With ever-changing technology and new and improved methods of accomplishing things, sometimes it’s astonishing some of the good old-fashioned skills that have been lost in the shuffle! While the march of progress is as needed as it is inevitable, can’t we all agree there are still some things everybody should know how to do? While some people can’t imagine life without a smartphone and access to the internet 24/7, we remember a simpler time when baking, gardening, and simple car repairs were all skills most people knew how to do! Go ahead and check out our list of 10 skills everyone should know, and see how many of these you can do!
Sewing & Mending Clothes
Sewing is such a useful skill to have! Not only for creating beautiful clothes or stunning quilts but for much more practical reasons as well. If you have kids, you’ll know that they go through clothes almost as fast as you can buy them for one reason or another. If you have the ability to mend those holes in the knees or to let out a hem and make pants longer, you will save so much money by extending the life of each piece of clothing!
Basic Auto Maintainance
We’re not talking about rebuilding an engine or trying to work on the electronics of a car… it’s best to leave that stuff to the professionals. However, there are plenty of things you can do yourself when it comes to basic car maintenance. Learning how to change a flat tire, change the oil, and even how to change the brake pads are all very simple skills that will save you some serious money!
Writing Thank You Letters
This is such a lost art! Nowadays kids are more likely to send a text, but there’s just something so meaningful about getting a handwritten note. It shows that the person is not only grateful but took the time to write it out and send it in the mail. Plus, isn’t it fun to get something in the mail that isn’t junk or bills?
Gardening
One of the most resourceful skills is gardening. Not only are there numerous health benefits to digging your hands in the dirt and being outside with nature but growing your own food is so gratifying and will save you money. Plus, you know exactly where your food is coming from.
Canning
If you’re going to learn how to garden, you should probably master the art of canning! This is a great way to preserve food for years to come. Canned fruits and veggies make for great gifts as well! Make sure you learn from someone who knows what they are doing, otherwise, you could end up growing harmful bacteria in the jars along with your food!
Start A Fire Without Matches
Whether you’re just out camping or find yourself trying to survive in the wilderness, knowing how to start a fire without matches is such a good skill to have! There are several methods, the most popular ones being either friction based, or lens based. You’ll need a tinder nest, some wood, and a way to get a spark! Read more about the different methods here!
Budgeting
Budgeting is a bit of a lost art these days, now that everything is automated. There’s no more balancing the checkbook at the end of the month. Most people don’t think to budget as long as they have some money left over after the bills are paid! However, taking account of how much you’re spending, and where you’re spending will be eye-opening!
Writing A Check
Speaking of budgets and bills, when is the last time you wrote a check? With debit and credit cards, PayPal and Apple Pay, having to write a check seems to be the last thing anyone is doing these days. However, if the auto-pay website crashes or you find yourself needing to shuffle some money around, learning the correct way to write a check will come in handy!
Socializing – Without Social Media
“Liking” and commenting, “Hahaha” on photos and posts may constitute a perfectly acceptable social norm online, but in the real world, there is an art to holding a conversation! It takes real skill to ask good questions, listen intently, and then follow up with a relevant story or more questions. That’s something a lot of kids these days don’t know how to do!