When you move out, life comes at you fast. No matter how ready you think you are, you never truly are. Lots of people only realize they’re unprepared when they are faced with an issue and need to call their parents or older (and more experienced) friends for help.
There are some things that you learn along the way and that can only be drawn from your own lived-in experiences, but there are other things you can – and should – learn before the big independence day arrives.
Here are three skills you should be looking to learn or pushing your children to learn before moving day.
Basic DIY
Things go wrong, it’s a fact of life. No matter how careful you are with your home and the items inside it, things will inevitably break and/or need fixing. You could call a tradesperson to come and do the work for you, but this will cost you a pretty penny. Rather than forking out your hard-earned money on a simple issue that takes five minutes to fix, learn basic DIY so that when the time comes, you’re prepared.
First thing’s first, you’ll need to head to your local tool suppliers and purchase a drill, a screwdriver with different head attachments, a spirit level, a saw, a tape measure, a stud finder wall scanner, and some basic nuts, bolts, nails and screws.
When you have the appropriate tools, it’s worth learning how to:
- Put up a shelf
- Cut items (e.g. blinds) to size
- Unblock a sink or drain
- Fix hinges, handles and taps
- Bleed a radiator
- Change the fuse on a plug
These are just a handful of the basic DIY skills you’ll do well to know.
Money Management
You’re taught basic math at school, but not in the way you need it. Knowing algebra is all well and good, but it won’t do you any favors when it comes to budgeting and paying taxes. Most people learn money management the hard way i.e. by getting into debt and struggling to find a way out. You don’t need to go through the stress of paying off outstanding payments if you have a good grasp on how money works.
Whilst your expenses will no doubt increase when you move out – something you can’t replicate at home – you can learn the basics. You can buy a budget planner, or you can create a spreadsheet. We’d recommend getting into the habit of tracking your spending, learning to save money every month, understanding how credit scores work, and exploring how taxes work and how to go about paying them.
When you have good management skills, there’s not much you can’t do, so the better you get a handle on things, the less stress you’ll have later down the line.
Basic Car Mechanics
In the same way things in your house go wrong, things with your car can also go wrong, and in the same way tradesmen charge extortionate prices, so do mechanics. There will be some charges you can’t get away with, such as replacing the clutch or getting new brake pads, but there are a number of basic things you can most certainly do yourself.
These include changing your tires, changing your oil, replacing a brake or headlight, replacing window wipers, amending your tire pressure, and understanding what all dashboard lights mean. If you walk into a garage with a sense of what could be wrong, you may well find you get a better deal and aren’t overcharged for issues that aren’t there.
Summary
We hope these tips help to make you feel more prepared before you move out. If you’ve already moved out, what do you wish you’d known beforehand?