32 little life skills everyone needs to be a grown-up

Sure, you could do everything yourself, but should you? Knowing where your time is best spent and where it makes sense to get outside help is one of the secrets to business and personal success.

Break out the toothbrushes – and we don’t mean for your teeth! Knowing how to scrub every nook and cranny of a toilet is step one of getting a bathroom sparkling clean. Then wipe down the counters, mop the floor, Windex the mirror, rinse out the tub and clean all the random toothpaste splatters off every surface (how does that even happen?). But knowing how to clean it is just half the battle. Knowing why it’s important to have a clean bathroom, and doing it on a regular basis, is the real triumph.

Here are 12 things you should be cleaning with a toothbrush. 

Think of it like 3-D Tetris for grown-ups. Rinsing off the dinner dishes and putting them in the dishwasher in a way that will allow it to be filled to max capacity while still getting everything clean is as much an art as it is a science.

Check out these 21 ways you’re shortening the life of your dishwasher.

Insurance claims and medical bills can be so confusing that it’s tempting to just throw your hands up and swear to never get sick, ever. But no matter how healthy you are, eventually you’re going to need health care and that means figuring out what all those charges, exclusions and exceptions mean. Taking the time to go through your policy and bills can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Don’t miss these 9 things financial advisors wish you knew.

You may not own one but cars with a manual transmission are definitely not extinct. Learning how to drive a clutch can save you if you have to borrow a friend’s car in a pinch or if you happen to just end up with a BMW M5 on your hands. Never had the chance to drive stick? Buddy up with a friend who has a manual car and work through the basics. You’ll be a pro in no time.

You know what they say: Change is the only constant. Yet many of us still live our lives like they’ll always stay the same, so when big changes come they can rock the very foundation of our lives. But you don’t need to fear change, you just need to be prepared for it. Come up with a concrete plan for major contingencies and you’ll save yourself a lot of worry.

Getting a credit card is a no-brainer. Heck, you don’t even have to apply for one; they’ll just send you one in the mail, making spending money even easier than it already is. But saving money, that’s a real skill, and it starts with setting up your own savings account. Know the different types of savings accounts, pick one that’s right for you, and start socking cash away on a regular basis.

Would you know what to do if someone collapsed at work? If your child began choking at dinner? If you sprained your ankle while hiking? Learning CPR and basic first aid skills fall under the category of skills you hope you’ll never have to use. But in an emergency situation, first aid training can help you keep your cool, stay safe and even save a life. Brush up on your skills or start anew by finding a local class.

In the meantime, these are the 7 essential steps of performing CPR.

Nothing is more charming or more appreciated than sincere gratitude. Hand write it on beautiful stationery – a rarity in our tech-obsessed culture – and it becomes a meaningful token, sometimes treasured for years afterward.

Listen to our podcast about a woman who wrote a thank you note every day of the year – and find out how it changed her life.

Despite what politicians may say, getting offended is a choice, and choosing to keep your cool is a real skill. Give others the benefit of the doubt (even if they don’t deserve it), don’t take everything personally, be forgiving, and refuse to take the bait in the argument and you’ll have ultimate control over your own happiness. It’s not what happens to you that really matters but how you react to it.

Now, start making your bucket list, here are 50 things that everyone should do before they’ve turned 50.

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Source: RD.com