Ever stared blankly at a pile of IKEA parts, googled “how to boil an egg,” or nearly cried over an unexpected overdraft fee? Yeah, that tracks. Adulting comes at you fast, and nobody hands out a manual.
One minute, it’s group projects and 1 AM pizza, and the next, you’re expected to budget, fix a leaky sink, and confidently ask for a raise. Agreed, this sounds overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be. These skills aren’t rocket science; with a few simple tricks and a little practice, you can do it all.
Mastering the Everyday Basics
Adult life is full of small, everyday tasks that, when mastered, make life infinitely smoother. Let’s go over the essential skills of everyday life and how to make them easier.
From Noob to Chef
Many Zoomers are more adept at navigating food delivery apps than their own kitchens, with only 33% of them reporting that they consider themselves skilled cooks. Does that sound like you?
The fix is easy: learn simple, no-recipe meals you can make with minimal effort. Develop a few simple go-to concepts you can whip up any time and rotate them throughout the week:
- One pan wonder: Saute a protein like ground beef or chicken breast, toss in some seasonal veggies and cheese, and add a sauce of your choice (sriracha, soy sauce, pesto, or olive oil with lemon juice – anything goes). Serve with some rice or sweet potatoes.
- Breakfast anytime: Scramble eggs with mushrooms and cheese and pair with sourdough toast or a tortilla for a filling meal that’s impossible to mess up.
Most importantly, remember that to be a master chef, you don’t have to innovate ideas yourself. Recipes exist for a reason, so get yourself a beginner cookbook and get in the kitchen. A little practice will go a long way.
Sew Easy
A ripped seam or a missing button doesn’t mean throwing out the whole thing. Learning how to sew can save you money and clothing.
Sewing kits cost less than $10, and you can start simple with a foolproof Youtube tutorial. Practice on old clothing and learn the basic running and back stitch – these are enough to handle 90% of minor fixes.
Tackling DIY Furniture
IKEA and DIY furniture can feel like a puzzle with missing pieces, so the key to avoiding frustration is a clear game plan. Though it feels like a drag, reading the instructions before touching anything can make all the difference in preventing mistakes.
As you’re working, keep the parts organized by using ziplocs or little bowls. If you’re in a pinch with stripped screws, place a rubber band over the screw head and try again for extra grip.
Take Control of Your Money
Money stress can hit hard when you don’t have the basics on lock. The problem isn’t a lack of intelligence– it’s a lack of education. Look no further for a few simple strategies to get your finances in check and help you build long-term security.
The 50/30/20 Rule
Money talks, but for many recent grads, it’s speaking a foreign language. Over half feel lost when it comes to budgeting and managing long-term finances.
An easy place to start is the 50/30/20 method, which is a simple rule of thumb to help you manage your finances by telling you to allocate 50% of your income to needs (rent, bills, groceries), 30% to wants (eating out, subscriptions, hobbies), and 20% towards savings and debt repayment. If you want to make it even easier, use budgeting apps like Mint and YNAB to automatically track your spending.
Manage Your Credit Score
Your credit score impacts everything from loan approvals to apartment rentals, so a bad score makes life expensive. But improving it isn’t complicated:
- Check your score regularly using apps like Credit Karma to know where you stand and stay on top of it.
- Late payments crush your score so make sure to pay at least the minimum on time.
- Keep your credit card usage under 30%-40%, meaning that if you have a $1,000 credit limit, don’t carry a balance over $300.
Learn Your Taxes
Taxes might seem overwhelming, but if you have a simple income, filing isn’t as complex as it seems. Make sure you start gathering your documents early to prevent last-minute chaos in April, and use tax software like TurboTax or H&R Block to walk you through the process step-by-step.
If there is one thing to learn about your taxes, it should be about deductions. Student loans, freelance expenses, and even work-from-home costs can reduce your tax bill, so check out online resources to help you understand your options.
Fix it Yourself
Believe it or not, one in five young adults are stumped by tasks as simple as changing a lightbulb, often dialing up professionals for basic home fixes. But doing this for every minor inconvenience drains your wallet. The truth? Most common household and car issues have simple fixes that take minutes and cost nothing.
Be Your Own Pitstop Crew
Car trouble can strike at any time, so understanding how to handle it keeps you from being stranded:
- Jump-starting your car: Avoid the hassle of relying on others and get yourself a portable charger. From there, it’s simple – connect red to positive, black to negative, and start the car.
- Changing a tire: Keep a jack, lug wrench, and spare tire in your trunk. To change the tire, loosen the lug before jacking up the car. Once you’ve switched out the tire, tighten the nuts in a crisscross pattern.
The middle of nowhere isn’t the time to read the manual for the first time. Watch a tutorial and try it in your driveway so that if you’re ever stranded, you’re prepared.
Bathroom Basics
Most drain issues don’t need a plumb. Before the service call, try these quick fixes:
- Clogged drain: A $5 snake drain is the solution most of the time, clearing out hair and other debris in minutes. Follow this up with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. Let it fizz for a few minutes then flush it out with hot water.
- Toilet won’t flush: The flapper, which is the rubber mechanism in your toilet tank that’s the moving part of the flush valve, probably needs to be replaced. Take a look.
- Clogged toilet: A good plunger solves most clogs. Make sure there’s sufficient water in the bowl before creating a tight seal with the plunger and pushing firmly.
Hanging Something on the Wall
Leave crooked frames and ripped drywall in your past. For a renter-friendly option, command strips hold up well and come off just as seamlessly when it’s time to move but make sure that you check the weight limits before fixing them on your wall.
Use a stud finder or heavy-duty wall anchors to support heavy items and remember to step back before hammering anything in. Patience is your friend and will save you from unnecessary holes in the wall and regret later.
Talk Like an Adult
In an era where emojis often replace emotions, face-to-face social skills are taking a nosedive, making real-world conversations feel like ancient art forms. Strong communication skills can open doors personally and professionally but make people struggle with this because they’re never taught how. The good news is that communication is a skill that anyone can learn.
Tough Conversations and Setting Boundaries
Difficult conversations can feel overwhelming, whether it’s addressing a conflict, giving feedback, or just saying no. Approach these conversations with confidence, staying calm and clear and listening actively:
- Use open-ended questions: “Can we talk about what happened?” keeps the conversation productive while leaving space for cooperative discussion.
- Be direct: Get to the point without talking around the issue, using feelings-based “I” statements rather than blaming the other party– this can make them feel defensive and uncooperative.
- Listen actively to show respect: Acknowledge the other person’s perspective, indicating your understanding with physical gestures like nodding your head and maintaining eye contact, as well as repeating back what they’ve told you to show you understand.
- Stay solution-oriented: Focus on resolving the issue through actionable solutions as opposed to going back and forth about the issue.
- Follow up if needed: Tough conversations aren’t often a one-and-done solution. They might require a revisit to ensure progress and clarity.
Get Paid What You Deserve
You only get what you ask for, and that applies to raises at work. Salary negotiations feel awkward and nerve-wracking, but a little prep goes a long way:
- Set a meeting time with your leader: Request and book a thirty-minute call with your manager, either in person or over video.
- Understand your value: Use sites like Glassdoor or Payscale to research salaries for your position.
- Prepare a list of your contributions: Review your projects since your last raise, listing specific contributions, including what you did and its impact for the team or company.
- Ask directly: Use phrasing like “I’d like to discuss aligning my salary with my performance and industry benchmarks” to show that you are confident and prepared.
No one is saying that these conversations aren’t difficult– they absolutely are. But approaching them with confidence and preparation makes all the difference in ensuring the outcomes you want. You could also give yourself a natural boost with adaptogens like ashwagandha, known to promote healthy cortisol levels, balanced mood, and improved focus to help you stay calm when it matters most.
Adulting 101
No one is perfect. We all have blind spots, but if you can cook a few solid meals, fix a simple bathroom issue yourself, or finally understand what’s happening with your credit score – that’s a win.
Start small, mess up a little, but keep going. Before you know it, you’ll be the person your friends turn to to jumpstart their car without breaking a sweat. And if all else fails, Google, duct tape, and persistent trial and error can usually get you through it.