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Thread: Navigating Life As An Adult

  1. #1
    Nattiee's Avatar
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    Navigating Life As An Adult

    I stumbled upon a website that had a Tumblr post about someone asking how to be an adult because their parents weren't teaching them essential life lessons. (Not going to pretend like I know how to navigate Tumblr so (you need an account to see links) to the website with the post)

    It made me curious because as soon as I feel like I'm starting to get a handle on being an adult, something happens and I think "Why didn't anyone teach me/tell me this?"

    So I thought maybe we could have a discussion and share wisdom. What valuable tips/life lessons have you learned that's been essential to you as an adult?


    For me, I've learned a lot more about everything that needs to be cleaned once you're a homeowner (and how to clean it):
    - Baseboards need a good wipe down every so often. You can collect dust easier with a Dryer Sheet than anything else for this.
    - You should be cleaning out your washing machine, too - especially if you use liquid detergents and fabric softener. Cleaning involves running a large HOT load with some bleach. If you have a front loader, there's usually a filter on the bottom left of the machine and you need to clean out the water that's in there because that's why your washing machine smells like shit. Also always keep the lid up.
    - Did you know your dishwasher has a filter? Yeah learned that a few years after owning my first one (ew.) Clean it out. Also run an empty load with 1/2 cup of beach once in a while
    - Hot water + 1 tsp of Tide powdered laundry can clean almost everything; cupboards, flooring of all types (if you have tile, I recommend bleach. DO NOT use bleach on marble), take out stains in carpet/fabric
    - This is stupidly evident but read the labels of the cleaning products you buy. It took me until THIS YEAR to realize the toilet bowl cleaner I use needs to sit for 10 minutes before it actually disinfects. *facepalm*
    - Stone counter tops need to be resealed every so often (2-5 years), even if you take good care of your home.


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    Autobot's Avatar
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    This is a neat thread so I suppose I can contribute, but whether my knowledge is useful is uh??? For context I've been living on my own for a few years now, working full-time in a city 6-7 hours away from my family/home city. My first time being alone was back in college and it was a physical/emotional disaster, but I like to think I've gotten better since then:



    Hm, most of these are food related... sorry...


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    Nattiee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Autobot View Post
    This is a neat thread so I suppose I can contribute, but whether my knowledge is useful is uh??? For context I've been living on my own for a few years now, working full-time in a city 6-7 hours away from my family/home city. My first time being alone was back in college and it was a physical/emotional disaster, but I like to think I've gotten better since then:



    Hm, most of these are food related... sorry...
    I love all these.

    Your "stay hydrated" tip reminded me of this;

    I don't drink nearly enough liquid as I should in a day. I even invested in a water bottle that flashes when it's time for you to drink. This is an ongoing opportunity for me!

    I should also add, I've started buying food in bulk and freezing meats/etc. I used to portion the meat, but never anything else. Flatting your ground beef, pork turkey, etc in a Ziploc takes a lot less room in your fridge than all the weird shapes meat comes in.
    Also, don't be afraid to buy your meat in a large chunk and separate it at home. A lot cheaper than buying pre-cut meat.

    In some places, a pork loin is $20-$30. You can divide that up into several meals depending on how many mouths you're feeding. Here's a quick pic from google to show you how someone divides their loin (giggity).



    and YAAAASS to your last tip especially <3


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    Last edited by Flordibel; 09-28-2020 at 05:53 PM.

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    Interesting discussion!

    Here are some things I wish my old roommates and I were more familiar with before plunging head-first into adulthood haha:




    Now that I wrote all this, it feels like general life and common sense tips but hmm.. here it goes anyway, enjoy! And sorry for the repeats from other posts, took me waaay too long wrap this up lol!





    Edit:
    Quote Originally Posted by Flordibel View Post


    - If you live alone, invest in a polearm of some sort (broom handle, Swiffer) to kill or herd bugs from a distance. Otherwise, make your partner(s) do it.
    This 1000%
    Last edited by Gato; 09-28-2020 at 08:17 AM.

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    Katie Mama Bear's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Flordibel View Post
    Oh Flordi, you crack me up.

    It's great to see so many well-thought posts here. I have just one to contribute that hasn't already been said or isn't super obvious.

    If you're an online shopper (like me), look into cashback programs. I have two browser extensions that will offer varying levels of cashback on purchases - they'll often have a better rate on one, so having 2 lets me optimise. I recently got a nice payout of $140 from the past year. I would have bought those things anyway, but now I get a bit back. Our grocery chains used to be involved (pre-COVID panic buying...I'm really hoping they partner again soon!), so I could:
    * select my products and pick-up time
    * take advantage of discount codes that in-person shopping doesn't allow
    * get 5% off the total by paying with giftcards (buy them at 5% off, use them myself instead of gifting)
    * get 3.5%+ cashback (3.5% was standard, though sometimes there'd be bonuses)

    Just by adjusting my habits for buying groceries for my family, I was saving 8.5%+. Most online shops (save little niche boutique types) seem to have a partnership with one or more cashback companies these days, so it's worth looking into.

    *note* I am Australian, which means we don't have the 'coupon culture' that America has. I wish we did. I'd be one of those hardcore bargain hunters. I have to work with what I've got though.

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    These are all really great tips! I don't have much, but:

    Do not put off health related issues
    A cavity today is a root canal tomorrow. If it is in your means to do so, don't put off your aches and pains. A lot of the time something small can be handled much more easily and quickly if you don't just hope it will go away. That also applies to other things in life, fix problems when they are small and manageable before the get larger and worse. Nobody likes to deal with issues, but putting them off is almost never the way to get it taken care of.

    Also - There is a really nice channel on YouTube called '(you need an account to see links)' and it has a lot of how to videos of basic home maintenance things that are super useful for learning how to be handy around the house!

    If you need a service like a plumber, electrician etc LOOK UP REVIEWS. Don't just go with the first thing that looks good. Read reviews, call and ask questions about prices. Join local community groups on FB and ask for recommendations. Its very easy to be taken advantage of and overcharged for services when you don't know what's going on.
    Last edited by Nyanobyte; 09-28-2020 at 09:43 AM.

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    Oh these tips, and this thread, are great.

    One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet:


    Some other random thoughts:


    Really though, @(you need an account to see links)'s reminder to drink water and @(you need an account to see links) suggestions for a polearm are the two most top notch suggestions in here. @(you need an account to see links) I grew up eating expired food from the fridge and pantry - can confirm that "best buy" dates are mostly arbitrary. Smell and sight check will catch most things. Freeze your fresh meats if they're getting dated.


    lovely ub and avatar by the endlessly talented @(you need an account to see links)


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    Quote Originally Posted by Flordibel View Post
    I added a period right after "to kill" and nodded, yup! Yup, that is correct. Gotta protect self from home intruders. x]

    My mother taught me a whole bunch of housekeeping shit growing up, but fuuuuuuuuuuu, she never taught me any social skills. Or anything good relating to people.

    "Read the room" was something that took me way too long to figure out. ><

    One of the most valuable lessons I learned as an adult was to get out of bad relationships, both friendships and romantic. I know some people just know this, but fuuuuuuu, I was in an unhappy romantic relationship for like 5 years before I woke up and wondered "wtf am I doing, I'm never going to be happy like this." Same with friends! I used to think "I've been 'friends' with this person for sooo long, do I really want to throw away this friendship just because they only contact me when they need something and they kinda make fun of me all the time?" NO. Get rid of people who make you unhappy in your life or do bad things (definition of 'bad things' differ between people) ! Plenty of other people to be friends with!!

    And of course, the same tip led me to have a somewhat strained relationship with my angry mother, but she's still my mother so I still hang around to make sure she's okay. ;-;


    And don't always trust your first professional, whether it be a doctor, your plumber, a vet, etc, unless they've earned that trust already. If something is major, always get a second opinion! I've had a terrible doctor who let me suffer for half a year because he didn't believe I was suffering through pain symptoms. I went to this guy 3 times in six months! He just wouldn't believe me! Went to another doctor a month later who fixed me that same day (twas.. a yeast infection -__- ). Ugh, I was taught to always trust doctors b/c "they went to med school" blah blah blah, but some of them just wont listen to you. Now I have a great doctor who I'd trust with my life after 'shopping around' for a couple years. Make them earn your trust! Dont just trust them because they have a very expensive piece of paper!

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    Crazy Cat Lady PrettySarcastic's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Flordibel View Post
    - Buying name-brand is only necessary for Blue Dawn dish detergent and meat products.
    You must always buy name brand cooking oil if you intend to deep fry.

    Making a cake with it? Eh it's probably alright to use the Great Value brand, I guess. But please don't deep fry in anything that isn't a major label.

    Chocolate also needs to be a major label, name brand, good quality. The quality of the chocolate you use in your baking will massively change the overall taste of your end result, whether it's chocolate chip cookies or a chocolate cake. (Likewise never buy the random offbrand 99 cent Easter chocolates - buy the good stuff, at least go with the mid-tier Hersheys/Mars/Etc. or upgrade to Russell Stover or Godiva etc.)
    Last edited by PrettySarcastic; 09-28-2020 at 02:49 PM.




    graphics by Flordibel & Menine <3

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