Two things I learned in the Army that apply in the civilian world: 1. How to clean a toilet. 2. Always take care of your primary form of transportation (feet). As an addendum to #2, I added never buy cheap shoes. I will skrimp on just about anything else, but not shoes. They may not be stylish, but they will be good quality and fit propperly. With kids this is hard due to growing feet, but in the long run their feet will be better for it.