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The 2021 Gender Census is now open!

[ Link to survey ]

The eighth annual international gender census, collecting information about the language we use to refer to ourselves and each other, is now open until 10th March 2021.

After the survey is closed I’ll process the results and publish a spreadsheet of the data and a report summarising the main findings. Then anyone can use them for academic or business purposes, self-advocacy, tracking the popularity of language over time, and just feeling like we’re part of a huge and diverse community.

If you think you might have friends and followers who’d be interested, please do reblog this blog post, retweet this tweet, boost this Mastodon post, check out this post on Reddit, and share the survey URL by email or at AFK social groups or on other social networks like Facebook. Every share is extremely helpful - it’s what helped us get 24,000 responses last year.

Survey URL: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/gendercensus2021/

The survey is open to anyone anywhere who speaks English and feels that the gender binary doesn’t fully describe their experience of themselves and their gender(s) or lack thereof.

Thank you so much!

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Aunties, can you please explain the whole GameStop stock debacle in normal-people terms?

Bahahaha! I’m fucking STOKED you asked. This is the kind of absurdity that I live for, cry over, and reinforces my belief that MONEY IS FAKE. Ok here goes...

First a definition: What does it mean to “short a stock”? Shorting or even short-selling stocks is when you borrow shares in a company then immediately re-sell them in the hopes that you can buy them back later at a lower price. You then return the shares to the original lender they were borrowed from and pocket the difference. It is a STUPIDLY RISKY way of making money on the stock market, and has traditionally only been used by Wall Street Evil Knievels and people so hopped up on cocaine they thought the housing collapse of 2008 would be a great fucking idea. None of you should try shorting stocks. Buy stocks, invest for the long term, and go about your business. 

Mmkay, so with that out of the way, let’s talk about what’s going on with GameStop. 

Hedge fund managers (people who run big conglomerations of investors and investments) are betting on GameStop to fail, business-wise. They think the stock is crashing and that the company is in trouble. Why? Not important for the purposes of this explanation. They have just made certain projections that show GameStop is failing on the investment front. So the hedge fund managers want to capitalize on this failure (read: get rich off of GameStop’s demise) by shorting GameStop stock. With me so far?

This is all business as usual for the world of high stakes investing. But heeeeeere’s where it gets interesting. There’s a Reddit forum called /r/WallStreetBets. Their whole thing is sharing stock tips and hot investments. It’s for people who know the stock market well enough to literally play with it on a small scale. They found out about the plan to short GameStop stock. And they took evasive maneuvers. 

Suddenly, members of this Reddit started buying up GameStop stock en masse. These purchases drove the price of the stock way up (that’s how the stock market works) AND it prevented the stock shorters from fulfilling their scheme AND it forced them to lose a ton of money. For example, the professional hedge fund managers lost $1.6 billion in a single day last week. By contrast? One of the WallStreetBets dudes turned $50,000 into $11 million.

But what does any of this literally have to do with GameStop? ALMOST NOTHING. The company itself is not doing anything any different. Its value and stock prices are soaring not because of anything GameStop has done to improve itself... only because people who play with money are artificially inflating its value through this weird war.

In my opinion, the heroes here are WallStreetBets. They are demonstrating, in real time, how fucking arbitrary the value of something can be. They are calling Wall Street’s bluff and fucking with the people who--FOR A LIVING--just regularly decide to drive an individual company out of business and its employees out of jobs. 

Whatever your thoughts on GameStop as a company, this is an abject lesson in how capitalism is not some hallowed law of the universe, but an arbitrary system we made up. That system can be hacked. It can be broken. And it can be fun!

Anyway, hope that helps. This is as close to a simple explanation as I could get, and a LOT of nuance is missing so please don’t @ me. If you want a way more in-depth read that’s still simple enough for those who don’t know shit about investing, I got my information from Vox. And if you enjoyed this explanation, maybe read these ones too:

A Brief History of the 2008 Crash and Recession: We Were All So Fucked 

Dashit Just Happened, Equifax?

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enjoying the sunshine and warmth, wearing long cotton dresses, growing flowers, walking a lot, taking care of plants, listening to the birds singing and preparing dishes for closest friends

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*cranes my neck exactly 180 degrees* you have no effect on me

*breaks into your home at 3am to move all of your personal belongings exactly 2 inches to the left*

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Hi bitches! So I'm looking to start eating healthy while saving money and that seems almost impossible 😭 but I've decided that buying in bulk seems like it would help. I just don't know what foods are good to buy in bulk and won't go bad and waste my money. Help???

We gotchu, boo, not to worry! Here’s our complete guide to buying groceries, complete with a section on buying in bulk:

How to Shop for Groceries like a Boss

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this feels like a good reference (and if possible, from personal experience, i’d recommend packing ahead of time if you can…your panicked brain is not as effective as you think it is)

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This is a big, giant list of Youtube tutorials that will teach you all the basic life skills you need to know in order to be a functional adult. There are a lot of important skills that aren’t included in this list, but this should be enough of a basic guide to get you started and prevent you from making a total mess of yourself. Happy adulting! Household Skills:

How to unclog a toilet without a plunger

How to fix a blown fuse

How to fix a leaky faucet 

How to clean soap scum from your tub and shower

How to escape from a house fire

How to make a budget and stick to it

How to sharpen a knife

How to clean a self-cleaning oven

How to clean red wine stains from carpet

How to clean blood stains from fabric

How to clean grease stains from fabric

How to do a load of laundry

How to iron your clothes

How to test your smoke detectors

Cooking Skills:

How to tell if produce is ripe

How to know if food is expired 

How to properly sanitize a kitchen

How to cook an egg

How to make rice

How to make pasta

How to put out a kitchen grease fire safely

How to use a gas stove

How to use a convection oven

How to cook meat safely

How to use a stand mixer

How to use kitchen knives properly

How to make mashed potatoes

How to make grilled cheese sandwiches 

Health Skills:

How to stop bleeding

How to treat a burn 

How to do CPR (on an adult)

How to do CPR (on a child)

How to do CPR (on a baby)

How to help someone who is choking

How to save yourself if you are choking alone

How to read a nutrition label

How to treat frostbite

How to recognize when someone is having a stroke

How to maintain a healthy sleep schedule

Mental Health Skills:

How to calm down during a panic attack

How to help someone who is suicidal 

How to meditate 

How to stop self-harming

How to recognize problem drinking

How to choose a therapist

How to deal with disappointment

How to cope with grief

How to raise your self-esteem

Relationship and Social Skills:

How to apologize

How to cope with a breakup 

How to accept criticism 

How to deal with bullying 

How to argue in a healthy way

How to ask someone out

How to break up with someone

How to recognize an abusive relationship

How to rekindle a damaged friendship

How to speak in public

Job Hunting Skills:

How to tie a tie

How to write a resume

How to write a cover letter

How to dress for a job interview (for women/femmes)

How to dress for a job interview (for men/masculines)

How to properly shake hands

How to nail a job interview

Other Skills:

How to sew on a button 

How to hammer a nail

How to change your oil

How to put gas in your car

How to jump-start a car

How to pick a good password

How to back up your files

How to write a cheque

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YNA’s Apartment Posts

20 Things to Do Before Moving Out Of Your Parent’s House

How Much Should I Save Before Moving Out?

YNA’s Comprehensive Guide to Finding, Renting, and Setting Up An Apartment

Apartment Hunting 101

Apartments - Moving to A New State

Avoiding Rental Scams

Change of Address

Decor Masterpost

Finding An Apartment Across State Lines

Finding A Roommate

General Moving Far Away Tips

Homeless Resources

Homesickness Suggestions

Hosting Guests

How to Tell Your Financially Unstable Friend That You Can’t Be Their Roommate Anymore

How to Furnish Your Apartment

Living In A Small Space

Living On Your Own For the First Time

Loneliness Suggestions

Moving to a New Country (Reader Tips)

Moving to A Different State

Moving to a Different State Tips

Moving In With Your SO

Moving Out of Your Dorm

My Landlord is Breaking the Law

Packing Tips

Roommates

Roommates - Expenses and More

What Household Products to Skip/Splurge

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Found this on Facebook! BOOST!

Tell Etsy that #ThisIsNotNative

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I'm moving out of my house soon (I rent a bedroom but have space in the kitchen and the living room is a common area too) into an apartment across town and I was wondering what the best way to get packed and move just across town is?

Packing Tips

1. Don’t pack everything at once. I highly recommend that you start packing at least a month before you move. If you take the time to pack in a slow and steady fashion, you’ll never end up feeling overwhelmed. When I moved out of my parent’s house, I made myself a promise to pack at least five things every night. I made it part of my nightly routine, and it felt less intimidating. When the day finally came to move, I had nothing left to pack.

2. Pack by usage. Decide what you won’t use during the rest of your stay at your old apartment, and pack that first. For example - if it’s warm out, you probably won’t need winter coats. You’ll eventually get to the point where the only things that are still unpacked are your clothes and toiletries for your move in day.

3. Double tape. Don’t expect a flimsy layer of tape to hold all of your precious belongings in place. Double-line each box opening with duct tape. And I do mean duct tape.

4. Label everything. Don’t use general labels like “clothing”, instead specify “summer shirts, blue jeans, toe socks”. The more details, the easier it will be unpacking everything when you’re moving in.

5. Fragile items. Wrap things like glasses, plates, chinaware, etc in your clothing or blankets. I actually like to double wrap things, just on the off chance something gets dropped or handled roughly. Wrapping by using things that are not disposable helps save space. 

6. Containers. Have lots of storage or tupperware containers? Fill them with things before packing them. 

7. Move piecemeal. If possible, start moving your furniture and boxes before you start living in your apartment. This is not always possible, so you will need to ask your landlord if it’s okay. If they okay it, start moving boxes and small pieces in a week before time.

8. Master list. I’m a big fan of lists, as you may know. When moving, I like to make a list of everything that needs to be moved, and cross items off one by one as they get accomplished. This ensures that nothing is left behind.

9. Moving party. If possible, rope some friends/family members into helping you move. Supply some basic snacks, drinks, and music, and turn this arduous task into a party. Or, you could offer to buy everyone a pizza afterwards.

10. Double check. After you think you’ve moved everything out of your old apartment, drive back over and double check that everything really has been taken care of. Open every cabinet, check every closet, even check the fridge and freezer. I lost a three foot tall state of a gnome and a panini press because I forgot to double check during my last move. Don’t make the same mistakes I did!

Good luck! xx

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Got any advice for food on a budget? I don't have much money. Even ways to spice up ramen will help.

Eating On A Budget

- Buy Bulk. My number one tip for budgeting food is to BUY IN BULK. Instead of buying a chicken breast, buy eight and individually wrap them in plastic wrap. Freeze what you’re not going to eat within the next two days, and defrost as needed.

- Cook Bulk. Make a large pot of chili, soup, or your favorite pasta sauce. Buy plastic containers at Walmart and portion out your meals. Freeze them all! I do this with my pasta puttanesca sauce, I make it once every six months and cook enough to last.

- Store Brands. There are cheap knock off brands of everything from Cheez-Its to Quaker Oats. They’ll be anywhere from $1-$3 cheaper than the brand names. On a similar note, store brand cleaning supplies is about $5 cheaper than the name brands! Don’t judge them before you try them.

- Store Cards. My Stop & Shop card gives me a gas discount, and other store cards offer similar perks. Store card + store brands = ridiculous savings.

- Avoid Organics. Like I said in my last Adulting post, I’m not paying $4 for a cucumber unless it can clean my apartment and sing Jazz standards. Buy vegetables, but avoid anything labeled “organic”.

- Mixed Greens. Avoid buying “mixed greens” unless you’re going to eat them within a day or two, these have a very short shelf life. Instead, buy a head of lettuce or a bushel of kale.

- Frozen Produce. Stock your freezer with bags of peas, carrots, fruit, etc. These will defrost easily in your soups and are good if you run out of ice packs.

- Dollar Stores. They have really weird brands of chips and pasta and really poor quality paper towels, so don’t expect to do you entire shop here. However, they sell bulk tomato sauce, six packs of ramen, tuna fish and other wonderful things for under a dollar. My local Dollar store sells tubes of capers for a dollar when just down the street my organic supermarket sells them for upwards of $5.

- Buy Fruit. Specifically, BUY IN BULK at your local chain supermarket. My boyfriend and I have been throwing back those Cara Cara oranges like nobody’s business. Fruit is great for quick breakfasts, snacks, and a healthy alternative to downing a pint of Ben and Jerrys.

Budget-based cookbooks (online recipes)

- College Student Cookbook. Click here.

- Meals On The Go. Click here. (Not a cookbook, but super helpful)

- Broke College Kid Masterpost. Click here.

- Cooking on A Bootstrap. Click here.

- Good and Cheap. Click here.

- Budget Bytes. Click here.

It’s also worth checking out my “eating on a budget” tag.

Also, please check out “Pimp Your Ramen” for ramen-related hacks!

Good luck! XX

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Do you have any tips for using seasonings when cooking? Or tips to help cook in general for some one new to it.

College Cooking 101

Materials

Here is a list of materials that I believe are absolutely necessary to creating a quality product. Feel free to substitute anything based on your own personal preferences.

Cooking supplies:

Non-stick frying pan (cast iron pans are much more difficult to clean)

Pot (I would recommend a small pot that you can use to cook for just yourself, and a larger pot for cooking portions or for company)

Lid for said pot

Rubber spatula (much better than wooden spoons)

Tongs

Sheet tray

Strainer

Scissors (kitchen scissors)

A cutting board (I recommend plastic because they’re easier to wash)

Cutting knife

Bread knife (both knives should be sharpened every six months at least, you can take them to your local kitchen supplies shop)

Spices:

Salt

Pepper

Dried chives (or real chives if you can swing them. Throw them in your ramen, your tuna salad, sprinkle them on top of pasta, etc)

Thyme (dried or fresh… dried is 3x as potent, use to season soups or pastas)

Rosemary (dried or fresh, use to season meats and starches)

Cumin (use this spice to rub meat)

Cinnamon

Sugar

Garlic powder or onion powder (used for meat rubs and seasoning soups or sauces)

Paprika (I would recommend avoiding smoked paprika, it’s got a super aggressive flavor… use this in small amounts sprinkled over things like you would the chives)

Basic produce:

Parmesan cheese (for sprinkling over pastas, you can get it pre-grated)

Cheddar cheese (for making sandwiches and mac and cheese)

Tomatoes (whole, crushed, paste, whatever… just have some sort of tomato product in your pantry at all times)

Potatoes (you can’t buy them pre-cut because the oxidize and turn gray if not used immediately… you can still eat them, but they don’t look pretty)

Onions (you can get them pre-cut)

Garlic (use to make sauce or soup bases)

Romaine hearts (lettuce has a short shelf life, but romaine hearts literally last forever and are healthier than eating iceberg lettuce)

Protein of some sort (whatever you like- steak, chicken, tofu, etc)

Something salty (like pickles, black olives, anchovies, etc)

Your favorite veggies (I like carrots and squashes the best)

Pasta (whatever is cheapest or on sale at your store)

Bread (freeze half a loaf and leave the rest in your fridge)

Eggs (egg beaters or whole eggs, whatever you like)

Butter (or a butter substitute)

Oil (olive oil is the most expensive)

Chicken stock (or vegetable stock, in a carton or cubed)

Techniques

Basic (super duper duper basic) instructions on how to cook various items. I am not a trained professional- the information I’m providing is based off of personal experience only.

Meat

Cooking: Cook with oil. Outside of the steak should be grey. The inside should be light pink.

Seasoning: Create a simple spice blend and rub it all over the meat. Spice rubs always include salt and pepper, add whatever other spices you want.

Pair with: Starches or veggies.

Cooking: Cook with oil. Outside should be starting to crisp, inside should be white and dry.

Seasoning: Salt and pepper work best. You can also coat chicken in panko bread crumbs.

Pair with: Starches, veggies, fruits, or pasta.

Cooking: Cook with butter or oil. Outside should be starting to crisp. Inside should be the same color as the outside, and should feel very dry and hard.

Seasoning: Create a simple spice blend and rub it all over the meat. Spice rubs always include salt and pepper, add whatever other spices you want. Meat should be completely coated in the spice rub, or it won’t taste like anything but the oil.

Pair with: Starches, veggies, or fruits.

Starches

Cooking: Cook with oil. Outside should be starting to crisp, inside fork tender.

Seasoning: Rub (literally rub the potatoes with your hands) salt, pepper, oil and rosemary all over the potatoes.

Cooking: Boil water with a teaspoon of salt. Wait until the water is visibly boiling to add your pasta. I like my pasta al dente, so I always cook it for the shortest amount of time listed on the box.

Seasoning: Thoroughly coat pasta with whatever sauce you’re using, or it will taste dry. Good prepared sauce brands: Newman’s Own, Classico, and Barilla.

Cooking: Cook in chicken or vegetable stock following package instructions. Stir every so often, and add additional stock as it is absorbed into the pasta.

Seasoning: I like to add dried herbs to the sauce as it reduces to add flavor. You can also add veggies early on and let them cook in the sauce.

Veggies

Cooking: These can be pan fried in oil, boiled, cooked in a sauce/stew, or put on a sheet tray to roast in the oven. The easiest way to cook them is to add them to a sauce that you are heating up, and allow them to soften until they can be pierced by a fork.

Seasoning: Rub the veggies with salt before cooking, unless you are adding them to a sauce or stew.

Cooking: These are best pan fried with butter. Cook them until they are slightly crisped and fork tender. If you want to be fancy you can blanch them before hand. How to blanch: Boil water, and throw the veggies in for literally thirty seconds. Pour them into a strainer and douse them immediately with cold water from your sink tap until they are cool to the touch.

Seasoning: Salt works best before cooking. Butter after cooking.

Yes I know that sweet potato is a starch, but it fits better here.

Cooking: These veggies are best roasted until fork tender. Time varies. These veggies should be cooked with their skin left on.

Seasoning: Rub these veggies with salt and cook in a little oil. Top with butter after they are cooked.

Resources

- My Pasta Sauce Post. Click here.

- College Student Cookbook. Click here.

- Broke College Kid Masterpost. Click here.

- Cooking on A Bootstrap. Click here.

- Good and Cheap. Click here.

- Budget Bytes. Click here.

- Meals On The Go. Click here. (Not a cookbook, but super helpful)

I hope this helps!

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Hey I love the kind of stuff you post! I was just wondering if you knew of any other people that post stuff along the same lines you do? Like how to and adulting things?

YES YES YES! Here are my main squeezes: 

@college-help-and-hacks: One of the first blogs I followed when I started my own blog.

@collegelifehacks: About 75% of the posts are college related, but the rest are general adulting and A+.

@diyadulting​: We’ve got a lot of the same things going on (including cats).

@foodffs​: The absolute best recipe blog on Tumblr! Ranked.

@growup-gloup: New fav, this blog is just starting up.

@hipdomestic​: Another blog that is not updated enough, but has an archive that will straight up shock you.

@howtogrowthefuckup: Super popular, super informative, basically what I strive to be.

@howtoimpersonateanadult: Extremely similar to what I’m doing, we’re hardcore mutuals.

@lifehacksthatwork: I get all of my infographics from this tumblr/site. Occasionally they’ll post hysterical comments.

@poorpersonsgiude: Stalking this blog is my No. 1 hobby.

@studydiaryofamedstudent: For all your studying/homework needs.

@writing-reference: Does not post too much nowadays, but has an absolutely insane archive with everything you could possibly ever need ever.

I am sure I forgot somebody! Please comment if I left you out. 

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things I have learned in my first six months of living alone

set aside 15/20 minutes a day to clean while your 5 fave songs play

hang your keys on the inside front door knob so you don’t forget them when you go out

open at least 1 window for at least 1 hour a day so your apartment air doesn’t get stale

always have a clean pair of pants, underwear, and period gear bc no one can go and get it for you

get one of those broom/mop poles with interchangeable broom/mop handles

sweep the floor at least twice a week. clean the counters and the stoves at least once a week. clean the bathroom twice a week. 

do not let food go to waste! donate unused food!

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Adulting Posts

Adulting 101: The post that started it all! Discount cards, xmas lights, and general food advice.

Adulting 102: Cacti, electric bills, and some inexpensive cleaning advice.

Adulting 103: Peeing after sex, chalkboard paint, and why you need scented trash bags in your life.

Adulting 104: Electric bill budgets, lint drawers, and why mixed greens are more trouble than they’re worth.

Adulting 105: Paper bills, Yankee Candles, and where to purchase postage stamps.

Adulting 106: Scented tampons, dishwasher pods, and why you should live next to a fire department.

Adulting 107: Command hooks, inexpensive bathroom decor, and why organic cucumbers are overrated. 

Adulting 108: An Adulting post dedicated entirely to apartment hunting!

Adulting 109: Cleaning your shower head, condiments, and why you should never buy Dollar Store paper towels.

Adulting 110: Food hygiene, Airborne, and automatic payment advice.

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How to Adult: Car EditionThings to always keep in your car:

Picnic blanket (that you can also use for warmth)

Hoodie/Sweater

$5 (for oh shit gas money)

Small first aid kit

Pad/Tampon

A paperback of your choosing (I keep a trashy romance novel) or other ways to amuse yourself if you’re ever stuck waiting

Cheap phone car charger