As young adults, we are faced with a growing mountain of responsibilities that until now has been uncharted territory. College is a bizarre purgatory between total adulthood and childhood. You can decide which is heaven and which is hell.
You're expected to make decisions that will shape your future, but your mom still schedules your dentist appointments. As your college career progresses and the clock draws closer to adulthood, there are some steps you should take and products to invest in that will save you a lot of trouble when you are left to navigate the wilderness of independent living. Having lived on my own and on a budget for a few years now, here is my list of the 17 things you should invest in before adulting.
1. Your own Netflix account.
You never know when your friend who has been letting you borrow their account info will suddenly be tired of your Parks and Rec obsession polluting their suggestions. Are you willing to risk being left high and dry three seasons into Breaking Bad? I think not. Also, cable is pricey for anyone starting off on a tight budget, so an online entertainment provider like Hulu or Netflix is probably your best bet.
2. Sauces and seasonings.
Once you have been stripped of the convenience of a meal plan, you'll have to start cooking for yourself. McDonald's and Taco Bell alone cannot form the base of your food pyramid. The difference between Mac and Cheese and Cajun cheese pasta is as simple as a pinch of reasonably priced seasoning. Never underestimate the power of Sriracha to save a meal.
3. A hobby.
While channeling your creative energy into thrice weekly binge drinking sessions may be considered a valid interest in college, it isn't in the real world. Do something rewarding with your free time. Get into knitting. Learn how to sail. Refinish vintage furniture. Not only will it make you a more interesting person, but it will also provide you a form of mediation to calm you down after a long week at work.
4. The ability to receive a compliment.
Trust me, I understand that there are days when you wake up on the ugly side of the bed and would rather clean the toilet than use your front face camera. Still, I can also ensure you that no one else cares. Your coworkers do not want to listen to you shoot down their "you look nice today" with an impassioned rant about your roots. At some point, you have to suck up your insecurities and just say thank you.
5. Canned food.
This one serves a duel purpose. If you have some extra green beans and corn in the pantry, then you're always prepared if someone stops by to collect for a canned food drive. If the warm and fuzzies from a good deed done are not enough for you, I have two words - zombie apocalypse.
6. Board games.
Returning to the idea that the real world requires you to engage in recreational activities that are not binge drinking, it's always nice to have a couple board games around for when guests stop by. Imagine this: your parents come over for dinner and are lingering after, asking you questions about why you're still single but you have nothing to do but sit in the abyss of judgment. If you redo that situation with UNO, things could go quite differently.
7. An outfit for a job interview.
I'm talking about slacks here, ladies and gentlemen. Not just khakis and a polo but a full-blown business professional get up. You should be ready for any opportunity that presents itself to get a job that pays enough to cover your student loan payments. As much as I wish you could defer those puppies forever, the clock starts ticking the minute you graduate.
8. Coconut oil.
People may mock this miracle in a jar online, but it really is useful for everything. Run out of makeup remover? Coconut oil. Need to moisturize? Coconut oil. Want to protect your tattoos? Coconut oil. Natural teeth whitener? You guessed it. It usually runs at about $10 a jar, and I promise it will be worth every penny.
9. Political opinions.
No, I am not suggesting that you need to be ready for a debate. But adults do like to talk about current events, and conversations are a lot more interesting when you know and care about the topic. It's a simple as downloading a few news apps and perusing some stories in the morning while you drink your coffee. Wow, listen to that. Reading the news over a morning cup of joe. Could you get anymore adult than that?!
10. A reusable water bottle.
If you're ballin on a budget, every dollar counts. Plastic water bottles add up, especially if you're like me and pick them up at a gas station where they charge triple the price you would pay at the gas station. "But Maddie," you say, "I want cold water!" Well, kids, you can always rotate two bottles so that you have one cold, full bottle of water in the fridge. Or there's ice. That one works pretty well too. Plus, it's 2015. Going green is the kind of thing that makes someone swipe right on Tinder.
11. Money for a tip.
Once you're an independent adult, you'll be having to pay for everything with your own money. Each dollar will be your precious child that you made by doing something way less glamorous than you anticipated doing with your degree. With that being said, you should have the same respect for the hard work other people are doing. If you don't have money to tip, you don't have money to go out to eat or get drinks at the bar.
12. Hand soap.
This one may seem like a no brainer, but a disturbing number of young adult bathrooms are void of anything antibacterial. Your hand washing habits (or lack thereof) are your business, but don't make your guests endure that. I get a major case of the heebie jeebies when I notice someone has no soap in their bathroom. Think about what your mother would say.
13. A backup phone charger.
We've all had a charger suddenly stop working. Maybe you bent it weird at the top. Maybe your cat decided to release their deep seeded resentment for being named something degrading by eating the charger. Regardless, most people don't have a real alarm clock and depend on their phones to wake them up in time for work. A backup charger saves you from that moment when it's midnight, you have to work at 7 a.m., and you're on 2% with no hope of charging.
14. A savings account.
So say this same hypothetical cat of yours chokes on the charger. If you're living paycheck to paycheck with no money in savings, you have no way to take Fluffy to the vet. Even if you have no cat, shit happens. Unpredictable, expensive disasters always occur. That's like the motto of adulthood. Having $1000 in savings will save you stress when something inevitably comes up. If you're still in man-child purgatory, start saving up while someone else is buying your groceries.
15. Some file folders.
Responsible adult things like bills and student loans come with a very important paper trail. Lease agreements, birth certificates, and tax documents all need a safe home. Another smart idea is to keep any warranty information in a safe place. It's all fun and games until the microwave breaks and you realize that you lost the receipt.
16. Wine.
Wine is great. It makes most people really sweet, loving drunks. Meals seem super fancy when served with wine, even if it did come from a box. It's great to keep around in case you have surprise guests to entertain. Not only that, but you also feel like one classy bitch chasing down a long day at work with a glass of chardonnay.
17. Confidence.
Chances are, no matter how many online lists you read, you won't be completely ready for adult life. There are going to be endless ups and downs while you're figuring it all out, and while it's totally okay to call your mom and ask for help sometimes, there will also be times where you have to go lone ranger. Just breathe deep, tell yourself you got this, and remember you're a bad*ss.
