A Few Things Every Woman Should Know How To Do
This blog isn't what you might think it is, neither is it exhaustive. It's not a slam against men, a commentary on feminism or an "anything you can do I can do better" attitude. (I do like that song though). It is born out of experiences in which I had to learn how to do some of these things in a hurry, as well as things on my list that I need to learn. From my experiences, knowing how to do some of these things is just common sense. I've heard it said that common sense isn't a flower that grows in everyone's garden. I can honestly say that common sense hasn't always grown in my garden, so I can't talk about anyone else. Thankfully, I have learned a little bit over the years and I would like to share some of this knowledge. Okay, here we go.
1. Change a Flat Tire
I learned how to fix a flat tire on a highway, in the pouring rain while big rigs were flying by me. This was not an ideal situation and it was scary. My family and I were on our way to Pigeon Forge, TN when it happened. We were thrilled to be going because my dad had kidney surgery a few months earlier. At the time, I wondered if we were ever going to be able to go to the mountains again. When we were able to go, it was a wish come true! Daddy could drive fine, but still needed help with heavy tasks, so when he pulled over to the side of the road to fix the flat, I knew that I needed to help in anyway possible. I learned then and there how to use the jack, unscrew the tire from the car and screw the spare on. It was wet, it was cold and I was a nervous wreck. I learned how to change a flat tire, though. I've had to do it twice since then, so I'm so glad that I learned how.
2. Check Oil and Add Oil to the Car
This is so important because there's not much worse than an engine burning up because ones vehicle is out of oil. My dad taught me how to do this a long time ago. In fact, when I was a teen, I got a kick out of checking the oil and adding it when needed. I don't know how to change oil yet, but you never know, someday I might.
3. Jump a Battery
I admittedly have never done this before, but I have seen it done many times. I'd like to think that if I had to use the jumper cables, I would know how.
4. How to Add Power Steering Fluid, Windshield Wiper Fluid and Brake Fluid
I'm still trying to figure out which fluid goes where. It's important to know, though. I've seen it done and I've even done it but not without someone telling me where to put what. I'm still working on this.
Instructions for car maintenance can be found on Youtube. For more instruction on how to care for your vehicle or if you think that you'd like to go in more depth, you can watch All Girl's Garage on the Velocity Channel. If you don't have that channel, I think you can watch the episodes online. (I love this show, by the way!)
https://www.velocity.com/tv-shows/all-girls-garage/
5. Save Money
I go through cycles of saving money. There have been times that I have been able to save a lot in a short amount of time. There have also been times where money is tight and I'm not saving as much. A good rule of thumb is to save 10% of your weekly/bi-weekly salary; more if possible. It's always good to have at least $1,000 in savings for a cushion, in case you need it. Sometimes that is difficult to do when you're living paycheck to paycheck. Believe me, I know.
6. Investing
This is something that I know very little about, but I do know that I need to be doing it. I am researching investments but I don't really have any advice to give except that it's not something to just jump into lightly.
7. Do Your Own Taxes
The first time I learned how to do taxes, I didn't even have any taxes to do yet. I remember learning how to fill out an income tax form in middle school. In general, I hated math, but I enjoyed filling out the "fake taxes". I don't enjoy filling out taxes now, and I've only been doing my own for the past couple of years, but it is so worth it to know how. Do you remember in math class when you were supposed to check your work before you turned it in? Well, you need to do that with your taxes too. In fact, I check mine at least 3 times to make sure that I have everything totaled and entered into the right spaces. Believe me, it's worth it!
My favorite resource for money matters is Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. In fact, it would be good to like his page on Facebook. He is always posting good, sound informational articles on his page. Here's a link to his web page:
https://www.daveramsey.com/specials/welcome?ectid=gaw.daveramsey-brand1
These are just a few things that every woman should know how to do. There are lots more things, but they'll have to wait for another blog post. If you can think of anything else, please leave me a comment. We all need to learn as much as we can and if we can learn from each other, then that's a bonus!
C'ya next time!
1. Change a Flat Tire
I learned how to fix a flat tire on a highway, in the pouring rain while big rigs were flying by me. This was not an ideal situation and it was scary. My family and I were on our way to Pigeon Forge, TN when it happened. We were thrilled to be going because my dad had kidney surgery a few months earlier. At the time, I wondered if we were ever going to be able to go to the mountains again. When we were able to go, it was a wish come true! Daddy could drive fine, but still needed help with heavy tasks, so when he pulled over to the side of the road to fix the flat, I knew that I needed to help in anyway possible. I learned then and there how to use the jack, unscrew the tire from the car and screw the spare on. It was wet, it was cold and I was a nervous wreck. I learned how to change a flat tire, though. I've had to do it twice since then, so I'm so glad that I learned how.
2. Check Oil and Add Oil to the Car
This is so important because there's not much worse than an engine burning up because ones vehicle is out of oil. My dad taught me how to do this a long time ago. In fact, when I was a teen, I got a kick out of checking the oil and adding it when needed. I don't know how to change oil yet, but you never know, someday I might.
3. Jump a Battery
I admittedly have never done this before, but I have seen it done many times. I'd like to think that if I had to use the jumper cables, I would know how.
4. How to Add Power Steering Fluid, Windshield Wiper Fluid and Brake Fluid
I'm still trying to figure out which fluid goes where. It's important to know, though. I've seen it done and I've even done it but not without someone telling me where to put what. I'm still working on this.
Instructions for car maintenance can be found on Youtube. For more instruction on how to care for your vehicle or if you think that you'd like to go in more depth, you can watch All Girl's Garage on the Velocity Channel. If you don't have that channel, I think you can watch the episodes online. (I love this show, by the way!)
https://www.velocity.com/tv-shows/all-girls-garage/
5. Save Money
I go through cycles of saving money. There have been times that I have been able to save a lot in a short amount of time. There have also been times where money is tight and I'm not saving as much. A good rule of thumb is to save 10% of your weekly/bi-weekly salary; more if possible. It's always good to have at least $1,000 in savings for a cushion, in case you need it. Sometimes that is difficult to do when you're living paycheck to paycheck. Believe me, I know.
6. Investing
This is something that I know very little about, but I do know that I need to be doing it. I am researching investments but I don't really have any advice to give except that it's not something to just jump into lightly.
7. Do Your Own Taxes
The first time I learned how to do taxes, I didn't even have any taxes to do yet. I remember learning how to fill out an income tax form in middle school. In general, I hated math, but I enjoyed filling out the "fake taxes". I don't enjoy filling out taxes now, and I've only been doing my own for the past couple of years, but it is so worth it to know how. Do you remember in math class when you were supposed to check your work before you turned it in? Well, you need to do that with your taxes too. In fact, I check mine at least 3 times to make sure that I have everything totaled and entered into the right spaces. Believe me, it's worth it!
My favorite resource for money matters is Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. In fact, it would be good to like his page on Facebook. He is always posting good, sound informational articles on his page. Here's a link to his web page:
https://www.daveramsey.com/specials/welcome?ectid=gaw.daveramsey-brand1
C'ya next time!
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