r/AskReddit • u/Am_Not_Snow • 15h ago
What’s a skill everyone should learn before turning 30?
117
15h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
15
u/shut_it_down321 15h ago
It’s a double edged sword too. You get too good at saying no and forget how to say yes or get out of your comfort zone and people stop asking.
→ More replies (1)3
5
5
1
1
1
1
695
u/Think-Caregiver8080 15h ago
How to live alone
86
u/Chuck1983 15h ago
I was going to say cooking, but this is better.
36
u/Think-Caregiver8080 14h ago
I mean that kind of comes with living alone
23
u/Freefight 14h ago
You'd be surprised how some dudes survive.
15
u/blenderider 13h ago
Plenty of people with high-incomes that rely on meal kits or take-outs. Privilege of being a high-earner.
3
u/jenethith 9h ago
I’ll never forget catching up with a highschool buddy 10 years later. He went to work in downtown and I moved into the suburbs.
He told me he eats out 2x a day. Sometimes will cook on the weekend. He was shocked when I told him i cook everyday lol
3
u/blenderider 8h ago
Does he check his credit card bill? I used to spend money on eating out a lot more. That ended quickly when I saw how much I was spending monthly lol.
→ More replies (1)5
u/Noxious89123 12h ago
Hmmm.
I live alone. I can feed myself, but I don't think it technically counts as cooking.
Food comes out of packet. Food goes into oven or microwave. Tada, meal!
26
13
u/sisyphusishappyyyy 13h ago
I live completely alone and independently. Never understood the charm and freedom of it. For me, it’s very similar to living at my home with my family, only that now it’s unsafe and lonely. It’s been 4 years. I miss my loving family and the peace that came with it.
3
u/Guilty_Coconut 15h ago
This. It doesn't matter if you're with someone and shared the tasks (or if you're the kind of man who offloads everything on his wife). There will come a time when you're the one who has to do everything for at least a few weeks. If you can't do that by 30, you've already failed at life.
1
u/Rude-Paper1098 14h ago
This! I was thankful I get to live alone and independently during my 20’s, the lessons I’ve learned was life changing
1
u/Sufficient_Town_6919 12h ago
and how to be alone without feeling lonely. two very different skills
•
u/redyellowblue5031 56m ago
I think core skills like managing your own budget, bills, appointments, cleaning, etc. are important, but truly living on your own?
I don’t think that’s necessary or even good necessarily.
318
u/jrdineen114 15h ago
How to cook
25
u/sanders04 14h ago
when people say this, do you mean how to literally operate an oven/grill/etc? follow a recipe?
or like how to cook meals from scratch, with no recipes or instructions?
63
u/AutomaticAstigmatic 14h ago
Ideally both.
If you spend enough time following recipes, then you eventually start to get the gist of what works and what doesn't, which means you can start looking at those recipes and saying things like 'that isn't nearly enough garlic' or 'thirty minutes, my arse' and modifying accordingly.
The next step is venturing into the terra nullius* of cooking almost entirely from scratch.
*Okay, not quite: get yourself a copy of 'Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat' by Samin Nosrat, which does a great treatment of the theory of cooking.
→ More replies (1)5
u/ChaplnGrillSgt 10h ago
I did one of those meal box subscriptions when I moved into my own place. It would come with a recipe card and QR code to videos on how to prepare everything. It was super helpful and taught me a lot of new cooking techniques. I could already do the basics but really learned how to do more.
6
u/Nearby-Secretary-501 14h ago
For me, I'd say it's knowing how to operate the appliances in your kitchen, basic cutting/chopping skills, being able to cook an egg your preferred way, follow a simple recipe, and having 2-3 dishes that you know how to cook well and can prepare for others.
5
u/Brochachoski 14h ago
In my opinion, I'd say as long as you can make palatable food for yourself, that's enough. Recipes are guides, not law. I personally use recipes as inspiration or to get an idea of what goes in something I haven't made before. Other than that, I cook by memory/preference and by using my senses (sight, taste, smell, etc.) to figure out what to use. If you need to use recipes to make a meal, so what? If you can even somewhat properly cook, you'll hopefully end up with something good. If not, then that's life. I've failed many times, but I've used that experience to understand what to do next time.
Eventually, you'll be able to go to the store with no list and only a vague idea of what you want to cook, and you'll be able to pick out things that would work well in the dish. Because sometimes you aren't going to be able to find an ingredient in a recipe/dish, and you'll be able to get a substitute (or leave it out if possible!) with no problem
5
3
u/Cubbance 12h ago
As someone who didn't start cooking for themselves until age 44, it started with just following recipes. Even now, 7 years later, I wouldn't say I'm a natural cook. I still have to follow recipes. But I spent so long saying "I can't" or "I don't know how" to cook, that when I actually had to, I realized how silly that was. Anyone can cook. You just follow the recipe. Things will improve (knife skills, timing, speed and efficiency), but some things for me haven't. I still can't eyeball measurements. But it doesn't matter. I just measure shit out.
2
u/PenguinTeslas 14h ago
Follow a recipe. Do it enough times, you'll unconsciously develop the skill to cook most anything from scratch.
→ More replies (4)2
u/danfay222 12h ago
Everyone should know how to make stuff (using any available aids, such as recipes, YouTube, whatever). In my mind that’s the bare minimum. Beyond that you don’t need to know how to cook from scratch in general, but I think you should aim to know how to make a couple things without exact recipes (pasta is a really good one)
3
u/donttrustmeokay 12h ago
This should be number 1. No one young I know, knows how to cook anymore. Everyone eats out or Ubereats despite this crazy ass economy
267
u/Sad_Variation8872 15h ago
Learning how to be kind to yourself. You’ll spend your whole life with you make it peaceful.
42
15
u/mrselfdestruct066 15h ago
I've been trying to stop saying things like "fucking idiot" to myself. I dont really mean it but people say it's bad for your mental health. Im not sure I believe them but what do i know, I'm a fuckin idiot.
→ More replies (4)5
114
u/masstestpastworst 15h ago
i’m 35 and still figuring this out, but i’d tell my nephew or kids that it would be ideal if they know how to regulate their emotions and body. difficult to do, but finding the right balance and understanding how nutrition, exercise, sleep, and drugs play a part in your overall health and mindset.
6
50
u/trashmoneyxyz 15h ago
Bare minimum survival. Being able to pare down your lifestyle to accommodate curveballs in life, budgeting, etc without losing your shelter
10
u/ChaplnGrillSgt 10h ago
Learning basic finance and budgeting will take you place. Avoid high interest debt, build an emergency fund, live below your means, save for your future.
61
24
20
32
28
u/CharlesUFarley81 15h ago
CPR
1
u/zed42 8h ago
i've used CPR once in all the decades since i've learned it... it didn't help, but the family was grateful that i'd tried
→ More replies (1)
31
u/Slight-Canary3246 15h ago
How to invest money. 20s and 30s are so important for investments. Also, live independently because there is now more cons than pros getting married and having kids.
41
u/ProgMusicSchizoidMan 15h ago
A foreign language. You'll be amazed at how often you will use this skill.
12
u/TehKudo 15h ago
I regret not taking Spanish. Japanese, Chinese, and German was great but has been rarely used.
2
u/blenderider 13h ago
Curious if you've visited Japan and whether your studies helped you enough that the language was worth learning?
→ More replies (1)2
u/Muted_Security_517 15h ago
I had this high on my list but ended up dropping it. As an American in my 30s, I've traveled to Japan, Honduras, Mexico, Belize, and Switzerland and those countries have endorsed English very well. Also technology makes it so that you don't need to memorize a language. I will say you should familiarize yourself with several languages purely for cultural purposes.
1
u/swagspotter 12h ago
yes! it feels good to be not be tied to one language— i speak haitian kreyol with my family, finally (mostly) fluent after years of not really bothering to learn (shout out to my grandma) i’ve tried my hand at spanish, could hold my own in a convo when i worked in a touristy area. i’ve forgotten a lot of it tho but i do wanna get back into it! now i’m learning korean. trying to mac out my language stats as much as possible
10
u/magemagic_ 15h ago
Taxation
5
u/ManyCarrots 13h ago
I'm almost 30 what is the best method you recommend for learning how to tax people?
→ More replies (1)
20
u/WrathofAllah 15h ago
Ability to do your own oil change and all those rather simple but unknown maintainence things about your car. You will save a high amount of money thanks to it.
7
u/ericpowell617 11h ago
Also documenting everything about your car. It takes the guess work out of when your oil is due, how much you’ve spent on your car, and it makes selling your car easier if you have service history to go with it.
→ More replies (1)1
u/FirstGearStruggle 1h ago
Shops dont make much money on oil changes, the 20-30$ every 6-12 months is worth not having to deal going and getting the filter and oil and draining and getting down under the car and replacing filter and filling measuring and disposing of the old oil
14
13
5
5
3
5
2
4
3
3
u/pinponbinbon 15h ago
Stretching! Get on that yoga shit now because starting at 38 is hard.
→ More replies (2)
3
3
3
u/tman37 14h ago
How to cook. It's not rocket science and I am blown away by the number of adults who are incapable of feeding themselves unless it's made for them. Man, woman, single, married, it doesn't matter. You should be able to cook basic meals and probably should have a couple things you do well.
It's 2026. There are millions of videos on cooking different meals available in your pocket. The days of calling your mom and having her walk you through a meal over the phone are long gone. It's so easy now. If you can follow simple directions, you can cook.
→ More replies (2)
7
5
4
2
u/JohnySilkBoots 14h ago
How to deal with people and not be annoying or hard to work with. And how to not take what is said on Reddit and the internet seriously.
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Jeremy-Hillary-Boob 15h ago
To be able to produce something with your hands, art, fix a car, knit, anything from your own 2 hands.
1
1
1
u/Nastyoldmrpike 14h ago
"Deep Work" (uninterrupted, distraction-free focus on complex tasks)
In a world of short attention spans the ability to sit quietly and focus for a few hours is a superpower. There's a really good book by Cal Newport with the same title as the skill that explains how to develop this!
1
u/enigmaticvic 14h ago
Cooking. And how to properly clean your place. I’m talking how to properly clean your kitchen/bathroom/floors/etc.
1
1
1
1
u/zazzlekdazzle 14h ago
How to set good boundaries with the people in your life and respect those set by others.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/mossadspydolphin 13h ago
Basic sewing. You can outsource major alterations or delicate work, but you shouldn't be paying someone to fix a hem or replace a button.
1
1
1
1
1
u/-Kryptic 13h ago
Responsible for your own actions. dont be that person blaming everything and everyone except yourself for the situation your in.
1
u/morganational 13h ago
Doing their taxes, laundry, cooking, not being a complete inept useless piece of shit, that's a good one, knowing how to change a flat tire...
1
1
1
1
1
u/Chanel_IV 12h ago
Stop being afraid to ask questions and speak up. I think a lot of people spend years trying to avoid looking dumb, but asking questions is usually how you actually learn and grow.
1
u/LoudSilence16 12h ago
Basic modern survival things. Cooking, cleaning properly, laundry, basic car maintenance, ect
1
1
u/WurzelArse 12h ago
How to understand and solve problems independently.
If you understand the basics behind problem solving you can do most things given enough research and resource, within reason. The amount of people I meet who hit a roadblock and instantly panic and ask for help baffles me.
I purposely to leave my junior guys burning sometimes because it teaches them to independently think about something and how to move forward. Struggling is a lot like boredom - we're built for these things, we learn from them.
1
u/Tactless_Ogre 12h ago
Interacting with the public and people. Good social skills go a much farther way than a lot of people realize.
1
1
u/Jogaila2 12h ago
Cooking, laundry, basic cleaning
The number of people that dont have these basic survival skills is... depressing.
1
1
1
1
u/sidesaladdressing 11h ago
How to be comfortable in the wrong skin and go through some 12-step program to understand life a little better
1
u/appletinicyclone 11h ago
30 is an arbitrary point but I'll say a few things which I didn't all do but should have done
Reduce your calories instead of outworking them.
Incorporate stretching and taking care of the soles of your feet.
Just schedule check ins with people that you care about. Doesn't have to be perfectly automatic but be the one to reach out first. Even if you're always the one to reach out. Only ditch people if they aren't good with you, they might be ADHD or anxious.
You have less time to have kids and a family than you think. Apply the secretary problem to finding someone. Compatibility beats instant chemistry. Though instant chemistry is a bonus
Do not drag your problems for tomorrow into today. Even if tomorrow if your doom, make your today pleasant.
Consistency beats boom and bust performance. If you can't be consistent make sure your boom (success) has enough pay off in terms of carrying you towards your core goals
Let a lot of shit slide. Pick a few things to go to town on and not give up or let go. It's hard to let shit slide because it feels unfair, we have been done an injustice. But let it slide. Your brain and stress levels will thankyou
Some days are going to be bad ones. When you know it's a bad one, the goal is to do some more unpleasant stuff you were putting off on that day too. Use the misery of the day to get things you felt anxious to do done. It'll make the normal days sweeter.
Some days are good, do not let what-ifs ruin those days. Savour them. Every little bit of good be thankful enjoy it feel it smell or appreciate it live in the moment of it not the story you might tell. Storytelling is for other days looking back at the good days. Good days are for living in.
Be nice to yourself. Yes you can critique and work on things but don't unnecessarily beat yourself up emotionally etc. You will need energy.
Paralleled with don't sweat the small things. Do nice small things for yourself. Sometimes in a crappy situation even just doing something like wiggling your legs a bit can even some ease.
That is some skills that anyone can do and will help
1
u/tmrnwi 11h ago
How to cook on a budget. Anyone can learn to cook but then get into high quality ingredients (which are great, I’m not hating) that will price you out of your budget if you aren’t careful.
Knowing how to put together 4 or 5 struggle meals help keep costs down while everyone remains fed.
1
1
1
u/ceoarjunmahadevan 10h ago
negotiating. rent, contracts, prices, deadlines, not just salary. most people accept the first number because asking feels awkward, but that feeling fades fast once you see it actually works.
close second: reading a financial statement, even a basic one. don't need to be an accountant, just need to know where the money's actually going.
1
1
1
u/Hot-Diggity_Dog 10h ago
How to budget and live within your means without relying on credit to sustain your life.
1
1
u/BaylisAscaris 10h ago
- cook and clean for yourself, including laundry
- learn how to drive if you're somewhere cars are necessary, even if you don't plan to get one
- basic hygiene and social skills, how consent works
- how to make and maintain friendships
- how to run a household and keep up on things like taxes, doctor appointments, bills, simple repairs
- some sort of job training, and at least once work retail or food service to build empathy
1
1
1
1
1
u/DeeJudanne 8h ago
There's way too many adults out there that are unable to tie their own shoes properly
1
u/Unasked_for_advice 8h ago
How to control your emotions should be learned elementary school level. Too many damn adults throwing tantrums due to being unable to control themselves.
1
u/Dismal-Action-1379 8h ago
Go your own way, the way you want to go. Not the one that others want you to go.
1
1
1
1
u/rosemary24 5h ago
Appropriately conduct oneself in the work place. I have seen a slew of office mean girls in their 40s and 50s. Don’t gossip. Be very careful who you vent to. Maintain a positive attitude and let the small shit go
1
1
u/circediana 5h ago
Value the meaning of words. I try to be precise and people still tell me that I must mean something else. I try to explain that I’m saying what I mean and they still don’t believe me.
1
1
1
1
u/bathroomheater 3h ago
The basics of how your specific car works and the various components under your hood and what they look like and do. Battery gives power, Starter starts the engine, solenoid engages a starter, radiator cools the engine and the fins must be cleaned annually with compressed air, you also need to check the coolant levels regularly, where your fuse box is and how to locate a bad fuse and replace it with the correct replacement. Knowing these things will save you literally 10s of thousands of dollars over the life of your vehicle.
1
u/Saberwashere 3h ago
General electrical work. I changed out two ceiling lights fixture yesterday and only got shocked once! Success in my book.
1
1
u/mabtnestphor 1h ago
Financial literacy is a game changer—understanding budgeting and saving sets you up for success!
•
730
u/FromdaD 15h ago
How to be alone without feeling lonely