There comes a time in everyone’s life that slowly creeps up on them. They go through their childhood and teenage years without a clue of what’s to come. Then…BAM! Adulthood has arrived, and the journey to becoming a full-fledged functioning adult has begun. Welcome to the freedom, welcome to the bills, welcome to the best and the worst memories to come.
According to dictionary.com, adulting means the practice of behaving in a way characteristic of a responsible adult, especially the accomplishment of mundane but necessary tasks. Even though there is a myriad of tasks that have to do with adulting, it can be difficult because our parents never quite explained how they did it, and we’re too embarrassed to ask our fully competent roommate. I have to say I’m upset that we never learned to write a check or change our tires in school, let alone learning to do our taxes with an accountant.
Although I am only a college student, I figured now is the best time to figure out how to adult, before I’m thrown into the real world with all the stress of work/life balance and bills and making friends as an adult, etc. So here’s to college students – may we get our lives together enough to feel like actual adults!
Adulting 101
be faithful in what you have
My first tip is to be faithful with what you have. For us students that are working and going to school, we don’t have a lot to go out and to pay student loans. So I fully believe that we need to appreciate what we have and be wise about using our money. Your expenses come before your miscellaneous or entertainment fund. Additionally, not enough of us have a safety fund. You NEED to begin saving in case of emergency expenses. This protects you from financial stress and any debt that may occur.
read the book of Proverbs
Now many of you may not believe in religion, however, reading Proverbs isn’t about religion. It’s about wisdom and discernment. Dave Ramsey is a financial author who got himself out of debt and gives advice based on biblical principles. Everyone wants to learn how to manage their money, so why not start off with something as simple as reading Proverbs. If you’re the podcasting type, Dave Ramsey has a podcast where he gives all sorts of financial advice.
be grateful
Similar to being faithful with what you have, gratitude is the best attitude. It’s super cheesy, but there are so many studies that show gratitude can lead to greater joy and wellbeing. Every day, think of or write down a few things you’re grateful for. I challenge you to be specific. Often for me, this exercise helps me remember something small that brought me joy during the day. You may even want to expand this to have a gratitude journal.
find a mentor
I don’t care who you are, how old you are, or how smart you think you are. You NEED a mentor. Everyone has a need for guidance, and that could be a range of things. You may have a mentor at your job who is guiding you in your career, teaching you skills, or introducing you to other people to make connections. You may have a spiritual mentor or a therapist who helps you to analyze and address different aspects of your life. You may just have an older friend you go to for advice on certain decisions. Whoever you need a mentor for, go get one! If you want to get married, go to a couple in your neighborhood and talk to them. If someone you work with has the job you want, ask them to join you for coffee and discuss with them their journey. Get knowledge from people who have more than you, because I promise you there is something that you don’t know!
live within your means
This is relatively simple and yet it’s not. There are so many millennials living in New York City apartments that cost 50% of their income. That is insane. When you are young, you need to think about savings, about having a retirement fund, about insurance. Do yourself a favor. Live within your means and budget, so that you can properly save. Do not buy something you do not have the money for in your bank account. That is how you end up in thousands of dollars in credit card debt! If you’ve just graduated, maybe move home so you can save for an apartment where rent is 20% to 30% of your monthly income.
know your needs vs wants
There are needs and there are wants. Take care of your needs first. That means rent, food, student loans, other bills. Then consider how much do I want to spend on going on with friends or shopping this month. The best thing to do is to wait it out. If you want to buy something, new shoes, give it 2 weeks. If you still want it, it might have gone on sale, and you know for sure that it’s a purchase you really want to spend the money on. If you want to travel, especially for a trip abroad, you need to make sure every penny you spend is in service of that dream. Maybe you eat in for a few months. You may work more hours to get more money faster. Bigger expenses require bigger sacrifices.
have an emergency repair fund
I mentioned this before, but this is specifically for people that have cars. I have never had a car, but if you do, you need to think about if you have a crash, if something breaks down while you’re on the road, you need to have money saved so that you can repair it quickly. Otherwise, you are stuck without a method of transportation.
think ahead to 3 – 5 years
I love to plan! To me, it’s even better than execution. There is nothing like seeing a really detailed plan with each step to get you exactly where you want to be. While a plan is a good thing, you need to prepare yourself. If you want to eat healthily, you have to go grocery shopping for fruits and veggies. If you want to go to the gym after work, you want to have your workout clothes in your bag. Execute is simple. Go do it. Even if you don’t want to. Even if every fiber in you is rebelling. If what you need to do is good for you, you have to execute!
plan prepare execute
I love to plan! To me, it’s even better than execution. There is nothing like seeing a really detailed plan with each step to get you exactly where you want to be. While a plan is a good thing, you need to prepare yourself. If you want to eat healthily, you have to go grocery shopping for fruits and veggies. If you want to go to the gym after work, you want to have your workout clothes in your bag. Execute is simple. Go do it. Even if you don’t want to. Even if every fiber in you is rebelling. If what you need to do is good for you, you have to execute!
serve
This piece of advice gets lost amongst the “meal prep and budget!” tips, but I think it’s equally as important as meal prepping and budget. Please go volunteer. As a college student, it’s so easy to get lost in classes and grades and friends in the college bubble, it’s easy to forget there is a world outside of my campus. Volunteering is so key to remind myself what I have a habit of forgetting. Not to mention, you can make new friends and connections while helping other people. Remind yourself that you can be a part of a solution. Serve!
don’t compare!
Comparison is so unhealthy. And yet every time I look on Instagram, I feel myself do it over and over. Delete Instagram. Join me on Twitter! I’m kidding, but really, you are on a completely different journey than those around you. While you may think, “We’re both trying to find jobs and figure out life,” you may have different obligations than they do. Your upbringing is different. Your insight is different. You are completely different. That’s why you can’t compare yourself to an Instagram picture while you’re in your pj’s. It’s just not right.
keep your commitments
Be a good human, and keep your commitments. This can be hard. You may have agreed to do something and then something better comes along that’s a better fit. That is no excuse for you to ghost your job or the person you’re dating. As you are developing your financial skills and your cooking skills, I would also hope you take the time to build your integrity because only you can be accountable for your decisions at the end of the day.
Hope you learned a lot!
Signing off,
Gigi
Do you have any other tips for adulting? Comment them below!
This is great advice!
Thank you!