Awokenfromdaydreams - Daydream

White and crisp

2017

I don’t want a lot. Just some space, and time. And if it’s not too much to ask, perhaps some brighter days and gentler nights.

I aim for growth. I hope I achieve it.

We will never be the couple that stands on a chair to Instagram their brunch, and I’m cool with that.

just peachy

san diego, california

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To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved.

George MacDonald (via wordsnquotes)

College is known as a time of having little money & living off Ramen, so here’s a few tips to help save & even earn some money while in college!

Shopping Tips:

Shop in sales: Shop clever, buy your winter clothes when they’re on sale in summer & vice versa. You can really save a lot of money on good quality clothes such as shoes & fleeces buy buying them when they’re discounted. 

Look around: compare online prices & the price in other stores and retailers. Also remember to check delivery!! It can make a real difference to the price!

Discount Codes: a college student’s best friend. Sites like Unidays & Student Beans always have lots of codes for discounts when shopping online and don’t forget to present your card at the till when you’re shopping in store! Also many bloggers often share discount codes so make sure to look out for them too! 

Unsubscribe from emailing lists: emails offering products that you don’t need or from stores are 1) clogging up your inbox & 2) can be tempting to make impulse purchases.

Cut down on take-out: and food you buy in college. Try bringing your own meals & snacks you’ve made at home in. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll save in a week!

Be wise about when you shop: look out in advance about when there’s going to be a sale on & know about upcoming ones, especially if looking for something specific. 

Buy high quality: on items that you use often such as fleeces, shoes & coats. Try and buy these when they’re on sale, usually spring and summer months! Buying a higher quality will stop you having to repurchase sooner as they’ll last longer.

Be careful shopping with others: be considerate about what you want & what you need. Friends can sometimes be a bad influence when it comes to buying wants. 

Pay with cash if possible: people tend to spend less if they can actually see what they’re spending & see it disappear. 

Good Saving Habits:

At the end of each week: clear out your purse, collect spare change in a jar, watch it add up!

Have a target: set a target for an amount you want to save at the start of each week. At the end of the week you can use it to treat yourself, or save it up and after a few months you could have enough for a trip!

Ask yourself if you need it: especially for things like textbooks. See if there’s other options such as borrowing from the library or buying a cheaper old/used edition. 

Make use of free things: such as the library! You can borrow books for free & it’s a warm, quiet place to study (which will save money on your home electricity bill!). Also see if any college clubs have free classes such as karate, or dance which you can do, instead of forking out for a gym membership! Also societies are always hosting free events such as movie nights! 

Try envelople budgeting: it can be a handy way to see how much you want to spend on different things!

Mend: old things or DIY a new one! Pinterest is great for finding plenty of different DIY’s & hacks.

Sign up for rewards programmes: if you shop at a specific store a lot, see if they offer a loyalty programme. Some banks even offer rewards for shopping at specific stores. So make sure you’re all signed up to make the best of your purchases!

Share subscriptions: Ask if anyone wants to share a subscription service such as Netflix with you, it’ll be cheaper & you’ll both benefit! Also remember Spotify & Apple Music both offer 50% off student discount!!

Earning Money:

Online Jobs: such as translator, writer, or typist. These jobs offer a lot of flexibility which can help if you’ve a busy schedule! This blog post has lots of information on online jobs.

Tutoring: there’s always people needing a little extra help in a subject, and if it’s one you’re specialising in, why not choose to tutor! There are online sites depending on your local area which can list you as a tutor in specific subjects. 

Weekend Jobs: If you’re busy from 9-5 in college it can be hard to find a job during the weekdays. Plenty of companies are looking for people to work weekends, when their weekday staff is off. 

Working on Campus: can be a great option as they know you have a busy schedule and also when exams are coming up. Pop in to your Student’s Union and see if they know of any available jobs!

Online Surveys: you won’t get rich quick from doing these & in my opinion some can be really time consuming. Many offer gift cards instead of money but income is income! Look online for companies that offer online surveys were you live.

Sell: old stuff hidden in the attic or clothes you never wear! Sites like eBay and Depop always have people looking out for something specific which you could have. Make sure you’re honest about your products condition & work out the shipping beforehand so you can get a sale!

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Yunohira-onsen

I tried to explain to a friend of mine who has never ever been poor in his life why it is that poverty is a cycle, and why it’s so difficult to escape poverty. 

His response was, “just save money”. I kept trying to explain that when you are living paycheck to paycheck, there really is no saving money because most of your income is being spent on basic needs: food, shelter, clothing, transportation. 

So, then he responded, “well, why can’t you just save $5 every week”. Well, a lot of poor people do try to save. I would manage to get a few hundred in my savings account, but then you get a flat tire, or you end up getting sick and missing a week of work, or you have an unexpected bill. And, that few hundred dollars suddenly disappears. I tried to explain to him that when you’re poor, unanticipated expenses can very quickly and easily blow through what little you have in your savings account and put you back at square one. 

I also tried to explain that when you are that poor, you need to make purchases while you have the money. Like, if I needed a new pair of jeans and I had an extra $30 that week, I would buy myself a new pair of jeans that week because I didn’t know when I would have an extra $20 or $30 to spend. So, he countered that with, “You don’t need to buy clothes. You could have put that $30 in your savings.”

To which I responded, “Well, if it were socially acceptable to walk around without pants on, then maybe poor people could climb out of poverty, but until then, when your jeans have holes in them, or don’t fit you anymore, you need to get some new ones.”

Then it kind of clicked for him.. a little. 

So, I went on to talk about the sociological aspects of poverty, like how growing up poor, or growing up as part of a marginalized demographic pushes your starting block 100 feet behind your peers.. how our educational systems are set up to fail impoverished children. The light bulb flickered, but never fully turned on. 

And, then he said, “I still can’t believe you were ever on food stamps.” 

Yes, my friend, poverty and I get a nice little reunion every few years. I know it intimately, which is why you should sit back, relax, and just listen. 

I never understood how it was so difficult to see the realities of poverty. To me, it is sort of common sense. And, what is irksome is that poverty doesn’t always present itself as an old beat up car, and falling apart sneakers. People who grow up middle class and financially secure seem to think that poverty looks a lot like dirty children with dirty clothes, and no shoes. But, it doesn’t. It can be that, but it’s often not. 

I grew up in a nice house in the suburbs, but we were poor. We were very poor for a long time, in part due to my medical issues. People assume that because we went to Catholic school, and had a nice house that we were well-off. We weren’t. My mother worked 2-3 jobs, and my parents took out loans to pay for our school tuition. My mother’s parents helped pay for some of our education, even though they were also incredibly poor. My parents sometimes struggled to put food on the table. 

I never had clothes that were dirty or falling apart, but most of my clothes and shoes were hand-me-downs from my older cousins. In fact, a lot of my toys were, too. 

Both of my parents grew up in poverty. My father, especially, grew up in complete and abject poverty. Their parents grew up in poverty, and so did their parents. My parents made immense sacrifices to set us up for financial success, but life always finds a way to intervene. 

Personally, my health issues have been the driving factor behind my own financial issues. I have amassed thousands of dollars in medical debt. I work a job that doesn’t use my degree at all because I can work part time and still get benefits, and because I know I won’t get fired if I need to take extended absences due to my health. 

So, when you say, “I still can’t believe you were ever on food stamps,”  you are really saying, “I have this picture in my head of what poverty looks like, and you don’t fit that image.” 

That idea we have about what poverty is supposed to look like is a big reason why people in the middle class are so content with cutting safety net programs, even though they are one medical problem, one car accident, or one lay-off away from complete financial ruin. What does poverty look like, then.  How do you “just save money”, then.