Classes In Basic Life Skills

[Chance]

I was recently informed that Home Depot offers workshops on basic DIY skills (http://www.homedepot.com/workshops/); tile installation, toilet installation, et cetera. I also know that Whole Foods stores offer cooking classes occasionally.

I'm always up to learn something, and if what I'm learning is a practical skill, even better. What other sort of practical workshops/classes are out there? Doesn't matter how esoteric: if you can do something after the class that you couldn't do before, I'm game.

17498

[critter]

I know what you mean. I attend pretty much anything and everything all the time.

And, unbelievably (to me anyway), I just bought a bad ass sewing machine my ex would have orgasmed over so i could repair a couple of hems myself -- took me an hour to figure out how to thread the darn thing... WHILE reading the instructions. Who knew you had to thread the thing from the top AND bottom? Looks like I'll be attentind some co-ed classes in the very near future.

[Chance]

Sewing is another one of those things. I bought a clothing repair kit thinking, "How hard can it be?" I failed spectacularly, and I have the tiny blood stains on my jeans to prove it.

[peterb]

Hmmm.... around here I've seen gardening, wild plant and animal identification, cooking, various handcrafts, home caregiver stuff, introductory fly-fishing, and the list goes on.

I think retail stores are offering more classes as a way to compete with online sales. Museums can be good sources. Many sports clubs offer introductory lessons. Community colleges and technical schools often have shorter classes. Programs targeted at older (retired)adults often have good stuff but they usually meet on weekdays during the day.

[peterb]

Sewing is another one of those things. I bought a clothing repair kit thinking, "How hard can it be?" I failed spectacularly, and I have the tiny blood stains on my jeans to prove it.

I've sewn some simple stuff -- sleeves for spare shotgun barrels, dog coats, simple fleece pants etc.
My wife has sewn real clothing, including her own wedding dress. That's a whole different league.

17503

[voodoo_man]

Since this is a pistol-forum...

I would recommend everyone take AMTAC's Responsible Armed Citizen class - my AAR-> http://www.vdmsr.com/2016/06/aar-responsible-armed-citizen-amtac.html - specifically because it teaches and shows a lot of very well rounded things that have to do with being a responsible armed citizen.

Beyond that, if you belong to a church, synagogue or whatever else in your particular community, there is always a "Man's club" to create or join, many of them have "skills" workshops which from changing the oil in a vehicle to building a house. Looking to further your own community while learning a skillset is probably the best bang for buck out there.

[schüler]

Good stuff.

2-way comms outside of networked systems such as Internet, cellular. I've been a ham for 26 years, mostly in VHF, little in HF. I need to work with NVIS. Have been playing with an SDRplay RSP lately.

Reminds me to check out a local Central Texas group that puts on some basic life skill classes, The Human Path. https://thehumanpath.net/courses/

Nate Morrison looks like he's putting down roots in his snowball-effect quest for the big picture in functional military fitness. I'm starting over in fitness and stoked to apply the principles to an everyday Joe's routine. https://www.defenceuniversity.us

I'm also looking into my local, grassroots civic responsibilities. I need to be involved.

[SeriousStudent]

Sewing is another one of those things. I bought a clothing repair kit thinking, "How hard can it be?" I failed spectacularly, and I have the tiny blood stains on my jeans to prove it.

Most people take the jeans off before they sew on them.

But hey, be different.....:cool:

[Guerrero]

If you're married, I would suggest some sort of partner dancing class: ballroom, salsa, swing, etc. Usually very cheap through your city's local recreation department.

[Chance]

Most people take the jeans off before they sew on them.

But hey, be different.....:cool:

They were off and they're still covered in blood... I was typing with my knuckles for a while.


If you're married, I would suggest some sort of partner dancing class: ballroom, salsa, swing, etc. Usually very cheap through your city's local recreation department.

BTDT when I was an undergrad and chasing coeds (unsuccessfully, I might add). Good suggestion anyways: if you can put your ego away, it's a lot of fun.

[Odin Bravo One]

Return phone calls. Especially if you're trying to sell something.

I won't even charge you for that little nugget.

You're welcome.

[JohnO]

Cabela's runs free classes in their stores. Reloading for example. Now even if you have no plans on reloading you could go and learn valuable info.

[Odin Bravo One]

PF.com even got in on that act. Free carbine course for members back in 2015 I believe.

I enjoyed it. But I'm biased, being a PF "SME" and all.

PF.com may even do it again next year, if there is any interest.

[orionz06]

Rockler stores have project classes.

Otherwise I'd look to something like your personal vehicles and dig into an enthusiast forum for that vehicle. Look over the stickies there, often times there are loads of DIY's for common tasks.

[Lester Polfus]

Best money I've ever spent is on classes on how to be married, and have successful relationship.

[ReverendMeat]

I took a class on making pasta sauces a couple days ago. It was fun, cost about 250 rounds of 9mm, and I got to eat. Also included basic edged weapons overview as a plus

[Surf]

I could make a business just off of DIY and "man getaway" type of stuff, outdoor, survival, shooting, hunting, farm or ranch related. I have a lot of requests to learn outdoors stuff from urbanites who are interested in sustainability and are interested in growing, raising and harvesting their own food, plus all of the outdoor stuff. While I don't have the time to do it more often as a business, I do have select clients and it is enjoyable.

Not very active with it, but it has some stuff and may add more to it. Keaomaka Ranch (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWzXseHrrIHFYSfUQ7o8l-A)

[txdpd]

There's some stuff out there now, but I wish someone offered classes on wet shaving and straight razor maintenance.

[hufnagel]

They were off and they're still covered in blood... I was typing with my knuckles for a while.



BTDT when I was an undergrad and chasing coeds (unsuccessfully, I might add). Good suggestion anyways: if you can put your ego away, it's a lot of fun.

https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB13ayeKVXXXXcGapXXq6xXFXXX0/3pcs-lot-Finger-Thimble-Sewing-Grip-Metal-Shield-Protector-Pin-Needle-Craft-Silver-Free-Shipping.jpg

[Sensei]

Honestly, I think that most Americans could use a crash course on managing personal finances. It could start with how to balance a checkbook, responsible uses of credit/debt, saving for retirement, etc.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Learn basic cooking, I've seen macho posers brought to their crying knees when the female partner is incapacitated. They had to go to Mommy for some breakfast eggs.

[NEPAKevin]

Honestly, I think that most Americans could use a crash course on managing personal finances. It could start with how to balance a checkbook, responsible uses of credit/debt, saving for retirement, etc.

When I first came to work here about twenty five years ago, we had a dispatcher who would "balance" her checkbook by calling the bank and asking for the current balance, and then write checks up to that amount. It was almost physically painful to have to sit there doing my job as the service manager tried to explain the concept of "math" and keeping a running balance (including the overdraft fees) over his lunch break. Over the years there have been countless others who would float checks, hide from the tool salesmen, and run up credit card debt even to the point of personal bankruptcy. I have answered phone calls from bill collectors for people who have not worked here in over ten years.

[Sensei]

When I first came to work here about twenty five years ago, we had a dispatcher who would "balance" her checkbook by calling the bank and asking for the current balance, and then write checks up to that amount. It was almost physically painful to have to sit there doing my job as the service manager tried to explain the concept of "math" and keeping a running balance (including the overdraft fees) over his lunch break. Over the years there have been countless others who would float checks, hide from the tool salesmen, and run up credit card debt even to the point of personal bankruptcy. I have answered phone calls from bill collectors for people who have not worked here in over ten years.

Most of Generation X will not have a pot to pee in come retirement time. That means they will compete against millennials for jobs well into their 70s. There are even people on gun forums bashing IRAs and 401Ks in favor of firearms collections to fund their retirements.

[Chance]

Most of Generation X will not have a pot to pee in come retirement time. That means they will compete against millennials for jobs well until their at 70s. There are even people on gun forums bashing IRAs and 401Ks in favor of firearms collections to fund their retirements.

I'm technically a "millennial," even though I loathe the title (I'm 32 years old). My grandfather is 87 years old, and he still performs a 30-hour-work-week at his barber shop (http://www.tdtnews.com/news/business/image_8fc23b96-f439-11e3-bfa1-0017a43b2370.html). My generation will never retire, and I tell my intro students that.

[Sensei]

My mentor is 82 and has been the longest funded NIH investigator in the US. For more than 50 years his science has been funded - often with multiple R01 grants. He plans to die with his boots on.

So, I once asked him the secret to his longevity to which he said, "Passion." I told him that it was remarkable that he could be so passionate about his work. To that he replied, "Work? Hell no son. I was passionate for 4 different women. You get married 3 times and you will work until you are eighty too."

True story.

[Lester Polfus]

Most of Generation X will not have a pot to pee in come retirement time. That means they will compete against millennials for jobs well into their 70s. There are even people on gun forums bashing IRAs and 401Ks in favor of firearms collections to fund their retirements.

Wow.

I occasionally, unwillingly, brush up against the hard core prepper crowd too. They eschew investing as well, instead putting every last dollar into "preps." So they are gonna be fucked too, unless the exact version of the 'pockylypse for which they've planned comes to pass.

Most of them aren't even investing in long term sustainability type stuff, such as skills and infrastructure to grow their own food, which would be a nice cushion against insufficient retirement savings. They've just got shit tons of redundant guns, bug out bags, and mountain house meals, with the occasional ammo can of burpee seeds thrown in too.

[farscott]

Most of Generation X will not have a pot to pee in come retirement time. That means they will compete against millennials for jobs well into their 70s. There are even people on gun forums bashing IRAs and 401Ks in favor of firearms collections to fund their retirements.

After suffering through the Great Recession and the debacle around high-frequency trading, I understand why many people eschew IRAs and 401k accounts. While I do not entirely agree, I am almost entirely out of the equity markets to avoid HFT, putting most of my money to work in bonds and debt. I also am hobbled in 401k investing by being limited in what I can save due to my status as a highly-compensated employee. Because others do not save, government regulations stop me from saving. This year, at least, I became eligible for catch-up contributions. I also admit to keeping much more than ten percent of my funds in alternative investments, including bullion and real estate. And a portion of my gun collection may very well fund a chunk of my retirement.

I figure the Millennials will save a lot more than the Boomers did. Or, at least, borrow a lot less.

[peterb]

If you're married, I would suggest some sort of partner dancing class: ballroom, salsa, swing, etc. Usually very cheap through your city's local recreation department.

Heck, even if you're not married. When I was living in Ann Arbor the U of M ballroom dance club had a lot of classes open to the public. You could get an hour of basic instruction and two hours of DJ'd open dance every Sunday evening for $30 a semester.

In a good beginner class you'll be constantly changing partners. You learn faster that way and it avoids a lot of partner drama.

Women like guys who can dance, and who will dance. And if you're the guy at the wedding who takes the grandmothers for a spin on the dance floor you'll make a lot of people happy.

[Grey]

I really want to take some classes on basic fabrication, welding, lathes, mills, cars, etc. Learn skills.

Money and wealth management.

[Chance]

I just remembered that Maker Spaces offer a ton of classes (https://calendar.dallasmakerspace.org/). We have one in Dallas, but it's hugely popular, and really busy.

I also bought a copy of You Need A Budget (https://www.youneedabudget.com/) when it was on sale on Steam (http://store.steampowered.com/video/227320), and they offer free, interactive tutorials on how to use the software. It's not necessarily a course on how to manage finances, just how you can use YNAB to help you manage your finances. I used it for a while and liked it a lot, but then I had some financial knocks, and gave it up. I need to give it another try.

[orionz06]

Everyone should learn how to drive a manual transmission.

[NEPAKevin]

Everyone should learn how to drive a manual transmission.

Preferably on someone else's clutch.

[Odin Bravo One]

If anyone wants financial classes, I'll teach some.

Buy what you want. Don't go into debt to do it. Enjoy life. You only get one shot at it.

When all else fails, marry a rich girl.

[Bigghoss]

Where might one even go about finding such classes? I have checked the local community college thinking maybe I could take just welding or auto repair but it seems they only offer that stuff as part of a degree program. I just want to be better at working on my own stuff instead of getting paid to do it so that's out. Then I checked Craigslist but there wasn't anything on there that didn't seem like some kind of scam. I'd be interested in quite a few different classes if I could even find them.

[Odin Bravo One]

I've taken tons of personal development courses through the community college. You don't have to be enrolled in a degree program, just enrolled as a student at the college. Some are very much worthwhile. Especially along the lines you mentioned. I plan on continuing to take courses outside of my degree program for personal knowledge and skills, even after I graduate. I even tutor for a very specific class offered at the local college, which is a worthwhile endevour.

[Joe in PNG]

Some life skills I'd like to see become more common:
-Time management. This, like common sense, is practically a super power these days.
-Email organization. Ever have to resend emails to the same person multiple times, because they don't seem to understand the whole concepts of "folders"?
-The art of preventative maintenance

[SeriousStudent]

.....
-Email organization. Ever have to resend emails to the same person multiple times, because they don't seem to understand the whole concepts of "folders"?
......

Oh, so very much this!

I have a world-wide team of minions that I lead via voice calls, email and instant message. Getting everyone to organize their emails and how to effectively communicate through that medium has been a huge improvement.

And I am constantly stunned by people with thousands of email in their inbox. Touch it once, and be done with it. My inbox is empty at the end of the night, and now it's the same with my team.

[Sensei]

If anyone wants financial classes, I'll teach some.

Buy what you want. Don't go into debt to do it. Enjoy life. You only get one shot at it.

When all else fails, marry a rich girl.

I'm certainly not going to argue against marrying rich. However, buying what you want without first saving and investing in the future is why guys like Dave Ramsey have an endless supply of callers wondering what the hell happened.

Perhaps it would be better phrased as buy what you want after you've eliminated unsecured debt and saved 15-20% of your net income.

[Joe in PNG]

Oh, so very much this!

I have a world-wide team of minions that I lead via voice calls, email and instant message. Getting everyone to organize their emails and how to effectively communicate through that medium has been a huge improvement.

And I am constantly stunned by people with thousands of email in their inbox. Touch it once, and be done with it. My inbox is empty at the end of the night, and now it's the same with my team.

I usually use the inbox as an... inbox. Something for things that need attention in some way. Once attended to, off they go into a proper folder. And once that job is done, it goes into a "followup folder". After a few months, off to the archive.

On the lack of lifeskills thing: Mum likes judge shows. On one, two real winners were on about some stupid nonsense. Neither one had the slightest bit of evidence- not a single receipt, photo, nothing.

[Odin Bravo One]

I'm certainly not going to argue against marrying rich. However, buying what you want without first saving and investing in the future is why guys like Dave Ramsey have an endless supply of callers wondering what the hell happened.

Perhaps it would be better phrased as buy what you want after you've eliminated unsecured debt and saved 15-20% of your net income.

Your way might be a better way to say it.

But I've found no better way to phrase "marry a rich girl". Which is the cornerstone of my future financial security. I highly recommend it.

Just remember money can't buy you love, but it can buy you lots of cool shit, and make it so you don't have to go back to work!

[NEPAKevin]

Where might one even go about finding such classes?.

Are there any vocational-technical schools near you? We had a guy who was an alignment tech who wanted to learn about welding and took adult-ed classes at the county Votech (https://www.monroecti.org/domain/114).

[Grey]

Ladders are dangerous, ask me how I know.... :(

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