When I first moved away from home and found my own apartment, I thought I had solidified my status as an adult. Little did I know, adulthood is not a destination, it’s a journey in itself. Being a true, responsible adult is something you have to work at every single day, and adapt to new responsibilities as they arise. You must accept the fact that you will use Google at least 10 times while cooking dinner because suddenly you’re just not sure about anything! You also must be open to new information, wherever you can get it- like this list of 16 Adulting Tips I Wish I Knew Earlier.
I’ve compiled 16 tips that I’ve learned so far on my own personal journey through adulthood. These are lessons I really wish I knew earlier, so I’m sharing them in hopes that you can learn from my experience. Adulting is hard, but you’re a strong, intelligent, and fully capable human being. You can do this. Now, with the pep talk aside, Here are my 16 Adulting Tips I Wish I Knew Earlier.
The "Hand Wash Only' label is a rule, not a casual suggestion.
Cast-iron pans, handmade dishes, expensive glassware, chef’s knives, and anything made of wood needs to be hand washed. Dishwashers are very rough on your dishes and can easily destroy them. I had heard that wooden utensils needed to be hand washed, but I didn’t take it seriously until I completely ruined a wooden bowl by putting it through the dishwasher. You’ll waste a lot of money buying new dishes if you don’t take those labels seriously.
If you forget to move your wet clothes to the dryer they WILL end up smelling like mildew.
For some reason I had to learn this lesson at least three times before it really started to click in my head. Now, I make sure that I set a timer on my phone for when the washing machine is scheduled to finish. I think we all just mentally tune out the sound of the washing machine, so setting an alarm for yourself can really help.
Double check all of the transactions made on your credit card.
If you’re not already obsessed with online banking- NOW IS THE TIME. Familiarize yourself with your online banking platform so you can easily review the information. You should be checking all of your recent tansactions to make sure you aren’t getting scammed, or robbed. I also recommend using the website Mint.com to help you keep track of your transactions. (There is also a handy app you can download to your phone!) You can also track your purchases through your
You can not afford to get Starbucks every single morning.
Okay, MAYBE you could technically get Starbucks everyday without going bankrupt- but is it really worth it? I tracked my monthly spending habits and realized I was wasting so much money just out of pure laziness in the morning. Plus, I noticed I was also wasting precious time at Starbucks! It takes me 5 minutes to make my own coffee at home, but when I would go to Starbucks I would spend closer to 10 minutes just waiting in line at the drive-thru! It’s a win-win. Make your morning coffee at home.
Every time you add something new to your closet, get rid of something old.
This makes it so much easier to justify spending money on new clothing. Now, I use Stitch Fix and with each item I purchase through the service, I toss something old, outdated, or ill fitting. Click here if you want to learn about My Experience With Stitch Fix.
Do not engage in road rage or disputes while driving.
It is EXTREMELY dangerous to engage in road rage or disputes with other drivers. Do not make obscene gestures out of anger or try to purposefully agitate another driver. You have no idea who the other person is or what they’re capable of.
Clean out your fridge every two weeks.
Check the expiration dates, clear out those old leftovers you never ate, and make sure you don’t have anything growing mold! You’d be surprised how much stuff gets pushed to the back on the shelf, never to be seen again…at least until it starts smelling.
Remember to pay your rent on time, or else you'll waste a ton of money on late fees.
This is one of the most frustrating ways I’ve ever wasted money. If you have to pay rent on a certain day, set multiple reminders for yourself to make sure you don’t forget. If I forget to pay my rent on the 1st day of the month I get charged a $60 late fee, which is NEVER fun. There is no excuse for wasting money on late fees when our phones allow us to easily set alarms, reminders, and calendar notifications.
Don't be rediculous, fill up your gas tank all the way.
There is a strong part of me that still thinks and acts like a poor college student, especially when it comes to filling up the gas tank. Back when funds were more limited, I would only ever put $10 worth of gas into my car at a time. I recently broke that bad habit after realizing how much time and energy I was wasting, when I could just fill the gas tank like a normal person. (Please tell me I’m not the only know who fell into that habit at some point in their life.)
Don't buy kitchen utensils at Dollar Tree.
Unfortunately, cheap kitchen utensils just can’t keep up with the general wear and tear of everyday life. The good news? There are plenty of items that are definitely worth buying at Dollar Tree…check out my post How To Redecorate Your Home At Dollar Tree
Don't hoard Tupperware, or else you'll eventually die in a food storage avalanche.
I’ve developed a whole personal philosophy about Tupperware, THAT is how hard I am adulting these days. Go check it out: How To Properly Organize Food Storage Containers.
Raw chicken goes bad faster than you think.
As a general rule of thumb, raw chicken lasts for up to 2 days in the refrigerator before it starts to spoil.
Make sure you own more than one pair of scissors.
Purchase a pair of kitchen shears in addition to a pair of general all-purpose scissors. Kitchen shears are usually sharper than normal scissors and should be kept clean and sanitized so that you can safely use them around food. Store your kitchen shears in the kitchen (duh) and separate from your general all-purpose scissors. Click here to check out a pair of affordable kitchen shears on Amazon. (not sponsored) This way your food is not exposed to the same pair of scissors that you used on a messy craft project earlier in the day.
Just because you have an empty shelf, doesn't mean it needs to be filled.
This was an especially hard lesson for me to learn. If you want to see how minimalism inspired me to arrange my apartment, check out My Affordable Boho Inspired Apartment Decor.
Baking soda has the power to solve all of your problems.
Don’t believe me? I wrote an entire blog post about it! Check out my post 7 Simple and Natural Home Remedies That Will Solve All Of Your Problems.
Use nail polish to color code your keys.
Instead of fumbling around with 19 identical brown keys, label the most important ones with nail polish.
How Is Your Adulting Going?
Are are you a super responsible, high functioning adult that has their whole life together? No?! Well join the club. You just got to march out the door everyday and fake it till you make it. Eventually, you’ll find your way. And while you’re at it…make sure you share any wisdom you’ve collected out there in the cold, harsh world.
Stay Connected
Follow My Northern Charm on Social Media
One Response