fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
How to start earning BTC passively
By: Jacob Nicholson
Tags: Family, Saving, Bitcoin, Friendship, Finance

Most people don’t have the time or energy to start investing in the big rigs of crypto hardware. This will be a quick review of my favorite Crypto-Browser-Miner-App it’s the only one that I’ve seen it do it all. Cryptotabbrowser.com is a chrome-like browser that allows you to directly start mining from your PC/Laptop like some beginner miners will, however they also give you bonuses for using their browser like you would Google Chrome.

On top of being able to mine directly from your browser, they have a “Cloud Boost” Feature which allows you to rent some of their hardware and boost your mining rate upto 10x. If your hardware is able to produce .08usd/day the Cloud Boost feature may be worth it if you’re like me and believe BTC will be worth much more in the future.

And if you don’t have a wallet, don’t worry I recommend all miners point their earnings towards a high-interest crypto savings wallet, and here’s my best recommendation of Crypto.com. They have upto 8% cash back everywhere, 100%rebate on Spotify, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. Plus because it works similar to a HISA, you’ll be automatically earning up to 10% earnings on your earnings!
Up to 80% Off — IObit Software Big Sale
By: Data Recovery Software Discount Coupons
Tags: Coupon, Saving, Software, Online, Iobit

80% Off — IObit Software

Now in full swing, IObit prepared the best deals: get up to 80% off on the must-have PC & Mac utilities and security software, and claim a gift pack (Worth $60) for Free with any purchase.

Duration: until Jan 31, 2021

More info:

https://www.datarecoverycoupons.com/special-offers/250-iobit-big-sale.html
Simpan Emas Sikit-Sikit
By: Honey Irmawati Hamzah
Tags: Emas, Simpan, Gold, Saving

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore
Hello my lovelies, how have you been?
By: Odufa Agba
Tags: Saving, December, Dettydecember, Traditional

Hello my lovelies, how have you been? What’s been happening on your end? For me I just got back from NYSC Orientation camp in Kebbi state. I had to download two maps to make sure I got the exact location on the map. I might even have rubbed elbows with a foreigner or two, put some respect on my name. I learnt several lessons and one of them is that the teacher who taught us means of transportation didn’t lie; camels and donkeys are still on all the way 🐪. Do you need to meet someone at the bus-stop and don’t want to stain your shoes? Hop on a donkey. Do you need to buy stuff like brooms, clothes, materials and toothpaste? Hop on a camel. Do you want pictures for the gram? You already know the answer – why put your feet on the ground when your enemies are there 🤷🏾‍♀️.

Now to the jollof of the party, Detty December! Bay-bee I’m here to tell you how to spend your money. Yes sweetie, all your dolla dolla bills or otherwise, I really don’t mind. In the spirit of all things happy, warm and merry, Christmas is coming, gifts are floating around and there’ll be a lot happening. Let’s consider the fact that chilling is essential especially in the birth month of Jesus and aso-ebi(s) are flying around because December is definitely the month of weddings. Now compare your akant balance to the sinzu life, sho tally? Can you afford the chunk you plan to take out? Plus, the legendary month of bills is less than 30 days away so another question; do you plan to sell the bottles you’ll drink from this month or do you fancy under-bridge suites? I’ll assume the answer is no.

Bringing out the big gun, BUDGET! Sticking to a budget during this period cannot be overrated. How much do you have? How much do you intend to spend? How much do you plan to save? What about your debts? How much do you plan to put aside to get the stone rolling for January? How did you spend money in November? How do you track that of December? State these with your chest sweetie, no one will beat you, it’s your money 🙃.

Creating a budget for December will allow you space for feeding, flexing and saving. It actually feels good when you’re not starting a new month from scratch. Avoid those expenses that aren’t necessary, nobody will give you one million naira for buying things you don’t need. Considering the okada year that 2020 has been, the urge to splurge this December and use all your monies to make it as detty as possible will definitely come up. But resist it as much as you can, flex and save. The best time to build a tree was 40 years ago and the next best time is now, this also goes for you financial goals. Love and light babies!

Ps; I had the absolute best coffee shake some days ago and I’m tempted to go get one again. This shake wants to drink all my money 😩.
What is a SIPP?
Tags: Tax Relief, Pensions, Saving, Sipp Compensation Uk, Wealth

This week a friend of mine had asked for some help, great! The first step to obtaining the life you deserve, is questioning what it is that you want.

After some discussion into his future we came across the SIPP, What is a SIPP?? My response was free money basically is what a SIPP is and how right is that! Would you like free money? YES PLEASE!

Just a bit of backstory here, the pension system was originally created in ancient Rome and was offered to Soldiers to give them a guaranteed income after retiring. Great idea right, but was a long time ago with a lot lower life expectancies and standard of living, the concept hasn’t really grown inline with society. Sadly our current government system is not nearly enough by itself to support any standard of living, so one must look for other alternatives to raise the amount one has to support themselves and their loved ones.

SIPPs Self Invested Pension Plan are a type of investment for people that are comfortable in making their own investments towards their future. A SIPP could even be not invested and just sit in the account uninvested and take the money that is ‘added to it’

by the government, which is up to 45% dependant on your tax bracket in the UK (up to 46% in Scotland), some of it for the higher earners is in the form of tax relief, that is a lot of money that you would otherwise go without! I mean you could even just leave it there and allow it to accumulate over the years if you didn’t want to invest and still beat inflation, which is a great deal more than the savings accounts in the current market, if a figure was to be put on that around 500% more! The tax relief depends on your tax bracket. A SIPP by nature is very flexible and current as you have control over what your money does, how it works for you, how it is invested, you can check the balance at any time, increase your payments, decrease your payments and even make changes whenever you want. Now that is taking control of something right!

The limitations of a SIPP are:

- You should ensure that your contributions for the year do not exceed 100% of your income

- You need to be under 75 years old to receive the tax relief

To give you an idea of the incredible amount of tax relief you will get. Say you earnt £40,000 Per year and contributed £10,000 each year over the course of 30 years at £833.33 per month will the magic power of compounding would be just shy of £1.5 Million, that’s right 1.5 MILLION! These are multi generation life changing numbers, just through a few simple steps.

This is just one of the small and many things that we can achieve if we just take control! Who said this was about pinching pennies and cutting coupons, this is about living an inspired life and anything is possible, if you follow the steps and mindset that we will learn.

Please let me know if you have any questions or want to take your first steps into taking control of your life and making your dreams a reality. Just subscribe and drop a line, someone will be in touch to help you take control. Invest in number one, YOU!

Take control of your life
How Should We Think About Money?
By: Aldric Chen
Tags: Personal Finance, Money, Saving, Personal Development, Thinking

How Should We Think About Money?

Step 1, we earn it. Step 2, we think about what we should do about it.

Money in our pockets goes through a tug-of-war between spending and saving. When should we save, and for that matter, spend?

Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay

We have to save for our rainy day. This ensures that we have enough for our future spending in terms of retirement needs, and other unforeseen necessary expenditure such as a trip to the dentist.

Beyond that, we need to spend on our personal development. We have to get better professionally and personally.

Hoarding cash in the bank should not come at the expense of becoming a better version of ourselves.

Do you agree?
I saved $1,000 easily using the Acorns app, just like this article suggests doing:
By: Aaron Hartley
Tags: Personal Finance, Money, Saving, Invest, Finance

I saved $1,000 easily using the Acorns app, just like this article suggests doing:

Regarding automating a savings account, do as Megan Holstein suggests, “Pick a small amount, like $50 or $100, and set up a regular bank transfer to withdraw some of your income after every paycheck into a savings account.”

If even choosing that amount is too painful, simply use an app like Acorns instead.

Acorns rounds up each transaction on my debit card to the nearest dollar and invests in an ETF. I average $50 each month in round ups and over this year have saved $1,000 doing nothing. Even better, I can log a $17.56 expense in my checkbook as simply $18, making the math that much easier. I don’t miss the round ups in my checking account and instead get to see them grow in the stock market instead. It all adds up!
Your wallet is hurting in SOO many way’s. Try this one thing…
By: Dewan Hassan
Tags: Money, Saving, Money Management, Tips And Tricks, How To Make Money

Photo by Marko Blažević on Unsplash

Does this scenario sound true?

Every Friday comes around. We cash in our checks or for most of us modernistic citizens, we get the notification that our check has been deposited. Roll off our beds and start are day in planning on what I shall spend. By the end of the next week our bank balance drops so low that we get into an anxiety mode. In that case you got a problem… trust me, whichever scenario you put yourselves in at the end of the week we just hope to recover our undoing from our next check.

Doesn’t take an expert here but following these 5 simple rules can INCREASE your savings.

Cancel All Monthly Subscriptions.

Photo by Nylos on Unsplash

You don't need it. Most of the stuff are now accessible for free like free streaming movies/shows.

It adds up… quickly. Especially if you likely to have forgotten about it.

DIY or look for other avenues to get it done without paying the extra $$.

2. NEEDS v.s WANTS

Photo by Justin Lim on Unsplash

Knowing the difference of whats actually important of need rather just feeding your desires.

Your “wants” are most likely not going to disappear. Rather it can wait until a appropriate time occurs to make a purchase.

Rainy day isn't just a day… rather it can be weeks, months and years.. Don’t assume.

3. Create A Spending System

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Categorize your how much you want to spend. Ex: Entertainment, Bills, Savings, Shopping, Grocery, etc.

Helps you visualize how much is being spent.

Easily can eliminate categories that don't make the cut.

4. Let A Trusted Person Stash It Away

Photo by Matt Collamer on Unsplash

Act like you’re broke. Keep it hidden in a safe spot.

Giving the responsibility of someone holding your cash (ex: parents, spouse) helps you save 10x more then you yourself stashing it away.

Holds you accountable.

Lets you think twice.

5. Quit Your Addictions. (BEST OF ALL)

Photo by Michael Discenza on Unsplash

Addictions to Drinking, smoking, parting, etc can lead to an overwhelming amount of spending just for a few hours of satisfaction .

. Healthy lifestyle = Happy wallet

Addictions can lead to more serious problems which later on will cost a huge amount of investment when it all could've been avoided.

These 5 simple tips can easily save your wallet in the long run… especially during these tough times.

Trying any one of these simple tips can give your a broad aspect into finding more ways to save money and the ability to invest towards your own future.

Thanks for stopping by. See you later. :)
I have actually just began to understand the investment, but the article, I liked.
By: Sandu Frz
Tags: Money, Market, Saving, Investing, Stock Market

I have actually just began to understand the investment, but the article, I liked. For a chick like me that recently hatched from an egg in this theme, is pretty valuable info. Thanks.
How COVID-19 Is Changing Retirement Plan Savings
Tags: Covid 19, Savings, Retirement

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore
3 ways to help you save more for your child in Singapore
By: Money Parent Sg
Tags: Money, Baby, Saving

Are you saving up for your first baby or a new baby? Do you know you can achieve more savings with the help from the government? Here are 3 ways every family needs to know when you are planning for a baby in Singapore.

Every Singaporean baby is eligible for the Baby Bonus Scheme.

What is the Baby Bonus Scheme?

The baby bonus scheme consists of 3 areas where you can get more money for your child:

Cash Gifts Child Development Account (CDA) Government matching to savings

Parents can start joining the scheme as early as 2 months before the child’s estimated delivery date.

Cash Gifts

Since 2015, parents will be able to receive cash gifts (for their children) in 5 installments, over 18 months.

Families will be able to receive a total of $8,000 each for their 1st and 2nd kid while for the 3rd and subsequent kids, they will be able to receive a total of $10,000 each.

2. Child Development Account (CDA)

What is CDA?

CDA is a special savings account for your child (up to 12 years old) that can be opened with POSB/DBS, OCBC or UOB, to help build up the savings for him/her that can be spent on approved uses.

When a CDA is opened, the child will receive the CDA First Step grant of $3,000.

3. Government matching to savings

After that, there is the Government $-for-$ matching contributions for each dollar that parents deposit into the CDA, up to the contribution caps shown below:

For eg, if you deposit $1,000 into the CDA, the government will give you an additional $1,000 the next month (Up to $15,000 depending on which number child).

What can the CDA be spend on?

Approved uses of the CDA

The CDA can be used to offset baby expenses including, but are not limited to:

Child Care Centres, Kindergartens, Special Education Schools, Providers of Early Intervention Programmes, Providers of Assistive Technological Devices, Medical-related Expenses (eg. Approved Vaccinations at Polyclinics), MediShield or Medisave-approved Private Integrated Plans

If you are planning for your first child, you can actually receive $8,000 + $3,000 + up to $3,000 worth of extra savings from the government! That’s a total of up to $14,000!

*And recently, a new $3,000 grant was announced on 9th Oct 2020 by the government to help parents meet the costs of raising a child amid the coronavirus pandemic. Mums and dads of children born from 1st Oct 2020 to 30th Sept 2022 will be eligible for the one-off Baby Support Grant. It will be deposited from 1st April 2021, or within one month of enrollment into the Baby Bonus scheme, whichever is later.*

That’s a whopping $17,000 for just a first child!

So while you are saving up for your baby, and with extra money given by the government, how can you make sure your savings can be maximized to the fullest?

Share with us your thoughts! There’s much more you can do with the extra money given to you!

Source: https://www.moneyparentsg.com/post/3-ways-to-help-you-save-more-for-your-child-in-singapore
FIRE: The Basics of Retiring Early
By: Brandon Wang
Tags: Lifestyle, Money, Saving, Investing, Life

Photo by Jonathan Chng on Unsplash

The FIRE movement has gained immense momentum in recent years and has an almost cult-like fandom in the personal finance community. Inevitably, as I started my first few steps into personal finance, I stumbled upon the concept of FIRE: Financial Independence Retire Early. The FIRE movement is a dedication to extreme savings and investing in having the opportunity to retire much earlier than traditional savings or retirement plans.

Retiring in your 30’s or 40’s might sound like a dream to most people. It might also seem impossible without a high-paying job or getting extremely lucky, but actually, the FIRE community is filled with people of modest salaries.

The emphasis is placed on intensely high savings rates(sometimes up to 80%!) coupled with living frugally and reducing expenses to a minimum. Read: you’re sprinting to retirement, and your shirt is on fire.

In fact, FIRE embodies the same idea that Vicki Robin wrote about in the best selling book on personal finance, “Your Money or Your Life.”

“Money is something you trade your life energy for. You sell your time for money. It doesn’t matter that Ned over there sells his time for a hundred dollars and you sell yours for twenty dollars an hour. Ned’s money is irrelevant to you. The only real asset you have is your time. The hours of your life.”

To take back the time in our lives, followers of the FIRE movement have gravitated towards this drastic, high-saving, low-expense lifestyle to retire well before the traditional age of 65.

This simple idea has sparked the flame in many to completely shift their outlook on financial independence and move retirement plans even decades earlier. In reality, the steps to achieve FIRE are relatively simple. It’s sticking to these steps that is the most difficult part.

Steps to FIRE

Step 1: Decide what kind of living expenses you’ll be happy with in retirement.

Step 2: Consistently save and invest a majority of income while reducing expenses substantially.

Step 3: Once you’ve saved up or invested about 25–35 times your expected yearly expenses, you now have the opportunity to quit your job or retire to an alternate form of work. It’s at this point many reach FIRE.

Note: FIRE advocates commonly equate financial independence with the 4% Rule in the Trinity study: an influential paper that determined it is sufficient to live off of 4% of your total investments for the entirety of retirement.
Four Investment Myths and Their Answers
By: Smart Investors
Tags: Finance And Banking, Money, Saving, Investment, Economy

I’m young and I have a good job. I have enough money to take care of myself.

You’re not going to be young or keep the job forever, and you need to invest for when that comes. Even while young, there’s a likelihood you might have to pay hospital bills at one time or

Even in this case you will come across major expenses like medical problems, accidents, vacations etc. Now when you have money is the perfect time to invest. Even if you have enough for that too, it doesn’t hurt to build a secondary or tertiary source of income to take care of your retirement or extra wants.
If this is your last semester in college, do these 3 things:
By: Jorge Mireles
Tags: College, Jobs, Graduation, Saving, School

I like to write about things.
Bartola’s two coins
Tags: Personal Finance, Dogs, Saving, Covid Diaries, Cats

Pay for company

One successful business in this pandemic, to the surprise of economists, was the sale of pet food. Other increases were seen in online sales and home package deliveries, obviously not counting cleaning products. Apparently, in confinement we all got crazy for cats or dogs.

Food for… affection?

As far as home economics is concerned, feeding a pussycat or canine is probably cheaper than going out to bars or pursuing more ominous consumption practices.

Pic: Marcus Pinho en Pexels

Full paper:

https://soybarrio.com/pagar-por-compania/
A beginners guide to investing
By: Cheddr C.I.C
Tags: Saving, Financial Wellbeing, Investment, Investing, Beginner

With savings rates increasing across the UK, what better time to start your investment journey. For those comfortable with their savings and happy to look at spreading a little risk, perhaps now’s the time to look at alternative vehicles to potentially increase your wealth. Here are a few tips in our beginners guide to investing.

Is investing right for me?

Always do your research when it comes to investing. If you’re simply uncertain about taking the plunge financially or emotionally, then perhaps investing isn’t for you. Also, step back from investments if you have a lot of borrowing or expensive mortgage — sort out personal debt first.

Assess your risk

Discover whether you have the stomach for channelling your inner “Wolf of Wall Street” skills by trying an online risk quiz first, there are loads out there. A simple google search will help you to understand and assess how likely you are to deal with money losses in terms of your bank balance and your emotional side too.

Do your research

If you’re not sure what type of investment to pick or concerned you might take on too much risk, there are plenty of free websites packed full of detailed fund and stock market information. Money Saving Expert has great accessible online support for those wanting guidance about how to start.

Take a look at our investment blog covering the fundamentals of investments

We weigh up the risks and reward of some of the high street bank products and determine whether we can decide if they’re a sensible place for you to put your hard-earned money.

Beware of some “advice”

If the returns seem too good to be true, they probably are. Beware of social media, buy now, sell quick “opportunities” — they may not be what they seem. Furthermore, make sure you are taking advice from FCA regulated advisors who have tons of experience in managing investment portfolios.

Spread your risk

Whilst you’re an investment novice, it could be wise to spread your risks. Investing in low-risk investments will lead to lower returns (e.g. stocks and shares ISA) but maybe a good idea whilst you are testing things out. The higher the risk, the greater the volatility either way up or down. This is where you’ll stand to make the greatest profits or losses. However, whatever you choose, always take advice first. Think about what you are comfortable with losing and start low and slow, building up your confidence over time.

You’re in it for the long term

Investments generally increase in value over the long term but many fluctuate over the short term. Money Saving Expert recommends that you invest for at least 5 years and if you can’t, steer clear of investing and leave your money in a savings account.
#MeetAPiggyVestSaver: Uzochi. Whether you’re a young adult ready to…
Tags: Nigeria, Money, Saving, Investing, Fintech

Whether you’re a young adult ready to start saving for retirement, a 50-something ready to pay off your debts or you’re just living on a fixed income, these two things are super essential.

PiggyVest aims to help you do that while guiding you through the process! Everyone finds their own unique use for the app, and that, we think is the beauty of PiggyVest.

Every month, we shine a spotlight on one saver, asking them questions about their savings and investment culture and how the product is specifically helping them shape how they spend and save for future responsibilities.

This month, we have our saver, a 26-year old Field Account Executive.

So, here we go. Meet Uzochi.

—

There it is guys. You too can begin to use your PiggyVest account to fulfill any and all your savings needs! Remember you can start with as low as N100/daily; and pick your own flexible investment options!

Go to www.piggyvest.com now to get started.

Thanks for watching!

The PiggyVest Team
Passive Incomes That Have Been Proven Most Effective
By: Muriel Wood
Tags: Financial Planning, Money, Saving, Passive Income, Finance

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

“If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die” — Warren Buffet

Do you know what the number one problem is with having a job? —

It’s the fact that you’re only able to earn money for those 8 hours per day, 5 days a week in most cases.

But for the other 128 hours in a given week — you’re not able to make any money at all, and this is essentially the definition of active income where you’re exchanging your time for money.

Most people — if they’re looking to make more money, they think they have to work more hours, and while that is a way to make more money, it’s kind of a lousy solution to this problem.

Sure, you could go out there and get another part-time job on top of your full-time job, or you can work crazy overtime.

But the question at the end of the day here is, do you really want to be working 50, 60, or even 70 hours per week?

I would say most people would answer that with a no.

Now, I personally became obsessed with this idea of earning passive income in my early 20s, and I’ve built up a couple of different passive income streams.

You’re in a bit of a unique situation here because you generally have a lot of time on your hands if you don’t have kids or a family yet — but you probably don’t have a lot of money, and when it comes to earning passive income, you either have to invest your time or invest your money.

These are different passive income streams that work well for people in their 20s.
The Sound of Money: How Cash App Makes the Connection
By: Jomarie Hawkins
Tags: Ui Ux Design, Saving, Investing, Fintech, Technology

Anyone else get excited at the sound of a Cash App notification? You know, this one:

Today, as I dropped a coin into my coin jar, I felt a similar sensation. It was the sound of sweet satisfaction. At that moment, I realized that Cash App, the popular mobile payment service, played off of this human experience by simulating a familiar experience through this simple usability function that makes all the difference.

While I haven’t actually saved physical cash or coins in years, due to COVID-19 and my urge to begin investing every cent I have into my future self, I decided to begin saving coins again, one by one. In the middle of a global pandemic and national coin shortage, I know. Shocking. As a stock and investing newbie, who just recently dared to put actual cash into the market instead of sitting back and observing, I started to see how even the smallest cent made the difference. This transformed my thinking and investing trajectory. Beginning to see how a cent could make such a significant difference in my overall portfolio, I decided to re-invest in myself in this very simplistic and antiquated way, saving my coins and considering them “dividends”. While I laugh at my wordplay, this change in thought has catapulted my personal investment strategy, not just in the stock market but in my everyday life. How we view money is very important to how we make money. I’ve seen this advice time and time again. If you learn more about money and understand its use and conception, you can become that much closer to making a whole lot of it. I see the truth in this now. Even the smallest amount of profit is profit. No doubt.

So, as I dropped that coin into my coin jar, I had a sense of nostalgia and clarity. While I’ve always been one to save money, whether it be hard cash or in a savings account, this small connection to the simple sound of money clinking really opened my eyes to the connections we make and the influences these connections have on our lives and investment strategy. Cash App isn’t just a regular online banking platform, it has revolutionized the way that we interact with money outside of a banking institution. As digitization opens our lives and eyes up to the immense possibilities of technology in even the most abstract industries and avenues, it is important that these new businesses can play on the most simple, yet vital human experiences and not let them waste away. Not only has Cash App solidified itself in the Fintech world as a leading company, but it has also solidified itself in the hearts of many users, including myself. While we can potentially downplay the importance and influence of tech in our lives, when that Cash App notification hits, it is an all too-familiar feeling. You have to admit.
How to not spend money
By: Barker Radovan Grznarik
Tags: Money, Saving

All stories about saving money I’ve heard already suppose you are logical being. You should know how to NOT spend money and so they do NOT tell you how to NOT spend money. Instead they start with stories how everyday skipping of regular coffee for 5$ will save you 1800$ per year. What a nonsense.

I was there. I know emotional shopping. Every time my salary arrived I was thinking how I could spent those money. I actively searched online shops, even charities and online personal growth courses without deep thinking, just using my money until it was all wasted. Like I could do nothing else with my money, just spend it. This was my habit for many years. If I evetually saved money on something, I used it for something else almost immediately.

Everything is about right mindset. But how to move from broken, possibly desperate and depressed mind to mind full of joy and motivation? I imagine this path as a stairs leading up but you don’t see where exactly. You use studying and practice to move to next step and then you need some time to be confident to stay there and to prepare yourself for next step. Everybody is in different step in their lives and it takes time to make progress. So it will take years to get somewhere but if you move you will get there. I can not do it for you.

If the right time comes you realize that you need correct tools. In my case I did not care about finances at all. I never knew how much money sits on my account so I was soon surprised about lack of money until my next income. I realized I need shift of my mindset. So I started to look daily into my accounts, debts and savings. I did some changes, reorganized my debts, removed unused credit card. At the day my income arrived, I split it to 3 different accounts. Debt account, food account and account for regular household charges. I tried to plan my other expenses, at least the big ones.

As the time went I decided to start more saving accounts. For example I decided to buy a new chair but I did not want to spend all my money immediately so I started a saving account for that purpose. First month I put there just 10$ and it was somehow depressing when I thought about that low amount of saved money but 2 things happened in that moment as a side effect. Money for the chair were on special saving account so I was not able to see it directly from my main account view so I put an obstacle to my mind to spend this money. Another important mindshift happened when some bigger amount of money arrived from time to time. With my old mindset I would immediately spend all money to buy useless things but with this new approach I know how slow and painful is saving so I decided to put this money rather to my saving account or to more saving accounts depending on their purpose. Now I view my saving accounts every other day and I enjoy it and play with it. I think — Do I really want this item? Sometimes I decide that I want something else instead and rename my saving account. I simply pay more attention to my finances and that is main difference.
I Broke Up with Cable—. AFTER twenty-two years of Comcast /…
By: Michael A Wells - Infp Personality Type
Tags: Tv Cable Internet, Internet Service Provider, Youtube Tv, Savings

Photo by Jonas Leupe on Unsplash

AFTER twenty-two years of Comcast / Xfinity cable, my wife and I said goodbye to the cable boxes and filled up a small laundry basket and I drove them to their retail store. We had called ahead and given them a cut off date, allowing ourselves time to try our next television adventure. Actually, Comcast was not our first. That was Time-Warner Cable. There were not a lot of differences between the two except perhaps for customer service and I will give the edge slightly to Comcast in that department. That is now, however, a glowing endorsement.

The ultimate rub with Comcast was that we had a landline that was only used for home business, and that was no longer in use at all. We also had their cable, but our daughter had put google fiber into the house so that was not needed either. I was paying roughly $170 for all these services including a wide spectrum of stations available, but in an effort to cut back to just the cable service, minus phone and internet they still wanted roughly $140 to which I said, that’s the best you can do? They lost a twenty-two year customer. I mean, what would you have done.

My various children (all of adult age) with their own various experiences in TV service made suggestions. What we decided on was YouTube TV. We had to use a Roku hookup to the TV and with the Google wireless modem, wha-la! we had TV.

So, it’s been nearly a month since we waved goodbye to cable and pocketed an extra $100 of savings. This of course is a plus.

I’m getting pretty much everything I wanted in programing. What I’m less excited about is the scrolling between live & library and home. Then going to find the specific program. I don’t mind telling you I pretty much hate it. The wife does too. There has been a couple of small technical issues that have come up but they were temporary. It honestly is inconvenient. I’m the kind of guy who likes to turn on the TV and get to my station seamlessly. This isn’t it.

Savings is what we were after. That much we have accomplished. I’m okay with this setup for now, but if I win the lottery, I’m changing back!
Favorite Music: 2007–2019
By: Michael Digrande
Tags: Personal Essay, Internet, Music, Criticism, Critique

I’ve been writing about music, across a variety of platforms, since 2007. I’ve consolidated those reflections below in case you’d like to spend some time with them, and to make access easier for first time readers. Please excuse the broken links, images, and underdeveloped opinions. The Internet was young back then. I was too.

2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007
2021 Assemblage Submission Guidelines
By: Jonathan Greene
Tags: Writing, Personal Essay, Poetry, Submission Guidelines, Publication

The Backstory

Assemblage was originally created as an alternative multi-author blog to Medium, on its own website created using Squarespace. The submission and publishing process was much more time consuming than on Medium and in the end, the determination was made that writers would be better served with the publication on Medium. So, we came back to Medium on August 21, 2019.

Assemblage had a successful first season of its podcast. Season Two is still under consideration and we have plenty of guests lined up. Any writer who is accepted as a contributor to Assemblage has the opportunity to be on the podcast as a guest. Assemblage is meant to be a collaborative enterprise and the podcast gives writers a chance to step outside of the screen and onto the mic.

Assemblage is the continuation of the now-defunct Medium publications, Redoubtable and Uncalendared. And now, Assemblage is the publishing arm of A Work of Fiction, Know Yourself, Loose Words, and Recollection.

In 2020, we published 1,128 pieces on Medium from 98 different writers. Our most-read essay had 136,000 views and 52,000 reads. We had two essays with more than 2,000 fans. These numbers are great, but we don’t write for the numbers. We write because we have to.

In 2020, we also had to remove our submission requirements and shut down intake because of the digital barrage occurring on Medium, as well as the widespread plagiarism and encouragement to apply everywhere. You can educate yourself on why we did it below. Really, if you want to write here, you should read about why we stopped adding writers.
For Something Good
By: Jennifer Xia
Tags: Personal Essay, Journalism, Personal Narrative

In elementary school, whenever I had a test or if my dad had an important job interview, my mom would ask me to get on my knees and pray for something good before I went to sleep. Back then, I didn’t really know what I believed in, but I thought there had to be someone listening.

Or else, what was the point?

As I got older, what I believed in never really became much clearer, but I kept praying for something good. My dad’s safe return from business trip flights. A good grade on a math test. A day without overthinking on the bus ride home. I trusted my mom that this made a difference.

But during high school, when we all seem to be lost in some way, I had fully convinced myself that I was a bad person. I thought I would feel this way forever. I started praying for something bad.

I asked something you might say in a game of “Would You Rather”, huddled with friends on a bed of wood chips beneath the playground slide during recess.

“I know this sounds crazy, but could you take away all the pain of my family and friends and put it on me so I can hurt for them?” I whispered, hands clasped and lips moving in a fluttered dance. “I can take it.”

I saw pain as a gateway for understanding. And as true as it is that one can never fully understand something until they have lived it, I was praying for pain as retribution. I wanted to be good and punishment seemed like my equalizer.

In my European History class in junior high, we learned about 14th century flagellantism. They seemed insane, but I wondered if they felt the same as I did. Wanting to bring a little more heaven on earth, whatever that meant.

When I think about this version of myself and catch glimpses of her when reading through old scrawled journal entries at 3 a.m. on my phone, I can’t wait for her to see that she finds something new and hopeful as a gateway for understanding. Storytelling.

Growing up, what stuck with me about stories was the way they made me feel. Black Beauty taught me the simple reach of humanity. Nancy Drew injected my nights with suspense and wonder. Calvin and Hobbes made me nostalgic over my morning bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats cereal.

Even more so with people, I care about how I make people feel. Some of my favorite compliments I have ever received had been, “You make me want to be a better person” and “You make me feel special.” How people make us feel stays with us forever. It can give us a little heaven on earth. It can make us believe in something good.

This is what I try to bring to every story I tell. In the four minutes it takes to read my article, I hope people leave with a glimmer of what it feels like to breathe and be and live this person’s life.

As a Chinese American in journalism and daughter of two parents in the STEM field, I am constantly trying to prove myself and make them proud. In some ways, I am always living for them.

But when I write, I write for the people whose story I am telling. This is where the heart of journalism beats strongest. When we write for something good.

We write because we know someone is listening.
We have our winners!
By: Kelly Eden
Tags: Personal Essay, Nonfiction, Creative Nonfiction, Contests, Life

We have our winners!

Want to read some fantastic creative nonfiction? The winners and finalists of Inspired Writer’s Christmas Challenge have been announced so grab a hot chocolate, steal a candy cane off the tree, and snuggle up for some heart-warming winter reads:
From Hurting Headaches to Holiday Holiness
By: Elise Marie
Tags: Medicine, Personal Essay, Storytelling, Healthcare Ideas, Little Moments

One minute she was describing the reason she came into the clinic that day, and the next minute tears were streaming down her cheeks. Before walking into the door, I look at the chief complaint for the visit: headaches. I walk in and the woman is almost sleeping… she is a bit slumped over in the chair and her eyes are closed. She was taking a quick snooze before the provider came in to see her. I gently say, “Good afternoon, how are you doing?” She quickly wakes up and responds, “Child, I’m tired, but blessed.” She then begins to discuss her headaches, she shows me that around her temple she gets this pressure sensation. You see, she works at a school and the schools, well, are looking quite different this year. I nod to show her that I can understand how that could cause some tension and stress, likely contributing to her headaches. She continues, “We feed the first through fourth graders, they are so happy to be eating at school again. I love my job, child, do you hear? I love my job. They’ve taken me in.” I smile and continue to nod, keeping space for her to continue with her thoughts. The room feels filled with gratitude and chatter. Suddenly, she begins to cry. I almost don’t notice it- I thought we were doing good here, I thought the room felt light. I had to do a double take to notice, again, that my patient is now beginning to cry. And in these 3 seconds of my double take, the tears begin to fall at a quicker pace. She is simply flooded with emotion. Through the tears, I can tell that her gaze is a bit far off; I can tell she is thinking deeply about something. I lean in a bit and softly say, “Tell me more.” She tells me that she is just so grateful for her job. She wouldn’t have been able to afford holiday gifts for her grandchildren. Her paycheck can only spread so thin. But, her school committed to purchasing holiday gifts for her family. “They are so good, let me tell you, Lord let me tell you. That school is so good to me.” She is saying this as tears are just flowing down her cheeks. “I am so blessed. My grandbabies will now get something that I wouldn’t have been able to give them. Lord, let me tell you, that school. I am blessed.” I find myself with tears welling up in my eyes as well, because what started as another routine headache concern and light chatter, turned into what I can only describe, as holiness.
The sangoma of Soccer City
By: Mark Bessoudo
Tags: Personal Essay, Travel Writing, Travel Photography, Soweto, South Africa

The sangoma of Soccer City

Photo by Mark Bessoudo

Before joining a half-day cycling tour of Soweto, the only thing I knew about it was that it was precisely the kind of place I would never tell my mom I was going. I had only vague knowledge that this township outside Johannesburg was historically significant—something to do with Nelson Mandela and apartheid — but beyond that the only word I associated with it was “dangerous”.

That quickly changed. I learned about its history, culture and politics from locals, spoke to a sangoma (traditional healer) along a dirt road, was offered chicken at a backyard barbecue, and swigged local lager at a bar.

It became apparent that this place is not as homogeneous as I had originally assumed. Even the skyline was disparate, from the Soccer City stadium, a modern architectural gem, to the cooling towers of a decommissioned coal-fired power station.

Half a day is all it takes to change your mind about a place.
Tea Beginnings
By: Lauren Tashiro
Tags: Personal Essay, Beverage, Personal, Puerh, Tea

Earl Grey and Lady Grey were my go-to teas for a long time. When I went away for university, I bought whatever coloured pack of tea caught my eye in the morning. My cousins knew to get me tea for Christmas.

Black tea with sugar and milk and regular green tea got me through my university years.

Everything came to a halt after I graduated. My plan to become an ALT in the JET program needed a back-up after I wasn’t selected. I scoured a lot of post-graduate programs, trying to think of something to do in the meantime. I came across the Boulanger and Baking Art program at Nova Scotia Community College.

My mother’s side of the family lived in Nova Scotia, but most importantly my — at the time — 99 year old Nana lived there. After only spending about two weeks out of a year with her, I decided that living close to her, if only for a littler while, would be worth it.

So I moved out to Nova Scotia for a year and learned how to make bread. Lots and lots of different kinds of bread. The small class size meant that I could get closer with the people in my class. I managed to come out of my shell quite a bit.

One weekend, my aunt invited me to go to a tea tasting party at her friend’s house. Her friend’s son and his wife were visiting from China and had established a tea company, better known as Bitterleaf Teas. Coomi brewed tea for me and a handful of other people.

It was a whole different taste than any tea I’ve drank before. Watching Coomi sit and brew in silence felt so peaceful despite all of the people talking in the room. As a person who lives with depression and anxiety, sitting quietly and watching the tea leaves slowly grow in size and change the colour of the liqud in the gaiwan kept me in the moment, kept me thinking about the anticipation, the excitement of trying the tea, how the flavour would change with the current steeping.

My favourite ended up being the Dragon Blood Raw Purple Pu’erh, which I still have two tongs of stashed away.

Dragon Blood Raw Purple Pu’erh by Bitterleaf Teas

I began to mimic what I saw Coomi did that day, while also following other instructions I found online. Those times I would turn on some video and just sit and vibe. As I drank my tea, I felt my insides warm up and a strange feeling of energy as well.

It didn’t help that I would drink about 2 litres of tea (or about 15–20 steeps) of tea in one sitting.

The feeling of floating inside my own body might be what others call being “tea drunk”. A clear sense of calm and relaxation was given to me by the tea and time seemed to flow more slowly. But the sensation of being tea drunk washed away my constant feelings of anxiety and some of my depression.

So now I drink tea pretty often.

And there are so many more teas out there in the world that I want to try that I don’t think that I would be able to truly enjoy them all.

I guess that just means I have to drink tea more than once a day.