#trade it for the whole world. and honestly it's nice to confront the reality of my personal freedom in this at times

[rosettart]

Ineffable Husbands & Queer Relationships

Just thinking about how absolutely wonderful and refreshing it is to see a relationship like Crowley and Aziraphale's on tv. It's not the first and certainly won't be the last, but it's an incredible comfort either way. The ambiguity of the nature of their love for each other allows for a connection that I've often seen and felt especially in relationships between queer people - one that is not determined by specific boundaries or social expectations, and therefore defies interpretation. It's all-encompassing, too big for words. It's ineffable. :')

i rant more in the tags about this concept lol

[jiminrings]

I REQUEST A SOFT BADBOY DRABBLE WITH SHY READER AND HES TEASING HER BUT SOMEONE ELSE JOIMS IN AND THEYRE DOING IT TO BE MEAN BUT HES LIKE STFU BEFORE I PUMCH UR FACE ONLY IM ALLOWED TO BULLY SHY READER GRR 😡😡😡😡 and soft readers like 0.o but *squeals incoherently* 😭😭😭😭

last name, jeon.

drabble week: day two

drabble week masterlist

pairing: badboy!jungkook x shy!reader

wordcount: 3k

glimpse: "can't you tell that i really don't want you to be here?"

notes: a tiny change on the plot!! also: frat boy!jimin from day four makes an appearance :D

feedback + support mean the world to me!!

“do you wanna form-“

... yes

you DO have an alliance with jungkook

it's a very fair trade honestly

he pretends to be your boyfriend!! there's no specific boundaries to it, but he springs into action as soon as you're put into an inconvenience

in exchange, you whore him out to your friends!!! :D

no but literally that's how he called it

the whole reason this came to be in the first place is because you hATE confrontation with a burning passion

especially when it comes to those "i have a crush on you" moments that people spring on you all of a sudden

you don't like them back!!! that's the truth!!! but the problem is that you aLWAYS feel guilty letting people down

you obviously don't have the obligation to like someone back just because you sit next to them in class :// IT'S JUST IN YOUR NATURE TO FEEL THAT WAY

you wouldn't get into a relationship with said confessor to ease your guilt, clearly

do you plan on denying their advances? yes

but hOW????

you always take the passive-aggressive approach

you get jungkook to carry your bag and hold your hand, walk in front of said person and pretend not to see them, jungkook makes sURE to put some snide eye contact in there aaaaand the whole ordeal is finished :D

you've managed to let someone down slowly without having to speak to them in-person!!!

jungkook comes more handy than that too

you take him when you want to eat out because you're too anxious to eat alone

you take him when you want to go somewhere in which lining up is essential and you're also too anxious to stand by yourself

you take him when you want to go shopping when there's a sale but you're almost always intimidated by the barrage of people and salespeople so he asks and answers the questions for you

jungkook, in hindsight, is the perfect fake boyfriend for you <3

ALSO jungkook wants something from you

"whore me out to the girls from the families your family's friends with, and it's a deal :D"

that alliance and exchange is going pretty well so far

you mAY be on the more-reserved side but that doesn't mean you're self-aware!!!

you know that your parents are loaded and your shy nature could be somehow chalked to that since you didn't really have anyone that wasn't as non-superficial as you'd like, since they were the overprotective helicopter two-rotor seven-blade parents :(((

jungkook, however, is the only constant you have in your formula

you've known him since childhood and have been friends ever since

his mom's your mom's personal assistant, and one day when mrs. jeon couldn't find a babysitter for jungkook, your mom didn't hesitate to let four-year old jungkook come with her to work

jungkook's your fIRST actual friend that hates gold spoons with you because of how tacky they look :-) he's your emotional support person basically

your emotional support person who was sO close to running late from picking you up during his free day >:( you were about to break into a sprint if he arrived a second later, because you managed to spot a jock coming to you from the corner of your eye awhile ago

You Do Not Like Him <3

"and i even changed into a short-sleeved shirt to ward off your suitors. how romantic of me, don't you think?"

now that he mentions it, it's only now when you can drink him in in full-display

... wow

his right arm's the only one with his tattoos while his left's completely blank, but something about the balance just makes you !!!!!!!! even more

his arm's not completely covered but it was coming to be, something about the blank spaces of skin that are yet to be inked being a nice touch

"very romantic, kook."

now tHAT'S the answer he wanted to hear

he forcibly on your helmet for you to showcase, your grunts of annoyance being drowned out by whistling

(he's even looking left and right and making eye contact with anyone who has their eyes landing on you!!!!)

your cheeks smushed is a look he'll never be tired being in awe of, but he'll never tell you that, of course

"do you ever wonder if your parents would kill me if i misplace even a single hair on you?" jungkook thinks out loud and you don't even flinch with how sudden his thoughts could be, sitting on his seat first so it'd already be balanced when you do, "you sure you’re okay riding with me?? on a motorcycle????"

he usually uses yOUR family's vehicles (they let him and insisted he just takes one at this point) but when you called him, he was en route to kim kradle (it's a one-stop vehicle shop apparently) to get new rims for his motorcycle, bUT NOT ANYMORE HE GUESSES????

you come first compared to the booking he's waited on for three weeks

"i have insurance, i think."

no that's the wrong answer

why did you even bother.,,.,

jungkook flicks your nose because your forehead's protected by the helmet, his face contorted in half faux frustration

"you were supposed to be mad at me for asking that — not logical!! don't even joke about that."

"... my life insurance? like, in the instance that i-"

oW THAT HURT

he flicked even harder this time!!!

you roll your eyes at him and it doesn't go unnoticed, a hand outstretching instead of his fingers flexing

“wallet, please.”

????

jungkook's surprised that you even look confused, this time rolling his eyes at you

“you rolled your eyes at me. you need to bribe me so i won’t rat you out.”

right

he has a never-ending knack for the you're rich jokes

you also know that he likes the cold and would turn the fan on even if it's too hot for a blanket, just because he wants to feel cocooned

you also know that he picks from the fourth row of drinks from the front because it's always been a habit

("the germs cling on to the first row!!!")

you also know that maybe, just maybe, you can't stand it tonight when he's putting himself out there instead of being your faux boyfriend

you keep on zoning out and hoseok, perhaps the only tolerable fellow rich kid you can tolerate within your circle, finally connects the dots in his head and snickers

he's been talking about finding the vintage sneakers he's always wanted on depop and how he almost got scammed for like tWENTY minutes already

in reality, all your nods and scowls aren't towards his story

it's to jungkook and... who's that? jihye whose dad is so colossally shitty, that this one rapper wrote a diss song for him? oh yeah, that jihye

"you like him. like actually 'lose your virginity to him' love him."

WHAT???

there's no way

"how did you-"

"you blush like one."

alright that answer was too quick

hoseok should've ATLEAST tried to wait for a few seconds before answering

"a-and the love part?"

"babe, jungkook may not be the richest one here and that should say a lot," you peer up at him nervously and he actually chuckles, peering to everyone at this function, "dude's humble — he could also just be dense to not see you love him."

okay very true

hobi's making a dig rn at how jungkook coinicidentaally happens to be blonde and maybe this is your cue to leave

hobi does not realize that his hair is aLSO dyed blonde while talking shit about jungkook and his hari

okay this is it

once again, you are NOT listening to hoseok and he's figured out what you're doing by now

you're psyching yourself up with a couple of shots and your heels are digging on the carpeted ballroom

MAYBE YOU SHOULD TRY TO BE MORE OUTGOING!!

"pretend to wobble. it doesn't help that nothing can sink you."

oh okay makes sense

if you're gonna try and charm jungkook while trying to play it off as just being tipsy playfulness, atleast make it believable

hoseok snickers because this is just A+ content with the things that you choose to do in your way

shy girl with high alcohol tolerance mannn coming of age film writers would LOVE you ://

you're about to cross the distance between you and jungkook, but something knocks you on your shoulder with a gentle force that seemed intentional

is that-

hold on a second

"what a coincidence :O"

jimin?

jimin???

as in, wholesome yet slightly fuckboy-ish frat guy jimin???

he looks dashing and composed, meeting your eyes perfectly and he doesn't let your confusion startle him

"i know that look. what am i doing here?"

he says it eloquently as if he's practiced it

AND HE DID!!!

you must've looked so shocked that you immediately apologized, shaking your head no

"i-i didn’t mean-..."

you're confused, sure, but that doesn't mean you're immediately judging

it's just that you never saw jimin here or any function of the like, but you wouldn't put it past him if he does go to these things!!! he looks like a million dollars anyways

"relax, doll. you’re so far the only other person i know that i've seen in these type of things."

he looks calm and collected, but maybe that's just because he spent the last five minutes waiting for you to stand so he could bump into you

this place is just sO suffocating and a familiar face is gonna be his relief from something so fancy that it became mundane

"have we been in the same event before this?"

"not that i recall, no. i get invited but this is only the first time after awhile that i went."

jimin drinks from his champagne flute, wiggling his eyebrows playfully, "wanna know why i'm here?"

you're curious!!! what can you say!!!!

you never really interacted with jimin at all before this, but a familiar face like his is comforting

because hoseok's already engaged in another conversation and jungkook's,,,, being jungkook and is fawning all over jihye

jimin chuckles at your insistent nodding, leaning closer to whisper to your ear

"my stepdad’s loaded as fuck."

oh so that's why

he tugs you down to sit at the nearest possible empty chairs, all its occupants gone anyways because they're in the dancefloor busting tRULY horrendous moves

maybe it's because jimin feels lonely too like you are, and it's him feeling comfortable because he's pulled you like ten seconds ago and not once asked him anything out of bounds

maybe that's why he fell into conversation with you easily because you're always intently listening

"might love me as a real son too. maybe that’s a bonus? you don’t really expect that shit in the things you see."

this situation is actually pretty cute

you snort because maybe you’re nOT that shy when you drink,, that’s the only thing that changes in you probably

this whole conversation that sprung from boredom was unknowingly the subject of many stares, including jungkook who you were initially supposed to go to

“you’re worthy of love, jimin.”

:O

jimin sPITS his drink because where the fuck did THAT come from???

why did you say that and why does he feel that he needed to hear that

“i-i think — i think you need more,” he raises his own glass to your lips hurriedly, caught in surprise but you still gulp nonetheless

“you’re-“ you keep sputtering as he keeps making you drink, but he rubs circles on your back at the same time and it's when you realize that jimin the frat guy may not be that bad, “what??? don’t think you’re not the only one with daddy issues! shouldn’t we have like, a radar for each other?”

jimin snorts at your counter and his eyes crinkle to the point where he can't see anything, not being able to see how you're still trying to recover with all that fizz down your throat

wow ur really enjoyable to talk to

“you’re insane and i think-“

listen

you're not really big on feeling beyond a sense and all that stuff, but you feel as if the aura around you just got dark all of a sudden

"who are you calling insane?"

jungkook appears at your side in an instant, hands wrapped around your shoulders while you remain seated

you've honestly forgotten that you were supposed to go to jungkook, but you're reminded of that vERY clearly now

"go away, jimin," he mutters through his teeth, looking at him dead in the eye

hold on

wait

THAT'S JIMIN???

okay now he's confused

sometimes jungkook's mouth just moves on its own without loading the thought process

"why are YOU here?"

jimin furrows his brows, shocked that he'd even see jungkook here out of all people

the guy barely even attends classes!!! and that's coming from him!!

"why’s he here?"

he crouches to your ear, eyes still furrowed at the younger guy

"long story."

nO???

jungkook scowls bitterly because jesus fuck

YOU’RE ON WHISPERING TERMS NOW????

he left for one second, and the moment he comes back, that's when this fucking frat guy approaches you?? was he waiting on him to leave??

you and jungkook only act as a couple when the need arises, and even if you don't feel it, hE feels that this is the need!!! this is the need and it is arising!!!

"get back to uh, alpha bravo charlie or something, park. beat it."

why’s he reciting the nato phonetic alphabet???

jungkook sounds half-angry and half-sad at the same time, and you don't know which side should you focus on

“move,” he repeats this time again but more sternly, making jimin much more confused since jungkook's trying to pull him away from his seat

jimin doesn't budge and it makes the frown even more evident in jungkook's face

what is he FEELING

“can’t you tell that i really don’t want you to be here?”

“i’m not here for you, though. i’m here for y/n.”

he answers honestly, shis gut telling him that there's definitely something going on between the two of you

“y/n doesn’t want you here," kook argues back surely, only noticing your bitten lips now that makes him realize that you're not exactly sober; just a happy kind of rush

he sees you raise your hand timidly, an equally cheeky smile on your face that's only directed to jungkook like it's meant for him

"i-i actually don’t mind."

you don't,,,

you don't mind?

HOW'S THAT POSSIBLE

WHAT ARE YOU DOING

why aren't you signaling him to commence the faux boyfriend act!!

"y/n has a boyfriend."

“... i’m not hitting on her.”

alright this is more than the entertainment that jimin wished for lol

“yeah, well she has a boyfriend still so beat it.”

you do??

the last time you checked, jihye's gonna have jungkook as her boyfriend within the night!!

“i don-“

ALRIGHT THEN

jimin decides to indulge jungkook, knocking his knee with yours as he winks slyly, urging you silently to watch on, turning to look at you and ask

“what’s your boyfriend’s name?”

you don't answer.

that gives him all the more reason to do so.

“last name, jeon.”

jungkook looks the most determined you've ever seen him, eyes characteristically angry with his arms across his chest that his suit tightens, “first name, me.”

....

......

the three of you know that’s not the truth

jimin takes it in, sighing when he sense that something else is about to be unfold and he does noT want to be a part of it

not before whispering to your ear again for the last time, of course

“pretty weird name if you ask me,” you laugh automatically, momentarily forgetting that jungkook's standing by you on just your opposite side and could hear you

he leaves and that only leaves you with jungkook, looking up at him as he's too frantic to even sit

“what are you doing?”

“being a social butterfly," you quip just as fast, drinking your water afterwards

jungkook only clenches his jaw by then, being taken-aback when you speak again

“who are you doing?”

://

“i’m busy being mad at- wait a minute, WHO???”

who instead of what??

the short-lived enthusiasm you had with jimin left with him, crashing just as hard when you're reminded of jungkook's presence

“jihye’s a pretty nice girl. you should go home early tonight.”

his brows furrow, trying to get you to look at him but you avoid his gaze insistently, “what? what are you talking about?”

“she’s not my girlfriend though.”

you're not at all satisfied with the answer because it sounds so wrong, knowing that jungkook's a handsome guy and everyone wants to be with him!!!

and he probably wants to be with everyone else besides you.

“then who-...”

“don’t know yourself anymore? jimin must’ve really swept you off your feet, huh?”

jungkook huffs as he qualifies for a rebutt, your internal wallowing being cut short

“he’s not my boyfriend.”

...

....

“well would you look at that,” jungkook snickers, sighing through his nose as your eyes finally meet his, directly stubborn yet soft around the edges

“she’s not my girlfriend, and he’s not your boyfriend. what a coincidence.”

god did he feel so threatened the moment his eyes couldn't find you besides hobi and instead next to jimin, eyes crinkled in laughter without hesitation

have you been chasing after one another this whole time?

jungkook silently grabs you by the hand and you wave no opposition to it

maybe it's your liquor-influenced vision or maybe it's you hyperfixating on such a warm moment, but your eyes immediately lock to see the matching red thread bracelet he wore like yours

you're dressed in next year's spring collection line, and the structured silk black gown that has a train behind it doesn't exactly scream to have a simple red thread bracelet as its accessory according to your mom's designer and everyone else —

but you don't have the heart to take it off

there's no need to take it off

jungkook drives your car and no one says a single thing about anything

his hand’s on your thigh and you don’t question it, eyes locking into the way his hand looks perfect and the way the bracelet looks meant to be wrapped in his wrist in the first place

you're sure this time that it's not the newfound courage you have, but rather the need to do it

you kiss jungkook's cheek on a red light.

it's on a red light that jungkook realizes he could fit the visage of his world within one hand, finally kissing you like he's always wanted to

“yeah. what a coincidence.”

[epicspheal]

Hi again! Just wanted to know your opinion on the Pokemon villains, especially towards a chance of redemption. I think the only villains that kinda got redeemed was Archie and Maxie, learning that what they did was a mistake ( a little too late tho) and maybe Colress ( being the true neutral he is), through the Alola games. But yeah, what's you're opinion on them?

Hi Ihopethisendswell!

I’ve been sitting on this ask for a bit just trying to gather my thoughts. To be honest, the Pokemon Villains are some of my least favorite aspects of the games, mainly because in my opinion they’re rarely handled well (except for original Team Plasma and Team Skull, those guys are amazing and I except no slander of either)

I’ll start with Team Rocket. They have a very basic but realistic evil goal (especially in a setting as fantastic as the world of Pokemon). I honestly can’t say I dislike them. I would like to see more teams using their concept of just taking advantage of Pokemon for profit and selfish reasons rather than trying to tie in some philosophy (because to be honest in my opinion most of the teams who try to use philosophy to justify their extremism just end up looking really stupid for the most part). I like Kanto Team Rocket better than Johto’s plot and Rainbow Rocket was only good for the “what if” aspect and adding to the new multiverse lore. As far as redemption...I don’t think Giovanni or the grunts really deserve it.

For Team Aqua and Team Magma, I actually like them in a “so bad it’s good” type of way (definitely nostalgia based as even though I got into Pokemon during the original anime, I didn’t get to play a main game until  gen 3). Like the idea of having two separate evil teams competing against each other to see who can enact their plans first is a super cool concept in my opinion but wasted on the idiocy of the “expand the land/expand the sea” goals. I will say I enjoyed their Emerald enhanced plot and ORAS’s expansion on them in the Delta Episode. I think the Emerald clash of Kyogre and Groudon was the most logical conclusion to their schemes. As far as redemption goes, I do think Maxie and Archie should’ve served some jail time like Chairman Rose because their plan was just as catastrophic if not more so.

For Team Galactic, ugh. They’re my second least favorite. They were just boring and made an already painfully slow game even more intolerable. This is where I give the Pokemon Anime credit, they made them more interesting in the games and I actually really loved how it was adapted (proof that when they want to the anime can have some really solid writing). Redemption for them? Nope, you literally tried to rewrite the world. Even with Cyrus’ tragic backstory...still nope.

Now for Team Plasma. This is how you do an evil team. Easily one of my favorite teams to actually go up against in game. I like that they actually tried to tackle an ethical question with Pokemon in Team Plasma.  N was a fantastic antagonist and I’m glad he saw the light at the end and he definitely deserves the redemption. And all of the Team Plasma grunts who actually believed in N’s goal deserve redemption. I really enjoyed what they did in BW2 where they had the Plasma House with the misguided former grunts and the confrontation between the old team plasma and Neo Team Plasma about how ostracized the reformed grunts are. Although I don’t like Neo Team Plasma as much (although the outfits are 100 times cooler), it does make sense that the ones still loyal to Ghetsis would try for another attempt. Also it took me a second runthrough of White 2 to really appreciate Colress and his “this is for science” mantra but you know what, I love him. Him and N are really awesome and deserve the redemption. Ghetsis can go jump in a fucking volcano though, him and his followers (:  As for Team Flare, they suffer a lot from not getting a sequel or third version. But like Team Galactic the anime adaptation did a lot of good for them. Team Flare is like Team Aqua/Magma for me in that I think they’re so bad it’s actually good. They actually had some funny dialogue bits and there was actually a lot of potential for them storywise if we had of gotten another Kalos game. The Great War, and AZ all had a lot of potential. Plus having an Elite 4 member working with them? That was more of a twist than Lysandre being the boss. And the Xerosic post-game plot was heartbreaking. Redemption wise though, it’s kind of hard to do with a group who literally tried to nuke the world. 

Team Skull. I love these guys. I love them so much. This is another example for me personally of an evil team done right. I really liked how they weren’t even evil, just frustrated youth who were failed by Alola’s tradition. Like I could seriously go on about how toxic the Alolan community really is if the fact that a child failing the island challenge (a coming of age journey) somehow makes them feel so down about themselves and feel like rejects to the point they join a literal gang to find some sort of belonging (this is of course not talking about the origins of Team Skull being from a disgraced Kahuna who incurred the wrath of the tapus). Like I feel so sorry for them and I wanted to yell at the Kahunas in game for them not recognizing that their traditions were creating the Team Skull problem. Team Skull definitely deserved their redemption as they reformed in the post game

Aether Foundation though, ugh. Easily my least favorite. I really disliked the Aether Family as a whole as I felt they were invasive to the plot and that the focus should’ve been on team skull and how traditions while important can have harmful consequences. I will say it was nice to have female antagonist and I vastly prefer SM Lusamine to USUM Lusamine. USUM Lusamine was more redeemable but she was less interesting and USUM really screws up Lillie’s development which I dislike (which is saying something because I really can’t stand Lillie). 

Team Yell was a disappointment. Honestly there was so much potential because like Team Skull they are a very grounded team (as you can see, I like the grounded in reality teams more so than the philosphical extremist ones). Like I can totally understand why they would form considering how dilapidated Spikemuth is. The issue is that they aren’t given a chance to do much actual evil. Even though Team Skull wasn’t really all that bad, they still did bad things. Which is realistic given their desperation. As desperate as Team Yell was to get Marnie to become champion I was expecting more sabotage and outright hostility. Which while being bad, would be realistic given their situation. That and the fact that no one really calls out the fact the irony of their sabotage actually delegitimizing Marnie’s strengths as a trainer. Like is Marnie truly one of the strongest trainers from the gym challenge or were their people who could’ve beat her who got targeted by Team Yell and ultimately dropped out? Not to mention the implications of ongoing beef between Team Yell and Chairman Rose. Again so much potential wasted. If they had of just made them just a tad more hostile and had someone point out how they were unintentionally making Marnie look bad, they’d easily be one of my favorites.

Macros Cosmos. I think this was the team most screwed over by the plot, and the controversial anime adaptation did them only a few favors. I’ve said this before, but the royal twins historical manipulation plot was more interesting than Rose’s “I’m going to start the Galarian Apocalypse to save Galar” plot. And the sad part is Rose could’ve been a very compelling antagonist. I’ll say that if they really wanted to make Rose an antagonist, they could’ve taken away the Eternatus plot and just used his poor communication skills to cause problems for the gym leaders and champion. A bad boss with impatience and crappy communication skills is something many people can relate to, and I think would’ve been a more interesting plot than trying to force philosophical extremism on to him because.

And lastly the Royal Twins. Man I hated them, but also they’re some of my favorite antagonists. I think people at times look solely at their goofy hairstyles and entitledness and forget how dangerous these two actually were. They had a whole network of spies loyal to them? Imagine a game with them as the main protagonists where it gets to the point you can’t trust the NPCs because who knows which one supports them. Also their historical revision plot is something so relevant today with textbooks being written in a way to minimize horrible atrocities such as the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Granted their plot in game left a lot to be desired, but they had so much potential and honestly a better reasoning to want to awake Eternatus than Rose did. As you can see I prefer the more grounded teams such as Rocket, Plasma, Skull and Yell (in theory) and the Royal Twins given how their goals relate to the real world. I also think in many ways Gamefreak does better with those plots wiriting wise than the philosophical extremist teams. 

[viikollection]

Finding Out One of Their Members Is A Girl

BTS

A/N: I did this post for NCT because obviously they can easily add members, but BTS is obviously a fixed group, so this just requires some imagination, that you are the 8th member or basically took someone’s place as the 7th member...

Scenario is BigHit and management are aware you’re female, but feel as though you possess a unique talent or visual that would help BTS flourish before their big break through- However, to avoid any scandals or relationships, you’re coerced to fly under the radar as a guy. You have a lot of help keeping your secret, but some how it slips...

Jin:

He’d always notice you as someone soft. He’d poke fun of you for it in a teaser manner, but always sling an arm around your shoulder, treating you like a younger brother.  I think he’s rather observant and soon his jokes about you being shorter or weak, or not having an Adam’s apple would sort of pile up and he’d slowly start piecing things together the longer he’s around you. He’d figure it out pretty early on and ask their manner with a pretty ballsy accusation. Once it was confirmed, he’d probably be roped in to keeping it a secret. However, we know Jin has a will of his own and would probably tell the other members in a small rebellion of his own. He’d feel they deserve to know and would also be upset about the situation, feeling as though the company took him for a fool of some sort. However, with success brewing, he know he can’t go public with the info and wants the best for everyone, so he keeps his trap shut...  He’d be a bit distant, needing time recover after being lied to so blatantly. He’d be petty too, not bothering to keep his voice down as he complains about it- However, I think with time and some sense talked into him by the others and by staff he could reconcile with you.  “I’m sorry I acted like that... It was really childish. You must have had a hard time because of me...” Returning to friends, I think he’d then adopt the view as a younger sister and would return to his nagging and silly ways- Always one to step in first to protect you and look after you.

Yoongi:

Honestly, you got into talking with him late one night. He’d been in a moody funk all day and when you asked if he was alright he asked you to read over the lyrics he’d been toying with. It developed into a philosophical discussion and eventually he deflected the conversation from himself, turning it towards you. With pressure and building stress from keeping such a big secret from the boys who were becoming your friends, you cracked and told him. He didn’t seem so shocked. You would have mistook his expression for icy, if not for his kind words. “It’s sad that- to pursue your dream of music or dance that you have to go undercover like this... You should be able to be yourself.” This secret would probably bring the two of you a lot closer. He’d always keep an eye out for you, nagging at the other members when they were too rough or invading your space. He’d keep your secret and if anyone had anything to say about it or found out about it he’d give them a firm talking to.

Hoseok:

You had to be careful when it came to Hoseok- He was handsy and unpredictable. The little things he’d do like hang off members or spank them when presented with the opportunity caused you to keep a distance from him- But caused him to be all the more eager to close that distance. To him you were a shy puppy- That is until a day of dance practice brings out the stern teacher within him, huffing about how you couldn’t get the moves right for a section- “Maybe it doesn't look right since you’re so short-” Hands on your shoulders, he stops you to put his hands on your ribs, angling your body in the mirror. Tho... what was it he felt? A bra? Or some kind of binding? He wouldn’t be able to shake the thought, jumping to all sorts of conclusions and for the next few days every interaction with you would become an analysis, searching for all the feminine qualities you possessed before he built a solid case to confront you with. “Are... you a girl?” He’d try to seem nonchalant about it, not wanting to scare you off and wanting to seem cool... He’d keep you close as a friend, but would always still see you as a girl, unable to not fret over you or take notice to certain things.

Namjoon:

He’d be upset to say the least. He’d overheard a conversation between you and one of the management staffs, feeling his blood boil. He’d feel betrayed and irked that you got special privileges this whole time. He’d probably think it was a secret that couldn’t be kept and that it’d bring him and the rest of BTS down eventually... Unwilling, he’d probably be forced to keep it a secret. With time I think he’d warm back up to you. He’s very philosophical and knows you didn’t do anything malicious or intentional to hurt him, so he can’t hold it against you forever... Plus, as BTS grew he’d probably realize to keep growing the team needs to stay tight knit and as leader he has to make sure of that, so he’d work extra hard to become close with you and make sure everyone else was good as well and would probably later tell them as well. He sees the team as a family, so I don’t think he’d look at you in any other way than a sister and would make sure the other members are on the same page as well. He’d give you extra attention because he’d worry if you felt lonely or uncomfortable at times. “Yeah, don’t let it bother you when he says that... He’s just being stupid.”

Jimin:

He’d be so heartbroken. He was just warming up to you, pulling you into his inner circle, determined to make you one of his close friends. So, he’d suddenly feel so outcast by this news he saw on your chat with the manager, after you accidentally left it open on the computer. He’d keep it to himself for a few days and be in an obvious sulky funk. Until he finally blows up and blurts it out, either at you, the manager, or everyone who’s there. He’d feel betrayed, but would keep your secret. He’d take a longer time than some of the others to warm back up to you, keeping his silent distance. “I feel like I don’t even know you.” That being said, he would eventually warm back up to you, as your team goes through more together and success, a close knit family is needed. In fact, I think Jimin would get a tad possessive, clinging to you a lot and doing a lot of things for you- Y’all would probably be the most popular ship because he isn’t subtle at all... He’d worry about you and would want to protect you from the members, antis, and world. He’d feel special being the one who knew your secret, so he’d go to great lengths to make sure it stays a secret, that you’re his little secret.

Taehyung:

Icy Taehyung is scary. When he gets in his moods he can be intimidating and his words can cut deep. “It’d be easier if you weren’t here.” You’re not even sure how he found out, but he some how did and told everyone else. He’d be petty and ignore with some other members who may have felt betrayed, in fact it’d sort of be outcasting you... There’d probably be a meeting held about this ‘bullying’ and have it talked about. In reality, his feelings were just hurt and he felt betrayed and wanted to make you feel bad as well, so he took to ignoring you and trying to gain members to his side- But he sees how hurt you must actually be after his actions and begins to feel guilty, unable to look at you. He knows he was immature and I think the remorse and guilt would suddenly pile up once his anger was wiped away and he’d feel awful. He knows you must be going through a hard time already and feel lonesome being the only girl with a big secret to keep- And he would have never thought of himself as the type to intentionally hurt someone else like this... So, he’d end up doing everything in his power to make it up to you- He’d feel bad about acting like nothing every happened, so he’d do things under the radar, leave you snacks, trade his Powerade for yours because he knows you like this flavor better, buy you a nice birthday present, etc... I think if you could forgive him, it’d bring the two of you really close and he’d always spoil you, never really forgiving himself for what he did and feeling it’s his duty to protect you.

Jungkook:

Oof... It’s an awkward road ahead. He found a box of tampons/pads and that’s it. He’d keep it a secret for the longest time and you wouldn't even know he knew. But he’d act weird for like a month, the dorky competitive boy who’d steal your chips now avoids you like the plague, simply muttering one word replies to you. I think he’d still be in shock and might finally crack to one of his hyungs like RM and spill the beans. He’d wonder if anyone knew, if management or BH did, or if you were some mastermind who someone joined a boyband all on your own. It’d take a lot of time and coaching for him to act normal again, but having gone through so much together and spending so much time constantly together, I think it’d happen naturally and after a few months. A part of him would always view you as a girl, someone frail and delicate that needed looking after in his eyes. So he’d distract Hobi when he started going in on you about how you needed to build your stamina for another round of practice or when Jin would pull you into a headlock; indirectly saving you again and again. I also think like Jimin he could get a little possessive. He may be the youngest, so I think he’d enjoy the idea of being responsible for someone younger or ‘frailer’ than him, as it’d give him a sense of power and maturity. He’d be wary about such obvious skinship, but would still let it be known he was the one standing next to you.

[ughgclden]

although your heart exploding sounds bad, i don’t think i want to say i’ll stop saying things that illicit that reaction, as long as it’s positive. im glad i made you smile, above all. as someone who collects little pieces of information, im happy to trade mine for yours, if you so wish. just ask, love.

it doesn’t surprise me that you have a sweet tooth, and i’ll admit, sweet things are nice, something about coffee just makes me want to consume it in its most biting form.

i understand the trying to go to bed and ending up awake at two am, in full honesty, these days, at two am, im combing through these letters, rereading every word you’ve gifted me. i also fall fault to daydreaming, indulging myself in a reality where i’m allowed to be and love who i want. living where and how i want. records and books and plants and cats, and some pretty girl, or nonbinary person, loving me for me.

i’m so happy you can see me like that, if i were to end up a teacher, that’s exactly what i want to be. how i want to be. the teacher kids go to, and like having, the class no one minds going to, the one that drains you the least. and yeah, so he found out i was in latin, and the charlie picture in my phone case tells anyone i like dead poets society so he, nicknamed me meeks. it doesn’t hurt that i wear glasses. i usually wrote around seven and a half, pushing as far as i possibly could. (and i completely understand, i hate confrontation, but i like being contradictory when i can. and i do.)

you and i, a collection of complements, huh? i mean, you are british, you’re practically henry already /hj

that dude was probably just intimidated by how hot i look in this outfit /j someone said i looked like i was in the mob, which frankly? huge compliment.

i lost it internally if it makes you feel any better, or any less confident in my ability to hold myself. i don’t know if she was joking or not.

as for the assignment, the conference is over the fast fashion industry, the immorality of it, the way it harms the environment, etc, and i’m representing egypt, which means that i’m in support of finding sustainable ways to fix the fashion industry, but because my economy is struggling a little bit, i still give into the fast fashion.

i understand the fear, i used to post headcanons and little fics, and shitpost every once in a while, but now my only tumblr contributions are these letters to you and reblogging a few posts from my dash.

and if it alleviates anything, i will never be sick or tired, or bored of you, or your blog. i understand worrying about silly things, i always get scared that when i tell people they have a cute outfit someday they’ll take it to mean that they don’t normally look cute. which they normally do, but i digress. i just want you to know i understand, and i’m here to try and assuage your worries.

sending you love, hugs, tea, and a poem by the poet of your choice, annotated in a pen of your favourite colour. all my love, bee<3

i wish you a good, restful sleep, a calming night, and sweet dreams, the sweetest dreams.

yours,

star✨

i could never feel anything but happiness and adoration towards these letters, star, i swear.

i too love collecting little bits of information, so if there's anything you'd like to share, i'd more than adore to hear about it. i'll tell you that my biggest comfort movie is fantastic mr fox, closely followed by it (2017) - don't ask - and i can basically speak both scripts word for word!

i'll admit i used to drink straight coffee during exams - for reasons unknown, i did more harm than good really. but something about your personality works with drinking black coffee, i don't know. it just fits you well.

i'm crying??? /pos. your letters and words also take up a lot of room in my mind, but you didn't hear it from me. i have so many daydreams, whether about stupid fictional universes, or just about the future i want/ i can totally relate to wanting records, plants, books, animals and a home with someone i love. i'm hoping we both get those <3

that's honestly so cool oh my god - one of the best nicknames to have if you ask me. maybe your neil kinnie will have to move over slightly to make way for a rising meeks kinnie /j. i love that - pushing stupid boundaries for the win! i was lucky that any subtle rebellion i did in school i managed to get away with, for the most part, but in year 11 i guess i just stopped caring as much, oops.

he definitely was, he was just jealous he couldn't look that hot in a suit and pull it off as great as you did /hj. jealousy is a disease, sir. mob!star au???

that sounds super interesting, oh my god! i love that whole topic, it sounds like it would be so good to really delve into and explore - i hope all goes well!!!

thank you so much star - your reassurance is always so so lovely and nice and never fails to make me feel better about myself/my worries. it genuinely means a lot. <3

i'm hoping today is as lovely as you, and the world treats you with softness and kindness. all my love, star <33

[lurkingcrow]

Ok, so I had a few ideas about an AU of an AU of a crack AU thanks to @albaparthenicevelut @resistancepilots  @aifsaath and @forcearama . And then I got thinking. And then it got a little long. Ok, a lot long. But the mental image had so much potential...

 It all starts on Mandalore. In another universe Satine Kryze holds her tongue and Obi-Wan Kenobi leaves after saying his goodbyes and commits to becoming the best Jedi he can be. In this universe, she asks him to stay. So he does. Oh not immediately, there are after all conversations he must have with his master, apologies he must give, but Obi-Wan meditates long and hard and determines that this is where the force is calling him and so he leaves the order just after his 18th birthday. 

Qui-Gon is devastated at first. But Obi-Wan is no Xanatos - he is not leaving for power, or due to the failings of his master, but for love and the chance to bring about peace to a war-torn planet, and maybe Qui-Gon can live with that. He stays for their wedding, which for all its simplicity given the limited resources is no less beautiful. Qui-Gon does not cry, but his eyes are suspiciously wet and anyone with a hint of Force sensitivity can feel his love and pride half a planet away. Obi-Wan may still have his doubts about leaving, but having his former master's support means the world. Their bond never truly breaks, and frequent holocalls ensure that Qui-Gon is up to date with what his former apprentice is up to (Satine is not above snitching to him about Obi-Wan's reckless stunts in the hope that he can guilt her husband into behaving, and Qui-Gon is thankful for her efforts to keep their relationship strong. He is growing quite fond of Obi-Wan's lady love.).

But it is lonely in the temple without his padawan. And increasingly Qui-Gon is growing frustrated with the senate interference in Jedi activities. The missions he is sent on seem like futile wastes of time, and while he never thought he would say it, he is beginning to see Master Dooku's point about the systemic corruption being too entrenched to overcome. Honestly, these days he suspects he'd do more good running around the galaxy as some kind of vigilante peacekeeper than negotiating yet another inane trade deal that should have been resolved weeks earlier if it weren't for the egos involved... the force pings. Oh.  Qui-Gon Jinn is a master of the living force, of the here and now, and here and now the force is telling him that maybe that's not such a bad idea.

Truthfully there is little left for him in the Temple; Tahl, Master Dooku, Obi-Wan - so many of those close to him are gone. All that keeps him here is his duty, and as a Jedi is his ultimate duty not to the Force? It would be nice to pay Obi-Wan a visit, maybe take a side trip to Serreno to see what his old master is up to these days...

So Qui-Gon leaves, not quite knowing what his plans are but trusting in the will of the Force. He initially sets up on Mandalore, where Obi-Wan and Satine are more than happy to have him (once Qui-Gon has finished convincing his not-son that his leaving the order was not his fault. Satine does not permit emotional constipation in her palace after all.), but soon finds himself restless and sets out again, promising not to get in too much trouble. Obi-Wan sighs and Satine starts ordering the set of armour she knows he's going to need when it comes time to rescue his old master. After all, their future children should have at least one Grandparent to look up to right?

The Force takes him to Tatooine, where an investigation of Gardulla the Hutt ends up with him befriending a local mother and her toddler and confronting the reality of slavery on the Outer Rim. The Jedi aren't coming to free the slaves, but Qui-Gon's no longer just a Jedi is he? And he sees Shmi worry over Little Ani (So strong in the force! And yet so unlikely to ever be found and brought to the temple...) and decides that maybe he can't save them all, but there's no reason he can't try and help those he can. A bit of offhand gambling during the negotiations, a minor favour of two (that the Hutt doesn't realise will end up backfiring but Qui-Gon does) and Qui-Gon Jinn is up a large sum of credits and two newly freed Skywalkers.

(It should be noted that as there are a lack of facilities to provide a midichlorian count, and Shmi is still somewhat reluctant to admit to the whole "virgin birth" thing, Qui- Gon considers Anakin Skywalker to be a strong and promising child but not exactly miraculous. Cute though. Very cute. He likes to fall asleep against his shoulder and Qui-Gon gets nostalgic about all the times Obi-Wan did the same. Shmi looks on, and thinks.) 

They head to Mandalore to get the chips out (and to show Obi-Wan that his father old master is safe and well - minus a cracked rib of two) and  Qui-Gon Jinn is faced with a major dilemma. He really should be encouraging Shmi to consider sending Ani to the temple, where his talents can be trained, but… he looks to where Shmi and Satine are beaming as they watch Anakin attempt to sneak up on Obi-Wan who is assiduously pretending to ignore the toddler's giggles as he reads the latest reports on the rebuilding effort. Anakin inexplicably adores Obi-Wan, and it is to all appearances, mutual.  Qui-Gon has no desire to hurt his former Padawan again, and how could he be so hypocritical as to send little Ani off to an institution he’s not sure he believes in anymore? The question is rendered moot when Shmi bluntly tells him the only ones she trusts with Anakin are currently in the palace, and if he needs teaching Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan can do it. The idea is honestly a little uncomfortable for the pair of former Jedi, but they're coming to terms with what the Force seems to be asking of them.

 Which in Qui-Gon’s case seems to mean a lot of trips to the outer rim among the poor and downtrodden - oddly enough Shmi suddenly decides to come with him, claiming that Ani is safe as he can be on Mandalore, she’s familiar with some of the more unsavory parts of the galaxy and Qui-Gon needs someone to watch his back. He’s just glad for the company,  particularly when he does end up paying a visit to Serenno. Watching a former slave look Dooku in the eye and calmly and quietly call bullshit on his arguments surrounding the role of the trading unions is worth every moment. Honestly, while he may have a point about corruption within the Republic, Qui-Gon is getting a little creeped out by his former Master’s insistence on the need for strong leadership and a firm hand. It sounds like he’s advocating open conflict, and war isn’t good for anyone!

So he attempts to make his goodbyes, but Dooku is reluctant to let them leave, which means it’s time to implement the old “disappear and claim you had a vision” trick. And ok, so I won't go into details, but after a long and complex series of events involving a freight hauler, eight barrels of spiked Telosian Brandy, three janitor droids and a Twilek Dance Company they manage to make it off planet and into Hutt space where they can disappear for a bit.

But a Skywalker is still a Skywalker, not matter how much sense she has, and Qui-Gon Jinn is as much a trouble-magnet as the rest of his line, so thanks to yet another strange convergence of events involving an attempted kidnapping, five tonnes of explosives, a backroom bar on Ord Mantell, a missing shipment of Spice, an insurrection on a mining colony,  uncountable huttese expletives, one inspirational speech, a cache of heavy weapons and no less than eight marriage proposals, Qui-Gon Jinn finds himself the captain of a small fleet of ships and a band of untrained but passionate freedom fighters. Shmi has never laughed so much in her entire life!

Qui-Gon does what he does best and attempts to talk his way out of it, but it is to no avail; “Captain Jinn” is an inspiration to them all, his dedication is unparalleled and they will do all they can to aid him in his quest to bring justice to the galaxy!  Qui-Gon panics and calls in the cavalry. Unfortunately for him Satine thinks it’s a brilliant idea.

Because while she adores her husband, the Duchess of Mandalore has noticed that recently he seems to be going a little stir crazy. For all his denials Obi-Wan is a man of action, and things have calmed enough that he needs a distraction lest she start throwing martini glasses at him to make him stop hovering! Assisting a band of “pirates” in undermining the various interests who take advantage of the lawless nature of the Outer Rim to spread their influence and at the same time giving him the chance to spend time with Qui-Gon  seems like an excellent way to keep him occupied. Also, as Shmi points out, it’s exactly the type of thing that Mandalorians go gaga for - heroic warriors secretly taking out evildoers and doing good while dramatically declaring their own villainy, why it seems like the perfect outlet for those Mandalorians who long for the glory found in days of old!

She’s right. There are plenty of volunteers willing to follow their Duchess’ dashing husband to join his father mentor in cleaning up the Outer Rim. They start out small, intercepting a shipment of slaves, diverting a cargo of pharmaceuticals to a planet in urgent need of medicine, confiscating a hold full of illegal weaponry. But soon they grow bolder, raiding larger and larger targets, always making sure that those they hit deserve it and will only bring themselves greater trouble if they make a fuss about the loss of their ill-gotten gains. Soon their little group has carved out quite a solid support base, and while they never stop wondering why the Force seems so happy about this turn of events, the former Jedi actually begin to enjoy their work. They’re slowly making progress, and eventually they know enough momentum will build that uniting this part of the galaxy and freeing the slaves may one day be feasible. Also, it’s really really pissing off both the Senate and the Order, which means they must be doing something right.

And that is how Qui-Gon Jinn becomes a Pirate King, the Scourge of Slavers, Hassler of Hutts, Bane of the Banking Clan and Terror of the Techno Union. Dooku is grinding his teeth into dust with frustration. Especially since all his correspondence suggesting an alliance is either returned unopened or overwritten with sarcastic commentary and a suggestion to go deep throat a lightsaber.

That’s more than enough for now, I need some sleep, but there is more to this verse I’ve worked out. Tune in next time for “Naboo’s no good very rotten day aka Padme Amidala, Pirate Queen in Exile” “The clone wars start but the clones are late to the party” “Qui-Gon discovers he never actually formally quit the Jedi, and Yoda and Mace take advantage of this” “Plo Koon admire’s Qui-Gon’s taste in pets” and “Oh god, Anakin Skywalker, Mandalorian Pirate Prince, what have I done?”...

[petrichorsalon]

Lets talk about modern strong female characters in manga.

Now, if you know anything about me i’m a HUGE shoujo fan and one thing I love to death is an A+ quality strong female character. But here’s the thing, I honestly think that a heroine doesn't have to be physically strong to be an awesome female character. Its nice to have girls that kick butt but what about my girls that are (pardon the Steven Universe reference) strong in the real way, and what even is the real way? I’m here to talk about 2 series that demonstrate strong female characters who don’t rely on physical strength to be awesome in every way possible and if you read shoujo manga, you know the two i’m talking about. Akatsuki no Yona’s Yona and Skip Beat’s Kyoko. Well start with Yona (since at the moment it seems to be the more popular series)

(From here on out there will be spoilers)

When one sees all the expressions of Yona its hard to believe its all one person and that the wonder of Yona. Shes strong, and cheerful, mischievous, and innocent, regal, and down to earth. But this didn’t happen over night she started out as a quiet and spoiled princess that had quite the crush of her totally off limits cousin. As the story continues that cousin betrays her and kills her father forcing her into the world outside of the palace. Now many shoujo mangas would take a more commonly treaded path that goes one of 2 ways. She somehow bounces back immediately and continues down a hope and optimism route or that trauma becomes the main source of future drama, never recovering as each of her problems pile up to make her more resentful. Yona somehow balances these two paths and a new path simultaneously. Yona explores the world of grief, a topic not touched on much since the early 2000s. She doesn’t bounce back, she dwells, like a real person does, then she finds something to occupy herself (finding the dragons and teaching herself how to use a weapon) then she confronts her problems when she meets her cousin again and she considers killing him (as many would do!) but doesn’t, not because shes weak, but because something has changed. She is still mad, but she thinks theres more to his murder of her father than meets the eye. 

Think about that for a second. He murdered her father yet she gives him a second chance, not because she has perpetual hope and optimism, rather its because she wants to broaden her perspective. Ladies and gentlemen we have a character who is actively seeking to understand the world better than her father did, because as she moves from town to town, she discovers that her father did some things that were wrong. 

The story progresses in a way where she approaches the world with eyes wide open, taking in the reality they live in and embracing the problems. She welcomes other perspectives while she remains very much like her old self, rather innocent and quietly optimistic. Enter part two of the plot where she interacts with the water tribe that is deep in drug trades, prostitution, murder, greed, and starvation. Yona switches from a wide eyed observer to an activist. She befriends people of the area, and gets involved in their lives personally and no longer holds the problems at arms length, she embraces them. Now Yona was never a person to like people who were unfair to others, we see this even in the first chapters with the fire nation prince but now, now that minor trait has become a primary component of her being. She drew a line in the sand and said, this is where I stand and I can and I will change the problems occurring. She perfectly transitions from a princess into the very model of a Queen. 

Its worth stating that while she knows a little about weapons, she doesn't even hold a candle to any of the dragons or Hak but what she lacks in might she makes up for in her own power as she leads her team. Her team is what makes her goals happen and she treats them with the utmost respect, never thinking herself above them. The author doesn’t make rash jumps in her characters, if there is a change whether immediate or gradual, there is always a reason they change that way. Yona is a strong character because she sees the world around her, observes, and then takes action as she makes a decision and sticks with it, she is multifaceted and strong in the sense that she hows where she came from and what she did wrong and then changes it in the face of new evidence and that is a very strong person indeed.

Lets talk Kyoko, Kyoko starts out very differently than Yona. She doesn’t have the advantage of a pampered life, she starts out obcessive and boy crazy untill she is promptly dropped. Having never had a supportive family, the family of the man she loved became her family. Having had a rather unfortunate life from the get-go she already has a strong personality that is willing and able to work hard to get what she wants and in this case its revenge. Now in all good strong characters there must be a monumental change,in the case of Yona it is very slow and purposeful towards becoming her true self. In the case of Kyoko her strong personality was there from the beginning and many authors would leave it at that, a strong personality that fights for revenge but skip beat moves differently than even other long running acting mangas. Kyoko’s struggle falls in the very obvious problem of love. Not just romantically because that is indeed a portion of it, but loving herself. 

There are many mangas about loving oneself but this is different. Often they learn to love themselves through a love interest but she learns to love herself through her work and her friends (shounen vibes here haha). Quickly she finds that her acting is not longer to seek revenge, it is for the love of the work. As she finds she loves her work she begins to love how she feels when shes working along side talented people and their passions. Her movement is different than Yona’s in the sense that Yona is becoming who she is as a person and Kyoko is in the process of self-refinement to become better as a person. 

Kyoko’s naive, strong-willed, independent, loud, and humble personality doesn't change, what changes is the context for those traits. She confronts, and accepts, the mother who refused to even touch her, she remains unphased when her childhood crush makes moves on her (well... she does at least nonce remain unphased XD), she uses her new found mental stability to even help others around her such as the case with Ren in the Heel Siblings arc or even Sho when his music was being stolen by Vie Ghoul. She is a character that becomes multi-faceted and its because of that trait that she is able to move forward into even non-essential things such as love. The very fact she was put in the Love Me department was because she was damaged enough from the lack of love she grew up with to hate the very thought of it, but over the course of many chapters she realizes shes falling in love and despite her desperate resistance, that problem too begins to be accepted as she becomes a more whole, and well rounded character. In a way, she too discovers who she is.

I love these two characters very much as they are soo different from each other and their stories vary greatly but what remains the same is a few core elements. The girls themselves discover who they are as people and move forward along with those new discoveries. They both have love interests but they provide more support than romance giving each of the girls enough space to be themselves. Modern girls don’t have to be “bad ass” to be strong characters though Yona’s skills with a bow and Kyoko’s new found ninja skills are very nice in the “bad ass” department. These characters are the kind of people one could find in the real world and that is what makes a truly brilliant female character.

(Also total side note but lets hand it to those love interests that support their leading ladies asking all the right questions and pushing them to be the best they can be! That’s a hard job for love interests out there, you go guys!)

[talabib]

How To Be Better With Money

Many millennials don’t really have a clue when it comes to money. They live from paycheck to paycheck, hoping their credit cards don’t get refused and trying not to think too much about their overdraft.

That shouldn’t come as a great surprise. Today’s aspirational society encourages consumption, while simultaneously providing next to no financial education. For many young people, the only financial advice they see are tone-deaf articles about rash millennials buying so much avocado toast that they can’t afford to buy a house (conveniently forgetting the matter of their crushing student debt in the process).

If you, too, feel a bit helpless when it comes to money – budgeting, saving, investing and securing your financial future – then this post is for you. They will help you take small but important steps toward getting your finances in order, and will show you that being financially savvy isn’t just about boring budget spreadsheets and savings accounts – it’s also about learning to cook well, take care of yourself and nurture your career.

Avoid these four “don’t you dares” to start improving your relationship with money.

If you’re lost at sea when it comes to money, maybe it’s best to start your financial diet nice and slow.

There are four “don’t you dare” rules that we can all remember and follow; if you do so, you’ll have taken a big step toward steadying your finances.

First, don’t you dare spend money on credit if you can’t pay it off within a month. Sure, credit cards have their benefits – they can help build a credit score and get you air miles. But if you have one, treat it like a debit card. The day you spend money you can’t pay back in a month is the day you sabotage your financial health, because that’s when the interest starts to accrue.

Second, don’t you dare fall into the CEO lifestyle. When Chelsea first became CEO of her own enterprise, it changed her thinking. Suddenly she would think, “I deserve this $150 facial, because a CEO’s gotta look good, right?”

We all convince ourselves that we need certain things to live the lifestyle we want, whether that means an iced latte every day, or a taxi home instead of the subway. The reality is that we don’t need these things, so we should get over them. Spend according to the budget you have, not for the lifestyle you think you should be living.

Third, don’t you dare go a week without checking your bank balance at least twice. Just like a reluctant dieter avoids looking at the caloric content of the cake they are devouring, lots of people in poor financial situations just can’t bring themselves to look at their account balance. You can’t get on a financial diet until you confront the reality of your income and spending, however gruesome it might look the first time you check.

And finally, don’t you dare imagine that savings will just magically appear. When you are young, it’s easy to think of your current self and your future self as two completely different people, and pass the responsibility for saving on to “future me.”

Many people think that merely staying out of debt is enough and they can worry about savings in the future. But the fact of the matter is, there is only one you – and you need to start saving, even if it’s just a little, right now.

Follow these rules and you’ll already be avoiding a lot of common mistakes. But to really get to grips with your financial diet, you need to learn how to budget.

Making a budget is the single most important thing you can do to take control of your spending.

One of the fun things about being an adult is the freedom it brings – to stay up late, or to spend your money exactly how you like. That freedom is a rush, and constructing a strict budget for yourself might feel restrictive. But without one, you will be forever financially lost.

So the first, most important step in your financial diet is to establish what money is coming in and going out. There are lots of useful apps you can use to do this, like Mint or You Need a Budget, but you can also just make a simple spreadsheet.

Whatever you choose, start by entering all your income after tax, like your salary or freelance earnings. Next, enter all of your expenditures. Do this for at least the last two months, and do it honestly, including all expenses – everything from your rent check to that Diet Coke you bought yesterday. And finally, add any savings you have put aside, like money going into a retirement fund.

Once you’ve done this, you can start to analyze the results. How much are you spending on food each month? And how much on late-night online shopping? Could you be paying off your debt quicker? Is that $80 a month takeaway coffee habit really worth sacrificing potential savings of $960 a year?

Simply analyzing your budget should lead you to some sensible conclusions about your financial behavior. But it can also be helpful to introduce a system to guide your future behavior.

The 50/30/20 plan is a simple way to ensure that your spending is under control and your savings are at a sensible level. Here, 50 percent of your income should go on fixed costs, like your rent and utilities. Thirty percent should go to lifestyle or variable costs, like your groceries, travel and nights out. And finally, 20 percent should be saved.

This system works well because it gives an easy-to-understand framework against which to judge your expenditures. If you see that you are spending 40 percent of your income on lifestyle expenditures, and only saving 10 percent, you know you need to make a few adjustments.

Everyone’s breakdown will be a little different – some might only spend 40 percent on their fixed costs, for instance – but the crucial step is coming to grips with the basics: how much money is coming in and what it’s being spent on. Only then can you start to think about getting more value out of the money you have.

Make your money work for you from as young an age as possible.

Ask yourself a question: are you working for your money, or is you money working for you?

If you are stuck thinking about working for your money, it’s time to become your money’s boss. Make it work for you, as soon and as much as possible, by investing it.

Whether you are able to put away a dollar a day or ten, you should start doing so as soon as you can. Being young is a secret shortcut to increasing your wealth, because it means that your money has more time to multiply.

To understand how this happens, you need the rule of 72. The rule of 72 shows how long it will take any investment to double in value. You just need to divide the number 72 by the annual interest rate, or return, you’ll receive on any investment or savings account. That gives you the number of years until your original money is doubled.

For example, investments with a return of 7 percent will double your money in 10.28 years. So, invest $1,000 in a fund returning 7 percent a year, and in a decade you’ll have $2,000, without you needing to do any work for it.

Now that you understand how your money can work for you, you realize that a dollar saved and invested is not the same as a dollar spent.

Let’s say you are thinking about spending $100 on a new dress. The dress is nice, but you can now see that your choice is not between spending the $100 or saving $100; it’s between spending $100 now, or having $200 in ten years time, $400 in 20 years time and $800 in 30 years time.

So if you think investing is something that only old people do, don’t be fooled. Being young gives you an advantage when it comes to investing: the sooner you start, the more time your money has to multiply.

Investing is probably easier than you think.

For many of us, thinking about investing conjures up images of men on a trading floor, shouting into telephones as they frantically buy and sell stocks and bonds. The good news is that the reality of investing is very different and much simpler than that. But before diving in, there are two things you need to do.

First, build an emergency fund. In addition to always having a little money in your standard checking account for everyday expenses, you should also have an emergency fund covering at least three months of living costs. You never know when you might get sick, have your house flooded or experience some other disaster that requires some immediate cash.

Second, pay off your debt, especially if it charges more interest than you could receive by putting the money in savings or investments. If you’re earning a 3 percent return on your investments, but paying 4 percent on your credit card or student debt, that’s a net loss.

Once you’ve sorted these two steps, you are set to invest. The best starting point is probably a retirement account, like a 401(k). That’s because, up to a certain amount, your employer will likely match the contributions that you make. And that means free money!

If you’ve maxed out your 401(k) contributions, then you could start to look at IRAs – Individual Retirement Accounts – which allow you to invest and then deduct the investment on your taxes. More free money!

Once you’ve got to grips with 401(k)s and IRAs, a whole world of investing awaits. You can, for example, invest in low-risk funds like index funds, which track overall performance of an index like the New York Stock Exchange’s Dow Jones. Or, if you feel confident enough, you could start to pick individual stocks to buy.

But to start with, keep things simple and speak to your HR advisor at work about your 401(k). It’s likely they’ll be able to give one-to-one advice as to what options are available to you – and if not, there are plenty of free financial workshops out there.

Before you know it, you’ll be a full-fledged investor who can sit back and relax, happy in the knowledge that your money is working for you.

Make sure you’re investing in your career and getting paid what you deserve.

Setting money aside in a fund isn’t the only way to invest in your future; you can also expand your career horizons or build your skill set and experiences.

A great way to do so is to find a mentor who can help you. One of the Chelsea’s early mentors was Joanne Cleaver, a journalist and entrepreneur. Cleaver argues that networking is a key to building a successful and satisfying career, because being known by the right people for the right things always pays off in the long run.

One great way to network, Cleaver says, is to volunteer. Sure, working for free sounds tough. But think of it as working for yourself, with the payoff coming a little further down the road.

When Cleaver worked for a city newspaper, she offered to help out with its annual charity drive. She mocked up a newspaper front page with tear-jerking stories about their city and how donations could address them.

The result? The newsroom donated more cash than ever before. Weeks later, Cleaver found herself invited to the newspaper’s president’s suite. The president loved the mock-up so much that she’d printed out a bunch to share with all the other executives, establishing an instant reputation and goodwill for Cleaver.

But no matter how great a networker you are, your financial health will always struggle if you don’t get appropriate compensation for your work. Negotiating your salary can be a little scary, but it’s also one of the most powerful ways to improve your financial health.

Thankfully, these days it’s easy to find out a benchmark salary for any job simply by searching websites such as PayScale and Glassdoor, asking people in the relevant industry or even just going on Reddit and anonymously asking the world at large.

Once you have a clear view of what you are worth, go into any compensation conversation prepared to negotiate, not accept, an opening offer. Remember that negotiation is an indicator of confident professionalism, so stay positive, always ask for time to consider an offer and never act overly impressed with what’s on the table.

Get this right and you’re on track for a financially healthy work life. But there’s more to life than work, so let’s take a look at another aspect of a successful financial diet – your actual diet.

Learn from Italian grandmothers and cook good food for less.

Many millennials have a strange relationship with food. It’s not necessarily that they eat badly, but they are more likely to slave over a fancy recipe found on Pinterest than to rustle up something simple from leftovers in the fridge; they’re also more familiar with local takeout menus than with good, honest, everyday cooking.

This approach to food can cost you. It costs you the pleasure of eating a simple home-cooked meal and, of course, it costs you financially. So if you’ve done your budget and are horrified by how much you’re spending on food, maybe you could learn a little from Italian grandmothers.

The typical Italian grandmother is always whipping up something delicious, not based on what she’s just seen on Instagram, but based on what ingredients are in season, what’s in the cupboard and what’s about to go off and needs to be used. She cooks in large quantities, freezes what she can and is focused on everything in moderation rather than any dieting fad.

So how can you achieve that Italian grandmother status? The most important thing is to stock your kitchen properly. It’s crucial to stop thinking of individual recipes – like what you need to recreate the Bang Bang chicken you ate in a restaurant last week – and start thinking in terms of what you need to make sure you can always cook something at home.

If you’ve got good olive oil, some salt and pepper, dried chilis, spices, herbs, garlic and onions at home, then when you find yourself with nothing but a leftover eggplant and some tomatoes in the fridge, you’ll have everything you need for a delicious pasta sauce. Being able to throw something together is a great life skill that will not only enable you to eat well, all the time; it also means fewer costly trips to the grocery store for a specific set of ingredients.

Oh, and one last thing: never, ever go shopping while drunk, upset or hungry – that’s a surefire recipe for abandoning your nutritional and financial diets.

Dream medium and be open about your finances to maintain a healthy relationship with money.

Think of money not as a way to buy happiness, but as a way to buy a happiness construction kit. It can’t buy you inner peace, but it can buy you the comfort and security you need to take risks and pursue your ambitions. Even then, it can be hard to maintain a sane approach to money, your future and your life fulfillment. But here’s how you can.

First, don’t dream big – dream medium. Society today, and social media in particular, is relentlessly aspirational. Pinterest and Instagram posts constantly tell us, via a message written over an image of a tropical beach or a yacht in azure blue seas, that if we just work hard enough and follow our dreams, we can achieve anything.

The reality is that for most of us, that simply isn’t true. Maybe the Yale-graduate trust-funder has enough cash in the bank to dream big and launch a start-up. For the single mom holding down two jobs and paying off $35,000 of student loans, things look a little different.

So there’s no shame, and a lot of sense, in dreaming medium – pursuing your goals in earnest but with a touch of realism about what is and what isn’t possible at any given time. That means making conscious decisions about when and where in life you want to take risks, and when it makes sense to play it safe.

When you do decide to take a risk, like moving to a new city or changing careers, try to think things through and plan in advance, both financially and logistically.

Second, be open about money. It’s odd, but even in today’s era of constant communication, people simply don’t like to talk about money.

 Anna Breslaw, who was an editor at Cosmopolitan for two years said she received hundreds of intimate questions and requests for advice from readers – but she almost never heard anything about money. People, it seems, are more comfortable talking about anal sex than their salaries.

But just like your sex life probably won’t improve if you never talk about it, neither will your attitude to money.

Once you feel able to talk freely and openly about money, to your friends or your partner, you’ll notice improvements. You’ll be more confident professionally, more demanding toward yourself and more attuned to what is and isn’t healthy.

If you can achieve that, then the financial diet will have worked for you.

Money helps you build the life you really want to have, now and in the future. That doesn’t mean you have to obsess about it or build your life around it. But it does mean that you should make sure you understand how to manage money, make it work for you and ensure that your financial situation supports rather than prevents you from achieving your dreams.

[megamikethomson]

Georgia toffolo on dropping herself after i’m a movie star, new relationships and why she’s bffs with boris johnson’s dad

last christmas day, in the early hours of the morning, georgia toffolo was on a four-hour road experience to her mum’s domestic in devon while she became too exhausted to pressure. She pulled into a carrier station, switched off the engine and closed her eyes. “i don't forget wondering: ‘i want to get domestic for christmas,’ but i was so worn-out,” she sighs. The 25-12 months-old joined itv’s this morning, offered at the ntas, landed a magazine column and designed a sixteen-piece line for undies emblem with love lillycredit: mark hayman jumpsuit, £49. Ninety nine from mango — buy now polo neck from primark— purchase now jewelry, £6 from river island — buy now boots, £90 from river island — buy now

“i had a half of-hour nap then arrived domestic for christmas day at 3 within the morning. That’s no longer regular. I must were home the day earlier than however i’d been working,

"then all christmas day i was so distracted and actually no longer nice employer. And that i went lower back to paintings on boxing day.”

winning i’m a movie star… get me out of here! In 2017 catapulted georgia, aka toff, to celeb heights beyond whatever she’d skilled on e4’s made in chelsea. In addition to countless media interviews celebrating her jungle victory, toff, 25, joined itv’s this morning as a reporter, supplied behind the scenes at the ntas, landed a mag column, designed a sixteen-piece line for lingerie emblem with love lilly and made her acting debut in an animated remake of the grinch. Georgia toffolo on losing herself after i'm a superstar, new relationships, and why she's bffs with boris johnson's dadcredit: mark hayman top from warehouse — purchase now skirt, £15 from pass over selfridge — purchase now jewelry from river island — buy now boots from river island — buy now

that’s on top of being signed because the face of favor logo very. Co. Uk and beauty powerhouse dermalogica, turning into an ambassador for amazing british racing, penning her autobiography constantly smiling and launching her very own youtube channel tofftube – in addition to continuing to megastar in mic. By means of remaining december, bodily and emotionally exhausted after grabbing “so many exquisite opportunities”, bubbly toff – who turned into so famous with i’m a superstar! Visitors that 71% voted for her to win – started out fading away.

“i think a touch little bit of my personality become misplaced,” she admits. “i’d be in a room however not be there due to the fact i used to be so worn-out. Ultimate yr i was running all of the time and work changed into over[powering] everything. Thank goodness my buddies and circle of relatives had been so supportive, and in fact pretty forgiving.”

nearly a 12 months on, the toff at our shoot is a one of a kind kettle of fish absolutely. She’s scaled returned paintings commitments and now simplest accepts projects that sense “real”. It is clear toff is still reigning very best as she pointers at a publishing deal and is bursting with ideas for her youtube channelcredit: mark hayman coat from reserved — purchase now sun shades, £7. 99 from reserved — buy now earrings from river island — purchase now

she attempts to hold her weekends paintings-loose, enjoys nights out with her friends again and doesn’t beat herself up over the occasional cover morning.

“ultimate yr if i’d achieved that i’d have concept: ‘oh my god, what’s wrong with you?’ the guilt that i used to be carrying all of the time…” she shakes her head with disbelief at how the balance become once so wrong. And now?

“i’ve honestly realigned the whole thing so that my personal happiness is on a par with my happiness inside my paintings lifestyles,” she says. “i’m toff once more.”

quitting mic last august after four years of sharing each spit and cough approximately her private lifestyles become, she admits, a calculated move to defend her intellectual fitness. 'i am toff again'

“i cast my profession out of giving the whole lot. While i was 18, 19, i didn’t provide a s**t. We signal our contracts and say: ‘we are able to provide you with our entire life.’

but now i don’t recognise whether being public property is conducive to being mentally satisfied. I just need to live happy and healthful in my mind. I’ve come to the conclusion that you have to maintain a bit bit for yourself.”

that “little bit” is her rumoured new courting with millionaire aristocrat george cottrell, aka “posh george”, a former senior advisor to nigel farage and deputy treasurer for ukip who spent 8 months in an american jail for cord fraud after explaining to undercover cops how cash could be laundered. He become released from prison in 2017. Toff and george, 26, reportedly met in march at a social event, however neither have confirmed or denied their relationship, regardless of pics aplenty suggesting they're together. As a teenager stunner toff suffered from horrible acne and become a target for bulliescredit: mark hayman

“i’ve attempted so hard to shield that part of my life. I simply feel as although i don’t want to talk approximately it,” she says, firmly. “i’m simply very satisfied in my private existence and i don’t want that to change.”

perhaps her reluctance to open up is also rooted in an awkwardness over george’s debatable beyond. In comparison to her other high-profile boyfriends, namely mic co-stars james taylor, james middleton and richard dinan, plus chelsy davy’s ex, jeweller charles goode, toff’s state-of-the-art suitor seems a bit much less clean-cut.

“i’ve by no means absolutely desired to talk about it… any time,” she insists. “i’m certainly sorry. I hate speaking about this.” difficulty closed. Her selection to take anything care essential to safeguard her mental health is understandable. Truth tv has confronted unheard of scrutiny this yr following the suicide of a visitor on the jeremy kyle display and the deaths of former love island contestants mike thalassitis and sophie gradon. I cast my career out of giving the whole thing. Georgia toffolo

in might also, the government released an enquiry into reality television’s duty of care to members, which includes assessing the psychological help offered to them by using manufacturing companies. Quickly after she joined mic in 2014, executives referred toff to the show’s psychologist when she found herself at a crossroads – whether to proceed with a law degree on the college of bristol or stay with television tube. She selected the latter and transferred to take a look at politics at the college of westminster, however she feels no uneasiness about her years baring all at the fact display. Even being dumped on small screen television is regarded thru rose-tinted glasses.

“all of us bloody realize how it hurts while you’re dumped or if a person runs off with a girl that you don’t like, and that i wouldn’t alternate it for the world because it’s made me have an appreciation for the u. S. And downs which can be inevitable throughout your 20s,” she laughs.

"high-quality, i did do mine in a genuinely bizarre public way, but i just wouldn’t trade it.” toff is also a lady dominated by means of her heart. It’s why the previous scholar of £30,000-a-12 months blundell’s boarding college in tiverton, devon, ultimately threw within the towel on university. Toff has banked a suggested £1. 8million since leaving the i'm a celebrity jungle in 2017

2 toff has banked a stated £1. 8million considering the fact that leaving the i'm a movie star jungle in 2017credit: getty - contributor

“thank god i did. 8million considering that i’m a superstar! She’s still obsessed with politics, although, and joined the conservative celebration as a youngster, however in recent times now attempts to be “as nonpartisan as possible”. What’s modified? “it’s tough because i’ve been really aligned with the conservatives, but i’m the primary to say that there are so many things i don’t trust,” she explains. “i suppose → the conservative birthday party could be very conventional of their thinking, so i wish they would modernise.

"when you have a look at westminster you suspect of it as faded, male and rancid and i hate that so much. What the ones human beings are talking about goes to have an effect on me and our generation a lot more than the fuddy-duddies in there.

"i might have greater young people in politics with hundreds of really different, out-there perspectives.” georgia is her rumoured to be in a brand new relationship with millionaire aristocrat george cottrell, aka 'posh george'

2 georgia is her rumoured to be in a new dating with millionaire aristocrat george cottrell, aka 'posh george'credit score: bguk

does that no longer make her, as young and lady, the right candidate for becoming an mp? She shakes her head. “i like what i do too much. Why might i alternate that during? Politics is so divisive. I simply want people to engage and have their own viewpoints.”

one mention of brexit and he or she winces. “oh my god. Christ, i don’t recognize,” she says, taking an urgent swig from her bottle of water. Firstly a remainer, she sooner or later switched allegiance and became firmly supportive of england leaving the ecu.

“i need human beings to be assured in our united states once more. I'd have been a remainer but i trust in democracy – 17. Four million human beings voted to leave.”

boris johnson could be chuffed. When she left the jungle, toff became called “boris in a bikini” – it’s a tag she nonetheless consists of round and thinks is “hilarious”. Given her former camp mate and close buddy is boris’ dad stanley johnson, 79, has she had an opportunity to speak about the funny story with the pm himself? Boris' dad stanley johnson is a regular at toff's mythical sunday lunch events

“i haven’t delivered up that word exactly. I’m sure he’s examine it,” she laughs, going  coy when asked if she and bojo are pals. I understand boris, yeah. I haven’t visible him for the reason that he’s been prime minister but… yeah.” toff’s now not so coy approximately her bond with stanley. While she got the keys to her new one-bed room basement flat 10 months in the past, stanley turned into on your doorstep inside the hour. He’s additionally a regular at her legendary sunday lunch parties or even seemed in a few episodes of mic, such were toff’s powers of persuasion.

Toff and stanley united once more in channel 4’s superstar hunted in aid of get up to cancer – a reason she is obsessed with because of her eighty two-12 months-vintage grandfather bertie’s ongoing battle. And the duo’s stint on movie star gogglebox in advance this year had the nation in stitches, no longer least the episode when they have been filmed watching a steamy sex scene from ‘80s mystery deadly enchantment. The distinction in my happiness and confidence… i will’t positioned it into phrases. Georgia toffolo

“oh don’t, i died!” roars toff, burying her face in her fingers. “it become so awkward! And that i made them promise they wouldn’t show whatever untoward!

“i was a chunk concerned that there would be a ‘earlier than’ boris become pm and ‘after’ chapter of our friendship, and when we were at the run [for celebrity hunted] stanley stated: ’i assume i’m going to close down my twitter and forestall doing some of these stupid small screen television matters.’

the next week [he was] tweeting, instagramming and taking place the television tube. I notion: ‘thank goodness, you’ve now not changed one bit.’”

toff again to ozultimate yr to film i’m a celeb! Greater camp, however in line with reviews fell out with show host scarlett moffatt after scarlett made her sense “unwelcome and victimised”. Such became the severity of the feud, toff flew home and missed out on crowning jungle king harry redknapp. Triumphing i’m a movie star… get me out of here! In 2017 catapulted georgia to celebrity heightscredit: james gourley/shutterstock

“if i’m absolutely sincere, i didn’t have a completely nice time in australia and i used to be pretty unhappy about that due to the fact i glaringly had such brilliant reminiscences the year earlier than,” she says. “it changed into very tough.”

because of scarlett? “i don’t need to mention, however my enjoy in australia wasn’t very fun,” she says. “it was very sudden due to the fact, via nature, i do get on truely nicely with every person.”

the only child of her assets developer mum nicky, 53, and scrap metallic enterprise proprietor dad gary, fifty four, who split whilst she become a toddler, as a teenager toff suffered from horrible pimples and changed into a goal for bullies, who shattered her self belief. Before getting into the jungle, she turned into so self-conscious about her complexion she siphoned bottles of estée lauder double put on into a large micellar water bottle – her one luxury item. 'very tough'

the night earlier than filming started out, she was knowledgeable camp mates would best be reunited with their gadgets after winning responsibilities over a count of days. Toff informed bosses she wouldn’t be taking element.

“i was like: ‘no, no, no, no.’ i burst into tears and said: ‘sorry, i'm able to’t do it.’ i got my mum to get all my docs’ notes about my pimples for the past 10 years,” she recollects. “[then] they stated: ‘we do believe it’s a medical difficulty, we’re going to can help you placed on your double wear as soon as an afternoon in the morning,’ and i did. Thank god.”

nowadays, she arrives for her interview make-up-unfastened, some thing she says wouldn’t were viable a year in the past, and credit the transformation to a “virtually strong skin care routine”, ingesting lots of water, cutting out dairy and decreasing stress.

“i appearance in the mirror and in reality like what i see. If you’d have informed that to my 14-12 months-old self, i wouldn’t have believed you. I might have idea: ‘this is a lifelong problem you’re going to have – you’re going to be embarrassed, hate your skin and that’s the quit of it.’ she siphoned bottles of estée lauder double put on right into a giant micellar water bottle – her one luxury item, while at the showcredit: rex capabilities

“and but i’ve just accomplished an interview with terrifi mag with out a makeup on! The difference in my happiness and confidence… i'm able to’t placed it into phrases.” as toff teeters closer to 2020 there’s plenty more to smile about. Next saturday she finishes her stint as a roving reporter for amazing british racing at huntingdon iciness ladies’ day, where she may be focusing at the horses and their adventure from the stables to the place to begin.

“it just doesn’t sense like paintings,” she says. “girls’ day at chester has been my favourite. I love the fashion that is going with racing, however you don’t should spend a fortune. Beauty good buy lady bags herself £a hundred of makeup revolution merchandise for simply £30 at b&m

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naked necessity mum transforms conservatory into epic jungle smooth play vicinity for below £500

what a alleviation mum famous amazing tip for cleaning ‘ruined iron’ the usage of 29p paracetamol

aisle be damned visitor wears tiny white dress to wedding and you could ‘almost see her crotch’

pants concept sideflank is the new sideboob, however you cannot put on knickers to tug the appearance off

so inside the morning i went and purchased my whole outfit from a charity keep in chester. I spent £30 on everything, along with my bag!”

she pointers at a publishing deal to write a jilly-cooper-esque novel (“can’t let you know. Maybe!”) and is bursting with ideas for her youtube channel. Upload in a new home, man and outlook, and it’s clean – toff’s nonetheless reigning excellent.

● comply with @greatbritishracing for georgia’s record from huntingdon on saturday. Go to gbraci. Ng/toff

the final…

e-book you read? Sweet sorrow by david nicholls. I really loved it. Field set you binged on? The thick of it. I’ll watch box units on a hangover day. Movie you suspect? Up in the air with george clooney. Time you were drunk? Saturday night. Champagne doesn’t deliver me a hangover, are you able to believe? However it’s so expensive. Whatsapp message? Mum. My ex-headmaster known as her up asking me to retweet something. I imply, what the f**k? I left faculty seven years ago! Time you cried? I cried the complete manner via approximately time. I’m a sucker for a richard curtis movie. Hair: dino pereira the usage of kiehl’s considering the fact that 1851 magic elixir makeup: aimee adams the use of zoeva styling: nana acheampong

[talabib]

How To Be Better With Money

Many millennials don’t really have a clue when it comes to money. They live from paycheck to paycheck, hoping their credit cards don’t get refused and trying not to think too much about their overdraft.

That shouldn’t come as a great surprise. Today’s aspirational society encourages consumption, while simultaneously providing next to no financial education. For many young people, the only financial advice they see are tone-deaf articles about rash millennials buying so much avocado toast that they can’t afford to buy a house (conveniently forgetting the matter of their crushing student debt in the process).

If you, too, feel a bit helpless when it comes to money – budgeting, saving, investing and securing your financial future – then this post is for you. They will help you take small but important steps toward getting your finances in order, and will show you that being financially savvy isn’t just about boring budget spreadsheets and savings accounts – it’s also about learning to cook well, take care of yourself and nurture your career.

Avoid these four “don’t you dares” to start improving your relationship with money.

If you’re lost at sea when it comes to money, maybe it’s best to start your financial diet nice and slow.

There are four “don’t you dare” rules that we can all remember and follow; if you do so, you’ll have taken a big step toward steadying your finances.

First, don’t you dare spend money on credit if you can’t pay it off within a month. Sure, credit cards have their benefits – they can help build a credit score and get you air miles. But if you have one, treat it like a debit card. The day you spend money you can’t pay back in a month is the day you sabotage your financial health, because that’s when the interest starts to accrue.

Second, don’t you dare fall into the CEO lifestyle. When Chelsea first became CEO of her own enterprise, it changed her thinking. Suddenly she would think, “I deserve this $150 facial, because a CEO’s gotta look good, right?”

We all convince ourselves that we need certain things to live the lifestyle we want, whether that means an iced latte every day, or a taxi home instead of the subway. The reality is that we don’t need these things, so we should get over them. Spend according to the budget you have, not for the lifestyle you think you should be living.

Third, don’t you dare go a week without checking your bank balance at least twice. Just like a reluctant dieter avoids looking at the caloric content of the cake they are devouring, lots of people in poor financial situations just can’t bring themselves to look at their account balance. You can’t get on a financial diet until you confront the reality of your income and spending, however gruesome it might look the first time you check.

And finally, don’t you dare imagine that savings will just magically appear. When you are young, it’s easy to think of your current self and your future self as two completely different people, and pass the responsibility for saving on to “future me.”

Many people think that merely staying out of debt is enough and they can worry about savings in the future. But the fact of the matter is, there is only one you – and you need to start saving, even if it’s just a little, right now.

Follow these rules and you’ll already be avoiding a lot of common mistakes. But to really get to grips with your financial diet, you need to learn how to budget.

Making a budget is the single most important thing you can do to take control of your spending.

One of the fun things about being an adult is the freedom it brings – to stay up late, or to spend your money exactly how you like. That freedom is a rush, and constructing a strict budget for yourself might feel restrictive. But without one, you will be forever financially lost.

So the first, most important step in your financial diet is to establish what money is coming in and going out. There are lots of useful apps you can use to do this, like Mint or You Need a Budget, but you can also just make a simple spreadsheet.

Whatever you choose, start by entering all your income after tax, like your salary or freelance earnings. Next, enter all of your expenditures. Do this for at least the last two months, and do it honestly, including all expenses – everything from your rent check to that Diet Coke you bought yesterday. And finally, add any savings you have put aside, like money going into a retirement fund.

Once you’ve done this, you can start to analyze the results. How much are you spending on food each month? And how much on late-night online shopping? Could you be paying off your debt quicker? Is that $80 a month takeaway coffee habit really worth sacrificing potential savings of $960 a year?

Simply analyzing your budget should lead you to some sensible conclusions about your financial behavior. But it can also be helpful to introduce a system to guide your future behavior.

The 50/30/20 plan is a simple way to ensure that your spending is under control and your savings are at a sensible level. Here, 50 percent of your income should go on fixed costs, like your rent and utilities. Thirty percent should go to lifestyle or variable costs, like your groceries, travel and nights out. And finally, 20 percent should be saved.

This system works well because it gives an easy-to-understand framework against which to judge your expenditures. If you see that you are spending 40 percent of your income on lifestyle expenditures, and only saving 10 percent, you know you need to make a few adjustments.

Everyone’s breakdown will be a little different – some might only spend 40 percent on their fixed costs, for instance – but the crucial step is coming to grips with the basics: how much money is coming in and what it’s being spent on. Only then can you start to think about getting more value out of the money you have.

Make your money work for you from as young an age as possible.

Ask yourself a question: are you working for your money, or is you money working for you?

If you are stuck thinking about working for your money, it’s time to become your money’s boss. Make it work for you, as soon and as much as possible, by investing it.

Whether you are able to put away a dollar a day or ten, you should start doing so as soon as you can. Being young is a secret shortcut to increasing your wealth, because it means that your money has more time to multiply.

To understand how this happens, you need the rule of 72. The rule of 72 shows how long it will take any investment to double in value. You just need to divide the number 72 by the annual interest rate, or return, you’ll receive on any investment or savings account. That gives you the number of years until your original money is doubled.

For example, investments with a return of 7 percent will double your money in 10.28 years. So, invest $1,000 in a fund returning 7 percent a year, and in a decade you’ll have $2,000, without you needing to do any work for it.

Now that you understand how your money can work for you, you realize that a dollar saved and invested is not the same as a dollar spent.

Let’s say you are thinking about spending $100 on a new dress. The dress is nice, but you can now see that your choice is not between spending the $100 or saving $100; it’s between spending $100 now, or having $200 in ten years time, $400 in 20 years time and $800 in 30 years time.

So if you think investing is something that only old people do, don’t be fooled. Being young gives you an advantage when it comes to investing: the sooner you start, the more time your money has to multiply.

Investing is probably easier than you think.

For many of us, thinking about investing conjures up images of men on a trading floor, shouting into telephones as they frantically buy and sell stocks and bonds. The good news is that the reality of investing is very different and much simpler than that. But before diving in, there are two things you need to do.

First, build an emergency fund. In addition to always having a little money in your standard checking account for everyday expenses, you should also have an emergency fund covering at least three months of living costs. You never know when you might get sick, have your house flooded or experience some other disaster that requires some immediate cash.

Second, pay off your debt, especially if it charges more interest than you could receive by putting the money in savings or investments. If you’re earning a 3 percent return on your investments, but paying 4 percent on your credit card or student debt, that’s a net loss.

Once you’ve sorted these two steps, you are set to invest. The best starting point is probably a retirement account, like a 401(k). That’s because, up to a certain amount, your employer will likely match the contributions that you make. And that means free money!

If you’ve maxed out your 401(k) contributions, then you could start to look at IRAs – Individual Retirement Accounts – which allow you to invest and then deduct the investment on your taxes. More free money!

Once you’ve got to grips with 401(k)s and IRAs, a whole world of investing awaits. You can, for example, invest in low-risk funds like index funds, which track overall performance of an index like the New York Stock Exchange’s Dow Jones. Or, if you feel confident enough, you could start to pick individual stocks to buy.

But to start with, keep things simple and speak to your HR advisor at work about your 401(k). It’s likely they’ll be able to give one-to-one advice as to what options are available to you – and if not, there are plenty of free financial workshops out there.

Before you know it, you’ll be a full-fledged investor who can sit back and relax, happy in the knowledge that your money is working for you.

Make sure you’re investing in your career and getting paid what you deserve.

Setting money aside in a fund isn’t the only way to invest in your future; you can also expand your career horizons or build your skill set and experiences.

A great way to do so is to find a mentor who can help you. One of the Chelsea’s early mentors was Joanne Cleaver, a journalist and entrepreneur. Cleaver argues that networking is a key to building a successful and satisfying career, because being known by the right people for the right things always pays off in the long run.

One great way to network, Cleaver says, is to volunteer. Sure, working for free sounds tough. But think of it as working for yourself, with the payoff coming a little further down the road.

When Cleaver worked for a city newspaper, she offered to help out with its annual charity drive. She mocked up a newspaper front page with tear-jerking stories about their city and how donations could address them.

The result? The newsroom donated more cash than ever before. Weeks later, Cleaver found herself invited to the newspaper’s president’s suite. The president loved the mock-up so much that she’d printed out a bunch to share with all the other executives, establishing an instant reputation and goodwill for Cleaver.

But no matter how great a networker you are, your financial health will always struggle if you don’t get appropriate compensation for your work. Negotiating your salary can be a little scary, but it’s also one of the most powerful ways to improve your financial health.

Thankfully, these days it’s easy to find out a benchmark salary for any job simply by searching websites such as PayScale and Glassdoor, asking people in the relevant industry or even just going on Reddit and anonymously asking the world at large.

Once you have a clear view of what you are worth, go into any compensation conversation prepared to negotiate, not accept, an opening offer. Remember that negotiation is an indicator of confident professionalism, so stay positive, always ask for time to consider an offer and never act overly impressed with what’s on the table.

Get this right and you’re on track for a financially healthy work life. But there’s more to life than work, so let’s take a look at another aspect of a successful financial diet – your actual diet.

Learn from Italian grandmothers and cook good food for less.

Many millennials have a strange relationship with food. It’s not necessarily that they eat badly, but they are more likely to slave over a fancy recipe found on Pinterest than to rustle up something simple from leftovers in the fridge; they’re also more familiar with local takeout menus than with good, honest, everyday cooking.

This approach to food can cost you. It costs you the pleasure of eating a simple home-cooked meal and, of course, it costs you financially. So if you’ve done your budget and are horrified by how much you’re spending on food, maybe you could learn a little from Italian grandmothers.

The typical Italian grandmother is always whipping up something delicious, not based on what she’s just seen on Instagram, but based on what ingredients are in season, what’s in the cupboard and what’s about to go off and needs to be used. She cooks in large quantities, freezes what she can and is focused on everything in moderation rather than any dieting fad.

So how can you achieve that Italian grandmother status? The most important thing is to stock your kitchen properly. It’s crucial to stop thinking of individual recipes – like what you need to recreate the Bang Bang chicken you ate in a restaurant last week – and start thinking in terms of what you need to make sure you can always cook something at home.

If you’ve got good olive oil, some salt and pepper, dried chilis, spices, herbs, garlic and onions at home, then when you find yourself with nothing but a leftover eggplant and some tomatoes in the fridge, you’ll have everything you need for a delicious pasta sauce. Being able to throw something together is a great life skill that will not only enable you to eat well, all the time; it also means fewer costly trips to the grocery store for a specific set of ingredients.

Oh, and one last thing: never, ever go shopping while drunk, upset or hungry – that’s a surefire recipe for abandoning your nutritional and financial diets.

Dream medium and be open about your finances to maintain a healthy relationship with money.

Think of money not as a way to buy happiness, but as a way to buy a happiness construction kit. It can’t buy you inner peace, but it can buy you the comfort and security you need to take risks and pursue your ambitions. Even then, it can be hard to maintain a sane approach to money, your future and your life fulfillment. But here’s how you can.

First, don’t dream big – dream medium. Society today, and social media in particular, is relentlessly aspirational. Pinterest and Instagram posts constantly tell us, via a message written over an image of a tropical beach or a yacht in azure blue seas, that if we just work hard enough and follow our dreams, we can achieve anything.

The reality is that for most of us, that simply isn’t true. Maybe the Yale-graduate trust-funder has enough cash in the bank to dream big and launch a start-up. For the single mom holding down two jobs and paying off $35,000 of student loans, things look a little different.

So there’s no shame, and a lot of sense, in dreaming medium – pursuing your goals in earnest but with a touch of realism about what is and what isn’t possible at any given time. That means making conscious decisions about when and where in life you want to take risks, and when it makes sense to play it safe.

When you do decide to take a risk, like moving to a new city or changing careers, try to think things through and plan in advance, both financially and logistically.

Second, be open about money. It’s odd, but even in today’s era of constant communication, people simply don’t like to talk about money.

 Anna Breslaw, who was an editor at Cosmopolitan for two years said she received hundreds of intimate questions and requests for advice from readers – but she almost never heard anything about money. People, it seems, are more comfortable talking about anal sex than their salaries.

But just like your sex life probably won’t improve if you never talk about it, neither will your attitude to money.

Once you feel able to talk freely and openly about money, to your friends or your partner, you’ll notice improvements. You’ll be more confident professionally, more demanding toward yourself and more attuned to what is and isn’t healthy.

If you can achieve that, then the financial diet will have worked for you.

Money helps you build the life you really want to have, now and in the future. That doesn’t mean you have to obsess about it or build your life around it. But it does mean that you should make sure you understand how to manage money, make it work for you and ensure that your financial situation supports rather than prevents you from achieving your dreams.