<p>What would you do if you emerged from a hole in the ground and reentered the world clueless about your finances, modern social norms and basically everything else about life? The concept seems ridiculous, but that&#8217;s the madcap premise of the <em>Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt</em>, the second season of which just arrived on Netflix for your binge-watching pleasure.</p>
<p>You know what else is like climbing out of a bunker totally clueless about the world? Moving out of your parents&#8217; house in your twenties. Seriously. Being independent and on your own for the first time is scary but luckily—or at least entertainingly—you can learn a thing or two from Kimmy&#8217;s escapades. Even if you haven&#8217;t spent 15 years of your life imprisoned by an insanely named cult leader (Jon Hamm&#8217;s Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne), being an adult is harder than it looks.</p>
<h3>1. A little financial illiteracy goes a long way</h3>
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<p>Kimmy isn&#8217;t good at math, understandable seeing as how she missed some seminal arithmetic lessons during her time in the bunker. Here&#8217;s her trying to make change: &#8220;Okay, it&#8217;s $25.43, and you gave me $41, so 100 minus 43, take the 1 from the zero&#8230; wait&#8230; wait&#8230;&#8221; But that doesn&#8217;t discourage her. She goes for her GED anyway and she&#8217;s damned determined! <a href="http://www.moneysense.ca/save/5-personal-finance-myths-you-probably-still-believe/">You don&#8217;t have to be a genius to get by in life or to manage your finances</a>.</p>
<h3>2. Don&#8217;t get swindled</h3>
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<p>Kimmy&#8217;s roommate, Tituss Andromedon (played by Tituss Burgess), has fairly good intentions for his new friend. But being broke as heck, he did take advantage of her naivety. About a day after she moves in, he informs her that they owe their landlord $950 of back rent plus next month&#8217;s dues, a one-month security deposit and compensation for a lamp that stopped working ever since she moved in. Kimmy, sharp as a tack, wasn&#8217;t having any of it. &#8220;Nice try, Tituss,&#8221; she says, &#8220;there&#8217;s no lightbulb in there!&#8221; Good catch, Kimster. <a href="http://www.moneysense.ca/vacation/how-to-avoid-losing-money-rental-scams/">Stay vigilant and keep an eye out for swindlers</a>.</p>
<h3>3. Your home is a castle, no matter how small</h3>
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<p>You may not be able to afford your dream home yet, but that doesn&#8217;t mean it can&#8217;t make you happy. Kimmy loves her closet-turned-bedroom and is even more thrilled with her new door. The lesson: <a href="http://www.moneysense.ca/spend/shopping/home-decor/how-to-maximize-space-in-a-tiny-home/">make the most of what you&#8217;ve got</a> no matter how much space you have.</p>
<h3>4. Be persistent with that job hunt</h3>
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<p>After getting hired on the spot as a nanny for too-rich-for-her-own-good Mrs. Voorhees (played by Jane Krakowski), Kimmy promptly gets fired. Undeterred, she marches back and pleads her case: She&#8217;s proficient in WordPerfect and Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, and can hold her breath for a real long time—all invaluable skills. Her gumption pays off and she racks in $17 an hour under the table. You go, girl! <a href="http://www.moneysense.ca/save/financial-planning/how-to-score-your-dream-job/">Land your dream job</a>!</p>
<h3>5. Car ownership is overrated</h3>
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<p>Yeah, a car may be your ultimate status symbol, but as Kimmy&#8217;s delight at riding the subway shows us, you gotta find the little pleasures in life. Don&#8217;t take that underground metal tube that gets you to where you want to go for granted. It&#8217;s a l<a href="http://www.moneysense.ca/spend/shopping/auto/should-you-buy-or-lease-a-new-car/">ot more affordable than owning a car</a>.</p>
<h3>6. Sometimes you gotta treat yourself</h3>
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<p>When Kimmy hits New York and is handed a whack-load of cash ($13,000 in bills, to be exact) she hits the shops and ditches her powder-blue bunkerwear for some snazzy new threads. What does she splurge on? Exactly what a fashion-forward teen of the &#8217;90s would die for: a personalized backpack, monogrammed necklace and sneakers that light up when you walk. Budgets are important, but you should <a href="http://www.moneysense.ca/spend/shopping/travel/why-you-should-invest-in-a-vacation/" >use your money to have a little fun every now and then</a>.</p>
<h3>7. Protect your assets</h3>
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<p>The worst thing that happens to Kimmy is being locked away in a doomsday bunker for a huge chunk of her life. The second-worst would probably be losing $13,000 after leaving it in a knapsack on a dirty club floor. As expected, some scumbag whisked it away the second she set it down, leaving poor Kimmy with nothing. I guess she learned the first lesson of money management, which is put your <a href="http://www.moneysense.ca/magazine-archive/the-best-places-to-park-your-cash/">savings in a savings account</a>, not in a purple JanSport backpack.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.moneysense.ca/learn/7-money-lessons-you-can-learn-from-kimmy-schmidt/">7 millennial money lessons from Kimmy Schmidt</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.moneysense.ca/">MoneySense</a>.</p>
