Thing #41.   Be a voter.

Voting is part of what makes our country great. Don’t complain about our elected officials if you ignore the opportunity to be part of the process. I know I’m suggesting this just after an election, but I didn’t want to suggest it in the context of something you needed to do in the coming week. I want to encourage you to make it part of your life, that whenever there is an election, you vote. Don’t just vote now and again. Be a voter.

Thing #42.   Save money.

If you stuck $5 in a safe place every week, you’d have $260 by the end of the year. That’s enough to replace your microwave oven. Ten dollars a week could get you some new tires for the car.

Better yet, create an emergency fund. Most experts agree that a good emergency fund should represent three to six months’ worth of household spending. Financial advisor Suze Orman says, “I don’t think it’s asking too much of twentysomethings to have them start building an emergency fund by making automatic deposits from their paycheck or checking account into a savings account.”

Three months’ worth seems like a lot of money, but in this day of frequent unemployment, it’s worth considering.

Thing #43.   Learn to sew a hem.

You shouldn’t have to pay someone to shorten your slacks or skirts. Here’s a great tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMqK-fNrCrM