Pay Your Own Utility Bills

When you move out of the comfortable sanctuary of the parents abode you call home, you can become one of two types of young adult.

The type one young adult moves out and becomes a roommate living at someone elses house. Type one adults typically do not put any utilities in their own name. When times get rough and the other roomies don't like the fact the type one young adult isn't picking up their share of the dishes, the type one young adult is the one booted out on the street to find a new place to live. The moving process typically costs somewhere in the range of a few hundred dollars to a thousand or so. The type one young adult has a difficult time maintaining long-term relationships. And quality relationships are rarely achieved.

The type two young adult buys or rents a property in their name and maintains the utility accounts. The type two adult stays in one place for a longer period of time, achieves long-term quality relationships, and grows their resume.

Be the type two young adult if you want to achieve your dreams and have great friends.

Earn Good Credit

Not having good credit means years or decades of giving your money to landlords with nothing to show for it. Before you know it, you'll find yourself 35 years old with nothing to your name that you can't fit in your 1994 Buick Regal. And, if you start buying a home on a 30 year mortgage at that late an age, you'll be out of a job and retired before it's paid off. You may not even have a chance to sign it over to your kids before the government confiscates it to pay for your rent at the old folks home.

Best strategy, buy an affordable home below market value when you are 18 years old. Maintain your credit so you can sell your home for a profit and buy a new one every 5 years.

Don't Use the Ice Maker as a Science Lab

Some pencils have a mystical paint that changes colors with temperature fluctuations. And, placing the pencils in the ice basin in the freezer is a really cool idea... That is, if you are going to pull it out in two minutes time for more science fun. However, as my nine year old found out, leaving it in the ice is not a good idea. After about a week, it'll work it's way down the ice towards the ice crusher. It may just be worth the laugh when inch long gnarled up splinters float to the top of your ice water.