How To Adult: Stuff High School Forgot to Mention

ByGeoffrey Nooney

Spoiler: You can’t pay rent with mitochondria facts.

I walked across the stage at high school graduation feeling like a warrior. I’d conquered Hamlet, dissected a frog, solved for x, and memorized the Pythagorean Theorem. Yet, somehow, not one class prepared me for paying bills, building credit, or understanding what a deductible was.

No one taught me that buying a mattress involves more than laying on it awkwardly at a store while a stranger watches. Or that “checking your credit score” isn’t just something grown-ups say to sound responsible — it’s a thing you actually need to do.

If you’ve ever screamed internally while trying to pick a health insurance plan, you’re not broken. You were just never taught the basics of being a grown-up. Same. But here’s what I’ve learned the hard way — and the tools that saved my bacon more than once (with some affiliate links I truly vouch for).

💸 How to Budget Without Crying

“Budgeting isn’t about restriction — it’s about giving your money a mission.”

In high school, budgeting meant choosing between Taco Bell or gas money. Now it means deciding whether I want electricity and groceries this month or just one of those luxuries.

I started out using a spreadsheet, but that quickly became a digital graveyard of good intentions. Enter You Need A Budget (YNAB) — a tool that actually teaches you how to budget. It uses a system where you assign every dollar a job. So instead of panicking every time rent is due, I now know what’s coming and where it’s going.

Likes:
✅ Easy to use once you get the hang of it
✅ Educational — it teaches financial behavior, not just tracking
✅ Syncs with your bank accounts

Dislikes:
❌ Monthly subscription (but honestly worth it)
❌ Slight learning curve at the start
❌ Makes you face your financial mistakes head-on (ouch)

Other Options:

  • Rocket Money: Good for tracking subscriptions and spending.
  • EveryDollar: A solid free option based on Dave Ramsey’s method.

[📸 Visual idea: Before YNAB – wallet full of receipts. After YNAB – peaceful tea time with a budgeted latte.]

📈 Credit Scores: The Adult GPA They Forgot to Mention

“You know what’s more terrifying than a bad grade? A bad credit score.”

At 21, I applied for a credit card and got rejected. Not because I had bad credit — I had no credit. Which, turns out, is somehow worse? That’s when I realized that building credit is like getting fit — you need consistency, discipline, and occasionally you’ll cry about it.

I opened a Petal Card, which didn’t require a credit history and used my banking activity to evaluate my application. I also started using Credit Karma to check my score monthly without hurting it.

Likes:
✅ Petal is great for first-timers with no fees
✅ Credit Karma is free and offers real-time updates
✅ Watching your score go up is addictive in a good way

Dislikes:
❌ Petal has a lower credit limit than traditional cards
❌ Credit Karma’s score may vary from official FICO scores
❌ The temptation to use all your available credit is real

Other Tools:

[📸 Visual idea: Graph showing credit score climbing from “Yikes” to “Boss Level” with motivational captions.]

🧾 Understanding Taxes Without Breaking Into a Cold Sweat

“I mastered advanced algebra, but no one taught me what a W-2 is.”

My first tax season was a horror film. I had W-2s from my job, 1099s from freelance work, and not a single clue what to do. Googling “how do I tax” at 2 a.m. became an annual tradition.

Then I discovered TurboTax. It made the process feel less like I was being interrogated by a calculator and more like I was playing a weird game show. For freelancers, Keeper Tax automatically tracked my write-offs throughout the year, so I wasn’t hunting for receipts in my junk drawer in April.

Likes:
✅ TurboTax is extremely user-friendly
✅ Keeper Tax saves so much time for gig workers
✅ Both offer step-by-step guidance

Dislikes:
❌ TurboTax upsells you like a carnival barker
❌ Taxes are still not fun
❌ Mistakes can still happen if you’re not careful

Other Tools:

[📸 Visual idea: Tax Day survival kit: coffee, laptop, stress ball, cat.]

🍳 Cooking Beyond the Toast Spectrum

“If you’ve ever set off the smoke alarm while making cereal, this one’s for you.”

I used to believe that being an adult meant mastering the art of frozen pizza. Then I realized it was costing me hundreds a month — and my arteries were staging a protest.

So I tried HelloFresh. And suddenly, cooking didn’t feel like a mystery. It felt like a team sport with instructions, cute packaging, and food that didn’t taste like regret. Plus, I now have five go-to recipes that make me feel like Gordon Ramsay (but without the yelling).

Likes:
✅ HelloFresh makes it foolproof
✅ You actually learn how to cook
✅ Reduces food waste

Dislikes:
❌ Pricier than cooking from scratch
❌ Too many boxes = too much packaging
❌ Recipes can be repetitive if you order weekly

Other Meal Help Options:

  • Blue Apron: Fancier recipes for date-night vibes
  • Tovala: A smart oven + ready-to-cook meals for minimal effort

[📸 Visual idea: Side-by-side: “Before HelloFresh – sad ramen. After HelloFresh – Instagram-worthy salmon.”]

🏡 Renters Insurance: The Most Boring Thing That Saved My Life

“Renters insurance is like a smoke detector — you forget about it until everything’s on fire.”

I used to roll my eyes at insurance. Then my upstairs neighbor’s pipe burst, flooding my bedroom. My laptop drowned. But because I had Lemonade renters insurance for $5/month, they replaced it in under a week. From my phone. No shady calls, no begging.

It’s boring. It’s essential. And it’s way cheaper than replacing all your stuff out of pocket.

Likes:
✅ Lemonade is fast, digital, and super cheap
✅ Claims are approved in minutes
✅ Simple interface and setup

Dislikes:
❌ Doesn’t cover everything — read the fine print
❌ Coverage limits may not suit high-end items
❌ You might forget you have it until disaster strikes

Other Insurance Tools:

[📸 Visual idea: Meme of “Renters insurance: boring until it’s not” with dramatic music overlay.]

🧠 Mental Health Isn’t Optional — It’s Survival

“Adulting without therapy is like driving a car with no oil change — you might keep going, but something’s gonna explode.”

We weren’t built to navigate capitalism, loneliness, burnout, and existential dread on our own. I crashed. And when I did, BetterHelp was there with a licensed therapist who didn’t blink when I admitted I cried during budget meetings.

I still see a therapist once a month. Not because I’m broken, but because I’m trying to stay unbroken in a world that sometimes feels like it’s being run by squirrels on energy drinks.

Likes:
✅ Accessible therapy, even in rural areas
✅ No waiting rooms or awkward scheduling
✅ Therapists are professional and kind

Dislikes:
❌ Pricey without a discount code
❌ Some therapists are better fits than others (takes trial and error)
❌ Not suitable for crisis situations

Other Tools:

[📸 Visual idea: Calm therapy room vs. chaotic “I’m fine” meme. Caption: “Therapy > breakdowns.”]

🧰 The Ultimate Grown-Up Starter Kit (Recap)

If you want to get your adult life together (without losing your soul), here’s a tool cheat sheet with real value — and real affiliate links:

📥 Download the free Adulting Starter Kit PDF here – includes cheat sheets, tools, and tips.

👋 Final Thoughts: You’re More Grown-Up Than You Think

Adulting doesn’t come with a handbook — it comes with awkward phone calls to the IRS and YouTube tutorials on how to boil water. But every time you learn a new skill, pay a bill on time, or cook something without burning it, you level up.

Keep going. Ask for help. Cry in the shower if you need to. Then log back into your budgeting app, make a grilled cheese, and keep doing your best.

Because honestly? That is how you adult.

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