Teaching personal finance, woodshop, home repair, car repair (the mechanical part) and cooking should be required at every high school.

I can live happily with just a bed, food, and my laptop! 

Consider having a nice cook out at the property (like a house warming party in a sense - try to get all neighbors to come to it so you can get to know them and they can get to know you.

Housing is a very important bill for many families to pay, but it still comes behind food.  

The 10% is probably for ordering items and being there when goods arrive, unboxing and removal of packing materials, assembling any furniture that needs it, placement and moving things around, putting up artwork, and washing new plates, silverware, cooking pans, coffee carafe, prewashing all sheets, towels, and linens etc. 

Just the basics, little shampoo, conditioner, soap and lotion bottles in each bathroom, salt, pepper, cooking spray, coffee grounds, etc..

If I were to buy anything once my reserves are where I want them, it would be gold to hedge against inflation, which we are already seeing in food.

We often cooked meals together etc.  

Just food for thought from a friend who owns a larger development company...

If oven, washer, dryer go out, I would pay them some money for during the week for food to eat out or laundromat, and then fix on the weekend.As you said you're in the learning phase.