5 Tips for Young Adults to Manage Life

Living a successful adult life is hard. You’ve to be responsible and do things on your own. But this should not scare you from entering adulthood. Here are some adulating tips to help you get started and manage life in adulthood.~ Ed.

 

Remember being a child or teen and being told the endless list of things you may do once you become an adult?

Being a grown human seemed to have all the perks like having dessert before dinner, getting body piercings and tattoos, and swearing. However, now that we’ve done the growing up, we’ve realized that adulting is more about paying bills, cooking your own food, and working.

Being a successful member of the adulting club means learning a few tricks, and we are here to help!

Hint: If you have only condiments and beer in your fridge, you’re doing it wrong.

5 Tips to Manage Life in Adulthood

Managing life in adulthood is easy. Just follow these tips to get started.

Start A Budget

The first rule about adulthood is to never speak of adulthood. Just kidding, the first rule should be to make and maintain a budget.

The words may sound daunting, but before you roll your eyes and scroll on, remember that there are apps that practically do the hard work for you!

Once you input your income and fixed expenses like utility bills and rent, these apps will do the rest, including linking up to your loans and offering you better options with lower interest rates.

Also, if you’re spending a little too much at your favorite shoe store, the app will make you more aware of your purchases than those new kicks ever will.

Once you’ve tracked your money, you will become more conscious of where and how you’re spending it. When it comes time to make a big purchase, you will know if you really can afford it!

Pay Your Bills… On Time

35% of consumers paid at least one bill late this year. These people risked facing higher interest rates, decreasing credit scores, or worse — service shut offs. Don’t be that person.

Try using a financial management app to keep track of all your finances, including when bills are due.

Set reminders on your phone for upcoming bills and extra reminders on the day they are due. Or, set up automatic withdrawals from your bank account to pay important bills.

Even the classic method of calendar sticky notes or marking to remember works to remember bill due dates. Choose whichever is most convenient to your lifestyle.

Consider consolidating your services. Internet and TV packages are often cheaper than paying both separately and presto — one less bill to keep track of. Additionally, you can try speaking to your landlord about paying increased rent to include utilities, saving you another bill to remember.

Like many of us with school debt and life, sometimes you may need extra help. Consider consolidating your debts. Ideally, this should lower interest rates and allow the debt itself to be managed. Do your research before choosing debt consolidation options.

Learn How to Cook

Take-out’s only perk is convenience. Cooking your own food saves money, is more healthy for you, and with a little practice, it often tastes better, too!

If you’re just starting out in the kitchen, consider hosting a recipe swap potluck. Have each guest bring a dish and the recipe for the dish. You provide the refreshments and come up with a unique way to collect and share all the recipes.

Every adult should learn basic kitchen skills. These include making good coffee, making eggs in more than one style, grilling chicken, and using a crockpot. Also, learn how to make a basic salad for the love of food and your health.

To shine in your kitchen, master a recipe you can show off while hosting guests or while attending potlucks. Cook it until you perfect it and don’t be too hard on yourself if a batch or two won’t turn out. You will find your groove.

Use technology to help out. Now, you can find any recipe and its multiple variations online at your fingertips. If you can read the directions, you can cook! Watch a few videos online for cooking demonstrations. This is a great way to learn chopping techniques and ingredients you can safely swap for others to create vegan-friendly meals, or just because you don’t have sour cream on hand!

Get Rid of Procrastination

You may have been part of the last minute project club in high school and college, but here’s where it should end. With your work and home life, it’s important to tackle tasks as they come in.

For work, answer those short emails. Tasks under two minutes are best dealt with immediately, so they don’t stack up and make your end of day to-do list unbearable.

Work hard to finish projects by their deadlines — no one likes asking for extensions, and your boss is likely to praise you more for pulling through and getting the job done.

At home, don’t let your garbage and compost sit around, or it will stink up the place. Always have clean guest linens, and wash your own bedding frequently (bi-weekly, not bi-annually). Wash your bathroom, vacuum carpets, mop, and keep on top of the dishes. A clean place is more relaxing and inviting.

Pay those bills on time, don’t forget to change your address when you move, and cut your grass if you are lucky enough to have some! Once you’ve conquered procrastination, you’ll be more adult than most adults.

Keep An Alcohol Stash

This is easier said than done, especially if you’re still hosting parties with your college friends. Hosting an adult party means at least partially providing the drinks. Keep a small stash of an assortment of the basics like vodka, rum, beer, and wine. This way, you are always prepared for visitors!

Conclusion

Congratulations, you have survived into your adult years. That’s a feat, especially considering some of the choices you might have made as a youth. Pat yourself on the back.

Now, put these helpful tips to use and make the most out of your new position and manage your life in adulthood. Go ahead and eat dessert before dinner, and cover yourself in tattoos, and swear almost as much as you want. After all, you pay the bills now.

Over To You

What is your favorite part of being an adult? Is there an “adulting” task that drives you mad? How do you cope?

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