177. How To Actually "Adult" | Master These 4 Life Skills You Weren't Taught in School

Nobody taught you these 4 life skills, and that's not on you. It's crazy to me that you can go to school for 18+ years and still have no idea how to feed yourself, read a pay stub, or have an uncomfortable conversation without spiraling. So, today I'm breaking down those 4 life skills, realistically, so you can stop feeling like you're faking your way through "adulting."

Topics covered:

👉🏻 How to actually feed yourself (without needing to be crazy good at cooking) and the 3-2-1 grocery method

👉🏻 The financial basics everyone needs & why tracking your expenses is non-negotiable

👉🏻 How to communicate clearly - saying what you mean the first time, addressing problems before they blow up, and knowing how to apologize!!

👉🏻 Managing the life admin nobody warns you about - and why your brain is not supposed to be your filing system

Referenced in this episode:

👉🏻 How to Be More Confident Spending Time Alone | 5 Things That Changed How I Think About Loneliness — https://youtu.be/jSORRO2r-4w

👉🏻 134. My Food Philosophy: How My Approach to Eating has Evolved, Grocery Budgets, & Eating Healthy — https://youtu.be/GgFW41OXxHo

👉🏻 The Cleaning System That Keeps My Apartment Spotless in 24/7 Without Constant Resets — https://youtu.be/UTAW61va4Kc

👉🏻 My book, Own Your Money — https://breakyourbudget.com/own-your-money

👉🏻 What’s in My Wallet 2025: Credit Cards That Actually Pay Me Back + How to Choose the Right One — https://youtu.be/NJRxeBiYuNA

👉🏻 How to Start Managing Your Money | 6 Steps for Complete Beginners — https://youtu.be/fIykr3rksA4

👉🏻 161. How to Plan Your Week So You Don’t Feel Overwhelmed | My 60 Minute Sunday System — https://youtu.be/QEcDDxqLW0g

👉🏻 146. How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed by Everyday Life | Manage "Life Admin" & Reduce the Mental Load — https://youtu.be/1KoD6wFB7G0

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👉🏻 https://breakyourbudget.com/productivity-planner

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https://breakyourbudget.substack.com/p/your-personal-finance-starter-kit

BREAK YOUR BUDGET RESOURCES:

💸 Personal Finance Dashboard:

https://breakyourbudget.com/personal-finance-dashboard

💸 Basic Budgeting Template:

https://breakyourbudget.com/basic-budgeting-template

💸 FI/RE Template:

https://breakyourbudget.com/fire-template

💸 Rent vs. Buy Calculator:

https://breakyourbudget.com/rent-vs-buy-calculator

💳 TOOLS I USE:

💸 Rakuten Cash Back (cash back on purchases you're already making): https://shorturl.at/w0PcH

💸 SoFi HYSA (my fave high yield savings account): https://secure.money.com/pr/pa5344bfc4f2

💸 Classpass (try it for a discounted first month): https://classpass.com/refer/UKLV6BN026

📚 MY BOOKS:

💸 Own Your Money:

https://breakyourbudget.com/own-your-money

💸 Own Your Career:

https://breakyourbudget.com/oyc-book

All Other Resources:

https://breakyourbudget.com/links

👩🏼‍💻 Inquiries: michela@breakyourbudget.com

📸 Instagram (Break Your Budget): https://www.instagram.com/breakyourbudget/

📸 Instagram (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/michela_alloccaa

📲 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@breakyourbudget

💸 My ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/shop/michelaallocca

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 — Why school teaches you the Pythagorean theorem but not how to read a pay stub

09:41 — The 4 life skills I think actually matter

13:34 — My actual default meals and why you need 5-10 of your own

17:22 — The 3-2-1 grocery method that I swear by

27:28 — Why a credit card is not free money, and the minimum payment is not what you should be paying

29:31 — The 4 financial accounts I think every single person needs

36:39 — The communication skill that will change every relationship in your life

40:41 — Why I used to take all feedback personally and how I learned to separate criticism from someone just being an asshole

42:53 — How to ACTUALLY apologize

50:41 — Why I use recurring reminders for everything