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nogetout · 10 years ago

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Eri112’s money saving tips.

So, did you reblog this money saving challenge last January?

I did.

I remember thinking that it would never work. I remember thinking it would be too hard. I remember thinking HOW CAN I HAVE CASH IN MY ROOM AND NOT SPEND IT??

I just counted and it turns out I saved more than this person calculated.

I saved $1500 in cash. In one year. In a Mason jar.

If you had told me last year that I could do this, I never would have believed you. I have never been a financially secure person. This activity taught me so much about myself as a spender.

Here’s how I did it.

For those who have never seen this, the basic concept is that you print out this (or google 52 week money challenge…You can find many variations on this)…So the first week, you put in $1, second week is $2, third week is $3, etc. The final week of the year, you’ll put in $52. There are 52 weeks in a year. See how that works?

As I said, though. I somehow ended up with more. I’m not sure how that happened. Let me tell you how I managed to save money period.

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND, I AM NOT A FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL. FOLLOW THESE TIPS WITH CAUTION. I CANNOT GUARANTEE THEY WILL WORK FOR EVERYONE.

1. Create your own payday. I have 2 jobs. One is my full time job that pays every two weeks on Thursday. The other is a part time job that pays every week on Wednesday. So, usually by Thursday, I have all the money I’m going to make that week. So, I made Thursday my pay day. Every Thursday, I made sure to put in the amount I was supposed to for that week.

2. Use small bills. This was CRITICAL to saving money for me. If I didn’t have the cash I needed, I would swing through the ATM and then ask a family member to trade a $20 bill for $1 bills. I put in the required money and then hid all of the other ones under the jar. That way, in future weeks I would have the ones I needed to make a payment.

3. Hide the jar in plain sight. I kept the jar in my room, but it was hidden. This way, I wasn’t tempted to spend it. I have 3 jars in my room. One is my “happy memories” jar where I right down all the good things that happen to me. Then I have my savings jar. I also have a jar for paying myself to work out. (Any time I work out, I pay myself a dollar. I use this money for fun stuff like going to the movies) In order to remember my savings jar and hide it at the same time, I put it directly behind my happy memories jar. That way, I could see the jars, but I couldn’t see the money inside.

4. Pack the money tight! It took my father a good five minutes to help me figure out how to get all of those bills out of that jar. This was quite fun to watch (“HEY DAD! I’m giving you $1400 in a jar! Help me get it out!”) and quite difficult to do. This is because I packed every inch of that jar. Having the money packed in tightly made it really difficult to take money out. The harder it was to take money out, the less I wanted to. I’m quite lazy.

5. Don’t be afraid to borrow, but write it down and pay yourself back in two days. I’ll admit, there were a few occasions where I needed to borrow some money from the jar. I never took more than $20. I also forced myself to pay it back in two days. Now that I think about it, I remember there was one time I borrowed and charged myself interest because I didn’t follow this rule…

Now, as I mentioned, my father is the recipient of this large stack of cash. He was incredibly proud of me, but this lead to a conversation of how I could put away money that could earn some money. He also suggested ways to get out of debt. So here is what he suggested.

1. Open a mutual fund with a high/mildly aggressive interest rate. A mutual fund is an account that you deposit a set amount every month. I’ll be opening one later this week. We found one that earns 13% interest. We agreed that I will put away $50 a month for 5 years. Please note that these accounts will charge a fee if you withdrawal from them. We did the math. If I put away $50 a month for 5 years, I will have deposited $3000. With a 13% interest rate, I will have $4394 by the end of those 5 years. That’s correct. The bank will pay me $1394 just for using their mutual fund.

2. Snowball your debt. I also have acquired a lot of debt over the years. I won’t lie. I love to shop. I have credit cards for every store, including amazon and LLBean (in NH, that’s a big deal). When I receive my bills this month, he and I are going to sit down and compare them all. We’ll be looking at total amounts due as well as the interest rate. Then, I will pay in full anything that I can. That way, I won’t continue to be charged interest on small amounts. Then figure out how much money I can send to the bigger bills. Once you know who has the highest interest rate, you can figure out how to divide that money. You pay the most money to the highest interest rate. On the others, you pay the minimum balance. This way, you can put more money towards the bill that you lose the most money on.

Some advice from my rich sister:

Find a way to earn money when you shop or waste time online.

My sister and I use many different apps for saving money on groceries or shopping. Message me if you’re interested and I can send you my sign up links.

I also use many different websites for earning money online. Check them out:

Bing: Without using it for every search I do, I’ve managed to earn $10 in Starbucks gifts card through Bing. I’m 54% away from my $5 gift card. All you have to do is search for 30 things through Bing. It can be random (I’ve searched my name a hundred times) and they suggest different stories for you to search. You don’t have to click on any of the search results. Just search. There are other ways to earn with Bing, but searching is the easiest. Check it out at Bing Rewards and start earning your gift cards now.

Treasure Trooper: I’ve also been on Treasure Trooper which I originally discovered through another Tumblr user (Thanks Diana!.) I’ve been using it for a little under a year and have already earned $30. You can answer surveys, listen to music, complete tasks…It’s pretty easy. You should check it out.

Inbox Dollars might just be my favorite, though. I’ve been signed up for a little over 5 months and have already earned $46.77. They also have surveys and videos to watch. They also send you e-mails and every time you click “view e-mail” you get 0.02. That adds up.

Swagbucks is an awesome website where you can watch videos (in the background while you sit on Tumblr) and answer surveys, etc. to earn points. Then you redeem those points for gift cards. I have earned $45 Amazon gift cards. It’s so easy. I love it.

So, this is all I have to give for money advice. I can certainly answer questions. Don’t hesitate to message me. Here’s to having a little more cash to play with!

Good luck everyone!

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nogetout · 10 years ago

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Could you rec any other Hades/Persephone fics?

I sure can! One of the things I did when I was writing Receiver of Many was read as much existing Hades and Persephone fiction as I could get my hands on. I figured that a 4,000 year old myth, plus lasting and continuing interest, plus a Greek mythology fan fiction community of which they occupy about 75% of the fics there, that there was a good chance that my idea had already been done. (I’m sure that there are those who could argue that writing ANYTHING about Hades and Persephone has already been done, but I digress.)

There were four unique plot elements that, had they existed in someone else’s work, would have prompted me to stop writing and either find a different story or scrap what I had done so far. Two have been revealed so far, two are upcoming.

So I read. And I read. And I read.

I can say without hyperbole at this point that if it is about H/P, if it exists on FanFic, FicPress, DeviantArt, AO3, or is available for download via Kindle, I have read it. The excellent, the good, the bad, the barely-readable, I’ve read it.

First off, we’re all looking for different things when we’re looking for an H/P fic. As you might be able to guess from my writing, an ideal fic for me is going to have a strong Persephone character (I hate reading her as a submissive MarySue milquetoast); a flawed but decent Hades who is a bronze-age male but isn’t an outright rapist; a decent supporting cast founded in mythology; and well-written sex. I would add that it has to have sex in it, as H&P is a myth all about sex. Special bonuses for correct era-specific clothing (unless of course it is set in a different time) and general historical perspective, pulling in additional myths, and having a well-rounded Demeter. Of course, other people’s desires, specifications and caveats will be different from mine.

Just as a note, I will be reviewing completed stories only. So with that said, and in no particular order, let’s get started, yes?

On Kindle

I’ve found that fictions on Kindle/iBooks are a more rarified mixed bag. There is a little more thought put into something for which you plan to charge money. It’s the premium channels of H/P fic, but some of it is outstanding, some of it is good, and a few selections were just plain awful. But the good thing about it that you 1.) get a finished story. 2.) It tends to have a more well-rounded plot, and 3.) it’s published by adults, usually for adults.

Seeds vol 1, 2, & 3 by M.M. KinI cannot say enough good things about M.M. Kin’s three volume edition of Seeds. The characters are well thought out, they grow tremendously throughout the story and she creates a rich atmosphere that you can get lost in fairly easily. The language is contemporary, and it doesn’t get too ‘forsooth-y’ Kin released each book this past year on the spring equinox, the summer solstice, and just before the fall equinox appropriately enough, and luckily I was able to power through the third and final volume two days before my wedding which was a great break in the chaos. The Homeric Hymn to Demeter is the source material, and departures from myth are realistic and explained. The cover art is beautiful. I reviewed each volume on Kindle separately. See my reviews there for a more in-depth analysis.

That Fatal Kiss by Mina LoboThis was a book I read rather recently, and I was just enchanted. Persephone is a strong and thoughtful character, mature, and more than a match for Hades. There’s a thread of humor woven throughout the story and more than a few original plot elements that I wasn’t expecting and appearances by a couple other denizens of the Underworld and Olympus. I highly recommend it.

The Dark Wife by Sarah DiemerA YA lesbian retelling of Hades and Persephone, with a beautiful love story and Zeus as a rather scary, looming antagonist. I was a little put off by all the males in the story being portrayed as automatically antagonistic or at least gravely suspicious, but the romance is believable and the choices the author made with male characters are appropriate for the story.

The Hunter of the Dead by Maria AragonBy far the most original piece on them I’ve ever read, departs the greatest from original mythos, but does it in style. This book features members of almost every mythological pantheon as players, and traverses time from ancient Greece to the modern day. The plot features Hades, Hecate and Apollo hunting down vampires. Yes, you just read that right. The ending is both epically thrilling, touching, sad and bittersweet and made me cry, and it is rare when a book can do that.

Also as a note: all of the above stories are by independent authors. Support independent authors and original works.

On FanFiction, Fiction Press & AO3

While there are a lot of very interesting but ultimately frustrating unfinished stories like Hope Enthroned and Fall of Light out there, and wonderful works in progress like Chains and Divine Reborn, I’m going to concentrate on the finished ones.

Pomegranate Temptation (M, 6K words, Multi-chapter One-shot) by Emerald S. SparrowI love this spicy little one shot telling the tale of Persephone’s first time with Hades. Hades in Emerald’s telling is deliciously dominant, but not a brute. Persephone is adorable and not a blushing flower. It is smut, but you can really feel the undercurrent that they love each other.

Solace (M, 5K words, Multi-chapter One-shot) by artwolf1995This one is heartwrenching to a fault and creates a dynamic between Hades and Persephone that is very sweet. High on the angst, but resolves beautifully without bogging itself down. I like that the Hades in this is fundamentally unattractive. It draws a welcome contrast between this fic and all the other ones where he’s a dashing Byronic hero.

Life and Death (M, 63K words, Novel) by Nightdancer87Tons of romance and erotica, and features real conflict between the characters throughout the story. I liked it because it begins in an almost fairytale fashion with Persephone going willingly, but with complications arising once she’s there. A very good take on the myth. Persephone is a little submissive in the beginning for my taste, but develops into a stronger character by the end.

The Blossoming of Springtime (T, 30K words, Novel) by LetheJust gorgeous imagery, a realistic, smart Persephone, and an enigmatic and well written-Hades. The development of the story is such where there is no real antagonist but for the conflict between the characters themselves, and the story is truly beautiful. An excellent depiction of Bronze Age marriage, as well.

Second Summer (M, 5K words, One-shot) by chellerrificAdorable would be the word I’d use to describe this one shot. Humorous, and awkward, with plenty of spice, and major parts of the story take place on Olympus. The author also correctly stages summertime as Persephone’s time in the Underworld, as in Greece is the four months of hot summer that wither the wheat crops. The ending had me in stitches.

The Crowning of Persephone (T, 7K words, One-shot) by eva_cybeleThis story was definitely written by someone who did their homework! And I suspect that homework was reading “The Narcissus and the Pomegranate”, which is also a major influence on my writing. Persephone is written at her strongest and makes her own choices. The style of writing is very poetic and gives a mystical feel to the story telling.

Persephone’s Memories (T, 47K words, Novel) by missylarouxModern retellings can be tricky. There are many that are lazily written with no research beyond the author’s limited life experience. This is not one of those. This story is gorgeous and sweet, and takes place in multiple time periods. Trigger warning, as rape appears as a theme throughout the story.

It’s All About Family (M, 165K words, Novel) by InkSpot1941This features an original character, so my eyebrow was raised as far as it could go when I first opened up this modern-day sequel to A New Queen, An Old King and His Curse. I liked the prequel to this well enough, but this story surpasses it by leaps and bounds. It took until about chapter 16 for the story to really grip me but once it did, I was completely hooked. This tells the tale of Hades finding Persephone in New York, set against the backdrop of a war between the gods. I cannot give anything more away than that— you’ll have to go read it. Highly recommended.

Hopefully this is a decent enough list of recommendations. I’m sure I forgot at least two or three that I also adore, and I’m sure I’ll think of them later.

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nogetout · 10 years ago

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We have Big and Tall stores for men. Completely separate.

for today’s episode on how fucked up our world is: women have a completely different section for plus sizes with completely different clothes and very small variety, but men have all their sizes in the same section, without classifying it “plus sized”.

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nogetout · 10 years ago

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Can someone write this ;_;

Achilles learning sign language just so he can ask deaf!Patroclus out, but his sign language is still pretty rough, so he ends up saying something horribly offensive and can't understand why Patroclus is laughing so hard, but Patroclus can read his lips, so it all works out okay.

this is too cute sandkjashdkas

#patrochilles

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nogetout · 10 years ago

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Omg I want a fic of this

Patrochilles high school au where Achilles sits in the same desk as pat right before pats class and he leaves cute little notes for pat

oh my god what if they’ve never actually met and they don’t know who the other person is but they keep leaving messages for each other until one day achilles can’t bare not knowing who this adorable stranger is who leaves him such funny and sarcastic notes so he leaves one telling pat to meet him at lunch and then they finally see each other and they each realise that the other one is the guy they’ve been lowkey crushing on whenever they see each other in the canteen and they both fall a little bit in love

#patrochilles #the song of achilles #achilles #patroclus

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nogetout · 10 years ago

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The song of achilles

Is there anythingnout there, sequel or fanfiction or whatever, that tells the story in Achilles’ point of view? I really want to see how he felt during all of this…?

#tsoa #the song of achilles #patroclilles #patroclus #achilles #achilles x patroclus #patrochilles

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nogetout · 10 years ago

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ACHILLES/PATROCLUS FANFICTION REC POST

guess what i have gone through an entire ao3 tag once again and as a result i give you all these beautiful fics ur welcome

And Then There’s You by grantairas (3/3 | 1,303 | General)

Achilles’ father owns a diner. It’s nothing special, until Patroclus starts working there.

The Hunter’s Season by thechandrian (3/3 | 28,963 | General)

Achilles is a nereid, a mythical sea creature, and Patroclus is the prince of a country that is famous for hunting them. They meet and fall in love.

Your Eyes Outshine the Stars by rokuxotax (1/1 | 261 | General)

As he watched him dramatically retell the story of how the famous soldier won the battle, Patrclus could only smile and think, “Your eyes outshine the stars”.

Ode to Patroclus by AchillesPatroclus (deansamcas) (1/1 | 680 | Teen)

Patroclus once revelled in silence. Now, he can find no silence. It is as if when he met Achilles, someone pushed play.

Heartbeats by patroclilles (1/1 | 1,639 | Explicit)

“Of course. It’s the music that plays in my head when I watch you sleep. I needed the world to hear it.” I laughed, knocking his shoulder with mine. “The world? I am the only one here,” I joked. “Precisely,” Achilles responded, looking at me through his eyelashes, and my breath hitched.

Flour Fights by beccaphillips (1/1 | 663 | Not Rated)

Patroclus was new to the baking scene and thought the best place to start was cake, it couldn’t be that hard, surely?

Fire-like by actualarmin (1/1 | 1,651 | Teen)

They all called him Pyrrha, or fire-like, a name which was just as beautiful as he was as he danced in front of the watchful observers. With each movement, he was on fire.

Will You Forget About Me? by grantairas (1/1 | 592 | General)

Patroclus chooses to remember a simpler time, instead of talking about the future.

Love Like This by AchillesPatroclus (deansamcas) (1/1 | 437 | Teen)

Achilles had not felt love before this.

The Shadow of Your Heart by champagneboyband (1/1 | 2,681 | Teen)

I feel my breath catch in my throat when he reaches a hand out, tentative, and wraps loose fingers around my ankle where it rests near his head. A sharp shock of recognition runs through me, and my skin feels electric with it. I’ve known these hands before, I’m sure of it. According to Greek mythology, five rivers run through the Underworld: Styx (the river of hatred), Acheron (the river of sorrow), Cocytus (the river of lamentation), Phlegethon (the river of fire), and Lethe (the river of forgetfulness). Those who wish to live again may be reincarnated, but not before they drink from the water of Lethe, erasing all traces of their past lives and selves. Reincarnation AU

It Could Not Have Been Any Other Way by Palebluedot (1/1 | 789 | General)

Where one went, the other would follow. That was plain from the start.

he remembers (but oh, how he tries to forget) by patchilles (1/1 | 728 | Teen)

this and this and this.

good god, let me give you my life by hoech (1/1 | 836 | Teen)

word prompt for patrochilles: entwine, graves, dawn, soul, taste.

at least as deep as the pacific ocean by ninjee (1/1 | 5,166 | General)

It’s not that Patroclus somehow has not noticed that his new favorite coffee shop seemed to only hire possible models, but, well. There’s a thin line between noticing and admiring a person’s looks and being fucking creepy about it. (aka the very, very cliche coffee shop au.)

All The Walls Dissolve Away by Brenda (1/1 | 1,265 | Not Rated)

He follows the voice on instinct. He knows that voice better than his own, knows it deep in the darkest crevasses of himself, in the space where nothing else exists. He would follow that voice into Hell itself. Perhaps he is already there.

all kinds of gold by makunahatata (1/1 | 635 | General)

Achilles drags Patroclus out of bed to view the sunrise.

the moirai sees and you move still by sunflowerbright (1/1 | 370 | Teen)

Achilles dances for Patroclus. And only for him

The Ends by lonelylibrarian (1/1 | 2,912 | Teen)

Everything seems to happen at the ends of months for Patroclus.

Set Fire to the Rain by lottielovebuzz (1/1 | 549 | General)

imagine your otp: one putting their ridiculous music on in the car and singing along while the other sits in the passenger seat with their head in their hands

If Something Should Ever Happen To Patroclus by Palebluedot (1/1 | 822 | General)

He had always been told he was the fastest boy in the world, but never before had he so desperately needed this to be the truth as he did then, thin branches whipping his face as he ran through the trees, clutching Patroclus tight to his chest.

the fire is so delightful by achaiion (1/1 | 1,242 | Teen)

“It’s 42 degrees, Pat. 42 degrees.” He hisses, when Patroclus comes him from his shift at the hospital to find Achilles wrapped up in an unbelievably large jumper, a blanket, his hat, scarf, and gloves. With the thermostat turned right the way up. “You’re ridiculous,” Pat tells him, pressing a kiss to Achilles’ forehead.

Right Within Your Heart by ShowMeAHero (1/1 | 3,357 | Teen)

Patroclus is in the Christmas spirit. Achilles needs some urging.

Our Joy Was So Bright by grantairas (1/1 | 613 | Teen)

We were like gods at the dawning of the world, and our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.

Meet Him Again by prouveyrac (1/1 | 1,545 | Teen)

The first time I fell in love with him, both of us were destined for death. I fell because I made the mistake of testing the Gods. He fell because he was enraged at my death; he was blood thirsty. The second time, I never met him. I wish I was able to say that third time was the charm. But it wasn’t; he was in love with someone else. An attractive boy, better than I ever was. Though, whenever I did see the two together, he never looked happy. The fourth time, I knew him, he didn’t know me. The fifth time is right now.

It’s always perfect with you by deadheartbeats (2/2 | 1,571 | Not Rated)

Patroclus watches as Achilles jogs down the hall back to his class and he finds himself thinking that winter mornings are ridiculously warm when Achilles is around.

Episteme by scarlett_the_seachild (1/1 | 645 | Teen)

It is times like these that you are not sure whether you admire him or whether you are repulsed by him. The incident that leads to the whole Achilles/Pat relationship. All from my twisted, absent mind.

…as the poets say by Palebluedot (1/1 | 607 | Teen)

“Do you know the story of how people came to look as they do now?” Patroclus shakes his head. “Will you tell it?”

(History Is) A Pattern Of Timeless Moments by Brenda (1/1 | 3,179 | Teen)

Achilles knew his truest triumphs would never be strung together in verse to be sung at campfires, knew that no poet or aoidos would ever know his greatest success. No, these conquests – the huff of Patroclus’ laughter against his throat, the sharp, sea-salt taste of Patroclus’ skin after a swim, the way Patroclus’ eyelids fluttered after every kiss – those were Achilles’ alone to cherish. Or: Four times Achilles and Patroclus were truly happy.

your name like a song by sarahyyy (1/1 | 1,108 | Teen)

“Patroclus,” he sighs again into the dark, and means I wish I could, means I wish I dared, means I wish you wanted me too.

When Rome’s In Ruins (We Are The Lions) by metwithdarkness (1/1 | 6,596 | General)

So far, Patroclus has learned the following about Achilles: - He doesn’t get along with either of his parents, but - he lives with his dad when he’s not at school, and - his dad pays for college and - the frat house he lives in was named by his dad - (but really, does Achilles want to follow in his dad’s footsteps?) - (honestly, he’s not sure he does, but) - (what would he do instead?) Patroclus suggests being a male model and Achilles laughs so hard he snorts soda out of his nose. It’s humanizing, which is both awesome – after their runs, Patroclus was half-convinced Achilles was secretly a god – and terrible – god, if he’s human, he’s touchable, now isn’t he?

roused his drowsy blood by orphan_account (1/1 | 758 | Teen)

The day the two lives converge is dull, clouds covering the sun and rain on the horizon. Patroclus has changed schools, again, another incident forcing him to run, and he feels drawn to the music room, the tune drifting from a window so very familiar.

Ruins of Troy by HailMary (1/1 | 5,425 | Teen)

Achilles waits for Patroclus in the underworld, but Apollo has other plans.

Recognition by captainskellington (1/1 | 8,456 | Teen)

Patroclus didn’t need to ask who “he” was, he knew full well. He’d been living for this day for eight years now, some twisted cocktail of hope and dread seeping through his body every time he thought of it, which was often. He was back. He was back.

Philtatos. by achaiion (1/1 | 3,994 | Teen)

They lie on Achilles bed, entwined. It’s a nice feeling, tangled lambs and Achilles’ head on his chest, the steady thump thump thump of Achilles’ heart against his body. Patroclus runs his fingers through thick blonde curls, and he hears the boy they belong to hum in contentment. Achilles looks up, resting his chin on Patroclus’ chest. It’s a funny angle, but he doesn’t seem to mind. He meets Patroclus’ honey brown gaze, and he smiles. “There’s a word for you, you know. Philtatos. It means beloved. That’s you.”

i shall but love thee better by Cordelia (2/2 | 4,192 | Explicit)

In the darkness, two shadows, reaching through the hopeless, heavy dusk. Their hands meet, and light spills in a flood, like a hundred golden urns pouring out the sun.

Breathless by ElDiablito_SF (1/1 | 1,665 | Mature)

Separated from Patroclus after death, thanks to Neoptolemus and his bratty tantrums, Achilles is left alone in Hades, waiting to be reunited with his beloved.

as the poets say by jinkandtherebels (1/1 | 1,526 | General)

I am missing half of my soul.

a lesson in love by achaiion (1/1 | 3,207 | Teen)

“You have to go.” Achilles says, and his hands are on Patroclus’ chest, but they aren’t pushing. No- he’s doing a lot of things, but he’s not pushing. He’s memorising the feeling of smooth skin beneath his hands, and he’s counting the pulse that thuds beneath the right, committing that to memory too. He’s feeling the rise and fall of his best friend’s chest - best friend, boyfriend, lover, whatever; they all feel like synonyms now - and he’s meeting those dark brown eyes with his own. “If my mother catches you here she’ll kill you.” “I know.” Patroclus murmurs, but he makes no move to go.

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