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Navy Pier - Chicago - Illinois - USA (by Serge Melki)
Spent three hours at this flea market and bought exactly zero things.
golden hour in the morning
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ3ImB3HNip/
…I almost killed myself
I put on my sunglasses, to hide my swollen eyes, over my tears. I cried all my makeup off. Went inside to have a milkshake. I don’t know why. I wanted something to drink as I figured out what I would do. I got a soda and a milkshake. Medium. The cashier looked at me and with a line around the corner of the counter he rushed away from the counter “Hold on “ he yelled to a coworker.
I filled my soda and went back and saw him looking all over. I go up and he gets close and says “I made it a large”.
That was seriously enough for me not to do it. His kindness. Someone went out of their way and as I went back in my car to cry I realized I could muster through a few other days. A few more weeks. Then I came down from that panicky high of anxiety, depression, and pain. I finished my shake. And it was enough time to let me feel better. I… I’m alive. I’ll make it through.
Try and be nice today. Tomorrow. Something as much as a smile. It helped so much.
Thank you man at McDonalds.
The milkshake saved my life
elio looking at oliver without him knowing
requested by anonymous
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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.
PEOPLE WHO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF WHEN YOU ARE SAD ARE SO IMPORTANT
19th September 2017
The life of an adolescent has hit me, I literally am stressed out. I turned 15 this year and it already sucks I cannot longer get anything for half its’ price. Finished my cringe-worthy middle school era and passed entrance exams. Starting freshman year feels weird. I always looked up to those upper-class students wishing, I could be just like them, finally being a grown up. Now literally all I want is to stay young forever. It’s crazy how the older you get, life actually starts to hit you in the face.
Skipping classes and running late from before has come to an end in this chapter of my life. I'm officially a high schooler, somehow cool and terrifying thing to say at the same time. So far it's been nice. I met new people, made a couple of dope friends, went into a new environment, adapted to few changes and had let go of my old habits. I'm not expecting freshman year to be easy, but hopefully, I'll pass.
The first week went okay and all. Spent so much money on textbooks, it was very painful to spend money on education, but not food and coffee. Had to finish some administrative stuff, had my first coffee with a friend which seemed like I didn't go to one in god knows how long, got lost multiple times, booked a flight to Paris and well doing wild shit.
The second week went by fast. We went on an adaptation course, basically mostly accurately translated to English. It was our class and all-boys mechanics class. It meant to bond us and get to know each other, the usual when you got a bunch of new kids and you want them to socialize. I met a cute boy, who gifted me acutely patterned wristband from Marocca. Not gonna lie, I do stalk him every now and then If we don't pass the same classroom, so I can sneak peek at him. Overall I'm excited, horrified, but glad I found such a fine bunch of people. Well, let’s see if ya girl gonna survive her first year of high school.
I'll be posting every now and then, spill out my thoughts and worries.</3 Also, I'm new at this, so it's gonna be a process for me write longer entries and I do jump from one thing to another LOL, it's gonna get better, hopefully.
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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When you are balancing classes, homework, extracurriculars, and a full/part time job, it can be hard to find the necessary time to look after yourself. The important thing is to make good use of the small chances you get during the day! I’ve broken it up into time chunks, to make it easier.
Two Minutes
Brush your teeth/hair etc
Wash your face, or splash cold water on it
Drink a glass of water
Stretch! (especially if you've been sitting down for awhile)
Five Minutes
Take the stairs!
Jumping jacks/squats (I do them all the time behind the counter at work!)
Take a break and eat a piece of fruit
Ten Minutes
Walk instead of bussing
Reapply sunscreen if needed
Take a power nap if you need one
Do a short meditation
Twenty Minutes
Find a short yoga routine on youtube
Go for a quick run
Take a longer nap
Write in a journal/ Notebook if that's your thing
Thirty Minutes
Workout
Do a full yoga routine
Run/walk around your block a few times
Take the time to prepare a special, healthy snack for yourself!
One Hour or More
Workout weights or cardio
Tidy your room/ office space
Catch up on other duties (to relieve stress)
Prepare a meal and make enough for a lunch the next day
As its summer in half of the world, I’d like to remind my friends in the northern hemisphere that health in the heat means drinking cold liquids to stay hydrated, wearing sunscreen to prevent burns and skin damage, and spending time in the shade throughout the day!
Take Care of Yourselves!
A woman is unstoppable after she realizes she deserves better.
Anonymous (via cwote)
I tell everyone this and I mean it. Buy a journal. Carry it with you everywhere you go. And I mean everywhere. Write about your favorite moments, your least favorite moments, ideas, grocery lists, people you’ve met, strangers you’ve walked past on the street, favorite quotes, words to remember, what the sky looked like at 7pm, new songs you’ve discovered and what they mean to you, your childhood, places you want to go or places you’ve been, write about your passions, how you feel in this exact moment, draw out the mountains, scribble all over the pages. And when that one gets full, buy a new one. Reread it in 2 years, 20 years, when you need a good laugh, when you’re crying on your bathroom floor, read it to your children. You need to remember these moments in your life. They are so important.
Most people my age go to parties and get drunk on Saturday nights. Then there's the introverts, such as me, who stay up to 3 am, wrapped in blankets and scrolling through Tumblr.
:))
love
what another person did to you wasn’t your fault
Three Simple Rules In Life.
I’ve always loved dark minds and deep thinkers and things not meant for me
i-always-miss-you (via wnq-writers)