#Instead of (sometimes literally) counting pennies for every purchase

[msbarrows]

Less than 48 hours since ordering and the shaggy comforter cover set has already arrived. In the second image you can see how much darker this actually-sage-green thing is than the supposedly-sage-green fuzzy blanket. Also the colour difference between artificial light (left) and sunlight (right).

Shaggy thing (which looks amusingly and mildly distressingly like I bagged and skinned a very large muppet for its fabric) is still perking up from being compressed during shipping. I’ll probably run it through the dryer on low heat cycle to fluff it up properly (and blow off any loose bits of fibre) before using it. I figure if I don’t insert a comforter in it, I can get some use out of it as an extra-thick and fluffy blanket before it goes into storage until next fall.

Meanwhile the sheet set only just finally set out from Salt Lake City in the US southwest yesterday. The quilt set should be arriving tomorrow. The two remaining pillows (coming from China) passed through Toronto on Monday, so they could probably arrive here any time from now until Friday.

So unless the sheet set makes a super-fast journey it’ll probably be some time next week before I can put everything together on the bed. Even so, I am excite.

[starfirette]

fantasy | diana prince x reader

»a/n: 😈

»masterlist

» Diana Prince x Reader | sensitive Diana | fem x fem smut | lowkey angst | wordcount: 4,563

Your little London townhouse has a perfect view of the steelyards and its workers who slave away under a sunless sky. It’s your tradition to fall asleep to the sound of them packing up, then to wake up to the sounds of them beginning work again.

To say time passes slowly for you would be a grand understatement.

You tried many times to find happiness in the city, looking high and low in the most unseemly of places. No thing or person could make you happy these days. You sit at a desk most of your life, taking notes for a bitter old man who can’t ever say ‘please’ or ‘thank you’. Secretary positions are all the rage these days since it’s the only real way women can make money without signing away their soul and what little freedom that have to an angry, rich man. To be a wife is to be silent and gentle, even if you’re hot tempered by nature. If you were to marry, you would surely have to give up the outlandish dreams you have. You crave independence, freedom, true love; what woman doesn’t yearn for these things? Some women have the unsuspecting loophole to win a man’s affections and hope he will let them at least pretend they have rights.

This option is not one you can choose so easily. You have never had eyes for a man. When you are alone, lounging on your bed or soaking in the tub, you envision yourself in the arms of a woman.

That’s your deepest, darkest ‘secret.’ You badly want to live in a world where your desires of romance don’t count as a real personality trait or as a sin.

You’ve never uttered this secret to anyone, ever. How could you? What friends do you have that are loyal enough to keep that to themselves?

Conversion therapy frightens you a good deal more than a heterosexual marriage. And that’s saying something.

There are plenty of times where you feel completely alone, stranded in silence, and forced to live in your cramped, London townhouse, where the wind whistles through the cracks of the walls and the floorboards creak anxiously. Even in your own home you feel trapped.

The only escape are your books, which you come upon rarely enough as it is. Your books aren’t the type of books women read. Your books are textbooks. Some you’ve purchased under fake names or titles, as if you were shopping for your husband or father. Some you’ve stolen. But all are cherished by you.

The largest wall of your home is lined with weak shelving where you could display your texts happily. Almost proudly.

Ah, to have independence—to be free to study at a university, to do such good with talents reserved solely for a man. And how could they be? What makes you different from a man? You love women, like they do! You breathe, like they do!

It’s the curls of your hair that keeps you from achieving your dreams. The breasts and the curve of your hips which you are coerced into keeping hidden, even on the hottest summer day.

In your ideal world you’d live with a wife, with a few cats and dogs, and you’d be a real doctor of history. A professional, dedicated to her work of uncovering the truths of the world.

In your ideal world...

It doesn’t do good to live in a fantasy land. As cruel as your reality can be, it is the only reality you have. It is in this reality that you must crawl out of bed at five in the morning and be at the office no later than twenty after six, with a plate of pastries and a mug of tea ready for Mr. Landings.

A dreary winter day you leave your London townhouse dressed in a new, fine suit of buttercream cashmere. It had taken the majority of your yearly savings to purchase, but you figured if you cannot be granted the right to bury your head in a woman’s thighs, you can at least dress the way you’d like to.

It’s always best to wake up extra early to be at the front of the bakery line. The freshest breakfast treats sell out first thing of the bakery’s opening, and considering you buy for Mr. Landings, Mr. Trevor, Mr. Carber, and the two respective secretaries, you have no choice but to be at the front of that damned line. This morning the cost of your number three spot was your rouge and lipstick. You feel absolutely plain, but your fine suit cancels out most of the insecurity.

You managed to get a good number of items. On your way out you found most of the line to be other secretaries, dressed in their own cashmere suits and nervously tapping their heels. No doubt they were praying the bakery didn’t sell out of breakfast goodies. You tip your hat down to avoid meeting their eyes. You’ve had your share of failed food runs, and it’s never fun.

You run across the street, only able to take sparing steps as your heels wrestle against loose gravel. You arrive to the office at the perfect time, with your fellow secretaries Etta Candy and Julia Deneiros still in the process of unlocking the doors.

“Sorry I’m late,” you murmured to your work friends.

“You have nothing to apologize for when you have the breakfast, my dear,” Julia assured you.

As Etta got the doors open, Julia ushered you in first. You hurried to set the treasure down on the main desk of the office. Once that was out of the way, you started tea in the side room, then proceeded to settle at your ‘desk.’ It was a small slate of red stained wood, though the legs sometimes wobbled and creaked. Your telephone on the left, accompanied by the contacts you kept for Mr. Landings, hardly rang as Etta usually took care of every business call.

Emptying your pockets took hardly a minute. You set your coin purse and silver pocket watch on the wood before shuffling through the loose pages that cluttered your workspace.

The tea kettle lets out a whistle. Julia tended to it herself, and you softly muttered a ‘Thank you’ but she’d already been gone.

Around a nibble of croissant, Etta wondered aloud whether Mr. Trevor would be coming in today.

You shrug without looking away. "Perhaps he's gotten himself a lucky lady,” you suggested. Julia poured you a steaming cup of tea.

You half expected Etta to scold you, but she instead made a small sound of agreement. “I suppose he could have found himself an exotic bride!” Etta laughed.

Julia giggled like a school girl, choking on her words: “We mustn’t gossip!”

Even though she said as such, she couldn’t help but to entertain the topic. The two ladies remarked that Mr. Trevor would settle with one woman the day the sky turned green.

And for a moment, you agreed with them, humming softly into your tea before you took a cautious sip.

For a brief moment the world was just right—and then Mr. Trevor quite literally waltzed inside with a beautiful woman.

Now, beautiful couldn’t properly describe this woman. What you notice first was her lips, round and quirked as though she was seeing an office like this for the first time in her life. Her eyes sparkled with a million untold stories.

Also, she appeared to be wearing the strangest of costumes. A coat of black fur strapped close to her waist, but every step she took revealed flashes of bare legs. You could have fainted.

Etta only saw the face of her boss, and she cheered. “You’re not dead!” She exclaimed. She doted over the wrinkles of Steve Trevor’s suit before hitting him over the chest with friendly familiarity. “I did think you were dead, you know.”

You frowned. “No, you didn’t,” you mumbled halfheartedly. You made to your feet, shuffling over to greet Mr. Trevor. “Hello,” you said, nodding your head.

The young woman met your eyes and she smiled, showcasing her perfect, pearly teeth.

“I’m Y/n L/n,” you say, forcing yourself not to stutter. Etta introduced herself next, holding a hand out to the woman for a handshake. While that would have been proper, you find it’s rather scary to shake hands with attractive people.

“We ladies are Mr. Trevor and Mr. Landings’s secretary.”

She cocked a thick brow. “What is a secretary?” She has a thick accent, one you can’t quite recognize, but it’s rather musical.

“Oh, well, we do everything. Go where tells me to go, do what he tells me to do.”

The woman looked flabbergasted. “Where I’m from that’s called slavery!”

You laughed before you could stop yourself. Both you and Etta became large fans of the woman, who introduced herself as Diana. No last name, but she seemed so confident with the partial title that you couldn’t bring yourself to ask.

“Would you like a cup of tea? Shall I take your coat?” You offered. Can we run away and get married and adopt lots of babies?

“Oh, thank you,” Diana beamed. She went to shrug off her fur, and you quickly stopped her when you saw what she had been wearing under it. Etta lurched to tie the coat up tight, making Diana grunt as the air was pushed from her lungs.

You laugh nervously, eyeing Mr. Trevor, who looked annoyed rather than surprised.

“Fantastic,” Mr. Trevor snubbed. “Ladies, would we care for a trip to, uhm, get Diana new...well, new…”

“Clothes?” You suggested when Mr. Trevor became clearly uncomfortable.

“Yes, that, thank you.”

“Mr. Trevor I would be more than willing to, but I do have to wait for Mr. Landings—”

“Nonsense, Miss L/n, Julia can manage on her own. Let’s just be on our way.” You gathered your few things, shoving your coin purse and silver watch deep into your pocket. “Sorry, Julia, dear,” you say. She shakes her head. “It isn’t a bother. Try to enjoy your day out of the office.”

You smiled and waved her goodbye before joining Mr. Trevor and the ladies.

Mr. Trevor inquired where you and Etta frequent for clothes. You suggested Paya’s Apparel, but Etta suggested Madame Penny’s Dresser. You tried not to take notice when Mr. Trevor sized your outfit up to Etta’s. He dubbed Etta’s suit no doubt fancier and declared Madame Penny’s.

Diana didn’t move her feet to follow. “What is the difference?” She asked. She asked you. You were caught at a pause. “I would think Mr. Trevor finds Madame Penny’s

more suitable for a...for you.” You awkwardly shoved your hands into the pockets of your skirt. You’d splurged on this suit. Or so you thought.

“Steve! Steve, wait, let's go to Pa-Papaya’s?” Diana asked you.

“Just Paya’s,” you giggle.

“Steve,” Diana continued, “I think Paya’s will do just fine.”

Mr. Trevor sighed heavily, as if he had been expecting something like that to happen. “Fine. Lead the way.”

Diana held a hand out. You looked at it fearfully. “We are walking together, so should we hold hands?” She asked. She went to wrap her hand in yours. Steve scrambled for Diana’s arm, pushing it down to her side. “No, no, no, don’t hold hands. When I said people hold hands when they’re together, I meant together as in married.”

Diana’s mouth rounded out as she said, “Oh!” She sent you an apologetic smile, to which you promptly looked away from. Looking her in the eye made you nauseous, more than you’ve ever felt before.

Away you were whisked to Paya’s. It’s a good center, with plenty of fashionable dresses. Admittedly it isn’t nearly as expensive as Mr. Trevor probably would have preferred. But it’s fashionable, affordable, even for you. It’s a large shop with dim lights behind brassy lamps and lanterns.

Diana looked around, her eyebrows raised practically to hairline. She approached a mannequin clad with a silky pink corset. She touched the material and frowned. “Is this what passes for armor in your country?” She asked.

You couldn’t quite imagine what she meant by armor.

“No, no,” Etta explained, “that’s what keeps our tummies in.”

Diana sent a sharp glance to Etta. “Why must you keep them in?” She demanded.

Etta repressed a few other comments. She settled with, “Only a woman with no tummy would ask such a question.”

“Why don’t we look around?” You suggest as Diana’s eyes wander for more things to poke at. You figure she’s never visited a London shop before. Where could she be from that has such different traditions?

“How about this one?” Etta suggested as she found a brown suit with a thick fur wrap. “Stylish, professional, but still good to wear for a night on the town!” Etta seemed thrilled with her sales pitch. You weren’t impressed. If Diana was to wear something, she should wear something more flattering. Of course Diana could wear a sheet of dirty canvas and still look stunning.

Diana tucked her hand into yours, catching your attention immediately. You looked to her, finding that her eyes were already fixated on you. “What do you think of this one?” She asked. She didn’t seem sure of her own choice. Your legs felt numb as Diana’s fingers tickled the top of your hand.

You quickly pulled away from her. “I think something like this would be better,” you suggested, turning to the first suit you could find. It was black, with a long skirt and a frilly kind of blouse.

Diana still seemed uncertain. Mr. Trevor begged her to at least give it a shot. Diana sighed. “I suppose I can,” she declared. She began to remove her coat. You got a longer glimpse at what was underneath it.

Etta darted like lightning to stop her. Once again Diana was gasping with confusion as Etta tied her coat shut tightly. “Come with me, dear,” Etta said, blotting the sweat off her forehead with her handkerchief. “We’ll find you a dressing room.”

Diana was ushered off with Etta, leaving you to recollect your thoughts. You stopped Mr. Trevor from following.

“Might I have a word, sir?” You softly asked.

“Of course.” He continued to look quite ill.  

“It’s just that I did see what she was wearing, sir,” you began. You’d seen such similar armor in your stolen books. “Is she…?”

Mr. Trevor suddenly gripped you by the shoulders. He looked absolutely relieved. “So you know about them?! And the magic island? I don’t think I can handle it on my own, Y/n.”

You blinked a few times. “Did you say magic island?” You finally asked. “No, I meant is she Greek?”

Mr. Trevor recoiled, falling into a fit of coughs. “Absolutely, yes,” he said. “I’ll be...I need some water.”

You wonder what in the hell happened to Mr. Trevor for him to lose his usual composure. He’s been known to always have a witty remark for something, but today he’s entirely off his usual tempo.

You searched for Etta. She is speaking with the oncall saleswoman, who was in the process of explaining the most boring details of Diana’s selected suit. “Etta, Mr. Trevor bid me go ask you if you could pick out a few more outfits for Miss Diana to try.”

“Of course!” Etta said. “Stay and wait with her, please?”

“Done,” you promise.

Etta and the saleswoman took off to find more dresses and blazers for Diana. You looked around before darting back to the dressing rooms. “Diana?” You called.

A door opened promptly. “Hello.”

“H-hi,” you stuttered out.

Facing her was incredibly difficult. Her eyes literally seemed to sparkle with pure joy. Among that, her hair falls over her shoulders in loose, brown curls. Her coat is off, strewn behind her over a chaise. You can see her arrangement of weapons on the floor. Her armor, red and gold, has yet to be removed.

“I wanted to-to speak with you. About you.”

Diana moved aside for you to come in. You felt a bit uncomfortable. It’s not really wrong for you to be here. Any other woman wouldn’t mind helping Diana dress, and afterall, richer women have handmaids specifically for dressing them and even to bathe them. Diana may be a stranger but she’s warm and kind; she’s different.

She didn’t seem to bashful about her variety of weaponry. You’re mostly in awe.

“I’ve never known any female warrior before,” you muttered as you gave the sword a final glance. The hilt had strong patterns carved over it, and the blade looked razor sharp. A stab with that sword would feel completely painless at first, while the blade sliced through you like a ribbon.

“I am an Amazon,” Diana explained.

“Pardon me?” You asked.

“Warriors put upon the world by the gods. We are...well, a bridge to a better world. The guardians of mankind and all that is good.”

Oh, well okay. You weren’t exactly sure how to respond to that, considering it’s a bit crazy.

“You don’t believe me,” Diana says. “I cannot say I don’t understand. We have lived in secret for most of history.” She shrugged in her plates of metal. “I feared the world was under a bigger threat than it ever has been. That is why I left my people to join Steve Trevor.”

You nod. “Alright, I guess. While I’m hesitant to believe all of your story, I trust Mr. Trevor’s judgement.”

Diana smiled at that. “That is all I need.”

She gestured to the loose garments of purple you’d chosen for her before. “I hate to trouble you more than I already have. But I cannot understand how this is supposed to work.” She referred to the corset which ties up underneath every layer. “Oh, well generally someone can do it for you, but there are some that tie up in the front. Should I choose one of those for you?”

“No, that’s alright. I have you to help me.” Diana started to remove the plates of armor, starting with her thigh pieces. She organized her things very sternly, as if she were keeping a strict inventory log in her mind. For all you know she is.

She wrapped her arms over her chest to keep some modesty, but even so, even as you chant to yourself not to look, you felt your mouth become bone dry. You grabbed the corset and waved for Diana to turn around. She molds the front of the corset to her chest, using one arm to keep it in place while she used her left hand to move her hair. Your fingers dragged over her skin. She is so golden, so soft. The smell of soap and seafoam lingers.

You could easily dip your head down and kiss her neck.

You force the thoughts from your head. Trembling, you lace up the corset, hardly able to maximize your strength as you pull as tight as you can. Your limbs feel like phantoms. They move on their own while you bite back tears.

When you finished, you blotted your tears away with the inside of your wrist. “I’ll be leaving, now,” you tell her. “Good luck.”

Fleeing the room while Diana calls after you was the only way to save yourself. The need for Diana built up strong in your belly, as did the cloud of heartache in your chest. Your breath became restricted by the pain. You brushed past Etta on the way out of the store, briefly explaining you needed to leave and to send your apologies to Mr. Trevor.

What worries you most isn’t Mr. Trevor and Diana’s alarmingly fictional stories, or even Diana’s weaponry she keeps strapped to her body; it was the fact you had let Diana get to you. She messed with your brain without even knowing it, and now you couldn’t help but think how horrible your life is.

You briskly walked home. You fumble with your keys at the door, scraping the sides of the lock with the blade. Throwing yourself inside is the only thing that relieves you. This little house by the steel mills is your palace of your true nature. While you shiver at night and hear things creak, you can at least be yourself.

Typically you would calm yourself with a nap or a bath, but your nerves are far too shot.

You journeyed straight to your bedroom and kicked off your heels. Settling over the squeaky mattress with your lip caught in your teeth, you struggle to steady your hands enough so you can unbutton the top of your coat.

You lay back and slide your hand down your belly, poking through the band of your skirt. And you imagine…

You imagine yourself in that dressing room, your hands sliding down Diana’s smooth back.

You pressed the smallest of kisses atop her bare shoulder. The little hairs on her neck rise, her breath caught. She turns on her heels to face you, practically forehead to forehead.

She drops the corset to the floor, kicking it away without a care in then world. Her hand finds yours, and she holds it one more time, tickling your skin with the lad of her thumb. With a gentle smile, Diana raises your hand to hold one soft breast.

You palm and squeeze at her, feeling completely in awe of her beauty. Diana dragged you down to kneel with her on the floor. In the fantasy you lay not in a dressing room, but on a soft quilt. Where you are doesn’t matter; it’s Diana. Diana pushes you to your back, undoing the clips in your hair and massaging your scalp of the pain your tight bun left behind. She drags her fingers through your hair, then down your chest. She bows her head down, mouth catching your hard left nipple. Your right breast is tended to with her hand, while your left earns the attention of hee teeth, tongue, and lips. She leaves tender bruises over your chest, purring her affections and compliments into you.

Soon she trails her mouth down. Her long, dark hair drags over your stomach. Diana places herself just between your thighs, resting her weight onto one of her elbows.

With two fingers she spreads you apart to see your dripping cunt clenching with suspense. Diana presses a kiss to your hipbones. With a finger dipping inside of you, she catches arousal and swirls it around your hole, preparing to widen you out. Two of her fingers creep inside of you, curling up and pressing the top of your cunt’s walls, making you lurch your hips up against her face.

With a muscled arm she pushes your hips down, a hand digging into you to keep you in place as her lips pucker over your aching clit.

The bead pulsed with excitement as Diana pressed a gentle kiss against it. Her tongue poked out to swirl a small circle over your clitoris. You whined, wiggling your hips desperately to feel more of Diana.

Her fingers pumped in and out, scissoring apart and always tickling that magic spot deep inside of you.

Her tongue swirled faster and wider, occasionally taking breaks to ease the muscle, but her attention on you never failed.

Her cherry red lips sucked on your clit. She sang a sweet song into your cunt, the vibrations making your thighs tremble.

She made you cum hard over her fingers, which she stuck within her mouth to clean them.

As you wind down, she places her own two fingers at her own entrance, already slick with arousal. She lubricates her own clit, rubbing the bead for a few moments while gasping your name like a prayer. She roughly grabbed at your legs, spreading them apart so she could position herself at your cunt. She lowered carefully onto you, her warm pussy sliding against yours.

She forced one of your legs over her shoulder as she started to wiggle her hips. She murmured your name, casting her head back and closing her eyes. The movement was rhythmic and precise, your clit rubbing against hers sweetly. Tears bubbled in your eyes, blurring the vision of Diana’s face as she fucked you into the floor, her hips bucking faster, skin and cum mixing and slapping loudly.

Lewd moans fell out of your mouth as you cried out to Diana, begging her for more, to which she obliged. She thrusted faster, kissing the side of your leg that now trembled violently over her shoulder.

You whimpered when she sang your name, a warm smile still quirked on her lips.

You wanted to sink into the fuzzy blanket and stay there forever, being fucked blissfully by Diana’s hot, soaking cunt.

The intense orgasm brought you to the brink of sobs as Diana pushed your hips hard into the floor. “Fuck, yes,” you shout. You beg for it harder and Diana listens, giving you everything you could ever want.

In your fantasy you would cum twice. You would reciprocate the pleasure, flipping Diana over and crawling between her thighs. Her hand would weave in your loose hair, pushing your face deeper into her hips. Your tongue would dip into her entrance, lapping up her cum like it was honey. You would send wide stripes up and down her before using one finger inside of her—then two, then the third, as gently as you could. Her hips would be grinding against your face, her cum dribbling down your chin. She would whimper like she never has before, moaning your name mercilessly, because it doesn’t matter who heard.

Your fantasy ends.

Your fingers are soaked with cum and you move off your bed to wash your hands. You use a warm, damp cloth to clean the mess between your thighs. A part of you feels satisfied, but only the primal part. The rest of you feels sad. Lonely. You crawl into bed, still dressed in your new red suit. You wonder if Diana thinks you to be totally insane, considering how you had run away so abruptly. You worry that she knows, somehow, your secret. You want to know what she would think. What would she say if you ran to her, now, and confessed you wanted nothing more than to kiss her and be held by her muscley, tanned arms.

Despite it being the dead middle of the day, you stay in your bed for hours. Your telephone rings a few times, but you don’t bother. It could easily be your office calling to fire you.

Something within you no longer cares. Let them.

Leave this place, maybe, and find that magic island which Mr. Trevor had spoken of. It would be a land of freedom; freedom to study what you want, to kiss who you want—to sleep in past eight in the morning and not worry about the secretariat duties of providing breakfast.

If Diana is an “Amazon” then you want to be one too. For besides her blatant beauty, there was something about Diana that was incredible. Her smile, her eyes—she glistened with confidence. She knows who she is.

You know who she is, too.

She’s the love of your life, but of a life you will never get to have.

[avengers-nextgen]

Prometheus XVI

It had been a conversation that lasted well into the night, but at last after years of pain the Odin family was at peace. Thalia was to work with her father on rebuilding a new safe haven for Asgardians. Loki could wander about in search of new ones however he pleased. Thalia was also allowed to move freely between her parents however she pleased. Sif would be journeying as well in search of others, though she was more keen on hunting any enemies that may have fled too.

A regrowing empire was at it’s weakest during its production stages. The last thing anyone wanted was the dream to be killed before it got a chance to thrive.

And so, the pool party was a chance for parents and kids to relax completely for once. There was no tension, and the kids were thriving in the environment.

Nathaniel was showing off his diving skills which consisted of numerous belly flops into the enormous pool. Enzo was rating them on a scale of one to ten but he was simply enjoying the show.

Scout was lounging on a floaty but his reign was thwarted by a mischievous boyfriend and his accomplice Piper Stark who flipped him over. Meanwhile Thalia was learning how to grill thanks to Steve’s guidance. Siyanda worried about the fire but she figured there was a pool so it couldn’t be too much of a risk.

Natasha and Bucky were in a sniper battle with water guns and both had recruited their children to help. Bianca and James poked their heads around the waterfalls at each other and took cheap shots. Penny was happily eating watermelon while Arthur tried to make a balloon animal. He was failing miserably.

Penny tried too but after popping six she had given up. It was for the best- Arthur had teasingly replied. Chloe was sitting on the deck dressed to swim should she choose too but otherwise content with watching.

“I got potato chips, barbecue chips, these chips, these ones, and these too!” Tony announced stepping outside with his arms full of purchased air bags with saddeningly low amounts of food.

“Barbecue!!!!” Orion yelled excitedly. In his distraction Scout took back his throne.

“Sheesh.” Tony shivered, “kid scares me with his enthusiasm sometimes.”

“Drinks.” Came a yell from inside. Arthur nearly pissed himself as a portal opened on the table where numerous liters of soda dumped out.

“DAD!”

“Sweet.” Penny smirked, taking an entire liter for herself.

But while some were thoroughly enjoying themselves others were less sure. Fox sat perched nearly out of sight on a cooler in the corner. She was undistrubed until a jet of water pegged her in the chest. “Hey!”

“Were you hiding?” James smirked.

“I’m not interested in playing.”

“Awe come on.” James grinned spraying her again. “Why not?”

“I’m not playing.”

“Hey, no one said you had to put on a swim suit. Just wear an old shirt and shorts.” James replied seriously. He was beginning to understand her insistence on remaining dry and fully clothed.

“I don’t know...” It seemed like she hadn’t considered that idea.

“It’ll be worth it. When’s the last time you had a family barbecue?”

“Never, actually .” Fox frowned.

“All the more reason to participate.” James encouraged. After a moment of contemplation and a bit more persuasion, James finally won Fox over. “Great. Now take this weapon and shoot my uncle in the face.”

“He has a recruit!” Bianca yelled.

“Damn it. We’re outnumbered.” Bucky laughed. “Clint! Help me!”

“Cheater!” Natasha rolled her eyes. “Hey, Nathaniel-“

“That’s my son you can’t do that!” Clint argued, grabbing his own squirt gun having been armed by Bucky.

“Before anyone shoots it’s time to eat!” Steve held his hands up in surrender. “You can continue later.”

“Awe.” Bianca and James whined.

“No whining,” Steve smirked, ruffling his son’s damp hair.

“Okay.” James sighed, setting the water gun down.

“Out of the pool.” Pepper managed to draw Orion’s, Scout’s, and Piper’s attention away from their fight for control of the floaty.

“Barbecue chips.” Orion squealed, swimming as fast as he could to the side and scampering out.

“I’m more of a plain lays kind of guy.” Scout explained upon seeing Piper’s amused look. “Not him though.”

“Well, obviously not.”

“Thalia you start with one.” Stephen said pointedly looking at the blonde.

“Can I have two?” Peter asked. He’d been conspicuously absent until food had been mentioned,

“No. If she doesn’t get two to start with you don’t either.”

“Ha!” Thalia laughed.

“Rude.” Peter pouted, sticking his tongue out at Stephen.

“James where’s you’re sister?” Natasha asked doing a swift head count.

“Inside,” James called over the noise as Siyanda chucked the salt down to where Nathaniel was. Natasha went to retrieve any stragglers while the others dug in.

— — —

“Drinking Doctor Pepper is so wrong.” Gen frowned, watching Piper chug her second can.

“I’ve heard that joke my whole life.” The youngest Stark noted, “just because my mom’s name is Pepper. But you know what? At least I know Pepper is good. A good mom, good drink, and good seasoning!”

“You’ve had too much caffeine.” Arthur frowned. “I think that’s enough.”

“You can’t tell me what to do,” Piper said matter of factly.

“He can- it just doesn’t mean you have to listen,” Chloe piped up smugly, earning a playful glare from her brother.

“Let the war begin.” Nathaniel had collected the forces once more and the sniper battle continued.

“If I get shot I’m literally murdering someone.” Sage growled, having been dragged outside by Enzo.

“You’ll be fine. Come on. The water’s nice and we’re trying to dethrone Scout.”

“Just use magic.”

“It’s not as fun.” Enzo replied.

“So?”

“Please? Will you play?” Enzo clasped his hands together and batted his eye lashes.

“You’re awful.”

“I know!” Enzo winked. Then, without much warning he shoved his sister into the pool and jumped in after her.

“You’re so dead!” Sage growled. Enzo squealed and swam for his life. Bianca took the liberty of trying to shoot Sage with her water gun forgetting all about the family feud.

“On guard.” Thalia had been equipped with pool noodles and was reigning down punishment on any and all unsuspecting swimmers until Orion challenged her to a duel.

“We need music for this!” Piper sprinted only to come back with a speaker blasting Pirates of The Caribbean.

The pool noodles clashed with hollow thumps as the two giggled moving across the top of the water fall. Orion held his own for a while until Thalia slapped him in the side. Orion clutched at his rib cage before staggering off the top and flopping into the pool.

“That was epic!” Penny applauded. “Do it again!”

“My turn!” Enzo collected a weapon of his own and went to challenge his cousin.

“I was murdered and you won’t avenge me?” Orion gave Scout an incredulous look.

“It was a very dramatic and glorious death.” Scout assured him. “You should win an Oscar.”

“I should shouldn’t I?” Orion smiled smugly.

“Cocky much?” Scout rolled his eyes and pushed down on Orion’s shoulders. The other boy happily escaped by slipping underwater. “Little shark.”

“I hate little siblings.” Sage clambered out of the pool and shook herself off like a dog.

“He is a little enthusiastic.” Scout agreed.

“No kidding.” Luckily for Sage, Siyanda chucked a towel at her to dry off with. “Now I have to change.”

“I wouldn’t bother,” Arthur advised, “he’ll probably be back again later.”

“Wonderful to know.” Sage replied but she knew Arthur was right.

“Just borrow a swim suit I’m sure someone’s your size,” Wanda offered, cleaning up the table.

“Pffft.” Sage only laughed as she headed inside.

“Mom. She’s a bean pole. No one is her size.” Scout laughed.

“I was trying to be nice.” Wanda jokingly tossed an apple at her son which Scout caught with ease and took a bite out of.

“Well, thank you for the snack.”

— — —

The night wore on and the kids didn’t seem to be getting tired. They alternated between snacking and swimming for nearly two hours before things started to wind down.

Scout was attempting to build a card tower with Piper on the table while Orion watched and attempted not to knock it over. Enzo was lounging in a chair chatting away with Penny who was still amped from sugar.

Thalia had changed into a comfy set of sweats to sit in Siyanda’s lap while they played a few games on one of the Stark tablets. Arthur and James were retrieving things from the pool to be put away while Chloe had moved to the grass. She intended on remaining dry the rest of the evening.

All was quiet and she was content in her little spot until she noticed Alex sitting cross legged picking away at blades of grass. Chloe studied the blonde with care. There was something different about her. Something Chloe knew very well. When one nearly died fear took hold of everything-even the joy. Moments that usually made someone smile were instead sad and melancholy because in the back of their mind they knew-every moment was potentially their last. Staring death in the face-it made everything feel like a ticking clock. And it was hard not to fall into the trap of despair. Often times Chloe found herself wondering when exactly her ticking would run out. It seemed Alex was plagued with the same sense of understanding she’d come to. It was a sad sight-but Chloe knew, or she had for some time, that even Alex as resilient as she was couldn’t deny the futility of fighting.

[thecoroutfitters]

Written by R. Ann Parris on The Prepper Journal.

Editors Note: Another guest contribution from R. Ann Parris to The Prepper Journal. As always, if you have information for Preppers that you would like to share and possibly receive a $25 cash award as well as be entered into the Prepper Writing Contest with a chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards  with the top prize being a $300 card to purchase your own prepping supplies, enter today.

Get In Shape

No, really. With absolutely nothing to your name, you can be better off than a quarter if not half the preppers with gear, land, and partners. Want a little ‘for example’? How about the huffing and puffing we hear when folks run from the cold or rain? Or are forced to hustle to catch mass transit of some kind?

There’s the muscle injuries and heart attacks that get warned about ahead of winter storms. There’s a lesser publicized set of aches that even active homesteaders work through at the beginning of spring or late summer and autumn as we get back in to full swing – doing more than shoveling snow, poking in checking on things, hauling feed to the (usually) closer barn than to and around pastures. Every year, there are hikers who end up overextended and in distress.

We shake our heads at news stories when people put themselves in sucky situations. Let’s make sure we’re not one of them sometime in the future.

Get in Shape for WORKING

General physical ability can be helpful, and it’s a leg up, for sure. However, there’s gym fit and there’s street-woods fit. Gear your “workouts” to things you’ll be doing. You can also find exercises that directly relate to activities you expect.

Mix up your walking/packing/jogging/sprint surfaces. If you live rural and plan to cut cross-country if you’re away from home, sure, focus on the “natural” surfaces around you. Don’t ignore hardtops, but they’re less important for one-time, single-digit day-count packing. If you live or work in a lot of urban environments, though, make your training more fifty-fifty.

Walk on the sides of ditches and in loose leaves to build your ankles up. Sandy beaches offer a variety of challenging textures that can also help seriously strengthen legs and ankles depending on where in the tide line or above it you exercise and run. It’ll be helpful in snow and ice as well, and in tilled gardens or hand-harvesting hay and grains and big bean plots.

Those strong ankles will also be an aid in keeping your balance anytime you lose it – like if you anticipate ever getting shoved or tripped.

If you live somewhere floods are a risk or where you get a fair bit of snow, start plowing through some water if any’s available. You may be able to find times of day or parts of parks where you won’t attract attention slogging through a little stream or knee-deep in lake, bay, or marsh water. You may also be able to find an affordable YMCA or similar pool, although you’ll be “stuck” with waist-high instead of the more-unique pulls of calf- and knee-high slogging. (Please watch for snakes that will be annoyed with you and wear good sneakers.)

Go slow – this isn’t a sprint, it’s preparing you for winter work and bug-outs, not a footrace. Steady, certain steps are the biggie, and developing the muscles. Don’t be too ambitious at first. Rushing is a broken ankle or wrist and be careful waiting to happen. Be smart in cool weather – hypothermia doesn’t require freezes.

You can find gym equipment or band workouts that can help you build muscles for raking and shoveling, swinging an ax, or hauling and pushing carts and wagons. Bands require an investment, and there are contrasting opinions about them, but they’re affordable and compact – exercise anywhere.

Boxing and kick boxing exercises abound on the internet. Both build an enormous amount of core strength.

A gallon of water weighs about eight pounds. (Start with a half-gallon or liter, please.) If we get milk, we can get weights at home without spending an extra penny or having to build in time to go somewhere. When you’re ready for more, look around your environment for pipes, golf clubs, sturdy pruned limbs, etc., that can be used to create a bar. (Duct tape them – sliding weight, even “just” 8-16 pounds, is a recipe for an injury.)

Do Exercises Correctly

Do weight, stretching, and isometric exercises slowly. Use a mirror to check your form. When your form is muscle memory, close your eyes and concentrate on the feel.

Bucking, rocking, kipping or whatever you want to call them are not only cheating yourself. They’re also an injury waiting to happen. You also work more of your muscles, longer and harder, by working them slowly.

Build the Right Strengths

Start with low weights and high reps. Keep those high reps and slow motions even when you advance in weight. Practice holding at each point, and stopping midway for holds, too.

There are the instant-action parts of homesteading and camping/packing/paddling, absolutely: that moment when you heave the pressed hay up and over, to stack or to carry, or slinging a bag of feed up and over your shoulder, shoving off rocks or getting flipped backwards. There are “power pops” when you stress your tool maintenance guy and your body taking bypass pruners to tough wood and at funny angles.

However, many of our tasks are endless repetitions – raking, forking, shoveling, paddling, hauling a rope of a beaver slide or pulley lift to get hay or straw to a loft or hoist an animal for butchering.

In low-power or no-power situations, and low- or no-noise situations, there’s also hand sawing – which is a fast action, but a lot of it. There’s things like rocking a garden weasel back and forth, and push-pull lawn cutting with a rotary mower. There’s the bent or crouched schnick-schnick-schnick-turn-toss-schnick-schnick-schnick of harvesting grains or hay or straw, or gathering small branches or vines, or trimming down tree feeds for livestock.

Do, absolutely, work some of the hand-and-footwork speed drills, too. There are times when higher weights and quick motions do come into play.

I have to have the “snatch” strength to catch that ladder before it tips, or to snag a tree when rotting stuff gives way underfoot, to help somebody on steep trails or slipping on ice, or the harness line when my goofy dog accidentally bounces another dog over the edge of something (most recently it was her brother off a boat dock).

My medical supplies do me no good if I can’t heave my heavy dog over my shoulder and get it somewhere, or drag my family and partners out of something or into something. Maybe it’s a house fire, maybe they slipped off a bridge, maybe a bookshelf tilted. Maybe it’s a large animal, and being able to slam and brace and hold a gate to keep something out and away from them.

Even so, most of those have an endurance aspect. Catching for a moment is only half the battle.

I have to sustain that hold, and I have to be able to pull without losing my grip. I have to scramble with that hold sometimes, or not lose my footing.

Maybe today there’s an earthquake or tornado that starts a fire, some nut-job shooting, or a 500-year flood strikes. If I can’t carry or drag my loved ones all the way out of harm’s way, I lose them.

Maybe today’s task is sitting on the ground or edge of something, digging in heels, straining against a rope and “climbing” to haul something to a loft or my kid/partner/lover/parent out of a well or somebody’s deer pit. If I can’t hold onto that timber we’re hauling, if I slip as belay anchor or lose my grip on that rope, I hurt somebody.

Initial adrenaline will only take us so far. It’s worth getting in shape for.

Prepare Your Body, or Prepare to Fail

All the gear in the world isn’t going to help somebody who can’t get out of a building or down the road, who can’t escape a fire or flood, who can’t evade a mob and then put enough distance between them to beat the police barricade lines.

The best bug-out location on earth won’t help somebody who can’t get to it and keep it going – who can’t lift their kid and that fancy bag up over a fence, who can’t build a shelter against cold, wet weather to keep their family from hypothermia, who can’t lift enough water in big buckets to keep livestock and gardens watered, let alone bathe.

The expensive spotting scope and fancy rifle that found and took a deer doesn’t help the guy who then can’t get it up a hill or across the flats – at all, without injury or heart attack, or “fast enough” in some parts of the world where bears, hogs, and human scavengers like to check out gunshots.

Side Benefits to Exercise

Exercise is also incredibly good for the brain, both in combating stress and depression, and in sharpening our minds and senses. Tired bodies help us sleep better, with sleep hugely important to stress, recovery, mood, and decision making.

When you feel stronger and fitter, you’ll also find your confidence increasing, which in some cases actually decreases aggression and combative attitudes. (Lack of confidence tends to lead to those small-dog yappy-snappy, argumentative people who take everything as a personal insult and a direct challenge to authority.)

That’s going to make a disaster of any scale a whole lot easier to deal with, no matter how active or sedentary it is.

Prep for Retaining & Regaining Strength

If you’re lucky enough to have a bunker, a storm cellar, or a tight compound, don’t forget to stash ways to stay in shape while you’re locked down. You only need a little space and some things that – besides bands – are probably already there. Make sure you also have a variety of exercises, stretches, and drills printed out and stashed.

Not only is endurance and raw strength important, and something that can be easily handled at little to no cost, work on flexibility. Exercises for seniors can be an excellent source there.

Physical therapy exercises are beneficial as well. Don’t forget to print up what they apply to. It can range from post-stroke and nerve damage recovery, to knee replacements and torn ACLs, out to oddballs like whiplash and dislocated fingers and wrists. Not only are many actually pretty fantastic stretching, mobility, dexterity, and strength-building regimens, if there is an accident or injury, you’re prepared for full recovery.

The One Irreplaceable Prep

Every disaster and evacuation, we hear of refugees surviving incredible hardships and long journeys, and people managing incredible physical feats to save their loved ones. But for every feel-good victory, there are losses. Not everyone makes it fast enough, far enough.

Increasing physical ability can be done in two, three, or four 10-20 minute sessions a day, a few times a week. It can cost nothing.

Some of it can be done pumping our fuel or during regular shopping trips, adding less time than we’ll stand in a checkout line or lust over goodies behind glass. Some of it can be done one hand at a time, reading or scrolling the internet with the other. We can keep up with weekly shows/sports doing cals and Pilates and physical therapy on the carpet and kitchen chair, or using a bar hung from a sturdy doorway.

Your body is the one thing there is no backup for. There are no excuses. Not time, not money, not current physical limitations. We can get stronger, and by doing so, improve our chances of survival.

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from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

[internetbloga]

20 Things You Must Know Before Buying Shoes Online

Buying shoes online can be downright tricky. In fact, many online shoppers have an array of disappointing accounts and experiences. Buying shoes for babies and toddlers online, gave me the most trouble. In several instances, I got the fit totally wrong. When the fit was right, I was not happy with the design quality and shoe material therein. Negative online shoe experiences are not uncommon. I have found that the best way to buy the perfect shoes online is to do some due diligence. With proper homework, you can avoid common pitfalls and buy the right pair. To get you started, I have compiled 20 must-know guides and tips. These pointers for buying shoes online highlight the most important considerations - before you cart your favorite pair.  https://shoesdisney.com/

1. Brand-memory rarely disappoints

Consider the best shoes in your collection right now and analyze them a bit. You will discover that there is a brand or brands that really deliver every time. From high quality material to impressive style and design, you most likely have a shoe brand that fits the bill. To this end, use brand-memory to determine your next online buy. There are so many new shoe brands entering the market; however, you have to be careful before trusting them. The best shoe brand is one that gives you the right variety, quality, style and price. Therefore, if you have been disappointed by a shoe brand before, there is no need to take chances. Go for brands that you can fully trust.

2. Beware of the cheap-shoe syndrome

A huge chunk of online shoe shoppers suffer from the cheap-shoe syndrome. This chronic condition manifests whenever you see a pair of shoes on offer at a greatly discounted price. Just because it is cheap, many will buy and this is not the best way to purchase. Cheap shoes have to meet all your needs first. They must be of good quality, appealing in design and style and fitted perfectly to your size. Many times, we buy cheap shoes over the Internet and never get to wear them after that. If you are not planning to buy shoes, avoid looking at the offers. If you are in need of buying, consider all the important elements first before looking at the cost. They say that cheap is expensive and most of us learn this lesson the hard way.

3. Do some background reading on new shoe brands

As alluded to above, new shoe brands have to prove themselves to you first. If you really want to buy a new shoe brand, you have to get more information about the company behind the product. Look at their attributes and how professionally they are operating. Go a step further and contact them through social media pages or on phone. New brands should be quick to answer queries from prospects. Get all the information you need about product materials, quality, authorized retailers; among others. Also, look at customer reviews to see what people have to say. If you find very limited or negative information, you may want to avoid the brand.

4. Update your shoe size before buying online

Did you know that your shoe size is not static? Your feet may not grow longer but they can grow wider or thinner depending on your overall body weight changes. In this respect, measure your feet to update your size. If you have a Brannock, measuring your size is a piece of cake. You can also use a ruler and a flat surface to get the most accurate reading. Use the flat surface to place your foot and then use the ruler to measure from the tip of your longest toe, to the end of your heel. Some people assume that their longest toe is the big toe; and this is not always the case. Measure your width as well to get the right results. You can have a narrow, standard, wide or an extra wide fit. Your online retailer will provide the grid in which you can compare and determine the perfect fit.

5. Determine the purpose of the shoes you want to buy

Shoes serve a myriad of purposes. In light of this, you may be looking for causal shoes, official shoes, sports shoes, flats, heels; among others. If you are looking for causal shoes, you may consider boots, flats, sneakers and more. In other words, you have to narrow down your search so that you can uncover the best shoe type for your needs. Some shoppers make up their minds as they savour the attractive shoe galleries online. Impulse buying comes about this way. Therefore, put your money to the best use possible by knowing what you want first.

6. Choose your online retailer wisely

Many shoe brands will not sell directly to the customers. In this regard, online retailers will take up the task of distributing various shoe brands. Choosing the right online retailer is critical. To begin with, they must have in stock a variety of shoes that will interest you. The user-experience at the online store must also be satisfactory. This literally means that their webpages and online interfaces must be clear and easy to navigate. I personally like neat and attractive layouts where online retailers are concerned. This way, you can scan through shoe galleries with ease.

7. Product information is everything

Online retailers and shoe brands that invest in providing comprehensive product information build more trust with customers. When buying shoes online, you need all the product-specific information you can get. This ranges from key shoe features, materials used, style, actual color, size guides, reviews and many more. The weight of the product is important together with what to expect in the box once the shoe arrives. Through this information, you are able to demystify in-depth regarding the type of shoe design and style; among many others. Some online sellers will go a step further to give you recommendations for wearing and so on.

8. Never buy online shoes before checking out user reviews

Reviews on the shoe you zero-in on are a-must read. Whether you read a single review or several, getting a feel of what others think will greatly inform you further. Thankfully, online retailers have incorporated a review section for each product. Therefore, you can just read some of the available feedback on the same page. If you are not convinced, do your own online search and uncover what others are saying about the same product. This way, you get independent feedback on the product.

9. Compare prices at various online retailers

Chances are that you will find the same brand of shoes on various eCommerce platforms. You should never pay more for a pair of shoe than is necessary. Some people assume that all retailers will sell the product at the same price. Do your homework and you will discover a better deal on the same product. This comparison plays a major role in keeping these online sellers competitive with pricing.

10. Take your time with shoe galleries

The best thing about shopping online is that you can take all your time looking at the images of various shoes. These images are meant to give you the best idea of how the shoes looks like in reality. Never buy shoes that do not have enough pictures to convince you. You should view the shoes from every angle. In many instances, your computer screen can disguise or misrepresent colors. Solve this by reading the actual shoe color from the specifications provided.

11. Look at the related products options

Online retailers will give you other options of shoes; similar to the one you are interested in. Here, you can discover even better styles and designs. Some shoes will be cheaper versions. Therefore, take time to look at the related products tab that will be visible while you view a particular shoe. You can also search manually for related products. I have found that many online retailers have a humongous amount of shoe stock that needs to be uncovered.

12. Only choose a fairly-priced shoe

If you are counting your pennies, buying shoes online is an opportunity to save money. In this respect, choose a price tag that you can afford. Some people spend way too much than necessary. For example, you can forgo certain features to save money. Also, you can look for a discounted pair instead. Using coupons is also a great way to shop. If you are not totally happy with the price, chances are that you are looking for a cheaper shoe. Do not go out of your budget and taking time before buying can help.

13. Compare shipping charges

Some online sellers will have exorbitant shipping charges. In this case, cheap or discounted shoes may turn out to be very expensive. Compare these charges at various online shops. For those who offer free shipping, make sure there are no hidden costs. Chances are that you are paying for the shipping with the actual product price. Find a common ground where shipping charges are concerned before ordering.

14. Never ignore the shipping time or duration

Some people will buy shoes online with great urgency. You may be looking to wear the shoes at a wedding or party that is coming up. Before you buy, look at the shipping duration and make an informed decision. We all love short shipping times. Sometimes, unforeseen situations extend this shipping time. Therefore, be open minded and avoid buying shoes with urgency.

15. Know the return policies

If the shoe you order does not fit properly, can you return it? If it is damaged or is the wrong order, what are your options? These among other concerns constitute return policies. Some retailers are better than others. Once you receive an order that does not please you, know all your options regarding returns. You must be very prompt to meet the deadlines. Some digital sellers may not refund your money but they can allow you to choose another pair of shoes.

16. Doorstep deliveries or pick up points?

Once you make an order, your online retailer may have the option for doorstep delivery or pick up point delivery. Consider the financial implications first. Having the product delivered right to your door could be more costly. Then again, going to pick up the shoe at a pick up station may have implications as well. For retailers that have these options, choose what works for you best. I personally prefer doorstep delivery in Kenya because the hustle of picking up the product removes from the convenience of online shopping.

17. Be extra careful when buying children's shoes online

My biggest lesson on this is that when in doubt, always buy a bigger size. The good thing is that children grow up fast and a larger size can be used later. However, the best thing is to follow the size guideline above to take accurate measurements. Take into account the shoe brand and where it originates. For example, shoes made in China are relatively smaller than similar African shoe sizes. Therefore, buy one or two sizes bigger to make up for the difference.

18. Not sure about shoe size? Avoid buying shoes online as gift items

The biggest anticlimax is surprising your husband with a new cool pair of shoes. When the reality hits that the shoes can barely fit, you become devastated. Shoe fitting can be very intricate, especially when you are buying them for someone else. However, if you have done due diligence and are sure about the fit, style and quality, go right ahead and buy them as gifts.

19. Take advantage of shoe discounts and offers

You can save money during clearance sales, special offers and other deals. Just make sure you are not buying on impulse. Buying shoes after holidays could save you money as well. For school children, buying before the back-to-school season starts could give you better prices.

20. If you have limited resources, buy shoes you need not the shoes you want

The female shoe obsession has created a multi-million dollar shoe industry globally. This may be good news to sellers; but it is bad news for those who always spend more money than they have to buying shoes. New, adorable and sexy shoes are no doubt therapeutic. However, everything in moderation.

[mykatesingh-blog]

    I love that we have the choice of running water, we can watch funny things on TV, and with the press of  3 buttons our laundry does itself and comes out fresh and clean (sometimes). I love flushing the toilet and being able to stock my pantry with a few shopping trips at stores filled with pretty jars and brightly colored boxes. And the vacuum, God bless it, let us not forget the vacuum.

I’ve added a few other items to my life to bring some modern ease into my domestic duties; a bread maker from the Hospice thrift and…hum, well I guess that is it. I did get a handheld milk frother but that isn’t so modern. I guess when held up to say a Nescafe Dolce Gusto, it seems victorian.

I once dreamt of owning a Dolce Gusto coffee and latte machine. I had it on my Christmas list. With Christmas, my husband and I don’t get each other gifts. We indulge the children and I make candy and cookies for neighbors and friends. I cook for family as their gift. But this is a magical time that I adore and I usually grant myself a wish or two as a Christmas gift to myself. It is usually an item to decorate the home to make it more charming like a lovely quilt for the family bed or a kitchen gadget to bring more joy into the adults lives like a stovetop Italian espresso maker. I think that is fair and fine.

I love old fashioned things to use in my house. I use them mostly to force me to slow down and be present when cleaning or cooking. I learned this from the Amish. Not that I’ve ever been around them but I’ve read enough Amish fiction and philosophy to get what they are working at. A connection and communion with the Creator, Spirit. You must slow down and get very quiet to hear that the Universe has to share.

I percolate my coffee on the stove to smell the aroma waft through the house in the morning and I use a wooden broom to sweep my wooden floors. That was inspired by Tibetan monks. Don’t ask.

Modern technology was meant to make life easier but people are so busy now. Busier than an 1800’s farmer. They at least slowed down in the winter. Most people cram jam as much into a day and week and monthly schedule as possible. And most people are using liquor or pills to calm down. Interesting, right?

Why not mimic some of farmer grandma’s ways? Let’s take some of great grandma’s frugality and thrift from the Depression Era. Then borrow a little 1950’s housewife scheduling and work, add modern tools and voila!! You have a balanced, cozy, pleasant life.

Farmers used to go with the seasons. Maybe they still do but I read about the old days often so I don’t know what farm life is like today. I would think they went by the natural days light and each season had its specific chores and routines. They worked hard but all the work was for their family, their farms, their land, their homes. They worked long hours when it called for it and had slow days in between. Although the farmer’s work is ongoing and can be grueling, it is also natural. Farm work is done with the hands, takes focus and being in tune with the flow of seasons and the needs of creatures that depend on them, and it’s mostly outdoors in nature with sunshine, fresh air, and the domestic and wild critters. No long days under fluorescent lighting and ringing phones and instant messages, and constant dinging cell phones. The commute is to the barn, to the fields, back to the barn, to the house and repeat.

Depression Era, now here is a subject that has fascinated me lately. I had a book suggested to me ( We Had Everything But Money) that changed my whole perspective on what we really need and how to live simply to survive any financial crisis…or to just have a peaceful existence and not be a slave to money. You learn to wisely work with the money to best have it serve the families needs.

Depression Era homemakers were shrewd, wise, creative. They learned to work with very little, repurpose everything and anything that came into their home and how to be sustainable and resourceful. They made dresses from flour and sugar sacks, had kitchen gardens instead of lawns, and knew how to can any food imaginable. They made every penny count and wasted nothing. They were living greener than anyone in this day and age.

The 1950’s housewife was still making things from scratch and hand cranking the laundry but life was getting easier with washing machines, supermarkets, and vacuums. Now she didn’t need the kitchen garden and canning was already done at the factory. It was new gadgets and a car in the driveway. However, there was still a woman in the home and a focus on tending to the running of it and the care of the family.

Now we have everyone at work and school, after-school activities, long nights at the office, longer commutes, sports and extracurricular classes for the kids, quotas to meet, standardized testing, hours of homework, bringing work home…how depressing just thinking of it.

People were driven by simple living and dreams, family and faith. Now they are driven by money, pride, greed, a desire for titles, raises, promotions, and success.

Children are being driven beyond breaking and literally crazy by the pressure. I was reading in Free to Learn by Peter Gray, that suicides have quadrupled since the ’50s amongst children under 15 years old. And yet we still keep increasing the hours at school and homework and now most kids study during the summer. There is no play, no relaxing, no being a child.

And adults…where do I start? There is definitely not much fun or time for much of anything outside the job work and housework and running errands and taking the kids around to forced classes. And it is all for what in the end?

If you wound up on your death bed tomorrow, what would you think of this life? Would you still be thinking of the files on your desk at work and the laundry? Or would you luxuriate in sweet thoughts of the last few days with your family and playing in your garden or baking sweet bread in your kitchen?

All this hustle and bustle is for kids to get into that college and for us to get that raise or promotion. Then there is the desire for more money. But when is it enough and where do we stop and say, “that is just about right”. We don’t. We want more and more and more.

I see it on YouTube where I live part time myself with my vlog and researching canning and homesteading. Some vloggers are very successful but the more successful they become the fancier and fandangled they get and the YouTubers start selling things and promoting companies that sponsor them…even though they are making more than enough and talking about sustainability and simple living. Ha! We get greedy, it’s in our cells. We are hunters and gatherers by heart and we just keep collecting, consuming, gathering, pushing…

I was getting a bit driven myself and became irritable and didn’t have that much time for my children and play. Play? what is that, good Lord?

Then I deleted all my social media. Ahhh…that felt nice and a cool breeze swept through the valley. Then I stopped writing books at my corporate pace. I stopped forcing things and setting goals. I took up colored pens and filled the kiddie pool. I’m baking more bread, purging the house of clutter because I’m tired of cleaning and organizing “stuff”. Have I completely changed my life? No. I’m still figuring it out because I have been on a hampster wheel myself with working and producing.

But what is helping me find that sweet spot is my memories of our lives in Walnut Grove, when we lived on a fruit farm by the river. We had just moved there from our community by the coast and it was isolated. The town had less than 800 citizens and four miles away. The large town was a 40-minute drive if you wanted to purchase groceries or shop at Walmart or any super store. My husband worked long hours and six days a week. We had one car and walking anywhere was out of the question. The river road had no sidewalk and people drove wild and fast. The only place to walk was around the alfalfa fields or through the orchards. Trips to town were planned once a week. All my friends and family lived hours away now and I only had one elder named Alice to keep me company and help me adjust to life in a pear orchard and scorching hot days.

Alice and my family along with a vacation house for the owners of the farm were the only houses there. We listened to the thick chirp and chatter of birds in the morning and the howls and calls of coyote at night.

It was lonely but one of the most peaceful and pleasant times of our lives. I had small children that required nothing more than lots of love, nursing, and me sitting nearby as they played with sand toys and blocks. We had an antenna but didn’t watch much TV. We just had these slow days of hanging out. The babies played and explored with me just there to make sure they didn’t get into dangerous situations or eat too much sand and I read stacks of Amish fiction, made casseroles, baked treats, hung my clothes on the old clotheslines, and cleaned my home.

On a farm, you feel the full seasons. In the summer you have routines to keep the house cool such as opening and closing blinds with the suns direction, running the whole house fan, and doing chores early and taking walks in the evening. In the winter you get up early to build a fire to warm the house and you bake and cook a lot to keep the house warm. You rise with the sun naturally and go to bed soon after the sunset and cleaning the kitchen. You learn what fruits are in season when and pick them at the peak of ripeness. You only go to town once a week and you make it count.

I wasn’t working on a writing career or any other side work back then. I was just tending to my house and family and I had all the time in the world to read luxuriously under our huge olive tree. We used to take drives through the country and farms to explore our area in the summer evenings. Friends loved to visit because it was so calm and quiet. We would lounge about eating good foods and talking endlessly.

Today I’m busy by my own making of goals and challenges and the boys are bigger and full of energy.  We have gardens and homeschooling. But I crave that slower life once again. So, I’m on a quest to downsize and remove all that isn’t bringing this family enjoyment or enhancing the quality of our lives. I purposely buy gadgets that slow the pace and I do things by hand or make food from scratch.

My suggestion is to clear the calendar, clear out the clutter, clear that schedule, try to reduce work so there are times you put in a long day and times you sit about reading all day. Find ways and reasons to work and play outside. All that cement and fluorescent lighting aren’t good for the soul. Stop signing your kids up for all those classes. What will make them smarter, happier, healthier, and more confident is having time to be children, to play freely and if you would just let them be.

As for you the working parent or homemaker…find ways to simplify and learn to savor life. Plant a kitchen garden, start making your own bread, take time to learn sewing or painting, can jam. These things are like a balm to the soul.

Rates of suicides amongst children and rates of depression and stress-induced death amongst adults are rising faster every year. It is a serious thing and it is self-induced to keep up with the trends and chase the almighty dollar. No title, no promotion, no amount of money will be worth all the lost years with family and friends, with your children…with yourself. Take back your life, scale down life to something small and delicious and find ways to save money and live smaller by growing your own food, canning, mending clothes, living under your means, having one car, getting rid of cable and whatever else to bring down the bills.

Trust me, the less you have the more you thrive if done wisely.

        Homemaking like our grandmothers. I love that we have the choice of running water, we can watch funny things on TV, and with the press of  3 buttons our laundry does itself and comes out fresh and clean (sometimes).

[kennethherrerablog]

This 30-Day Challenge Will Help Any Married Couple Conquer Their Money Woes

Congratulations! You’ve said your vows. You’ve thrown that bouquet (who knew Grandma could jump like that?). You’re even rocking a nice tan from your honeymoon.

Now married life really begins. Like it or not, your finances are a major factor in your marriage. According to Dave Ramsey, 86% of couples who got married in the last five years started out in debt.

It’s OK. Take a deep breath. We’ve put together a one-month challenge for married couples to get your finances in shape for your happily ever after.

Do you accept the challenge? If so, say, “I do” (again).

Day 1: Check Your Credit Scores

Your credit score is important, now more than ever. The better your score, the better deal you’ll get on a mortgage, rental deposit, car loan or credit card. If either you or your spouse has a less-than-ideal credit score, it’s time to start working on it.

To keep a closer eye on your credit, get your credit score and a “credit report card” for free from Credit Sesame. It breaks down exactly what’s on your credit report in layman’s terms, how it affects your score and how to address it.

Signing up for Credit Sesame will only take you a couple of minutes each, and it’ll even help you tackle any issues you see.

Day 2: Tackle Your Credit Card Debt

Sometimes “for better or for worse” includes taking on your spouse’s credit card or other high-interest debt. Don’t let it get you down. Instead, take those balances down in a smart way.

A good resource is consumer financial technology platform Even Financial, which can help match you with the right personal loan to meet your needs.

Even searches the top online lenders to match you with a personalized loan offer in less than 60 seconds. Its platform can help you borrow up to $100,000 (no collateral needed) with fixed rates starting at 4.99% and terms from 24 to 84 months.

Day 3: Get Paid to Get Fit

Your honeymoon was full of buffets, decadent desserts and pina coladas. Totally worth it. Now it’s time to make up for those fun times.

There’s a cool company, HealthyWage, that will literally pay you for losing weight.

Here’s how it works:

Read our full HealthyWage review, and sign up.

Define a goal weight and the amount of time you’ll give yourself to achieve it.

Place a bet on yourself ranging from $20 to $500 a month.

Depending on how much you have to lose, how long you give yourself to do it and how much money you put on the table, you could win up to $10,000!

Wondering if it can really work? We talked to one woman, Teresa Suarez, who lost 68 pounds — and made over $2,400.

The couple that gets fit together stays together, right?

Day 4: Budget Your Wedded Bliss

A budget is not fun, but you’ll be surprised at how freeing it can really be, especially for a married couple. You’ll know your limits and take the mystery out of your monthly spending.

The Empower app is a powerful budgeting tool that can help you figure out how you’re spending your money and develop a budgeting plan to keep you on track.

Link the app to your bank accounts, and it will track your spending. It will also categorize your spending so you can see exactly where you are overdoing it.

That’s right: It will show you just how many times you went out for dinner because it was your turn to do the dishes.

Day 5: Start Adulting With a Life Insurance Policy

When you’re married, you have someone else who counts on you. If you have a family, the last thing you want is to leave them without any financial support once you’re gone.

Getting a life insurance policy is a smart move — and it’s not as hard as it used to be.

Ethos, for example, can get you term life insurance in less than 10 minutes — with no medical exam — for coverage up to $1 million. Ethos offers a digital application, and customer service is available if you have questions.

It partners with a major life insurance carrier to quickly offer policies as low as $6 a month.

You don’t really want to think about “‘til death do us part,” but it’s a conversation you need to have. You’ve got this!

Days 6 and 7: It’s the Weekend! Find Free Stuff in Your City

What? You thought we’d make you work every day? Good marriages need room for quality time to have fun together, too, right? Just don’t spend a lot of money doing it.

From museums to community movie nights, there’s most likely a rich menu of 100% free things to do wherever you are!

Check your local newspaper or city website, and see what you can get into — without paying a dime.

Day 8: Find out If You’re a Power Couple

How do you compare to your peers? Are you the neighborhood’s power couple, or are you barely keeping up with the Joneses? It’s time to find out.

Status Money is an app that allows you to anonymously compare your financial situation with your peers without asking those awkward, prying questions. Link an account to tap into this database and you’ll be able to compare your income, debt, interest rates, credit score, spending… you name it.

By seeing how others are doing, you can see what you need to work on — or where you can sit back a little and just breathe easy.

Day 9: Wash Your Car, and Clean up Your Car Insurance Bill

You each have a vehicle. One took you on your first date. The other was topped with streamers and balloons on your wedding day. Now it’s time to give them both a good wash — and then clean up your insurance bills.

Yes. There’s no getting around car insurance, unfortunately. But one way you could save money is by shopping around and comparing rates at least once a year. So, just like you compare the prices of flights, shoes and laptops before purchasing, why not compare car insurance?

The Zebra, an online car insurance search engine that offers “insurance in black and white,” compares your options from 204 providers in less than 60 seconds.

Day 10: Make a Shopping List — and Get Paid

You probably shopped online before you were married. You won’t likely stop now, right? But now it’s even more important to save money where you can.

One of our favorite ways to save is with Ebates, a cash-back site that rewards you nearly every time you buy something online. For example, Ebates gives you 10% cash-back on online purchases at Walmart.

Plus, you’ll get a free $10 gift card to Walmart for giving the site a try.

Day 11: Stock the Fridge and Pantry With Savings

They say that 90% of marriage is asking “What should we have for dinner?” That number may actually be a bit low.

One of the best ways to avoid this trap is to get ahead of it. If you plan your meals for the week and shop accordingly, you’ll be all set. You know what makes your meals taste even better than butter or salt? Savings.

Believe it or not, Ibotta will pay you cash for taking pictures of your grocery store receipts.

Before heading to the store, search for items on your shopping list within the Ibotta app. When you get home, snap a photo of your receipt and scan the items’ barcodes, and earn cash back.

Ibotta is free to download. Plus, you’ll get a $10 sign-up bonus after uploading your first receipt.

Pre-planned dinner plus a pay day? That’s romance, right there!

Day 12: Put the Gold in Your ‘Golden Years’

When you said “I do,” you made a promise to make a future together. That future will look a lot better if you plan for your retirement right now.

If you’re like most people, you have no idea whether your 401(k) is on pace for retirement or just sputtering along.

Chances are, your 401(k) could be doing a lot better. Take control with help from Blooom, an SEC-registered investment advisory firm that can optimize and monitor your 401(k) for you and keep it speeding toward retirement.

It just takes a few minutes to get a free 401(k) analysis  that will show you whether your investments are allocated properly and whether you’re losing money paying hidden investment fees. It’ll even tell you just how much more money your account could earn by the time you want to retire.

After that, if you sign up, it’s just $10 per month to have Blooom monitor and maximize your 401(k). Bonus: Penny Hoarders get the first month free with the code PNNYHRD.

Think of Blooom like a mechanic constantly fine-tuning your car’s engine so it gives you the best possible performance and gas mileage. Except it’s your 401(k) — and your future.

Days 13 and 14: It’s The Weekend! Relax, and Grab a Glass of Wine

You’ve made great strides! Hey, marriage isn’t all work. Give yourself a break today. You’ve earned it.

Tonight, kick back, relax and enjoy each other’s company with a glass of wine. Of course, you don’t want to go overboard and spend a bundle on that bottle. Find a great bottle of wine for under $20, and toast to your financial progress.  

Day 15: Clear Your Clutter

Wow. Now that there are two of you, all of your stuff really adds up, doesn’t it? It’s not just the things you have two of, like ironing boards and disco balls; it’s clothes, shoes and furniture.

Set up shop, and make some extra money from the stuff you don’t need (and probably don’t have room for anymore).

You can sell virtually anything on Letgo. This intuitive app lets you snap a photo and upload your item in less than 30 seconds. It removes a lot of the hassle of selling things online, and it’s 100% free to use.

Marriage tip: Only sell your stuff. Posting your spouse’s items is a one-way ticket to the dog house.

Day 16: Feel the Thrill With a Free Lottery

There’s something so satisfying about those gas station scratch-off tickets, but it’s better to avoid them because, well, that’s not Penny Hoarding.

Instead, try scratching for free using an app called Lucktastic. Each day, it releases a new assortment of digital scratch-off tickets. Lucktastic says instant wins range from $1 to $10,000. You can also earn tokens that you can exchange for free gift cards to retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, Kohl's, Sephora and more.

You can even compete with your spouse. Who can win more tonight?

Day 17: Relax, and Watch a Good Show

OK, you’re ready for a little snuggle time. That’s fair.

Tonight, pop some popcorn, pour a cool beverage and plop down on that loveseat. But instead of watching a movie, earn some money by watching movie previews or other short videos.

InboxDollars lets you actually get paid to watch TV online. The site hosts a ton of stuff to watch, including cooking, entertainment, news and health shows. The shows are sponsored by brands that need to get them in front of as many eyeballs as possible.

Every time you watch one, InboxDollars will credit your account with a little bit of cash.

Day 18: Get Money for Past Purchases

What couple couldn’t use a little extra money? Here’s an easy way to see whether you could get money back on purchases you’ve already made.

One of our secret weapons is called Paribus — a tool that gets you money back for your online purchases. It's free to sign up, and once you do, it will scan your email for any receipts. If it discovers you’ve purchased something from one of its monitored retailers, it will track the item’s price and help you get a refund when there’s a price drop.

Plus, if your guaranteed shipment shows up late, Paribus will help you get compensated.

Day 19: Protect Your Nest Without Robbing Your Nest Egg

If you own a car, you know that you need to protect it (and yourself) with insurance. But did you really check out your options? You could be paying too much for your coverage. Shopping around for insurance can be time consuming, though.

Fortunately, a service called Gabi will do it for you, and you don’t even have to fill out any forms. Simply link your insurance account and provide your driver’s license number, and Gabi will go to work.

Once you link your insurance account to Gabi, it will:

Scan your existing insurance plan.

Analyze what coverage you have.

Compare the major insurers’ rates for that same coverage.

Help you switch on the spot if it finds you a better rate.

Gabi says it finds an average savings of $720 per year for its customers.

It is a true apples-to-apples comparison at the same coverage levels and deductibles you currently have. Once you sign up, you never have to shop again. Gabi's software has your policy on file and keeps on monitoring for savings as your life changes.

Day 20 and 21: It’s the Weekend! Enjoy Free Stuff at Your Gym or Apartment Complex

If you have a gym membership or a fitness lounge at your apartment complex, you might be missing out on lots of luxurious freebies.

Think tanning beds, massage chairs or complimentary personal training sessions.

Get down there, and treat yourself!

Day 22: Take the First Baby Steps to Investing

Marriage makes you think about the future. A lot. A big part of preparing for your financial future is investing. Now that you’ve invested in that ring, it’s time to go further.

Consider starting an investment account through Acorns.

You can start small and stack up change over time with its “round-up” feature. That means if you spend $10.23 at the grocery store, 77 cents gets dropped into your Acorns account.

Then, the app does the whole investing thing for you.

The idea is you won’t miss the digital pocket change, and the automatic savings stack up faster than you’d think. For example, we reviewed how Penny Hoarder Dana Sitar was able to save at a rate of $420 a year!

At that rate, you could set aside $1,000 in about two and a half years — without trying.

The app is $1 a month for balances under $1 million, and you’ll get a $5 bonus when you sign up.

Day 23: Optimize Your Credit Card Rewards

So you want a credit card, but there are too many to choose from. What to do?

Should you leaf through your junk mail and just accept one of those credit card offers that show up in your mailbox? That would be quick and easy, right?

No, no, a thousand times no! Don’t do that. That’s a good way to end up unhappily shackled to a credit card that’s all wrong for you.

At least one in five cardholders are carrying around a credit card whose fees and rewards don’t match their actual spending habits, according to a 2016 study from J.D. Power.

To help you avoid becoming a statistic, here's our guide to everything you need to know about credit cards — including how to pick the one that's right for you.

Day 24: Focus on Some Extra Cash

You and your spouse take the most awesome pics, right? If you have a smartphone and a photographic eye, making money might have just gotten a lot easier.

An app called Foap lets you turn your smartphone photos into cash.

Here’s how it works:

Download the free app and create an account.

Take a quality photo and upload it to Foap’s marketplace.

Someone buys the license to your photo for $10. You make $5.

If your photo sells 20 times, you make $5 each time and end up with $100 in your pocket — all for about five minutes of work and probably a nice stroll in the park with your spouse. Pretty cool, right?

Day 25: Put Your Bills on a Diet

Good news: As a married couple, you’ll share bills. Bad news: They’re still bills.

The price of internet — and cable, if you’re still into that kind of thing — certainly isn’t decreasing. If anything, prices are steadily climbing.

And if you’ve had to chat with a representative from your internet/cable company recently, you know how long you can sit on hold.

That’s why it’s time to call in a robot. The negotiation bot Trim will negotiate your cable or internet bills down for you.

It works with Comcast, Time Warner, Charter and other major providers.

You can sign up simply with Facebook or your email address. Then, upload a PDF of your most recent bill, and Trim’s AI-powered system gets to work. If at first it doesn’t succeed, it’ll keep negotiating until it can save you some money.

Also, if you have any outages, Trim believes you deserve a credit, and it’ll handle that for you. Trim takes 25% of the savings tab, and you get the rest.

26: Go Window Shopping, and Earn Gift Cards

No extreme physical activity or pulled muscles required for this money-making trick that’s fun for couples. All you need to do is download the Shopkick app.

Once you sign up, the app pays you in “kicks” for walking into certain stores (including Walmart, Target, TJMaxx and more). You can redeem them for gift cards to a number of retailers, including Amazon, Target, Walmart, Starbucks, Sephora and Best Buy.

It pays you even more kicks for photos of receipts that include qualifying items you purchased in-store with a connected credit or debit card. You can also earn kicks for online purchases. You don’t have to do anything; your linked cards will automatically apply your kicks.

But don’t make the mistake of buying things you don’t need just for kicks, you know better than that.

Once you’ve earned your gift cards, you can enjoy them with a little quality time together.

Day 27 and 28: It’s the Weekend! Go to a Park

When’s the last time you went to the public park in your area?

You might be able to walk nature trails, goof around on a swing set, or just sit and watch the leaves fall. Take the time to simply be together and enjoy nature. It’s relaxing and relationship-building.

Day 29: Plan for a Bad Day. Seriously.

Few things stress marital bonds like sudden financial drama. A car breaks down. Someone breaks a toe, and medical bills pile up. The roof starts to leak.

The simplest way to avoid letting life’s little mishaps turn into financial disasters is to start an emergency fund. It’s simply a bank account with enough money to get you through a minor emergency or surprise bill.

But if you’re going to save, you might as well make some interest on that money, right?

An iOS app called Varo Money combines traditional banking tools with modern technology to help its customers become financially healthy.

Here’s the best part: Pair your Bank Account with a Varo Savings Account where you’ll earn 1.75% annual percentage yield. That’s nearly 30 times — repeat, 30 times — the average savings account, based on a 0.06% average reported by CNN Money.

Day 30: Play the Slots — and Earn More Interest Than at Your Bank

It’s Day 30!! Go ahead; relax, and play some games. But you’re not done helping your finances just yet.

The folks who created Long Game have you covered with a game that’s fun and helps you achieve your financial goals.  

As you save and accomplish missions, you’ll earn coins to play mini games for cash prizes. We’re talking the classics, like slot machines, scratch-offs and spin-to-win wheels.

Once you link your bank account, you’ll earn 300 coins, so you can start playing while you wait for payday. If you sign up before Nov. 30, 2018 and enter the code PENNY5, you’ll also get a bonus $5 in your account!

You Did It!

See, that wasn’t so bad, was it? When you start thinking long-term, you need to think about your finances. When you bring someone else into the picture, it becomes even more important.

Tackling a few of these items can help set you up for a much better financial future. That’s worth a month’s work, right?

Now… let’s talk about having kids.

Tyler Omoth is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder who loves soaking up the sun and finding creative ways to help others. Catch him on Twitter at @Tyomoth.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

The Penny Hoarder Promise: We provide accurate, reliable information. Here’s why you can trust us and how we make money.

This 30-Day Challenge Will Help Any Married Couple Conquer Their Money Woes published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

[buyherepayhereusa]

Extend Vehicle Lifespans and Detect Odometer Fraud | National Odometer Day

May 12th is National Odometer Day. While you may not be familiar with National Odometer Day, you probably know that the odometer in your car measures the distance traveled by the vehicle.

But did you know that the invention of the odometer predates motor vehicles by over 2000 years? First described by Vetruvius in 27 BCE, it is widely accepted that odometers were first used by the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Some say that the odometer was invented by Archimedes during the first Punic War (Scientific American).

While no one can say for sure who invented the device, there has always been a great desire for such a device. Odometers were and remain a great way to measure distances between two places. They literally paved the way for modern road building and travel.

How Does an Odometer Work

Source: Wikimedia Commons (Leonardo Da Vinci)

An odometer (aka a roadometer) works by counting the number of wheel rotations and then multiplying it by the circumference of the tire, which is the diameter of the tire times pi (3.14…). Leonardo Da Vinci’s odometer (seen above) works by collecting small stones into a dedicated holder, which can then be counted to accurately measure the distance traversed by the wheel. Click here for more information on how odometers work.

Keep in mind that heavily worn tires and under-inflated tires can cause errors in odometer readings.

Why Are Odometers Useful?

Odometer readings are important because they give you a general sense of the value of the car. This simple number indicates:

When it’s time for an oil change (about every 3,000 miles, but double-check your owner’s manual)

When expected repairs and maintenance are due (check owner’s manual for maintenance schedule)

How well the vehicle was taken care of

If any vehicles warranties are still in effect

The life expectancy of the vehicle

The value of the car (when it’s time to sell or trade up)

How to Keep Your Odometer Going

If you want to rack up 300,000 miles or more and extend the lifespan of your vehicle, here are a few tips:

Buy the right vehicle

Some common 300,000+ cars include Toyotas, Fords, and Hondas. According to Consumer Reports, these sedans, SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks are most likely to get to 300,000 miles and beyond:

Honda Accord

Toyota Camry

Honda Odyssey

Honda Civic

Toyota Prius

Toyota Sienna

Honda CR-V

Toyota Corolla

Toyota 4Runner

Ford F-150

Never ignore strange sounds, smells, or vibrations 

If you notice anything strange or wrong with the vehicle, take it in for a professional inspection. Similarly, never ignore your dashboard warning lights.

Change the oil every 3,000-3,500 miles 

Regular oil changes are probably the best way to extend the lifespan of your vehicle. While 3,000 miles (around 3 months) is a safe bet, check your owner’s manual for the proper oil change schedule.

Avoid lots of starts and stops

If you mostly drive on the highway, you have a better chance of passing the 200,000-mile mark. If you can’t avoid a lot of local start-and-stop trips, try to coast as much as possible. Sudden starts and stops will diminish your vehicle’s lifespan. Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Try to drive on the highway at least once a month.

Don’t turn your heating or cooling on right away

Allow the vehicle to warm up for a minute or two before turning on the heating or air conditioning. This helps everything get lubricated first, reducing the load on your engine.

Don’t make these manual transmission mistakes 

Use your brakes rather than the gears to slow the vehicle down. Shoot for 2,000-3,000 revolutions per minute (RPM) to avoid stressing the engine.

Don’t depress the clutch pedal more than necessary. While it may seem cool and comfortable, don’t rest your hand on the gear shifter.

Fill your tank up with the correct gas

 Check your owner’s manual to know the proper octane level for your vehicle. Filling up with the wrong octane level can diminish your vehicle’s lifespan.

For additional ways to extend the lifespan of your vehicle, avoid these common bad driving habits.

How to Detect Odometer Fraud

Unfortunately, odometer fraud is a common problem in the car buying and selling process. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 450,000 vehicles are sold each year with false odometer readings! That’s is one reason why it’s so important to purchase a vehicle from a trusted source (learn about the risks involved when buying from a private seller).

Before changes in how odometers were made, they could be easily tampered with. Sometimes, the cable could be reversed so that the numbers ran backwards instead of forwards. While odometers in newer vehicles have many safeguards in place to prevent this kind of tampering, older vehicles are still susceptible to odometer fraud.

 Luckily, consumers have a few options to detect odometer fraud: 

Check CarFax Vehicle History Report 

The CarFax reports will give you mileage records, inconsistencies, and other odometer problems. Compare the mileage on the odometer with the reported mileage on the vehicle maintenance and inspection reports. Since inspections normally record the mileage number any inconsistencies are a clear red flag. Make sure the odometer reading is higher than the latest record.

If the seller does not provide a Vehicle History Report, order your own using the car’s VIN (Vehicle Identification Number).

The numbers are not lined up straight, contain gaps, or jiggle

Sometimes, if the odometer has been rolled back, the numbers will not line up straight. Unaltered odometer numbers are perfectly aligned. Look carefully at the 10,000 place number. This digit is the one most commonly tampered with. If the numbers jiggle when you hit the dash, contain gaps, or are misaligned, there’s a high chance they have been tampered with. Walk away from the purchase.

Estimate the odometer reading by calculating the age of the car

The average car puts on about 12,000 miles per year. If the car is 7 years old, it should have around 84,000 miles on it. If not, there is cause for concern. Investigate the causes for lower than average mileage, such as if the car is a backup or the owner has a reason to rarely use it.

Look for inconsistent wear and tear

Look for inconsistent wear and tear in the interior of the vehicle. Pay special attention to the gas, brake, and clutch pedals. Make sure they are consistent with the odometer reading. Examine other high-touch areas, such as the steering wheel, seats, and arm rests. If you are unsure, take the car to a mechanic for an inspection (you should conduct your own vehicle inspection regardless).

Check the tires

If there is less than 20,000 miles on the car, it should still have the original tires. Inspect the wear of the tires by asking a mechanic to check the depth of the tread. If there is 20,000-25,000 miles on the car, the tread should be deeper than 2/32 of an inch. If the vehicle has new tires or the tire tread is significantly deeper than 2/32 inch, then there is cause for concern. You can also measure tire tread depth yourself with the penny test.

Finally, take the vehicle to a mechanic and ask them to specifically look for signs of odometer fraud. This includes inspecting the vehicle for replacement parts. If the odometer has a low reading, there shouldn’t be many replacement parts. They will be familiar with other fraud detections as well.

Learn more about odometer fraud by visiting nhtsa.gov.

Happy National Odometer Day!

Buy Here Pay Here USA wants to make sure you drive away in a vehicle you love and can pay for.

With locations in Cleveland, Chattanooga, Dayton, and a new store in Dalton, GA, we make it quick and convenient to drive away in your dream car.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to speak with one of our Online Specialists or give us a call:

Chattanooga, TN – (423) 551-3600

Cleveland, TN – (423) 472-2000

Dayton, TN – (423) 775-4600

Dalton, GA – (706) 217-2277

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from Buy Here Pay Here USA https://www.buyherepayhereusa.com/blog/national-odometer-day/