Welcome back to my site, y'all! Today's post began as a little list in my head about a year ago when I spread my little wings and flew right out of my parents' nest & into the real world. There are so many little details about life on your own that never cross your mind until you're, say, in line at the grocery store wondering how on Earth you filled your cart with $200.00 worth of groceries. Without further ago, here is a non-comprehensive list of all the things I wish I would have known before I became an acting adult.
» MAKING THE BED MATTERS - I know, I know, how on Earth would it make a difference if I make my bed when I am just going to come back after a long day and crawl right back into it?! Truth be told, this is one of the biggest components of my morning every day and it is a game changer. Making my bed takes a maximum of three minutes if I truly spend time fluffing the throw pillows, but it makes a world of difference. Leaving the bedroom looking nice and neat versus cluttered and messy makes the difference between feeling like my day will be neat or hectic. Not to mention, when I come home after work, I am 1000x more likely to collapse into bed and do absolutely nothing if the covers are already pulled back and inviting me in. However, if I come home and the bed is made, I won't want to dive under the covers and hide from the world quite as much. Maybe your mom had a point after all.
» A GIRL'S GOTTA EAT: One of the biggest slaps in the face I received from the real world was the first grocery bill I paid on my own. Everyone buying their own groceries remembers the first time they walked into Hyvee and all the glorious food items seemed to sing like the heavenly choir. Forty-five minutes later, your cart requires an ox to move and is full of 3 too many pints of Ben N Jerry's. The ugly truth is: food is expensive. Even on a budget, I never spent less than $150.00 per month on food alone, and I live in a single person household. You will never eat everything you bring home from the store before it goes bad. Not to mention, how on Earth did this milk expire already, I swear I just bought it! Don't be surprised that one day you open the fridge and the cheese is moldy. Time slips away from you, and who has the time to check expiration dates every day?? Okay, we all probably do, but that doesn't change the fact that this has happened to me several times and it doesn't get any less shameful or disgusting.
» BAKING SODA IS OF THE GODS: Seriously, how many things can this little orange box be used for? You're telling me I can use it in my cookies, whiten my teeth, AND keep my fridge from smelling like the aforementioned moldy cheese all at once? Now the only issue is that I have no idea where it is located in the grocery store. Mom!
» PODCASTS = PRODUCTIVITY: When my coworker asked me if it was alright to play a podcast during a particularly slow day at work, I don't think it was possible for me to have rolled my eyes any harder than I did. Boy, had I been missing out. The first podcast I got hooked on was Freakonomics. I had no idea there was such a gaping hole in my heart that could only be filled by a satirical analysis of the economic system, but from that day forward there was no going back. Podcasts give me more energy and keep me more engaged than just listening to music does. When I'm cleaning the house, getting ready for work, or just trying to fall asleep at night, listening to a podcast lets me multitask and helps keep me focused on what i'm doing. Some of my personal favorites are Daily Hope {a twenty minute daily devotional by the wonderful Pastor Warren}, Truth and Dare {a motivational podcast hosted by two females striving to live their truth} and of course, Freakonomics because I am a nerd at heart. These along with so many others help me expand my horizons and stay motivated. Knowledge is power, people!
» TOO LITTLE TOO LATE: It is never too early to start saving for retirement. When I bring up my 401k plan to any of my peers, I am usually met with a blank stare. At this age, half of my fellow college students haven't even made a resume since it was a graded assignment in high school. It is so easy to think that there is plenty of time to save for retirement down the road and put it off for a rainy day. There is something to be said for not being a Scrooge, however I am young and have no dependents so now is the ideal time to save for me. I only need the amount of my paycheck it will take to support myself and my education, so there is no better time to be selfish with my money. A few decades from now, I'll be sitting on the front porch of my lake house thanking my eighteen-year-old self for listening to Dave Ramsey.
» DOLLA DOLLA BILL Y'ALL - Budgeting can be painfully eye-opening. Before you go on a money saving kick, be sure to set realistic standards for yourself. Example: only going to Starbucks once a week is a realistic goal. Setting a $20.00 limit on groceries to eat comfortably is not. Before you go on Pinterest and start filling out budget printables, track your spending for a few weeks. I neglected to do this before I tried to embark on a budget to save for a car, and fell flat on my face in the first week because I only allotted $60.00 per month to pay for gas and promptly used all of it within the first six days. You would be surprised about some of your spending habits, and the sad thing is that the most expensive things are usually the most necessary evils.
» WHERE THE HECK IS MY PLANNER - I used to laugh when we were given planners back in grade school, and now I take back every eye roll and regret throwing each and every one away. I first bought a planner by choice when I started apartment hunting right before high school graduation to keep track of all the expenses and deadlines, and I haven't looked back since. Now I list everything from recipes, to coworkers' birthdays to when 50 cent corn dog day is at Sonic {tomorrow, by the way}. I have gone from scrambling to meet math homework deadlines in high school to now color coding which bills are due when. It's surprising how making a list and checking things off can make you that much more determined to get more done. Oh, how I've blossomed.
» MOM WAS RIGHT - About. Absolutely. EVERYTHING. On the same note, there has yet to be a crisis that cannot be remedied by a phone call to my mother.
» JUMPMAN JUMPMAN JUMPMAN - Carry jumper cables in your car, the day will come when you will need them, it is inevitable. Need I say more?
» YOGI BEAR - Yoga actually is a tough workout, who knew. & if done correctly, it can challenge your mind more so than your body. Not to mention finishing a yoga class makes you feel like a million bucks and personally makes me feel like if I can hold Fallen Angel pose for thirty seconds, I can conquer the world.
» LOOK HOW YOU WANT TO BE SEEN - This one is pretty self explanatory. In our college years, we are in a period of transition and self discovery, searching for who we want to be and how to become them. College students are not notorious for dressing to impress, especially on campus. One of the things I have learned is that when I look good, I feel better. Everyone has heard the phrase "dress for the job you want, not for the job you have," and I think that saying has an application outside the workplace as much as within. Whether you like it or not, everywhere you go you are seen. People notice you and how you carry yourself and how you choose to be portrayed. It is just as important to look capable as it is to be capable. It is just as important to look confident as it is to be confident. While it would be nice if the way we felt about ourselves were able to dictate how the rest of the world saw us, the outside world is free to form their own opinion. If you want the world to believe you are capable of being who you want to be, show them. Every time I walk outside my door, I might run into the person I will end up sitting across a desk from, trying to convince that I am worthy of being hired. Whatever your motivation, whether you dress to impress or dress like you might run into your ex, look how you want to be seen.
» WHO LEFT THE DISHES IN THE SINK - Do you ever look around for an adult to handle a situation...and realize...you ARE the adult. If so, welcome to adulthood itself. The toughest thing to realize is that if you want the laundry to be done, YOU have to be the one to do it. If you want the fridge to be full of yummy food, YOU have to go to the grocery store. If you want to continue living lavishly and treating yourself too much, YOU have to drag your little booty to work tomorrow morning. A wise man once said, "with great power comes great responsibility," and it is true in 10/10 cases of adulting. Also, it was from Spiderman. Spiderman's uncle Ben said that...Maybe we never truly grow up.
Once again, thank you so much for reading my ramblings! I appreciate each and every website click and I would love to hear anything and everything you have to say. Feel free to leave a comment, message me and DON'T FORGET to sign up for my mailing list so you don't miss out on any of the cool things yet to come! Happy Hump Day!