Remember when you were younger and you genuinely thought all adults had it together and kept their stuff organised? Then you became an adult and wondered how so many people managed to pull the wool over your eyes so hard. As it turns out, the most essential life admin tasks are typically the ones we avoid the hardest.
Based purely on my opinion, and perhaps giving way too much insight into my life, I have ranked these tasks from least to most likely to be done in a timely manner.
1. Consolidating Your Super
If you have a new Super account opened for you every time you start with a new employer and just never seem to get around to consolidating them all into one – then you’re 100% not alone. In fact I honestly feel it’s the last life admin task on just about everybody’s minds, but we REALLY need to stop being lazy here.
Considering that a single person retiring at 65 will need to have enough savings for average living costs of $42,953 each year after retirement, you should probably keep a closer eye on it.
You’ve put it off for: You’ve been working since you were about 15, so let’s say a decade and counting.
2. Assess Your Insurance
Have you ever noticed that you only look at your insurance right at the moment of need? Like, ‘oh I’m going on a trip in an hour, better buy Travel Insurance’. Or ‘well hot damn, I just tore ACL, sure wish I had Health Insurance’.
You really don’t want to leave some insurances, like health, to the last minute. It’s not hard, you just need to wrap your head around it. Medibank’s private health insurance explainer is a good place to start. Plus, if you’re aged 18 to 29 years and take out eligible Medibank hospital cover*, you could be saving money with a youth discount, so get on it mates.
You’ve put it off for: Six years – but if you’re over 29 you’ll regret missing out on the youth discount savings.
3. Sorting Out Medicare
Anyone else still sitting on their parent’s Medicare card? It’s not like it’s HARD to get your own, it’s not like Mum doesn’t keep complaining that I haven’t got it sorted yet. Still, somehow, it remains undone.
Then there’s the whole remembering to put your medical bills through the Medicare system to get those sweet, sweet rebates. Why do we keep forgetting to get our money back? It makes no sense.
You’ve put it off for: Judging by Mum’s increasingly strong hints, five years.
4. Servicing The Car
I do not own a car, because city living. However, the one time I did it died pretty spectacularly because I never took it in to get serviced. Also probably because I literally bought the cheapest thing I could that wasn’t headed to a junkyard.
That might be excessive but it still seems like every time someone talks about their car it’s to say ‘I REALLY need to take it in for a service.’
You’ve put it off for: Two years, until that red warning light on the dash turns into an odd clicking sound.
5. Getting Health Check-Ups
Why do we always put off our health? We might make it to a doctor when we’re actually straight up sick, but things like the optometrist, dentist and physio keep being forgotten.
I totally get that it can often be about the money, which is where health insurance with cover options to suit you – like Medibank’s Extras – steps in.
You’ve put it off for: At least a year, but you’ll feel horribly guilty every time you’re reminded of the fact.
6. Cleaning The House
I’m fully prepared to admit that this one really depends on the type of person you are. As a low-key neat-freak, I am genuinely unable to get anything else done before I tidy my space. I’m sure there are very feng shui or chi type reasons for it, but my brain just will not get organised enough to sort out my life until I’ve cleaned.
You’ve put it off for: Two weeks, until the path through your home is no longer obvious.
7. Paying The Bills
I feel like not paying your bills – particularly for electricity or your phone, etc – has the most immediate consequence and therefore we’re the most likely to get it done.
The exception to this may be your credit card, which you should really get on top of because those interest fees aren’t cheap mates.
You’ve put it off for: Max a few days, because no-one likes cold showers.
