As much as you love your best friends, they may not make the best roommates. Unless you're moving into a preassigned college dorm room, finding a roommate who complements your home lifestyle is one of the most important decisions you'll make. Consider how your ideal household would run. How would chores be assigned? How would common rooms be shared? Would pets be allowed? Do you need time each day for drumming practice? Find like-minded roommates based on that criteria.
No matter how many times people move around, they all need a bit of help. Scour your resources for anything that will make the move run smoothly: a friend who has a truck, other friends to lift and move large items and a store that can donate cardboard boxes for your stuff.
You'll be paying for a lot more stuff now that you're on your own. Sit down with someone who is responsible for his own household bills and draw up a six-month budget. Factor in all payments, including rent, utilities, cellphone bill, groceries, laundromat change and a monthly allowance for entertainment, travel or hobbies.
Shared expenses is part of the budgeting process, but since you may be sharing expenses with someone else, you must lay out shared expenses with your roommates. Everyone must agree on how to fairly split the shared bills and how those bills will get paid each month. Is the cable bill shared equally or in proportion to usage? Will one person take care of the payments, or will you rotate?
Unless you're making bucket loads of money--actually, even if you do--have a few tricks up your sleeve to save money on regular expenses. Before moving, make a list of things you'll need need; the more time you give yourself, the more deals you'll come across along the way. Hold off on cable if you have a computer and Internet connection; many shows are available online, free and legal. Clip coupons, compare grocery store prices and cook your meals at home. And like your parents might say: "Turn down the heat and put on a sweater!"