Adult life is so much fun. You have so many responsibilities with life and death decisions to make – and yet when we were young, we couldn’t wait to grow up. We all kind of regret that a little bit now, as we face the trials of being a grown-up, even when we don’t feel like one.
Napping in the middle of the day and crawling around never sounded so good when you’re drowning in a pile of paperwork that needs completing. But, luckily for you, there are some ways around this, and we know what they are!
In this article, we look at some of the glories of adulthood that you didn’t know were going to be so difficult and how to navigate them a little better.
1. Paying Bills
The first, and we’ve got to say, everyone’s favorite – is paying bills. Oh, how we all love receiving our bills each month, telling us how much money we will be paying out. And keeping on top of bills can become somewhat of a nightmare, depending on your financial situation.
We recommend, above all else, that you make sure you are budgeting and doing it well. Whenever there is a change in your financial situation, you need to update your budget to remain on the right track. The worst thing you can do to yourself is complete your budget incorrectly.
Always try to budget slightly more than you think you need where possible, as it’s always better to have a little bit of extra money than not enough.
If you need to, set up a payment plan where necessary to not fall too far behind. Most companies don’t mind you setting up a payment plan as long as you can then follow through with it.
If you need help starting a budget, pick up my customizable budget template here.
2. Working Everyday
We all had that dream when we were younger. We thought we would go straight into our dream job and earn lots of money, and that would be everything we ever wanted. But, unfortunately for most of us, this isn’t the case.
That’s not to say that you don’t like your job, it’s just not what you thought you would be doing when someone asked your younger self where you saw yourself as an adult. Sometimes, dragging yourself out of bed in the morning feels like the biggest fight in the world, but you do it, so go you.
The best advice we can give you here is that it’s time to start looking for a new one if you are unhappy with your job. We’re not saying you should quit your current job and then go on the hunt. The best way to do this is to set yourself up with a new job while you’re still at your current one.
Not only does this help you financially, but it also shows a future employer that you are committed to working even when you’re looking for something new, rather than just sitting around all day. Avoiding breaks in your resume looks far better on your application.
3. Grocery Shopping Is Fun
Did anyone ever tell you about the joys of grocery shopping? It’s fun when you’re little because you get to add things to the cart without having to pay for them. However, when you get older, you actually have to pay for the items in the cart, and that’s a lot less fun. Then, when you get home, after about five minutes, your bananas have started to go bad.
Nobody mentioned how fast fruit and vegetables expire when you’re the one buying them!
So, what can you do about this? If you want to save some money, either look at using coupons or shop somewhere that is a little cheaper. Try to find good quality food that is a lower price to get the most for your money, and you’ll be golden.
My favorite way to save money online is by using free apps like Rakuten and Honey to get deep discounts.
When it comes to things like fruits and vegetables, unless you need them for a specific purpose that requires them to be fresh, you can buy them frozen in most cases. There are many frozen berries and other fruits that you can purchase, and they last a lot longer.
Of course, that’s not going to be a good substitute if you want fresh apples or bananas, but in this case, you need to check for the longest use-by date.
4. Having Children
Having children always looks so easy when you see posts on Instagram, doesn’t it? It’s not. It’s all lies. Of course, having children is a wonderful and fantastic experience that fulfills people’s lives, but did you know about the lack of sleep?
About being vomited on 500 times per day?
The screaming for seemingly absolutely no reason that makes you want to bang your head against a wall?
No, because nobody really talks about that. Now, our goal here isn’t to put you off wanting kids, we just want to be honest about what you’re in for.
The thing that we recommend here is to save as much money as you can. Stop spending it on the video games that you want and prepare to transition into adulting. We know, yay! But, it’s got to be done!
5. Trying To Sleep
One of the really fun parts about adulting is trying to get to sleep at night when you have about a million things on your mind. Have you paid that bill? Is there enough money in the account to pay for things that will be coming out soon? Did you leave the light on downstairs?
So many random things will run through your brain at night, some of them causing you to worry and stress until sleep is just a distant memory that you once loved.
To combat this, set up a bedtime routine. Just like when you were a child, you would have a bath or shower, put on your PJ’s, brush your teeth and jump into bed. No phone, no TV, no distractions. This way, your brain gets into the habit of knowing that when all this is happening and you get into bed, it’s time to sleep. You’ll find that you will get better quality of sleep this way as well.
6. Maintaining A Social Life
Are you now that friend your friends are constantly asking to go out with them, but you always seem to back out and say no? Trying to maintain a social life is hard, and it’s even harder when working shifts that don’t coincide with other people in your life. Sometimes, the biggest award you get is when you get up and pat yourself on the back for making your bed.
Communicating with people? That might just be a step too far.
To maintain or improve your social life, we recommend that you have a group chat, post your work schedules and any other commitments you may have, and then see what can be done to schedule activities with your adult friends.
Some weeks, there isn’t going to be an opportunity for you to meet up, but rest assured, you can still stay connected by sending each other messages or tagging each other in memes. Try to remember to make time for those that are important to you since they are the ones who are going to be there if it all goes belly up.
7. The Freedom That Comes With It
The final thing that you didn’t realize was so difficult is probably the fact that there is a lot more freedom that comes with being an adult. For example, if you want to drive to the store, buy a whole chocolate cake – and then eat it – nobody will stop you. Now, this is both a blessing and a curse. Nobody is going to stop you, so you think it’s a fantastic idea, but you’re also probably going to regret it soon thereafter.
We recommend checking out Everyday Power or something like this to get some advice on life and what you can do to succeed.
As you can see, you get to make all of your own decisions. Every – Single – One. Nobody is going to sit there and hold your hand while you are making your budget. Nobody will stop you from making big purchases that you can’t really afford but want anyway. And that on its own can be a problem.
So, you’ve got to learn to manage everything on your own. Despite the great-sounding theory, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. But, you will learn, and you will adapt, and you will get there in the end, even if it takes you a little while.
We hope you have found this article helpful and now see some of the glories of adult life that you didn’t realize were so difficult. Adult life can be great, but it can also be a massive pain trying to get everything done. At times, it can feel as though the world is suffocating you, but it’s okay; you’ll always get through it.
Again, we wish you the very best of luck and hope things are a little easier on you today.