Long time, no post! I hope all of you are doing great and have enjoyed their summer break so far. As for me, I decided to take a much needed break from basically everything except for work- seriously. Thank you to those who reached out on Instagram and other social media sites to make sure I had not dropped off of the face of the world, it was much appreciated. I promise I’ll explain everything in my next post, but for now I want to talk about a topic a lot of my friends and I joke about: The “Adult” things we wish we could do and want to learn before graduating college. Let’s get started !
1. Credit Scores
For starters, I didn’t know anything about credit until I had to take out a student loan. Since then I’ve had nothing positive to say about credit scores. I only say that in regards to my lack of knowledge and having a person who explained credit to me in a way that not only would make sense but would give me confidence enough to make better choices. Credit affects numerous aspects of certain things I’d like to obtain as I get older such as a home.
2. How To: Balance a Checkbook, CORRECTLY.
I have had a banking account since I was 16, but I didn’t actually use it until I was around 18 or 19 which was great except I had moved away from home to attend school. So, picture it: a 19 year old in Atlanta, GA with basically a new checking account and more money than she necessary needed but didn’t have a clue what to do with it or how to keep track of it. Don’t get me wrong, I had tons of fun but the cost was definitely not worth the additional stress.
3. Master Taxes/IRS
This is something I’ve come into recently. My first encounter with the IRS or taxes in general was last year when I attempted to do my own taxes, mind you, I was only 20. Warning: if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing, DON’T DO IT & DON’T LET YOUR FRIENDS DO IT; even if they say they know what they’re doing, just save yourself the headache and go with your parents or visit your university and have someone help you. That’s all I’m gonna say with that one.
4. INVEST!
I would love to learn the depths of investing. I was officially introduced to investing by one of my friends when I was younger, but at the time I didn’t take it too seriously. Investing has always seemed to scary to me due to its risks involved, but when done correctly it can be an amazing decision. People always say to invest in self, so why not invest in any way possible?
5. How To: Start & expand a business
Given this day and age, there are a plethora of entrepreneurs dominating every aspect from fashion, beauty, children’s school supplies, health, and the list goes on. It’s great to know that you want your own business or corporation, but how to achieve it is the biggest question for me. Being that I’m looking into expanding my own brand, wondering where to start is always a wonder for me. Now, as many would say, starting a business is easy but making it long lasting may take more work. What kind of work? I’m not sure but whenever I figure it out, I’ll let y’all know.
6. Learn about Real Estate
After the economic crisis in 2008 due to the horrible situation in the Real Estate industry, I believe everyone should know a little something about it. Especially if you’re wanting to own a home, getting to know a few of the ends and outs of this industry is good.
7. Travel on a Budget
I haven’t gone on many trips, but those I have gone on have been pretty expensive once I sat down and crunched the numbers. I think I speak for every college student or person wanting to travel that being able to see the world and not break the bank.
8. Retirement
During high school, we were told that retirement was a thing of the past and we’d probably have to work for the rest of our lives while taking care of our parents. I know I wasn’t placed on this Earth to work, pay bills, and die so a retirement plan is a must- especially how to get savings started and set aside properly. If you’re interested in learning more check out: https://www.personalcapital.com/financial-software/retirement-planner for more!
And that’s it ! I might come up with some more later, but those are the ones that mean the most to me. What are a few of your items you’d life to check off of your Grown-Up checklist? Let me know in the comment section below. I will be back with a life update, so be on the lookout for that. As always, I hope you loved this as much as I loved sharing it with you.
Talk to you later,
Leah La’Rae 😘
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