#however our hard limit for New Hobbies is “never buy anything more than $100 without at least a year in the hobby”

[mantisgodsdomain]

Y'know, we've been experimenting with Noodler's a bit more, and honestly we think that the talk about the smell as a sticking point has been overstated somewhat. We might be biased by our own background, but we think a lot of the reason that it's so overstated is because it's being encountered by people who have never been on a farm before and are unused to the scent.

We like to have opinions on things. This post is on your dashboard for two reasons - one, we've been using this Charlie pen for something like two-three weeks now, and thus have gained enough experience to be comfortable making statements about it, and two, like every review we've seen online and also the one person we talked to about using Noodler's immediately hit us with "oh but the SMELL" and we honestly didn't find it that bad.

We have, for reference, a Noodler's Charlie pen (came free with Baystate Blue), and a few bottles at this point. Noodler's is a brand that, at least for us, stands out due to affordability (guy making them apparently has previously stated that he takes pride in how little money he makes off his ink, and we checked and they're legitimately the cheapest ink even when compared to clearance inks) and the ridiculous amount of properties they bake into inks (waaterproof, forgeryproof, flourescent, "bulletproof", freeze-resistant - there are a good chunk of these that bind to the cellulite in paper, and Baystate Blue specifically is known for staining pens and such). Its pens are made with a vegetal resin that is cheap, biodegradable, and known for its smell. We also had one guy bring up the inks having an odor.

While the pens are where the "smell" note came up most often, we find that it's honestly... less bad than billed? It's noticeable when you put it up to your nose, but leaving it out in sunlight for a few days, as most manufacturers recommend, definitely does make a difference. The immediate smell is best described as putrescent - it reminds us a bit of manure, which is definitely something some people will have less tolerance for. With exposure to sunlight, it mulls into something more akin to a rich fertilizer, which we personally find somewhat pleasant, though YMMV on that.

This pen smells more when it has been used often - body temperature and sweat will get it smelling stronger, and it may stick to your fingers for a few minutes. Putting it down before writing again will get it back to its neutral state - and with the specific pen, doing this every now and then is a good idea anyways, since the Charlie Pen when eyedroppered can have excess flow if the hand's body heat causes the air inside of the pen to expand. This is probably a dealbreaker to some - we don't blame them, if so! This is an acquired taste, for sure, and we feel that a lot of our personal view on this particular manufacturer works the same way as

The chemical smell on inks is something that we'd definitely agree with with some, but not all - we have a sample vial of Noodler's Black Eel, and it has enough surface tension that it acts more like a simulation of a liquid than an actual liquid. It smells sharply artificial, like silicone condensed into a liquid. It is intense and distinctly unnatural and honestly it's a really fun substance to play with partially because of this. Other inks, like Southwest Sunset (3 oz bottle, obtained a few months ago by now), are significantly less... pronounced? There's a chemical smell, but it certainly isn't noticeable unless you stick your nose right up in there. Honestly, we think that unless you're getting a lubricant ink, it's nothing to worry about.

If we paid fifty dollars for this pen, then we might consider these complaints to be... hmm, more significant? The Noodler's Charlie Pen we have was free, and writes better than a $50 pen - and we do mean legitimately free, we checked the price of the ink and it adds nothing to the price to add the pen. Things like Noodler's Flex pens are ten bucks below the next most expensive thing and much prettier. Your mileage may vary, of course - we have a relatively sensitive nose, but we also grew up in the middle of fuckass nowhere and had more than enough time to get used to the smells of livestock and animals, whereas we could easily imagine that someone who didn't grow up on a farm would be shocked and disgusted by the smell. But it's a free pen, we like "biodegradable and sturdy", it functions better than our more expensive ones, and... honestly, we kind of think the resin is worth the price of admission.

This post does not necessarily have a purpose - it is, mostly, us sharing our opinions on something, and you should take it how you will. Most sellers recommend that you leave the pen out in sunlight to sap the smell, and we noticed that it was more or less gone when our of use after about a week and a half of that. Our $0 Charlie pen has a significantly better flow than our $25 Pilot Metropolitan, and a less scratchy nib. We feel like if it works it works - you may want a less strong-smelling pen, or a pen that doesn't need to be left out in sunlight for a week. Though we, of course, can be more than caught up in form, we tend to vastly prefer function over looking fancy, so this has become one of our most well-used pens over the past little bit.

So we aren't just obliterating your dashboard - here's a picture of the moddle, and of our foster kittens serving as our backdrop for our Charlie pen. Do what you will with this information. Also, to our loyal followers, thank you for continuing to attend our blog posts as we slowly descend further into the madness of fountain pens. We refuse to buy anything that costs over $100 without a job and at least a few years sunk into the hobby, but Fountain Pen Day has given us a handful of sales good enough to get spendier pens that would otherwise be out of our price range, so you will probably be hearing about those soon enough.

[lovealarmrp]

hello, lovers!!! 💓 we’re so excited to show you our membergroups today!

since love alarm is a social media application that allows you to rate others on a scale of one to five stars, we have decided to keep the social media theme with our membergroups! each group below will have a distinct color alongside a description to explain more about what kind of people they are 🤩

below, you will see our seven membergroups and our three premium membergroups!

feel free to choose membergroups however you want —whether it be because of the description, the color, the name, or the ✨aesthetic✨ of it all! 

youtubes definitely have a customer service voice - wanting to appear as friendly as possible to people they don't know. that's not to say a youtube is an unfriendly person, as usually they are very friendly people. they are the types of people that will try to take on every task given to them. at first they can be very successful at the tasks they are given, even dedicating all nighters to them. but because they are constantly trying to take on new tasks, they often burn out where they no longer feel inspired by what they were doing before. this makes them prone to the anxiety of letting others down. perhaps the root of a youtube's issue is they often put the needs of others in front of their own needs. 

the first thing to know about an instagram is they are often not what they seem. instagrams are almost obsessed with appearing a certain way. they are often perfectionists, never satisfied with just getting by or being average. for an instagram, taking photos  to post on their social media pages could be a full time job. but their calculated and perfectionist ideals to keep their personas is not just limited to social media. they also want to be perceived as the smartest, and could be caught in lies about their sat scores or college acceptances. they are often perceived as fake, superficial and calculated individuals that are willing to do anything to get ahead.

you can always count on a snapchat to be the life of the party. they are the first to volunteer for something, and never had a problem being front and center. in fact, they thrive off being the center of attention.  snapchats can be found constantly overflowing with energy; insisting that you take 100 selfies to document a lunch you had with them, and always able to avoid awkward silences.  however, their constant energy can be very in-your-face, and draining for someone who is more reserved.  they often blur the line between only catching up with friends, and becoming clingy or overbearing.

a linkedin is a hard-working individual, willing to go to great lengths to achieve their dreams and aspirations. they are the people who have always had a meticulous plan, even from a young age. they are very sure, and confident in their abilities to succeed. these people often come off as robotic to some, because they base more of their decisions on logic than emotion. they are consistent individuals who avoid acting on impulse. they would rather make a pros and cons list before any major choice in their life. they enjoy spending hours on their resume, down to picking out the perfect sans serif font. though hard working planners, when events unfold that are not according to plan, a linkedin is easily frazzled. 

if you said the word gullible was written on the ceiling, facebooks might just believe you and look. they have a tendency to believe almost everything they hear and everything they read online. they are quick to pass along this new information and gossip as fact. one might often find facebooks checking in on their high school sweetheart's social media pages, making sure they haven't gotten married yet, even though facebooks swear they've moved on ages ago. facebooks are very emotional people, which can be both a good or bad thing. they are very empathetic of others, and are eager to try and support others. but when a facebook is down, they will vent to their friends for hours and they might even overshare their personal woes with people they don't know very well, eager to gain other people's sympathy or pity.

a twitter will likely notice you long before you notice them. they are often found at the edge of a crowd, watching and observing rather than demanding the attention of others. they are thoughtful, introspective individuals who tend to keep to themselves. others might describe a twitter as someone secretive and mysterious - who doesn't always open up all the way. it could take a very long time to properly befriend a twitter. a twitter may also display a different facade online where they wish they could be different than who they are in their daily life.

tumblrs are naturally very warm and imaginative people, they are constantly coming up with new ideas or dreams to inspire them and others. they often start their new projects with vigor, but they quickly become disorganized and lose their footing. as their muse fizzles, rather than dealing with the root of the problem, they are onto the next project. they find it easier to start over than fix what they broke. tumblrs are known to boast and embellish about the smallest of accomplishments to distract from a greater issue of their inconsistencies ('it's a new shade of blue!').

PREMIUM MEMBERGROUP

a vine swears they are a new person every day. they are always reinventing themselves with new hair styles, new hobbies and new fashion. they could be described as trend chasers, always seemingly going for what's popular, but many vines would deny this. they are impulsively living in a state of flux, making all their life choices without too much thought into what consequences their choices might have. many vines are thought to be creative, but airheaded with attention spans that only last six seconds.

PREMIUM MEMBERGROUP

a msn could write poetry about a stranger's ocean eyes on the subway. they are constantly falling in love with people, places and ideas. they fall down the rabbit hole of what things could be like, rather than the reality of how things really are. they often wear their hearts on their sleeves , and are the types of people who cry easily when other people are emotional.  however, along with feeling everything intensely, they also have a tendency to be labelled as overdramatic. this could be because they act as if the world is ending when someone doesn't call when they said they would, or because the grocery store was out of oreos.

PREMIUM MEMBERGROUP

when someone first meets a myspace, they might think they are a know-it-all with a snobby and sarcastic disposition. a myspace is selective with those they call their closest friends. because of their guarded, more apprehensive nature, it can be hard to break into their inner circle. but once you have befriended a myspace, you have a ride-or-die friend. they will be the first person to lend you money when rent is due, and the first person to buy you ice cream after a breakup. but beware, loyalty means everything to  them - and if you betray them, they will have no issues cutting you out of their top friends.

[kennethherrerablog]

Got Active Kids? Here Are 9 Simple Ways to Stretch the Family Budget

You’ve weathered the baby-rearing years. Congratulations! Now you can sit back and enjoy having your kids in school.

Oh, but now there are hobbies: band, dance class and sports. Don’t forget field trips.

By the time you’ve paid for that clarinet and lessons, dance shoes and costumes, cleats and knee pads, your family budget is shot.

Raising kids is expensive. But there are things you can do to help the rest of the family budget survive as your little progeny showcases all of their talents.

1. Do Fun Stuff for Less

OK, the kids are in school, and that’s expensive. But that doesn’t mean you have to sit around on the weekends watching the grass grow. Get out there, and do some fun stuff!

Just don’t pay full price for it.

If you haven’t embraced deal sites like Groupon or LivingSocial yet, it’s time to take a look. You can find a lot of sweet deals on local activities, attractions and restaurants with very little effort. It’s a simple way to save money but still get out of the house.

2. Don’t Pay Just to Access Your Own Money

With all the sporting events and other travel you do with the kids, chances are you’ll need to stop and get a little cash every so often.

The average total cost of taking cash from an out-of-network ATM is $4.68, according to a recent Bankrate survey.

Want to avoid those fees? There’s an easier way than driving around town to get to an in-network ATM. You can simply keep your money in an account that doesn’t charge those fees — like the Aspiration account.

With Aspiration, you’ll face no ATM fees — domestic or international. ATMs in-network are free, and Aspiration will reimburse you the fees for out-of-network ATMs monthly.

Other perks? You’ll never pay a monthly maintenance fee, a minimum balance fee or an overdraft fee. Oh, and you’ll earn up to 2.00% APY interest on your account’s balance.

Yup. It’s that simple to start living a fee-free* life thanks to Aspiration. That’s a big win for a family on the go.

3. Missed a Good Deal? Get Paid Back

If you’re like most parents, you don’t have a lot of time to run to the mall. You probably do a lot of your shopping online. That’s cool. Now you don’t have to worry about the “what ifs” of sales that start tomorrow or next week. Get the tool that hunts for those deals for you.

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.

Disclosure: Paribus compensates us when you sign up using the links we provide.

4. Make Sure You’re Not Overpaying for Car Insurance

All of the driving you do to get your kids to soccer or the science fair adds up. It also means you’re probably not getting that low-mileage discount from your car insurance company. Are you spending too much on your car insurance? When was the last time you checked?

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.

We talked to Artie Januario, who found new insurance through The Zebra and managed to knock off $30 a month — or $360 a year — from his premium.

With the money you save, you could get something nice for yourself. Ha! Just kidding… You will, however, have a little more available to budget for the kids’ next great adventure.

5. Feed the Fam for Less

The refrigerator never stays full for long when you have kids. Make those frequent trips to the grocery store a little less painful by earning cash back.

That’s right: Ibotta will pay you cash for taking pictures of your grocery store receipts.

Here’s how it works:  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.

Bam. Cash back.

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

Some cash-back opportunities we’ve seen include:

25 cents back for any item.

25 cents back on strawberries.

50 cents back on frozen fruit snacks.

Notice those aren’t tied to a brand — just shop for the staples on your list and earn cash back!

6. Get Paid to Dress the Kids for Success

When your kids are in school, they grow — and fast. That super-cute outfit you bought last fall? Useless now. You need new clothes for them. Again.

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 up to 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.

To earn your gift card:

Sign up for Ebates with your email or Facebook account.

Use the Ebates portal the next time you need to buy something. It’s connected to thousands of stores, including Walmart, Amazon and Target. You’ll need to make your first purchase through the site within 90 days and spend at least $25.

Your account will be credited with rewards points you can cash in for your $10 Walmart gift card.

It’s easy savings for clothes you know you have to buy because they’ve already outgrown last month’s styles.

7. Sell off Stuff They Don’t Need Anymore

From toys to clothes to bedroom decor, your kids accumulate stuff fast, don’t they?

Don’t just hang on to that stuff and let it fill up your basement or garage. Sell it, so you have a little extra money (and room) to buy the new stuff.

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.

Come on, you know your kids are going to want new stuff, and your home can only hold so much!

8. Pay Less to Get There. And There. And There.

Having kids means you have to run to a lot of activities. From sporting events to band practice and any number of other things, you may feel like you live in your car.

And that car needs gas. No, not the stinky kind. If you have boys, you’re probably all set there. We mean gasoline, and that can get expensive. You need to save at the pump.

Get a discount card from GasBuddy to automatically save 10 cents per gallon on your first purchase (and 5 cents per gallon after that).

The free discount card is tied directly to your checking account. It works at 95% of gas stations throughout the country, so you don’t have to drive around town just to find “your” station. Plus, you don’t have to wait for a rebate — it’s immediate savings.

Simply and securely sign up through GasBuddy. Connect your bank account, enter your address, and GasBuddy will put a card in the mail.

9. Keep Saving Even Though You’re Busy

Saving money is tough. Saving money when you have kids in school can seem impossible. So what if you could do it in a way where you wouldn’t even notice?

Digit makes that possible.

This innovative app automates saving for you. Simply link it to your checking account, and its algorithms will determine small (and safe!) amounts of money to withdraw into a separate, FDIC-insured savings account.

Bonus: Penny Hoarders will get an extra $5 just for signing up! Additionally, savers will receive a 1.00% bonus every three months.

Using this set-it-and-forget-it strategy, Penny Hoarder Matt Wiley told us he saved $4,300 without noticing.

If you need that money sooner than expected, you’ll always have access to it within one business day.

Digit is free to use for the first 30 days, then it’s $2.99 per month afterward. That’s a small price to pay to keep your family saving during the crazy days of school.

Take Your Mind off Money and Focus on Fun

Hey, your kids are only this age once. Enjoy it!

Having school-aged kids can be financially taxing, but you can relieve some of that stress by following these tips and taking some of the pressure off. You don’t want to spend all of your time dwelling on the family budget. You want to teach your baby girl to hit her free throws and your little guy how to play that guitar.

Remember, it might be hard, but it’s OK to say no to your kids on occasion, too. They don’t have to be in every extracurricular activity out there. Learning how to limit their activities and wants can save you a lot of money and a little bit of stress, as well.

Oh, and don’t forget to get a Groupon or Livingsocial deal for a nice, relaxing date night for yourself. You deserve it.

*Aspiration Partners, Inc. and its affiliates are committed to “All Extra Services Provided at Cost,” meaning that it’ll only charge you what it costs them to provide the extra service (such as a wire transfer), and not a penny more. Besides these at-cost service charges, the only account fee you pay is the fee you choose, even if it’s $0, which is why it’s called Pay What Is Fair.

Tyler Omoth is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder who loves soaking up the sun and finding creative ways to help others. He is bracing for the day that his twin babies start school and all of the fun that goes with it. 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.

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Got Active Kids? Here Are 9 Simple Ways to Stretch the Family Budget published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/