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[Bovinity]

Here's one no one thinks of until they're 30.

WEAR SUNGLASSES

I never did, and was always outside in my teens and tweens.  Now I look like an oriental dude, but I'm white.  All that squinting aside, I'm sure it isn't too healthy for eye sight long term either.

[HyperGlavin]

The universe doesn't owe you any favours

That crying girl that you just abused at the checkout has no idea about your burnt toast, screaming children, overdue bills or your missing paycheck. None of those things give you any right to treat someone as anything less than a human being. Nor do people have to give you special treatment simply because you're pissed off at something else.

[eljefedeath]

Here's one no one thinks of until they're 30.

WEAR SUNGLASSES

I never did, and was always outside in my teens and tweens.  Now I look like an oriental dude, but I'm white.  All that squinting aside, I'm sure it isn't too healthy for eye sight long term either.

Also WEAR SUNSCREEN. I have a buddy who has skin cancer at 29! Which sucks.

[shermanmarch]

Never buy a new car unless you can comfortably pay for it cash. A car is the worst investment you'll ever make. While a new car may you feel important for a short while, the payments will strangle your life. A 2yr old car is just broken in, and someone else paid the heavy depreciation. Put as much money down as you can. Also, if you can't buy a car on a 3yr loan or shorter, you can't afford the car.

Don't borrow just to "build your credit" This is largely a myth perpetuated by the banks to lure more people in debt. Remember, Cash IS King. Later in life if you need a big loan for a home loan or a business, the banks will always loan to somebody who has plenty of cash to put down.

Avoid Alcohol it's one of the worst drugs out there and it's readily available. Alcohol will rob of a ton of money and you will surely make some poor decisions that you will regret the rest of your life if you drink regularly. If you must drink for social reasons or whatever, do so sparingly. Also, there's huge advantages to being the one sober person at the party, especially when there's gambling.

Never never ever be rude to someone serving you food no matter what. It's just wrong and stupid

[Kicsi Viz]

If you are carrying a window air-conditioner from room to room, and you need to, say, turn it so it will fit through a door, be very, very careful to not put your fingertips on those thin radiator fins of the outermost heat exchanger.

That is, unless you want a series of very closely spaced gashes in your fingertips.

In related news, owie.

[Moose]

Your 401K won't love you .

Putting money into savings is great, a smart and reasonable thing to do.
Just remember in 30-40 years when you retire if all you did was work  and work, you won't have anyone around you to love or to be loved by. So make sure you always make time for the people in your life, including yourself.

[Swordfish]

Minimise how much you try to hide your ignorance from your children

You'll be found out in the end.

There was once a time when my parents were the fountain of all knowledge. Fortunately for me, they're both reasonably smart people. However, there were gaps in their knowledge of subjects and when it came to answering questions I would have about stuff and they'd sometimes make up an answer if they didn't know it.

Now, I'm in adult life a reasonably smart and well educated person and I can see a lot of the flaws in what my parents told me and that worries me how many more there could be. Simple things like how something works or why a certain law is in place. At some point, I may blurt out one of these errors in conversation and look a fool.

It's nice that you want your kids to look up to you, but a better approach may be to say "I don't know. Let's find out" and look it up in an encyclopedia.

and while we're on the subject of parents telling kids stuff
When a child asks a question related to sex, please answer truthfully
You don't have to go into detail, but when your 10 year old son read the word "prostitute" in a newspaper and asks what it means, don't just describe a promiscuous woman. Tell him the bloody truth. You can be vague (ie not mentioning pimps and drug addiction), but this vital mis-understanding your child carries will only result in mockery on the playground.

[Ruteger]

Learn to cook
Living on maicrowave meals and take-away sucks. The food tastes lousy, but any time you eat real, home-cooked food, it'll taste weird because it has less salt, sugar and other additives in it.
Being able to cook is also immensely satisfying. When you sit down and eat something you've put effort into making and it tastes good, you feel dead proud of yourself. It's also great for when your entertaining. Having friends round for dinner is a very nice way to spend an evening.
The great thing is, it's nt that hard. A lot of people who claim not to be able to cook are put off because they wind up making a mess of something through impatience (over/undercooking, things going lumpy because of not enough stirring etc) or through inexperience (improper seasoning etc), but with practice on a few simple things, you get the hang of the basics which will help you in other, more complicated tasks. Macaroni cheese, Beef Bolognese (master those two and you can make lasagne - a great one to serve to a lot of people) Grilled fish and boiled potatoes. The list goes on.

Here are some related food tips:

Pack a lunch

Tied in with the learning to cook tip, packing your own lunch for work or school can save you a ton of money.  Spending $8 for lunch on something that you could make for $2 is just silly.  You will literally save thousands of dollars a year.  Also, being able to grab your lunch from a staff room fridge and sitting and enjoying it for your half hour break is much more relaxing than the mad rush to eat your food after running to the take out place down the street to get your food.

Learn how to do food math

When grocery shopping, take a look at the price.  Then take a look at the weight.  Boxes can be misleading.  Spending $7 on something that will only net you one meal is wasteful.  Also, compare brands.  Something that is $5 and 700 grams is a better deal than the competitor that is $4 for 500 grams.  Again, not only does this save you money, but makes you more aware of the stuff you're eating. 

Break all of the above rules from time to time

Because of all the money you've saved, you can afford to.  Instead of getting a $6 combo meal at McDonalds 5 times a week, you can go to a nice restaurant with good food for $20, make your lunches the rest of the time and still save money.

Do your dishes right away

You'll have to do them eventually.  It's faster to do them before the food gets caked onto the plates and pans.  Don't have time to do them right away?  At least scrape remaining food off and give them a quick rinse.  It'll save you a lot of time later.


Learn to fucking cook

Can't be stressed enough.  The better you get, the more money you can potentially save. Knowing how to cook the item on sale at the deli counter is a helpful skill.  For Example: Making a chicken stir fry?  Instead of cutting up chicken breasts, grab a pack of boneless chicken thighs.  They're dirt cheap and can replace more expensive cuts of chicken in many recipes and in many cases, do a much better job.  Also, being able to take leftovers from the fridge, a can of this and that in the cupboard with some spices thrown in saves you money and stops wasting of food.

[Kathana]

Learn how to cook from scratch

Even if you don't always cook everything from scratch, there is enormous satisfaction in knowing that you could if you wanted to. Make a loaf of bread, boil your own chicken stock, whatever. It's very time consuming, but you'll find it cheaper and healthier than the canned or frozen versions you are used to.  Even if its only done once, you've proven you can do it. 

[Rob]

If you are carrying a window air-conditioner from room to room, and you need to, say, turn it so it will fit through a door, be very, very careful to not put your fingertips on those thin radiator fins of the outermost heat exchanger.

That is, unless you want a series of very closely spaced gashes in your fingertips.

In related news, owie.

I did that last summer and  I ended up with 6 cuts on each finger. Sorry, I should have warned you, but I was too busy dealing with my situation which I will advise on:

If you're in a car accident, no matter how minor it seems, get all the information from the other driver and get a police report done that same day. Also, if you have a cellphone with photo capabilities, take pictures of everything. Your vehicle, theirs, the scene, them, their license and registration. Get witness statements if available as people at fault tend to change their stories later.

When buying a used car, get the VIN number and take it to a registry. Make sure there are no liens on the vehicle or prior accidents or strange history to it.  I'm learning this the hard way right now, and it is costly.

[MisterLister]

Don't skimp on a wedding present

Sure, it's the thought that counts, but think about how much a wedding costs. If you're invited to a dinner reception, it could cost hundreds of dollars for you to be there. Be generous, and if they have a gift registry, use it.

[not terribly clever]

Learn how to shake hands and introduce yourself properly

Your grip should be firm but don't squeeze. Up, down, up, down and let go. Your hand shouldn't be moist or dirty. If you're in a situation where you're eating or drinking, hold your drink in you left hand so your right hand remains dry and have a napkin handy so you can quickly wipe your hand if necessary. If you don't have a napkin, you can use the inside of your pocket but don't be obvious about it. Look the person in the eye and, with a smile or at least a pleasant expression, greet them using their name so you've got a fighting chance of remembering it later.

On the subject of names, men seem really fond of nicknames and tend to resort to them as quickly as possible. Women don't do this. If she introduces herself as "Stephanie" it's because she wants to be called "Stephanie"; not "Steph", not "Stephie" and certainly not "Cupcake".

[MadPiper6]

You WILL get better at it, whatever it is.
For some people, it is easier to get discouraged watching someone with more experience do something so much better than you could possibly dream. Congrats to those who get inspired by such things, but those of you who are easily influenced by that "I'll never get there" ideology, such as myself, do everything in your power to remember how long that person's been working on that skill, whatever it is. It's true, some people have more talent at certain things than others, but that's just a head start. The people who are the greatest have practiced and obsessed and gained as much experience as possible to be where they are. The most important thing is this is: keep doing what you love.

God is more powerful than you. If you don't believe in God, there's still someone within a mile of you who could kick the crap out of you if they felt like it. Humility can get you places, or, at the very least, keep you from going places you don't want.

[Greywar]

Realize that you are incredibly fortunate compared to the rest of the world.


If you have the time, money, and access to read or post on PWOT:

You might think you are poor. You are not.

     I have been a ton of places on the globe and seen the real poor. They live in poverty so abject that using the world simply makes 1st and 2nd worlders look stupid.

     In the U.S. the “poor” live in actual structures (as opposed to lean-to’s made from garbage), drive cars, and can afford to have hot food delivered to their doors! In most of the world some of those things are beyond even the local gentry much less the poor.

You might think that you live in a terrible place. You don’t (most likely).

     I have seen places where Mothers and Fathers live in daily terror that the government will forcibly take their sons and daughters as slave labor, forced prostitution, or simply to be tortured and killed without reason.

You might think your job sucks. It doesn’t.

     Your job probably doesn’t involve sucking off the boss as a term of employment. In many countries it would. Get over the “horror” of doing the paperwork, stocking shelves, or taking customer complaints.

You might think your religion or lack thereof is causing you to be repressed. It isn’t.

     There are many places on the planet where having the wrong religion or no religion at all will result in your and your family being dragged into the street and being, shot, beheaded, or tortured to death. Be thankful you don’t live there.

     In short, be thankful that you jumped off the fetus train into a place that automatically places you in the most fortunate 10% of all humanity.

     This doesn't just apply to american, Brits, Canadians, Euros and other 1st worlders. Anyone reading this from Honduras, Iraq, Afghanistan etc... can proably consider themselves luckier than around 99.9% of their compatriots.
   
     Simply having 'Net access and the time to use it implies a massive dose of good fortune.

[Horton The Elephant]

Don't be an asshole.

This sounds obvious, but it's one of the most important things in the world.  Treat people well.  It's that simple.  Be nice to people.  Say please and thank you.  Hold open doors.  If Wal Mart won't let you return that item, don't take it out on the customer service rep.  It's not his/her fault.  I think people underestimate just how much better the world would be if people weren't assholes so often.

Your default facial expression should not be one of anger.

Go to a mirror, and relax your face.  Don't think about anything.  If you look angry right now, there's something wrong in your life.  Find it and fix it.  You're wasting so much energy just walking around with that permanent scowl on your face.  Figure out what's wrong and do something about it, you'll feel much better.

Take joy in life.

Always.  There is a lot of joy to be had, even when things seem really shitty.

Don't panic.

Douglas Adams reference aside, panicking almost never helps.  When it does help, it's by accident.  You're on the highway, doing 65, and your car is spinning around in the snow.  That sucks, and you might die, but panicking is not going to help.  Stay calm, be as rational as you can, and your chances of coming out of a situation in one piece are much greater.  (This has literally saved my life at least once.)

[Lotharian]

Always have more than one thing to say.

This is mainly a humor thing I self learned back in high school (I'll tell the story to whoever wants to know), and since Im gonna try stand up soon, its something I need to remember(and those of you who want to do it too). You cant always assume the joke youre gonna tell is going to be fucking gold, and not think of anything else, because when you tell that joke, and its silence, its gonna be automatic stage(metaphorical and literal stage) death for you. There have been many occasions in which Ive seen friends try to be funny, but they only have one "funny" thing to say or do, and once they said/did it and absolutely no one laughed, they got trapped in a circle of awkward stares and silence, until someone changed the subject.

Its why I dont write jokes. I just create shit on the fly because Im not thinking of what to say next out of a list of things to say, so if something doesnt work, I wont get stuck in a "what do I say now? maybe this... Or this?" kind of situation where Im thinking of the right joke after a flat line. It just flows.

Oh, and keep your cool when no one laughs. Nervousness will kill your act, unless its your act to act nervous, but I dont know how to turn nervous into an act.

[Sacktacular]

You do have the right to complain

Everyone has problems. Whether you don't know where your next meal is coming from, or your boyfriend just dumped you for your best friend, it's still a problem in your life and it is causing you pain. No matter who you are...someone, somewhere, will ALWAYS have it worse.

When you throw some food away, you might feel bad and think, "Dammit, some kid in Africa would probably die for that..."  Those African kids who grow up with AIDS are probably counting their lucky stars that they aren't some Chinese baby getting thrown in the river.

Point being that it doesn't matter who you are, someone will always have a worse problem - so it's okay to feel bad about your own instead of worrying about the guys who have it worse off. This doesn't mean you can slap your waiter for giving you a steak cooked medium instead of rare, it's just okay to be mad when some little skater throws a rock at your car window or you find out your girlfriend has been cheating for 8 months.

Something went wrong for you - feel bad, then move on. Just because you may be born with better circumstances doesn't mean you have to catch yourself every time you're feeling angsty.

[The Procrastinator]

I'm resurrecting this thread from the dead after discovering this website: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/

It's a UK consumer advice site and is full of tons of cash saving tips.

It's about cutting bills not cutting back and being a sassy consumer. Companies try to screw us for profits. MoneySaving shows you how to (legally) screw them back.

Now a lot of the site may not be relevant to your average Cracker; home ownership, childcare, car insurance, etc. But there are plenty of other useful tips e.g. free SMS, Orange 2for1 cinema tickets without being an Orange customer.

None TUKOGBANIers may find some of the more generic tips useful still.

[Quagmar]

Tips on casino gambling

Going to a casino, especially one of the behemoths in Las Vegas, can be an overwhelming experience. These are a few tips to help you maximize your gaming budget, and maybe come home with a little extra:

Be prepared to gamble every dollar you bring in to the casino: This doesn't mean you will, but assume you will lose everything you bring in. Don't bring in more than you are willing to lose in a session. Stay the hell away from the ATM, as well.

Have an idea of how you want to play your money: Are you there to play, or are you there to gamble? For instance, some people sit down at a penny slot with twenty bucks with the idea of playing it for a while, and some people take twenty bucks and put it in a ten dollar slot for one spin.

It is always better to play max credits on a smaller denomination than to play less than max on a higher one: Let's say you a hit a jackpot line on a quarter machine. Because you were playing two coins, you get paid $400. If you had been playing the max three credits, you would have made $2500. Even after taxes, not risking that 25 cents cost you over $1300. To put it another way, playing 2 coin max credit 50 cent machine is a much more efficient use of a dollar that playing 1 credit on a 2 coin max credit dollar machine.

Pay attention to the max payout: People become infatuated with progressive jackpots, when sitting right next to those machines are similar credit slots that have normal jackpot payouts that are higher than the progressive. In general, progressive machines have a lower payout percentage than a regular slot machine.

Don't play any game you don't understand: There are some fun games in the casino that have a learning curve, such as craps, pai-gow, sic-bo, and the newer WSOP Hold-em tables. It is a frustrating feeling when you are losing money and don't understand why you are losing. Watch the game, ask the friendlier players and dealers about the rules, and take advantage of the free lessons offered by just about every casino.

If you are drunk, tired, and/or pissed off, STOP PLAYING: This is a huge one. There is a very good reason casinos give you alcohol for free. When you lose focus on the game, or if you start throwing money into a bad streak trying to suddenly turn it around, you will fail an overwhelming amount of the time. Take a break, get some coffee, or go to bed.

Never play the Big 6 Wheel or Keno: The Big 6 wheel is that Wheel of Fortune-like table game and it is usually staffed by a hot chick (at least in the smart casinos). Keno is the game that looks like the lottery and normally played by angry old women who hiss at you if you try to talk to them. The house edge for both games is close to 25% (for every dollar you gamble, you will win 75 cents back, on average). Suckers play these games.

Other bad bets in the casino include:The tie bet in baccarat; any variation of blackjack, including single deck and face-up; The "any xxx"and Hardway bets in craps; pretty much every bonus bet you can make on any table game

The best odds in the casino are in the following games: Blackjack, using basic strategy; The Pass/Don't Pass line bets in craps; standard video poker machines; Banker or Player bets in Baccarat; poker.

Always sign up for the Players/Slot Club: Even if you don't use the card, you will be entered into the marketing database and will start receiving discount offers for gambling and accommodations from them. The more action you put on a card, the better the offers will be. Many cards offered now are good at multiple casinos, so you can visit different spots and rack up a bunch of player points on the same account. Your table game play also counts toward your account, but each casino has their own particular minimum before they accept your card to rate you. Just ask the dealer or pit boss if you are not sure.

[Bloke Named Bob]

When you first start full time work, it will EXHAUST YOU.

Adjusting to working 8 hour days can be very hard when you first do it, it will also give you new found respect for your parents who have, most likely, been doing it longer than you have been alive, yet they have not had a mental breakdown. You might work a week and think "This is God Damn impossible" but don't give up, every new job I have started seemed impossible at first, but you WILL improve.

On the subject of work, always try to do a little more than your minimum expectation. My boss wants me to prepare 240 samples a day, so I prepare 260. It gives you some wiggle room for a bad day. If you do the bare minimum your boss will doubt you more if you have a bad day or week. But if you usually exceed the expectations they won't be so worried if you aren't performing so well every now and then. It pays off in the long run.