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pillowfluffs · 6 years

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Sing For Me Please!Kihyun

Pairing: Kihyun X Reader (gender neutral)

Genre: Fluff

Summary: You loved to sing but you always hid it from Kihyun until one day..

Author’s Note: I relate a lot tbh. I love singing but when nights with my family such as karaoke come, I don’t even sing.. Do you like singing? As always, feedback is greatly appreciated and please look forward to more works in the future!

Song Referenced: Ellie Goulding - How Long Will I Love You

Music filled your ears without effort, like the waves filling holes in beach sand. The rhythm of it flowed through your veins and swirled in your head. Your body swayed at the gentle sounding music and the soft vocals of the vocalist you were listening to. The sweet sound of Ellie’s voice as well as yours matching hers. You followed along to her song while it played on your phone with your earbuds in. The volume was just right where you could hear your own voice and hear the music. You sat in your shared bedroom folding laundry, even hanging some up. Most of it was your boyfriend, Kihyun’s clothes. He was away on tour and came back just two days ago. You insisted he should stay home and rest since he had about five more days before getting back to work for their next comeback, but he was determined to make up for the days he was gone. You didn’t know how he was going to do it and you didn’t know when either.

Today Kihyun and his members had an event to go to, or at least that’s what he said. Kihyun left around noon, kissing you goodbye and headed out towards the company. About an hour and a half later and here he was at the supermarket, struggling a little bit with pulling out a shopping cart from the long line of carts outside the entrance. He wore a simple white hoodie with black jeans and vans. He brought Minhyuk and Wonho along because they felt rather bored at the dorm. Kihyun put all his strength into trying to pull the cart out of the chain of carts, seeming like it wouldn’t budge. He had a bag of reusable plastic bags hanging from his shoulder.

Wonho and Minhyuk approached the struggling hamster after parking the car. They watched in amusement. “Need help?” Minhyuk offered, chipper than ever. He walked over, replacing Kihyun. “If I can pull this out, then that’s just sad, Kihyun.” Minhyuk shook his head at him. He wore Black jeans with a white shirt and shoes with a black denim jacket.

“It’s hard to pull out!” He stepped aside, watching trying to pull it out. “It’s not just me being weak, and If I can’t then you definitely can’t!” He laughed.

Minhyuk grasped the handle of the cart feeling the cold plastic and metal. The smile on his face began to fade as he pulled, giving a few hard tugs. “Wait why is this so hard?” He began to pull harder, enough to shake the other carts with it.

“See?” Kihyun joined again, helping Minhyuk. “It’s not just ‘cause I’m weak!” They pulled hard, their faces began to scrunch up. “Pull harder!” Kihyun could feel the time being wasted even though it had only been a few minutes.

Wonho stood on the side leaning on a railing, recording the two of them as he laughed at them. “You two are so funny,” his voice shook as he laughed, his smile spread all over his face, flashing his straight white teeth as his eyes formed crescents.

“You give it a try then!” Minhyuk pushed Kihyun and himself out the way, gesturing for Wonho to try. “Here, give me your phone, I’ll record you since you recorded us.” He took Wonho’s phone and began recording.

Wonho calmly walked up the cart, wrapping one hand around the handle and pulled. He wore gray sweatpants with a black shirt. The cart came out with ease, leaving another bright smile plastered on his face as he looked at the two dumbfounded younger members. “I got the cart,” he burst out giggling at them, taking his phone back.

“Whatever, let’s just shop,” Kihyun mumbled in embarrassment, taking the cart and leading into the cold aired supermarket.

“We loosened it for you.” Minhyuk playfully nudged Wonho, making him laugh more as he watched the two videos on his phone following Kihyun through the automatic glass doors.

The three entered the market, faced with row after row of cash registers, some closed since today was a weekday so fortunately, it didn’t face the weekend rush of things. Music from a popular radio station played softly through the speakers. The white lights on the ceiling reflected on the white floor tiles, making the place look somehow brighter and cleaner than the warm sun outside. Some customers walked through the aisles pushing carts, some with baskets. The first section of the market they faced was the bakery.

You sang along with the song as it was on loop, fixing parts here and there everytime it played again. You took all the chances you could to sing whenever Kihyun wasn’t home, but the reason behind it made the most sense to you. He was the main vocalist of an idol group while you were his significant other. So far in your life, you had never done anything musically; you didn’t play an instrument, you never took any lessons for vocals. The only thing you did musically was take the mandatory music classes required to graduate. Well, technically, in high school, the school required you to have a fine art credit and you weren’t as confident with drawing and painting than music so in high school, you took piano classes, which later on, you got lessons for a few years for, but stopped when college came around. It was only then did you play the piano but only when you had absolutely free time which was still rare.

You put away the final articles of clothing into the drawers in your bedroom. You laid on your bed, thinking about any other chores you had to do before Kihyun’s return, which you didn’t even know when it was. “I cleaned the bathrooms, did the laundry and put them away.. Vacuumed yesterday..” You really had nothing else to do for the day since which meant you could just sing. You pushed yourself up, grabbing your now fully charged tablet, going down the stairs at a somewhat fast pace, going straight down the basement stairs. Your basement was tied in first place as your favorite room in the house along with your bedroom. It was so cozy and comfortable. Once down the staircase, there was a bookshelf taking up an entire wall, filled with books, half of which you read. In front of the shelf was a couch with pillows and blankets where you spent most of your free time reading if not singing. But this time, you weren’t going to read. You quickly pulled open TubeYou, a popular app letting you post or watch videos. You quickly typed in the search for “Ellie Goulding How Long Will I Love You piano” where a moment later, millions of results popped up. You clicked on the first video, posted by an account you were subscribed to. You sat in the corner of the basement at a grand piano where you faced the corner of a room, facing a window which looked into your backyard. You couldn’t help the smile growing on your face since the last time you played this song was when Kihyun was on tour and you had gotten significantly better.

You paused the music playing on your phone, plugging your earbuds into your tablet, placing it against the music rack, pressing play. You followed along with the video, singing without Ellie’s vocals. You wished you could play this for Kihyun one day, considering he told you he always listened to this song when he missed you and it expressed a good amount of his love for you.

“So what else do you need to get?” Minhyuk and Wonho were preoccupied, slowly walking down the snack aisle as Kihyun walked through, scanning the list of groceries for the house and dorm in general and the ingredients he needed. The cart was filled with various meats and greens, along with some frozen foods in case they couldn’t go out to eat, nor did they have time to make a full meal. Wonho grabbed a box of protein bars, placing them in the cart next to the energy drinks.

“Don’t forget to get snacks for the others.” Kihyun glanced upwards, seeing Wonho place his snacks in. “Uhhm,” his voice was barely audible to them as they continued scanning for possible snacks to bring home. He paused the cart at the end of the aisle, glancing from his list and cart, pulling a pen out and crossing off things he had already gotten. “I just need to get noodles and broth,” he basically said to himself as the two were in the back, bickering about which snack was better. He tucked the list into his pants pocket along with the pen and made his way towards the noodle aisle, leaving the two behind.

He pushed the cart, glancing around at things on sale, looking up the signs which informed shoppers what each aisle contained. All of a sudden, his mind buzzed to you. He thought how much power you had over him and you hadn’t the slightest clue at all. He dreaded leaving you at home alone while he went out on tour, especially out of the country, which was almost all tours now. The distance, the different time zones where he would be awake and you would be asleep or you would be awake and he would be asleep. As much as you two made it work, he couldn’t help but feel like a burden to you. To be in a relationship where you two hardly saw each other. You, of course, said it a countless amount of times but meant it each time when you told him you understood. You even told him how you felt like the burden. He wouldn’t feel this way unless you didn’t flirt back to him. He looked up to see the aisle he needed to be in. He began turning into the aisle, along with the other two catching up to him, a few snacks in each of their arms, dumping them into the cart.

You sat at the piano, the song coming back with ease into your head so it was basic muscle memory. You couldn’t quite hear yourself that well with your earbuds. You paused the music, swapping your earbuds for over the ear headphones, beginning once again, hearing everything evenly. “A few more practices and then I can perform it for Kihyun..” you thought excitedly to yourself, smiling as you sang along with the music. You had known Kihyun for a while; he knew you better than you knew yourself, except for this little part. As much as you wanted to show him this side of you, you just couldn’t. You two were equals and treated each other like so. He never criticized you for anything except when you were sick, he would tell you “I told you so,” for not wearing enough layers, but aside from that, nothing else. You confused yourself.

“However long you say~ How long will I love you? As long as stars are above you, and longer if I may,” the softness and smoothness of Ellie’s voice suited yours perfectly. Her voice wasn’t too high so the song, fortunately, didn't pose a challenge. You were able to match her tone and pitch, or at least you thought. You weren’t a musical expert like Kihyun, but you hoped he would enjoy it. The song was instrumented beautifully with the piano accompaniment, though it lacked something small due to the nonexistent drums, this didn’t stop you. You kept singing the song and playing it on repeat in your own little world.

“Let’s get these all home quickly so you guys can get your ice cream back home before it all melts.” Kihyun pushed the cart towards the car in the somewhat barren parking lot. “Minhyuk, trunk.”

Without a word, Minhyuk pulled out the car keys, unlocking the car, holding a button which opened the automatic car trunk. He held the cart as Kihyun and Wonho began loading the bags into the car, closing it and returning the cart swiftly. The sun was at the beginning of the setting, giving off a golden light. Fortunately, they were ahead of rush hour, able to drive through the clear streets before they were filled with cars going home from work. Music played through the car, the two in the front jamming out as Kihyun sat in the back of his phone.

“They haven’t texted me..” Kihyun opened his messages, not seeing any new ones since he landed, which he found somewhat strange. He scrolled through the previous messages, rereading the messages you sent, talking about each other’s day. He pulled up his contacts, pressing on your contact to call you. He watched as they passed other cars and pedestrians, glancing towards the orange, golden, and blue skies. The phone continued to ring, only to end with an automatic voicemail. He remembered when you first got your new phone, you didn’t make an official voicemail since you said you hated your voice, especially a recording of it. Now thinking about you, he never really understood why you hated your voice since he found it so soothing himself, especially on nights when he couldn’t sleep so you would wrap yourself around him, telling him fantasy stories you made up right on the spot, drawing imaginary shapes on his chest or stomach.

The longer you played and sang, the better you felt. You were in your own little world, playing your piano, singing a song you knew meant a lot to Kihyun. You felt as if you gave this video most of its views since you believed you were the only one who played this video more than anyone in the world. You were soon able to play without following the video.

“Okay, it’s time,” you spoke to yourself, removing the headphones and shutting off the tablet, neatly moving them to the side. You turned off your phone, moving it to the side with the tablet. You didn’t need any distractions. You needed perfection for this song. You counted off in your head, beginning to play the melody, humming the beginning of the song before singing the lyrics. The lyrics were no challenge for you since they were memorized into your head after listening to it so many times. Now all you had to do was match the tone and pitch with the piano as you sang.

You had to admit, being a singer was no easy thing, especially the idols where they danced and moved so much; there was so much they had to do, memorize lyrics, memorize choreography, where most of the times, were made by someone else. You were astonished how Kihyun and his members did it, especially since they created their own lyrics, pouring their soul into everything they did and will do.

The car pulled into the familiar neighborhood, stopping and pulling into the driveway. “Do you need our help to bring stuff in?” Wonho looked back in his seat to see Kihyun already slinging bags over his arms with the keys to your house in hand.

“No, it’s okay. Get back home though, the ice cream isn’t as cold as before.” He began closing the trunk. “Bye.” He waved them off as they drove away, turning the radio back up. He walked toward your front door, four plastic bags in his arms filled with groceries and snacks. He slid the key in, unlocking the door to be met with the dim sound of the piano playing the recognizable song of Ellie Goulding. He walked toward the kitchen after removing his shoes, placing the bags onto the island.

“I guess they’re reading,” Kihyun wondered to himself as he began to place the groceries that needed to be refrigerated into your somewhat empty fridge. It wouldn’t be the first time he came home to you blasting music with the bluetooth speaker of yours as you read a book, but as he continued to listen, he heard the voice singing wasn’t Ellie’s. He paused immediately, slowly making his way towards the basement, following the music. He stepped down the stairs lightly, trying not to let them creak. He was met with you, playing the piano, singing along, a wide smile making his eyes turn into crescents as he sat himself down on the stairs, absorbing your voice and the way you played the piano.

“How long will I want you, as long as you want me to, and longer by far~ How long will I hold you, as long as your father told you, as long as you can~” Your voice was as smooth and honeyed as Ellie’s as she sang. Yours matched hers very well in Kihyun’s opinion. You couldn’t help the smile on your face grow as you felt very confident and content with how you were currently playing and singing it than your past few tries. “This is the one,” your smile affected your singing only a tad bit, but you were able to adjust to it.

Kihyun lifted himself up with the help of the banister, slowly and quietly making his way over to you so he stood behind you, looming over your shoulders. He was mesmerized with your long fingers as they played each chord and note perfectly. His cheeks were sore from his wide smile, but he couldn’t help it since he had never seen or heard you sing nor play the piano. He had to place his hands over his chest to calm his heart, afraid you would hear how loud it was pounding.

You let the final chord ring out, closing your eyes to listen as it echoed around the room off the walls. The sound of clapping and a sudden feeling of someone’s arms around your back startled you, making you shriek until you realized it was Kihyun. “Oh my god, you scared me!” You turned in your seat, staring into his eyes as he stood above you. A sudden heat bloomed through your entire body until you realized Kihyun had heard you.

“You sing so well!” He cupped your face with his hands with the biggest smile on his face. “Why haven’t you ever sung for me? We could do a duet.”

You looked at anything but his eyes, you couldn’t meet them. You sighed, placing your hands over his, removing them so now you held them. “I don’t like my voice, remember? And it probably wasn’t good anyways,” your voice was quiet, almost inaudible to him as you turned away, closing the fallboard over the keys.

“No, your voice was,” he paused as he sat next to you on the seat. “I don’t even know a word for it since it was so good.” He playfully nudged you. He knew your voice wasn’t something you loved, but now he just had more reasons to add to his list of why he loved you so much.

“Horrendous?” You played with your fingers in your lap, not wanting to look into his.

“Hey, no. The complete opposite. Your voice is my favorite, everything about you is my favorite.” He wrapped his arm around your shoulder, peppering kisses on your cheek. He knew your weakness and how to use it, especially in a time like this.

A warm feeling slowly spread from your chest, making you smile. “You know, since you told me about it, I actually wanted to play and sing the song for you.” You turned your head, playfully looking at him, adoring his features.

“Really?” He was flattered as he raised his eyebrows.

You nodded, resting your head on his shoulder. “I’ve been practicing singing and playing the piano again when you’re not home.”

“Woah, woah, wait just a minute. First of all, wow, my significant other is so talented, like me. And second, playing the piano again?” He emphasized the last word as he sat up, trying to lean his head forward so he could meet your face and eyes.

“Oh, yeah, I never told you but I’ve been playing piano since high school..” You lifted your head, looking into his.

His eyes were wide as well as his eyebrows still raised. “Any other surprises?” He broke out into laughter from his own voice.

You shook your head, your smile appearing once again as you intertwined your fingers with his.

“Well, I technically only heard half of the song so..” He squeezed your hands with his.

“I don’t know, Kihyun..”

“Sing for me, please?” He lifted the fallboard. “I’ll play, you just sing.” He gave you his puppy eyes, another thing you couldn’t resist. He played the first chord, looking at you with pleading eyes.

You sighed, humming the beginning note. He continued playing as you continued singing, spending the rest of the night playing more songs, singing them together.

~~~~~

Masterlist for more!

#kihyun #yoo kihyun #kihyun imagines #pillowfluffs #monsta x #monsta x imagines #monsta x scenarios #monsta x x reader #kihyun x reader #kihyun fluff #kihyun scenario #monsta x oneshot #kihyun oneshots

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lovehaswonangelnumbers · 6 years

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New Post has been published on https://lovehaswonangelnumbers.org/february-2019-energy-report/

February 2019 Energy Report

a message from Jennifer Hoffman

We’re into another month and this one will be focused on cleaning up after the chaos of January. Remember that chaos is the result of dis-integration of old paradigms and we’re seeing a lot of that now. The energy focus for February is connection and the other 5D energies of collaboration, community, and creativity (which is also the theme of 2019). This can be a great month if we don’t get lost in confusion, self doubt, and forgetting that we are masters of our own universe and energetically sovereign.

February’s new moon is another one in the series that began in November 2018 where all of the new moons are at 0 degrees of their sign, which continues through April. The number zero (0) does not mean nothing, it is pure potential and means no-thing, energy waiting for an intention to bring it to form, energy looking for an energy container to fill. So see each new moon period until May as being pure potential, starting fresh and new. This new moon is in the sign of Aquarius, ruling community, friends, social groups, and connections.

Does that remind you of what’s going on in the world now? Think of how many connections we make via the internet that has created an interconnected global community. Think about the Q movement (whether you follow it or not) and the strong global community of an estimated 500 million or more dedicated, loyal, and committed followers it has. This is not a political statement, it’s an example of 5D energy at work which is all about community, connections, and expanding our awareness of ourselves as the human family on a global and universal level.

We also have a full moon at 15 Virgo on February 19 and this one brings Chiron, the wounded healer, into focus again. Chiron has been a huge factor in all of the work we have been doing for the past two years as its presence in Pisces brings up the old, deep, and very traumatic soul wounding we have suffered from for many lifetimes. These are being brought to our awareness and attention now because we say we want to ascend and these old soul wounds keep us grounded in their energy of pain and trauma. This is especially true this month as we have Chiron at the final degree of Pisces which Mercury will highlight later this month as it approaches this degree to begin its retrograde in March.

Yes we have a Mercury retrograde in March and its shadow begins on February 21 at the degree of the March 6 new moon. Prepare for an extra strong dose of healing potential all month and into March. I’ve described the special relationship between Chiron and Mercury, Virgo and Pisces before so I won’t elaborate here. Just know that with this month’s emphasis on relationships and love, with Valentine’s Day, having all of this Chiron energy bringing up soul wounds may be a bit difficult but it’s a reminder to close out these old karmic relationship and love energy cycles that have been so painful and unfulfilling so we can welcome new ones.

Let’s talk about Valentine’s Day, a day which some of you may look forward to, some may ignore entirely, and others dread it because it reminds them of how long it has been since they have had a relationship, or it is a reminder of every bad, failed, tough, and terrible relationship they have ever had.

Instead of being sad, mad, depressed, or angry this Valentine’s Day, do something nice for yourself. Treat yourself to a spa day, do something you enjoy, buy yourself some flowers, send yourself a beautiful card with a note about how wonderful and valuable you are, or treat yourself to a lovely lunch or dinner at your favorite restaurant.

Do you know that the word ‘restaurant’ is from a French word which means ‘to restore or revive’?

Why wait until someone comes into your life to do these things for you? Show yourself some love this month and then enjoy yourself while you’re doing it. And who knows, by going out and doing something nice you just may meet someone.

Miracle energy is high this month, so be prepared to use it.

This month we get a test of our energetic sovereignty and have the opportunity to explore our energetic maturity, which can be a lesson in how we move on from the past.

Do we get stuck in the energy of the past or are we going to move forward into the future?

Does the past define us in the present moment or is it just a blip on the radar of our life that serves as a reminder of where we have been that we do not want to visit again?

Or it’s about the lessons we learned that we’re going to use as a foundation to create stronger energy boundaries, more powerful intentions, and a greater focus on our self esteem, which we must have to become more self-loving.

We can be a drop looking for an ocean or the vast ocean itself.

Remember we cannot have someone in our life who loves us more than we love ourselves. This month’s focus on love and relationship can start with the relationship we have with ourselves, it is our most important one. January may have created a mess but in February we have the tools to clean it up and restore ourselves to our divine congruence that brings peace, joy, love, prosperity and most of all, harmony.

Time to get out the mop, bucket, broom, and dustpan and get to work. Have a wonderful month.

~~~~~~~~~

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organizedcharm · 6 years

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Everything in my house is organized. Totally and completely organized. The bookcase in the office? Organized. The shelves in the laundry room? Organized. The kitchen cabinets? Yep, you can look there. They're organized (for now). But then there are *dun dun dun* the closets. Closets are a blessing and a curse at the same time. On one hand, they give us a place to store our stuff. On the other hand, they give us a place to store tons of stuff that we don't need and a place to hide it away so we never have to deal with it. My house is about a century old, and it only has four closets. One in each bedroom, and one in the laundry room. Out of those four, I only feel like one of them is functional. The other three? Traps for junk, like things I'm planning to donate or things that just don't have another home. Is this a problem for you, too? This post can show you how to organize your closets and keep them organized over time! Say hello to the CHARM system! The CHARM System: C- Start with a Clear GoalH- Adjust your Habits to align with your goalA- Take ActionR- String your habits together into RoutinesM- Have a Positive Mindset Step #1: Envision a Clear Goal for Each Closet On a piece of paper, write a heading for each closet in your house, even if you feel like it's already being used efficiently. Next, set a timer for a minute and write down how you envision each closet being used. If you need some help, just close your eyes and visualize your perfect life, where everything is clean and everyone is happy. You are totally efficient, look completely fabulous, and everyone in your life is happy. In that scenario, how do you envision yourself coming into your home? Where do you put your things? What do you see when you open each of those closets? Include any containers, shelving systems, etc. that you envision. Remember to include how often you see yourself cleaning out each closet in your perfect world :) Here are my goals for each closet: Master Closet: Categorized by clothing type and category. Organized with a chronologically rotating system. Aligns with Stylebook App. Laundry Closet: Holds all cleaning supplies. Also holds unusual items- Halloween costumes, etc. in neat containers. Bin for items to be donated quarterly. Office Closet: Holds outdoorsy stuff, like the stroller, workout equipment. Everything is organized and in its place. Cleaned out every 6 months. My Son's Closet: Out of season clothes kept on the top rack. Shoes on the top rack. Blankets and toys stored on side shelves. Large toys at the bottom. (Want to create a minimalist wardrobe that reflects your personal style? This post will help you!) Step #2: Form Good Habits Now that you have that down on paper, think about what daily habits you would need to create to keep your goal a reality. I'm not talking about "Go to Home Depot and buy a shelving system." I'm talking about consistent things like putting your clothes away at the same time of day. Here are the habits I'll need to get into to keep my closets looking the way I want them. Set your timer for one minute and write down how you see yourself "interacting" with each closet (it sounds crazy, but I promise it works!). Here are the habits I need to form to achieve the goal: Master Closet: -Document everything in Stylebook every day. -When I come home each day, put clothes away immediately- behind other clothes in that category. -Every 3 months, re-evaluate items not worn. Laundry Closet: -Put items to donate in "Donate" Bin as notice them. -Donate to Junior League every three months. Office Closet: -Keep free of office clutter. This is not a home for old notebooks. -Identify the things you want to keep and create a new home for them. Cash's Closet: -Put big toys (activity table/balance bike) in here nightly. -Organize his smaller toys by type and in bins on shelves. -Switch out bins weekly. Step #3: Take Action Now that you've identified your Clear Goal and Target Habits, it's time to take action. This is where you get to run to Home Depot and buy that shelving system! Think about what kinds of containers you want. Don't settle for the first containers you find either, look around and find EXACTLY what you want! The size, the color. What you want exists somewhere, and you won't feel happy with your closet if you use ill-fitting containers. Once you have everything you need, it's time to actually organize the closet! I am a big fan of this and I kind of look forward to doing it. Turn on all the lights in the room where you are working, get some water, play some music, and take every. single. thing. out of your closet. Everything. Also Read: 5 Rules for Simplified Style: Get Your Closet Under Control! We dread cleaning out closets because it's work. However, once we've taken everything out, putting things back into the closet becomes the work. You are far less likely to expend energy putting things you don't love back into the closet. You may even find that you only loved about 20% of the things in your closet, and you were just keeping the rest because you didn't want to go through the work of cleaning it out! So start with the things you love the most. If you were packing to leave town for a hurricane, and you knew there was a chance you might never see some of these things again, what would you choose to take with you? Think with that mentality. No excess. (Related: Creative Storage Solutions for Closets) Once you've gotten those things hung back up in your closet, set a limit of some sort. It could be 20 hangers or everything you can fit in one bin. Be ruthless as you slowly decide which things to add back in. And once you've hit your limit, donate the excess that was hiding in your closet! This works for clothes, toys, books, blankets, whatever you're storing in your closets. Most closet organization posts would stop there. You've done the hard work. You've got a nice, clean closet. You're done, right? Well... organizing your closet and keeping your closet organized is kind of like losing weight and keeping it off. It's great if you do it all at once and it looks great afterward. But if you don't change your daily routines, it won't last. This is where Step # 4 comes in... Step #4 comes in: Develop Consistent Routines Look back at your habits. This is the time that you need to use a little discipline and set those habit into motion. One of my habits was to hang up my clothes as soon as I get home. When I get home from work, it's so easy to leave clothes on the floor for "just a few minutes" while I get water, or pick up my son. But when I do that, I'm not respecting the goal that I set for myself. If you tell yourself that you're going to do something, do it. If you let yourself slack off a little here and there, eventually, you'll find yourself right back where you started, being stressed about all the excess junk lurking in your closets. Focus on creating one habit for a month, then another one. Eventually, you'll be able to string your habits together into routines. The routines will keep you from having to have a "closet cleaning" day every year. It may seem silly to consciously think about closets, and create habits and routines for them. BUT every little thing we do throughout the day is made up of habits and routines. When we don't put a lot of thought into them, we fall into bad habits or unproductive routines. However, if you DO put thought and purpose into them, you are one step closer to living the dream life that you envisioned! Related: Closet Cleanout Checklist Step #5: Keep a Positive Mindset Get into the mindset that you are an organized person, your closets are organized, and you don't bring in clutter. One of the biggest ways we sabotage ourselves is by saying "I'm the most disorganized person ever," or "my house is always a mess." DON'T SAY THAT! When you get down on yourself and your messy house, guess how your house will stay? Messy! Find a relevant quote or two that you really like and think it to yourself when you're looking through your closets. Here are a few of my favorites: "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." -William Morris "The space in which we live should be for the person we are becoming now, not for the person we were in the past." -Marie Kondo "Life is too complicated not to be orderly." -Martha Stewart Take the time to put everything back where it's supposed to go. Do it for your future self. Think about how much easier it will be to get ready for work in the morning if you don't have to dig through a dresser drawer for something that wasn't hung up correctly! According to Gresham's Law of Planning, every minute spent planning saves you about 10 minutes in the future. So, even though it may be difficult for me to let my son cry for a minute while I hang up my clothes correctly, that helps me have a more efficient morning (which will lead to me having about 10 minutes to play with him before work)! Keep things like this in mind throughout your day! It may be a tiny decision now, but it will help you have a smooth getting ready time in the morning. And isn't that totally worth it?! What systems have you tried to keep your closets clean and organized? How did they work? Share your experiences below! PS- This post was requested by a reader! You can request your own post here! :)

http://organizedcharm.blogspot.com/2018/11/5-steps-to-keep-your-closets-organized.html

#SEO #Local SEO training

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lost-in-transition · 6 years

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short story: deathclocked

CN: This is something new for the blog, a piece of actual fiction. I was inspired. I am not actually a blonde ex-Polish trans hitwoman.

I strike at his throat with knuckled fist. I move the arm up to block, programming the motion before even it has a chance to happen. I'll also step aside and put my knee between his legs. Then either head butt him or bring my elbow down in his face. I don't know yet. As a child, I never ever fought. The thought of striking back was worse. It would have made me like them, and even then I knew I feared that. Better to run away, or else to let them. They wanted me to strike back, I know that now. If I had, they would have known I was like them, and we would have been friends. And I would have been something worse than being the nothing that I was. In a sense, they were so persistent because they were concerned for me, and perhaps scared as well - my existence as an oddity raised the potential things could have been different for them, too. We all fear the thought we might not be who and what we need to be, and it drives hatred of the strange all too often.

Ironic then that now I fight so effortlessly. It does not feel like aggression. It feels like stretching out. It feels like singing out loud. I miss that very much, but as time went by, it became less and less comfortable to hear myself, especially resonating in skull. Practicing martial arts, any kind, feels freeing. I feel present and moving and unbound by everything else. I decide my movement beforehand and execute it. If I am struck, I will be hurt, and accepting that makes it something I am not afraid of. In the training ring I don't feel or express anger, and my training mates accept that. When I fight for real, like now, they don't expect me to strike. In some ways, that is the point. It is because they don't expect it that I feel at peace being the one initiating. And ending it.

The man in front of me, I think of him as Boss Man, he wears sports gear slick enough for clubbing and laid back enough no-one will think he is gay or anything. God forbid. Sweatpants showing boxers. Tattoos, expensive wrist watch. He didn't have to queue to get into this club, which already sets him apart from 999 of 1000 people anywhere. There are several ways in which each of us stand out so. He and I share some, including, for me in recent years at least, spending significant time in the company of organized criminals. Boss Man is a criminal organizer, and I can only imagine this is why he passed the doorman directly whereas I stood in line. This place started as a gay club and in many ways still is, men give each other blow jobs among the smoky labyrinths that are the chill out area, the beat of a DJ I don't recognize but do like there in the background like a storm. Boss Man is the type of the leather bear doorman no more than I am in my skimpy sundress, but either he has the money or the fear capital from being a known gang leader that he gets in anyway. Even so, he still passes through the coat check, which means he has no weapon tonight and no body armour. Otherwise typically he does, and this is why I planned to take him down in here tonight. I too am unarmed, but as I now set out to demonstrate, this need not mean much.

I got close enough in the otherwise empty passage, so that first strike goes fine. He staggers, but he's been boxing; now he goes back and into something like stance. He'll strike next. Or will he? He backs up and stares at me. I followed him in here, when he was going to snort or inject I assume, or make a phone call. But when I did, he leered at me, smiling as I approached. Maybe he had not expected to, but he was fine with it, up until the point where I struck. There's enough of a code that he saw my following him as safe. It's what a girl would do if she was aware of his status and wanted him to share something of his - drugs, kisses, cock, recognition in some circles, though I don't know exactly which one. This city has several separate gang environments and they are not all hanging out. "My" criminals are part of other networks than his are. More to the point, "my" criminals live in little circles of salt surrounding a few people who also post on TOR-accessible truly anonymous forums.

Boss Man is an awful person. I know this because I read some of the police reports on things that happened with some girls who spent some time with him. None went to trial, and a few years back they stopped coming because none of them would risk filing one. This isn't why I'm here seeking him out. I'm not a vigilante, I just checked that before I decided to pursue the contract on him. Back in the old days, there were brokers who could connect clients and contract killers anonymously, for a cut. Apparently. They still exist, now they too are on the dark net. It works like a betting service, using crypto currencies and everything. Someone puts out a contract on a mark by anonymously depositing the prize with the broker. The broker verifies the money is legit and makes a bet on when the mark will die. Whoever comes closest wins the money, also anonymously. In theory someone could "kill steal" if they witness a contract killing, but the system works well enough. I was spending a lot of time on the dark web.

This also means that in principle a mark can know there's a contract on them. But in reality, most people where some shadowy figure want them dead will be just like Boss Man, a career criminal who is not all that computer savvy but rather very invested in his offline social network. I have no idea who wants him dead, I just looked into him enough to see if it was at all possible, and also on whether he has any redeeming traits that would make me feel guilty for it. I've cashed in contracts on people who were not gangsters too, some domestic abusers mostly. Still no idea on the client. Boss Man is just always paranoid, when on the streets he has a gun. His driver keeps that for him now I guess. If I guess closest for when he's dead, that's about 40K worth of bitcoins. The call was out for six months already. So either there aren't so many assassins around who'd take it, or some did and failed for whatever reason. I've tried and given up with several marks, sometimes others got them later. No idea on which other, either. I don't think I know any other contract killers, but then again, would I even know?

The thought strikes me that I should make a smartwatch app that bets on my time of death should my pulse stop, in case I find anyone contracting me. That way at least my death can be my own kill. But honestly, if my actual identity ended up there, something already is wrong. No one should know who I am. Heh. They'd have to use my deadname, since the road to a legal name change in my country of citizenship is... long. How fucking appropriate. Ha ha. Like cancer, fun for the whole family. I literally would have to sue my parents, which means I'd have to meet them again. It's been seven years now. They're still around in Krakow, I know, and my little brother hasn't moved out yet. He and I still talk every now and then. I wonder how he's going to make it.

Boss Man isn't going to shout, is he? Not that it makes all that much difference in this loud environment. No. He needs to do this himself or he'll lose face. He stares at me incredulously, already pretty coked up I guess, and leaps at me, all 95 kilo of muscle and bone and Axe bodyspray. I'm in the motion, I sidestep and rotate. Detachedly, I wonder again what precisely is wrong with me. I don't think I'm a sociopath. Is that even possible for me? If I were then surely I wouldn't have all these social anxieties, or feelings of inadequacy, and I wouldn't end up crying over youtube clips where little ugly fruits find other little ugly fruit friends. I do have empathy, for all that everyone tried to grind it out of me, growing up. I couldn't cry for years and years, it took me doubling the recommended dosage to get there finally. Now, it's not so much a matter on if something will make me cry, but when. I used to simply be unable. Now I cannot decide the "if", but I can delay it if I have to. There has to be something that I'm processing here though, it can't be just for the money. Maybe I'm processing my feelings of being an outsider by ensuring I must always be, that there is (yet another?) thing in my life that no-one ever will understand? Some sort of reaction formation? Or am I an adrenaline junkie?

"What the... fucking bitch! Fucking cunt!" he exclaims, slamming against the wall. I swing my fist at the back of Boss Man's head but he's already turned back and lifted a meaty arm for blocking. He has a tattoo of an eagle. He's in stance now. No more surprises.

He stares at me. With a sickening dread my guts recognize that look before my brain does. I shiver. He blinks. "What the fuck? You're a fucking man in a dress? A fucking tranny faggot?" Boss Man laughs. "That's why you fight like that. No fucking real girl could land a hit like that on me! Fuck! I can see it now, look at you, full of makeup and shit. But you've got balls, right? Show me you've got balls, man!" He takes fighting stance again, like he's challenging me. He smiles like a maniac. I'm staggering. It's like I'm split in two pictures like with those old 3D images, floating in different directions, none of them me. I can't sense my body, but it's like I see it from the outside. Tall, flat-chested. Tuck isn't perfect, is it? And I'm blonde, so plenty of electrolysis left before any kind of smoothness. Would any cis woman do contract killings like this? He's implying that, isn't he? That only someone incurably steeped in toxic masculinity would be a... a... hitman.

This is so dangerous, I know it. It feels like those times after meeting that support group when I couldn't stop idly thinking as the train approached the platform that it would be so easy to solve everything by just stepping in front. One part of me is deep in, one is detached. Neither really cares how this goes, right now. Am I angry with him? No way to tell. The important thing is, how dangerous to my beliefs about my identity are these implications? And are those just beliefs? He clocked me in a dark club corridor without me even speaking, so that horrible voice I have isn't it. What's wrong with me? I feel like I'm already dead. A waterlogged corpse having rotted, the bones move through soft flesh-mud. I freeze.

Boss man knocks me over and I feel a sharp pain as I hit the floor. Only luck it was not head first. Then again, if that damn head with it's fucking brow ridge and big nose cracked like a melon, then it would be over. He's on top of me. "What the fuck is this about, you little faggot? Huh? Did you really think you could fool me, you fucking ugly little cocksucker bitch?" I know it's over. I won't have to worry again on whether I'm actually just a sad, misandrist failure of a man, someone who still ticks off all the boxes of male stereotype and socialization. It'll be like with the train. Eventually it will all be over. Pain for a while. But only one outcome. It will be over.

He puts his hand on my left breast and there's another look of surprise on his face. Then his mouth is at the side of my neck. I feel rough, raspy stubble and smell the sour musk of his sweat and breath. He bites my neck hard and grunts. I feel his cock quickly growing hard against my thigh. Another rough hand moves up my thigh. He has to make sure now. The smell, I can't let it go. I remember my old training clothes. Four years ago? Before HRT. I used to smell like this. There is sausage on his breath, and beer. The stubble. When my hands had eczemas because I didn't moisturize, and they itched, I would scratch them against the stubble of the cheek of the body that I was in. The skin would eventually blister and bleed and get sticky, and it would hurt more and longer.

That's not me anymore.

That's who he is. I'm different. I always was. That never was me. That surface was no-one. I'm the will to motion. I'm the choice I made. I am me.

Boss Man isn't holding my hands in place because he's too busy groping at my tuck. So I press them against the veins at the side of the neck, holding and twisting as if I was opening a jar of pickles. I hear his neck snap, and slowly he goes limp on top of me. My head is spinning and for a moment I forget who I am, where I am, what I am. There is only the naked tube lights of the ceiling high above and the graffiti on the concrete walls. My back hurts.

I turn to get him off me. I squeeze his neck again to be sure, check the pupils. I kick Boss Man in the side of the head, first gingerly, carefully. Then again, harder. Again. A dozen times, with the hard toes of my pumps. I take out the phone, choose the camera settings to ensure there is a time stamp watermark as well as a GPS watermark. Then I remember. I have to remove the little coloured sticker they put over the camera lenses on your phone in this club. Check. Filter settings. Check. I upload an image of Boss Man's vacant gaze as he lies there to the server, through the TOR client app. It's done.

I hurry down to the bathroom, one floor down. I shy away from the mirror image because I can already guess what it would show, and I go in to hide in a stall. I lock the door carefully. Then I let the tears come.

#fiction #short story #slice_of_other_life #unedited #creative_writing #write_what_you_almost_know

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i-w-p-chan · 6 years

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Rewind - Reunion

Summary: Goro Week Day 1: Favorite Scene/Scene You Look Forward To Most In The Anime. Akechi Goro is working a shift at the beef bowl shop when he meets a new part-timer.

Note: Hey, so guess who has all of her fandom event entries set in the same AU again? Yep, this girl.

Say hello to Rewind ‘verse, in which Akechi, post engine room confrontation, finds himself a couple of years in the past in his younger self’s body. A.K.A NG+ Akechi AU.

Also, the prompts merged and mutated into: Akechi’s and Akira’s first meeting and interactions.

Warnings: So Much Introspection, Who Wants Some Shitty Introspection, Akechi Thinks About Akira A LOT Okay?, NG+ Akechi AU, The Dangers Of Zero Stats Akira, Akira Is 100% 24/7 Akechi Lure, Brief Mention Of My OC Edogawa.

Disclaimer: Don’t own P5.

“There will be another kid working the shift with you.” Goro only half-heard his boss as he went about putting on his apron; a lot of high school students occasionally worked shifts at the beef bowl place for a quick cash, and they came and went with such frequency that Goro, who frequently worked at the shop, stopped paying attention to who worked with him.

After he finished tying his apron, he turned around and came face to face to the new help.

And froze.

The new help merely reached around him for an apron before then stepping away from him.

Goro blinked, once, twice, thrice, but the messy hair, glasses, and black shoulder bag did not change.

He was not hallucinating.

He shook himself out of his stupor before he walked off in the direction of the work area, almost stumbling from the aftershock.

The other part-timer was none other than Kurusu Akira.

He’d lie if he said that he never thought about what he would do if he met Kurusu again.

He’d imagined plenty of scenarios. The things he’d say, the things he’d do, the way he’d approach Kurusu.

He imagined how Kurusu would react to seeing him. He’d pictured Kurusu remembering the events of the year that happened (the year that was to come) and scorning Goro for his deeds; he’d selfishly pictured Kurusu remembering but still accepting him.

He’d pictured Kurusu looking at him blankly, not recognizing him.

And it seemed that it was the latter that happened eventually.

It was strange, Goro noted to himself, as he observed Kurusu from the corner of his eye as he worked, watching the way Kurusu had to scramble around to get the orders ready, movement stiff, watching the way his expression was blank, the way his bangs and glasses covered his eyes, watched the way he was completely silent throughout.

It was… difficult to associate the image of Kurusu in his mind- admirably bold, effortlessly charming, enviously graceful, frustratingly devious, terrifyingly kind- with the Kurusu he had right in front of his eyes- closed in on himself, with zero presence and elegance, the epitome of ‘another blank face in the crowds’- due to how jarring the difference between the two was.

Goro, selfishly, had thought Kurusu would feel a pull in his direction, like Goro had always felt towards Kurusu, but that night, Kurusu had finished the shift, took his payment, took off his apron, and left.

He didn’t even glance Goro’s way once.

Goro frowned as he hurriedly prepared to leave as well, taking off his apron and tugging his hood over his head before he grabbed his things and left after Kurusu.

He wasn’t planning to stalk Kurusu, just observe him from afar, watch the way he moved, his body language, how he could tell that he was being followed and took to winding around the same alleyways in a confusing pattern, dropping by random shops. If Goro didn’t know these alleyways himself like the back of his hand, he would have been lost.

As it was, he was surprised Kurusu wasn’t lost; if he remembered correctly, Kurusu should still be new to the area at this time of the year, barely a month into his stay in Tokyo.

Minutes later, Goro stopped in front of one of the shops and lingered, letting Kurusu slip away, definitely heading back to Leblanc by now.

He hummed thoughtfully before he headed to the station himself, intent on returning to his home.

He didn’t know how or why, but for some reason, he’d been granted a second chance to start over.

He’d been shot by his cursed father’s cognition of him, and the next thing he knew, he was waking up around two years and a half in the past at least, before the time he’d even awakened his Persona and started to build up a reputation as a detective to approach Shido.

And so he, Akechi Goro, was back in time, with no clue of the reason behind it, and no idea of what he was supposed to do next.

Oh, he’d planned to blaze through Shido’s Palace, steal his Treasure before he ruined more people’s lives, like Sakura’s and Okumura’s, but…

He didn’t receive the Nav.

He remembered freaking out, nearly thinking all of his memories were hallucinations, and that such things like the Metaverse and Personas didn’t exist after all, that Palaces and Shadows and Treasures didn’t exist after all, that the Thieves didn’t exist-

But the presence of his Persona in his mind reeled him back in.

Nemesis, his Persona that emerged from both Loki and Robin Hood, was still there in the back of his head, her Bless and Curse magic simmering under his skin in a way that was completely different from Loki and Robin Hood; it was calmer, for one, more balanced, more settled, more comfortable.

If it wasn’t for Nemesis, Goro would have probably gone insane long ago.

Taking out his phone, he scrolled through it carefully; there was no sign of the Nav, not that he expected the app to hop into his phone that simply.

Goro knew that whatever sent him the app last time didn’t have a reason to do so to the current Goro.

(The app was another thing he’d spent hours contemplating in the past couple of years, and the thoughts and conclusions he’d come to didn’t comfort him.)

Either Kurusu didn’t suspect Goro of being the person who followed him the previous night, or he didn’t care, or his current reason to work at the beef bowl place was more important, because he returned again, and worked through his shift like he did the time before.

As the two of them were done for the day, Goro gathered his courage to start a conversation with Kurusu, “Excuse me.”

Kurusu stared back at him, apron over one arm and glasses somehow reflecting the light even though Goro was sure it was supposed to be impossible in the room’s current lighting.

When Kurusu didn’t say anything in response, Goro cleared his throat, “I haven’t introduced myself last night before we started working or before we left. I tried to follow you after you left but you lost me a few minutes after following you.” Goro plastered a smile on his face, it was awkward, as he hadn’t had a reason to plaster a smile on for anyone in the last couple of years except for Edogawa, but it was at least not completely fake like his smiles used to be during his stint as the Detective Prince, “My apologies for that, by the way. My name is Akechi Goro.”

Goro observed Kurusu carefully, watching him stand in place for a while before he reached a hand to tug at one of his bangs; it was a nervous tick, a gesture that the Kurusu whom Goro had known had rarely exhibited in the detective’s presence, but now…

“Kurusu Akira.” Kurusu jerked his head forward before he raised it to look Goro straight in the eye, face still blank, posture still awkward, but Goro could see a tiny spark in his dark eyes, a very familiar spark.

Goro’s smile lost some of its awkwardness at the sight, becoming something more genuine, “It’s nice to meet you, Kurusu-kun. As well as working with you.” Goro chuckled lightly, “Please take care of me.”

Kurusu blinked at him, “It’s nice to meet you, too, Akechi-san.”

Goro had never been able to keep himself away from Kurusu Akira, not when he had important things at stake, but now that he didn’t fear a metaphorical blade hanging over his head and waiting to drop at the slightest mistake, he was free to pursue Kurusu without dreading any grave consequences.

He was free to drop the mask around Kurusu without it coming back to bite him in the ass later.

(Besides, Goro would lie if he said that he wasn’t interested in knowing this Kurusu, the person Joker was at the start of his journey, the person who’d drag himself up to climb to the heights Goro had stared at with want and need, want and need that caused rage and envy to blind him before.)

(But not this time.)

(This time, he had the chains of his own fate in his own hands, broken by his own hands and with the help of the Thieves he’d known.)

“We should exchange numbers!” Goro almost chirruped, taking great joy from watching the awkward way Kurusu reached for his phone and exchanged contact information.

(Oh, for once, Goro was going to enjoy his life.)

End

#goroweek #persona 5 #p5 #akechi goro #kurusu akira #rewind - reunion

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dipulb3 · 4 years

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How to figure out where all your money is going

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/how-to-figure-out-where-all-your-money-is-going/

How to figure out where all your money is going

That means making a budget. No one loves hearing the dreaded ‘B’ word, but keeping a running tab of your daily expenses in your head probably isn’t cutting it.

“People think they are spending less than they actually are,” said Madison Sharick, manager of financial planning at PNC Investments.

Taking an ad hoc approach to budgeting can leave you in the hole at the end of the month, shortchanging your savings and pushing you into debt.

But don’t think of a budget as a burden, recommended Tiffany Aliche, founder of personal finance website The Budgetnista and author of upcoming book “Get Good with Money.” Instead, think of it as a way to achieve your financial goals. “Your budget creates an environment to have the things you want in a way that is sustainable,” she said.

And creating a system to track your expenses doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Just find a method that works best for you.

If you want to do the heavy lifting

Whether it’s with pen and paper or an Excel spreadsheet, tracking all your spending and incoming cash for at least a month provides a detailed log of your financial habits and makes you more aware of them.

The key is to be honest and thorough with your tracking — yes, that cup of coffee needs to be noted. As does that birthday card for your mom. At the end of the month, you will have a line-by-line accounting of your finances giving you a clear picture of how much you are spending and saving.

To help categorize spending, Aliche places a “B” next to any bills that are fixed like rent or mortgage payments, and a “UB” for “usage bills” is placed on expenses that can fluctuate, like utility bills. She places a “C” next to expenditures that are a choice (and are the easiest to cut back on, like eating out or entertainment).

The downside: This method can be time-consuming and can feel tedious.

If you swipe all the time

If pen and paper aren’t your thing, or you’re just not diligent enough to keep up with all your purchases by hand, technology can help track and categorize your spending for you.

Various apps and websites like Mint or PocketGuard will sync with your accounts to create spending reports. These tools work best if almost all of your spending is done through credit cards and electronic purchases.

Some credit card providers also offer breakdowns of your spending to give you a sense of where your money is going, but they’re usually limited to transactions you made with that account.

The downside: Tracking software tends to be backward-looking, tracking what you’ve already spent, which won’t help prevent overspending.

You like to have rules to follow

Am I saving enough? Where can I cut back?

Now that you know where you’ve been putting your money, maybe you need some help figuring out where it should be going.

The 50/30/20 budget provides a guideline on how to divide your paycheck: 50% should go to required costs (for example: housing, groceries, utility bills) 30% to discretionary spending (travel, entertainment, subscriptions, etc.) and 20% to savings and debt.

Online calculators, like this one from Mint, can help you break it all down and customize it.

The downside: This method can be hard to follow for people in high cost-of-living areas — where housing costs eat up a much larger portion of a budget — or for those nearing retirement who may need to double down on savings.

If you’re an extreme money manager… or aspire to be

Once you’ve paid all your bills, spent on your wants and put cash toward savings, you might still have some left over. Money left floating around in your checking account without a designated purpose often ends up being spent on luxuries and impulse buys.

That’s not great.

A zero-sum budget helps avoid that problem by accounting for every dollar before you earn it. So you start with your income and then subtract all your expenses for the month with the goal of hitting zero. Expenses include everything you spend money on, including housing, food, savings and investments.

A popular zero-sum system is YNAB (You Need a Budget). The software will allocate your income to cover all your expenses, set goals and track your progress. EveryDollar from personal finance expert Dave Ramsey is another tool that uses the zero-sum method to allocate funds.

The downside: This approach can be time-consuming and hard to follow if your income frequently fluctuates.

If you need strict discipline

Having a visual reminder of where your money is going can help rein in overspending.

First, figure out your take-home pay for a month (or pay period) and then subtract any expenses that can’t be paid in cash: things like, housing, savings and utilities (automate these payments if possible).

The leftover funds are what you have left to spend on everything else in your budget. Determine how much you can spend in each category (groceries, gas, entertainment) and then put cash for each designated amount into an envelope labeled with what it can be spent on.

Once the envelope is empty, no more spending in that category for the month.

If you don’t want to deal with physical envelopes full of cash, apps like Goodbudget and Mvelopes allow you to create virtual envelopes to help track spending.

The downside: This old-school method requires a lot of cash and trips to the ATM and can be hard for families to execute together.

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caseymalone · 7 years

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Top 10 Games 2017

Here are my top 10 games for 2017! Minor spoilers for a few of them, but nothing major. You’ve been warned!

10. Resident Evil 7: BioHazard

There have been 27 Resident Evil games, including remakes, remasters, 3DS releases but excluding pachinko machines and Tiger Electronics handhelds. Of those near thirty games, Resident Evil 7 brings the total I’ve enjoyed to… two. I guess this is my way of saying that between being a huge scaredy cat and irked by the stuffy, smothering control scheme of the originals, there’s no nostalgia weighing me down whenever Capcom reinvents Resident Evil, first with Resident Evil 4, now again with 7.

But where Resident Evil 4 took the fantasy of being a special agent in a world full of monsters further than ever before, Resident Evil 7 drops it completely. In it, I’m a wimp, a nerd with a camera at the whims of this family of maniacs, trapped on their grounds by a drive to find my wife, who is changing into… something. Capcom smothers me with a pervasive sense of helplessness playing RE7, forcing me into a desperate scramble to escape the unstoppable Daddy (side note: “The Unstoppable Daddy” was my nickname in college). Filling me with absolute dread when the disgusting creature Marguerite becomes clambers through holes and onto walls. And forcing me to freeze up and take a deep breath at the sinking realization that my next goal is all the way across the grounds.with god knows what between me and it. Even the change to a first-person view means your helpless doesn’t stop at your ability to fight - you don’t even know what’s around you. Resident Evil 7 left me terrified and anxious throughout, which is saying something since played it on Easy.

9. Gorogoa

It’s now an annual event that, despite a perception that Adventure Games are dead, someone releases a labor of love whose beauty and finesse showcase the best the genre has to offer. Gorogoa asks you to interact in the simplest terms - zoom in and out, or drag and drop. What makes Gorogoa special is that when I do those things, it feels like I’ve changed fundamental ways that I think. My perspective on the world has shifted about ten degrees to the left and all the rules are new. That combined with hand-drawn visuals, stark sound design and desolate narrative made Gorogoa a brief yet crucial experience for anyone looking to see games as more than loot-box dispensers.

8. Star Wars: Force Arena

Oops, speaking of Loot Boxes. Well, card packs? Is there a difference? Where have we come down on this? The conversation around gaming in 2017 has been dominated by a debate about the ethics of selling random pulls at cards, skins, characters, horses, buggies, whatever, and I’m going to level with all of you - my perspective is skewed. I make mobile free-to-play games, which use this mechanic, and I’ve been playing collectible card games since the Revised core set for Magic: The Gathering came out in 1994. So one way to look at my opinion is that I don’t have a problem with this way of selling people games, and a much less charitable one is that I’m fully indoctrinated. Either way, being able to get emotionally side-step this entire debate has lent me the clarity of mind to tell you all that Star Wars: Force Arena is good as hell.

Force Arena is the real-time, head-to-head gameplay of Clash Royale, but with direct control of a Hero, MOBA-style, then Star Wars’ed all the way up. Every system is implemented in a smartly and cleanly, facilitating my ability to get into the game and getting out of my so I can let people know my Han Solo deck is not to be flexed with. The whole thing is catnip for Ol’ Maloney over here, and I am straight rolling.

7. Star Wars: Imperial Assault - Legends of the Alliance

Is spaghetti a sandwich? Is Chewbacca a dog? Is Matt Kessler a mongoose? Is Legends of the Alliance, an app for Star Wars: Imperial Assault, a video game with physical components or a board game with a digital accessory? The line between board games and video games is get blurrier, as outstanding digital components have begun to take the place of cumbersome bookkeeping, or allow designers to add elements that would be impossible to achieve otherwise. Or, in the case of Legends of the Alliance, replacing the Imperial Player entirely.

Traditionally played as a team of rebels against a monolithic Imperial player, Legends of the Alliance turns Imperial Assault into a fully cooperative experience, running the campaign as a virtual dungeon master, setting up your next level and directing Imperial enemies to attack your heroes. But more than simply emulating a now missing player, Legends of the Alliance takes this chance to add something to the experience.

Without the app you bounce from one XCOM-esque tactical mission to the next, but now… now you go on non-combat missions. You make friends in the world. You feel a real sense of betrayal when you learn not all the Rebels are working for the greater good, and you deal with the emotional aftermath with other characters when the Empire manages to grind you under their heel. These things weren’t in the box of plastic and cards I bought years back - they were exclusively part of Legends of the Alliance, and creating new memories and experience while justifying asking you to bring your laptop to your tabletop.

6. Horizon Zero Dawn

There’s a vital sincerity to Horizon Zero Dawn. After borrowing mechanics liberally from Far Cry/Assassin’s Creed, adding giant robot dinosaurs, and then putting the voice actress behind Borderlands 2’s (in my opinion, brutally irritating) Tiny Tina front and center, it would have been so easy for Guerrilla Games to smarmy one-liner their way through this post-post-apocalypse adventure. Instead they cast that all aside to carefully bring you into a world without even a hint of irony.

At the center of the game is Ashly Burch’s Aloy, full of wounded confidence and strength tinged with kindness, a performance so natural yet thoughtful that Aloy stands above any other character in games this year. That sincerity doesn’t make Horizon a serious or grim affair - there’s jokes, and boy howdy is there a lot of flirting - but it serves to draw the player into the world, rather than establish a safe ironic distance from which both the player and the game can remain “cool.” Every choice shows that Guerrilla Games truly wants me to care about Aloy and the world of Horizon. It turns out I do.

5. HQ

For me, 2017 was a year of shared gaming experiences. I’ll get to the other two big ones below, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t include this nightmare of a Black Mirror episode, this scheduled dose of Quiz Daddy Scott Rogowski, this twice daily car crash with a cash payout, HQ.

For months at 3 PM, I’d jump into Discord with my friends and join in the collective hypnosis of a new game of HQ. We were beyond captivated. We had a million questions - who is Scott? Why does he vamp with the intensity of someone hosting at gunpoint? Where is he broadcasting this from? And when he’s not there, where the hell is Scott? Who is this rando who claims to be ‘Scott’s Boy’? How does the player count keep growing, and how does this thing make money? It was a mystery wrapped in tech startup poppiness and a screaming man in a suit, and we wanted to know everything about it.

Like any mystery, as we’ve learned more about Scott and HQ, our interest has waned and my friends have fallen off the Trivia Train. But for months, once a day we’d simultaneously drop everything and delve into it. Something nothing else in games or television has gotten us to do for years. Also, uh...

…

I’m playing a game called HQ Trivia. You should play too. Use my code “caseymalone” to sign up.

4. Super Mario Odyssey

In late October 2017, was there anything I needed more than some unabashed joy? A full-on celebration of bright colors, silly characters and bizarre hats? Super Mario Odyssey would be an incredible game at any time in history, but the timing of its release felt like more than just a game; it felt like a balm. A warm weighted blanket sewn from my old t-shirts, taking nostalgia and making it into something new, something calling me to come back and crawl under it all day, every day. A game that rewarded me for just being in the world, asking me to challenge myself at your own pace, issuing pats on the head and individually wrapped chocolates as a reward for just wandering around and doing my thing. 2017 was a year where Nintendo was dedicated to challenging what people expect from them with their hardware, their mobile ports, and another of their major franchises. When it came to Mario, though, Nintendo clearly just wanted to make people happy. And I’m so, so grateful for that.

3. Destiny 2 & 2. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

Destiny and Battlegrounds seem like pretty starkly different experiences, but what I got out of them in 2017 was the same - time with some of my best friends. Friends who live in Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey, England, San Francisco; people I never get to see, people I don’t even get to talk to that often. But those friendships got actually stronger this year through these games.

That wouldn’t be possible if the underlying games weren’t outstanding - Destiny 2’s shooting feels incredible, and its endless list of chores made sure there was always a mission for me to suck friends into, or a goal for me to help them out with. There aren’t (currently) many Strikes for us to go on, but honestly that helped - when you know all the beats, a zen-like state takes over and you can enjoy the lock-on and kickback of hand cannons without worry. All the while catching up, making goofs, or ranting about the state of the world without the game getting in the way.

Destiny 2’s not perfect - a lot of the changes made from Destiny to Destiny 2 to make it smoother and more welcoming turned solo play into a dull shade of its predecessor. But as a part of a Strike Team, Destiny 2 hums with efficiency, getting out of my way and letting me and my friends have fun.

And it would be second to none this year if wasn’t for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.

Battlegrounds is insane, it’s a fun-time mess-around machine paired with an intensely hardcore military shooter, a game that’s thirty minutes of a goofy chatroom capped off with two minutes of a game-ending firefight. Except for when that fire-fight lasts for twenty minutes and it’s the most intense experience of my life. I’ve had as much fun losing PUBG as I’ve had winning (the few times I’ve managed to snag a chicken dinner), and I’ve had even more fun when I die and get to stay in voice-chat to cheer on the rest of my squad, spectating through to the end.

While I don’t get much out of watching strangers stream on Twitch, I’ve been lucky that enough of my friends stream this game, for a while on an almost daily basis, that I had just as much fun watching them as actually playing it. I laughed so hard when friends would get motorcycles trapped in a tree, cheered when they’d have from-behind victories, and feel heartbreak when the squad’s last hope would get shotgunned from behind after escaping tough spot after tough spot. Somehow all these feelings were just as strong as when I was behind the controls myself. There’s magic in this game, which boggles the mind, because with its bugs and frankly generic style, it could not possibly look less magical.

I cannot fucking believe I’m typing this but it turns out the real game of the year was the friends I made along the way.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Just kidding, game of the year is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

I always have less to say when I get to the top item on my list because what could I possibly say about Breath of the Wild that hasn’t been covered already? Nintendo stripped so much out of the Zelda series that honestly when I started playing it, I felt uncomfortable and exposed - what do you mean my weapons break? Wait, I don’t have to buy bombs, I just HAVE them? When are the DUNGEONS going to show up, what are these shines? I don’t like this at all. But as I bristled against those, I was slowly filling with wonder. Every canyon I walked out of, every corner I turned, every hole I climbed out of revealed a field with towns and caverns, or small forests full of unknown treasures and monsters.

Lots of games do open worlds, but where Skyrim feels like I could get lost in it, the Hyrule of Breath of the Wild feels like I am conquering it. In Skyrim I feel like I’m exploring the map - in Breath of the Wild, I’m making it.

I remember so clearly, late at night, climbing to the top of a bridge that crosses Lake Hylia. I don’t know why I was there, or what I thought might be at the top of the tower, but Nintendo put it there, so maybe. Maybe there was something. I climbed to the top and there wasn’t anything for me to take, but as I looked over towards the horizon, Hyrule stretched on forever. I felt overwhelmed with the possibility of disappointment - that I would feel the need to climb it all, that there wouldn’t be a thing for me at the top of most of those towers, under those rocks. And as I thought about that the music changed. From the water of the lake emerged Farosh, the lightning dragon, soaring, completely oblivious to me. He was beautiful, powerful, made me forget about any of my goals or collectibles and forced me to take in his majesty. Forced me to realize there were no rupees or arrows up there because this moment was my reward. And that there would be moments like this all throughout Hyrule. I just needed to go looking for them.

Near Misses: Injustice 2, Everybody’s Golf, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

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rafaelthompson · 4 years

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Welcome to the April + May 2020 15th Anniversary Issue of Barista Magazine!

The April + May 2020 15th anniversary issue of Barista Magazine is here, featuring Deadstock Coffee’s Ian Williams. Also included: ‘United by Difference: Coffee + Wine,’ ‘Measuring Success: Annual Reviews,’ ‘The Manager’s Handbook,’ ‘The Hidden Costs of Coffee: Part 3,’ a ‘Master Q+A’ with Carrboro Coffee’s Scott Conary, and much more!

BY KENNETH R. OLSON BARISTA MAGAZINE

April is here, and with the new month comes another issue of Barista Magazine. This isn’t just any issue, though—it’s our 15th anniversary issue! And April also means that the SCA Expo is just around the corner, and we’re so excited that it’s happening this year in our hometown of Portland, Oregon! We can’t wait to see you all in person!

OK, hold the phone. That’s how I thought I’d be starting this post just a couple of weeks ago. But in the days since, while our new issue was literally on the printing press, the world turned upside down.

We are disappointed, to say the least, that not only will Expo not be here in April, it won’t be here in Portland or in 2020 at all. And next month’s MICE event in Melbourne, Australia, where we’d see a new World Barista Champion crowned, has been postponed until November. And those things are suddenly too so minor.

Coffee shops, cafés, and restaurants the world over have been ordered shut. Others may be open but can only offer take-out. And millions of people have been put out of work. Even that isn’t the worst of it, though it’s a disaster. We also watch or read the news each day with feelings of hopelessness and dread as the infection count and deaths from COVID-19 continue to rise around the globe.

But I also know this: As bad as it is right now, and as bad as it will be in the coming months, we will get through this, just like we always do in the specialty coffee industry: together.

Cover Feature: Ian Williams

Ian Williams of Deadstock Coffee in Portland, Ore., is the cover feature for the April + May 2020 15th Anniversary issue of Barista Magazine!

Ian Williams, this issue’s cover feature, knows all about overcoming adversity and working for the betterment of his community. In “Ian Williams: Coffee Sneakerhead,” Barista Magazine’s editor-in-chief Sarah Allen writes about Ian’s personal journey, how he came to love coffee, and why it’s important to him for his shop Deadstock to play such an involved role in his community.

Coffee + Wine

Explore the similarities and differences between coffee and wine.

Often in our industry we talk about how we’d love consumers to think more about coffee the way they do about wine, and importantly, value coffee like they do wine. Wine professional Andrew Kientz and coffee pro Ana Mallozzi team up in “United by Difference” to lay out the basics in cultivation and processing for both coffee and wine to note the similarities and differences between the two.

Performance Reviews that Work

Make the most of performance reviews with help from writer RJ Joseph.

Popular writer RJ Joseph is back tackling a topic that often brings frustration, eye-rolls, and general ennui: performance reviews. But RJ writes that with some guidance, advice from experts, and an understanding that both parties have something to gain, performance reviews can actually become a powerful tool to make your café run its best.

‘The Manager’s Handbook’: Leadership

The first installment of “The Manager’s Handbook” focuses on leadership.

Along those lines, Maggie Davis brings the first installment of a new limited series called “The Manager’s Handbook.” Maggie writes, “In this series for Barista Magazine, I want to dig into leadership development, exploring what that means and unpacking some of the tools we can use to improve ourselves and inspire our teams.”

‘The Hidden Costs of Coffee: Part 3’

What are the costs and benefits for a farmer selling to a coyote? Part 3 of “The Hidden Costs of Coffee” investigates.

Part 3 of Sierra Burgess-Yeo’s series “The Hidden Costs of Coffee” looks at the role coyotes play in coffee production. Coyotes are middlemen who pay cash for ripe coffee, which can be an appealing option for a farmer with bills to pay. But selling coffee to coyotes comes with trade-offs. Sierra takes a look at what those trade-offs are and why a farmer might be willing to sell to a coyote anyway.

‘Master Q+A’: Scott Conary

For more than 20 years, Scott Conary has been working in, and volunteering his time to, the specialty-coffee community.

Scott Conary heads up Carrboro Coffee Roasters and a couple of cafés in North Carolina. He was originally drawn to the area as a scientist and researcher, but he is probably best known for his countless hours given to the specialty-coffee community as a judge and volunteer for competitions. We had a chance to interview him for this issue’s “Master Q&A.”

You can find much more in the April + May 2020 15th Anniversary issue of Barista Magazine. And as always, you have your choice to read it in paper or digital format. You can order a hard copy through our online store here or start a subscription. Of course you can also read it for free online on our website or take it with you with our free app.

A note about subscriptions and renewals: As we know many of our readers face tough economic times and uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have suspended renewals. All subscriptions that were current on March 17, 2020, were automatically extended for an additional six months for free. Additionally, through June, we are offering half-off any new subscription in our online store.

It has been an honor and privilege to serve this community for the last 15 years. As challenging as these times are, we know that this community stands resilient, determined, and giving. We will support it however we can during this time of crisis, and we know without a doubt that until this passes, our community will continue to help others as it has always done. Thank you for letting Barista Magazine be a part of it.

The post Welcome to the April + May 2020 15th Anniversary Issue of Barista Magazine! appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

Welcome to the April + May 2020 15th Anniversary Issue of Barista Magazine! published first on https://espressoexpertsite.tumblr.com/

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fitnesshealthyoga-blog · 6 years

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New Post has been published on https://fitnesshealthyoga.com/how-to-expand-your-online-nutrition-business/

How To Expand Your Online Nutrition Business

As a certified nutrition professional, you positively impact people’s lives in many ways. Working as a sole proprietor means doing all the jobs: accounting, marketing, advertising, customer service, and delivering the services. With so much work to do, growing and expanding can prove to be a challenge. Don’t lose sight of your passion and why you became certified. Once you have the basics of starting your business covered, read on for how to grow your online nutrition business.

Make a plan

A business plan is a living document, which means you need to actively engage with it and adapt it as your business grows. So, even if you already wrote a business plan when you were starting your business, take it out and tweak it. If you haven’t written one yet, now is as good a time as any to get started. Even as a sole proprietor, having a business plan in place has many benefits.

More than only a brand statement, a thorough business plan also includes some market research and business goals. Properly researched and written, it will help you establish your purpose, focus your goals, and define your competition in addition to your ideal clients.

A typical business plan includes a brand statement, a description of the business, a description of you as the sole proprietor, including your training, education and credentials, personas of your ideal clients, a description of your competition, a menu of services with rates, your projected expenses and profits and other financial details, and your overall business outlook. Try this template from the American Nutrition Association as a starting point for crafting and updating your business plan.

Set SMART goals

Working as a nutrition professional, you surely know the benefits of setting goals. As a business owner, it’s just as important to set goals for yourself. Make sure your goals are SMART:

Specific: the details matter; make sure your goals are narrowly defined and specific enough that you know exactly what you’re after and you’ll know exactly when you’ve achieved them.

Instead of saying, “I will increase my client base,” or “I will earn more money,” set goals that describe exactly how many clients you will have or how much money you will earn: I will take on six new clients per quarter for my full service package or I will earn $10,000 a month in profits by second quarter.

Measurable: how will you know when you’ve reached your goal? You want to be able to measure your progress. In the specific goal examples above, you will know you’ve met your goal when you have six clients per quarter or are earning $10,000 per month in profits.

That does not mean you cannot have qualitative goals, like wanting happier clients. It does mean that you’ll need some way to measure that happiness. Perhaps you’ll implement pre and post surveys for your clients and set a goal of a percentage of your clients finishing their work with you feeling a certain level of happiness, or increasing their happiness by a certain amount. For example, you could ask your clients to rate their happiness from 1-10 at the start of their work with you and then at the end of their work with you, and aim for an increase of 2-3 points.

Attainable: be realistic in setting your goals, or else you might set yourself up for disappointment. While there is nothing wrong with thinking big—in fact, do think big!—break those giant sized goals down into smarter goals and you will chip away at that big goal more effectively.

Also be realistic about what you are capable of achieving with the resources you have. Understand that some goals you set might mean working more hours or hiring out some of the work so that you can reach those goals and expand your business without losing your personal life.

Relevant: this is your business, so make sure the goals are important to you. Do you really want your business to be a certain size or help a certain population? If so, great! But if you don’t want to be Instagram famous with your business or write a book or have a blog, you can be successful without those goals. Be successful on your terms, and make sure your business goals are relevant to you and where you want to take your business.

Time-limited: set realistic timeframes and deadlines for achieving your goals. If you don’t, you risk not having anything else to hold you accountable. Don’t be too stringent, but do set some deadlines to keep you motivated to achieve.

Automate your workflows

When you first start out as a sole proprietor, your fears are in not getting enough clients. As your client base grows, you fear not having enough time to send invoices and increase your cash flow. This problem is a great one to have! It’s also an indication that it might be time to automate some processes. Try finding the jobs you can give to software programs and apps, and pay for them. Investing in these automations can help you spend more time with your clients.

Consider your process, and if you don’t have a streamlined process, get one! From first touch, that very first moment a client is introduced to you or your brand, through completion of their program with you, what is your process of engaging with them? Consider investing in programs that track marketing leads, automate email marketing flows, track your expenses, automatically schedule different types of meetings or calls, and automate client experience emails, like follow ups, feedback, and progress charts. Create as many templates as you can, while still preserving moments for personalization and connection in your client communications.

Also consider your personal life. Automating workflows in your personal life can help you carve out more time for work and more time for play when work time ends. Maybe you want to hire cleaning services, invest in meal preparation services, hire landscapers, or automate some of your personal accounting. With so many duties and responsibilities as a sole proprietor, your work can easily creep into your personal life, especially as you grow and work increases.

Build your online presence

Make your online content work for you, not make more work for you. Take an inventory of what lines of communication you have and include your website and all social media accounts and any professional networking profiles. Look at each line’s activity and determine which channels are your top performers. Also consider which platforms are easiest for you to work on. For example, perhaps you love taking photos and videos, and so it’s no coincidence that your Instagram account brings you the most engagement. Or, maybe you are a great writer and great at making quick videos, and your blog and youtube channel drive most of your engagements.

Create your content ecosystem by making other channels flow into your top performing channel; direct your traffic to where people are most likely to engage and purchase your services. Continue to invest in that top performing channel. Try signing up for free webinars and learning how to maximize your effort from that channel. Also reuse content; make your content for your top performing channel, and lightly adapt it or auto post it to other channels using a third party app.

Plan and schedule your content to automate as much as possible, but do not forget that social media performs best for you when you keep it social. Make sure you take the time to sincerely engage with your followers.

Try making videos. It might be uncomfortable to see yourself on video at first, but video is proving to be the top performing content. The good news is that your video does not have to be super edited or top quality; informal daily videos showing what you do are incredibly valuable to potential clients and supporters. Take a video, show it to your closest friends, as for tips and pointers, and reshoot it. Eventually, you’ll get better and get your clip on the first take. If you really don’t like watching yourself, skip the viewing, go straight to feedback from others, and reshoot until they say it’s good to post.

Hire out real humans

Automated flows are fantastic and can be a tremendous help to streamlining your work process, but sometimes, you really need a human for the job. From help with marketing research to rebranding, writing content, accounting, and social media management, there are times when the best option is to hire someone else to do the job for you.

Working for yourself is wonderful, but it does not mean you have to like all aspects of the job or be good at all of them. Perhaps you dread certain tasks, do not know enough about others, aren’t very good at them, or you need to hire a certified professional, such as an accountant or lawyer. As you grow, understand that you do not have to do all the work yourself, and that hiring someone else to do the work means just that—you are growing!

Collaborate and build partnerships

Perhaps you’re ready to add another revenue stream, like a product, but do not want to go it alone. Or maybe you want to have help developing business. One step down from hiring someone is to form a collaboration or partnership. Look for professionals whose businesses complement your own and strike up a relationship with them.

As an online nutrition professional, look to build relationships with gyms, fitness centers, doctors and other business owners whose clientele compliments yours. Propose referral relationships and help each other garner business. You can co-write online content, advertise together, and send clients to each other. Explore what your options are and come prepared to talk business deals. You might be surprised by how willing other business owners are to help you grow.

Think big

It might be time to invest in some advertising and boost your publicity. Consider purchasing advertising in local print media and online media. Research how to create your own social media ads or hire a professional to manage these accounts. Write press releases that you can immediately publish to your website and social media and pitch to local news media.

If you aren’t sure what to include in a press release, don’t forget to celebrate the small things. Open for one year? Achieve a goal? Have a story to share about your business? Make yourself a part of your community by telling people your story and showing them about your business. Don’t think you are too small to be newsworthy.

Achieve big

Starting your business might have been exciting and terrifying all at the same time. Taking that leap into working for yourself, even if only part time, was a big accomplishment. Recognize that you are a successful business owner and continue growing and expanding your business strategically and on your terms.

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cryptswahili · 6 years

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Zuckerberg, Going for the KILL

One for all, and all for one.

It seems like Mark Zuckerberg is preparing himself for the final countdown. The final blow to end users privacy, and not just Facebook users, but WhatsApp, and Instagram users, for all three are under his wings, his umbrella of “TRUST”, his massive data collecting empire which feeds itself from the thoughts, feelings, passions, interests, and posts of others, a Vampiric data sucking machine.

Facebook has proven, time and time again, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it is more than willing to infringe on your privacy if it’s efforts brings them a little more cash.

WhatsApp and Instagram are part of the Facebook companies, which means they share data with one another.

If someone is concerned about how Facebook has been handling, or rather mishandling their information, and prefer not to use Facebook Messenger and install Instagram instead, thinking to bypass the data collection of their messages, it matters not, for when it comes to the three free services it’s:

“One for all and all for one”

The three most popular instant messaging apps will now be running on the same messaging infrastructure, different apps, but the same communication network. All three owned by Facebook, a company with a terrible track record of protecting users data and privacy.

A Silver Lining?

Some have some positive things to say about this endeavour:

“Some former Facebook security engineers and an outside encryption expert said the plan could be good news for user privacy, in particular by extending end-to-end encryption.”

I would truly like to know who that outside encryption expert is. We have all been fooled by this end 2 end encryption ruse. WhatsApp, Facebook Messengers Private Chats, both offer end 2 end encryption that is true, however they offer end 2 end encryption based on 1970’s technology! End 2 end encryption has become a BUZZ word in the media, so much so that the Australian Government, last year, passed an anti end 2 end encryption law. Let’s face the facts here, and you encryption experts please feel free to chime in.

End-to-end encryption is a system of communication where only the communicating users can read the messages. Ok, so far so good, but how does this process work ?

First the two parties wanting to communicate with each other, using end to end encryption, must exchange keys. During this key exchange process is where the dreaded Man In The Middle Attack can occur. Rather than trying to break the encryption, an eavesdropper/hacker/NSA may impersonate a message recipient (during key exchange by substituting his public key for the recipient’s), so that messages are encrypted with a key known to the attacker. After decrypting the message, the hacker can then encrypt it, read it, alter it, and send the message on again to avoid detection. This weak point in end 2 end encryption has been there ever since its existence, but wait, there’s more.

Let us not overlook a companies willingness to introduce a backdoor into software, allowing them to bypass whatever protections they have in place. Skype had a backdoor which allowed Microsoft to hand over their users’ messages to the NSA despite the fact that those messages were officially end-to-end encrypted, do we think that Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger has not done, or would not do the same?

Let’s think about this for a short minute.

Facebook, riddled with privacy and data scandals to the point that Mark Zuckerberg had to appear before a joint hearing of the U.S. Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees after it became clear that the personal information of up to 87 million users, mostly in the United States, was improperly shared with a political consultancy.

The regulator that oversees Facebooks activities in the EU said it will stop the integration of WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram if it breaches privacy laws.

Last year a plan to share data between WhatsApp and Facebook was ruled as illegal by the U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Add these 3 points up, and you tell me, “ Facebook would never implement a backdoor into any of their messengers.”

Even though its investors are concerned about snowballing legal and regulatory efforts over data use polices, and Facebook has seen its shares drop by 24%, they would never implement a backdoor in exchange for a green light to merge and operate their messengers in the EU, or to fend off legal attacks, or political pressure, no no, Facebook cares to much for their users privacy and data security.

Perhaps we need to look elsewhere.

There are many alternatives to WhatsApp or Messenger, though most of them fall into the same category, which is that they are Free, and if they are free how do they make any money? Yep, back to square one, they also make their money by selling users data.

Signal

Signal Instant Messenger is a preferred choice by people who do care about their privacy, however once again it is free. Signal is not a Non-Profit organization it obtains most of its funding from grants and donations. However its biggest donor is “Open Technology Fund” which is actually a U.S. government program that also funds projects like Tor. Hmmmm.

Signal >> Home

WeChat

WeChat has taken China by storm and it is common knowledge that the app has been subsidized by the Chinese Government since its creation in 2011, and it’s an accepted reality that officials censor and monitor users.

WeChat - Free messaging and calling app

Crypviser

Crpviser is a Cyber Security Company based in Germany, one of the very few companies which have embraced Blockchain Technology and in doing so have eliminated Man in the Middle attacks. They are also the only Instant Messenger which runs on a Decentralized Network, meaning their service has no single entry point to either Block or Shut down, people in China have been able to use this Messenger to communicate with others outside of the country. Crypviser is NOT a FREE app, they run on a subscription based business model, thereby doing away with advertising or selling users data, which brings me to another point, they collect no information whatsoever, no names, no mobile numbers, no email address. The subscription for a year is less than a cup of coffee a month.

Crypviser Secure Messenger. The worlds most secure and private messenger, built using Blockchain Technology.

There are alternatives out there for those who seek it, for those who are tired of being nothing more than cannon fodder for Facebook and its companies.

The next Facebook Scandal is just around the corner.

WhatsApp is Facebook. Messenger is Facebook. Instagram is Facebook.

One for all, and all for one.

The three of them are having a party, and you, you are their main course.

Zuckerberg, Going for the KILL was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

[Telegram Channel | Original Article ]

#cryptocurrency

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itwaslastnightwhenifellinlove · 8 years

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Beautiful

Type: One Shot | Imagine About Brad Rating: PG Word Count: 2,646 Enjoy! The way he looked at her was the way I wanted someone to look at me. Sitting back against the cold bench as I watched the couple from a distant. I took out my notebook and started to write things down. I could never imagine love that was so intense. I looked up at the clouds, the sky so blue but so cold. The wind started to pick up, pulling my jacket together to keep warm. I looked around as I took in the beautiful scenery. My eyes wandered over to another couple with their baby. I smiled to myself as I watched him pick the child up. The smiles on their faces, that love once again. I pulled out my laptop from my bag as I turned my attention to it. I pulled up my writing app as I started to feel inspired. Once the sun started to sit, I packed my things up and headed away from the park. I held my bag close to me as I walked down the street. Making my way to my favorite cafe, the warmth rushed around me as I walked in. I looked up at the menus as I stood in line, trying to figure out what I wanted. By the time I got to the counter they knew what I wanted. Guess that's what always happens when I come in here. I paid in cash and decided to sit down as I waited for my drink. Soon my drink was ready, I made my way to the counter picking it up. I took a sip as I started to walk out of the cafe, I looked down at the cup. "Beautiful" was written where my name should of been. I looked back at the cashier, our eyes meet and it was like it was just us in the room. I crashed into the door as I drank spilled all over me, guess that's what happens when I don't pay attention. "Are you ok?" he asked as he walked towards me. "Yeah, maybe my ego is bruised" I said. "Let's clean you up, " he grabbed my arm. I followed him into the back room. I took my jacket off as he grabbed some tissues. I tried to clean myself up as much as possible, but coffee does stain. My favorite jacket was stained with coffee as well as my jeans. I sighed as I looked at my jacket. I knew it would be impossible to get those stains out, I would be in a need of a new jacket. I looked up at him as he was trying to help. Our eyes meet once again and everything seemed to erase. I never experienced this feeling before. It was like we knew each other, but just meet, it was crazy, but it had me wondering. "Sorry I never caught your name" I spoke softly. "I'm Brad" He smiled. "Well, you know my name, of course, why did you replace it with beautiful?" I asked. "Because you are beautiful, I see you come in here all the time" he looked at me. "Why have you never said anything before?" I questioned. "Guess I was too shy until today, " he said. "Thank you, " I nodded. "No problem, beautiful, " he smiled. "You can stop now" I started to blush. "Can I ask you out on a date?" he asked. "Maybe, " I bite my lip as I looked at him. "Will you have dinner with me?" he asked. "Yeah I would like that, " I said. We exchanged numbers before I left the cafe. I walked back to my apartment with a smile on my face. I never noticed him before at the cafe. It seemed like now I couldn't get him off my mind, but I didn't want to write about him. I didn't like writing about my life, but maybe he could make an appearance in my writing. I slipped my shoes off at the front door. Closing it behind me before making my way upstairs, I sat on my bed. I leaned back against the pillows as my mind was rushing. Being a writer already, I couldn't shut it off, but now all my thoughts were about him. I turned off the nightstand light as I laid back in the bed. Closing my eyes as I started to drift off, before I knew it the sun was rising again. I had Serval messages on my phone when I looked at it. I answered the most important ones before getting to my personal messages. Of course I had messages from Brad wishing me a good morning. I rolled my eyes as I laughed slightly, just sitting in bed as I started to text him. I finally pulled myself away from my phone and my bed. Making my way downstairs as I started my coffee marker, sitting down at the kitchen table. I looked out of the window as I saw the sun starting to come up. As soon as the coffee marker went off I finished making my cup of coffee. Sitting back down at the table as I held the cup in my hand. I took a small sip as I looked back outside. "So beautiful, and peaceful" I said to myself. I turned my attention to my phone as it lit up with another message. I smiled to myself when I realized who it was. It was Brad asking me out to dinner tonight. Of course I replied quickly with the answer. Guess I was going out to dinner with Brad tonight. I soon realized I did have a deadline for an article that I haven't even started yet. I sighed as I opened my laptop, it was something that I was dreading. I started to write and as always I lost track of time. I sat back in the chair as I finally finished the article. I looked down at my phone and realize I only had 10 minutes to meet Brad for dinner. I rushed upstairs turning the shower on as I ran to the closet. Picking out a simple but cute outfit before getting into the shower. I finally finished getting ready but soon realized that I would be late. I had only 5 minutes to get to the restaurant and it was over 15 minutes away. I sent him a quick text as I made my way out of my apartment. I started to head downtown, it seemed like every stop light stopped me. I finally made it to the restaurant and saw Brad waiting out front. I parked my car and started to walk towards him. I saw a smile grow on his face as he saw me. "Sorry Im late" I said. "You are right on time, they just called my name" he said. "Oh" I nodded as he opened the door for me. We finally made our way to the table as we sat down. I took my jacket off as I grabbed the menu. I never had been here before so I didn't know what to order. "What's good here?" I asked. "I always get the shrimp dish" he answered. "I think ill get the chicken" I looked over at him. "That's goo too" he smiled. We ordered our food and our drinks as well. Once the waitress was gone we started to talk. More like asking each other questions back and forth. Getting to know each other was easy, it was like we had always know each other. The conversation died as the food came to the table, that was the only time things were quiet. We finally finished eating and waited for the check. "You want anything else?" he asked. "No, I can't eat anymore" I looked at him. "Alright, just want to make sure" he grabbed the check. He got up and paid for everything before we both left. He opened the door once again as I walked through it. He walked me back to my car. I leaned back against my car as I looked at him, somehow I didn't want this night to end. "I really enjoyed tonight" I said. "I have to, " he smiled. "So when is our next date?" I asked. "When do you want to see me again?" he asked. "Well to be honest, I don't want tonight to end" I looked up at him. "It doesn't have to" He moved closer to me. "Whoa, I don't do that on the first date" I said. "I didn't mean it like that, we could go back to my place and watch movies" he said. "Movies?" I asked. "Just normal movies, " he looked at me. "I guess I'll follow you, " I said. I got into my car as he walked to his. I followed him to his apartment and realized that he only lived across the street. I parked my car in my normal parking spot and just walked across the street. I waited for him to get out of the car. "Why you park over there?" he asked. "I live across the street" I nodded. "Oh destiny is true, " he said. "Destiny?" I looked at him. "Our paths were meant to cross, " he opened the door. "I guess so, " I said as I walked into his apartment. He walked in, closing the door behind him. I sat down on the couch as I didn't know where we would watch movies. He grabbed my hand helping me back up as he lead me to the den. He turned on the fireplace as he watched me sit onto the couch. I got to choose the movie, he put it on before sitting beside me. Once again, I took off my jacket as I sat back against the couch. I slipped off my shoes as I started to get more comfortable. He placed his arm around me, pulling me close to him. I leaned towards him as I rested my head against his shoulder. After the second movie I started to get tired. He put on another movie and came back cuddling close to me. I soon fell asleep against him. He placed a blanket over us as he kept me close to him. I woke up to the sound of my phone going off. I sat up on the couch as I realized that I spent the night. I gabbed my phone, jacket and shoes as I walked out of the den. I saw him in the kitchen making breakfast. "Morning Beautiful" he said. "Did we?" I asked. "You weren't drunk so you decided that answer" he said. "Just movies?" I asked. "Yes, you fell asleep" he looked at me. "Alright, I should go" I said. "Im making breakfast" he said. "For you" I nodded. "For us" he responded. "You dont have too" I said. "I wanted to, so lets have breakfast together" he said. I nodded as I put my stuff down sitting at the kitchen table. He placed the food in front of me as he sat down as well. I left shortly after we finished breakfast and walked across the street. I made my way in closing the door behind me. I walked to the kitchen grabbing my laptop before making my way upstairs. I turned my laptop on placing it in the sink as I started the shower. I knew my review of my article would be posted today, but I was nervous to even look. I got into the shower, washing the night off as the water ran down my body. I closed my eyes as I tried to clear my mind. I turned off the shower, grabbing the towel wrapping it around me. I grabbed my laptop as I walked to the bedroom. I pulled my hair up into a bun, putting an over-sized shirt on white panties. I sat on the bed, pulling my laptop for me. I finally got enough courage to look at the review and I was surprised that it was good. Over the next few months Brad and I kept going on dates. We made it official after the 5th date, he asked me to be his girlfriend. With each date we grew closer to each other. He soon turned into my best friend that I was falling in love with. It was crazy that within a day I had someone looking at me the same as the guy in the park. With one simple word twisted our lives together. Time seemed to melt off the clock when I was with him. Before we knew it five years had gone by, our love for each other grew over those years. There were ups and down but the love always seemed to remain the same. I finally completed that book that I was working on. It was a best seller and it seemed like I was never home, that was one thing we fought about. The book tour was stopped in New York for the weekend, I was homesick and missing Brad. I was laying back on the couch on the bus just wishing the time would go by. One of my team members passed me a note. I flipped it open and all it said was "meet me at time square". "Who's is this from?" I asked. "We cant tell you" my manager said. "Is it safe?" I asked. "Of course it is" my manager nodded. I wasn't able to go to time square until after the book signing. The sun started to sit as I pulled my jacket closer to me. I was walking downtown to time square, I was kind of lost. I managed to find time square but didn't see anyone I knew. I stood in the middle of time square looking around as I started to feel like it was a joke. Right when I turned to leave thats when I saw Brad. "Brad" I walked towards him hugging him. "Hey" he smiled. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "Wanted to see you" he said. "I missed you" I kept him close to me. "And Ive missed you" He said. "I would of been home next week" I whispered into his ear. "I know, but I wanted today to be special, " he said. "Why?" I questioned as I looked at him. "Today, 6 years ago we meet and changed our lives" he said. "Yeah for the better" I smiled. He wrapped his arms around my waist, leaning towards me. Our lips meet as I placed my hand on his cheek. I just wanted this moment to last forever. It was just us and time square, how else could it get better. "I know we didn't get to go out to dinner, or a movie, but I want to ask you something" he looked at me. "And what would that be?" I asked. "You stole my heart from the moment I saw you, I always knew that we would make it and that our love would be strong, you are the one I want to spend the rest of my life with" he said as he got down on one knee. "Will you marry me?" he asked as he pulled out a ring. I cover my mouth with my hands as I looked down at him. The tears building in my eyes as one slipped out onto my cheek. I couldn't seem to find the words to say so I nodded a quick yes. He smiled as he slipped the ring onto my finger getting up. He pulled me closer to him as I held onto him. I guess that was a way to end of the book tour, our lives would forever be tangled up. With just one simple word in the center of our world……. Beautiful.

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tracyridge · 5 years

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We are all consumers. Whether its the food we eat, the clothes we wear or the technology we use. We buy the goods, thus feeding the rich companies. We use our purchases until they break, which is generally outside its warranty. If something comes along that’s better we sell them. Replacing them 12 months later because it’s faster and better than the previous model. We live in a consumerist world intertwined in a capitalistic society. A business degree is not needed in this case! Technology has advanced so much over the past 20 years does it actually help or are we tied in even further.

Consumers of Mobile Phones

Mobile Phones on a contract are a prime example. Understanding the point of view that you sign a contract to pay for your phone over a certain period. To prevent the resale of that phone it’s locked to the provider until you reach the end of the contract. Fair enough I say. You generally pay over the odds for the said phone but it’s yours to keep after the contract has ended. For some paying £800+ in a one-off payment is rather a lot if you have a family to support. Spreading the cost is a viable alternative for most.

Which leads me on to the next question:

Cars. Why I have I changed the subject to cars?

I’m very lucky to own one, yes, it’s paid for, yes. As a consumer, I have bought and paid for my car. I still have another year left of the manufacturer’s warranty and I’m likely to have it for a long time. My bugbear, so to speak is with the technology that comes with the car. After the warranty has ended something went wrong with it. I can use my local garage to replace mechanical parts. What about the technology, the software? Most local garages have sophisticated computers that detect errors. Can they install new software? It’s very unlikely. Can you as a consumer, who bought the car, update the software. I guess not without having incurring £90+ an hour charge.

I love technology but have a love/hate relationship with car dealers. They are happy to sell you the car but then once you have parted with your cash the aftersales is somewhat lacking. I would mention names here but I reckon it would make this post quite long!

Dealers can’t keep track with the sheer volume of cars on the road let alone update them to make them secure/safe. Over the past few years, thieves have targeted keyless entry cars. Thieves use scanning devices to intercept signals. Once received they can drive away in less than 10 seconds. Car manufacturers are addressing this issue in their latest models but what about the older cars on the road? Is it a case of hope and pray that you don’t become a victim. Does the software that manufacturers use ever come out of beta? Who knows!

The UK government, in its nanny state, expect us all to be driving electric cars by 2030-2035. I dread to think what will happen. I’ll come back to that in 10 years. Watch this space…

Computers

Another argument, in this case, is computers. I have ranted before about the lack of upgradeability that new Macs offer.

For example my MacBook Pro. It’s fast approaching its 7th Birthday and I’m looking into replacing it, with an iMac. If I had an option of upgrading it myself I would go with the modern version of my own Mac. This is not the case. Even the new Mac Pro, which has a very professional price tag, of course, isn’t upgradeable. Why call it a pro model? The only DIY upgradable Mac is the upcoming Mac Pro which is likely to be 3 times the price of its predeccesor. This article by Mac360 explains all.

It’s another case of consumers tied in and paying the price for more memory and storage. If the SSD or RAM in my current MacBook Pro failed I can replace it at a fraction of the price. If it was to fail and it’s out of warranty then unless you have a repair plan it’s going to cost a lot.

I get that It’s cheaper to solder the parts on the motherboard. If it gets dropped for instance it is less likely to loosen vital parts. This itself should lower the prices of Macs. No, every price is a premium.

iPads are not excluded from this either. Simple price comparison of the 2019 iPad Pro 11″ model 64GB vs 1TB

At the current time of writing. The iPad, Pro 1TB is £550 more than the basic 64GB model which is understandable as a 1TB SD Card is a hefty £464.99. In contrast, the 256GB model is £919 and the price of an SD Card is £82.99. Is your 64GB of storage going to last long as the size of apps increase in years to come? Are you likely to go higher in case? The jump from a 64GB to a 256GB model is £150. It’s a tough decision but there is nothing in-between.

Conclusion

Rant over. Do you know of any other manufacturers that solder components onto the motherboard? Are they cheaper as a result? Do you disagree with any of the above? Do you live outside of the UK? If so, how different is it? Feel free to have your say.

Quality Consumers – 3 Examples of Being Tied In We are all consumers. Whether its the food we eat, the clothes we wear or the technology we use.

#Apple #News

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whigapers-blog · 5 years

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Most ideal Way To See Who Views Your Instagram

In the event that you are not kidding in following your guests and checking who saw your Instagram profile, how to see who views my Instagram highlight is the most ideal approach to do as such, since the tales posted by open records are available to nearly everybody. You can find your quiet profile watcher. Get it on our free online devices. The vast majority of these applications appear to be phony and they as a rule pick irregular Instagram names and show the equivalent to you. Truth be told, some of them even request that you pay a modest quantity of cash on the off chance that you need to see in excess of five names.

Who Views My Instagram

Experiencing client audits on the Play Store and App Store will paint a similar picture. They lift arbitrary names and scramble them up when you check straightaway. Also that an advertisement will spring up like clockwork. Would i be able to see who seen my Instagram? The reason that such applications can't follow the profile guests is basic. The Instagram API doesn't impart such data to outsider applications. While some applications do uncover who unfollowed (or pursued) you as of late, producing the name of your profile guest is requesting excessively. The Instagram API doesn't impart such data to outsider applications. Furthermore, no one can really tell how these applications handle your information and again there is question hitting in your mind that who saw my Instagram. Given how 'useful' these applications are, I question they are even secure. In the event that you've offered access to such applications previously, make certain to disavow the entrance promptly, regardless of whether you don't utilize them any longer or have uninstalled them from your telephone.

The most effective method to See Who Views Your Instagram

Open approved online apparatuses of Instagram page like IG Apers on your program and it will disavow the authorization you've given to any such suspicious applications. In case you're still dead set on following your guests, the now-famous Instagram stories highlight is the most ideal who views my Instagram approach to do as such, since the tales posted by open records are available to nearly everybody (except if they are obstructed from survey it). You should simply open a story and swipe up. click on the eyeball symbol and the rundown of individuals who have visited your story will be shown. This incorporates clients who aren't following your Instagram account. Would you be able to see who perspectives your Instagram recordings? In short you can for that our site will help to do as such. In the event that å you see somebody dreadful, a tap on the little cross symbol (beside the name) will hinder the individual from survey your future Instagram Stories. Or then again, you may change to a private record on the off chance that you wish to keep your private information private. Physically checking the Instagram Stories once a day could be irritating. In any case, that is the main way, at any rate until further notice.

At long last, Can You See Who Views Your Instagram?

There is a simple procedure set up which would give you a chance to see the names of your profile guests. Presently, not major ordeal for anybody to bust your Instagram stalkers. Simply who viewed your Instagram complete it here with couple of simple advances. They are to remain a mystery and which is all well and good. On the off chance that dislike another person to realize that you've visited their profile (say, your ex). In this way, whenever interest shows signs of improvement of you, you know not to confide in the outsider applications.

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kennethherrerablog · 5 years

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10 Brilliant Money Moves to Make When You’re Between the Ages of 27 and 29

You know your finances could use some serious TLC, but you’ve been putting it off… and off… and off.

When you finally do sit down to think about it, you immediately become overwhelmed. Which goal do you attack first? You need a budget, a savings plan, a debt-repayment strategy, a better credit score, a plan for retirement and… oh, you’re running away again, aren’t you?

Calm down and come back. To tackle big goals, you have to start small.

Simple Money Management Steps to Take Today

Here are a few simple tips you can take today to get your finances under control and start working toward a healthier financial future.

1. Invest in Envelopes

Buy a box of envelopes. Now stuff some cash inside each one.

OK, so it’s not that simple but the envelope budgeting method, popularized by Dave Ramsey, helps folks who tend to overspend. Each month or each pay period, take out a chunk of money. Now divide that money up: groceries, dining out, personal care, etc. Then, stuff each envelope with your spending limit.

This budgeting method helps you be more mindful of your spending and keeps you above the red. Money management made simple.

2. Invest in Real Estate (Even If You’re Not Wealthy)

Want to try real-estate investing without playing landlord? A company called Fundrise does all the heavy lifting for you.

Through the Fundrise Starter Portfolio, your money will be split into two portfolios that support private real estate around the United States.

This isn’t an obscure investment, though. You can see exactly which properties are included in your portfolios — like a set of townhomes in Snoqualmie, Washington, or an apartment building in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In addition to four rental properties, Christopher and Meghan Miller have invested in a diversified portfolio of real estate projects across the country — from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles — through Fundrise’s automated investment experience.

“I don’t have to manage them; I don’t have to do the work to improve the properties; I don’t have to find tenants, evict tenants,” Christopher says.

They follow the progress of each project they’ve invested money into through Fundrise, and Christopher receives automatic payments directly into his checking account.

But remember: Investments come with risk. While Fundrise has paid distributions every quarter since at least Q2 2016, dividend and principal payments are never guaranteed.

You’ll pay a 0.85% annual asset management fee and a 0.15% annual investment advisory fee.

3. Give Your Credit Score a Boost — Add up to 300 Points

A really easy way to do this is to get a “credit report card” from Credit Sesame.

Credit Sesame is like your favorite teacher from high school — without the pop quizzes.

It gives you a free credit score, plus lays out your credit history so you can see exactly how much money you owe and to whom. It even tells you your monthly payments and interest rate, as well as which debts (if any) are in collections.

And you don’t have to stay home to do it. The Credit Sesame app lets you keep track of your credit score and ways to improve it — on the go!

To keep a closer eye on your credit, you can also get a “credit report card” for free from Credit Sesame. It breaks down exactly what’s on your credit report in layman’s terms, how it affects your score and how you might address it.

James Cooper, a motivational speaker, raised his credit score 277 points using Credit Sesame. Now he talks to high school students about the importance of having good credit and uses what he’s learned through Credit Sesame as a blueprint for his lessons.

“We want to touch the Z Generation,” Cooper says “We’re not in the business of fixing credit. We want to get to you before you have to fix your credit.”

4. Find out If You’re Paying Too Much for Car Insurance

You’re probably overpaying for car insurance. And how would you know, really?

Have you shopped around lately? Have you compared rates from the 20 largest auto insurers that do business in your area? That sounds kind of difficult and time-consuming, doesn’t it?

Fortunately, a service called Gabi will do it for you, and you don’t even have to fill out any forms. Simply link your insurance account and provide your driver’s license number, and Gabi will go to work.

Once you link your insurance account to Gabi, it will:

Scan your existing insurance plan.

Analyze what coverage you have.

Compare the major insurers’ rates for that same coverage.

Help you switch on the spot if it finds you a better rate.

Gabi says it finds an average savings of $720 per year for its customers.

It is a true apples-to-apples comparison at the same coverage levels and deductibles you currently have. Once you sign up, you never have to shop again. Gabi’s software has your policy on file and keeps on monitoring for savings as your life changes.

5. Let This Company Pay Off Your Credit Cards

A lot of us are being crushed by credit card interest rates north of 20%. If you’re in that boat, consolidation and refinancing might be worth a look.

That’s where a company like Fiona can be helpful. It can help you find personalized lending options to refinance or consolidate your debt to potentially save thousands of dollars in interest.

Fiona will show you all the lenders willing to help you pay off your credit card and eliminate the headache of paying bills by allowing you to make one payment each month.

If your credit score is at least 620, you can borrow up to $100,000 (no collateral needed) and compare interest rates, which start at 3.84%. The idea is to secure a loan at a lower interest rate, potentially helping you save thousands. Repayment plans range from 24 to 84 months.

Take, for example, Katherine, who faced $12,000 in credit-card debt. Holding her back? The 15.24% interest rate. By refinancing with a 5%-interest, seven-year personal loan, she saved $12,000 in interest.

If she’d kept on the same road, she would have paid something like $14,000 in interest alone over 25 years. Yikes.

So even if you’re simply curious about what’s out there, know that checking rates on Fiona won’t hurt your credit score — and can probably save you in interest.

6. Get Paid Every Time You Swipe Your Debit Card

Those cash-back credit cards are wicked cool, aren’t they? Unfortunately, it can be hard to qualify for these cards. The Credit Card Gods are awfully picky when it comes to handing them out.

We found another option, though.

One of our favorites is Aspiration’s Spend and Save account. This online account comes with a debit card that gets you 0.5% cash back on purchases. It basically turns your debit card into a cash-back card.

Plus, you’ll pay no monthly fees, and you’ll earn up to 2.00% APY on your savings.

7. Get Paid to Use Renewable Energy

Did you know you can use your energy bill to support renewable energy — no matter where you live?

With renewable energy company Arcadia Power, you can offset up to 100% of your monthly energy consumption with 100% renewable sources in about two minutes. It’s free and the company will give you a free $20 Amazon gift card just for being a good person.

Arcadia Power matches each kilowatt-hour of power you use with a kilowatt-hour of wind energy. Basically, the company purchases certified renewable energy certificates in your name, so others can take advantage of clean energy in their area.

Visit Arcadia Power’s website, connect your utility account, claim your free $20 Amazon gift card and then you don’t ever have to think about it again.

8. Freeze Your Credit Cards

You’ve heard the whole “freeze your credit” advice. We agree: It’s a smart practice. But in order to save money, freeze your credit cards.

Literally — in the freezer they’ll go.

Sure, it sounds extreme, but if you tend to make impulsive credit card purchases, stick your card in a Ziploc bag, submerge it in a canister of water and slide it into the freezer. When you’re tempted to spend, you’ll have to wait for the card to thaw, requiring you to think through your spending decision.

9. Ask Your HR Department These Questions

Got a new job? Here’s what to do next: Enroll in your company’s 401(k) plan ASAP so you can start saving for retirement. And yes, it fits in your budget!

As much as you want to be prepared for present-day responsibilities, the last thing you want is to leave old(er), future-you with bills, bills, bills and more bills.

If your employer sponsors a 401(k) plan, you should have access to people who can answer questions in your best interest — AKA HR.

And you’re going to have questions, because, well… 401(k)’s are tricky. To get the most out of your plan, here are some important questions to ask to ensure you’re putting your retirement savings in the best possible hands:

Does your employer match?

Where is your money invested?

Can you rollover from your existing 401(k)?

What fees are you paying?

What can you do if your plan sucks?

10. Secure up to $1 Million in Life Insurance

Pop quiz time. What do you think about when you think about buying life insurance?

Time’s up! Did you think of pushy salespeople? Or maybe your mind went to the dreaded thought of getting locked into a 20-year policy that isn’t right for you even five years down the road.

You can use Ladder’s coverage calculator to figure out how much coverage you should have. Then take five minutes to fill out an online application and answer a few questions about your life and health, such as your income.

You’ll get an instant decision on coverage, and there’s no risk. You won’t even have to go get a full physical. Some simple lab work might be required, but that’s easy, right? You’ll pay no policy fees, and you can cancel anytime. There’s even a 30-day money-back guarantee.

This post was originally published here.

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.

10 Brilliant Money Moves to Make When You’re Between the Ages of 27 and 29 published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

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