HOW TO ADULT IS BROUGHT TO YOU IN CONJUNCTION WITH RACV
Things they don’t teach you in school.
Being an adult can be tough. When you reach that age where you’re too proud to call your parents with daily questions like “how do I boil an egg?” or “do I need to go to the doctor for this?” and google doesn’t have the capacity to come over and put air in your tyres or cut down that dead branch hanging over your bedroom roof, it’s easy to feel a little out of your element. The best part is that most people your age are silently struggling along with you, because let’s face it, isn’t everyone just faking it? Here are some handy hints on how to nail adult life like a pro so next time your mum asks how you’re doing, you can say everything’s great and actually mean it.
Work
Thought you’d be met with freedom once you graduated? Not quite. Work is pretty much the same as school but with shorter lunch breaks and less friends – plus if you don’t do your homework, you’ll get more than a slap on the wrist. The top tip, which may seem like a no-brainer, is to be organised. Whatever your job is, you can guarantee that prioritising your daily tasks and planning your day will mean you can smash out all your duties with minimal stress and maximum results. It also means you can go home at the end of the day feeling accomplished and knowing your to-do list tomorrow won’t be twice as long thanks to the all the things you didn’t get through the first time around.
Show up on time, try not to come to work hungover and don’t chuck sickies every time you don’t feel like going in, you’d be surprised about what a small world it is and how quickly other potential employment opportunities can disappear if they hear you’re known for slacking off. Besides, you’re getting paid for your time, the least you can do is put in some effort.
Home
Unless you’re very lucky, adult living situations will most likely involve residing in a share house at some stage. This might seem like all fun and games at first, but after the novelty of living out of home wears off all you’re left with is a big pile of unpaid bills next to your dirty dishes and no idea where to start. Turns out all those years of your parents telling you to clean your room, get your washing off the clothesline and empty the dishwasher weren’t cruel ways of them trying to ruin your fun but actually handy reminders on how to be a decent roommate.
Clean up after yourself or you might not get invited to re-sign the lease next year, keep a separate bank account or two for rent and bills so you don’t accidentally pay-pass your way through your entire weekly pay and stock your fridge with veggies and healthy snacks – a healthy, varied diet will do you massive favours in the long run.
Relationships
Relationships are tricky, especially now that you’re out of high school and it’s no longer socially acceptable to dump someone via text. Not to mention the value of revisiting what you learnt in sex-ed if you’re playing the field on Tinder. Just because everyone on Facebook is getting married, having kids and buying houses doesn’t mean you are falling behind – it’s not a race. Don’t settle for second best or make big decisions like moving in with your partner or starting a family together because you think that’s the stage of your life you should be at. Enjoy the ride, arriving at the destination will be so much sweeter if you do.
Friendships and family are equally important relationships that you need to put effort into maintaining. Call your parents every now and again and organise to see your friends when possible. A Facebook like every now and then does not a good friend make and you’ll start feeling pretty isolated if you don’t have a good support network around you.
Life
Keep a diary or at least have a calendar to keep track of important dates. Constantly double-booking or stressing because you forgot about something important isn’t fun for anyone and your friends will stop inviting you to things if you’re repeatedly a no-show. Be considerate, whether it’s giving your seat to someone who clearly needs it more than you do on public transport or letting a car merge in front of you in traffic. It won’t take much effort on your behalf and you’ll feel a lot better for it.
Have at least a general idea of what’s going on in the world around you. A big part of being a responsible adult person is knowing who is running the country and how their choices will affect you. Not voting isn’t cool, we’re lucky to live in a democratic country and you owe it to yourself and every other Australian citizen to utilise your right to vote.
Money
Having to miss out on yet another gig or having to skip that trip you wanted to take because you have no money to spare isn’t how you want to spend your 20’s. You might be renting for a while yet thanks to the state of the housing market but if you get into the habit of saving now, at least you stand a chance. Make a budget and stick to it, there’s plenty of apps to help you figure out your finances if you don’t know where to start. Don’t get jealous because your Instagram feed is clogged with travel photos if you aren’t willing to put away a few bucks each week yourself.
Pay your bills on time and be mindful of how you’re spending your money, ask yourself if you realllllly need whatever you’ve got loaded in your online shopping cart and whether it is worth the hours of your life it took you to earn that money you’re about to spend.
Insurance
Now that you’re living out of home, looking after your stuff has jumped a lot higher on your list. You may not think insurance is worth it, but the cost of replacing your smartphone, computer, camera, gaming console, music gear, kitchen appliances and furniture will add up pretty quickly if something happens to the house, and with single item insurance and premiums starting from $1.21 per month, the value is pretty clear.
You’ll be covered against fire, storm, flood, or cyclone events – and we all know how chaotic Victorian weather can be – plus if you damage your phone or camera, have things stolen from your house or even leave something important on the train, RACV are just a click away and they’re always ready to replace or repair your item ASAP. There are weekly, fortnightly, monthly and annual payment options to suit your budget, and trust us, the peace of mind alone is worth sparing a couple of bucks for insurance. Jump onto racv.com.au and get a quote within 30 seconds, you can even purchase and manage your policy online so you don’t have to worry about anyone trying to talk you into anything you don’t need.
