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  • For those in the US: Learn how to file your own taxes. It's really simple for the large majority of people, and usually just consists of copying numbers into boxes off a sheet your employer made for you. After you've done it once, subsequent times you'll probably have it done yourself in less than half an hour.

    You can do it for free on a ton of sites unless you make significant income, freetaxusa is typically the most highly recommended one.

  • Sewing, by hand or by machine.

    Pollution from "fast fashion" is one of the most insidious types of pollution and one of the highest source of microplastics.

    Knowing how to sew has allowed me to keep some garments looking new for over 15 years.

    I still have a "snakes on a plane" themed hoodie from 2007 that is still going strong, thanks to sewing and proper washing/drying.

    Knowing how to separate your clothing for washing is also helpful in this regard, because it also can make clothes last longer. T-shirts can last a decade if they're washed on a delicates cycle and hung out to dry.

    I honestly could give a flying fuck if everything I own is out of style, I'm fucking old anyway.

  • Some basic first aid

    Even a quick YouTube session on some common cases should help. If you want, getting certified is pretty easy and it looks good on resumes (or at work, you could be the designated person in emergencies)

    If someone close to you has an emergency, it's nice to have an idea of what to do while you wait.

    On the flip side, I had someone open up about regret from not learning; it was heartbreaking hearing it. Their family member may have died anyways, but they felt like a few extra minutes could have helped the odds, and regretted not knowing what to do

  • Cooking.

    It's shocking to me the number of people I've come across who've no idea how to cook or find it to be too troublesome to do. Moreover, feeding yourself should be the single most primal skill for anyone to have.

    I realize there's a lot to unpack here. Some people are taught / learn to cook at a young age while some people have parents who've never cooked for themselves. Personal preference, finances, and scheduling play a huge part. The definitions of "cooking" and "feeding yourself" can vary widely. So, I'm not claiming everyone should know how to make a roast chicken dinner for four with sides and dessert. Although, I do think people should be at a level above boxed mac and cheese and microwaved air-fried chicken nuggets.

    Cooking is, in my opinion, shopping for fresh foods and turning them into a meal. It's about your health, your pleasure, and your finances.

  • Taking regular breaks. Whether it's a quick hourly stretch or a longer weekly break, stepping away from your activities can help you avoid burnout and stay on top of your game.
    Surprisingly this improved my overall gameplay in competitive games. And I am not exhausted from work anymore.

  • Change a tire on your vehicle. Sure beats waiting for AAA or whatever. (Although some newer cars don't come with spare tires).

    Jumpstart a car. With jumper cables or one of those battery jumpstart boxes.

    Changing your oil can save some money. Add chassis lubrication too while you're at it. Can save quite a bit on service costs. (Just don't skip other regular services, lest your car fail you which will be expensive in the long run)

    Repair a toilet by replacing internal parts such as: valve, flapper, float, flush lever.

    • Install a well anchored level shelf.
    • Plaster, sand the holes and repaint when you remove the shelf.

    Very basic tools, very easy techniques, yet mind blowing how many people don't know how to do these things.

    • Very basic tools, very easy techniques, yet mind blowing how many people don’t know how to do these things.

      To be fair, most millennials aren't and haven't been homeowners. It took until 2022 for just over half of millennials to become homeowners.

      If you have lived in apartments your whole life, you're most likely disallowed from doing anything of the sort.

      When you're pushing 40 and you finally own a house, and for the first time in you're life you're allowed to modify the place you live, this is the first time you've had an opportunity to learn and practice such a skill.

      I kind of don't really blame millennials for this one, although it is arguably an important skillset. Most of us haven't had living situations where we could do this, it's as simple as that.

      I've never lived in an apartment where I was able to hang shelves, let alone paint the walls.

      • I was a lucky one, bought my house 12 years ago and went to town doing whatever I wanted, holes, paint, ripping up old carpet, etc... then 1 month ago found out my work wants to me move half way across the country in 3 months. Now I've got to fix 12 years worth of fucking with my home in a month so I can sell this shit and move lol. Luckily I was a carpenter back in the day (family business) so I know how to fix it all but it's still shitty. I would suggest not moving forward on projects you can't quickly finish when you own a home as my thing for this thread lol.

      • This is so absurd to me how can anyone disallow painting and drilling into walls of an apartment, I'm very glad that tenancy laws here basically say that if you rent a place you can do whatever you want with it, as long as reasonably it's restore-able.

        For a lot of the younger folks in the EU if your rental contract tells you you can't do something it's probably bullshit. And even if it isn't at worst you'll lose your deposit.

      • Good thing is there’s a video tutorial for almost anything like that on the internet at least. One of the more essential, helpful things this age of information sharing has contributed to.

      • If you have lived in apartments your whole life, you’re most likely disallowed from doing anything of the sort.

        This. I've had a mortgage for exactly 4 years in my life, and when we panic-sold to move across the country for work we got nothing back for the investment (less, if you count renos we had done on move-in). And there's nothing I want to do as an amateur in a 50-year-old house that involves opening a wall.

      • that's why the second part is important, to hide the evidence 😉

  • sewing with a needle and thread. nothing complicated, the bare minimum is useful in a lot of ways.

    i keep a small kit in my car because my pants waistlines keep shrinking mysteriously and i'm starting to randomly lose buttons and getting blowouts in the crotch. [likely due to far-reaching, nefarious, conspiracies and not b/c of the other kit in my car that's full of snacks].

    what used to be my crippling, irrational fear of inadvertently exposing myself at like a job interview or in an uber with a cute driver, is now an easy fix i can do in a minute AND it's certain to make an impression.

    old winter jackets with a lot of zippered pockets are especially great practice. try unstitching and removing a few of the pockets, then add them to other jackets or whatever you can think of.

225 comments