Welcome to Being Grown-Up!
Are you out on your own for the first time and have no idea where to begin when it comes to your household budget? Do you find yourself looking for extra money to pay your bills or have fun at the end of the month and wonder how other people seem to be able to manage? Are you still living at home and thinking about leaving, but aren’t sure how to go about it? Are you deciding on a college or career and have no idea where to begin?
Well you are about to find the answers!
Once upon a time, when a child reached adulthood, they were expected to leave the nest, find a job or a husband, and begin a family. Little girls were taught domestic skills and little boys were taught maintenance and the importance of providing for their families. But that was the dark ages! Nowadays, young adults are not financially able to leave the nest. Good paying jobs are hard to come by and the thought of being a responsible adult before the age of 30 seems impossible!
The world has changed, but the skills we need to succeed have not. When I ventured out on my own after high school, my parents believed that I would automatically find my way. That didn’t happen. My part time job (the one I was qualified for) was fun, but was definitely not enough to pay for rent, food, and basic necessities. I lived at friends houses for awhile until I was able to get roommates and finally pay rent. Even then, I could barely afford food once my rent, utilities, and other needs were taken care of. When I turned 21, I wanted to have fun with the rest of my friends (who were still being taken care of by their families, so their wages were theirs to spend), but I had to decide between fun and food or a place to live. Sometimes I made the right decisions, sometimes I did not!
Then I found the magic of credit cards! Oh, sweet credit cards…I was able to go shopping with my friends and not feel left out because I only had to pay $10 a month!! “Wow, what a deal!” my young naive mind thought. Years later and so far in debt that I had to beg my dad to help me get a consolidation loan, I got pregnant and married. I had an unrealistic view that things would be “happily ever after” without any actual work. Boy was I wrong!
I had no idea how to take care of a house in a way fitting a family. I didn’t know how to juggle grocery shopping (much less how to cook), laundry, cleaning up, and paying the bills. I wasn’t working because I had 3 kids in 3 years, but I was not resting while I tried to figure it all out. If something broke or got stained, I threw it away. As a one income family of 6, we couldn’t afford to keep living this way. I had to learn. I got frustrated. I got angry. I wanted to run away.
Then I realized, no matter how much money we had or the size of our home or family, there are certain things that HAVE to be done. Laundry, dishes, and basic cleaning always have to be done. Paying your bills always has to be done.
I eventually taught myself how to handle those responsibilities while also finding time to go to school and get my Bachelor and Master degrees. I became better at juggling all the responsibilities as my kids got older, but then I realized that a lot of young people are in the same place I was. You do not need to go it alone. I have the experience and the knowledge on how to do all the things you need to do to be a grown-up.
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Being Grown Up 
If there are any specific places you are looking to save money, let me know!