# What Do You Wish You Knew, Starting Out Independently?

Category: Daily Living

## Post 1 by Miss M (move over school!) on Friday, 27-Jul-2012 11:00:50

Since a lot of these tidbits come up in the quicknotes, but don't really deserve their own individual boards, I'd like to know those little tricks you discovered through trial and error that would have saved you a lot of time when you first started living or doing things on your own.
I'll start with a few:
1) In the summer heat, an easy way to avoid bread mold is to stick the tied loaf in the fridge where the humidity is regulated.
2) To drain the fat off of cooked meat, drop it all from your pan into a metal strainer. You can either do this in the sink and drain the fat down - which may risk your sink clogging over time - or preemptively wrap the bottom of the strainer with a layer of aluminum foil, which can be folded up and thrown out.
3) After wearing a shirt, I will hang it back up but move it to the far-left of my closet. This way, the clothes I've worn most recently are to the left and the clothes I haven't are to the right, which decreases worry about repeating shirts too closely together.

## Post 2 by LeoGuardian (You mean there is something outside of this room with my computer in it?) on Friday, 27-Jul-2012 11:28:57

This is a great topic. Two things are a major obstacle for us, in my opinion: First we cannot see what it is some others take for granted. This becomes more and more problematic the better you become at compensation, ironically, because people will naturally assume you already know.
Also, anything blind-oriented is so difficult to come by, it's often just not worth the effort. Well that part has no doubt changed because of the Internet.
Here's one of mine:
Best shopping tool ever:
The foldable grocery cart.
You can buy them at many hardware stores, and I spent the first few months on my own without knowing about these.
Basic description:
Get the 4-wheeled kind, it's made of aluminum with rubber wheels. Instead of pushing it as a sighted person will do, you need to pull it behind you with one hand, using your cane with the other. Tip it on its back wheels and just pull it like the beasts of burden from former times. Keep it horizontally aligned behind you and you can go up and down over near anything.
When you're in the store, use that cart to fill with your groceries, as that is all you've got to take home with you. Well, that and perhaps a backpack or shoulder bag, but still.

## Post 3 by bea (I just keep on posting!) on Saturday, 28-Jul-2012 8:16:32

I had a type of paste I used to polish shoes with. Got the 2 containers mixed up and had black polish on white shoes. I don't even know if folks use shoe polish anymore; I just quit using it.

## Post 4 by Remy (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Saturday, 28-Jul-2012 11:34:17

Great ideas. I never thought about using a strainer to drain grease. But under no circumstances should you ever put that stuff down your sink. Please remember that.
One I found was actually shaving. I always found it a pain. Shaving cream got in the way. then one day I missed a spot. I realized this as I was srying off in the shower. I used a little aftershave and I found that did wonders for shaving. The blades seem to pass over everything with no pull or eeritation. I'm not sure if it's dependant on the type of aftershave though, since I've only tried it with one. But basically you shave most of your face with shaving creen, then when you're done, use aftershave. it helps easily get those hard-to-shave areas. Ladies, I'm not sure if some of the lotions you use would work, but I do know my wife now uses conditioner to shave her legs, and she's found it works really well.

## Post 5 by Reyami (I've broken five thousand! any more awards going?) on Saturday, 28-Jul-2012 13:00:24

Yes, I've heard the conditioner trick works well.

## Post 6 by TechnologyUser2012 (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Saturday, 28-Jul-2012 18:20:04

hmm didn't know that but will give it a try.

## Post 7 by Miss M (move over school!) on Monday, 30-Jul-2012 15:10:48

Leo, never thought about one of those carts. That's an excellent idea.
Seconding conditioner as shaving cream, for men as well. It's so much cheaper and can be bought in bulk.

## Post 8 by bea (I just keep on posting!) on Tuesday, 31-Jul-2012 9:04:38

Using the cloth shopping bags to carry laundry down the stairs. You can put the bag or bags on your arm use a cane then switch hands if needed to hold a rail to go up and/or down the stairs. You can put a container of soap in the bag. You can hold the cane in your hand that has the bags on your arm.

## Post 9 by LittleSneezer (The Zone-BBS is my prison, but I like it here.) on Tuesday, 31-Jul-2012 17:25:31

I like the idea of using a cloth shopping bag for laundry. It sounds much easier than trying to carry a regular laundry bag in the hand and use a cane to bring loads of laundry up and down the stairs, especially if you have to go from, say, the third floor to the basement, as I do. I don't usually mind stairs; in fact, I think climbing stairs is good exercise, and I often choose to take them when I'm out in public to prove a point; however, I wish my building had an elevator when I have to do laundry or bring lots of groceries, a large suitcase, etc. up to my apartment.

## Post 10 by krisme (Ancient Zoner) on Wednesday, 15-Aug-2012 14:49:27

Good ideas all. Another thing I found helpful when it came to laundry is a hamper on wheels. I had one of these in college and it made lugging massive loads of sheets and clothing down to the laundry room a great deal easier. I had an elevator in my dorm, not sure how well it'd work with stairs, but it's worth a try. Also those little detergent balls from Tide are awesome. Just throw one in with your wash and you're good to go.

## Post 11 by Miss M (move over school!) on Friday, 17-Aug-2012 12:31:14

For school, work, and any general business transaction: Ask for digital copies. A lot of the time, there will be a .doc or .PDF available of whatever forms, books, etc.that they will want you to read, and sometimes you can even sign electronically. This saves time, paper, the process of scanning, and there's less worry about losing your important forms.

## Post 12 by Runner229 (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Friday, 17-Aug-2012 14:41:47

When it comes to storing foods, keep the newer stuff farther back in the fridge and freezer, older stuff in front so you use it quicker before it goes bad.

## Post 13 by Siriusly Severus (The ESTJ 1w9 3w4 6w7 The Taskmaste) on Thursday, 23-Aug-2012 6:08:38

how about clean fast, and don't wait until after dinner? learnt that from not me, but the buggers around me, I am pretty clean, but you should see the dirt build up around here, and yeah, that one too about not clogging the drain. Saw it happening at home, dad had to call the plumbers, and, oh, don't use the kitchen sink to wash your hair!

## Post 14 by irish girl 1215 (Zone BBS Addict) on Wednesday, 31-Oct-2012 19:03:47

On the subject of landury, there are these things you can get called Colour Catchers (I usually get them in Tesco) wich are little sheets you put into your wash - and hey presto, you don't have to worry about everything turning pink! They saved me when I was in Paris and my colour director broke.

## Post 15 by Nicky (And I aprove this message.) on Wednesday, 31-Oct-2012 19:19:49

I take grocery bags with me to the store the cloth kinds. But as of now the bus in this small town is awesome and they just pull right up to my frunt door which is not on the rout, and help me carry things in if I have more than one arm full.
You could try using paper towls to gather up the greace. I have placed the straner in a large bowl then poor the meat in to the straner and then the greace will be left in the bowl.
I have a large plastic tote I have a shoulder strap attached to and I just wrap the strap around my hand and drag it down to the laundry room, stairs and all. It slides right up and down if you angle it right.
I use shampoo, body wash, conditioner and it all for shaving my legs. I also will add a bit of water to a practically empty bottle of soap and dump it in the toilet and use it to clean it with.
I use my broom laying flat on the ground, to sweep across the floor to make sure nothing is on it before vacuming.
I found that safety penning your socks together helps keeps you from having a random lost one.
I also do the same with my clothes to know what I might have worn recently.