EveryWomanKnows
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Life skills every woman should know

Every woman should know how to handle her own money, read her health numbers, stay safe at home, online and out, make basic home and car fixes, give first aid, and speak up at work and in life. This checklist covers 223 of those skills, each with a short guide, a quick quiz and a box to mark it learned, saved privately on your device.

Open the checklistToday's skill

How it works

  1. Open a skill. The first paragraph is the direct answer; the steps, common mistakes and the stop and call box follow.
  2. Take the three question quiz. Your score is kept so you can see what to review.
  3. Tick it learned. Print an area's checklist, or work through a life moment when something changes.

Your checklist, quiz results and safety card stay in this browser on this device. There is no account and nothing is uploaded.

The 17 areas

Money15 skills: credit in your own name, a budget you keep, the emergency fund, retirement basics and the household money map.Health16 skills: screenings by age, reading your own numbers, cycle tracking, menopause signs, and being heard at the doctor.Fitness15 skills: form cues for squats, hinges, push-ups, bridges, planks, balance and safe lifting, and how hard exercise should feel.Safety12 skills: rideshare checks, a first date plan, trip sharing, walking home, leaving a situation that feels wrong, and de-escalation.Digital privacy10 skills: two-factor sign-in, a password manager, location sharing audits, tracker checks, photo location data, and a post-breakup phone reset.Living alone12 skills: the first-time living alone checklist, renter-friendly door and window security, the move-in inspection, alarms, insurance and neighbors.Home fixes18 skills: the main water shutoff, a tripped breaker, drains, toilets, a drill, studs, heavy mirrors, patching, painting and what to do if you smell gas.Home ownership15 skills: mortgage terms, the loan estimate and closing disclosure, inspections, homeowners insurance, escrow, property tax, HOA documents and hiring a contractor.Car10 skills: tire pressure, changing a flat, jump starting, dashboard lights, reading a mechanic quote, breakdowns and used car checks.Clothes13 skills: sewing a button, hemming by hand, stains by type, hand washing, care labels, bra fit, tailoring, pilling, steaming and shoe care.Kitchen14 skills: knife basics, safe cooking temperatures, a roast chicken, a signature dish, pantry staples, meal prep, cooking for one, freezing, baking, hosting and grease fires.First aid14 skills: hands-only CPR, choking, burns, bleeding, a first aid kit, a go bag, a fire escape plan, stroke signs, severe allergic reactions and the emergency call.Career12 skills: negotiating salary, asking for a raise, a brag file, interruptions, credit for your ideas, flexible work, references, resigning and returning to work.Life admin14 skills: the document vault, beneficiaries, will basics, the health care proxy, insurance terms, tax records, name changes, passports and the hardest checklists.Caregiving16 skills: school forms, sitter sheets and consent letters for a child, and the documents, lists and questions for caring for an aging parent.Voice10 skills: saying no, setting boundaries, difficult conversations, apologizing without over-apologizing, compliments, dining alone, friendships and asking for help.Travel7 skills: packing a carry-on, planning a first solo trip, a lost passport abroad, travel insurance, airport security and money abroad without fees.

Start from the moment you are in

Moving out, living alone, after a breakup, a first solo trip, turning 40, a new job: each life moment is a short set of skills in the order you will need them.

Or read the guides, starting with things every woman should know how to do.

Tools that keep it going

Frequently asked questions

What are the most important life skills for a woman to learn?

Start with the ones that protect your options: a budget and an emergency fund, credit in your own name, the screenings for your age, a trip sharing habit, two-factor sign-in, the water shutoff and the breaker panel, a tire change, and hands-only CPR. The starter 20 life moment collects them in one list.

What should every woman know how to do at home?

Find and close the main water valve, reset a tripped breaker, clear a drain and a toilet, stop a running toilet, use a drill, find a stud, hang something heavy safely, patch small holes, test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and know to leave first and call from outside if you smell gas.

What should every woman know about money?

Keep credit and at least one account in your own name, know every account and debt in your household, build an emergency fund, claim any retirement match, read a lease before signing, and check your credit reports. None of the money guides tell you what to invest in; they explain how things work and what to ask a licensed professional.

What should a woman living alone know about safety?

Mostly habits set up once: a door and window check that works in a rental, initials rather than a full name on the mailbox, a plan for an unexpected knock, a neighbor who has your number, trusted contacts on your phone, trip sharing with a friend, and working alarms. The living alone safety checklist guide walks through each one.

Which health screenings does a woman need, and when?

It depends on your age, history and country, so treat any list as a starting point for a conversation with your clinician. The health screenings by age guide summarizes national preventive guidance by age band, with the date it was reviewed, and the card page lets you record your own screening dates.

What should every woman know how to do with a car?

Check tire pressure monthly, change a flat on level ground, jump start in the right clamp order, read the dashboard lights, keep an emergency kit, know what to do if you break down alone, and read a mechanic quote line by line before you approve it.

How many life skills should I know by 30?

There is no number to hit. This list has 223 skills, and most people learn them as life asks for them. Pick a life moment that matches where you are, or learn today's skill each day; at one a day you would cover the whole list in about 7 months.

Is this list different from the men's list?

Some essentials are the same for everyone, like CPR, a flat tire and a budget: 45 of the 223 skills here are shared essentials, written with their own examples and quizzes. Most skills are different, with more on health literacy, personal and digital safety, money in your own name and life admin.

Is it free?

Yes. Everything on the site is free, with no account: every guide and quiz, the checklist in every area, the print pages, the life moments, the 30-day plan, the mock checks, the wallet cards, the kit and seasonal lists, the skills passport and the safety and admin card.

More answers on the FAQ page.