#this is just like groceries and gas and oil changes and rent | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

caffeinesam · 1 year

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Just trying to save some money

We wanted to buy a condo. Our apartment was getting small, and it was far from either of our jobs. My commute was tedious and the bus ride took him hours. We had accrued a lot of debt over the last three years just, like, letting our expenses get the best of our credit scores. Just dumb twenty-somethings with unlimited desires and no one to stop us. No one taught us either.

We listened to my mother's advice; cut back on your little luxuries and save some money. Dad just nodded. His father told us to at least save some money for the minimal down payment, see what the interest rates were and work on our credit. His mom just nodded.

So we cut back on eating out and stopped buying lattes on our walks downtown. We tried to reduce our grocery bills by getting only what was on sale. We did our best but the interests on our credit cards kept up with what little we saved. Every month we came to the same conclusion.

"Do you have anything left?"

"I'm bled dry, I don't get it!"

"You splurge on anything?"

"Just the oil change. The brakes were due and he said something about the air sensor I didn't understand. Had it changed."

"This piece of shit is getting expensive to run."

"Yeah."

But I still desperately needed it, no bus lines reached the hotel I worked at or the mall where the groceries were the cheapest. The city's planning didn't want to help us.

Our parents weren't worried.

"It's okay, it might take a little while but you'll get to it!" my mom tried to cheer me up "Surely there's something else you can cut back on!"

"I guess so."

I ran a budget app, with input from my bank and credit card statements, trying to find where I was bleeding money. But nothing, just the bare necessities, maybe a book last week, maybe this grocery trip had been a bit extravagant, my share of the rent, our insurance, fuel.

Our insurance.

Did we really need a 150k protection for a one-bedroom? We do not own that much! Did the old beat-up Nissan need full coverage? It was paid for a long time ago. I felt dumb. Every year we were paying more in insurance than the amount we bought it for.

"Babe? I'm gonna call the insurance company tomorrow. I think we're wasting, like a lot, with them."

And so our debt melted a few hundred dollars every month. I felt relieved. So relieved. And excited.

I started eating less. Not to lose weight but to make the groceries last longer. I didn't bring lunches to work, only water. I sneaked some bits from the buffet but otherwise just fasted all day.

One day I had an idea. I parked the car out back by the dumpsters and, making sure the line cooks weren't smoking outside, dove in at my break, filling the trunk with bags of food we had thrown away. It was safe, the freezing temperature would keep it from spoiling. It was safe. I would sift through it tonight, see what's still good, what's not.

"Uh... what's that?"

"I figured we could save up a lot more if I took some food from th..."

"Did you steal this from the hotel dumpster!?"

"It's not theft they were throwing it away!"

"That's not what I..." he stopped, sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose and scratched his head with both his hands. "I'm not gonna eat trash!"

"Fine! But fill up the car yourself if you waste your cash on groceries!"

Two months of that and I had paid off one of my credit cards entirely while he struggled with either of his. I sometimes slept in unoccupied bedrooms at the hotel to save on gas. It was better that way, we didn't really feel like hanging out anyway. I took double shifts when I could, it kept my mind away from the hunger and my fragile fingernails. They kept breaking. I had to be careful not get caught stealing for the buffet. So annoying.

He called me at work.

"Did you block my number? I tried texting you. Have you been here all this week?"

"Yes" I whispered "I'm trying to save on gas dammit!"

"You blocked my number?! Why?"

"No, no I sold my phone. I spent the week here."

"What?"

"I sold my phone. I don't need it. You can take my messages and I only come here anyway."

"Your parents keep calling" he said after a long silence "maybe give them a call. We're all worried J."

"Will do."

"When are you coming home? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Okay" he paused "I love you"

I hung up. I was pissed. He would have me wasting our money on expensive meals at home instead of paying back his credit cards. He would have me drive 25 miles back and forth, on MY time, with MY gas money, so I would distract him from his boring life? What was I his Netflix account? I briskly walked back to the front desk, and briskly fainted on the soft carpet.

I woke up to my manager helping me up. Her soft arm and the warmth of her large body felt luxurious and wasteful. I got angry. My vision pulsed to my heartbeat. She sat me on a couch in the lobby. She was obviously angry too.

"I let go of your weird shit for the last few months Julie" she said with a soft voice holding her anger on a leach "but if you start fainting on the job I can't let you come in. Get some help. You look like a well-dressed corpse! You have sick days, take them!"

"I don't want to. I need to work."

"You can't come to work like that! You know the cameras see you sleeping in the rooms and dive in the dumpsters!" her voice got tremulous "Look I don't want to push you to the edge if you're afraid to go home..."

"It's too expensive..." I said, she looked at me dumbfounded and confused "Yeah okay. I will get some rest."

"Take a proper meal before driving. Please. We will talk about this later. I'll call you next Tuesday."

"Yeah."

She was about to fire me. I knew it. I sat in the car, catching a glimpse of a gaunt stranger's reflection in the window. It was just me. Faint, my blonde hair dry and thinning, my eyes sunken and sad, my skin flaky and pale. She was about to fire me.

I drove towards home, but parked in front of a large bungalow.

"We could save on insurance by sleeping under their back porch maybe."

I tried the door, it was unlocked. I walked through the house, helped myself to the fridge, went to the garage and sneaked out with a gasoline can.

"We should make the insurance worth paying."

#avocado toast #savings #poverty #house #buying a house #fiction #short stories #quick fiction #1 hour writing #disease #obsession

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prinxietys · 5 years

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Why did my car pick my brokest time of year to start breaking

#i need a new tire #my windshield wiper just broke tonight #and i need an oil change #fuuuuuck #oil change is getting pushed off (again)#and the windshield wiper is pretty cheap and i replaced #but km freaking out #like #whats gonna break next #and i need to get groceries #and im gonna need to put gas in the car #and i still have bills to pay not too mention saving up for next months rent #please kille

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melrows · 4 years

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I started a no/low buy year, and I’m actually enjoying it so far. I feel like my relationship to things has changed since I decluttered and started going minimalist and low waste in 2018, but I feel like I just shifted a lot of my buying habits from retail stores to thrift stores and Poshmark. Hence a no buy 2020.

It’s been interesting to take note of when I feel the impulse to shop or to go out to eat, and what that impulse is actually masking. Most of the time, it’s boredom or loneliness. I’m really looking forward to seeing what else I learn and any other unexpected impacts. My rules and goals for the year are below the cut for the 0 people interested.

Rent & Utilities:

water/trash/recycling/composting, electricity, wifi, mobile phone, laundry

Travel:

Car insurance, registration fees, oil changes, replacement/repair of things that prevent it from running, and limiting use of my car to 1 tank of gas per month (excluding road trips with friends). So if my car finally kicks it this year, I won’t be replacing it.

I have enough airline miles from my credit card and work for a few round trip tickets, so I’m planning 1 vacation to see a play in CA this summer and 1 vacation to see my family around the holidays.

For work, my advisor is likely going to send me to California, Arizona, and possibly France or Germany to work with colaborators and present at a conference for parts of the summer since her baby is due in May.

Food:

Groceries from the grocery store and farmers markets ONLY

No meat aside from fish and limiting dairy and convenience foods

I can go out to eat or get coffee ONLY with friends, never by myself, and I have to stay under $40/month

Medical

Doctor co-pays and prescriptions (thank you UT Austin for grad student health insurance!)

Excercise classes (<$30/month)

Entertainment:

Spotify + $10/month entertainment budget (Bye bye Amazon prime! I’m actually super happy about divesting in this one!)

I don’t pay for Netflix, but I have access to it

I already bought tickets to see Nikolaj Coster Waldau in Macbeth in June.

Misc:

Charities and creators on Patreon

Replacing essentials I run completely out of (like toothpaste, moisturizer, and soap)

I don’t have an actual raincoat, so I’m waiting for the rainy season to hit Austin before deciding if I actually need one, or if my rain resistant windbreaker will be ok.

So that’s it! I know that a lot of things on the list above are luxuries, which is why I hesitate to call it a “no” buy year. But I think it will be a good exercise for me to cut out a lot of my spending habits. No clothing, no kitchen appliances, no home or office decor, no late night dominos runs, no fancy coffee in the lobby coffee shop, and no fast food when I don’t feel like cooking!

Hopefully by the end of the year I’ll have

adjusted my cost of living to much lower than my grad student stipend (RIP to my industry salary that was more than twice my stipend),

finally built up a 6 month emergency fund,

learned to cook natural food in enough different varieties that I don’t feel like I have to go out if I want good food,

lost weight from said cooking,

a better understanding of my needs vs wants vs likes

reduced my carbon footprint

#personal #no buy year #no buy 2020 #minimalism

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atlanticcanada · 2 years

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'We feel the urgency': N.S. premier considering options as gas prices reach record high

Gas prices are at an all-time high in the Maritimes and across Canada, and analysts warn the prices will likely continue to climb as Russia’s attack on Ukraine puts pressure on the oil market.

Nova Scotians were warned Monday about a possible jump at the pumps as the Utility and Review Board announced it would invoke its interrupter clause due to shifts in the market prices of gasoline and diesel oil.

There were long lines at gas stations in Nova Scotia Monday night as motorists filled their vehicles before the price adjustment at midnight.

The price of regular self-serve jumped by 10.9 cents, to sit at 186.2 cents per litre, in Nova Scotia’s Zone 1. Diesel in the Halifax area increased by 9.6 cents and is now selling for 199.7 cents per litre.

There was also a massive hike on Prince Edward Island. Islanders are now paying 186.5 cents per litre for regular self-serve -- an increase of 12.6 cents. Diesel jumped 10.4 cents overnight and is selling for 209.0 cents per litre on P.E.I.

Gas prices did not change in New Brunswick overnight.

‘WE FEEL THE URGENCY’

This is the third time a Maritime province has invoked the interrupter clause since Friday and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says he’s concerned about the skyrocketing gas prices and overall increases to cost of living.

“We’re seeing inflation across the board in groceries and rent, in gas, we’re just seeing incredible inflation and I know it’s putting tremendous pressure on Nova Scotians, so I’m very worried about that,” said Houston on Tuesday.

“We feel the urgency. It’s a pretty significant increase in the last three days. We’re obviously watching what’s happened in Ukraine as well, and understand the impact that that’s having.”

Some are calling on governments to intervene by cutting back on some of the tax they collect.

The federal excise tax on gasoline is 10 cents per litre. On P.E.I. there’s another 8.47 cents per litre, 15.5 cents in Nova Scotia and 10.87 cents in New Brunswick.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced Monday that his government will temporarily stop collecting the provincial fuel tax on April 1, cutting fuel prices by 13 cents per litre.

Houston said Tuesday that his government is looking at options, but didn’t offer any specifics.

“We’re looking at every option that’s on the table, so if we can do something to support Nova Scotians, we’re assessing that,” said Houston.

“My message to Nova Scotians is, we’re concerned, we share your concern, we’re looking to see what’s possible as a government.”

The premier said his government is having discussions with other premiers about what can be done to provide some relief.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/UYfZzvA

#new brunswick #prince edward island #nova scotia #news #politics #canada #CTVAtlantic

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agilenano · 3 years

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Agilenano - News: Somebody to Love by Sharon Sala – Spotlight and Giveaway

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Sharon Sala who is celebrating the recent release of her newest book Somebody to Love, the 11th book in the Blessings, Georgia series. Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy of Once in a Blue Moon, book 10 in the series. Welcome to Blessings, Georgia! Whether you’ve lived here your whole life, you’re returning after years of being away, or you’re new in town, you’re sure to find the happy ending you’ve always been looking for. Fifteen years ago, a family member stole the money Hunt Knox had saved for college, while three of his siblings and his father hid the truth and told him to get over it. Betrayed by their lies and thievery, Hunt joined the army and wound up flying Apache helicopters in Iraq. Now, he’s a chopper pilot for an oil company in Houston, Texas, his father has been dead for six years, and he’s finally returning home to Blessings at his mother’s dying request. Ava Ridley, the little girl his mother used to babysit, has grown up and is a nurse at his mother’s bedside when he arrives. Ava is overjoyed to see him. She had a huge crush on him when she was young. And as the two spend more time together, Ava’s crush grows to be even more. Through secrets, lies, family betrayal, and difficult choices, Hunt’s not sure he and Ava can ever make a home together in Blessings. Or if life will once again lead them onto different paths…? Enjoy an Excerpt Hunt rode across town, past the park, and then west down Peach Street to the little house at the end of the block. He’d seen this house a million times in his dreams, but it hadn’t looked sad and run-down like this. A black pickup was parked beneath the carport, so he rolled up and parked beside it. He got the house key out of his pocket, but as he headed toward the back door, the hair stood up on the back of his neck. He didn’t believe in ghosts, but this house didn’t feel like it wanted him there. That was fair. He didn’t want to be here, either, but a promise was a promise. He unlocked the door and walked into the utility room just off the kitchen, turning on lights as he went. All of the furnishings were here. If it hadn’t been for the faint layer of dust all over everything, he could imagine his mom had just stepped out to run an errand and would be back soon. There was a low spot in the middle of the kitchen floor—probably floor joist issues. The old hardwood flooring was scarred and worn, and the furniture was threadbare. The sight of this neglect made Hunt angry. How could his brothers and sisters let this happen? They were all right here in the same town together. The year Hunt began high school, they’d remodeled the attic enough to call it a bedroom, and for the first time in his life, he’d had a room of his own. Curious to see what it looked like now, he went straight up the narrow stairwell at the end of the hall and opened the attic door. The single window was bare of curtains or shades, and the dust motes in the air stirred as he moved through the space now filled with boxes of old memories that should have been laid to rest years ago. The bed he’d slept in was gone. The closet door was missing, the closet empty. Even the rod where his clothes used to hang was gone. It was as if they’d wiped away all memories of him. If only he’d been able to do the same. He went back downstairs, glancing in his mother’s room and accepting it was the only one decent enough to sleep in, then began eyeing all of the things that needed repair. He went back to the kitchen to check out the appliances. The burners on the gas stove lit, the oven came on. The dishwasher was clean, and the single glass in the top rack told him it had recently been in use and was likely in working condition—something he’d find out later. The water pressure was good, and the washer and dryer appeared to be in working condition. The refrigerator was the newest appliance in the house, but nearly everything inside it needed to be thrown away. He didn’t know for sure how long his mother had been in the hospital, but the carton of milk was over a month out of date, and the single container of peach yogurt had long since expired. The ice in the bin beneath the icemaker had all frozen together, which meant the electricity must have been off at one time long enough to melt it. Then when the power returned, it froze back. So he took the bin out and dumped the ice in the sink, then put it back beneath the icemaker to start making fresh ice, then dumped everything that was in the freezer and refrigerator into the garbage. The central heat and air were still working, and they looked newer than he remembered, which was good. There was a big job ahead of him to do this right, but in the long run, it would make a huge difference in the sale of the house. However, this task was going to take tools as well as supplies, so he went out back to the toolshed to see what, if anything, was left. The light bulb was burned out in the shed, so he left the door open as he went in to look around, and it was just as he feared. There was nothing left in it but a couple of old hammers, a hand saw, and an old sack of roofing nails. Seeing the nails reminded him he needed to check on the condition of the roof as well. He could rent tools and hire help. It wasn’t the end of the world, but it was going to be a pain in the ass coping with his family while it happened. He found a set of car keys hanging on a hook in the kitchen and guessed it was to the truck. If it ran, it would be handy to use while he was hauling stuff to the house to make repairs, so he went out to check. The insurance verification in the glove box was in Marjorie’s name. He turned the key to see if it would start, and the engine turned over immediately. So he locked the house and drove to the bed-and-breakfast to pack up his things and check out. Bud was scanning Hunt’s card to pay for his room when Hunt thought about the locks he needed to change. “Hey, Bud, is there still a locksmith here in town?” “Yes, there sure is. Mills Locks, next door to Bloomer’s Hardware on Main Street. The owner’s name is Cecil, but everything is probably closed today.” “Okay…I remember him,” Hunt said. “Thanks, and thank you for your hospitality,” he said, then carried his bag out to the truck. Out of curiosity, he drove straight to the locksmith, saw the Open sign on the door, and went inside. The man at the counter looked up. “Welcome to Mills Locks. I’m Cecil Mills. How can I help you?” “I need a couple of new locks put on a house I’ll be remodeling. Would you be available to do that today?” “Yeah, sure. Here in town?” Cecil asked. “Yes, where Marjorie Knox lived. I’m her oldest son, Hunt. I’m going to fix it up some before it’s put up for sale.” “Lived?” Hunt nodded. “She passed away early this morning.” Cecil frowned. “I hadn’t heard. I’m real sorry about that. I’m waiting on a customer who’s on the way in from his farm, but I can get away around noon, if you don’t mind me coming at your lunch hour.” “I’m not on any schedule. You sure you’re okay working on New Year’s Day? It could wait until tomorrow,” Hunt said. Cecil shrugged. “I’ve already been called out twice today for emergencies, and my wife is home and sick with the flu. I’d just as soon be here.” “Then noon is fine. Do you know the address?” Hunt asked. “It’s the last house on the right at the end of Peach Street, right?” Hunt nodded. “Yeah. My Harley and her black pickup will be under the carport.” “Then I’ll see you at noon.” “Right,” Hunt said, and left the shop, then stopped by the grocery store. He was surprised to see that it was no longer a Piggly Wiggly, and had a new facade and a new name to go with it. The Crown. Nobody recognized him, which made shopping easy, until he got up front to pay. The cashier who was checking him out kept looking at him, and when he put his credit card in the reader, she finally spoke. “You sure do look familiar. Are you from around here?” she asked. Hunt nodded as he put his card back in his wallet. “I’m Hunt Knox. I used to sack groceries here back when it was still the Piggly Wiggly. You’re Millie, aren’t you?” “Yes! I’m Millie Garner! I knew you looked familiar. I just heard about your mother’s passing. My sympathies to the family,” she said. “Thanks,” he said, and began putting his bags back in the shopping cart. “Do you plan on staying here?” she asked. “Only long enough to fix up the family house so it can be sold at auction. I promised her I’d do that,” Hunt said, then walked out pushing the shopping cart. By the time he got back to the house and unloaded the groceries, it was getting close to noon. He took off his jacket, then began emptying the sacks and putting up the things he’d just bought. By the time he was through, Cecil Mills was knocking on his door. He let Cecil in, and then pointed out the locations where new locks were needed. “There’s just the front door, and then a back door in the kitchen.” Cecil nodded. “I’ll get those switched out for you and get both locks synced to open with one key. How many keys are you going to want? It comes two keys to a set, so you’ll have four.” “That’s plenty. I’ll be the only one using one here, but when it sells, then that will be handy for the new owners.” “Then I’ll get right to work,” Cecil said. “Call out if you need me,” Hunt said, then took a notepad and a pen and started in the kitchen, making a list of the things that needed to be fixed. *** Excerpted from Somebody to Love by Sharon Sala. © 2021 by Sharon Sala. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved. About the Author: Sharon Sala has 127 books and novellas in print. First published in 1991, she’s a RITA finalist, winner of the Janet Dailey Award, RT Career Achievement winner, National Reader’s Choice Award, Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence, Heart of Excellence Award, the Booksellers Best Award, RWA’s Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award and the Centennial Award for recognition of her 100th published novel. Her books are New York Times, USA Today,and Publishers Weekly bestsellers. She lives in Oklahoma. Facebook Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Bookshop, BAM, or Books2Read. a Rafflecopter giveaway #Giveaway #SharonSala #GuestBlogs #Romance

Agilenano - News from Agilenano from shopsnetwork (4 sites) https://agilenano.com/blogs/news/somebody-to-love-by-sharon-sala-spotlight-and-giveaway

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arplis · 3 years

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Arplis - News: Somebody to Love by Sharon Sala – Spotlight and Giveaway

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/somebody-to-love-by-sharon-sala-spotlight-and-giveaway

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spacemuffinz · 7 years

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I haven't been online much because I've been so depressed and i dont want to drag anyone down. I cant even describe how hard I'm rolling around in the throws of depression.

My old roommate "almost killed himself" and then went to live with his mom. Just because i told him he had to start paying more or doing house chores instead of bossing me around and making me drive him everywhere for no money. He barely gave me 200 a month. Which is less than 1/3 of rent alone. not counting all the bills. Which he never touched. Well we couldn't cut it anymore. All the bills were past due. All the things were getting shut off. The garbage got shut off. And he didn't even want full time. He was offered and refused it. He also refused a better paying job offer cuz he didnt want to ride the city bus. He had to go or something. Then I sat down and tried to gently talk to him about having my friend move in and split the house 4ways. He stormed out and slammed the door before i got through a whole thought. He didnt like it. So. He made a shitty bitter goodbye facebook post and then his friend called the cops to do a wellness check and he grabbed a bladeless boxcutter and was threatening to cut his wrist in front of the cop so the cop took him to the hospital and his mom came over from ohio and picked him up the next morning.

And then my work friend moved in cuz he made about the same as me. And we still can barely afford anything. My van is falling apart. The doors dont open. We have to climb in thru the back door. The window is a shower curtain and duct tape. It needs an oil change and brakes and the license plates renewed. And i need to get car insurance. And the wiper blades need a new motor cuz they're broken.

But whenever i have any money i have to pay the gas or electricity or rent and groceries and gasoline. My mom sent me $100 cuz i didn't even have toilet paper or shampoo or food and then i cried for a week because her husband juuuusst had prostate cancer surgery and they can't afford it either.

And then i got a thing saying they're gonna garnish my wages because i owe 3400 for a biopsy i had on a boob tumor that was actually a cystic mammary gland.

And then due to the old roommate being being a douche i still dont have garbage service. Cuz itll be 180 to be reinstated and up to date. So we've basically been swimming in garbage for months. I wanna kill myself. I want to not be white trash.

But then my plates is 110. My car insurance is 125. Rent is 650. The gas bill is 150. It takes 50/wk for gasoline.

And then i got fired.

And then i got 2 tickets. for bad plates and no proof of insurance. Cuz it expired 11-20. Not even 2 weeks ago. And idk if my account is open anymore. So i might have a 500 ticket but the court date isnt til 1-11. But by then i should have my tax money around then. If the wage garnishment place doesnt grab it first.

Im seriosly freaking out. I haven't been sleeping or eating. There's no food. Me and oona shared a single grilled cheese sandwhich and that was all we ate the whole day. I wanna cry myself to death.

#plz help

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wastewiyoung · 4 years

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America finally has a taste of its own medicine. I will admit that it is a bit satisfying to witness Americans panic like us from the frantic panic of not being able to go out, pay rent, work, pay bills, eat. Being kept stagnant because they’re on lock down and we have a lack of resources. EQUAL SUFFERING FOR ALL. EQUAL PANIC. ✊🏽🥳 This is the every day reality on the Rez, in the ghettos, in the projects, in the barrios, in the po rural pockets throughout the land. The marginalization and disparities in these communities is because of systemic failures when it comes to access to food, healthcare, job skills, training, education, capital. When people are down and out stuck in a cycle of poverty born with a boot on their neck, it IS hard to knock that boot off. It is SO hard. I truly believe that we are ALL in a time when these communities have done pulled and twisted that boot off. But that damn boot has help and they’re doing their best to keep us down. Having said that the people have success stories. We have helpers. And mostly, we have ourselves. We got to lift eachother up. Give a hand. Stop denigrating ourselves. Stop the jealousy and side eyes. Don’t get it twisted— I’m not amused or happy about relatives suffering and dying during this pandemic. What I am saying is that it is about time that modern day America gets to experience the “poor people” experience of its land and this is just every day life. The hustle game. Maybe these experiences will change things but probably not... In the meantime all these poor, oppressed washichu protestors want their lives back to normal. Which to me means they want they lives of excess and privilege back. They need they po people to shine they shoes, wash they hair, cut they hair, do they nails, grind they saka heels, paint they toes, carry they groceries, wash they car, put they gas in, change they oil, cut they lawn, clean they pool, plant they gardens, trim they lawn (down there too). Just my thoughts today. 🤪❤️🤷🏽‍♀️✊🏽⚡️✨✨ (at Standing Rock Indian Reservation) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_5cLcllECG/?igshid=6yd3vx1h4bbb

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shandragdotson · 4 years

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I Need a Budget, Like, RIGHT NOW

These are crazy times, and we’re feeling it in every fiber of our being. Peel back the layers of this Covid-19 pandemic and it’s not just a fear for our physical health (and the health of our loved ones), it’s a fear for our financial health and the future in general. Many of us are wondering…Is my work going to get shut down? Am I going to get paid? What if I run out of money?

Maybe you’ve already been laid off or put on furlough, and you’re trying to navigate your soon-to-be reduced income as fast as you can. It’s uncertain and scary, and you are absolutely not alone.

Even if your income hasn’t changed, you’re probably feeling stressed—we all are. There is so much that we cannot control right now, but we can do the best we can, and if there has ever been a time when we all needed a budget, it is now.

Perhaps it’s a classic response from a company called You Need a Budget, but in all earnestness, budgeting can be a beacon lighting your way in uncertain times. It’s the key to prioritize your money, minimize financial stress, and feel more in control during an unpredictable time.

Even if you have less money than you expected, or a whole lot less than you hoped to have, you can manage the money you do have in a way that will provide clarity and control.

1. Make a List of Current Expenses

First things first, answer this: how much does a month of your life cost? To get to this number, you’re going to make a big long list. Go through credit card statements, checking account transactions, your Amazon orders in the past year, the whole nine yards.

Come up with a list of the categories you spend money on, and a ballpark monthly cost for each category. Be super realistic with this spending: we’ll get to cutting down expenditures later. For now, we want the most accurate picture possible of the current state of your spending. You can write this list down on a piece of paper (or use the free trial we offer in YNAB to make the rest of the steps a little easier).

Look through this list to jog your memory. It’s not exhaustive but it will give you a solid starting point:

Mortgage/rent

Student loan

Car payment

Electric bill

Water bill

Other utilities (trash service, gas bill)

Internet

Groceries

Transportation costs (gas, bus pass, tolls, parking)

Auto maintenance (oil changes, new tires)

Car registration (license, tab renewal)

Auto insurance

Home maintenance

Renter/home insurance

Medical costs (dental, eye care, therapy, doctor, etc.)

Clothing

Gifts

Giving

Computer/phone replacement

Software subscriptions

Entertainment subscriptions (Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, etc.)

Vacation

Gym membership/fitness

Education

Dining out

Gaming

Music

Coffee

Holidays

Dates

Beauty (hair cuts, makeup, nails, etc.)

Christmas

Property taxes (if they’re not rolled into a mortgage)

Movies

Phone bill

Life insurance

Warehouse membership (Costco, Sam’s club, Amazon Prime, etc.)

Credit card fee (some cards have yearly costs)

House decor

Banking (interest owed or fees)

Household goods

Miscellaneous

If you’re writing this list down, just put the amount next to the category. If you’re using the YNAB software, you’ll set up a goal in each category. It’s ok to guess!

Once you have all the categories and the estimated costs, add them up. This number is your starting point. It gives you a ballpark of how much your current life costs.

If you’re a visual learner, watch this video to see how you can estimate your total monthly expenses by setting up a budget template in YNAB.

youtube

An Example: Step One for Billy the Bro

For example’s sake, let’s say we’re setting up a budget for Billy the bro (a single guy living in Miami). He goes through this step and finds out his current lifestyle costs $3,561 a month (and he also spends way more on pizza rolls than he realized). Here’s what this exercise looked like for him:

Rent: $1200 (utilities included)

Student loan: $350

Electric bill: $80

Internet: $60

Auto Loan: $200

Groceries: $350 (that includes $50 worth of pizza rolls)

Gas: $100

Phone: $70

Car insurance: $90/month

Renter’s insurance: $20

Medical: $0 (money comes out of his paycheck for a Health Savings Account (HSA) so he doesn’t count this in his budget)

Clothes: $100

Gifts: $50

Netflix: $9

Spotify premium: $10

Amazon Prime: $12 ($120/year)

Crossfit gym: $110

Eating out: $275

Dates: $100

Miscellaneous: $75

Vacation: $100 ($1200/year)

Credit card minimum: $25 (current balance: $2400)

Total monthly expenses: $3,561

Nice. Billy’s got his number! It’s not as pretty as he wanted it to be, but it’s reality. We’ll come back to Billy later. For now, back to you.

2. Only Budget as Far as Your Money Will Go

Alright, now you’ve got a list of expenses and a rough idea of how much they cost. You’ve done a big chunk of the legwork already.

The next step is to look at your bank account and see how much money you have right this minute. Maybe your balance is slim, maybe it’s fat, but this step remains the same no matter your position.

You’re going to take the money you have right now and make a plan for that money. If you’re not familiar with the You Need a Budget method, this is the very first rule of YNAB—Give Every Dollar A Job.

It means just what it says. Only budget the money you have right now. See that account balance? That’s the money you can allocate. If you don’t have a lot of money, that might seem incredibly disheartening at first glance, but hang in there. You’ll see shortly how this setup offers powerful clarity on your next steps.

When more money comes in, you’ll decide what to do with that money at that time (and not a moment sooner). You get another paycheck in two weeks? You’ll budget the money in two weeks. The government sends you a stimulus check? You’ll budget that money when you cash it. Right now, it’s only about the money you have.

This is a simple but powerful shift for most people who are inclined to forecast all of the income that they expect to receive for the month. But that’s just asking for trouble—what if it doesn’t show up? Obviously, we hope that’s not the case but do yourself a favor and only count on the money that you have right now.

Step Two: Billy Gives Every Dollar a Job

For Billy, he looks at his checking account and has $2850 currently sitting there. If you remember from the first step, his monthly expenses total $3561. Now he’s able to see that the money he has won’t cover everything he wants in a month. Sure, he feels a little bummed but he also feels relieved to finally see the whole picture.

Here’s how Billy prioritizes the money he has to pay for the month of April (at the time of writing, there is only one week left in March so he budgets $150 for one more grocery run in March and the rest of the money goes to fund April):

April 2020 Budget:

Now, before you get all Judgey McJudgerface on Billy, it is important to remember that there is no right or wrong way to prioritize your money. Each person is going to make the choices that make the most sense to them. Only you know what’s most important to you, the ins and outs of your circumstances, and what you’re dreaming about for your future. Plus, we’ve got more steps to go through that will further suss out if Billy has really prioritized his money in the way that he values most. Stay tuned!

3. Set Up a Hunker-Down Budget

Alright, and back to you. Now is the time to hunker down: both physically and with your finances. Whether you’re sheltering in place or simply practicing social distancing, you’re probably home—preferably with your favorite people and the patience of a saint. This means your day-to-day expenses should reduce as you’re probably staying home. Sure, you’ve already spent an embarrassing amount of money on peanut butter pretzels but we can leave the past in the past. And let’s be honest: you’ve already eaten all of those pretzels.

To turbocharge your savings, set up a hunker-down budget. To do this, you’ll separate your needs from your wants. As in, physically separate them in your budget. Needs go at the top. Wants go at the bottom. The obvious basic needs are food, water, shelter. Your needs might expand to child care, a loan you’re paying back, insurance payments, or wifi. With the money you have, you’ll assign your jobs to your dollars for these pressing needs. The big question is, what do you need your money to do before more money arrives?

Let’s visit Billy again to see how his hunker-down budget is taking shape.

Billy Hunkers Down

In the last step, Billy gave every dollar a job. Now, he may or may not have done that with the looming cloud of a global pandemic, but now he’s quarantined in place and the reality is setting in: he’s hunkering down and his budget is too!

If you remember from his budget in the prior step, he funded all of his immediate obligations first (groceries for the last week of March, then rent, electric, groceries, internet, student loans, auto loan for the month of April). As he goes through his budget with a fine tooth comb, he separates out his needs and wants. He’s ok with skipping leg day for a while and cancelling his gym membership (granted…he was already skipping leg day but that’s beside the point). He also moves money away from dining out, gas, and fun money. This automatically frees up $364, just by reprioritizing his money to match the current state of quarantine.

Here’s how he separated his Needs and Wants:

Needs

Credit card minimum payment

Groceries

Rent

Electric

Internet

Phone

Gas

Student loan

Car loan

Car insurance

Renter’s insurance

Wants

Stuff I forgot to budget for

Amazon Prime

Netflix

Fitness

Spotify

Fun Money

Gifts

Dining Out

Dates

Clothing

Vacation

We’re not saying you can’t fund wants, this approach just forces you to prioritize what is a true essential and what’s a “could cut if needed.”

Wondering how to create a hunker-down budget from your current YNAB budget? Ashley shows us how quite brilliantly!

4. Cut Costs

Laying out your hunker-down budget helps you quickly see where to cut costs, especially if you take a closer look at your Wants category group. You’re probably not going to eat out, you’re skipping the haircut, and that vacation will wait.

If your current account balance doesn’t quite get you through the month, not to worry, you can still budget! When more money comes in, you can finish funding the last of your expenses and then prioritize the rest of your new dollars (but not until you have the money!). Budget as far ahead as your money will take you.

Read more about how to budget when money’s tight…

Billy Cuts Costs

After Billy slashed money from the Wants categories, he started getting a little more creative to free up cash. Remember that $350 a month that Billy was paying in student loans? Well, with new policy he’s able to request forbearance for 60 days on federal loans, which he’s able to do after contacting his loan servicer. This frees up another $300 (he still has a private loan that he pays $50/month that does not qualify for forbearance). With that extra push of money, he starts funding out immediate obligations for May.

Billy started with monthly expenses of $3561 and was able to slim it down to $2301 (and that still gives him the life luxuries of Spotify, Netflix, and $20 a month of fun money). At the moment, he still has a job, but he thinks it’s just a matter of time before he doesn’t. In the meantime, he’s saving as much as he can and letting his budget inform every spending decision.

Read more about developing options for financial help during the Coronavirus crisis.

5. Let Your Budget Guide Your Way

We don’t know how long this hunkering down is going to last any more than you do. But, we do know this: the more we can protect our money for essentials now, the longer your money can lay out a calming runway ahead of you.

With the rapidly changing times, your budget can tell you just how long the money you have will last and help you make decisions around what you can afford, if you should look for another source of income, and what to do next with the money you do have.

Billy Reduces His Financial Stress

Billy ended up getting put on furlough at his company—which means he was temporarily laid off but he did get to keep his health insurance. He ended up qualifying for unemployment benefits (though this varies state by state). Instead of his usual inflow of $3500 a month from his job, he started receiving $375 a week ($1500 a month) in unemployment benefits.

He was able to barter down or defer his internet bill, phone bill, car payment, and utility bill because of these hard times. His landlord offered reduced rent for 90 days. He cut out his Netflix subscription (but his friend gave him their password) and extraneous spending. Now, his monthly income requirements are just $1350 a month, and he’s bringing in $1500 a month with unemployment. He saves the extra each month to build up an emergency fund.

While this required some work and a bit of sacrifice on his end, it really didn’t feel as bad as you would think because Billy was making these choices by looking at his budget, rather than from a pit of shame, scarcity, and fear. His biggest surprise was that he was making these adjustments without adding a single dollar to his credit card debt.

The time will come where he’ll start working again, bring in regular income, and shift his focus to tackle his larger financial goals, but for now—he was keeping his head above water and had plenty of energy to just keep on swimming.

So What Can I Do Now?

You can officially get a budget! If you’re ready to give budgeting an official whirl with us, we offer a free 34-day trial with a full suite of amazing support and teaching so you’ll be in total control of your money in no time! Whether you use our software or not, we will teach you how to budget (for free!) and get in control of your money.

If you’ve never budgeted before (or it just never stuck):

Read: The Ultimate Getting Started Guide

Watch: Four Budgeting Rules for Less Money Stress

Join: Getting Started Free Live Workshop (or if you’re really ready to dive in, join our 30-day Getting Started Bootcamp for the solidarity and support of fellow new budgeters)

Listen: Rule One Broken Down

If you’re already budgeting and want a hunker-down version of your budget:

Watch: Budgeting in Unpredictable Times

It’s a stressful time, and we wish we could give you clear answers of what will happen next. We do know this: set up a budget today and you’ll be better prepared for whatever happens next.

The post I Need a Budget, Like, RIGHT NOW appeared first on You Need A Budget.

from Finance https://www.youneedabudget.com/i-need-a-budget-like-right-now/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

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ilistenedin · 6 years

Note

Evens

I did em all oops200: My crush’s name is: Sarah 199: I was born in: Miami 198: I am really: boring 197: My cellphone company is: T mobile 196: My eye color is: brown 195: My shoe size is: 9.5-10 in women 194: My ring size is: no idea. Very big tho 193: My height is: 5’7 192: I am allergic to: nothing that I know of 191: My 1st car was: Nissan Versa 190: My 1st job was: AAA Parking, I was a valet cashier 189: Last book you read: I reread IT recently 188: My bed is: uncomfortable as fuck 187: My pet: (s)(children) are fat cats 186: My best friend: is the bomb 185: My favorite shampoo is: tresemme’ (Oo lala) 184: Xbox or ps3: Xbox  183: Piggy banks are: cute 182: In my pockets: Nada 181: On my calendar: I don’t have one 180: Marriage is: a thing people do sometimes 179: Spongebob can: flip a mean burger 178: My mom: is great 177: The last three songs I bought were? No idea, Spotify life 176: Last YouTube video watched: Man of Arms: Attack on Titan blades 175: How many cousins do you have? 4 174: Do you have any siblings? 4 173: Are your parents divorced? Never married 172: Are you taller than your mom? Yes 171: Do you play an instrument? Yes 170: What did you do yesterday? Work[ I Believe In ] 169: Love at first sight: nope 168: Luck: yes 167: Fate: kinda 166: Yourself: nope 165: Aliens: yes 164: Heaven: nope 163: Hell: kinda 162: God: nope 161: Horoscopes: kinda 160: Soul mates: nope 159: Ghosts: yes 158: Gay Marriage: yes 157: War: nope 156: Orbs: I don’t know 155: Magic: yes[ This or That ] 154: Hugs or Kisses: hugs 153: Drunk or High: drunk 152: Phone or Online: online 151: Red heads or Black haired: red  150: Blondes or Brunettes: brunettes 149: Hot or cold: cold 148: Summer or winter: winter 147: Autumn or Spring: autumn 146: Chocolate or vanilla: vanilla 145: Night or Day: night 144: Oranges or Apples: oranges 143: Curly or Straight hair: curly 142: McDonalds or Burger King: Mcdonalds 141: White Chocolate or Milk Chocolate: neither 140: Mac or PC: no preference 139: Flip flops or high heals: neither 138: Ugly and rich OR sweet and poor: ugly and rich. These being poor shit is old 137: Coke or Pepsi: coke 136: Hillary or Obama: obama 135: Burried or cremated: cremated 134: Singing or Dancing: singing 133: Coach or Chanel: neither 132: Kat McPhee or Taylor Hicks: I don’t know who those people are 131: Small town or Big city: big city 130: Wal-Mart or Target: Walmart 129: Ben Stiller or Adam Sandler: Ben 128: Manicure or Pedicure: neither 127: East Coast or West Coast: I’m so divided these days.  126: Your Birthday or Christmas: neither 125: Chocolate or Flowers: flowers 124: Disney or Six Flags: Disney 123: Yankees or Red Sox: Red Sox [ Here’s What I Think About ] 122: War: I’m hippie scum 121: George Bush: dumbass 120: Gay Marriage: Love is Love 119: The presidential election: stressful 118: Abortion: do what you want with your body 117: MySpace: old af 116: Reality TV: sometimes entertaining 115: Parents: thanks for giving me life I guess 114: Back stabbers: people will be people 113: Ebay: shady 112: Facebook: uninteresting 111: Work: miserable 110: My Neighbors: annoying af 109: Gas Prices: too damn high 108: Designer Clothes: unnecessary  107: College: missed oppurtunity 106: Sports: footballs cool 105: My family: the bomb 104: The future: terrifying[ Last time I ] 103: Hugged someone: like an hour ago 102: Last time you ate: like 3 hours ago 101: Saw someone I haven’t seen in awhile: uhhhh last weekend 100: Cried in front of someone: this past weekend 99: Went to a movie theater: two weeks ago 98: Took a vacation: last weekend 97: Swam in a pool: oof can’t recall 96: Changed a diaper: never  95: Got my nails done: never 94: Went to a wedding: last year March? 93: Broke a bone: ages and ages ago 92: Got a peircing: last year summer? 91: Broke the law: omw home like an hour ago 90: Texted: 2 min ago[ MISC ] 89: Who makes you laugh the most: sarah 88: Something I will really miss when I leave home is: i left home already lol I miss not paying rent 87: The last movie I saw: HP Goblet of Fire 86: The thing that I’m looking forward to the most: sleeping 85: The thing im not looking forward to: waking up 84: People call me: often 83: The most difficult thing to do is: be happy  82: I have gotten a speeding ticket: never 81: My zodiac sign is: cancer 80: The first person i talked to today was: the lady at Mcdonalds  79: First time you had a crush: kindergarten? 78: The one person who i can’t hide things from: no one 77: Last time someone said something you were thinking: sarah all the time 76: Right now I am talking to: sarah 75: What are you going to do when you grow up: fuck if I know 74: I have/will get a job: I have one currently 73: Tomorrow: I work 72: Today: I worked 71: Next Summer: I will work 70: Next Weekend: I will sleep 69: I have these pets: 3 cats 68: The worst sound in the world: open mouth chewing 67: The person that makes me cry the most is: my damn self 66: People that make you happy: sarah 65: Last time I cried: last weekend 64: My friends are: chill 63: My computer is: non existent 62: My School: is life. I don’t go to school 61: My Car: needs an oil change 60: I lose all respect for people who: are racist, homophobic, xenophobic, sexist, or just an asshole in general 59: The movie I cried at was: many. Last one was coco 58: Your hair color is: black 57: TV shows you watch: so many. Most recently Rebels, Black Mirror, Stranger Things, and mind hunter 56: Favorite web site: tumblr 55: Your dream vacation: somewhere cold 54: The worst pain I was ever in was: broken ankle 53: How do you like your steak cooked: rare 52: My room is: not a room 51: My favorite celebrity is: Ellen page is up there. 50: Where would you like to be: in bed with Sarah  49: Do you want children: no 48: Ever been in love: yes 47: Who’s your best friend: Bianca 46: More guy friends or girl friends: currently girl 45: One thing that makes you feel great is: sleeping 44: One person that you wish you could see right now: sarah 43: Do you have a 5 year plan: no 42: Have you made a list of things to do before you die: no 41: Have you pre-named your children: kinda 40: Last person I got mad at: a caller 39: I would like to move to: Orlando, Boston, LA 38: I wish I was a professional: SLEEPER[ My Favorites ] 37: Candy: crunch 36: Vehicle: Honda Civic 35: President: Obama 34: State visited: California 33: Cellphone provider: T-Mobile 32: Athlete: don’t have one 31: Actor: Leo DiCaprio 30: Actress: Evan Rachel Wood 29: Singer: Gerard Way 28: Band: MCR 27: Clothing store: old navy 26: Grocery store: publix 25: TV show: can’t decide 24: Movie: can’t decide 23: Website: tumblr 22: Animal: lion 21: Theme park: Disney world (can’t choose which park) 20: Holiday: Halloween  19: Sport to watch: football 18: Sport to play: football 17: Magazine: Rolling Stone 16: Book: IT and Paint it black 15: Day of the week: saturday 14: Beach: el farito  13: Concert attended: Pvris in Orlando 12: Thing to cook: Steak 11: Food: sushi 10: Restaurant: Flanagan’s 9: Radio station: 104.3 the shark 8: Yankee candle scent: I don’t have one 7: Perfume: very sexy 6: Flower: Peonies  5: Color: red 4: Talk show host: Ellen 3: Comedian: don’t have one 2: Dog breed: dachshund  1: Did you answer all these truthfully? Yeap

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dannycaing · 4 years

Text

IF DREAMS WOULD COME TRUE

IF DREAMS WOULD COME TRUE by Danny Caing Date Written: April 10, 2019

CHAPTER 1 THE WORKING CLASS

Nicolas Weinberger was a multi-trillionaire. He owns a business chain corporation from construction, buildings, and warehouses, residential housing, oil, and mining, banking, and finance, marketing, and real estate, the military-industrial complex, airlines, and shipping industries, resorts, and hotels, and so on. He was worth 8 trillion USD. But he was not satisfied with his life at the age of 32 years when he inherited the fortune from his father.

One day he decided to change his lifestyle to an ordinary working guy next door. So he rented a house with a garden in the backyard. He has no television, telephone, and computer but he has a refrigerator and an oven with a stove. He lives in a town with a population of 832 and works in a local grocery store. He drives on a second-hand bronco car. No one recognized him without his beard because he looks much younger.

The grocery store opens at 8 AM. While Nicolas was attending the store, a young lady came in to buy three gallons of ice cream and two boxes of assorted cookies.

NICOLAS: Children's party?

CHARLOTTE: No! It's for my big brother, Charlie.

NICOLAS: That's a lot of ice cream and cookies.

CHARLOTTE: Yes! He is five times bigger than me. Are you new around here?

NICOLAS: Just moved in last week. I think I like this place. It's cool. By the way, my name is Nick. Nick Berg.

CHARLOTTE: I'm Charlotte. I teach in Elementary School just a few blocks from here.

NICOLAS: Oh, so you are a teacher. That is awesome.

CHARLOTTE: Would you like to come and join us tomorrow at school? There are the stage play and choir performances of the children, that is if you are free at 7 PM. It's a simple gathering with parents in this town. I hope you enjoy meeting them.

NICOLAS: I will be there. Thank you for the invitation.

CHARLOTTE: You're welcome. See you later.

This is it! Nicolas thought in excitement. There will be no more board meetings to attend, no first-class dinners, no midnight phone calls, no unending emails, no stock markets review, no more jet lags, no emergency conferences, and no hectic appointments. It's Nicolas and Charlotte with her students tomorrow night. Nobody cares who he was, just a grocery man.

The store closed at 5 PM. On his way to the car, he saw a boy sitting on the bench in front of the store.

NICOLAS: Hey kid! Where's your mom and dad?

The kid stared at him blankly with a sad face and fell silent. Nicolas noticed a tag on his neck with his name and address on it. His name was Albert. He was an autistic kid. So, he asked the boy to get into his car and then drove him home safely in front of his house on the address on the tag. As he pushed the doorbell someone opened the door. The woman immediately embraced his son and told Nicolas that his father had been looking for him. She invited Nicolas inside the house to have some tea then she called her husband that their son is already home. The couples, Marlon and Jennifer, asked Nicolas to stay for dinner with them. They have three children, the two sisters were Cleo and Bobbie, and the boy's name was Albert.

MARLON: It's not the first time Albert got lost in the school. Thank you so much for bringing him home.

NICOLAS: Don't mention it. Everyone will do the same way I did when they saw Albert alone. You have beautiful children. How are things going?

JENNIFER: We're good. Marlon is working on an uptown ranch while I do some part-time job in the church. The girls are in elementary school. Do you have family Nick?

NICOLAS: No. When my father died, I have to take care of everything he left me. I have no time for family. That's why I need this kind of break.

MARLON: We are sorry for your loss. It's good to have you here with us Nick. Please don't hesitate to call me if you need some assistance. We are always on your side.

BOBBIE: Can you come again here on my birthday this Saturday?

Nicolas looked at once to Jennifer and Marlon with a gesture. Both parents nodded to him with their smile.

NICOLAS: Well, sure why not? Thank you, Bobbie. How old are you on your birthday?

CLEO: She will be ten years old.

During their discussion at the table, Jennifer and Marlon were surprised to hear Nick's proposal on a business partnership. He planned to put up farmland that produces products that are in demand on the market. Though Marlon has doubts about what Nicolas has been talking about, he still supported his ideas.

NICOLAS: I saw many wastelands around here. All we have to do is build a dam to irrigate the plantation. Then we will put up a factory to produce products for export. Windmills for electricity, it's a clean environment project.

MARLON: Count me in as your partner Nick. Surely, this will uplift the economy in the community. Where are we going to get financial assistance for the proposed projects?

NICOLAS: We need collateral to get loans from banks. Corporate aid funds through Foundation.

When Nicolas and Marlon looked to each other, they both laugh out loud as if the whole thing was a dream. Marlon accompanied Nicolas to his car and patted his back and said good night. Nicolas shakes Marlon's hands before he drove away.

NICOLAS: I had a wonderful time with your family Marlon. That was a good dinner. Thank you. Good night.

MARLON: Good night, too.

While Nicolas was driving his way home, in his thoughts, he was serious about his plans. But for Marlon and Jennifer, it was just an extraordinary conversation of a man like Nicolas who lived a simple life with great ideas.

The following day after closing the store he went home immediately to prepare himself to attend the Elementary School program that night. As he parked his car in front of the house, he saw Charlotte at the doorstep waving and smiling at him.

CHARLOTTE: Hello Nick! Good afternoon. I brought some apple pie for you and an invitation card signed by all my students.

NICOLAS: Good afternoon Charlotte. Well, it's an honor. Thank you, Charlotte. Please come in and let's share the apple pie. I think I'm hungry.

CHARLOTTE: You know, I cooked this pie especially for you.

On the dining table, they were talking about the children's show, the songs they are to perform and the story of the play. Then Charlotte offered herself to wash the dishes while Nicolas prepares to dress up for the occasion. While they were on their way to school, Charlotte sensed something on him.

CHARLOTTE: What is it you're thinking?

NICOLAS: You reminded me of my mom. We usually eat together when she cooked her favorite apple pie. She died when I was 12 years old. I already missed her.

CHARLOTTE: I'm sorry.

NICOLAS: It was the best apple pie I ever had tonight. I am grateful to you.

CHARLOTTE: Likewise, Nick.

As they arrived at the school, the parents were in the theater room waiting for the show to start. Everyone was busy looking for their designated seats. Charlotte has no time to introduce Nicolas to the parents instead leads him to his seat in front while she went backstage to organize the children for the show. During the children's program, Nicolas remembered when he was a kid that his dad not even once attended on his stage performances, it was his mom who is always present on the show. Right after the show, there was a picture taking on the stage of children and parents and teachers and the guests. Nicolas thought this was an unbelievable experience sharing jokes and laughter with the working-class folks. There was a buffet and the kids were seated on the long table while their parents were serving meals. Suddenly, four military helicopters were flying over the school area with spotlights and then they moved away.

CHARLOTTE: It's the first time we've seen helicopters hovering in the school. Could it be an emergency? Let's watched the T.V. in the classroom?

MARLON: Maybe it was just a military drill.

So everybody went inside the classroom to watch on the T.V. for twenty minutes but there was no emergency broadcast, it's all the regular shows. They all decided to end the party and started going home. It was already 8:32 PM. Nicolas waited for Charlotte until everyone was gone. He dropped Charlotte, Charlie and her mother to their house on his way home.

CHAPTER 2 TWO MONTHS LATER

Nicolas has known all the folks in the community. He would be attending Parents Council meeting on Wednesday nights, playing baseball with the elementary kids on Saturdays, attending a fellowship in the church on Sundays, and in the afternoon with Charlotte's family at home until dinner. Charlotte taught him how to play the guitar and sing a lot of Beatles songs.

One day, Marlon invited Nicolas to go fishing on the lake with his family for a picnic. Nicolas agreed and suggested to invite Charlotte's family with him.

NICOLAS: How far is it?

MARLON: Taking the short cut, it's just about thirty-two miles along the dirt road. It's beautiful out there on the lake. There's a waterfall on the upstream east side and hot spring. We're leaving on Saturday early morning.

One Saturday morning, there were two vehicles in convoy along the country road. They went through eight wooden bridges, three road crossings, and two creeks before reaching the lake. Nicolas was amazed by the view of the lake. He can hear the birds chirping. They went fishing, hiking to the waterfalls and swimming in the lake. Nicolas had a good time that day.

It was almost dark when they were packing the things they saw eight jet fighters in the sky. Marlon decided to take the hi-way in going home because it's so dark and foggy on the dirt road. One hour later along the hi-way, there was a barricade in front of them. Suddenly two helicopters were hovering above them with spotlights. Then they were surrounded by soldiers with a gas mask and protective camouflage suit.

SPEAKERS: Stop! Do not enter! The area is prohibited. This is not a drill.

They were escorted by the military vehicles to a nearby base complete with biological-chemical facilities. There was a quarantine room for virus detection and an isolation room for those who were infected. Everyone passed the medical check-up except Nicolas. He was transferred to another secured military medical base for further analysis. That was the last time they saw Nicolas. Upon arrival on the Medical Base, Nicolas met a high ranking General and a Senator. An adviser to his Corporation told him that they have to condone the perimeter of the town for his security reason.

CHAPTER 3 TWO YEARS LATER

The town has increased its population to 8,320 with new structures and business offices downtown. There was a new school building, hospital, banks, hotels, gasoline stations, restaurants like McDonald, Kenny Rogers, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Starbucks Coffee. Fifty miles circumference around town were different crop plantations, factories, a dam for irrigation and windmills for electricity. On the east side of town is the new middle-class subdivision where Charlotte and Marlon's family live. Marlon is the Manager of one of the factories. Charlotte is the Principal of the new Elementary & High School Building.

On Saturday night, there was a dinner party hosted by Marlon and Jennifer at Kenny Rogers Restaurant. It was the 12th birthday of their daughter, Bobbie. Charlotte's family was present including Marlon's close associates, relatives, and friends. Marlon suddenly raised his glass for a toast and called the attention of the guest.

MARLON: To the man whose ideas have changed our lives and dreams become a reality. Wherever you are, you are always in our hearts. You are the man, Nick.

CROWD: You are the man, Nick.

The crowd cheered. There was laughter and chatting with one another. Marlon was busy shaking hands with all the guests in the restaurant. Cleo went to Charlotte and whispered to her ear.

CLEO: I think I just saw Nick at the door.

Background Music: "IF DREAMS WOULD COME TRUE" by Danny Caing https://soundcloud.com/wet-glass-album/if-dreams-would-come-true

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suburbiakrp-blog · 7 years

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WELCOME TO JUKJEON, CHOI NURI !

your place at starvilla 401 is all ready for you, we hope you enjoy your stay. citizens, let’s welcome our new neighborhood sous-chef !

HOW HAS JUKJEON BEEN TREATING YOU THE PAST 2 MONTHS ?

As it’s only been a short period of time since Nuri moved into Jukjeon, she hasn’t cemented a hard opinion. Her stay in the suburb is temporary (or at least, intended to be), just up until she’s saved enough money to rent out her own one-room. The experience so far has been mostly positive, though—she appreciates her sister’s generosity in allowing her to move into a complex as well-maintained as the star villa, free of charge; add to that the charms of the surrounding community, and she’s beginning to reconsider her eventual plans to move back to the city proper. Even so, the work commute to the hills of Seoul’s Seongbuk-gu is a major inconvenience and a true test of her patience, taking up a total of four hours in transit a day (two hours both ways).

TELL US MORE ABOUT YOURSELF !

동태전 Pollock fish cakes

Their hands are swelled digging through groceries—mother’s with age and fatigue, Nuri’s with fat and blood and the blooming of red and blue around her knuckles. She’d thrown punches harder that day than ever, bloodying two noses and earning two classmates trips to the school infirmary, making too much noise when she returned home in the evening, backpack buckles and zippers clattering against wood. But now, with her hands wrapped tight around the neck of this slippery fish and gaze boring into the critter’s own dead eyes, Nuri thinks that maybe they had it coming for them all this time.

Mother asks her to crack and beat four eggs into the large bowl, and she wordlessly obliges, whacking them against the counter and relishing in each egg’s slimy exit from its shell. Her hands are still hot with indignation, remembering their impact against skin, bone against cartilage. Without thinking twice, Nuri submerges them into the bowl of eggs and lets the cold whites engulf her chubby hands. She stretches her fingers open, combing through mucus, then crushes the egg yolks as she balls them back into fists.

Mother comes over with a quizzical expression and chopsticks in tow. “Nuri? Use these instead, please.”

삼양라면 Samyang ramen

“Is the water boiled?”

“Got it right here.” Brian unlatches the electric kettle from its base and pours straight into the pot. They stand over the stove until the water reaches a rolling boil again.

“So you were saying.”

“Oh, right.” Funny that what began as a simple offhand comment about their youth pastor’s lopsided toupée and a mutual, deep-seated misanthropy (that their Bible-flipping peers found blasphemous and in poor taste) kicked off this series of kitchen confessionals. He crosses one foot over the other. “So Paul posts this thing, this super obnoxious thing. Lists every single school he got into, doesn’t spare us any details.” Then, a taunting reenactment, “Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Penn, Stanford, UVA, Berkeley, UCLA. It’s been such a journey! Can’t wait to see what the future holds in store!”

“Ew.”

“Right. And here I am, feeling shitty about myself.”

“Fuck that guy.” She flips the noodles over, then lodges her chopsticks into the center to loosen the block up. “But hey, Brown’s a great school.”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t my first choice.”

“Yeah, but it’s still a great school.” She prods at the noodles again before dropping in an egg and giving it all a loose stir. “I’d be lucky if any place takes me.”

“Aw, come on. You’re doing way better now, no?”

“I guess.”

She’s a good kid, most of the time.

Gone are the days of disciplinary complaints and phone calls from hysterical mothers demanding justice for their innocent children, what could they have possibly done do to deserve this. The kids leave her alone here and she keeps to herself more often than not.

She comes home from school now at two-thirty on the dot. It’s homework from then until dinner, followed by dish washing after the family’s finished and dad’s halfway to inebriation upstairs. With Nayoung off at college, she has the television to herself—she sticks to the tube for the next hour or so. After that, it’s back to homework and lights out by midnight. The routine that settles is incapacitating. She becomes complacent, perhaps sped up by the fact that her own parents don’t recognize the change in her once zealous disposition; they’re much too caught up in their own self-pity, staring longingly at the documents piling up on the kitchen counter.

Nuri turns the gas off and pours the ramen into two bowls, careful that neither receives a drop of soup more than the other. “Honestly, though? I don’t think school’s for me.”

A pause. “Maybe not. That’s okay, too.”

“Yeah, but…” She tops off each bowl with a generous helping of scallions and two drops of sesame oil. “… I don’t know what I’d do if I don’t go.” She hands him his share and he slurps up a mouthful.

Brian’s expression suddenly softens. It’s not the first time she’s seen this look.

“Maybe cook?” He helps himself to the soup this time, and his eyebrows narrow and angle like blades. “There’s a school with a great culinary program next to Brown.”

Johnson and Wales. I know. “It’s just ramen.” Nuri feels a slow burn in her ears.

“No, no, really. Ramen aside, your stuff is better than all of the ahjummas’ here.”

“Shut up.”

Brian grins, all white. “Just go and cook for me until you’ve figured out a better plan.”

A grumble. “Shut up and eat.”

소보로덮밥 Soboro rice

The peak of summer is here, Nuri thinks, stray hairs sticking like seaweed on her forehead as she departs from the neighborhood butcher’s.

She’s never been much of a sentimental person. But somehow, hovering over a wooden cutting board with a pound of chicken thighs at the mercy of her carbon steel knife and an unfamiliar, stinging wetness in her eyes, Nuri is forced to reconsider.

(“Is that what I think it is?”

“Maybe. Probably.”)

The meat is pounded away—flattened and pulverized and minced into an unshapely mass that she relegates to the side after a quick sprinkling of salt and pepper. She turns on the stove, smell of lighter fluid tart in the air before the flames cut in to warm the pan. She beats a few eggs together with sugar and a dash of cooking wine, then pours the mixture over and gives them a light scramble. She boils Chinese broccoli in a pot of salted water, sends it to an ice bath, then wrings out the excess moisture. And then she cooks the ground chicken, letting it sizzle in a sweet medley of soy and ginger, prodding and separating until the meat spreads across the pan into inconspicuous pieces.

(“The three color-palette always gets to me, you know. It’s so simple, so perfect.”

“Shut up and eat.”)

The rice cooker sounds just as Hyesu buzzes in.

“Smells great,” Hyesu says, moving fluidly out of her silk blazer. Everything is as it should be, and Nuri undresses her down to the last stitch, as she always does—gently-sloped chest, mischievous turn of the lips, and orderly, correct teeth. Hyesu plants a quick peck on her cheek before taking her place at the table. “Thanks for the food, babe.”

Nuri watches her dig in, smile slowly finding its way.

잣죽 Pine nut porridge

She scoops the last of the heated porridge into a bowl, milky white offset by the pellets of nuts that dot the surface. Her phone stays on the countertop, and she listens to the breathing on the other end, the sound of passing traffic, faint whirs of movement and the low rumble of car engines beyond a steady crunching of dead foliage. “Leftovers?” The voice on the other end crackles.

“Yup.” Nuri replies. “What’s your ETA?”

“Two minutes, just sit tight.” The clacking of heels against pavement is suddenly more pronounced. “Did you call mom today?”

“I did,” Nuri chucks her utensils into the sink and picks up last month’s issue on interiors, thumbing through the glossy pages with a lazy gaze and keen disinterest. “We only talked for a bit, though. Seems like she’s still busy figuring out the logistics on the new house. What a shitshow.”

Nayoung laughs. “Wonder if we’re even welcome there.”

“Maybe not.”

“Maybe not. But she seems a lot happier. Kind of makes me wish dad would find someone too. We could find a willing widow to set him up with since he’s so close by. He’s certainly not getting any younger.”

“Neither are you, sis.”

“Please, not you too.”

“Kidding, kidding. You’re doing great. Don’t need anyone to tell you how to live your life.”

“Thanks, kiddo—I can only say the same for you. Looking forward to dinner!”

“Hurry up, now.”

#sa.app #fc.kim chunga #ch.choi nuri

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healthytwentytwo · 7 years

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Alright this is just a budget post to keep myself accountable. I fixed my budget on Mint so that I'll be budgeting to spend less than I make. I didn't really understand how the budget total worked at the top of the app. I thought it was my entire amount of money that I had and how much I had left lol. I get a guaranteed 40 hours at my job and make $1988 on that. This isn't counting the regular overtime that I do so I always make more than that but, just in case, I'm making my budget so that it's less than I spend. Around $1800 and it'll change every month. My half of rent is $1178. Sucks but nothing I can do about that. Yay California. My biggest spending category is definitely makeup. I'm finally getting the makeup products I've always wanted bc I can afford it. I spent a lot over the past few months finding the right products for me. I can finally say that I'm happy with my daily routine so I'm expecting that monthly cost to go down every month. The next things I will purchase will be whenever a product of mine runs out. Ulta also has awesome sales so I'll be shopping there as usual. There's a few KVD lip sticks I wanna try but I'm going to limit myself to one per month. Groceries are another big budget of mine. I'm going to try and keep myself at $100 or at least lower than $120. I'm going to do the majority of my shopping at Costco now since it's bulk stuff. Their rotisserie chickens are fucking awesome and only like $4.99 and last me for a week's worth of lunches. Love them. Phone bill is going up a bit from $69 to $75. On a family plan with my parents and my dad wanted to upgrade from 2gb and no carryover data to 4gb and carryover data. Totally fine by me. We were always going over and it was $15 extra each month. Gas is $80. No problems there. Need to get an oil change too for around $35. So glad I set up a savings account. It's forcing me to save more money and I haven't withdrawn from it once yet. I'm dreading when I have to buy a plane ticket to my best friend's wedding. It's going to be around 500-600 fucking bucks. My parents said I can use their southwest miles so hopefully I'll get a good deal.

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agilenano · 3 years

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Agilenano - News: Somebody to Love by Sharon Sala – Spotlight and Giveaway

Agilenano - News from Agilenano from shopsnetwork (4 sites) http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Agilenano-News/~3/_Yu0ikbhLoo/somebody-to-love-by-sharon-sala-spotlight-and-giveaway

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arplis · 3 years

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Arplis - News: Somebody to Love by Sharon Sala – Spotlight and Giveaway

Arplis - News source http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Arplis-News/~3/OkOhlFF-7EQ/somebody-to-love-by-sharon-sala-spotlight-and-giveaway

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