Tips for an Adult Orphans Home

It sucks when there's so much you should have learned from your mom but had to learn it the hard way.

The kitchen
Drip pans are the metal pans under the coils of your stove top. Some slide out so you can clean them. Some are a pain in the ass and you have to unplug them or something. When moving into an apartment...be sure to check to see what kind of drip pans you have. Turns out two of mind pull out and two don't. And I have been using the two that don't. darn. Where's ma when you need her. I also put cereal boxes in the fridge so bugs don't get into them.

Avoid getting sick.
Being an orphan can be sad most of the time and cause one to become more likely to get sick. One winter I got a stomach virus and my aunt wouldn't come over to help. I ended up having to go to the hospital and getting an IV and also a $3,000 hospital bill which I couldn't pay very fast and so I got a letter saying it was going to collections. Thats when I cry and wish my mom were here. I called my aunt again and she said they can set up a payment plan. So I paid a couple hundred each month. Anyways I have found one way to boost your immune system is green tea. It helps you stay healthy, helps your teeth, and I kinda lost some weight when I first started drinking a cup of it a day. They have flavored Green tea. Celestial Seasonings Blueberry Breeze Green Tea and grapefruit green tea. And the Arizona Green tea you can get already made in a jug at the store. If you use tea bags and hot water make sure to add some honey or it will taste yucky. I used to hate tea but if it saves me $3,000 I will drink it!

Money Memoirs for Adult Orphans

Being a single adult orphan one needs to be very hard working and careful with their money. If anything happens you can't borrow money from parents. There have been times when I worked two jobs and one job wanted me to leave the other. I had to. But then they didn't give me extra hours to make up for it. I had just gotten my first apartment. I ended up living without electricity for half a year. It was either food or electricity. I would sneak into the dormitories to take hot showers. I would eat food that didn't need to be cooked. Mostly fast food. Sometimes food off the floor of the movie theater that I worked at.

How did I pay for college?
I'm not sure. I have a full paid scholarship. My mother signed some papers and I had to prove that I had no father and that she was dead after she died. Yes it was nice having it all paid for but it hurt waking up every morning knowing that I was there because of my dead mother and also knowing that one day I would graduate and she would not be there to see me. Moving in and out of the dorms was hard. Students had there parents help but I had to do it on my own. I remember the last time I moved out of the dorms and into my first apartment. Some dad asked me where my help was and I said "I don't know". I should have said "they are dead you jackass!". In order to get my scholarship I couldn't be adopted.

You gotta look out for yourself.
There have been times when I was about to move into my car. There are people out there who will fire you even if they know you are an orphan even if you work your ass off. There are people out there that won't believe you when your rent is late and you tell them you live alone and are orphaned and will have to pay them next week because a normal person would be able to borrow money from their parents. You gotta save up money incase or instances like this. Especially knowing how the economy is now it can be pretty scary for an orphan.

Mechanics will take advantage of you if you are female. Charging high prices. If I had a male figure by my side they would treat me better. Its a lame world.

17 Tips for Saving money

I have mentioned before. Its sucks to be an orphan with no money. Most normal kids in this economy borrow money from parents or move back in with their parents. Gosh how spoiled. Whatever. But we are better than they are. So here are some ways to save money.

1. unplug your tv, microwave or anything when you are not using it. This cut my power bill in half!

2. Fill your gas tank in the morning when it is cool out. Don't fill up in the afternoon. Gas expands when it is hot and you will get getting less gas for your money.

3. Gas is usually cheaper 3 days before the holidays.

4. In the winter I use a space heater its cheaper that using the built in heating unit. Beware of fire hazards though.

5. Shop at a grocery store with low prices. I shop at ALDIs. Its much cheaper than walmart. and less annoying people.

6. For the girls- don't use foundation. Using foundation clogs your pores anyways. Just keep an clean face and you should have a natural complexion and healthy skin.

7. Cut your dryer sheets in half. You don't need a whole sheet. Half will work and they will last twice as long.

8. Try putting some money in a savings account in a bank. It grows there ya know.

9. Don't have any credit cards. Maybe have one credit card for a very short while and pay it off to establish credit. If you don't have credit you will need a co-signer to get a car or house or even an apartment. Normally that co-signer would be your parents but we don't have those.

10. If you get a scholarship to go to college. (most orphans qualify) Try to get married. two people can save money better that being on your own. The only reason I wasn't adopted was so I could get my scholarship.

11. When picking your college major, make sure its something your enjoy, something that makes money, and something where you can meet a mate incase you don't get hitched in college. A nurse is a really good one. You get to work with hot firefighters and paramedics in the ER.

12. Don't be afraid to work two jobs. I had to in college. One job ended up wanting me to leave the other anyways. But this is just for a temporary time. Like going through college. Once you graduate from college you should be able to get the job your studied for and no second job....unless you just want some extra money.

13. Take a sack lunch to work. It saves gas instead of driving to a fast food restaurant and those places are too expensive. Don't even put it in a sack. I just put a small frozen pizza in my purse.

14. Get health insurance if your job has that sort of thing going on. It will take out a little bit of money each month and if certain emergencies happen it will cover it.

15. If looking for a job (girls) let your hair down. I was job hunting in college and my hair band broke so I couldn't put my hair up. I got hired at the next two places I tried.

16. Don't speed while driving. Its dangerous and you will save gas by driving the speed limit.

17. Buy a tracfone (See post below)

12 Safety Tips for Adult Orphans

Since you don't have a dad to look out for you girls, you gotta be careful. After work around 9pm I got out of my car and saw some guy in the lot I hadn't seen before. I walked to my apartment and walked up the stairs to my apartment. He had been following me and had caught up quite a bit. I heard him cuss under his breath as I went up the steps. Once I got in I felt terrible knowing I had no dad to call or come over. So here are some tips (for the girls mostly):

1. Always lock you car doors and apartment/house doors.

2. Always have a phone charged incase you need to call 911. I used a pre-pay Tracfone . The phone is cheap and I can pay as I use minutes. And of course I don't use many minutes since I have no folks.

3. Don't go out after dark.

4. Get a Pepper Spray Keychain . This way you have it when you are walking to and from your car. I got a yellow one so I can see it better in the dark. Note: Pepperspray is illegal is some states. I think California is one.

5. Always be alert and looking around you while walking to and from your car.

6. I was concerned about guys who stop by my apartment selling stuff thinking that I live alone and trying to break in etc. So I put some big sneakers outside my door to make them think I got a big boyfriend who lives with me. The next guy who came by to sell something asked about him. I just had to play along and lie.

7. Take the shoe laces out of the sneakers. Someone may take the laces and knock on your door and try to strangle you. Also make sure they aren't metal kleets. If someone where to use the sneakers as a weapon that could hurt.

8. if you have a peep hole in your door...USE IT!

9. Remember you don't have to answer the door.

10. I have black curtains covering my window so I can see out but no one can see in.

11. Having a dog can help. if someone unexpected knocks the dog will bark and scare the visitor.

12. Keep your cellphone nearby incase you need to call for help.

7 Winter Tips for Orphans

The cold weather can take a toll on your car.

1. Get an oil change and all the other stuff they do to your car.

2. Make sure to get the air pressure in your tires checked. Your tires get kinda flat in cold weather because of the cold air. In the summer time the air expands and air will have to be let out.

3. Breathing cold air also constricts your blood vessels and one is more likely to have a heart attack in the winter. So stay warm!

4. Remember to drink some green tea every day to keep illness away.

5. Its gonna snow on Christmas Eve here. So I am gonna stock up on food.

6. keep your gas tank more than half full during the winter. Moisture may get into your tank and freeze and that would be bad.

7.When you start your car, let it run for a while and warm up the engine before you start driving. This makes the engine happy. Ten minutes for people in the south(Oklahoma), 20 minutes for people up north (Massachusetts).

I'll keep you guys posted if I think of anything more.

Update on the Christmas preparation:
I got a few movies that I am keeping to watch on Christmas. Institute Benjamenta by the Quay Brothers and Being John Malkovich by Spike Jonze. I covered the windows with some fleece blankets. The place stays warner longer now.