Do you want to become a financially independent person? It feels great to be the kind of person who can stand on their own two feet and give off the impression of someone who has their life together. Though problems in life can happen unexpectedly, there are some life skills that are important if you want to become someone reliable. With these basic skills, you will be able to conquer any problem and get back to your feet.
Clean after yourself
Because of how society views gender roles in the past, some men were not taught how to do basic household chores. According to a study, mothers do a total of one hour of housework a day, while fathers only do an average of 11 minutes. While that may not be the case in all homes, it is not an uncommon scenario. Unfortunately, these habits tend to be followed by sons, and some don’t bother correcting this behavior. In this age though, you will soon find that it will become a big problem, especially if you decide to move out.
Fortunately, you can break this cycle by learning how to clean up after yourself. This involves more than just showing regularly or throwing away your trash. Any independent person needs to learn how to wash the dishes and do the laundry. It can be as simple as throwing your clothes in the washing machine, but there is a lot of benefit to learning how to clean specific items of clothing. For instance, rubbing alcohol is good for removing ink stains, while Hydrogen Peroxide can remove rust marks.
Not only is it essential for cleanliness and hygiene, there is a feeling of fulfillment when one is able to look after themselves. No matter your financial situation, you can bring this life skill with you in any situation. Aside from that, your mental health will improve, even a little bit, because you are able to do basic tasks for yourself.
Learn to cook or bake
They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Well, the same actually applies to women. You’ll find that people are more drawn to those who know how to cook. In fact, the psychology behind that is related to survival. Being able to cook means you can provide for the person, which then translates to being happier in life later on. It makes sense that we, as people, are naturally drawn to those with skilled cooking or baking ability.
More than that, cooking is an important skill when one wants to become independent. You simply can’t live off of junk food and takeout alone. If you are the type who is concerned with money, then you will find that cooking your own meals is infinitely cheaper than constantly getting take out. This is also an easy skill you can learn because you don’t necessarily need to spend a lot.
Become a good negotiator
Being a good communicator has a lot of benefits. Not only will it help you get far in your career, but it can also get you out of tricky situations. A good negotiator is not just one who makes demands. Rather, you are also able to compromise and properly phrase your words in a way that sounds convincing. The goal is to make the best out of every situation and increase the advantages you have.
Becoming a good negotiator takes practice and a lot of reading. Learning about things in general gives you knowledge that can put you at an advantage. Ignorance leaves you vulnerable to being exploited. Although this sounds quite vague, you can hone your ability by actively trying to learn new things, especially if the topic in question is important to you. If you don’t know enough about a certain topic, then you should avoid agreeing to things right away and consult an expert first.
Budgeting
Unfortunately, most Americans are not financially literate. In fact, 53 percent get anxious whenever finances are brought up, and 44 percent become stressful when it is brought up. A lot of people find talking about money as taboo, whether it is discussing salaries or splitting costs. This leads to a lot of people who are not familiar with basic concepts of debt or budgeting, let alone investing.
In order to set yourself up for success, you at least need to know how to budget your money. This means you have to know how much you will be earning and setting aside a portion for your monthly expenses. A common practice that people so is spending whatever is left behind after rent. However, that leaves many people without savings or fallback. Before you buy something, make sure that it fits your budget first. Otherwise, you can always save up for it later.
