The Help Desk you didn't know you had
7 resources standing by to rescue you from adulthood's curveballs
Adulthood can be full of unanticipated jams and challenges you’re not sure how to tackle.
You’re on a solo road trip when you get a flat tire 200 miles from home on a Sunday night. You don’t know how to change a tire. Who’s going to rescue you?
You unexpectedly get laid off from your job. How are you going to tackle your job search when you’re not even sure how to optimize your resume for search these days?
You’re ready to buy a car, and it feels like the most complex purchase you’ve ever navigated. New or pre-owned? How can you compare the merits and drawbacks of the candidates? How can you avoid getting ripped off at the dealer?
You sense that you could really benefit from talking to a counselor, like ASAP, but how are you going to pull that off when it’s so hard to get an appointment with one?
Fortunately, help for all of these situations may be closer at hand than you realize. Here’s a rundown of some of the “superheroes” you can call when you can’t solve it yourself.
American Automobile Association (AAA)
For over 100 years, AAA has been helping keep its members on the road through its car care and travel services.
Types of problems solved: If you have a dead battery, flat tire, or engine trouble, are locked out of your car, or run out of gas, you can call AAA 24/7 for emergency roadside assistance. If they can’t fix it on the spot, they’ll tow you to a service station. No more worries about whether Dad or your best friend is available to come to your rescue.
Triple-A is also known for its travel services. In addition to maps and directions, its stellar trip-planning app, Triptik, can help you plan what to see, how to break up a long trip, and find gas stations. You don’t have to be a Triple-A member to use Triptik, but if you are, you’ll be able to save your trip plan. I’ve planned a lot of roadtrips, and Triptik is my go-to.
AAA members also enjoy discounts on hotels, rental cars, and attractions.
Cost: The typical cost of a base-level membership is around $64.99. (Since AAA is a federation of regional motor clubs, the cost varies by region.) When I logged on recently, AAA was offering 25% off and free coverage for a household member.
Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports (CR) is an independent nonprofit dedicated to helping consumers make informed purchasing decisions. CR conducts rigorous, unbiased testing of products and services and provides in-depth reviews, expert ratings, and buying guides for cars, appliances, electronics, and almost any consumer product you can think of.
Types of problems solved: CR is like having a consumer purchasing genie at your beck and call. Should I buy a new, certified pre-owned, or used car? How can I get the best deal on the car I want to buy? Should I repair or replace my dishwasher? Of the TVs I’m considering, which has the best reliability and owner satisfaction ratings? What should I consider when choosing a car insurance policy?
Cost: For $10/month, you can become a CR member and get instant access to ratings, plus exclusive discounts on top-rated products. If you sign up during CR’s Customer Appreciation Week, it’s only $2 a month (act today–the offer ends March 17). Or check with your local library–many provide free access to CR services via your library card.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
You may have scrolled right past this benefit during open enrollment, but EAPs can be a real help if you’re in a jam. Three out of four employers offer EAPs, typically because they recognize it’s in their best interest to help employees deal with challenges that might otherwise impact their job performance. Unfortunately, fewer than 10% of employees take advantage of an EAP.
Types of problems solved: EAPs help employees tackle everything from financial struggles to relationship issues to substance misuse. They often provide services such as legal assistance, adoption support, and child and elder care resources.
They may offer wellness programs to assist with stress management and smoking cessation.
EAPs can help you or a family member deal with depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns, as well as addiction and substance abuse issues. And you can get that help fast–EAP programs typically include up to 5 phone or video consultations with licensed counselors for you and your eligible household members, per issue, per calendar year.
If you’re in a jam, it may be well worth your while to make a phone call to see how your EAP might be able to help. Even if they can’t completely solve your problem, they may be able to help you think through the next steps.
Cost: EAP services are typically provided at no cost to employees. Employers recognize that helping you deal with problems that can consume your time and energy is in your and their best interests.
The team in your state representative’s or state senator’s office
If you have come up against a wall of government bureaucracy, and you’re not sure where to turn, look no further than the office of your state representative or senator. When our state tax refund was long overdue and I got nowhere with the Department of Revenue, a call to our state representative finally broke the logjam.
Types of problems solved: The team in your state senator’s or representative’s office knows all of the ins and outs of state programs and departments. They can help with things like:
Department of Motor Vehicles snafus
Unemployment compensation issues
Veteran’s benefits
Official documents like birth certificates
Professional licensing applications
State tax issues
Even if they can’t help you directly with your problem, they may be able to point you in the direction of another agency or organization that can. Mindful that their constituents are also voters, these folks are typically very motivated to help you.
Cost: Free; this is your tax dollars at work.
Your credit card’s built-in benefits
Maybe you weren’t paying close attention when your credit card arrived in the mail, but it probably came with a guide to your card-member benefits. You may be well aware of the benefits if that’s what attracted you to a premium card. But even your run-of-the-mill card may offer help you didn’t know you had.
Types of help may include (benefits vary widely): Troubleshooting travel fiascos while you’re on the road. Help with rebooking canceled flights. Free auto rental collision insurance. Trip cancellation and interruption insurance. Trip delay reimbursement. Lost luggage reimbursement.
Cost: Included as a card benefit. The card itself may have an annual fee.
Your local library
Your local library has a noble mission of advancing literacy and enriching lives. It exists to serve people like you. It has resources, programs, and services that may be just what you need.
Types of help: Free access to books, audiobooks, e-books, film and TV show DVDs, music CDs (though you may have to wait your turn for certain in-demand items). Free wireless printing (no need to buy or maintain your own printer). Free events to stimulate your mind and interests. Some libraries have a Library of Things that let you borrow items like a telescope, projector and screen, lawn games, a drill, a metal detector, cake pans, etc. Some libraries may offer passes that provide free admission to local museums and historic sites. You may even be able to check out mobile internet hotspots for a 7- or 30-day loan period.
Cost: In most cases, it’s free. Tax dollars typically fund the library, although occasionally some libraries charge a membership fee.
Your university’s career center
Though a university career center’s primary focus is on helping its soon-to-be graduates find a job, most also offer services for their alumni. They want nothing more than to see you succeed.
Types of help: Career counseling/coaching. Resume review. Interview training and practice. Assessments of your strengths and interests. Access to portals and platforms featuring job opportunities from fellow alumni connections. Access to career fairs. Networking opportunities.
Cost: Typically free, though there may be a nominal fee for some services.
Here we are at the end of this post, and maybe you’re wondering–so what am I supposed to do if I have a ghost situation? The scientific consensus is that ghosts do not exist. However, paranormal investigators do. This Guardian article may have some tips about who you can call for that.
Parents and grown kids can stay close even when kids fly far away from the nest
I recently chatted with Jay Ramsden on an episode of his This Empty Nest Life podcast about how to maintain a close relationship with your grown children even when they’re 3,544 miles away (but who’s counting? 😀). We talked about:
Redefining closeness: intimacy over proximity
Navigating parenting across cities and time zones
How storytelling teaches better than lecturing
Transitioning from a parental voice to a peer mentor role
Give it a listen and let me know what you think!