Whether you live in an apartment or a house, there are certain skills that are very useful to have. When you’re renting, you will have a landlord and a caretaker/maintenance person who is responsible for fixing a lot of the issues that will arise, but sometimes they can be slow and they aren’t always on top of things. Learning these skills will save you a ton of money throughout your life, you’ll be able to help out your friends and family, and you’ll have a sense of pride and confidence that comes from knowing how to do these basic things yourself.
3. Basic Auto Repairs
If you’re living somewhere without great public transportation, or you just want to have your own vehicle, then knowing the basics of how to maintain it and how to fix smaller issues is very useful. Owning a car is expensive for teenagers. Newer cars cost a lot more, and older ones cost a lot more in repairs. But knowing how to maintain it, and how to fix the smaller things can save you a lot.
If you’re used to having a family car, then having a vehicle when you move out on your own is really useful. Of course, not everybody needs or wants a car, and that’s okay, too! Even if you don’t have a car, it’s still useful to know how to change a tire, or how to replace a belt, or why there’s smoke billowing out from under the hood.
2. Plumbing
You’ll undoubtedly experience clogs and leaks in your new home, it happens. Older buildings deal with plumbing issues a lot, and many building owners don’t invest a lot of money in doing proper repairs with expensive materials. It’s only a matter of time until you get a clog or a leak, and knowing the basics of how to fix that means you won’t have to wait around for a maintenance person to arrive.
There’s only so much you can or should do without formal training, but we’re talking about basic stuff like fixing a clogged toilet, or how to avoid clogging your shower, or how to turn the main water source off when there’s a leak. For major stuff, you’ll have to wait for a plumber to arrive, especially if your pipes require thorough drain cleaning, but it’s good to have a handle on the basics, either way.
1. Personal Finance
Personal finance includes everything from knowing how to pay your bills, how to do a balance transfer to save money on credit card debts, how to consolidate your loans, how to put away some money for taxes, how to do basic investments and how to avoid getting scammed, and a lot more. You don’t have to get an MBA, but knowing how the basic stuff works will have to miles ahead of the game and will ensure that even while you’re renting, you’re still building up a nest-egg for your future.
