If you do not have a job, you have the responsibility of looking for a job, seeking education that will lead to employment, or starting your own business.
For example, knowing that a local ordinance determining whether backyard chickens can be kept in your area is coming up for a vote can give you the opportunity to lobby and vote for the ability to keep chickens for fresh eggs.
Seek out a career counselor if you are not sure what you’d like to do with your life. Career self-assessments can be found online. Many websites like this one can offer helpful guidance. Most schools have career centers or guidance counselors available to all enrolled students. These resources can help you shape a vision for your future.
For example, if you are looking for a place to live with a roommate, be sure you are making decisions based on what is best for you. If you prefer to rent a house and have a bit more independence than an apartment building, stick to your preference and do not allow your roommate to talk you into something that you don’t want to do. It can also be common for some people to allow their spouses or significant others to make all the decisions in their relationship, from where to go out to eat to where to live and what kind of car to buy. Changing the dynamic of such a relationship may strain the relationship, but having a part in the decision making at both daily and long-term levels can give you greater control of your life.
These outcomes could make you more dependent on the person managing your money, which not only makes it difficult to leave an unhealthy relationship, if needed, but also has the potential to create difficult position should that other person no longer handle the finances (e. g. , due to severe illness or death).
If you exceed 36% of your gross monthly income, create a plan on how you will pay down the debt, starting with the credit lines with the highest interest rates. Possibilities include transferring balances to a lower interest rate credit line, re-designing your monthly budget to allocate more funds to debt servicing, or consolidating debt into one payment with a low interest rate. For example, if you own your own home and can re-finance, it may be possible to use the equity in your home to pay down your debt without opening another line of credit.
Think about savings as a way to make a 0% interest loan to yourself. For this reason, sometimes it makes more financial sense to save rather than pay down your debt.
When buying property, search for homes or condos within your budget (meaning you don’t want to take on a mortgage payment that exceeds 28% of your monthly income).
A sample monthly budget may look something like this: Mortgage/Rent: $1,000 Car payment: $400 Gas/Electric: $200 Water: $30 Cell Phone: $100 Television/Internet: $100 Food: $800 Entertainment: $150 Homeowner’s/Renter’s Insurance: $300 Health Insurance: $300 Car Insurance: $100 Gas for vehicle: $200 Child Care: $600 Credit card payments: $200 Other Expenses (may include child support, alimony, activities or classes, property taxes, or additional utility services such as trash/recycling pick-up or a “land line” telephone bill. ) Seeing the expenses as compared to your monthly income on paper may create more of awareness about what you can and cannot afford. This gives you a chance to talk to people with whom you share money and set expectations about how money should be managed, which keeps you involved and more self-reliant. [9] X Research source
Take a class or learn to cook online or from television. If you are very uncomfortable in the kitchen, consider taking a class for beginners at a local community college or follow a chef on one of the food network channels. Several celebrity chefs host shows demonstrating easy recipes that can be replicated by even the most apprehensive chef. Ask a relative to teach you to cook. This is a great way to learn cooking basics. Additionally, you can bond with the relative or even learn to cook special family recipes handed down from generation to generation.
If you live in an urban area, you may not be able to grow a full-sized garden, but you might be able to keep a tomato plant on a balcony or grow a box of herbs to flavor your food. Some urban areas even have community garden spaces or rooftop gardens that you may be able to use or contribute to. Some communities offer gardening tools for rent or host beginner gardening classes at the library. These types of resources can help you if you are a beginner.
Take a CPR class. In addition to the Red Cross, community colleges and hospitals offer courses in CPR and first aid, which can help you know what to do in the event of an emergency that involves choking or unconsciousness. Learn what is necessary during an emergency situation. Would you know what to do if you were camping in the wilderness and a snake bit a friend? Knowing how to tackle the “what if” scenario will help you be the go-to person in an emergency. The Red Cross has a free application for portable devices that offers instructions on what to do in a wide range of situations. [13] X Research source Practice using medical equipment. If you or your partner require ongoing medical treatment, depending on a health care professional to give an injection or an IV on an ongoing basis may not be very convenient. Ask a nurse to teach you how to use certain at-home devices in order to be in control of the situation and provide you (or your loved one) with greater independence.
Learn how to change a tire. Basic tire changes can be performed by anyone with the knowledge and skill. The basic formula is to loosen the lug nuts, raise the vehicle with a jack, remove the lug nuts, remove the tire, place the spare tire on the bolts, replace the lug nuts, lower the car, and tighten the lug nuts. Consult your vehicle manual and ask a trained professional for a demonstration. Discover how an engine and belts work. Being able to examine and know when a belt is about to blow or if you could be experiencing engine trouble can save you not only time but money. Furthermore, changing belts are simple tasks where the labor charge for the mechanic will generally far exceed the cost of the belt itself. Taking the time to do it yourself can offer real financial savings. Practice performing a basic oil and fluid change. Vehicle oil and fluids must be changed and topped off on a rotating basis. A simple oil change can be performed at home with the right materials and knowledge. Each system has different recommendations and your owner’s manual can tell you at what mileages you should perform certain maintenance tasks.
Exercise regularly. The American Heart Association recommends exercising 3 to 4 times a week to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. [14] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Keep the blood flowing and tissues healthy by indulging in a little cardio or anaerobic exercise on a regular basis. Eat a clean, healthy diet. [15] X Research source Respecting your body means that you fill it with wholesome food that is grown from the earth and in its original state. Ditch processed, greasy fast food, packaged chips and sugary foods and drinks in order to nourish and preserve your body.
If you are a “regular” at your physician’s office due to a chronic condition, you may see those visits wane if you stick to a healthy diet and exercise routine. However, you should continue to maintain a regular schedule of healthy check-ups and routine tests based on your age and risk factors for early detection. Know whether you are at risk for specific diseases due to your health, family history, and lifestyle. Learn the warning signs for life-threatening conditions[16] X Trustworthy Source MedlinePlus Collection of medical information sourced from the US National Library of Medicine Go to source such as heart disease, stroke, COPD, chronic lower respiratory disease, cancer (specifically, lung cancer), HIV/AIDs, diarrheal disease, and diabetes. Consider learning additional conditions that are common causes of death in the US: Alzheimer’s disease, influenza and pneumonia, kidney disease, and suicide[17] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source or those that can cause significant disability, such as arthritis, depressive disorders, and substance use disorder. [18] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source
Consider growing all your food. From a garden to foraging for berries and mushrooms, learn about the different types of food you can grow and eat in the wild. Be extremely cautious about eating anything growing in the wild as some plants are poisonous. [19] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School’s Educational Site for the Public Go to source You may also be able to hunt for your own meat, but be sure to follow local hunting regulations. Explore alternative energy. Join the “green” initiative and investigate various alternative energy resources available today. [20] X Trustworthy Source U. S. Department of Energy Official site for the U. S. Department of Energy, which provides resources related to energy safety, conservation, and efficiency Go to source You’ll save money and reduce your carbon footprint by taking a few simple steps. Just make sure that you do not end up taking on debt or agreeing to a lease that eliminates the financial benefits. Try before you buy. If you are not sure if you can live off the grid, considering looking for a vacation rental home that is off the grid (e. g. , in a secluded area such as an island or an isolated forest) and turn your next vacation into a fact-finding mission.
This process can lead to insight about the root of your feelings and ways to you can begin to avoid negative feelings. Ways to learn how to be more introspective and thoughtful include professional therapy, self-help books, and certain religious teachings (e. g. , buddhist teaching on identity and the ways that it can contribute to suffering). [21] X Research source
Put another way, people should act as resources to one another, but should not make the situation worse, and should not replace an individual’s own thinking.
People must also be able to meet individual responsibilities without neglecting shared responsibilities. Each person in a relationship must remain confident of the loyalty and commitment of the other people, as well as their ability to meet their responsibilities. For example, if a couple has a baby, they will have shared responsibilities as parents and individual responsibilities as a worker or primary caregiver. If one person stays at home to care for the child, the person who goes back to work will have unique responsibilities and concerns. The person who stays at home will also have unique responsibilities and concerns.
If your threshold for going to someone else is too low, other people may feel burdened and become less receptive and willing to help. You may also become dependent on others. If your threshold is too high, you may become resentful and begin to see other people as selfish, uncaring, and unsupportive. You may also not get the support you need. Using others for help is healthy so long as the person does not develop a dependency on any one person for processing emotions, and the partner does not feel like loyalty and commitment have been lost.
As these issues arise, one must recognize whether the issue/responsibility is their own or shared, and one must engage the other partner or other resources as needed. Like a President or other head of state discussing an issue with key advisors, the individual must be able to trust himself or herself, as well as the people being consulted to be self-reliant. He or she must also know when the decision should be shared and make sure that the other person feels trusted and involved. For example, as a couple’s child grows, both parents must develop their own relationship with the child and their own parenting style while also co-parenting, especially on larger issues that require both parents to work through (e. g. , going to college). People must take care of their own responsibilities and feelings while also recognizing the right of the other parent to do things differently at times.
Find a special spot that is clean, comfortable, and quiet. You should also be able to return to this spot often and, if privacy is important to you, this spot should be relatively private. Before you write, allow yourself time to relax and reflect. Use music to stimulate your emotions. When you are ready to go, just write. Do not worry about perfect grammar, spelling, or word choice. Do not worry about how others might read what you are writing or how it would affect their opinion of you. Think of your journal as a confidential and judgment-free space.
Write
Where you see room for more self-reliance, think about ways to (1) assume responsibility, (2) be informed, (3) know where you are going, and (4) make your own decisions.
