Five Ways to Be More 'Adult' Without Totally Breaking Your Bank Account

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In your early twenties, having packet mie goreng and goon for dinner is kind of cute. You can get away with a more bohemian (see: slapdash) approach to life — unironed shirts, week-old bread and overdue library books — because you're young and free. But once you have a good job, steady income and a nice place to live, there's really no excuse. It's time to pull up your socks — washed with no holes, please — and become a fully fledged adult.

To help you move from being a twenty-something slacker to a productive grown-up, we've partnered with Belvoir St Theatre to bring you five ways to be more adult. Belvoir has just launched a brand new way to see more theatre in a very grown-up, yet bank account-friendly way. You can now get a three-show theatre subscription and add more culture to your life, without having to commit a large chunk of change — or worrying about future FOMO and ditching the shows you select (come on guys, committing to three performances is easy, especially those of this calibre). We're here to help you make your debut as a real-life grown-up. But don't worry you won't run up an adult-sized debt in the process; everything on this list is less than $200. You're welcome.

Brett Boardman: Barbara and the Camp Dogs showing in April at Belvoir.

GET SOME CULTURE AND SUBSCRIBE TO THE THEATRE

Theatre is an incredibly powerful art form. Not only does it teach us lessons about life and society, but it also generates public discourse and forces us to self reflect. If that doesn't sound 'adult', we don't know what does. Getting a theatre subscription can seem like something that's out of your adulting league, but Belvoir has made it much more accessible for you in 2019. While you usually need to subscribe to a minimum of five shows, you now have the option to subscribe to a minimum of three — a much cheaper and easier option for those with commitment issues. Along with an overall discount on tickets to the shows, you'll get first dibs on seats and receive exclusive members-only perks likes deals on wine, discounted dinners and cheap tickets for family and friends — make it a group thing and round up the crew for a bit of culture and adulting. The three-play subscription package maxes out at $179.75, and if you're 30 or under, you'll only pay $113.75 — that's less than $38 a ticket. Check out the punchy 2019 program and get ready to expand your very adult mind.

BUILD A WINE COLLECTION

As we've established, goon bags are not kosher in your new adult life (except for maybe house parties and to make sangria). You need to start drinking the good stuff; not only will your hangovers become less severe, but you'll also appear more grown-up. Don't know where to start? Let us introduce you to loose-ends wine subscription service. For $150 a month, you'll have tasty, bio-dynamic, organic and sustainable natural wines (six bottles of red, white or mixed) delivered straight to your door. And if a monthly delivery is too much of a commitment, you can always opt for a one-off wine pack from DRNKS; they come in different sizes (from two to six bottles, usually), are always changing and always full of excellent natural wines. Once you've started to make a nice little collection for yourself, invest in a second-hand Vintec fridge or stylish wine rack to display your plonk and demonstrate your maturity and restraint. That's right; you didn't drink all six bottles in one weekend — pat yourself on the back.

Sky-Lab, Surry Hills.

START A HEALTHY HABIT

Swap late nights and painful hangovers for energising early mornings and exercise-induced endorphins. There are a ton of refreshing, feel-good workouts to discover around Sydney, and they're nothing like the average treadmill slog. Ditch the weights, forgo the pullup bar and give something completely different a go. Try your hand at Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu in Camperdown, stretch out in midair at aerial yoga in Surry Hills, float like a butterfly and sting like a bee at Boxing Works in Kings Cross, scale the walls at Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym or step it out at Retrosweat in Waterloo. Keen to find some fitness pals along the way? Opt for some group exercise at your local Parkrun, join a basketball team, give into underwater rugby or gather at Coogee for some beach volleyball. Pick an activity, commit, sweat it out each week and, trust us, that glass of natural wine will taste that much better.

SHARPEN YOUR CULINARY SKILLS

To be a real grown-up, you need to be able to cook a good dinner. Forget about ordering your usual go-to on Uber Eats, and learn to make it yourself. Head to Vive Cooking School in Rosebery to add a few new recipes to your culinary repertoire. Here you can master pad thai, bao buns, tagine, bouillabaisse and even the art of the soufflé. At each class, you'll be guided step by step through the recipes to ensure you come out confident and ready to take on the world one red curry, paella and beef pho at a time. What's more, the classes are BYO so you can grab a top-quality tipple from the Drink Hive next door to enjoy with your creations. Classes are $140 and run for three hours. Check out the full calendar of cooking classes on the website.

JOIN A BOOK CLUB

Getting together with a bunch of other grown-ups to talk about books certainly sounds like very high-brow adult behaviour — luckily it's also fun and free. The readers' groups, which take place in various public libraries across Sydney, are a great way to share your thoughts and reading experiences with like-minded people in a relaxed atmosphere. And, trust us, book chat is so much more rewarding than chewing the fat about the most recent reality TV drama. If you're an introvert or not a fan of crowds, forgo the 'club' part and spend your time getting through our list of must-read books for 2019.

Reach next level adulthood with a subscription to Belvoir, because nothing says sophistication like theatre.

Top image: Barbara and the Camp Dogs at Belvoir by Brett Boardman.