#Financial Journey

[simplefelicity]

What I bought in 2023

this is the first in a series of posts in which i reflect on my 2023 from a financial perspective, using data from my financial journal.

initially i wanted to just list everything i paid for chronologically, but then i realized that data without analysis is not going to be much useful. so here is all i bought in 2024, divided in categories!

these are all unnecessary purchases (so no groceries, rent, etc).

material stuff

a kpop photocard. i’ve already talked about this, i think. there were a couple of months at the beginning of the year in which i desperately wanted to collect photocards of this particular kpop artist. i already had 2 but when i finally decided to buy this third one, i realized that i was quite underwhelmed. i do appreciate them and look at them from time to time but the itch to spend even more money on them disappeared. i’m glad i did buy it, though, because otherwise i would have spent months obsessively thinking about wanting to buy one. giving in once meant peace of mind afterward.

plastic reusable water bottle. kind of a fail. i would love to use it more, but i’d need to hand wash it (if i don’t want the water to taste like soap) and i just can’t be bothered. i’m sure i’ll use it while traveling. also, it was super cheap for a reason! the nozzle is too big and uncomfortable. oh well, you live and learn.

new passport photos. that was unfortunately necessary & they are horrible photos too. frustrating.

socks. i was on a trip and forgot to bring socks, so i had to buy some there.  

jewelry box. got it secondhand on Vinted after much thought. i don’t have much of a jewelry collection (if any) but i’d like to. i also wanted to get rid of all the small boxes and condense everything in 1 place. which worked for a while, but then someone gifted me more boxes and i can’t get rid of those ones, so that was kind of a fail.

2 secondhand books. i seriously do not need more books (i own like 20 that i haven’t read yet) but i have already read & resold one book so i’m not bothered about it. my rules with book buying are: 1) only if it’s secondhand, 2) only one for every secondhand bookshop i visit, 3) only stuff from my TBR list (that’s a more flexible rule, though). i’d say that it pretty much worked.

1 manga volume. I've been collecting this series for years because i love the art but, i've come to realize, not so much the story. i've decided to not purchase the next volume and am debating whether to sell the whole series as well.

yarn. i bought yarn for a sweater, for socks (three times), and for a cardigan (and its pattern). all in all, i’m satisfied with this amount. knitting can get expensive but i only bought yarn for planned projects, used my stash for at least another small 5 projects and i don’t think i’ll have to buy sock yarn for a while! money wise, i only had one doubt. a friend who also crochets told me that the website i buy my garment yarn at is too expensive compared to others. i thought long and hard about it & finally remembered that my friend’s cheaper yarn is super itchy. which is fine for her, as she mostly crochets bags, but i don’t knit bags! i knit sweaters! i’m fine with my yarn being a bit pricier if it makes for a comfier sweater.

25 padded envelopes. i used them when i sell my stuff online. i bought them new but secondhand on Vinted for a good price.

gifts. i bought 1 gift for a birthday and 2 for graduations. at the end of the year i tried to be smart and knit 2 gifts, but then i had to pay for shipping anyway so it didn’t save me any money. still, you know. it’s gifts and it’s my friends and i won’t be cheap with them.

immaterial stuff & experiences

i ate out with friends 3 times this year. the other times we just met and sat on a bench and talked.

movie ticket for Barbie. my only cinema going experience this year. that’s depressing. i’d love to go more in 2024.

underground ticket. that one time i forgot my underground card. ugh.

subscription to one of the secondhand book-selling websites i use. it’s the only one i pay for and it’s only 2€ a year. basically, it allows you to list more than 50 books at a time. i have 63 right now, so i’ll have to pay again this year, but hopefully in 2024 i will sell enough books to get under 50 & not have to pay again in 2025 :D

a very small charity donation. i sold more books than usual that month and decided to contribute a little to (hopefully) make the world a better place. it felt really good and i would like to do it again in 2024. but i need to set some rules or i might end up donating all of my savings.

trips

i went on 3 trips this year.

i bought train tickets and meals while there. i didn’t have to pay  for accommodation as thankfully i went to visit friends and stayed at their houses. i also bought some souvenirs (in moderation!), like a fridge magnet and a christmas tree ornament.

in conclusion & plans for next year

well, damn. i spent way less than i thought or expected! there were even 2 months in which i actually spent 0€. which i’m sure felt great at the time, but i quickly forgot about it & thought i'd never accomplish something like that, ever. queue to feeling guilty over spending money.

my only true indulgencies were while i was on a trip. and i remember feeling quite guilty about spending money while there, as well.

but that’s why i save money: to buy expensive yarn and enjoy myself while traveling. so why should i feel guilty about doing exactly that?

basically, i want to spend a bit more money next year if it will make my life easier or happier, without feeling guilty. I've tried to do that during december already but finding the balance between overspending and being a Scrooge is going to be tough.

[chicpeekfashion]

Katt Williams Net Worth: Exploring His Journey to Success and Financial Resilience

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Read More: https://chicpeekfashion.com/katt-williams-net-worth

[newwavenewsandentertainment]

Spyro Sends a Strong Message to Upcoming Artistes

Spyro Sends a Strong Message to Upcoming Artistes

[the-apple-of-his-eye]

After subtracting debts from my upcoming 13th-month pay, I’m left with only 2k. Feeling super overwhelmed right now. Ever feel like money just slips away? 😢

[beingjellybeans]

How freeing yourself from money worries lets you #LiveLifeBrighter

Picture a life where stress and worries take a backseat, where your daily concerns don’t revolve around making ends meet or fretting over unexpected expenses. That is what a brighter life means to me. It’s a life unburdened by financial strains, a life where you have the freedom to chase your dreams, nurture your relationships, and explore your passions without the constant shadow of money…

[dollar-and-sense]

Diversification: Spreading Your Investment Risk for Long-Term Growth

Introduction: Welcome to another insightful blog post on personal finance and investing. Today, we’ll be delving into the concept of diversification and its vital role in spreading investment risk for long-term growth. Whether you’re a seasoned investor or just starting out, understanding and implementing diversification strategies can significantly enhance your investment portfolio’s stability…

[theambitiouswoman]

Basic Financial Rules To Live By 💰✨

Create a plan that shows how much money you get and how much you spend. This helps you see where your money goes.

Set aside a part of your money as savings. Try to save at least 10-20% of what you earn.

Be careful with borrowing money, especially if you have to pay back a lot of extra money (interest).

Save some money for unexpected things like medical bills or losing your job. Aim to have enough to cover your living costs for a few months.

Put your saved money into different things that can make it grow, like stocks or real estate. Be patient, as it takes time.

Don't spend more money than you make. Stick to buying what you really need, not just what you want.

Decide what you want to do with your money, both in the short term (like a vacation) and long term (like retirement).

Set up automatic transfers to your savings and bills so you don't forget to save or pay your bills on time.

Make saving money a top priority before spending on other things.

Regularly look at your money situation, adjust your plan as needed, and see how your investments are doing.

Pay your bills on time and use credit wisely (like credit cards) to keep a good credit score, which can help you get better deals on loans.

Save money for when you're older and don't work anymore. Use retirement accounts to help with this.

Think before you buy things. Don't buy something just because you want it; think if it's necessary.

Keep learning about how money works and how to make smart money choices.

Only use your emergency fund for real unexpected problems, not for things you just want to buy.

[theereina]

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[colebabey888]

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THE DIGITAL DOLLAR

[visit-new-york]

Financial District, Manhattan

[mailperson]

My fucking stagecoach…..

[luxuryandlilacs]

Excerpt from Smart Women Finish Rich

[frugalkubal]

Someone messaged me regarding a particular "childhood sweetheart" on afkJ's post about Lyca, so I'd like to talk about it. (⁠◠⁠‿⁠◕⁠)

Here's the tea. lol

Okay, so here's the immediate train of thought I had when I saw that:

"Oh, it's just like that customer service representative who said Gavus and Eugene are just friends bc some dudes were disgusted by idea that they're basically a married couple with kids. So, in this case, they had to slap on that heteronormative childhood sweetheart thing so that no more random disgruntled homophobe will bother their CSRs just to ask if Eironn and Lorsan and/or Lyca and Florabelle are fruity. lol Ngl, I'm not even mad at this cover up. 😂"

Seriously though, if they genuinely wanted Eironn to be Lyca's "childhood sweetheart," they should've shown any indication that either of them had at least a puppy crush on the other; or like, talk about some sweet memories from the past. But who actually talked about some sweet intimate memories? Florabelle. And how did Lyca react? She got flustered — even before talking to Florabelle. Even the mere mention of her name had her stuttering.

On the other hand, all Eironn talked in relation to Lyca was how they (including Lorsan) grew up together and then, Lorsan said he left the forest in pursuit of improving his sword skills. When Eironn fought corrupted Eomir alongside his friends, he said some heartwarming things about everyone, including Lyca. During that short fight with Lyca bc of his stubborn habit of fighting alone, it didn't even end up remotely romantic. They just casually reconciled like, "We good? Mm'kay, we good, homie." And moved on with the journey. Heck, they don't even have any correlation with each other in afkA. ಠ⁠‿⁠ಠ

Anyways...

Who made Eironn's emotionally constipated face crack a smile tho? Lorsan.

Who did Eironn open up his heart and fully bare his insecurities? Lorsan.

Who was able to get through Eironn in a heartfelt and wise manner without getting mad and storming off? Lorsan.

Who's actually being a sweetheart to Eironn? Lorsan.

In conclusion: EiLor.

[miutonium]

Congrats on your final! I saw your Spongebob post and it's really cool how the artist uses him as his muse for his artwork! I wish I could see his artwork in real life. Anyway, what did you do for your final work? It's okay if you don't want to share it 🙂

OKAY I LEFT THIS ASK BREWING MY DRAFT FOR SO LONG WAGSHSGSJSHA

BUT AAAA THANK U FOR THE WISHES! And yesss I think it's really neat too he used Spongebob as an inspiration since I dont see enough people using cartoon characters as an academia subject.

Anywayyyyy yeah of course and I'm glad I got this ask! I've been waiting for people to ask me about this ngl likeeeee I've been wanting to have people ask me about my fyp 😭😭😭 My FYP is about secondhand smoking. It all started when I see someone bought a box of cigs in front of me at the counter and the cashier asked "Which picture do you want?" And they said "The baby." Idk if other country used pictorial warnings on cigarette box but the ones in my country used it and plastered smoking related illness (heavy NSFW for the images btw so I won't attach it here but honestly I think people are unfazed by it due to how outdated it is ) and it suppose to serve as a deterrence for people to smoke but I find it really ironic that people dont care and even asked which picture they preferred (btw most smokers preferred the miscarried baby/fetus picture) so that experience is pretty much the catalyst for my project.

So anyway, for my final, I build an empty room filled with cigarette smokes. My artwork is a participatory art where I involved audience to interact with it. It's basically an empty 4x8 room with CCTV inside and windows left and right so people from outside can see the audience's reaction. Participant will be given a headphone where there'll be a narrator feedinng then instructions such as to calm down and listen to nature's sounds and there's going to be a line that says cigarette smoke calms people down. The room is locked from outside so they cannot go out unless they press the alarm to their right. The 'challenge' is to see how long anyone can stand sitting in a smoke filled room.

This room serves as a physical representation for secondhand smoking. The purpose is to give people an idea of how it feels being a non-smoker exposed to smokes in public places such as cafés through their own POV. the outcome is not to have smokers quit, instead I just want people to understand how suffocating the smokes could be. Basing my artwork to Dissonance Theory, there's going to be 3 outcome:

- Smokers don't care and continue smoking

- Smokers quit smoking

- Smokers continue to smoke but will be mindful on where they smoke

Anyway here's a clip of my friend being hazed by smoke scent lmao

Also yes, people are exposed to actual cigarette smoke in this artwork. I SMOKED 20 CIGARETTES JUST TO COLLECT THE ASHES. I SMELL LIKE CIGARETTES THE WHOLE NIGHT. MY FINGERS SMELLS LIKE CIGARETTE FOR 2 DAYS. 0/10 NOT RECOMMENDED!

Anyway, TL;DR: Don't fucking build an installation art for your finals. Don't start smoking and don't smoke 20 cigs in one succession to collect ashes in front of a private building and be questioned for 10 minutes and almost have the cops called on you because the guards think some asian chick wants to commit arson.

[poorlittleyaoyao]

sitting here this evening staring into the void about CQL's pointed choice to have the flashback of JGY killing his dad immediately following the flashback of JGY's wedding night and to focus on his (unobserved) reactions in both cases

like, solid storytelling there, but aughhhhhhhhhhhh