Acceptably Adult

Acceptably Adult is not the place to talk about politics in the sense of me telling you what my views are. However, being an adult means you'll have to do things like vote (or you should). Which means you need to understand something important - fear. In a democratic republic, the citizens are supposed to make a logical, rational vote. That is, we're supposed to understand the issues. We're supposed to look at what they mean, and then vote. How you come to your logical conclusion of what or who to vote for is your business. But I do want to tell you about one thing. Fear sells. Fear breaks logic. When you're afraid, you are easy to manipulate. Your brain slips down into primal, lizard brain mode. Every powerful person knows that fear makes it easier to manipulate people. So, when you go out to vote, remember this: be suspicious of whoever is trying to make you afraid. That person has a weak argument, and they know it. So they are trying to manipulate you. If all they ...

Money sucks. Not having money sucks more. Worrying about money is something that, once you realize you're an adult, with people depending on you, it's something you're going to do all the time. It sucks. It can keep you up nights. It can make you get into fights with your significant other. It's just awful. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to make it suck less.  Make two checking accounts and a savings account . If you are living with a significant other, then make 3. One is your bill-paying account. Take the check card that they send with that one and cut it into a thousand pieces. You're not going to carry it around with you. If you share your life and your bills with someone else, this one is a joint account. The other account(s) is where you put your discretionary income. Finally, you have a savings account. Make a budget . Figure out how much you have to spend on bills each month. Add around 10% as a cushion. Somewhere along the way. If you...