#seeing what people can do on tight budgets and in their free time is a proof that its just laziness and lack of care

[averagedettlaffenjoyer]

i see people talking about the poor artistic choices on the netflix witcher show, mainly with questionable costume design and casting choices, but i don’t see anyone talking about how much of a “fuck you” to the whole cosplay community it is.

like, you would think that people who do costume design and creation for a job, with an actual budget, would be better at it than cosplayers armed only with hot glue guns, eva foam and hope.

so i can’t help but take it very personally when i pour my heart and soul into screen accurate cosplays or making a rennaissance inspired doublet for my yen just to see netflix throw some h&m cardigans onto the actors and call it a day.

[daisygirlwrites]

Are you're requests open? If not just delete this

What would be the task force 141 (+ konigs) reactions to seeing Crash all fancy for the first time? Like they have to dress up for an undercover mission and everyone sees crash in a dress/suit and all pretty

Little Black Dress (mini fic + headcanons)

Pairings: Task Force 141 x fem!Reader (Platonic), König x fem!Reader

Note: Callsign 'Crash', no use of (Y/N)

a/n: hello hello! oh boy, it's been a minute since i posted. i do apologize for that, life got hella busy. also, i passed 500 followers! will make another post about it soon but if you're reading this, feel free to send a request or even questions. i like talking to you all :) anyways, should be posting a couple more fics this week, so look out for that. thank you so much for reading my work and feel free to leave any feedback!

edit: original title, Dress Up

taglist: @bobfloydsgf , @warenai , @devilsfoodcake22 , @imalovernotahater , @cutiecusp , @allen-444

gif credit: @ruzekburgess

The mission was easy, quick in and out. Just getting some important intel from a target’s laptop in a high security event, what could go wrong? A lot of things can and with Soap calling it an “easy mission” basically jinxed it. He immediately looks away as both you and Ghost simultaneously whip your head around to glare at him.

“It’s a charity gala and there will be high profile people there, so the security will be tight,” Laswell says as she pulls out the layout of the venue. The Hofburg, which houses the Sisi Museum that you took a tour of two days before. König was with you, posing as a couple. But given the nature of the mission, he and some members of the team are staying behind as backup. Laswell looks at Ghost before turning to you. You don’t show it but you feel your stomach drop a bit.

“Crash, Gaz and Price will enter the party as guests. Given her computer skills and being the fastest in the group, Crash will be the one gathering the information,” Laswell watches your shoulders drop before continuing, “Gaz and Price, you’re in charge of protecting her.”  

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You weren’t happy, they could tell that much. Price was worried that you were gone for a couple hours without telling anyone where you were going except that “I’m going shopping.” Soap and Gaz were trying to give him a peace of mind. Since they grew up with sisters, they knew you needed some alone time. Ghost wasn’t too worried though and if he really wanted to, he could look up your location on his since you shared it to him and vice versa.

You got back at a good time, Price was starting to get antsy. They heard your distinct knocks but Soap calls out anyways, “You got a key card!” “My hands are full, open the door!” 

Gaz, ever the gentleman, opens the door for you. They watch you stumble in, carrying a couple large bags from high end designer stores. “I hope that didn’t come out of our budget,” he comments.

“I have my own money, thank you very much!” You huffed. “Can you be a dear and open my room door?”

Gaz does so and also reminds you that everyone will meet up an hour before the event. 

“I’ll be done before that,” you give him a smile.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You finished with ten minutes to spare. Walking out of the room and noticing how empty it was, you assumed that everyone was downstairs by now. Before leaving you give yourself one last look, seeing if you need to touch up on anything.

The woman in front of you was someone you thought you’d never see again. The bun was simple and elegant, same with your makeup. The dress, which was a black spaghetti strap with a tulle skirt, the hem stopping just above your ankles. And the black pumps topped the outfit off. You couldn’t help but think about your mom.

Your phone buzzed in the pocket of your dress, interrupting your train of thought. Pulling it out, it was a message from Gaz, Ready when you are. Grabbing the lace gloves and shawl from the table, you leave the room and quickly make your way to the elevator.

Price:

He was looking at the bar, having half a mind to get a drink before hearing the elevator door ding

He looks over and watches a beautiful young lady walk out, the black dress moving as she does. It wasn’t until she was walking towards them that he realized that it was Crash. 

Price takes a look at you and suddenly remembers how young you are and how in another world, this would be the life you’d live. Having fun and going to parties, not risking your life everyday

He was staring yet he hadn't said a word, which made you worried. “Are you okay, Price?” You ask. Silently, he takes your hands into his and looks into your eyes, before saying, “You look absolutely lovely.”

Maybe it was because you were stressed out or the fact that your own father never complimented you, but you began to tear up.

“Aw, Crash. Please don’t cry, I wasn’t being mean kiddo.” He gives you his handkerchief and watches you carefully dab away the tears so as to not ruin your makeup. “You did nothing wrong. I’m not used to someone telling me that,” You tell him as you hand his handkerchief back. He almost didn’t hear it with how quiet you were, mumbling, “My dad never says anything nice about me.”

Price had to fight the urge to give you a big dad hug and ruffle your hair

He remembers a phone call he had with his brother. He was telling Price that he cried as he watched his daughter walk down the stairs, all dressed up for a school dance and how happy she looked.

He can’t help but feel the same way

Gaz:

His eyes widen with shock as he mumbles “Damn girl.” He waits after your and Price’s interaction before talking to you, “Looking good there, mate.”

You let out a small laugh before telling him ‘thank you’. “You clean up nicely yourself, Kyle.”

He’d ask about the outfit, which pieces are from what brand and how much money you spent. You don’t give him a clear answer for that last one, stating “It’d make Price cry.”

For a moment, Gaz forgets about the mission. He thinks of the memories he had with his friends, showing off their outfits before heading to the clubs

It was basically the same, just for a fancier occasion.

Looking at you reminded him of his older female cousins. After they went off to college and into their respective careers, when he’d visit, they always looked so put together. There was an air of confidence around them. 

 Low key wanted to take pictures and post them on social media but they both know that’s a horrible idea and could compromise the mission

When you first met each other, he did find you adorable, with your short stature and now, with you all dolled up, he thought you were really pretty

Kind of sees you as a younger sibling but he finally understands why a lot of new recruits and König have a crush on you

After the mission, he’d probably plan an evening of going to the opera so both of you have an excuse to get all fancy

Soap:

He grew up with two older sisters. At around eight years old, they would sometimes let him hang out and keep them company whenever they’d get ready. He’d help pick out their outfits and watch in awe whenever they did their hair and makeup.

At the end, they would ask him how they looked and with no hesitation he’d respond “Bonnie!”

“Very good lad. Always say that to a girl when they take the time to get pretty,” they would say to him. 

And that’s what he did when he saw you walking over to them. 

He’s the type of hugger to pick up the person they’re hugging

He basically tackles you, lifting you up and rambling “You’re so beautiful!” as he swings you around

Begged him to put you down since you didn’t want to mess up your outfit. “Of course, Bonnie! My bad.”

Gushes over you like a grandma and since you’re not really used to compliments, you put your hands over your face

“Aw, don’t be shy now lassie!” He tells you as he pries your hands off.

Soap is just really happy and supportive

He kind of shares the same sentiment with Price, with how young you are, it feels like you should be living a different, less dangerous life. 

Again, all the members of 141 see you as family. Soap missed out on watching his younger siblings grow up and important milestones as well. 

So seeing you like this, it made him happy. 

Ghost:

Honestly, getting all dressed up doesn’t really mean a lot to him. He’s not a fan of big events nor does he want to be around people that are strict about social etiquette

He’ll put on some nice pants, a button up and some dress shoes for a night out but that’s more so for the 141 than himself. 

Has done these undercover missions before. He tries to get it done as quickly as possible though

Was thankful that he wasn’t picked for this one. Did feel a little bad for you, given your discomfort of undercover missions and knowing the fact that these kind of events remind you of your family

But seeing your reactions with the other members of the 141 and seeing you smile, he knew you were going to be okay

He doesn’t say much to you, instead he gives you a look down and a nod of approval. That was good enough for you.

You’ve talked about your family to him before. About your mom, how beautiful she was and that she used to model before becoming a diplomat. He’s seen a picture of her once, making a note of how similar you are. And with how you look, it was almost a spitting image. 

When they entered the vehicle, Ghost was all business from then on. Same with all of you, taking one last check to make sure your coms were working and hidden

Soap and Ghost drop you off at a parking garage, the KorTac team already waiting. Before you, Price and Gaz, Ghost calls out to you. You make your way over, slightly leaning down to hear him from the cracked window.

“You’re pretty, Crash,” he tells you, watching your mouth drop and eyes widen with surprise. There was a beat of silence before he continued. “Pretty fuckin’ annoying." “Piss off, LT.” You roll your eyes as you flip him off. “Not very ladylike, Crash.”

Konig:

He wasn’t there for the grand lobby reveal but he did catch a glimpse of you at the parking garage where Soap and Ghost dropped you off. 

His teammates next to him heard him hitch his breath. He just stared at you and if it weren’t for his sniper veil, they would have seen his jaw dropped

Your eyes met his and you looked at each other for a moment before giving him a small wave from your gloved hand and a sweet smile. He watched you take Gaz’s arm, wishing it was him taking you to the gala instead, and walked out along with Price.

It was the first time he saw your hair up, not a strand out of place. And while the shawl covers the top half of the dress, he liked how fluffy the skirt looked and how it flows with each step. 

You looked like the female leads in the 1950’s movies he’d watch with his grandmother. 

He doesn’t see you again until later in the night. You got the intel but somehow got separated from Gaz and Price. Thankfully, that museum date stakeout you two went on, you managed to leave some gear on the roof as a backup plan. 

He was in a van with Soap and Ghost when Price informed them that you weren’t with them anymore. He felt some relief when you spoke on coms, telling everyone that you got the USB with no issues. But it was short lived when you suddenly yell, “Bring the van now!”

König was ready to jump out of the moving vehicle, but thankfully the van stopped just in time. Without a second to waste, he hauls ass to your direction

He knows that rope was secure, however he forgot to take into account that it can still be cut. He saw movement from above but his main goal was to get to you first

Hearing your scream made his stomach drop and yet, he was at the right place and at the right time. 

Arms ready, he feels you hit them, letting out a small ‘oof’ as you do. Quickly, he pulls you close, as not to let you go. 

While your hair was a mess from the running and falling, some strands fell but framed your face nicely. He didn’t notice then, however upon a closer inspection, your makeup was subtle yet it enhances your features. 

König couldn’t help but think of the paintings he saw days before. Portraits of royals, queens and princesses of his homeland. It was as if Winterhalter painted you himself.

[justalittlesolarpunk]

hi! i love your blog :D do you have any advice to implement low waste and solarpunk aspects into everyday life with a tight budget? keep doing what you do!

Hi!

Thanks for asking - I’ve had this question before and it’s definitely a real problem. Organic, plastic free food is expensive. So is handmade durable clothing, and train fares these days. It can feel like only the rich can be solarpunks, which is pretty counterintuitive given its anticapitalist ideology. But! I’m here to tell you there’s lots you can do to bring solarpunk into your life in a cost-effective way.

To start with, lots of solarpunk spaces are free or cheap. Get a library card and you can borrow as many books and DVDs and other resources as you like. Look up to see if there’s a library of things in your neighbourhood, and join a buy nothing or stuff for free group online. Download TooGoodToGo, which lets you access food from local cafes and restaurants which would otherwise go to waste. See if there’s a repair cafe that operates near you - I managed to get a pair of trousers mended at one of these for free, and I had been thinking I would need to pay a tailor (which is fine if you can afford it! Skilled labour deserves fair wages!). In some places plant-based food is cheaper, so when it is, choose it. But in others it will cost more than animal products so you have to decide on a case by case basis whether saving money or a particular diet is more important to you.

There’s lots else you can do for minimal spending or that actually saves you money. Walking to work or school avoids the expenditure in the petrol for a drive or a bus fare. If you’re within walking distance and able to do so, I’d recommend it. Joining your local chapter of Extinction Rebellion, Friends of The Earth, Greenpeace, The A22 network or any other active climate group in your area is almost always free and just involves a small weekly time commitment. This will introduce you to activists and inform you about protests and public meetings you can attend.

If you have the time in your week and the physical ability, which I acknowledge many people don’t, you can also join some sort of volunteer group looking after a nature reserve or tending a community garden (which might also give you access to free or discounted food). Learning to forage is also a good skill as that really is free food!

Depending on where you are, a green electricity tariff *can* also be less expensive. If this is the case and you have control over your provider, it’s worth switching to it. Buying books and clothes secondhand will also be better for the environment and your bank balance. Teaching yourself about the climate and the natural world with podcasts, YouTube, online free articles and other resources is also free and the knowledge will help you keep solarpunk at the front of your mind. Read good news stories online whenever you can, to remind you that good things are happening already.

If you’re employed, you can also try to influence green policy at your workplace or in your trade union. If you’re at school or university, joining (or setting up!) the environmental society and/or lobbying for change at the SU are both good ideas and shouldn’t necessarily cost you anything. If you can - and I know this is inaccessible for a big swathe of the population - put a very small amount of money aside whenever possible, because the more you save the more you can afford to buy better products, donate to causes, help out the needy in your community, travel in a greener way, and other more expensive choices. It’s all about that dual power.

Hope this helps get you started!

[johnwickb1tsch]

bittersweet ~ a yandere!John Wick x fem!reader sunshine/grump coffee shop AU... Part 2 <<Part 1

-You are sitting on a bench in the lakeside park, reading a book and enjoying the bright winter sunshine when a cold nose presses into your hand. You look up to find a blue pitbull nuzzling you for pets. “Oh hi there, baby,” you coo, scratching his broad head without a thought. You follow the leash to the owner, and are very surprised to see Mr. Wick standing there, looking endearingly embarrassed about it all. “Sorry,” he says. “He pulled me over here.” He gives the dog a look as it leans against you, getting side scritches with a blissed-out doggo look. You have a notion that Mr. Wick might be jealous, somehow, but you push it away.

“That’s ok. What a good boy. What’s his name?”

“Um…Dog.”

You smirk up at him. “Original.”

He sighs, looking at you through his hair, and it pulls at your heartstrings for some reason. You pat the bench beside you, and he accepts, though he sits as far away as he can. “He likes you,” he says, looking ruefully down at the dog. “Do you have pets?”

“No,” you admit. “I travel too much.”

“Yeah?”

You can tell he’s surprised to hear this. Most people are. But you live frugally on your barista’s salary so you can go abroad for a month or so. You’re a budget traveler for sure, but you’ve been all over the world.

“Yes. I’m going to Italy this summer.”

“Sounds nice.”

“You’ve been?”

“Several times. For work.”

“What do you do?”

“I’m retired.” He doesn’t elaborate, and you leave it for now. You don’t really talk anymore, just look at the lake, and pet his dog who leans all his solid weight against your leg. You are content in the companionable silence.

You think he is too.

- It’s interesting sometimes, watching the interpersonal pageants of the regulars. When thrice divorced Victoria Fraser-Sims lays eyes on Mr. Wick for the first time in what you have come to consider his corner, she starts coming in for a lot more no-fat double-shot sugar-free vanilla lattés. All the locals are quite…aware…of Vicky’s predatory habits. A part of you wonders if you should warn Mr. Wick, but you reckon a single man who looks like him is quite used to fending off hungry cougars.

She starts by sitting near his table in her tight workout clothes, ostensibly bending over to pick up repeatedly dropped objects, affording various views of her generous cleavage and spin-class toned rear end. You know you have no right to feel so pleased that Mr. Wick seems to ignore her.

But then she ups her game, so bold as to sit down at his table with him to chat. He talks to her politely. One day, she actually succeeds in making him laugh. You hear it, loosed like an arrow that strikes you from across the room.

You have zero right to be jealous, of course, but you can’t help it. You and Mr. Wick have a thing.

Maybe just in your own head, but still.

But maybe they would be a good couple, you reason sadly, making yourself think realistically. Closer to the same age. And he does seem so lonely.

A few days later they come in the door together, seeming content, and your heart plummets to your feet. Holy shit, she actually pulled it off. They’re dating, you’re perfectly convinced.

In that moment you decide to back off. Mr. Wick is at least twenty years your elder. What the fuck would he want with an awkward little gremlin like you? It’s amazing sometimes, how well you can delude yourself. A curse of having a vivid imagination, perhaps. He’s just polite, and you are kind to him, because he seems a little broken. You resolve to behave. No more quips. No more teasing. From this day forward it shall be only, Here’s your coffee, yes sir, have a good day.

You’ve never been terribly good at keeping resolutions, but you’re going to try.

-Your determination to leave Mr. Wick alone is timed conveniently with a new hire who is around your age. He is and cute, and you get on immediately. Your flirting is fairly harmless, though you know the shop is filled with loud laughter from the two of you when your shifts coincide. Sometimes you feel Mr. Wick looking over at you after you’ve had a good chortle, and you sense he is annoyed.

Once, you catch him glaring at Brian’s back like he might like to carve the boy’s liver.

You try to quiet down, but it never really lasts. It’s been a while, since you’ve met someone who you click with so well. A comrade makes working in the service industry slightly more endurable, after all.

-One day, you burn yourself on the steamer wand while Mr. Wick is waiting for his order. Maybe it’s the volume of the unladylike expletive that spills from your lips, but he does not hesitate to come around the counter to check on you. It hurts like a motherfucker, and while you blink back tears you are quick to dig out ice to put on it. He even more quickly bats it into the sink, flipping the faucet on. “Cold water is better.”

Before you know it he is guiding your wrist into the stream with a gentle but exacting grip. “Hold that there,” he instructs. You can’t fathom disobeying him.

Brian stares rather dumbfoundedly at the customer behind the counter. “Um…sir? You can’t be back here.”

 “Then get her the first aid kit instead of standing there looking useless,” he snaps, and the young man jumps into action, scurrying away.

John gives a low whistle once you’ve finished with the cold water, blotting you dry at the butt end of the counter. “You got yourself good.”

“It’s not the first time,” you sigh. You’re not particularly clumsy, but it happens when you’re juggling five things at once to keep the drink orders moving.

John bandages the burn for you, frowning at the salve provided in the first aid kit that expired years ago, but deciding it will do in a pinch. His long-fingered hands are precise, but gentle, and as he touches you, you feel your brain turn to mush. You can’t remember the last time someone took care of you like this.

Maybe he’s not mad at you after all.

Later that day you appear from the back, to find a little paper pharmacy bag on the counter with your name written in concise black print. Inside there is more ointment, large Band-aids, and a little Snickers chocolate bar.

How did he know it’s your favorite?

Even though you didn’t see him come or go, you know it was Mr. Wick, and this small gesture touches you to tips of your toes.

[atimeofyourlife]

Steve becoming a tailor.

He got a fascination for it at a young age from watching his grandmother, a seamstress, at work. And she taught him everything. Hand sewing and machine sewing, minor and major repairs, making clothes from scratch and tailoring existing clothes and transforming existing items into totally new garments. How to manipulate fabric to get it to lay just right. How to take measurements on himself and others. Different types of fastenings, different ways of structuring a garment.

By the time he's in high school, he has his own sewing machine, that his father would never know about, and tailors all of his clothing. Others can never figure out how every single thing he wears fits perfectly. Shirts that hug the contours of his body, with the sleeves pulling just tight enough to show off his biceps. Pants and jeans that always fit the waist exactly, without needing a belt, emphasizing his ass, and hitting the exact perfect spot on his ankle. At every prom he attended, wearing a tux that fitted in a way that no teenager should be able to achieve.

After high school, he doesn't make a big deal out of it, but offers his services free of charge to those closest to him that wouldn't make it a thing, that wouldn't tease or make fun of him for having a 'woman's' hobby. For Robin, he would tailor items so the legs or sleeves wouldn't be too long, or just tailor the waist of men's pants to fit. For Max, knowing that she struggled to afford new clothing, and finding items that she liked and fit well from a thrift shop was nearly impossible, he would offer to lightly tailor anything she needed, not so it would be close fitting or a perfect match, just adjusting them enough that her clothing wasn't obviously too big. Also offering to help her repair anything and teaching her how to do her own repairs.

Everyone else found out because of Joyce and Hopper's wedding. After everything with the Upside Down was over, they wanted to get married on as tight of a budget as possible, thinking of using clothing they already owned or what they could thrift, Steve volunteered to dress the wedding party. Tailored suits for Hopper, Jonathan, and Will, fitting so beautifully that no one would be able to guess each suit had been thrifted and all the shirts were the cheapest off the rack. Dresses for Joyce and El, made from ones already owned and what they could thrift, but completely torn apart and remade into new dresses. There was nothing but praise and encouragement for Steve, with the entire town talking about how wonderful the family had looked that day.

The party then taking it upon themselves to encourage Steve to try and make it a career. He listened to them, initially intending it as a side hustle, to help build a little cash to get out of his parents house. But it took off quickly, mostly from word of mouth following the wedding, and within a few months he was taking enough work and making enough money that he was able to quit Family Video and start tailoring full time.

And his little business went from strength to strength, just over a year and he was able to afford a small shop, so he wasn't working out of his home. He hired Robin as a part-time receptionist around her college courses, claiming he needed someone to man the phones and make the appointments, but mostly wanting the company. Will offering to design and paint the branding for the shop. El gained an interest that matched Steve's after seeing the magic he created for the wedding, and made it her personal mission to become Steve's assistant after graduating high school, often tagging along while he was working to watch and learn how everything came together.

His reputation spread to Indianapolis and beyond, making him one of the most sought-after tailors in the state, with people even coming from the surrounding states just for him to make adjustments to their clothing. His business doing so well, that it was the leading force in rejuvenating downtown Hawkins, with more people opening up their own businesses to take advantage of the increased number of people passing through town.

Everyone in the party having at least one item, if not multiple items, or clothing either tailored or made by Steve, with him having everyone's measurements listed in a personal notebook, and even having individual draft blocks made to the measurements of his most frequent customers within the party. Eddie being one of his biggest clients, after becoming a semi-successful rockstar, refusing to wear anything that wasn't made, or at the very least tailored, by Steve to any of the biggest events.

Steve's parents finding out when they come back through Indiana, at a networking event held by a business associate. They hear it from a potential new, rich client who, after sharing introductions, responds, "Oh, Harrington, is that any relation to the owner of Harrington's Tailoring in Hawkins?" When they have no response to that, the potential client goes on to talk about how he wouldn't have anyone else tailor for him, how the tailor did such phenomenal work with fabric.

That is what pulls them back to Hawkins, for the first time in years. After calling for an appointment got them nowhere, being told that there would be weeks to wait before they could even be seen for the initial consultation, they tried going into the shop. Asking, then demanding an appointment, becoming ruder and more belligerent, even pulling out "Don't you know who I am?"

Robin being the one manning the desk, and recognising them from the photos she had seen from Steve. "Yeah, you're an asshole who cheats on his wife and neglected his kid. Mr Harrington is a very busy man, and doesn't give people like you priority."

Her response angering them further, them demanding to speak with the manager, and out walks Steve. Face-to-face with his parents for the first time since he was nineteen, and this time holding the power. Their tone changed upon seeing him, making all claims to love and family and loyalty, and having heard so much about his success.

And he just refuses them. Refusing them service, refusing them his time, refusing them his energy. Telling them to find another tailor, that even if he wanted to do work for them he was too fully booked, and that they would never be a priority or rush client.

"We could destroy you, you know. You are nothing without us." His father tried to push further, determined to get his own way.

"And yet, here I am. Successful without you even knowing about it." Steve replied, content with his success and refusing to allow his parents to taint his happiness.

-

This took off from an idea I had, picturing Steve as a tailor with glasses and a tape measure around his neck and pins in his mouth as he worked. (which is unsafe and should never be done but I will always do because I can never find a pincushion when I need it) It was supposed to be a little headcanon drabble but just got a mind of its own and ended up as a fic that only took me a couple of hours to write.

[infrared135-36]

also the fact that a good amount of people are talking about kuro games like they’re some poor indie devs that just want their little game to succeed is insane. this is a billion dollar company creating one of the most exploitive types of game. and the people saying shit like this do NOT understand gacha

the person spending $100 for a weapon is “playing” the game AS IT HAS BEEN DESIGNED. This isn’t some random one-off moron. every part of this game is designed so you drop big money. the amount of freemium currency they give, how the game itself is played and the time it takes to play it, the rolls you need to hit “pity”, being able to see people’s builds in co-op, the gacha 5-star animation, these are just some of the ways these games are designed to get you used to spending money. The psychology has been studied extensively. These aren’t some random game mechanics the developers just decide to slap into these games. Your typical first timer who spends money will probably follow a process like this- get “just enough” freemium currency to sink into a banner(this is why I cannot see getting free currency as being truly generous) + “I want it now” (the game is designed to bank on this, it does not matter if you can “grind it out” over multiple days) + “I spent this much and I’m close, better just keep going” + the gambler’s high you get from seeing the 5-star animation that many people will get addicted to + “I spent this much, I might as well keep playing” (or sunk cost). then the cycle repeats itself over however many new gacha banners there are. You may feel disgusted with yourself after dropping a large amount of money for digital goods in what felt like an altered state. Again, these mechanics are implemented in a way that manipulates you into doing this. Some people may stop completely after experiencing this, some may put themselves on a tight budget, but many will become addicted and repeat the process over and over and over. That’s the game working as intended. This goes for not only all gacha but the more western loot-boxes as well. It doesn’t mean these games are some unique evil in the industry, it doesn’t make you an idiot for playing them and it doesn’t mean there aren’t talented artists and writers working on them. But you need to recognize how this type of game works if you’re going to engage with it.

[deepfivetraveller]

What i would gift the characters from MTP

part 2

William James Moriarty:

*Hagoromo chalk. Basically its a chalk mathematicians use to write on black boards.

*This chalk is no ordinary chalk. It glides suuuper smoothly on boards, is dust free, and writing feels as if the chalk is melting from your hand (Not my words)

*It’s so good people believe that it is impossible to write a false theorem with this

*Mathematicians have always had this attachment to black boards for various reasons so even though this is a simple gift I feel he’d deeply appreciate it.

*Also if possible, I would write a 100 reasons why he shouldn’t K himself, fold them into paper stars and put them in a glass jar and give it to him (Poor boy deserves some love).

Louis James Moriarty:

*A really fancy tea set (If I had the money to).

*Ik it sounds pretty cliche but get this, Victorian nobles had tea sets for EVERY form of tea and for every occasion

*I don’t think the Moriarty family were ever tight on budget before the final problem (at least in the manga i think) but seeing the fact that William never spent too much money on clothes, I’m pretty sure they were modest with their spendings and an extra tea pot or cutlery set would help them very much :D

Albert James Moriarty:

*Wine. What else can I buy this man? he’s loaded.

*Now, I’m no Wine expert and nor do I have the money to buy any expensive ones but I think if I buy him something decent he’d greatly appreciate it.

*Also handmade gifts. ANY handmade gift would do it. Cards, knitted or crocheted items, all of it. He’d love them more if they WEREN’T perfect. Ik he has this OCD thing but think about it. 

*My theory is he creates these ugly sweaters for his brothers in order to get over his OCD. So something imperfect but etched with a ton of love would be adored by him.

James Bonde/ Irene Adler:

*Now this is a tricky one. If I met them when they were Irene Adler, something like a good perfume is what I would give. I know it isn't much but I feel like that their the type of person to like a good scent.

*But now that he is James Bonde I would give him a modern binder.

*it'll help him save a lot of time since he wouldn't have to use cloth bandages and I think it would also hurt less.

Should I do a part 2 for others?

[azlrse]

could u do boyfriend drabble with ruggie please?☺️

[boyfriend gush/drabble: ruggie bucchi]

cw: none, just fluff !!

a/n: gotta post here since I have some free time and still alive ^^

Before he got a crush and possibly dating the Ramshackle Prefect, Ruggie is the kind of student who balances both work and his education. He is also the kind who is aware of his financial struggles back home and does his best on saving and gathering money. Little to know by anyone, he is self-conscious about his financial instability and living in the scums back at Sunset Savana.

He used to think that he isn't worth himself of finding a mate and a lover due to his poor upbringing.

From afar, he admired you but when he hangs out with you, he playfully teases you. He admired your laughter and your big smile when he does his usual antics. Ruggie also let's you pet and touch his ears to which he really liked it. At first, he's confused on what he felt towards you. Is it love? Infatuation? Admiration? Or if these feelings says otherwise and is considered between the lines of a romantic and platonic relationship??

Ruggie is also confuses whether or not he has a squish or a crush on you and it may took a while for him to realize that he does have romantic feelings for you (thanks to Leona knocking some sense on him 😭).

He doesn't accept the fact that he has a small crush on you, even asking his fellow savanaclaw peers on what's it like to have a crush on someone. Y'know?? Based from their personal experiences from the said students. I can see his crush on you is somewhere between a more obvious but tries to keep it minimal so that he's not blowing his chances on you.

Valentine's Day is the one holiday he becomes very insecure, not because of his lack of money but because he might loose his chance for you to be his and doesn't get expensive gifts like his schoolmates. He still relies on his skill on cooking and handcrafting in order to have something to give to you. As usual for the prefect, you beat him to him because you have him a huge box of donuts and a bouquet of dandelions as his gifts and he'll be forever remember that his crush knew his favorites.

He also remembered what you said that you really love on how simple his gifts are, saying that the amount of money within the gift has no significance other than their love for the student they had a crush on. That's when you started to realize that you just accidentally told Ruggie your feelings for him and proceeded to run away but Ruggie doesn't like it when people started to run away from a conversation.

He grabs your arm, stopping you from your tracks as he pulls you closer towards him. You can see within his eyes the desperation and his yearning for you. He wants you to say it again, fearing on what you just said is just a mere joke on him and possibly left him because of his background. Once you confirmed to him that you returned those feelings of his and accept for who his was, he never felt so happy in his life as he starts to hug you and kisses your forehead affectionately.

Ruggie as a boyfriend is kinda like his self during his crushing stage on you but add there a bit of flirting. He loves the concept of PDA but tries to keep it minimal such as holding hands and kissing your cheek whenever the two of you are in separate classes. The date nights he liked are his motivation to work hard and save up some cash so that the two of you could have your date outside of campus. If he's in a tight budget, then you preferred to stay in his dorm and cook up something delicious.

Overall, Ruggie is the kind of boyfriend who is insecure but tries his best to be the best partner and mate for you. He is also the kind where when the two of you dated for years (if you plan to stay with him), even after graduation, he would save up a ring for you to get married. He will save up so that he will be financially stable to take care of you, his grandma and his future family to raise.

Do not republish, edit, or repost to other websites.

Reblogs and likes are appreciated! 💕

[gaitwae]

Where do you think all of the star trek captains would take their students on a field trip?

Hoooooo boy. What a question. I haven't seen LD, yet, and I'm not touching Discovery. Here we go!

Jonathan Archer: He would take his kids* to the aquarium. He's notoriously known as the "cool" field tripper. He seems to have the kids figured out, but somehow, there's always an accident or a kid missing and he swears he's never going to do it ever again. Someone hits their head on the glass or gets lost in the jellyfish section. 4/10 field tripper.

Christopher Pike: He would take his students to an art or history museum and make a big, scary speech upfront about how there would absolutely be NO messing around and if anyone breaks anything, they're going to get in big trouble, mister! He ends up the one screwing around with students, though, but nothing is harmed and no one is lost. Una keeps him on track so they can see the whole museum. 8/10 field tripper.

Jim Kirk: This guy is a Lugnuts** game field tripper. He wanted to go and there was a discount. He'd say there were math benefits or something and give them all a worksheet to fill out about statistics or safety or etc on the bus. No one is lost, but there might be a fight or two after sitting the wrong kids together in the stands. 7/10 field tripper.

Jean-Luc Picard: 100% to an art museum, no if ands or buts. He'd keep strict attendance and yell at anyone who dares touch any of the exhibits. I think there would be tears at one point but overall an excellent field trip. He'd know some obscure knowledge about every piece and it would be soothing to hear, and he's also really having a fun time with the kids. Tight leash on his students, no fights, no missing kids. 10/10 field tripper.

Benjamin Sisko: Lugnuts gamer as well, but also maybe a capital building or botanical grounds and gardens. Most of his field trips have educational value and he wants his kids to learn something that will stick with them the rest of their lives. He lets them have free reign and usually no one ends up missing. They'd all meet up for lunch halfway through and everyone appreciates how he treats them as if they have their own minds. 10/10 field tripper.

Kathryn Janeway: Also known as the "mom" field tripper, she'll probably take you through a city you've never seen before or the zoo. She's got simple field trips but always always always a dead-set purpose. She's got wiggle room for just-in-cases and lets the kids split into groups with chaperones. She'll yell if you get out of line. Sometimes people go missing but she always gets them back within half an hour. 9.5/10 field tripper. (Would go higher but there was someone crying... so...)

*I'm assuming this is a school-friendly field trip setting, so think average school institution budget kind of field trips. **The Lansing Lugnuts are a minor league baseball team in the American Midwest.

[savrenim]

not to be another donations post but you may remember how over the summer we had massive amounts of plumbing problems and other unexpected moving costs? well. after proceeding to work every single hour available to me for six months, take no holidays whatsoever, and budget the hell out of every aspect of my life, I was actually on track to pay everything back and maybe have a little bit of wiggle room by the time summer came around!

and then we got a call from the vet about routine labs saying that if we didn't take Suzy in to an emergency specialty hospital immediately, she would die within in a week, she might die anyways if we took her there, but it was our only chance to have a few more months with her. after an extremely difficult household discussion, we decided that we needed to do as much as we could for her. she's been a beloved member of the family for 18 years. we were not going to abandon her in her hour of need.

with two days at the specialty hospital, the prognosis was better than we could have possibly hoped! the most important thing is she does not have heart problems at all, which means that we can treat her chronic kidney disease with normal IV fluids and with careful treatment she could easily be with us for years to come. the timely intervention also may or may not have saved her from acute kidney failure too, we'll know when we go back to the vet on Wednesday to get her blood checked where her levels have stabilized at.

two days at the specialty hospital means we are also down $3652 , and no longer are on track to pay back everything by July when it comes due unless a couple of uncertain things going forward Go Right, I do not trust everything to Go Right, and we're also still uncertain about what long-term treatment going forward is going to cost.

I still have my ko-fi and my patreon, but honestly, I'm aware that everything is tight for everyone always and there are also a lot of causes that need money right now and in the face of that "hey my family went super out on a limb to try to save our cat and would love some help not falling off" feels kind of shallow. but like. not to sound dumb or like a youtuber or podcaster, but, like. honestly I think the Most Helpful Thing that anyone could do for me right now is take a fucking HelloFresh link that will send you a "free" box for cost-of-shipping ($7ish?) if you Sign Up For An Account that you can then cancel Immediately After The Box Has Shipped and Never Give Them Any More Money Than That and get Six To Ten Meals Out Of It, and for getting someone to "sign up", they will give me a free box too. like. if 13 people are willing to take a link then I don't need to worry about food for the next three months. which would be. HUGE.

so I guess.... dm me if you want a link? otherwise expect to see a lot of promotion of my writing/ patreon as I scramble the hell to try to make this money up

[kaiaden]

Ninjago Au

Use this au if you want! Plz read my rules!

rules:

NO PROSHIPS PLZ like ew no thank u not in my au

please give credits and lmk what website u post your works on whether it’s art or writing, so that I can check it out

You may not change anything set in stone, if it says that a certain rank is in the hierarchy, then you can’t move it up or down, and you can’t remove it, or when I explain what Cyrus Borg does or what rank he rose from, you may not change anything written abt it, you may only add to it

Pg. 1 World building:

Hierarchy- (high to low)

Upper class-

Royals

Scientists

The rich

HighLanders

Bounty hunters 

Middle class-

Wall builders

Builders

Workers

Teachers

Factory workers

Third class-

Low income families 

Servants/maids

The experimented

Slaves 

Have no rank/are the lowest of the low-

Elemental Masters

Pg. 2 Upper Class:

The Royals:

Not really involved with politics all that much, no one really knows them besides fellow upper class people when the Royals hold formal balls or coronations. 

Scientists:

It is honestly a name to call the cruelest of the human race. They typically work with the experiments and the Elemental Masters (see page 4) everyone knows what they do and everyone with a bit of empathy strays away from them, and the scientists take great pride in both that and their work. Typically asocial people who lack basic empathy. The job market is typically free and easy, however, only 1 in 10000 people actually take up an offer.

The Rich:

The name says it all, these people own lots of money, typically old money. Very few people actually rise to this position, but those who do are praised for their hard work, one such person being Cyrus Borg, (see page 7) who rose to fame and fortune with his genius innovations.

HighLanders:

Don’t let the name confuse you, the HighLanders are not people who are high on land. These people are some of the most dangerous people. Typically, this group of people include gangs, mafia leaders and members, assassins working for other upper class groups, and the police force (see page 7)

Bounty Hunters:

As their name says, they are people who often go and collect bounties, and some are privately and illegally hired by scientists to ‘collect’ Elemental Masters (see page 5) in order to illegally be tested. They are highly respected since they are often in ties with the rich, unless they are new and have no experience.

Pg. 3 Middle Class:

Wall Builders-

These people are a step above Builders (see section below Wall Builders) they created, fixed and maintained the Wall (see page 8) They are decent people who are the highest in their class, they live near the wall (see page 8) where they can be close to their jobs, unfortunately this occupation has the highest fatality rate.

Builders-

This group of people are essentially Wall Builders (see section above Builders) except they build homes and buildings. They also have a decently high fatality rate. 

Workers- 

These are people who have average jobs, they afford their homes, have a decent financial stability, the average joes of the hierarchy.

Teachers-

These are people who teach anyone, whether it is in schools or in a dojo teaching martial arts.

Factory Workers-

These people, as their name suggests, work in factories. They are responsible for the production of goods and utilities. Often times they borderline low income, and have the 3rd highest fatality rate due to lack of funds, budget cuts, and safety violations that aren’t properly managed. 

Pg. 4 Third Class:

Low Income Families-

These people are typically borderlining homeless, but also have a very tight budget as 90% of them either make or make less than minimum wage. They often find themselves seeking better jobs, but most of them will fail due to lack of experience for hiring companies. Their best bet is aiming for factory jobs, but due to the harsh work environment, only the most desperate workers will end up in the factories.

Servants/Maids-

They typically work in the homes of the Royals, Scientists, and the rich (see page 2). They serve for work, but they have it easier than lower class families (see section above servants/maids) because they mostly live rent free in their bosses homes, and they get paid a bit better, however, they are looked down upon by a certain amount of people in the Third Class due to working directly for the Upper Class (see page 2)

The Experimented:

These people are some of the most unfortunate. Mainly people who have signed contracts or have been pushed to the lowest, and are subjected to be tested and experimented on by the Scientists (see page 2). Life is horrible and they get paid half of the average minimum wage.

Slaves-

This rank was deemed illegal, however, some upper class people still practice this, and the living conditions are the worst among the rest of the Third Class.

Pg. 5 No Ranks/Low Lives:

Elemental Masters-

Unfortunately for the elemental masters, they are subjected to the most abuse, as they aren’t seen in the best of light due to their powers. They are often kidnapped at young ages and subjected to the Scientists (see page 2). Their kidnapping reports go unbothered and kidnapping reports aren’t even filed if at all. They live in horrible conditions and are often forced into unfair work conditions.

Pg. 6 The Kingdom:

Cities-

Ninjago City

Stixx 

Stixx-

The smaller of the two cities consist mainly of the Middle and Third Classes, and barely any Upper Class citizens. Many factories reside here, and fishing companies have taken over the sea side, and the whole south and east sides of the cities are outlined by the oceanfront. 

Ninjago City-

Consists of all classes, it is the largest city by a landslide, containing a whopping 900,000+ population. This is where the rich end up since there are many opportunities in the city.

The Countryside-

This area consists of many different types of villages. Mostly consists of the Third Class, and farming is a main source of income for them. Scientists and Bounty Hunters often linger in search of Elemental Masters in hiding, or more potential experiments. 

Pg. 7 Influential People

The Emperor:

The main leader of Ninjago, not really involved with the kingdom, the Royals never have been and everything has no order, besides the obvious hierarchy.

The Empress:

Known to be married to the Emperor (see section above The Empress). Also not really involved with the kingdom. All that is known about her is her birthday, April 15th, and that she is infertile, unable to produce heirs. 

The Jade Princess:

Surprisingly she was adopted from the Third Class, she is a former low income citizen (see page 4). Only two pictures are public, however, they are about 8 years old. 

Cyrus Borg:

Known for being a former low income citizen (see page 4), due to his genius innovations and inventions, he helped upgrade all of Ninjago seemingly overnight. He is a very found and generous man m, and is known to donate and distribute money to the less fortunate.

The Police Force:

No one truly trusts them, as the whole force is formed from corruption. Upper Class citizens often have people on the inside in high positions. 

The First Family:

Most people believe they are a myth, only people who believe in them are mainly the elderly, but this family is known to have begun humanity, as the head of the family was known as the First Spinjitzu Master, who created the realm. Not much is known, only that he had two sons, but even this is debated among many, even the believers. 

Pg. 8 The Wall

The Wall-

No one truly knows the reason for the wall, many conspiracy theorists believe that monsters lurk beyond it, but all anyone knows is that anyone who went over, either never came back, or were found to have been mangled and mutilated beyond recognition.

ENJOY MY OCEAN WAVES

[yowlthinks]

Some mornings I wake up and want to cry. I am exhausted, it is quarter to six and I would love to keep sleeping but my toddler is awake and full of energy so I slog downstairs, leaving everyone else to sleep. This happens every single day with the variety being the actual wake-up: sometimes it is earlier, sometimes I can even get to a little past 6. Sometimes I get up through the night too...

I deal with the evenings too, of course, and on weekends I am mostly there too. And I know children are only this small for a short period of time, and I enjoy spending time with them.

But I am also approaching critically low battery level. I need some sort of downtime, but at home, because I have so much stuff to do. But my days start with getting the kids ready, then work and then immediately dealing with kids again, there is hardly any downtime, and it is taking a toll on me and my health. Like physical health: I can see I look bad, and ai am somehow gaining weight, while I need to loose 20kg to feel myself, to like myself again.

The problem is, I don't know how to rebalance it all. I want to go to the gym, but by the time the kids are down and the key chores are done it is 9pm or even later, and I am exhausted, and operating on 5h of sleep is not easy. I am underslept, so my willpower is not great and I crave carbs (which is probably where the problems start).

I try to make sure my partner gets enough sleep, if I am already awake, what is the point of waking up someone else. I feel like I need to somehow plan time specifically to myself, but then... well, it is not very fair, is it? There are times when I take one or the other child to classes, so my partner is looking after the other. It is not like he is having some free time exactly, so I feel bad asking for time just by myself.

I am trying to figure out why I need this and my partner doesn't. I mean, he has the office commute, I wfh. He seems to be ok, while I am on the verge of tears and feel totally out of it. And the problem is, the more tired I am, the less I delegate and the more I try to crawl through it, what happens is that I try to withdraw more, which means others take more space, which means I feel cornered. It's a viscious circle, and I am trying to remember what the therapist said before they stopped my sessions nearly 2 years ago. The little recharging breaks like watching even half an episode of a series at lunchbreak come to mind. But my lunchbreaks lately are... well, taken over by work or I feel too guilty or too impatient, I have no idea why.

Many people here in NL take a 4 day week with a paycut (and less holidays), spend one more day with their kids instead of taking them to daycare or aftershock care. I feel like I have no capacity for this, with an already super-tight budget and the bare minimum of holidays, and already giving the kids all my spare time. I know a lot of people have it way harder, and I have no idea how you guys are doing this.

[marveltrumpshate]

★ AUCTION WEEK INFO ★

We’re nearing the finish line! It's amazing that so many bidders are involved in our auction—we’ve surpassed an astounding number of bids, and we're looking forward to even more as things heat up in the final hours. We’re very grateful to you all, and we love that you’re so passionate about spreading the word and raising money for the wonderful charities on our list.

If you had to bow out from your bidding war, consider lending some change to a pod bid (aka group bid). Some pod bids may need an extra boost to win their auctions, and you can still help out even if you are only able or want to contribute $5! You can check the list of existing pod bids here. Feel free to start a pod bid on your own or in the #pod-bid-chat channel on our Discord. It's not too late to make one! If you make or have a pod bid that isn't on our pod bid list, let us know so we can update it.

Another option is to look at our golden needle tag, which includes auctions that haven’t been bid on yet. We know that some people don’t have much money to spare but still want to bid, and this is a great way to find auctions that may be affordable for you. You can also use our "current bid: low to high" sorting feature on our Auction Listings page (dropdown menu right under the "Auction Listings" heading) to see auctions that are within your budget.

If you want to narrow down your golden needle search to your favorite characters and ships, you can do so by doing a multiple keyword search (e.g., Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson "golden needle" for Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson golden needles. Note: some of the golden needles for certain characters/ships aren't showing up for some reason, so we recommend going through the few golden needles we have left to double check). Please refer to this page to see our tag list and some search tips and our search guide for more instructions on doing a multiple keyword search.

If you intend to use a proxy bidder in the final hours of the auction, make sure that you’ve chosen a trusted friend or mutual to bid for you and checked out our proxy bidding info post. You or your proxy will need to send us your details once the auction is over so that we can connect the right person with the creator.

Finally, remember that if you end up winning an auction, you'll have to send us proof of donation by 11:59 PM ET on November 2 at the latest. (what time is that for me?). We’ve got our bidders FAQ and donation guide to help you sort out what to do when the time comes.

____________________________________________

Read our daily update posts for more information:

Day 1 - Viewing Tumblr posts on mobile, using our auction watchlist feature, and changing your Discord DM settings

Day 2 - Bidder–creator matchmaking and group/pod bids

Day 3 - Commissioning gifts on a friend’s behalf (fanworks are great holiday gifts!)

Day 4 - Golden needle auctions

Day 5 - Creator auction promo tips

Day 6 - Staying involved when outbid/having a tight budget and making proxy bids

Auction spotlights:

Beta services, translation, and other fan labor

Craft or merch auctions

Digital, podfic, and vid auctions

Poly ships

Fanworks featuring POC

Fanworks featuring women

Best of luck with bidding. May the fastest mouse-clicker win!

[zesty-goblin-trash]

Hope you're ready for a pointless hot take on cat litter cause I'm awake and I have opinions!

Cat tax;

Long ass litter rant under the cut, if tumblr mobile actually does it right for once 😤

Alright friends with felines, here's a little thing no one asked for but every morning I clean the cat box I think about making a post about it and never do. But today I am!

Bit of backstory, going to try and keep it brief. But if you've seen any of my other text posts, you'll know I struggle at that.

We were given about a half box of cat litter, I'll go into the brand in a bit. We're on a very, very tight budget so that saved us from having to buy litter for another week, dope. Except no, holy crap no. Despite being from the same brand we typically buy, it's usefulness was on par with the cheap bulk QualiCat nonsense from Costco. I used what would have normally been 2 weeks worth of cat litter in less than a week because of this crap.

Now this might not be the case for everyone's cats, so keep all that in mind when I go off about cat litter.

I do my best to empty the litter box every morning as part of my 'bathroom routine', so usually the accumulated waste isn't outrageous. That being said Bruce (the black cat in the cattax) is a piss machine and it's often sticky. (For those who might be worried, she's 16 and I very recently took her to be checked for Diabetes + other possible issues because I was worried about that and other potential symptoms. All tests came back clear 👍) So it's not uncommon for the litter box to be a couple nuggets of poop, but 2 or 3 massive 5in chunks of kentic sand-like cat litter clumps.

This is where the difference in litter quality comes in.

We were given a box of Arm and Hammer Multi Cat Clumping Litter. It comes in a yellow box, and Walmart sells the 18kg box for $23.97 CAD.

Extra value my ass

I think for most people on a budget or even not wanting to spend more money on ~fancy litters would choose this option. But trust me when I say this is one of those items that you're better of spending the money of higher quality versions of. Like a bed or a good desk chair.

The amount of dust this letter kicked up alone was insane. I noticed it immediately because my watch had a fine layer of powder on it after I refilled the box. But even looking at the litter itself, you can see larger particles of litter and a lot pow just powderyness. Best I can describe it is as if someone took a peice of concrete, smashed it up, and then poured it into a litter box. Maybe the larger flakes or whatever of the litter are meant to aid in the clumping? But it most certainly did not.

After only one day, the cat box looked as if I'd neglected it for 3. The containment of pee in the clumps is so poor that there were legitimately puddles of pee on top of the clumps. I am genuinely so upset at how bad this litter is, and we got it for free. The only positive to this litter is that inside the box it's in bag. And that's also only a positive if you have a scoop to move the litter from the bag to the litter box. Otherwise pouring from a bag in a box that weighs 18kg is not exactly the easiest thing.

What we usually buy is also Arm and Hammer, but we get the Clump and Seal Multi Cat Clumping Litter. Specifically the 17.2kg box for $27.97 CAD.

Now I do have a few gripes with this product, but my complaints with this litter aren't about the litter quality itself. They do this very annoying thing where the 9.1kg box is $20.97 CAD but the 18.7kg box is $27.97 CAD. That might not seem like a huge price difference but when your grocery budget is about $40, it is. However it doesn't make any sense to get the 9.1kg, or even the 12.7kg for $23.97 CAD, when you get so much more litter per dollar with the larger box. Also unlike the other litter, these are all boxes with a punch out hole for pouring, and don't open from the top easily to use a scooper. Again, even though not in a bag this time, pouring an 18kg box of essentially sand is not exactly easy and precise work.

Looking at the actual litter, this time it's much finer. I don't know the science behind piss and odour absorption, but I do know this stuff doesn't smell like a litter box after their first use of it nor do the clumps end up so large in single day that I have to refill the enter box after removing them. It's also not dusty at all, which is why I realized just how dusty the other one was since my watch has never been covered in dust after refilling.

So yea. That's the main point of this whole little litter rant.

But I've got some bonus "tips" to add too, because these are a couple other things that have just made dealing with the litter box a much easier task for my stupid ass depressed ADHD brain. So keep going if that's a thing you stuggle with too. And remember not to let yourself beat yourself up too hard for struggling with seemingly basic tasks. I do too. A lot of people do.

Get yourself a couple dollarstore items;

- dog poop bags, I find the ones with the little handles easier to use for the cat litter vs the rolls.

- a metal brownie/cookie spatula, the solid flat ones with a slightly beveled edge.

- small boot mats and a small broom.

So the poop bags are a bit obvious. I usually have to use 2 per litter change, but by scooping into the poop bags and then tying them off before trashing them, it keeps them from stinking up the room between garbage days. It also eliminates the need to have a dedicated litter locker type situation, which is great if you have one, but if you don't having to add extra steps for litter specific disposal can easily become a point of avoidance for cleaning the box.

The bootmats are for the doorway to the room with the litter box. I've found dedicated litter catchers that are supposed to go just outside the box end up getting pissed on. Then you have to clean it properly to prevent them from doing it again, and even then it still gets all nasty. We don't want the cats tracking the litter everywhere though, so what I did was take the mats meant for catching salt and stuff from winter boots and snip it to fit the bathroom door. You still end up with litter in the bathroom, so that's were the small broom and ... bin? (Major brain fart and I can't remember what the scoopy part for a broom is called right now??) comes in. Keep it beside the garbage in there and sweep it up when you clean the box. Having a dedicated cat litter sweeper right beside the box helps prevent me from skipping that step because I have to go get the broom and DUST PAN (that's it!) and come back.

That's the style of mat I'm referring too. The ones with the little grooves in them. They're small enough to just fit in the door frame so you don't even have to step on it if your barefoot and don't like the texture (Heyo!) but they also catch the extra litter off the kitties paws. Plus because they're cheap, $1 mats, if they get pissed on you can just trash it and put down a new one.

And lastly, the metal spatula. First off, write cat litter on the handle somewhere just in case. My paranoid ass thinks at some point it might get taken out of there and someone might wash it and try to use it for cookies or something. 😅 But this is for helping get the cat litter unstuck from the box. Like I'd mentioned, Bruce's pee is really oddly sticky (again, she's fine.) so it can be a pain to just scoop it with the scooper. Using the metal spatula I go around the edges of the box, then slide it flat across the bottom to break the major clumps free of the box. I generally try not to break them apart much, unless I can't get it into the scoop or poop bags in one piece. Once I've gotten the major stuff scooped I'll run the edge across the bottom of the box to make sure nothing else is stuck. Then I'll pour in some new litter, use the spatula to mix it in with the old litter, then use a piece of toilet paper to wipe off anything stuck. By using it to mix in the new clean litter first it tends to help anything sticky on it get less sticky.

Im not sure why this image specifically had meat in it, but it made me laugh and this is exactly what mine looks like so I'm rolling with it. Don't use your cat litter spatulas on your dinner folks. Or do, if that's your thing. Who am I to judge.

Sometimes we also have Arm and Hammer Litter Box Deodorizer that I'll mix in with the litter top-up, but usually it's not needed with the clump and seal litter. It helps if you need more time between litter box cleanings. In Canada getting it at Walmart is a better deal than the Dollarama one, FYI. The Dollarama one is like 3/4 the size of the Walmart one for the same price.

Okay that's it, that's all I got. For now. 😅

Go out there and get better products for less hassle and stress in this insanity called 'living'. Much love! Toodles!

[ramyatours]

How to Plan a Vacation on a budget

In the digital age of today, travel has become an invaluable resource for tourists. These platforms are used by enthusiastic travelers to exchange     advice, observations, suggestions, and first-hand accounts of their travels. One of the most fulfilling experiences is exploring new places;  its advantages go beyond simple enjoyment.  We may fully immerse ourselves and have firsthand experience with new ideas, cultures, sights, languages, and cuisines when we travel. These uncommon encounters enhance our educational process, help us see the great diversity of our world, and dispel misconceptions and assumptions about other cultures.

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Set a budget for your travels.

The rest of your trip planning process will be impacted by this crucial stage. Establish your budget for all of your expenses, including lodging, transportation, meals, and souvenirs. A cheap trip or staycation doesn't have to cost a fortune—there are lots of ways to do it.

To plan out each category, utilize my free vacation budget worksheet. If, during the planning process, you determine that anything is excessively costly, reduce its scope or remove it from the list.

Begin accumulating funds

This is the point where the road becomes rough! You won't have to worry about payments or credit card interest rates when you get home if you work and save money now. When you're working double shifts or taking on freelance work, use your trip as motivation. To serve as a reminder of your goals, print out an image of your destination—such as a stunning beach or scene with snow-capped mountains—or save it to your phone's screen.

Make a strategy.

If you have extra time and money to spend, traveling on the spur of the moment is fantastic. However, making a plan is the first step if you're traveling on a tight budget. While you don't need to have a detailed, hour-by-hour schedule, you should at least know where you're going to be staying for how long and how your epic adventure will take you. Less chance equals less unforeseen expenses; last-minute travel and lodging are frequently far more costly.

Travel during off-season

Avoid taking vacations during the school holidays as the travel industry raises rates to exploit families who are only able to take vacations during these weeks. Travel shortly before or after these dates after researching the ideal times to visit your intended location. You'll still have an amazing trip during what is known as the "shoulder season," but there's a chance that the sun won't shine as brightly and it won't be as hot. During this period, hotels and airlines reduce their rates to draw in guests.

Make travel plans in advance

Particularly for return flights—it's never ideal to run out of money overseas without a confirmed way home. Up to a year in advance, airlines "release" their flight seats, and the closer your departure date is, the more expensive it gets, particularly in the final month.By checking the guidance of the best tours and travel agency to make a plan.

Make sure to pack appropriately.

Aside from a few mementos, make sure you pack everything you'll need so you don't have to go shopping while you're away. Bring at least one pair of long pants, a warm hoodie, and a waterproof jacket in case of unforeseen weather conditions, no matter where you're going. See our "Travel like a pro" packing guide for comprehensive tips on how to pack for any type of trip

                         Enjoy your journey and go!

There's nothing worse than having to pay for a vacation months after it ends. However, you can avoid that headache if you follow these steps to budget and plan ahead of time. Then, enjoy yourself to the fullest while traveling! Unwind and have fun. Holidays should be enjoyable, not stressful. Thus, create a plan and a budget. The Every Money budgeting app is my preferred method of creating a budget. For free, start creating a budget now, and you'll enjoy your next trip much more! With the best guidelines of  top tours and travels agency in madurai.

[athinveil]

saw you in the notes of some post saying you work in finance. like, no pressure, and i'm not expecting any depth from a tumblr ask, but... do you have any advice for people living paycheck to paycheck other than the classic "make a budget"? (i have already discovered that getting a credit card does not help.)

just wondering if there's anything you've learned from your profession that you wish was better known to the public

https://undebt.it/ is a big help to help pay off debt efficiently undebt it - google search if you don’t like hitting links - I don’t hitting links. I have a super hard time with budgets myself. And credit cards are rough - I get manic and then my budget friendly self can’t keep up with manic me.

Apologies in advance if some of this is like bro - I don’t live a place w these stores - just mentally replace store names with what’s around you.

If your debt has an interest rate under 7%, pay the minimums because a lot of investments will grow at 7% or better (common examples - car loans, most student loans, mortgages, etc.). Typically it’s better to focus on the higher interest loans/debt first. If it’s above 7%, prioritize that. A lot of minimum payments will also never pay off your debt - designed to keep you in it.

If you have a Roth option in your work retirement account, do that. It’s taxed now instead of in retirement - taxes only go up over time. However if you need to reduce your taxable income, then pretax dollars will do that. Only contribute up to the match if it’s not Roth. If it’s pretax, then you usually only want do up to the match. Maximize the free money you can get from your employer.

Always opt into long term disability insurance at work. When you can afford some extra coverage check out supplemental (most employers offer 60% in the US - if you only were paid 60% of your income it would be rough), life insurance is cheap - 200k is a small policy. The company you go with matters. A company like mass mutual or northwestern mutual (I’m at northwestern) gives higher dividends- basically a good chunk of profit goes back to policy holders instead of stockholders. Most companies can run company comparisons. Insurance pays for financial security. It’s not a scam - which is genuinely what I thought of it before I got into the field and understood it better.

Whole life insurance costs more - but it’s worth it. It’s like buying your insurance instead of renting. Again company matters - example: northwestern mutual cash value grows historically at 5% on average, give or take, usually give. It’s money you can use to collateralize a loan or take a loan out against your own policy and “be your own bank” - downside, if finances are unstable, it’s a policy with regular premiums. Unlike a Roth you can stop contributing to any time, you’re paying for coverage and it’s monthly or whatever interval without much for exceptions. Probably not a good fit for you right now with being paycheck to paycheck - but something to keep in mind for the future.

Some of my hacks for my own life and my tight budget - I get most of my stuff off of Facebook marketplace for free or cheap - if you search something for a week or two and save the cheap items eventually they’ll appear for free or less and less. You just gotta be quick to ask and pick up. I picked up a stand alone pantry cabinet yesterday for free so now I have more storage space for non-perishables. Also if you just always keep free and “curb alert” as a regular search item you’ll find good stuff. I’ve picked up some things that I know have value near me - like fish tanks with stands only to resell them later at market value which is higher because I’m in a city/suburban outskirts - I only deal in cash on Facebook because they wanna start tracking and people can’t rescind a $20 electronically.

There are food shelves that don’t require minimums. There’s also no shame in seeing if you can get assistance from the government. If you can boost yourself to live better, do it.

The dollar tree (and some other dollar stores) - while most food at the dollar tree isn’t a good deal - I’ve also found shelf stable tofu, pesto, mustard (1.25 vs $5 for pesto). I also have pets - my cats get their toys on a stick with the dangly strings from the dollar tree. I get all of my cleaning products at the dollar tree. You can also make your own - one super simple one is lemon juice (from bottle), white vinegar, and water.

I shop at specific places for specific items. I get carbon litter box filters at my hardware store because they’re a dollar there instead of $5-7 elsewhere.

I order my groceries online - it’s convenient but it also eliminates a lot of impulse shopping. I pay $10/month for it, but I save more than $10 in not impulse buying.

I mostly avoid target - target has done research on how to get you to buy more - it works. So I avoid it. Not that other stores don’t do similarly, but I know that I will fail myself at target - sort of a figure out your vices.

I shop at discount grocery stores. I got to Asian grocery stores for tea because I get way more tea for way less. I go to Aldi for most of my vegetarian foods and also their chicken. Most of their stuff is a fair bit cheaper and I’ve figured out which off brand or Aldi brand stuff I like.

I work in a super fancy office - think of a building with literal halls with marble tile. I get 99% of my clothes from thrift stores. I’m picky - I try to buy only things that I feel good in (not I feel okay, but I feel good) and I have a hard time pushing myself over $10 for almost anything. I dress with a classic style because then I don’t have to chase trends. I mostly just wear black pants and a shirt that looks business casual.

Garage sale - I spent a Saturday driving around the town I grew up in going to garage sales. Saturdays are usually the last day sales are open - they want stuff gone as the reality sets in that whatever isn’t sold is being donated. I filled a paper grocery bag full of clothing for my spouse and paid $1. I’ve hit sales where the person just wanted to be done and said just take everything you want, free. I haggle. I ask if they’d do a deal for a bunch of stuff if it’s a good sale. If there’s something I’m looking for or need - I know the value of the item before I go shopping and I know the value of it to me. I wanted a giant bean bag chair. I valued that at a maximum of $20. The going Facebook marketplace was $50-150. I held out and got one for $7 at a thrift store.

Sign up for VIP stuff at thrift stores and reward programs (assuming it’s free). Don’t buy most holiday decor new - thrift stores can barely sell a christmas tree.

Home Depot and many hardware stores offer free how-to classes - you want to learn how to lay tile? Sign up for a class. Learn to diy what you’re comfortable doing. Some labor and know how is worth paying for. Example: I will not lay tile because I can live with a crooked tile if someone else did it. I can’t if I did it. For my sanity, I would pay for that. Minding - I need that done currently and can’t afford it so it’s just not on the reality list.

Grow some of your own food if you can. Grow lights can be cheap and seeds are cheap. Sometimes you can split a pack with a friend. You can also get free pots and gardening materials online easily. Maybe not the seeds tho. If you hate gardening then don’t bother. What you want matters too.

When you buy stuff - make sure you love it when you can. Stuff you love, you will keep and use. Stuff you feel so-so about might end up being donated next year.

Utilize libraries! They have e-books also and there are so many free apps you can download to read them on. If I’m only gonna read a book once, then I shouldn’t own it. Reality is - I don’t reread that many books. Too many more books to read.

If you’re into cold brew coffee - dark roast Walmart makes just as good as a fancy brand that costs more. Try off brand stuff - it’s often way better or exactly the same. Walmart chips ahoy offbrand is better than chips ahoy. ALDIs version of coconut caramel Girl Scout chocolate cookies taste the same as Girl Scout ones but cost under $2.

Find hobbies that don’t cost you money or cost you very little money. Aquarium fish are not that hobby as I’ve learned the hard way. But I have a beautiful dr who tank so at least there’s that. I volunteered for a while with shelter cats - the ones that are in pet stores. I got kitty snuggles and got to put it on my resume. Can’t afford a pet but want one? Foster - the shelter pays for everything. One of my new hobbies is literally finding free things on Facebook marketplace. It’s great.

If you’re on meds and insurance isn’t covering everything - check out goodrx. Also - check different pharmacies and keep checking. CVS wanted $300 for 1 month of my depression meds. I walked away w/o meds. I went to Costco a week later (no membership needed for specifically their pharmacy) and got those same meds for maybe $10 without insurance.

YouTube can also teach you neat skills. Tumblr can too - I got really into tiny homes - still love them but I can’t ethically keep a Great Dane mix and all my cats in a tiny space - a big part of tiny homes is making sure you have what you need but you have it smart. I gleaned a lot from that obsession. How to have a full wardrobe w 30 pieces of clothing but still variety? It showed it. Most tiny home people are about financial freedom - a lot of them perhaps don’t have a financial background, but it’s about gathering info that works for you.

If you have kids - I do not - but I have a niece. So much free stuff from other people. I think I gave my sister in law about the first years worth of clothing for her kid and it mostly cost me some laundry soap and time with marketplace and stopping for bags of free kids clothes on the side of the road (that I then picked through, washed, and donated the iffy ones). I even got a bouncer thingy that I took apart and cleaned and gave her. Plus a stroller for my mother in law - one of those $300 ones that someone just wanted gone at no cost.

I’ve got home owner savings tricks too if you need them - but let’s be honest, few of us can afford homes. I have one in a super sketchy area that has shot spotter tech to help police respond faster to gunfire. But honestly just lucked out and fell into the job I have now.

Buy quality when you can - I got clearance Clark’s brand shoes for my job - I think they cost me $40? They’ve lasted years. I got thrift store shoes and they are falling apart in less than a year. Those same thrift store shoes during the 5 years that I’ve had my clearance Clark’s would have cost more to replace that 5x over.

Make sure you’re taking care of yourself - eat enough, sleep enough. Your health will affect how you work and live - you matter. I do premier protein shakes in the morning so I get enough protein and also account for my inability to wake up with enough time to make food. I try to bring my lunch to work. Peanut butter sandwiches are a big go-to for me. I’m rather sick of them, but for now, it helps me to save a bit and prioritize things that are more important to me.

I’m trying to think of other stuff. I mean maybe you’re already doing a big load of this or have even cut some of these expenses out. I’ve got more pet saving tricks - pets are something in life that bring me so much joy and happiness so I have them and I try to be responsible and smart with spending on them - but maybe you don’t have pets or don’t want them. I love video games so I have a few systems - mainly PC. I wait for sales for games. I still buy things that are discretionary. I buy “what I want” when I can but I try to make sure it really is something that I want. I wait for game reviews to come out.

I try to find easy recipes online with a focus on budget friendly and quick to make. Preferably with leftovers to avoid a peanut butter sandwich for a day or two. I’m in a Facebook group called “what broke vegans eat.” I go to a butcher to get ground beef because it costs the same but has less gristle and they can give me tips on making different things. Plus I can occasionally splurge on something simple - they have the best in house take home and bake lasagna which last me at least 4-5 days between my spouse and I.

What field are you job-wise? What field or kind of work would you want to be in if you could choose? What kind of hours would you prefer to work? Education level? Are you in the US? Might have some tips around that too. Is there an area you want advice on - like X costs so much, what tips do you have for cost savings with that, etc.

So happy to help. Sorry for the novel.