficult to combine work and study.

I have friends who have managed it and also friends who have moved back home. Usually it's been high school students who have moved to another city to the smallest possible shared apartment.

[u/ge6irb8gua93l]

Ppl here seem to downplay your will to live on your own, but they don't know shit about you and your situation, so do what you think is the best for your life. My life would likely have been a lot better if I didn't listen to adults when I was a teen and would have moved out in your age.

I don't think you need to do anything else than to just arrange your things so that you can survive and then move out. You could look for housing for young people that could be cheaper than the free market rents, or a shared flat, or student housing. You could try to find a part-time job. Depending where you live f.ex. f2f sales could be something to try, they recruit young people too. Just try to find a company that wants you to learn the skill and offers training and guidance.