Here are some great tips from people who learned adulting the hard way! This is mainly for you younger folks who are entering adulthood soon, but it might contain some helpful info for y’all who have been adulting for a while now! Enjoy!
***
- Even if you get along great with your family now, the connection/relationship will be better once you move out
- Generic brands are almost always just as good as name brand but there are some things you never buy generic: peanut butter, ketchup, liquid NyQuil, Chips-Ahoy chewy chocolate chip cookies
- Most people hate talking on the phone, so be patient and respectful
- Thrift stores are EVERYTHING!!!
- Everyone else is too busy panicking about everyone else noticing every tiny thing that could possibly be wrong about themselves that they don’t notice any tiny thing that could possibly be wrong with you
- You will screw up… a lot. You live and learn when you start to think too hard about that embarrassing thing that happened (and how you wish you could change it) just tell yourself it’s done. There’s no changing it, just move on and forgive yourself. It’s the only way to stay sane
- NEVER PUT DAWN IN THE DISHWASHER.
- If you do put dawn in the dishwasher, run it on empty and put hair conditioner where the detergent goes
- Don’t be afraid to cart-surf down the grocery aisle
- Sometimes life sucks, and knowing that it will get better doesn’t make it suck less, but you’ll never get non-sucky days without enduring the suckiness
- Dollar store batteries work just as well as store-brand
- Reward yourself from time to time when you do things that you needed to get done – it’s a good way to remind yourself to do them
- Rice, pasta, flour, sugar, cheese, eggs, milk, a pack of chicken, frozen veggies, and a spice cabinet go a long way food-wise. They all make multiple meals
- Keep a calendar of when all your bills are due – you can call the company to switch the due dates
- There’s no shame in calling for an extension of a bill. Let them know the amount you can pay, then arrange when you can pay the rest
- Take time to eat, even if you don’t feel like it. Your body needs energy to live.
- Magic erasers work on everything – don’t scrub hard
- Never take meds with alcohol (keep it to water)
- Check dosages for bottled pills and drugs. No one wants to overdose on cough syrup or ibuprofen
- Ginger tea does wonders for nausea
- Keep antibiotic ointment
- Fruits, milk, and sunshine are great for you!
- If you live off ramen noodles, only add half the flavor packet and add veggies and spices
- Potatoes are done when you can easily stab a fork through them
- Buy meat and veggies on sale and freeze them. You can defrost them for a later day (as far as 6 months later)
- Soak ink stains in milk to get them out
- Use cold water for bloodstains
- Acetone, found in most nail polish removers, dissolves super glue
- Keep a flashlight in your car in case your car breaks down and your phone is dead
- Put jumper cables, water, non-perishable food, extra pair of clothes, blanket, tools in your car for whenever
- Know how to change a tire
- Bake your own bread if normal bread gets too expensive
- If you use a baseball bat for a defense weapon in your home, put a sock on the end of it so the attacker can’t disarm the weapon at first
- Go back to bed if you’re really sick
- Treat yourself at the main character – everyone else is a supporting character in YOUR story
Medication Lesson
- Acetaminophen = Tylenol
- Used to treat pain and reduce fever. Don’t take with ibuprofen
- Ibuprofen = Advil, Midol, Motrin
- Used for pain, fever, anti-inflammatory – good for period cramps
- Naproxen = Aleve, Naprosyn
- Used for fever, pain, arthritis, gout, period cramps, tendinitis, headache, backache, toothache
- Asprin = Bayer
- Used for pain, fever, arthritis, inflammation. Makes you bleed easily. Might reduce risk of heart attack
- Triple Antibiotic Ointment = Neosporin
- Used on cuts, sores, and scrapes to reduce risk of infection and promote healing
Tiger's Daydream 