Brits struggle with these top 10 ‘adulting’ tasks – including cooking

The top ‘adulting’ challenges that Brits grapple with include fixing household appliances, mastering a toolbox, and even cooking meals from scratch. A study involving 2,000 adults found that 30% are utterly clueless when it comes to completing tax returns, while 23% are perplexed by contracts.

Two-thirds believe their education didn’t equip them with the necessary skills for handling ‘adult’ responsibilities, such as effective negotiation and understanding the implications of interest rates. More specifically, the research commissioned by Compare the Market revealed that 68% of younger adults think their grandparents were better at ‘adulting’ than they are.

When asked about the most tiresome modern ‘adulting’ responsibilities, 26% of Gen Z cited responding to WhatsApp messages as the biggest hassle, and 25% admitted that keeping up with the constant flow of TikToks from friends is equally draining.

This was followed by managing subscriptions and actually cooking food rather than ordering through a delivery app.

Charlie Evans, money expert at the comparison site, said: “There’s a lot of uncertainty when it comes to adulthood and taking on ‘adult’ tasks for the first time can feel overwhelming, especially with the pressures of today’s modern society.

“When making big decisions such as how to budget for the month or which broadband provider to choose, there’s no one-size fits all as every circumstance is different.”

The study also discovered that 59% of Gen Zs still rely on their parents to foot the bill for occasional expenses – including mobile phone bills and rent or mortgage payments. In addition, some are even having their parents chip in for food shopping and travel insurance.

Shockingly, 24% of Gen Z admitted they were unaware that electricity bills needed to be paid, while 31% assumed water was free until they became adults.

Consequently, 58% of those surveyed wished they had been taught how to apply for a mortgage, either at school or at home. And 56% believed they could have benefited from learning about taking out insurance before becoming adults.

Charlie Evans from Compare the Market added: “We make adulting simples, making comparison feel effortless and giving you time back to live life to the fullest.”