#and hopefully still have enough to buy snacks and art supplies as needed

[jeichanhaka]

Since getting my exercise bike I’ve been exercising daily, and while I haven’t seen much change when weighing myself, I do feel a change in my legs. Thus I decided to focus on that more than the overall weight on the scale. After all, I’m likely to be gaining muscle weight which is a good thing for losing fat weight. It’s just difficult to not get discouraged when I don’t see the scale changing. I used to see my weight dropping daily, but then again I wasn’t following the healthiest of diets. (Eating less than 900 total calories per day isn’t really a good thing.)

I figure I should just go back to weighing myself once a week rather than daily, that way I can focus on exercising and eating healthy rather than fuss over my weight. Once I fully develop the habit of exercising daily, I can focus on losing weight more, that is if my exercising doesn’t cause me to lose weight naturally. It takes 60 days to develop a habit, so I just need to last that long on exercising daily, and I’ll become used to doing so. Hopefully by then I’ll have lost a bit of weight. I would be overjoyed if I could get down to 160 by then. Even getting down to 180 would be good. I just need to continue using my bike, and incorporate weight lifting a bit more as well.

As for things other than weight and diet, I want to get back into the habit of updating my fanfiction. I’ve become so engrossed in youtube and video gaming that I’ve neglected posting my story chapters despite having a plethora of them completed. I also still haven’t used the art supplies I’ve bought in recent months - I should, but I haven’t felt inspired to do much drawing or painting. At least not when I’m at home. Perhaps if I start going out again I’ll find inspiration/motivation, but it’s difficult to get myself to go anywhere. I’m hoping getting into the habit of exercising will bring me more energy and motivation, that way I’ll be more willing to go out. If I can find some path that I feel comfortable walking alone, I’d be more inclined to walk. But even after over ten years of living where I do now, I still don’t know enough of the jogging/walking trails nearby. Just the one to the shopping center, and walking there will just make me miss shopping or having coffee and eating in the store. (It’s too cold to eat outside, especially since I don’t have a real coat. I have a thick hoodie/jacket I could use, but no coat. I generally don’t like most coats since those I can afford/am willing to pay for, are ‘plastic-y’ on the outside. This makes them more likely to become cold on the outside, and since I become cold when I touch cold things, I will be uncomfortable in them. But if they don’t have that ‘plastic’ layer, then they’re more prone to wind. Thus it’s difficult finding one I’d like/use.)

I am so used to staying indoors it’s difficult to even become willing to take out the trash or even step outside. And this isn’t just because of the pandemic. I’ve been staying indoors and refusing to go out for a few years now, the pandemic just gave me an excuse to continue to do so. It would be so depression inducing if I wasn’t on an antidepressant. At least the past holiday season was better than it usually is for me. I didn’t get depressed during it or angry like I normally do. I did get a bit subdued, but nowhere near what I usually do. That’s a plus. I also haven’t binged shop much. I splurged, but not from manic/binge buying. I’ve been wanting to buy an exercise bike for years and I used to like putting on makeup before my latest depression, so buying both of those things I don’t consider a manic-purchase. If I ended up not using either, then I’d consider it that, but I’ve been using both.

That’s not to say I haven’t been tempted to impulse buy foods, etc. from amazon. Even though I don’t need it, since we’re pretty stocked-up on foods (I do have a lack of snacks though.) I’ve been containing my impulses to buy foods or other things that I won’t use or don’t need, like meal delivery kits. I want to buy them so I can cook, but then I remind myself that I could cook the same recipes for cheaper just by buying the ingredients in store and following the recipes they have online. I don’t need to spend all that money for very little food.

[collapsingintojupiter]

Sunshine and Storm Clouds - Chapter 11

Catch up:

Chapter 1  Chapter 1.5  Chapter 2  Chapter 3  Chapter 4  Chapter 5  Chapter 6  Chapter 7  Chapter 8  Chapter 9  Chapter 10

___

And look at who’s back again, back again. 

And with a new, actual episode? Whoah.

Characters: Roman, Logan, Virgil, Patton

Relationships: Just the usual Analogical.

Warnings: Not for this one, folks.

___

The door opened.

“Hi, Mr. Sanders.” Logan offered Roman a small smile and stepped back, allowing the boy to come in.

“And how are you today, Roman?”

“A little stressed, but other than that pretty good.” Logan raised an eyebrow at the teen’s response.

“May I ask what’s stressing you?” he asked. Roman ran a hand through his hair, something Logan noticed he tended to do when he was nervous.

“I’m kinda ah…struggling. In, um, Chemistry…it’s just kinda hard and...and I guess I don’t understand it much,” Roman offered after a bit of a hesitation, keeping his gaze locked firmly on his shoes. Logan blinked in confusion—was Roman embarrassed?

“Needing help to understand a concept is nothing shameful, Roman,” he said, and the teen glanced up in surprise at his reaction.

“You...you don’t think…?”

“No, Logan said firmly. Perhaps…” he frowned. “Perhaps I could help you, Roman. That is, if you are willing. If you wish, you could stay a little later tonight after I return, and I will go over your homework with you.” Roman’s eyes immediately lit up at the offer, and he nodded vigorously. 

“Wow, really?” he asked. “That...that would be great, actually.”

“Very well, consider it a deal, then.” Logan allowed himself to give Roman a small smile, before he turned and retreated to the living room. There, Virgil was playing with Patton on the carpet, the two looking as happy as you ever saw them. Patton was currently attempting to stack up his blocks, while Virgil gently helped him. The father glanced up when Roman came in behind Logan, nodding to them both.

“Don’t worry, Logan had to help me with Chem too,” he said. Roman blinked, startled by the statement, then found himself nodding—he shouldn’t have been surprised that Virgil had been listening in. He seemed to do that a lot, oftentimes without meaning too.

“Did you pass it?” he asked.

“Thanks to Logan I did.” Logan let out a huff at Virgil’s reply.

“You understood the concepts fairly well, the teacher you had merely failed to explain them to you properly. That’s not your fault,” he said, sounding more than a little irritated at the memory.

“Logan, relax, I’m not upset at all. That was a long time ago, remember?” Logan sighed, but nodded his agreement nonetheless. 

“You are right. I…” He looked at Roman, then Virgil. “We...we should get going, Virgil.”

“Yeah yeah, alright…” Virgil pressed a gentle kiss to Patton’s forehead before standing up, helping the little one to his feet as he did so. “I’ll see you later, okay buddy?”

“Bye-bye Papa!” Patton called, waving his little hands at Virgil as he left, and Roman sat down next to him in his place. He’d always been good about being left with Roman--though he’d heard he was the only one, as the little boy would scream and fight for his life if his dads tried leaving him with anyone else.

“Virgil and I hopefully shouldn’t be long,” Logan explained to him from the doorway. “So I can likely spend as much time as you need on that Chemistry homework of yours when I return.” Roman nodded, and gave him a thumbs-up.

“Thank you, sir,” he called gratefully. Logan gave him a curt nod, and then he and Virgil were gone.

---

Roman spent some time with Patton and his blocks, helping the little boy stack them up and laughing with him when he knocked them all down again. The days had been colder and Roman no longer spent much time with Patton outside, opting for the warmer indoors instead. Patton was a bit too wiggly for him still—he hadn’t quite yet mastered the art of getting the little boy into his jacket and boots for their little ventures outside, and Patton often got fussier when he was cold anyways. Just like his father, Logan often said with a laugh at Virgil.

When Patton no longer found interest in his blocks Roman led him to the couch, where he read to him until he fell asleep. He gently pulled a blanket over the little boy, smiled, then straightened himself and went over to his backpack. From it, he pulled out a smaller bag, returning to the couch with it and sitting down. 

Roman opened the bag once he was seated, pulling from it two bottles of nail polish--one red, one gold. He’d picked up a few things that he could do while Patton was sleeping (something he did a lot)—though homework usually took up most of that time. And a little while ago, he’d accidentally discovered that he had a knack for painting nails, and that he enjoyed it too, much more than he’d expected, and much more than his mother thought he should. Recently, he’d managed to save up enough to buy a few colors of his own, after some of the girls at school had let him borrow theirs in exchange for painting their nails for them.

Roman sat back, starting off with his right hand. He painted the first nail carefully, expertly swirling the gold and red together before holding his hand back to admire his work. He nodded to himself, satisfied with the design, then finished off the rest of his fingers so that they all matched. When that hand was done he moved onto his left hand, carefully painting it so that it was almost perfectly identical to the first. Once he was done Roman leaned back against the couch, where he kept his hands still until Patton stirred and started to wake up.

Well, they’d better be dry now, he thought to himself, going to where Patton had now dumped his blanket on the floor and was looking up at him. The little boy held his arms out and Roman picked him up with a smile, poking his shoulder gently with one finger. 

“Look who’s awake, sleepyhead,” he asked with a gentle smile. Patton babbled and grabbed Roman’s shirt in his hands, playing with his as he brought him into the kitchen and carefully sat him down on a chair. Roman went to the fridge and brought back a plate of apple slices Virgil had left for him in there, which Patton ate happily. 

Roman sat next to him while he ate, and when he was finished with his snack Patton grabbed his hand. He looked at his colored nails and started playing with his fingers, cooing and babbling at the pretty colors painted there.

“Oh you like that, huh?” Roman asked, grinning.

“Pwetty!” Patton proclaimed.

“Well thank you Patton, that’s very nice of you.” Roman glanced at where his bag was still lying on the coffee table in the living room, then back at Patton. “You know…if you wouldn’t mind holding still for a while, I bet I could paint a few of your nails too. Maybe just one, and see how you like it? I could get a fan so it dries quicker…hmm…” Roman got up after a few moments of contemplation, quickly retrieving the bag and sitting down next to Patton again.

“Here, can I see your hand?” he asked gently. Patton let him take one of his tiny hands in his, and he carefully applied a layer of pale blue paint to his index finger before blowing it dry. “There, see? Now you have a pretty finger just like me!” Patton looked at it with round eyes, hesitantly poking at it with his other finger. When the paint didn’t come off he squealed happily, then slapped his hand down in front of Roman again.

“Mo! Mo!” he cried. Roman got the message, and did his best to paint the rest of Patton’s nails as much as the wiggly toddler would allow. Then, when he was done, he added a tiny grey cat face to his index finger. Patton tried to touch that one right away, but Roman gently held his other hand back.

“We gotta be careful with it bud,” he explained to the little boy. “Don’t touch it yet, okay?” Patton looked at him, and Roman soon found himself distracting him from his messy pursuit with his own nails again. The toddler was all too happy to stop what he was doing in order to stare at Roman’s glittery gold nails in awe, and he managed to hold his attention just long enough to let Patton’s nails dry.

“Well, we only did one hand, but I’d say that’s a pretty good job,” Roman said as Patton poked his finger again, the dry paint holding in place this time. “Whaddya say, Sunshine?”

Patton squealed and clapped his hands in approval.

---

Roman found himself swallowing down nervous butterflies when Patton’s dads came back later that evening; he realized at the last minute that perhaps he should’ve asked before painting Patton’s nails, and that Logan and Virgil might not like what he’d done to them. After all, his mother certainly hadn’t approve, though Roman had to admit even to his anxiety that that was a poor comparison to make.

“Hello Roman,” Logan said as he and Virgil entered, then frowned when he saw the expression on the teen’s face. “You seem to be upset about something...is everything alright?”

“Um, yeah, everything’s fine, it’s just, ah—” Roman stopped himself and handed Patton to them, who immediately shoved his painted nails in Virgil’s face. “I um, I painted Patton’s nails,” he tried to explain. “I hope that’s okay, um, I did mine too…”

“Can I see them?” Virgil interrupted, turning to him. Roman blinked in surprise, then slowly nodded and held up his hands for the purple-clad father to see. Virgil looked over them for a moment, handed Patton to Logan before slapping his hands down on the counter.

“Can you do mine too?” he asked.

What!?

Roman stared at Virgil in shock; surely this was the last thing he’d expected from the quieter, much grumpier of the fathers, and yet here he was, asking him to paint his nails?

He had to be dreaming.

“You want me…to paint your nails?” Roman repeated.

“If you’re okay with that, yeah, I’d love that.” The teens’ jaw dropped in shock.

“Uh…uh yeah, sure! One minute!” he ran to the table and grabbed his little bag of polish and supplies, then sprinted back to the counter where Virgil was and pulled up a stool. He already had an idea for what to do with Virgil—especially because it would be a lot easier to ask him to hold still than Patton.

Roman pulled out several shades of purple and black, setting them out in front of Virgil and getting to work. On each index finger he started out with a layer of black, before carefully applying stripes to it to make a patchwork design that matched his jacket. The next nail received a layer of black, followed by a tiny white skull in the center. His ring fingers each were painted dark purple, topped off by a tiny storm cloud complete with a lightning bolt in white. The pinky was left a plain black, and his thumbs were each colored purple with a tiny cat on one and a tie on the other--Patton and Logan. 

Roman stepped back from his work once he’d finished it to his liking, nodding at Virgil’s hands in satisfaction. He slowly picked up his hands, looking over each nail and admiring Roman’s work.

“This is…incredible…” Virgil said after a moment, shaking his head in amazement. “I especially...love what you did to symbolize my husband and my son...You’re very talented, Roman. Thank you.”

“Indeed he is,” Logan agreed, and Roman thought he might burst with happiness between the two fathers’ compliments.

“Ha, wait until Remy sees this!” Virgil laughed, holding his hand up for Patton to see. “He’s gonna be so jealous!” Logan chuckled in agreement, then shook his head.

“Alright, how about we start on that Chemistry now, shall we?”

[kickingupdust]

Virtual Diary Entry #2

July 5th, 2022 3:03 PM

Today has been good? Weird? 

Right now I am going through C’s toys listening to music on Spotify. After this I’m going to quickly do the dishes, then eat a quick snack, and after that I’ll hopefully sit down and journal a bit more. Oh, also, I gotta wash my dad’s comforter. Don’t let me forget. And, no nap today. 

Okay, quick break and change of direction, I am getting bored with the current task so I’m going to pause and move onto the next. 

God damn! This is taking forever. I’m still going through toys right now. It's been over an hour! Be back soon, hopefully I’ll be done.

6:12PM

So I’ve just finished the toy room. I took all the toys in the house and put them on the floor of one room, sorted, then discarded old, broken, or incomplete toys, and picked up what was left and worth keeping. I ended up with one full storage caddy and two white trash bags of toys. Caddy and one bag are to be donated, the remaining bag is trash. 

My dad bought me a car today. It doesn’t seem like it at all, but I am actually elated. I couldn't be happier. And it's an awesome car, too. I am so excited for it to arrive at my house, isn’t it insane that you can now have cars delivered to your house??

I am pretty proud of myself for getting those toys all sorted and picked up! It's been way too long since I’ve decluttered toys. Next I need to do clothes. Really though I need to focus on getting some more stuff out of that pink room. Or, not even out! I just need to move some things around so that I can see what all can and cannot fit in there. I need to sort out all of the art supplies and pick them up into the chest of drawers that is up there. I think I want to paint that piece of furniture too so I will need to pick out a color for that. 

I have been watching Stranger Things recently. I've been enjoying it but also not, because watching the characters I like get bullied, beaten up, and just psychologically shit-on is not exactly fun to watch all the time. However, I will say, I really am quite enjoying the direction the show is going. Very cosmic horror. I don't typically enjoy horror but this has an aspect you don't see so much in horror. 

For dinner tonight I'm going to have sweet peas with pearl onions, mashed potatoes, and fish. 

7:49 PM 

I just had dinner. I ate too much, but I didn't eat lunch, so here in about 25 minutes it'll feel like I ate just enough. I wanted Mexican food tonight but the local place is closed only on Tuesdays, funnily enough. Maybe another day in the next few weeks I’ll buy or cook Mexican food. 

I really miss having a sense of direction. I have one at the moment but I am really kind of just making things up as I go. Stepping back into yourself is weird when you forgot who yourself was. It has just been so long since I felt comfortable enough to be myself and feel like I make a difference, a positive one anyway. I live my life in fear most of the time. If not all of the time. And when I am not fearing, I feel that I am overzealous and take on way too much. B claims most of my problems are self inflicted from overthinking, and while I agree partly, I don't wholeheartedly. I do think it's important to think about these things.

[kennethherrerablog]

48 Ways to Save Money When You’re a Broke College Student

Between your studies and your social life, there’s a lot competing for your time and attention in college. Still, you can’t forget about your finances.

You’re not in high school anymore; you’re an adult in charge of your financial future. And if you want to master this adulting thing, you’re going to have to dedicate a little of your focus to proper money management.

By saving money instead of spending it, you could end up graduating with a positive net worth instead of being one of the millions of young adults bogged down with debt right at the start of their working lives.

While saving money in college may be challenging, it’s not impossible. It just takes some determination and drive.

It’s time to shatter the stereotype of the broke college student with these 48 tips on how to save money in college.

Save Money on College Education Expenses

Getting an education isn’t cheap. But there are ways to save money by cutting down the costs of tuition, books and supplies.

1. Consider attending community college and then transferring to a four-year school to lower your cost of tuition. Or look into attending a public university instead of a private one to save money.

2. Complete the FAFSA — Free Application for Federal Student Aid — each year to find out what financial aid is available to you.

3. If you have to take out student loans, make sure to meet with a financial aid counselor, who can help you understand the terms of your loans and how you’ll be expected to repay them.

4. Apply for scholarships and grants to help cover the costs of tuition, room and board.

5. Get textbooks online instead of at the (often overpriced) campus bookstore. You can buy or rent books for less on sites like Amazon or Chegg. Ask your professor if you can use an older version of the textbook, which will likely be cheaper than the latest edition.

6. Buy, rent or borrow used textbooks from former students. Or share textbooks with students who are currently taking the same courses.

7. Check if your campus library has the book you need before buying or renting it.

8. Take advantage of your professor’s office hours instead of paying for a tutor to get extra help, or form a study group with your peers.

9. Shop for school supplies during tax-free holidays before school starts. These tax-free days usually occur in July or August. In 2018, 16 states held back-to-school tax-free holidays.

10. Look for special deals for students when purchasing laptops or other electronic devices or software. Apple and Dell offer discounts for college students, and Microsoft provides students with a free version of Office 365.

Save Money on Living Expenses

Living on your own for the first time can be exciting — and expensive. Whether you’re living on campus or off, here are some tips to lower your cost of living.

11. Don’t assume living on campus will be cheaper. Crunch the numbers. If you want to live off campus, don’t forget to factor in the cost of utilities, cable and internet when comparing. Or if you attend college near your hometown, live at home to really cut costs.

12. Become a resident assistant to get your living expenses covered. Some schools even pay resident assistants a small stipend

13. Instead of buying wall art or desk accessories, make your own DIY dorm decor. If DIY isn’t your thing, make sure to shop for dorm room decor during back-to-school sales or a tax-free shopping holiday if your state holds one

14. Share big-ticket items with your dorm roommate. You probably don’t need two minifridges or microwaves in your small space.

15. Create a graduation registry so that loved ones can purchase needed dorm supplies for you as a high school graduation gift.

16. Reduce the cost of monthly bills, like cable and utilities. Instead of signing up for a cable package, watch shows and movies on streaming services like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime for much less. Lower your utility costs by conserving energy.

Meghan Prusinowski, a graduate student at West Virginia University, said she saves money by keeping the lights off and rarely turning on the heat or air conditioning. Her monthly electric bill is between $25 and $40, while other residents in her apartment building pay over $200 for their high energy use.

17. Get a roommate — or roommates — to split the cost of rent and utilities. You may even find an apartment complex that gives residents separate leases, even if they live together in the same unit.

Make sure you discuss from the start how you’ll divide the costs — both bills and household expenses like toilet paper, cleaning supplies and any shared food. You should also make sure you’re on the same page on things like utility use and having guests over.

18. Get renters insurance. Though it’s an added expense now, having renters insurance can save you from having to spend hundreds or thousands if your property gets damaged or stolen. Shop around for the best deal by getting quotes from multiple companies.

19. Buy personal care products, like toilet paper, soap and shampoo, in bulk. Check the cost per unit to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

Saving Money on Food in College

Gone are the days when your parents filled up the fridge and cooked you dinner. Hopefully, they’ll send you a care package every now and then, but in the meantime, here are some ways to save money on food.

20. Evaluate your meal plan to make sure you’re not overpaying at the dining hall. If you always skip breakfast, or if you can’t make it to the cafeteria for lunch most days because of your class schedule, you’re wasting money if you pay for a three-meals-a-day plan

21. Bring your own snacks with you when you’re out for the day. You’ll avoid overpriced vending machines or convenience store treats.

22. Avoid eating out at restaurants or ordering takeout food. Instead, make the most of your meal plan. If you live off campus, make meals using simple ingredients like rice, potatoes, frozen vegetables and beans. Buy them in bulk for additional savings. Ramen noodles, PB&J and oatmeal are other classic cheap meals.

23. Eliminate the need for a bunch of kitchenware by cooking one-pot meals or meals you can make in a slow cooker.

24. Save money on beverages. Drink water instead of buying soda or juice, and invest in a filtered water bottle that you can refill whenever you want. Make your own coffee. If you’re of legal drinking age, buy your own alcohol to avoid bar prices.

25. Take advantage of events on campus offering free food. The complimentary drinks and refreshments served may be substantial enough to cover a meal — or, at the very least, a snack that you don’t have to buy.

26. If you do dine out, visit restaurants or bars during happy hour or when they have special discounted prices. Some establishments may provide discounts for students, so make sure you bring your college ID. You can also find deals on Groupon to save some money on your bill.

27. Get a side gig as a mystery shopper to get paid — or at least reimbursed — to dine out.

Save Money on Transportation

Having your own car on campus may buy you popularity points, but it also may not be the most economical choice. Here are some tips to save money on transportation.

28. Walk, bike, take campus shuttles or use public transportation instead of bringing a car to school. Your student ID may score you discounted bus or train fares.

29. When you take Uber or Lyft, use the shared ride function for a lower fare.

30. If you have a car at school, find ways to help cover your expenses. Share rides with other students to split the cost of gas and parking. Rent out your vehicle when you’re not using it to get extra cash. Also, make sure to keep up with maintenance. Cars that aren’t well-maintained may face more expensive repairs down the line.

31. Use apps like Gas Buddy to find cheaper gas when you fill up.

32. Limit trips home if you don’t live close to your college campus. When you’re planning on going home for Christmas or spring break, monitor websites for cheap flights and plan to book at least two months in advance. Or take a bus or train instead of flying home. Riding Greyhound could significantly lower your travel costs.

Save Money on Entertainment

Some say college was the best four years of their lives — and that isn’t because of the time they spent studying. Here are a few ways to save money while also having fun.

33. Take advantage of your local library. Public libraries offer more than just free books. You could check out passes to museums or stream your favorite movies or TV shows with your library card.

34. Attend free events on campus or in your town. Visit the student center or check out your local or campus newspaper to learn about upcoming events.

35. Have fun at home. Indulge in cheap entertainment by hosting movie nights or game nights.

36. Make the most of student discounts. A variety of places offer student discounts, from chains like AMC Theatres to your local art museum. Make sure you carry your student ID with you, and ask businesses you visit if they offer student discounts.

Make Money to Increase Your Savings

Your No. 1 job is keeping up with your studies, but having a source of income in college can really boost your savings. Here are some options for earning cash while you’re in school.

37. Get a part-time job on campus or close to school. Scott Henderson graduated from the University of Utah in 2017 with no debt and money in the bank by working a part-time job on campus, starting a side business detailing cars and saving between 30% and 50% of his income.

38. Start a side hustle like driving for Uber or Lyft, delivering groceries with Shipt or Instacart or doing odd jobs on TaskRabbit.

39. Tutor other students on campus or students at a local high school or middle school.

40. Get a gig as a babysitter or nanny over Christmas break or during the summer.

41. Get an internship in your field. Meet with your academic adviser for advice on good internship programs, or check online job boards like Internships.com or Indeed.

42. Start a blog and monetize it.

43. Make quick cash selling things you no longer need. Sell old textbooks on BookScouter, clothes you no longer wear on Letgo or unwanted DVDs and video games on Decluttr.

How to Stay on Top of Your Finances

Start adulthood off on the right track by being smart about how you save money. Consider these tips a crash course in personal finance.

44. Learn to track your expenses and stick to a budget. It can be easy to swipe your debit card without thinking, but having a budget will help you avoid overspending.

One popular budgeting method is the 50/20/30 budget — where half your money goes to bills and essentials, 20% goes to savings and debt and 30% is for spending on fun stuff. You can use a free tool, like Mint, to track your spending and keep you on budget.

45. Avoid overdraft fees by linking your student checking account to a savings account and signing up for overdraft protection. Just make sure there’s money in your savings account to cover any needed overdraft transfers.

46. Be responsible about credit cards. Don’t sign up for all the credit card offers that come your way. Try to get the lowest interest rate you can. Having a secured credit card — one that’s backed by your own cash — can also help you establish a credit history and build up your credit score.

47. Automate your bill payments, so you don’t have to worry about remembering due dates. You don’t want to forget to pay your cell phone bill and get hit with a late fee.

48. Don’t give in to the peer pressure of spending money just because all your friends are paying for tickets to an event or going out for drinks every weekend.

Know the difference between wants and needs, and focus on having a solid financial future.

Nicole Dow is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

The Penny Hoarder Promise: We provide accurate, reliable information. Here’s why you can trust us and how we make money.

48 Ways to Save Money When You’re a Broke College Student published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

[furilia]

How to Move like a Pro: Moving Tips and Checklist

New Post has been published on https://www.furilia.com/how-to-move-like-a-pro-moving-tips-and-checklist/

How to Move like a Pro: Moving Tips and Checklist

In the past 5 years, we’ve moved to 5 different cities and learned a few things about the art, or shall we say, pains of moving. We’ve lightened our load as we moved into smaller and smaller spaces and made some pretty stupid mistakes along the way too. Hopefully, these tips will teach you how to move like a pro and help your move go smoothly.

HOW TO MOVE LIKE A PRO

WHAT WE COVER [ CLICK LINKS TO SKIP AHEAD ]

Questions to Ask Yourself

Movers – Pros and Cons

Moving Pod – Pros and Cons

DIY – Pros and Cons

Best Ways to Purge

Tips for Packing

More Tips for the Week and Day Of

Moving Checklist Timeline

BEFORE YOU MOVE

Before starting anything, figure out your moving strategy. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

What’s your budget? Is a company paying for it or is it out of pocket?

Do you have the time and energy to do everything yourself or should you get movers?

What kind of vehicle are you taking? How are you transporting your cars (driving, towing, shipping)?

What’s your timeframe?

Are there any other considerations like kids or pets?

Whether you’re trying to do everything on your own or hiring someone to do it all for you, there are pros and cons to each. Generally, movers cost more than pods, pods cost more than renting a truck, and trucks cost more than driving your own car. But unless you are hiring a company to do it all for you, you’ll probably be looking at doing a hybrid of DIY and renting.

MOVERS

Movers are the best option if you are limited on time but not constrained by a budget. This is going to be the most expensive option and will also come with a whole set of choices to make. You can hire a moving company that does everything for you, including packing up and unpacking your stuff or just hire them to move everything from point A to point B.

PROS

Less stressful and time-consuming for you.

Most companies come with insurance in case anything gets damaged (although you should read the fine print carefully).

They typically know how to best pack your items into a truck.

They might provide you with packing materials and supplies.

They can typically store your items if there is a lag time between move out and move in date.

You don’t need to ask people for favors.

CONS

No one else cares about your stuff more than you do.

You won’t always know where all your stuff will be when you arrive. Even if it’s well marked, they may leave it in a different room.

Although they have a delivery date, things are out of your control, and the delivery may be delayed.

If you don’t have much, your belongings may be moved along with other people’s stuff.

Moving Scams 

There are moving scams out there and you’ll have to do the research the be sure you find a reputable company. Here are some red flags: They refuse to visit your home to give a quick estimate, they don’t have a website or local address, they demand cash or a large deposit, and/or their vehicles are unmarked.

Don’t forget to photograph the condition of your belongings before the move in case there are any disputes. Communicate with your movers as often and thorough as possible so that there are no surprises. Read through your contract carefully so you know what is included and what they cover. These companies exist to help you move but also to be profitable, so they will ultimately be looking out for themselves. Not necessary, but it’s good to treat your movers well, keep them hydrated, and perhaps provide food and snacks.

MOVING POD

This is a relatively newer way to move and there are multiple companies doing this now, but it’s basically when they drop a container off at your property, you pack it up, then they ship it to your new location. Once it’s there, you are responsible for unpacking it. Typically this will be cheaper than full-service movers, but will probably cost more than doing it on your own.

PROS

You can take your time loading and unloading the pod.

You don’t have to be home to accept the delivery (assuming you’re allowed to leave a container lying around).

There are different sizes depending on your needs.

Your pod can be stored if there is a time gap between move out and move in.

CONS

Not all locations will allow a container to sit on their property.

You may still need help to load and unload your larger items.

Shipments can be delayed, which is out of your control.

You have to guess how much space you’ll need and may not know the optimal way to pack everything in.

DIY: MOVING TRUCK, YOUR OWN CAR, OR RENTING A MINIVAN?

This is what we have the most experience in. We’ve moved in a big truck, in just our sedan, and we’ve rented a van for our most recent move to NYC. This will typically be the cheapest option of the three but also the most labor intensive.

Depending on how much you have, look into regular rental cars as well (like minivans). They may be cheaper and more gas efficient than moving trucks, and also much more comfortable. Those seats in moving trucks are not comfortable especially for longer distances.

PROS

Move on your own timeline.

You can make a trip out of it. It’s easiest if you have a moving truck towing a car where you can leave it in a safe parking lot and unhitch your car to get around. Though, from our experience, it’s not easy as easy as you would think. You have to worry about all your valuables, and you have to consider things like makeup melting in hot weather. We’ve driven 36 hours straight so that we don’t have to worry about this.

Be in control of your stuff and know where everything is when you pack and unpack.

Typically the lowest cost option, but remember there may be hidden fees like labor, gas, hotels along the way etc.

CONS

It can be intimidating driving a big moving truck if you’ve never done it before. You also have to drive incredibly slow, so I hope you like driving!

Depending on what time of year, you may run into inclement weather.

You will need help loading and unloading.

You have to guess how much space you will need for the rental.

If you are moving over multiple days, you have to think about where to park the truck.

You have to deal with finding space to park your truck at your destination.

If something goes wrong, you can’t blame anyone but yourself.

To Bring Your Mattress or Not To Bring Your Mattress

Disclosure: Leesa provided us with a mattress to be included in this post. All opinions are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Local Adventurer possible.

On our first 3 moves, we rented a big moving truck, primarily because we wanted to bring our king-sized mattress with us that we got as our wedding gift. Everything else we probably could have fit into something much smaller. It was the single most difficult item to move, and on our third year, we were finally able to let go.

Now, each time we move, we get one shipped to our new home. There are a few options, but we have a Leesa® mattress, which comes compressed in a box directly to your door, and it’s easy to move it to your bedroom before you let it expand. It doesn’t get easier than that. No need to figure out how to get it up the stairs and squeeze it through tight spaces anymore.

Most importantly, the 10″ hybrid foam mattress is super comfy! I know that everyone has their own preferences, so if you’re skeptical, they even have a 100-night sleep trial so you can give it a go at no risk to you.

How to Move with Your Pets and Kids

We have two cats, and because we’ve never flown with them before, we typically like to drive whenever possible (P.S. here are some tips for traveling with cats and traveling with dogs). Some of our friends with both kids and pets told us when they move cross country, it’s easier to hire movers and drive with the family since they need to take their cars anyways. Just make sure you have enough entertainment for the kids the whole way.

If you’ve moved with your kids and/or pets, leave us a comment below. We’d love to hear more tips from you!

PURGE & PACK

Each year we moved, we learned to make our load a little lighter.

BEST WAY TO PURGE

Make Four Piles: 1. Keep 2. Donate 3. Trash 4. Maybe. You can do a quick pass and then be more critical in subsequent rounds.

What to do with your donate pile: you can sell it online, do a garage sale, donate to Goodwill or a local organization that actually cares about their employees, give freebies for friends who help you move, list them on craigslist or freecycle, or get a junk service to pick it up (P.S. broken electronics can still sell for a decent amount on eBay – just be sure to disclose that it’s just for parts).

Box away what’s remaining in your maybe pile, and mark a date on it to open in 3 months or one year. Chances are you probably won’t use them again. When you see that you haven’t used those items, it will make purging through that pile on the next round easier.

Sleep on it and see if you have a change of heart.

Keep purging as you go. Unlike, Marie Kondo in the Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I like to purge in phases and do different challenges throughout the year to keep things interesting too. Here are a couple projects we’ve done in the past: 100 Days of Less (Spending, Your Rules), and Project 333 (3 months with 33 pieces in your wardrobe). We also like to use the rule of when you buy one thing, get rid of one thing. One day, we’ll work towards the 100 Things Challenge.

7 THINGS YOU CAN DONATE OR TOSS

Something you can’t remember the last time you’ve used.

Multiples. Only keep the best one.

Things you’re keeping ‘just in case’ (like that partially used roll of ribbon you plan on wrapping someone’s future gift in). You can always buy it again if you actually need it.

Things that are broken. Those items you keep around because you plan on fixing them probably won’t get fixed if they haven’t gotten to it already.

Gifts you’re keeping out of guilt.

Collections. Consider digitizing nostalgic things like photos, cards, books, CDs, DVDs, and VHS. Hold onto a few that are near and dear, but you can get digital copies of most of them.

Specialized items or equipment that you use only once a year. Find things that are multipurpose you can use more often or you can rent equipment as you need them. This was our hardest struggle because we have a lot of random hobbies.

TIPS FOR PACKING

Packing and unpacking can be daunting and it’s easy to procrastinate.

Start with the easiest room, then the next easiest, then the next. If a room feels too big, start with a drawer. When you can start checking rooms off your list, it will motivate you to keep going.

Where to Get Boxes: Ask stores at the end of the day (good options are liquor stores, bookstores, and grocery stores), friends who recently moved or who get a lot of packages, schools, your workplace, craigslist, freecycle, or lastly, you can buy them at shipping or office supply stores.

Plastic bins are a great alternative (we use 50-80 Qts) plus they can be used as storage or stacked (if you have all the same kind). Since we move so often, we actually prefer these over boxes. Plus, they have handles that make them easier to move.

Use your backpacks and suitcases to pack. They are made to carry stuff and you can easily move a bunch of them at once.

Don’t pack huge boxes in hopes to consolidate. On our first move from Atlanta to Los Angeles, we used some MASSIVE boxes thinking it would be easier since it took fewer trips to unload. Unfortunately, it made these boxes hard to move and daunting to unpack. Use small boxes for heavy items.

Mark your boxes on all sides. Include both the room they belong to and what is in them to make it easier to find things.

Keep some clothes out for fragile items. This will save you from buying bubble wrap and reduce waste. We usually set aside some blankets too.

Keep your valuables in one place and easy to access. For us, that’s computers, hard drives, and camera gear. We try to keep it all together so that on the road we can bring those boxes into the hotel.

When you’re done with your boxes, don’t just toss them. See if someone else needs them too.

MORE TIPS FOR THE WEEK OF AND DAY OF

Pack a separate overnight bag of things you’ll need: change of clothes, toiletries, meds, etc. Refill your medication.

Don’t Forget to Hook Up Essentials: Know what utilities need to be transferred so that when you arrive, your new home is ready for you. That’s also true with cable. Cable companies usually need time to set up the internet, so be sure to take this into considerations.

Forward Your Mail: Don’t forget to the change your address for important bills, credit cards, and info. Also, don’t forget to forward your mail.

Take Photos Before and After Your Move: If you’re in an apartment, take photos before and after you move your stuff. It’s good to have the documentation in case there are any disputes with the landlord.

Set aside the things you want ready in your own home when you arrive. The last thing we want to do when we arrive at our new place is run to the store for supplies, so we bring a few things with us: cleaning solution, trash bag, toilet paper, paper towels. I want to make sure the place is clean before I start unpacking. We also like bringing a shower curtain. The last thing you want to worry about after a long day of moving is figuring out how to have a nice hot shower with no curtain.

Be a Good Host: Whether you have friends helping you move or you’re hiring movers, it’s good to have drinks and snacks for them provide them with plenty of fluids and nourishment. And don’t cheap out on them. It’s a big favor to ask people to move and you want to treat them right. It’s not a necessity, but it’s definitely nice. We’ve come across a few situations where we assumed that the company who hired the movers would provide simple things like water for a hot day, but some don’t.

Create a Packing Playlist: I know this sounds ridiculous but having some good jams really helps the time pass as you get things done. Music is a powerful motivator sometimes. If you’re driving to your new home, make a road trip playlist too!

MOVING CHECKLIST AND TIMELINE

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Have you moved before? What are some things that helped with your move?

ESTHER + JACOB

Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, which is one of the top 50 travel blogs in the world. They believe that adventure can be found both near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They explore a new city every year and are currently in NYC..

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[nottwopennies]

It has been six months since starting this blog, and now feels like the ideal time to give you all an update and help remind myself of what we’ve already achieved and what we want to work towards in the months and years ahead.

It’s also time again to spend a little more, in hope of saving a lot later. I’m also really keen to lessen our impact on the planet some more and in the process become a smidgen more self-sufficient.

Food, Shopping & Waste .

I am working more hours than I’d like, to pay off our little loan. However, we have found ourselves with a few extra pennies each week. Rather than continue to cut our food budget to the absolute minimum, we have decided to take responsibility and have set ourselves a few guidelines for the food we will buy in future.

Our food should meet as many of the following points as possible:

be organic

be vegetarian (but we’re still eating eggs)

be fair-trade

be as locally produced as we can find

have minimal packaging, especially plastics

There’s one exception to buying local, as I’m not aware of any coffee plantations in Spain.

Giving up caffeine is something I’ll work towards, but not before my hours drop back down. It’s also a bit too cold for us to grow olives here, something that has become a favourite snack of ours.

Organic, fair-trade and local produce tend to be a little pricier than normal products found in supermarkets, but we’ll also be supporting local businesses, small shops, and also local producers when buying fresh stuff in the bi-weekly farmer’s market. Which seems like a good compromise.

We’ve already come to accept that going totally moneyless is not a reality for us, not just yet. We will of course continue to reduce our need for money as much as we can.

And of course, we’re hopeful that the majority of our vegetables and some of our fruit will be home-grown… eventually.

Also, we hope to reduce our weekly waste. Something that has already happened without much thought. 80-90% of our weekly rubbish is recyclable and another 5-10% is organic.

After last summer’s worm massacre, we’ve yet to set up a real composting system. This is something else we will address. Having today spent some money on a decent compost bin, both one for the kitchen and one for the terrace.

I’m hoping to get all those rubbish numbers as close to 0% as I can. Composting kitchen waste and using reusable bags not just for carrying our groceries but for rice, oats and anything else I can find bought from larger sacks. Thankfully most of the organic shops have options for buying these plus nuts, quinoa, couscous and more in this manner.

So, we’ll try to make some sacks of our own to avoid using the plastic (supposedly biodegradable) from the shops loose produce section. We’ve also paid a bit more than usual for truly biodegradable bin bags, made from corn starch[!?] or something similar.

We’ve not gone fully vegan, but are still largely vegetarian. We eat eggs and have the odd treat of some cheese. Once in a while we still eat some chicken too. (More about chickens/eggs in the garden section.)

I’m currently looking into healthier options for our cat, the food we buy her now is expensive and processed. I have found a supplement that can be added to meat. Sure, we’ll still be supporting the meat industry and all the problems that brings, but my cat is a part of the family and deserves a healthy diet.

Keeping Warm.

We’ve given up on the olive oil lamps, not great light sources and yet amazing little heaters. I’ll try to find some way to use the parts and might come back to them next winter. The heating is now off and will stay that way indefinitely.

We’re also using our current small increase in financial stability to invest in beeswax tea lights. I hadn’t really thought about the ones we were using before, it was only when the last batch we bought produced a very nasty smell that we decided (much like our food) to go as natural/organic as possible.

I’ve found some that are sold with the option of not having the aluminium cups/containers. I have actually been keeping all of the ones we’ve used with the idea of an art project or upcycling of some sort in future. So, I can reuse them again for now with the new candles. I should do the same with our other light-candles, but we will use what we have first.

Power.

We found out where our power comes from, a nice move on our power company. Utter transparency and honesty, but not such a pleasant surprise. The breakdown was more or less:

20% renewable (a good start)

25% coal (the horror!!!!)

25% nuclear (oh dear!!)

I still need to translate the remaining 30% which came from several different sources.

Well, finding alternatives to both save money and not use this wicked electricity has become an even bigger issue for me.

Thankfully we have unplugged the fridge-freezer and the only major energy we use is my computer for work. Having eventually failed at trying a tablet and a low-energy computer like the Raspberry Pi.

The other three big items is the washing machine, and my husband’s Xbox and TV. He is very much willing to take on this lifestyle change with the exception of one of his favourite games. I’ve asked him to play less, but have promised not to ask him to stop altogether.

Let’s see how it goes, sometimes he says he wants a new electric razor and this and that. Maybe it’s old habits or maybe he’s just thinking out loud and not entirely serious about getting these things.

Currently we are generating our own power from the wood burning oven and kettle that both use heat to make power, plus the old small solar panels and a some wind-up torches.

In the future I’d really like a small wind turbine, rather than a questionable (environmentally-friendly speaking) solar panel and perhaps more human-powered options.

I’ve decided to donate my Kindle to my father, once I’ve read all the books, as I know he is interested in getting one. I’ll ask that he sells/hands it on in future and so my concerns over its sustainability should have been solved.

Cleanliness.

I have been using soaps and shampoos again, and I did need a shave last month.

I had a Xmas treat of a haircut too. I kept the top long, and just had the sides shaved. So, I can still see exactly how much my hair has grown.

I am not changing my mind about not shaving or cutting my hair, this was simply an end of year treat.

I am reading about making my own soap/shampoo and won’t buy new products. I need to be ready with my own by the time our supply runs out, or go a few weeks again without any.

I am still peeing in the bidet to save water, but once our compost bin is established I’ll be peeing there. I’m sure the neighbours will be giving me some funny looks, but I need to set up a screen for me to also have showers outdoors come summer.

It’s entirely possible for this screen to evolve into an outdoor shower and compost toilet cabin. I have been doing my research into compost toilets. And am wondering why these aren’t mandatory in all new buildings?! Well, it’s at the top of my wish-list but being one of the more pricey items, will not necessarily happen this year.

What about the garden?

I spent the princely sum of €0.80 to buy some garlic, lettuce, cabbage and a little more on a new apple tree, raspberry bush and I forget one more. We’ve planted seeds for some insect friendly flowers, more peas (our current ones were badly damaged in gales), cornflower, borage and chard.

I’m finally getting organized and have began making monthly planting schedules that I can refer to again year after year.

Some lettuce and cabbages I got at the farmer’s market €0.80 for all six and some garlic.

Some lettuce and cabbages I got at the farmer’s market €0.80 for all six and some garlic.

An iris, a survivior from our last house.

Some “Spanish Bluebells”, not really sure what these are. Some flowers we bought with us from our old house.

I also harvested some onions, but have replanted them to produce more. I was very excited to see five little onions had grown from the one I planted last year. Never have I smelt fresh onion before, wow!

We need to get more soil but have plenty of wood chippings left, and we’re avoiding spending money on more pots by upcycling anything and everything that has no other value or use. As part of our cutting down on rubbish, we now only have one bin, our old coffee maker, which no-one wants to buy, joins an old kettle, old cat litter box, mugs, vases, packets and more.

Having bees is a long way-a-way, given finding them locally has proven a headache. My source of worms has also disappeared, meaning I can’t get some once our compost bin has been established. :-(

And chickens? Given we still eat meat, and that I have found much cheaper starting options than I originally posted? Yes, they are back on the radar – but with no clear date in mind for when we’ll get them. I can always feed the kitchen scraps too, but will there be enough for feed and compost?

What else is new/old?

We’ve still got plenty of old pallets and wood to make more things but have no real need for anything just yet. Maybe our outdoor bathroom/screen or some pot containers. I guess there’s no rush to decide.

Sadly, I am still waiting for my Altered Nozzle, the sooner we get this and save some water the better.

We’re ready to sell on more items such as books and other odds, but having got sick of boxes, we recycled or upcycled them and will now just have to accept less for items than we had once hoped.

I’ve been checking through my social media and have lost access to my Tumblr, but I’m not currently too bothered by this. If you’re messaging me there, I won’t get it.

The future?

Let’s just see what happens with Instagram, vlogging and other social media, but for sure I am excited to continue writing here.

As I said, chickens sometime this year and hopefully bees who knows when.

Willow coppice for firewood is also on my list, but this may not be a reality until we have our own land… along with the wind turbine.

I plan on getting/making a camping shower for free hot water this summer, but in the meantime we will need the boiler and gas for short hot showers.

Other things for the longer future that require we own our home, need more land or basically money are a plant-based grey-water filtration system and that compost toilet.

I don’t expect many people dream and wish for a compost toilet, but I’m one of them now.

And of course, more crop plants.

  Phew. I think I’ve said enough. Thanks for reading this mammoth post. I’m so excited for the year ahead, and hope you continue to follow us on this journey.

Time to remind myself of what we've already achieved & what we want to work towards. #gogreen It has been six months since starting this blog, and now feels like the ideal time to give you all an update and help remind myself of what we've already achieved and what we want to work towards in the months and years ahead.