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5 things you can learn in a day that will make your life better

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5 things you can learn in a day that will make your life better

Cooking the basics

Cooking the basics

You will do yourself a great service to learn how to cook chicken and beef, several ways to prepare eggs, how to cook several grains (pasta and rice, for instance), and how to properly chop vegetables.

With meat, simply memorizing minimum internal cooking temperatures (165 degrees for poultry, 145 for beef, pork, lamb, or veal) is a good start.

Learn how to cook several foundational foods well — like chicken breasts, rice, burgers, and eggs — and you may find a more adventurous chef lurking inside you, liberated by your new knowledge.



Budgeting

Budgeting

Physically balancing your checkbook might be less important today than it was in the past, since nearly all of your transactions are likely electronic and easy to reference, but actively tracking your income against your expenses remains a critical skill.

Once you have a system in place, it will take only a minute or two out of each day to make sure you are adhering to your budget, and setting up such a system should only take an afternoon.

You need to consider your overall income, factor in any debts you owe and their payment structure, and then calculate your average weekly expenses. Line everything up and you will have a clear picture of how much money you are spending, how much you can save, and where to make changes.



Changing a tire and jumping a battery

Changing a tire and jumping a battery

While there's no pressing reason to learn how to swap in new brake pads or rebuild an entire engine block, if you can't change a spare tire or jump start a vehicle with a dead battery, you may end up stranded. So do a dry run practicing each of these skills a few times today and be ready to roll when trouble strikes miles from home.

You can consult your car's manual for instructions, or consult the DMV’s page for flat tires and this Popular Mechanics guide to jump-starting a car.

Fixing a sink or toilet

Fixing a sink or toilet

Most problems in your home are best solved by professionals, especially when they involve electricity, gas, or other potential hazards. But when it comes to a clogged toilet or backed up kitchen sink, you can do it yourself.

First, learn how to shut off the water if you're worried about potential flooding. You can do this at a home's main water shutoff point or by using the small handles on the fixture you're working on.

For a clogged toilet, start with a good old plunger, or if you don't have a plunger, consider this DIY trick that recommends using soap and hot water to clear your pipes.

For sinks, you can clear most clogs from the U-shaped section below the basin known as the p-trap. You can usually unscrew this section of pipe by hand, or you can use a large wrench (a pipe wrench). Make sure you have a bucket underneath the piping, as some water (and maybe some less pleasant substances) will spill out. Otherwise, try using a sink plunger.




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