Welcome back to our series for young people! This post is the third part to the series, where we’ll discuss a few of the basics of housekeeping. Previously, we’ve talked about philosophy and personal finance, which you can find here and here, respectively. And without further ado, let’s get to it!
Learn to cook
One thing I would really recommend to young people who are just moving out is to learn how to cook. Cooking is a skill that we’re losing as a society, and it’s not hard to see why. Cooking is an effort, and a skill. We have more access to processed, pre-prepared foods than ever before, so it’s easier than ever to get by without needing to know how to cook. But that doesn’t mean you should do that.
First of all, there’s nothing like a home-cooked meal to life your spirits after a long day. Just knowing that alone, it doesn’t make sense to forego learning to cook or expecting a partner to provide that for you long term. You just can’t compare that to peeling the film off of a TV dinner or opening the wrapper on your McDonald’s order.
Cooking is great! (Here’s why)
But also, home cooked food is healthier, almost always. Even seemingly healthy food from restaurants tends to have more preservatives, additives, saturated fat and sodium content than the same food that was cooked at home. That’s right, eating a bean burrito at home is healthier than buying the same one from Taco Bell. If you want to be able to eat more of the foods you crave with less of the health concerns, learn to cook them, with real ingredients, at home.
Not to mention, you’ll save money. Restaurant food is good, but you do pay for the labor that goes into making it. If you’re really exhausted and can’t make food, there’s a definite comfort you get from having the occasional meal made by someone else, but remember, you are paying for that service. With the exception of exotic, difficult to find ingredients that you will likely not use up, you will save a lot of money just buying the ingredients and making the food yourself.
And the other thing about cooking your own food is that as you build the skill, you start to learn what you personally like, on an intimate level. This leads to you being able to explore ideas that you may not be able to find at restaurants around you. As you get better at cooking and get to know your own tastes, you can even find yourself making food you like better than what you can get at restaurants, because it’s tailored to what you specifically like. That is immeasurably satisfying. Maybe in your social circles, cooking your own food isn’t cool. But it’s amazingly beneficial, as both a lifestyle and a skill to have in your back pocket.
Clean as you go
If you’re not used to keeping a house and doing chores, moving out will initially be a pretty big shock. It seems like there’s always something to be done! Like you never get any time to just sit in your home that you are paying so much to live in. And yes, in a way, that’s true. Homes get messy frequently, and it’s important to build a habit of frequent cleaning and picking up, or else the mess will overwhelm you when you go to tackle it.
The best way to go about this is to implement a “clean as you go” policy. Don’t leave clothes on the floor, put them straight in your laundry bin. Wash the dishes right after you’re finished with them. Make your bed every morning, right after you wake up. You’re still going to have to clean your home, for maintaining cleanliness in the kitchen and bathroom, etc. But the more you can get in the habit of cleaning as you go (without getting all frustrated about it), the less you’ll end up with big, house cleaning projects on your hands. The basis for this strategy is as follows: “you’ll thank yourself later”.
Learn to declutter
I have a lot of posts on this site about minimalism and decluttering. (To get started on this, click here, here or here.) But not everyone needs or wants to be a minimalist. Everyone, however, definitely could use a decent amount of familiarity with decluttering. So, for a basic crash course on decluttering, listen up. It’s very simple.
Anything that makes your space look and feel worse is clutter. Some clutter is possessions that are out of place, others just never had a place to begin with. So it’s good to start by putting everything back in its place. And if something has no place, consider if it is worth keeping. If it wasn’t important enough to find a place for, maybe you don’t want it as much as you thought you did.
And secondarily, consider all the things that you have that you don’t use. Don’t keep them, for goodness sake. They just take up room for things you could use and enjoy.
Finally, the “highest” level of decluttering is what is often called “Konmari”. Basically, the long and short of it is to get in touch with you own feelings behind each of your possessions. Hug it to you, and if you feel a surge of joy, recognition, comfort, or the like, then keep it. But if you feel a discomfort or sense of unease in any way, it’s time to let it go. The concept behind this is that you keep the things that make you happy and comfortable, and if you see them all around you at home, your home becomes a very happy space. This is the secret of Konmari, and now you have it entirely in your hands.
Keep a positive mindset
Now, this last tip is easier said than done. But it’s an incredibly important thing to mention in terms of keeping a household. I find that when it comes to chores, the important thing is to keep your head right and not get caught up in the inconvenience idea behind it. Instead, think about how nice your place will look (and how nice you will feel) once you’re done. Remember, that it’s temporary, and even if you’re tired now, you’ll appreciate having finished it once it’s over.
And then, once you’ve got the mindset right, a good thing to do is put it on autopilot. Find something else to take your attention while your hands do the work. It’s always fun to have a cleaning dance party. Or you could listen to a scintillating podcast or audiobook while you work. Do something with your brain that you enjoy, and that way the chores will be less bad; even enjoyable. Don’t let yourself get caught up in the perspective that taking care of business is and can only be a drag. Otherwise, that’s all it will be to you.
How exciting, your own place!
Remember that having your own place is and is supposed to be fun. Take good care of your things, and enjoy this experience. Finally, you get to have a place where you follow your own rules and control how your home looks. So have fun with it! Customize your decorations. Make your bedspread your favorite color. Learn to make your home your safe haven where you can be and enjoy yourself. Yes, it’s work. But it’s also a really good time. So enjoy it!
