Stick to the basics and don't fill your first place up with useless stuff. Spend the coin and get a good bed and mattress, a good sheet set or two and warm comfy blankets. Sleep is important. go to yard sales for wall art on the cheap, and look for used solid wood tables etc. keep it simple at first, save cash and build a emergency fund.
Thrift stores and yard sales are the best way to find cheap, funky art and kitchen items.
Lesson learned: Live with a roommate if you can. Currently living by myself in a relatively cheap 1 bedroom, but would not mind living with one other person at all. Would have saved a good chunk of money. Oh well, only a 9ish month mistake.
Unfortunately for me, i do not live well with others. but yea get a roommate when you can, and save as much as you can get away with. SAVE early and get in that habit. having 6-12 months take-home pay in a savings account is freedom. have to move NOW to take that dream job? you got cash for that (break old lease, get new place, moving fees etc). car breaks down? cash will fix that right up. Need to go to a 'fancy' dinner for a job interview or to meet an idol/job prospect, date you want to really impress? yea cash to the rescue again. after a while if you auto deduct savings from your pay you do not miss it. but it is there in the back of your head when you need it. next step is to fight the need-vs-want battles. those are fun.
Reduce your exposure to Advertising. Netflix your shows, use adblocking etc. Advertising exists to blur that line and convince you that you are a terrible person who smells bad and everyone hates you... but if you buy our regurgitated bean lard for three low payments of 49.95 then you will be a rockstar! Once I stopped watching TV my expenses dropped by about 1/4.That's one I'm still working on. It's hard as hell. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose.
Same happened to me once I cut my internet use down to half, especially avoiding speciality blogs that focus on comics and movies and cutting my Reddit use down significantly. The wife and I also changed our shopping habits a bit too, where we no longer go out to stores just because we're "bored and looking for something to do." In my opinion, we still have a ways to go, but we've made some good strides.Once I stopped watching TV my expenses dropped by about 1/4.