What to Teach Your Teenager BEFORE They Enter the World

Pay off the balance on credit cards every month.

Where the fuse box is and how to change the fuse/reset the circuit breaker.
How to enter your own home without a key.
How to cook a roast.

how to connect your washer and dryer


how to disconnect simple parts of large appliances for simple repairs you can do yourself.

how to fix a toilet

How to install a sink fixture

How to seal a pipe

Change your washing machine hose regularly.

check the air in your tires regularly.

make sure you have coolent in the car radiator.

if your car starts to overheat while sitting in traffic, open all the windows, turn the HEAT on HIGH and open all the vents (facing away from you as much as possible). this sucks the heat off the engine (you can watch the temperature gage go down), and hopefully you'll make it to a garage.

Er...

Turning on the heat is not going to remove a significant amount of heat from your engine. Certainly less than it is going to generate idling.

Turning off the A/C could do some good, as the engine has to work harder to run the compressor.

whites with whites and light colours.

Darks with darks.

Check the pockets.

Unpaid bills are not going to go away.

No matter how nice they may seem, don't assume that people are what they say they are. Watch what they do.

Know how to make at least 7 different meals for dinner and you won't be bored, plus you won't go out as much and that saves money. You may find you don't gain weight (or too much weight) by eating in, even if you don't control the portions.

Things like this:

1. Pasta
   
2. Beans and rice
   
3. Roast chicken or chicken in a pot; beef or roast works just as well
   
4. Stir fry vegs with some sort of protein (tofu, chicken, beef, etc.)
   
5. Pizza (just pile stuff on a shell and bake it)
   
6. Hamburgers/hot dogs
   
7. Soup (you can combine cans and doctor them up with fresh vegs. Don't add salt; canned food is already very salty)
   
8. Burritos (cooked protein, vegs and salsa on a tortilla. Roll or fold it, put some shredded cheese on top and nuke it for a minute or so)

Keep the following in your fridge/freezer/larder:

• Eggs or egg substitutes
  
• rice (brown is better for you than white but takes longer to cook)
  
• milk if you're not lactose intolerant
  
• cheddar (also if you're not lactose intolerant; a brick is best because it's more versatile than shredded. Make sure to wrap it tightly with plastic wrap after each time you take it out of the fridge)
  
• frozen mixed vegs (with no sauce on them)
  
• salt/pepper
  
• tortillas (these can be used for individual pizzas, too)
  
• dried or powdered garlic, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes and ginger
  
• tabasco sauce or salsa
  
• chicken (cutlets or strips; it can be precooked but if it is get it with no sauce on it)
  
• pasta (any kind(s) you like)
  
• pizza shells
  
• frozen burgers/hot dogs
  
• hot dog and burger buns
  
• ketchup and mustard; steak sauce if you like it
  
• soy or tamari sauce
  
• ground beef or tofu, depends on what you like
  
• potatoes
  
• fixings for a salad
  
• two kinds of salad dressing
  
• flour, particularly pancake flour if you like to make 'em
  
• syrup
  
• bread
  
• cereal and/or oatmeal
  
• fresh fruit
  
• butter or margarine
  
• cooking oil
  
• peanut butter
  
• jelly
  
• tuna
  
• canned soup (a few different kinds; try not to make them all cream-based)

I just read a Maureen Dowd column I like (I don't like all of them) quoting an older priest on whom to marry. The priest's advice was given mostly to girl students, those being at the time the most interested in the subject, but it seems to me that the advice reasonably goes to both genders.

So, here it is, The Ideal Husband, or whom not to marry.

1. When grocery shopping, check out the unit pricing. That smaller container of ketchup, dish soap, cereal, etc., may be the lowest price, but the unit pricing is most often way more expensive then the larger container. If the unit price isn't listed, use the calculator you brought with you to figure out which is the best value for your dollar. Store brands are just as good, and often better then the national brands.

2. You don't need all the expensive, fancy household cleaners to keep your apartment clean. Some white vinegar, some ammonia, some baking soda and some hot water will clean almost anything. Invest $15 in two of the Haley's Helpful Hint books to learn more ways to use common, inexpensive household basics around the house.

3. Farmer's Markets are your friends. Visit them often.

4. Most items at secondhand, thrift and goodwill stores have better quality for the price than those at dollar and discount stores.

5. Everyone living with you needs to read and understand your rental agreement and all the rules and regs that go with it!

6. Refrigerators are more efficient when full so even if there's not a lot of food in it, store bottles of water (not the store-bought ones) on the shelves to help cut down on the electrical bill.

7. Look for and plan your emergency escape route in case of fire. If you're on the second floor, how will you get out if fire is blocking the doors?

8. Replace the batteries in the smoke detectors immediately upon moving in. You don't know how fresh the old ones are. Test the batteries every six months.

er...I've done it both ways.

turning off the air alone is not enough, been there, done that.

Turning on the heat and the fans all on high does remove less heat than the car generates idling...but it increases your chances of getting home or a garage.

I've sat there in an old car with the heat blasting in August while stuck in traffic, watching the thermostat inch down.

Teach them ethics, morals and good manners, and hope it sticks. But first of all, we must live by example. Our sons turned out pretty decent, so I must've fooled them good! LOL

Good info here...I'm 42 and there are things I didn't know.

Osso,

Why is this important, every year? I've never done this.

Because they can burst... some types more than others. Unless you have a drain in the laundry area, it can be a big problemo.

I just double checked online in case I am promoting an old wives or old plumber's tale, but I found this right away..
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infxtra/infwas.html

I'm trying to remember the things that helped me most when I left home.

Most important seems to have been how to do laundry as I sent mrs. hamburger a postcard asking for washing instructions when I was off on a French immersion program.

I could have used a cookbook with 1001 ways to cook potatoes and onions for the semester we had no money and couldn't afford anything else (literally - potatoes/onions and one pound of chicken wieners on Sundays to be shared 3 or 4 ways)

These are all really good.

Laundry sorting.... check.

Grocery label per unit comparisons... check.

Seth's a great cook, so food to make healthy inespensive meals... check.

Batteries in fire alarm and escape routes... check.

Change washer hose yearly ...

Need to make a call.

Osso - I'm printing out the Dowd column for Kylie now.

Hope she listens.

Every single Friday, take the same amount, $5, $10, $20 and put it in an envelope hidden in the bottem of a draw you seldom go into.

Then, don't think about it.