Stuff

Because life is full of different stuff. . . And I can't pick just one to focus on. . .

[cringepdf-deactivated20240504]

the personification of death being portrayed as deeply kind in fiction is something that reduces me to tears every single time

[cerothenull]

Garden of Death by Hugo Simberg is one of my favorite pieces of art for that very reason.

Life is a garden and Death is the caring gardener

[high-quality-tiktoks]

oh baby dumplin

[sandersstudies]

Yoooo so I was watching those girls on showertok who do like exfoliate scrub shave moisturizing wash scented wash hair moisturizing shampoo conditioner body polish body cream baby oil hair oil perfume and then change into sexy lingerie or pajamas and I was like wtf that is so much work my showers take like five minutes

BUT I bought the products they used (or similar, cheaper versions) and gave myself a luxury shower and??? I am a new woman wtf. I was so smooth, felt so confident and soft and smelled so nice. These women know what’s up. Like I won’t make every shower like this but once a week would be nice for sure.

100% would reccomend. I spent like 30$ on products but you could probably use five bucks at Dollar Tree and get yourself a similar experience.

[blackboujeebeauty]

Stacking Your Coins 101💰✨

As 2021 comes to an end you may be coming to the realization that

Maybe you didn’t save up as much money as you may have hoped for in the beginning of the year

You want to go into 2022 with a better understanding of your finances or getting that aspect of your life under control but you may have a hard time finding a saving method that works for you consistently.

Or you simply wanna save for something specific in mind

One of the valued aspects of life for the BlackBoujeeBeauty brand is Financial literacy and Financial Freedom. Financial literacy is having the set of skills and knowledge that allows you to make informed and effective decisions with your financial resources. Having control of your money is so important for ones' self development by separating ourselves from old habits and creating new routines and methods that not only work and benefit us but that we enjoy doing.

Having money coming in whether it be from your day to day job, investments, business ventures, partnerships and brand deals, assets and inheritance is a luxury that we should not take for granted but knowing how to make your money work for you and knowing where your money is going is an even bigger flex. In today's blog post we are featuring saving methods you can try as well as some tips and tricks on how you can always stay ahead of the game when it comes to YOUR money.

Repeat after me.

"IT IS NEVER TOO EARLY OR TOO LATE TO START SAVING MONEY"

Now in my early 20's I sometimes find myself thinking damn I could have started saving way earlier then I did. If I would of have started saving that lunch money and Elementary book fair my parents would give to me then just maybe I would be up there with Miss Robyn Fenty herself in the coins department. Okay... maybe I'm exaggerating just a wee bit but a girl can dream right? Unfortunately we still have yet to develop the technology to time travel soooo I had to get a grip and teach myself financial literacy.

Tips for saving $$

The first step to getting on the road to creating a better relationship with your money is, Knowing how much money you have available to save and knowing how much money you are actually willing to save. Going over your monthly income, expenses and bills is a good start on knowing how much you are able to save based on those factors. If you currently don't have any bills, Lucky you! but also keep in mind that a bill can also be something so little as those monthly subscriptions you don't even realize that you're subscribed too!

After you reviewed everything over and get a solid range on how much you feel comfortable saving find a method that works for you of where exactly that saved money will now be allocated. There are so many methods on how to allocate your money and I'll be sharing a few that I have personally tried myself some that have worked for me and others that may work for you.

Savings Challenges

Widely popular on Pinterest and accessible templates that can be found all over the internet are Saving Challenges. Saving Challenges can be based on daily, weekly and monthly deposits. These challenges usually should be started at the beginning of the year so that you can see the growth of your money throughout the year and what a gratifying feeling that is! These challenges are great if you are a beginner when it comes to saving as you can find a challenge that works for your budget and eventually move onto the challenges that require you to save even more money in a certain time frame. One of my favorite money saving challenges is the 52 Week Challenge where you deposit the dollar amount the reflects the number of the week in the year that it is leaving you with a cute coin at the end of the year. These challenges are great if you have a savings goal in mind for saving up for a vacation, trying to pay off some debts, building up your emergency fund, whatever it is that you want to save for these are a great way to start. These Challenges are fun as you can do them with friends and family that may have a similar goal, create your own Savings Challenge that works within your budget. Having people around you that are working towards a similar goal can be more motivation for an individual to achieve said goal.

Out of Sight out of Mind

One method of saving that I have always found to work for me for years and also requires the least amount of work is the Out of Sight out of Mind rule. A reoccurring issue that I found myself having is that when all my money was in one bank account with a Personal Checking account and my Savings account that I had easy access too I would dip into my Savings account if my Checking was lacking in funds, I had to come to terms that I could not handle having easy access to my savings so setting up an additional savings account with a smaller bank or credit union that I didn't have easy access to helped me build my savings back up because I couldn't constantly dip into it. If you find yourself having that issue as well this method could be helpful if you also have an impulse spending habit. Having Direct Deposit set up with this method is best because the money is automatically designated to the account that you chose so you don't have to move money around so much from bank to bank.

Piggy Banking

I know you're probably like a Piggy bank? really? but lets bring it back to the basics for a moment. Piggy banks, money jars and whatever else you were able to get your hands on as a kid are some of the first ways we are taught to save money. Obviously as the years have gone on and the piggy banks have been broken into, sometimes starting a routine that we are already familiar with can be helpful as well. Money is money whether you find a dime on the street that holds value. If you have spare change lying around or loose dollars that may be sitting at the bottom of your bag try investing in a piggy bank, mason jar anything that can hold money put those nickels, dimes, pennies away because over time as you continue to pour more and more into it you are accumulating money that can one day be used for a big purchase. So don't count out the coins you may have lying around because those coins can turn into dollars and eventually Franklin's.

Envelope Stuffing

Currently one of my favorite ways to save money for specific goals and budgeting my bi-weekly expenses is cash stuffing with envelopes for my short term goals and sinking funds. This method does require the most discipline and consistency in order for you to see your hard work pay off as well as doing a little bit of math here and there but is is also a fun and cute way to see your money grow as well as getting you into the habit of not only saving but budgeting as well, because there is a difference. This method does require you to look at your income first. I budget by my bi-weekly income as I also work full time and get paid bi-weekly. Once you have your bi weekly income logged down you then want to subtract your bills (ie: car payment, rent/mortgage, gym membership, subscriptions, credit card bills) that will be deducted from your account during that time period, from that amount you then look at what you have left. This amount will be what you use to budget your reoccurring expenses (ie: groceries, gas, out of pocket medical cost, housing, etc) once you have dispersed your budget amount to the different areas of expenses what is now left over will be what you use for your short term goals and sinking funds.

Short terms goals: shopping trip, beauty items, nails, restaurant outing, birthday gifts.

vs.

Sinking funds: Saving up for a home, purchasing a car , paying a debt, school tuition, vacation.

The money that you put into your sinking funds should be for a long term goal that you have that will take a longer time to fulfill then your short term goals. I like this method because my money is broken down for a specific purpose in each envelope. I can track my progress and log when money is coming in and going out. This method has really taught me about disciplining my self to create a budget that is realistic while still allowing me to enjoy the fruits of my labor but not over spending or impulse purchasing. A con to this method is that if your income is deposited directly to your bank this method does require you to go to the bank to take out the cash that you will need to stuff your envelopes. This can be time consuming if you use more then one bank. To get a better understanding and visual of how you can do this at home check out @TaylorBudgets on YouTube!

Purchase your Mean Girls inspired Budget Burn Book here!✨

Debt Payment Tracker✨

Bi-Weekly Budget Planner✨

Cash Stuffing Envelope Inserts✨

Reading

Reading is what? FUNDAMENTAL. To get a better understanding of why something may not be working for us and how we can improve on that, reading is a great source for getting different perspectives on a subject. Some Financial Literacy books that have helped me understand the importance of preserving money are

"Broke Millennial" by Erin Lowry

"The Black Girls Guide to Financial Freedom" by Paris Woods

"Get Good with Money" by Tiffany Aliche

Investing

Investing your money is a great way to also grow your money over a period of time by making your money an employee of yours. Looking at your money as employees puts into the perspective that you must make your money work for you by giving it a specific job. There are many ways to invest your money into different accounts that will grow your money based off of an interest rate. These accounts are great for long term saving and setting up your future.

Stay tuned for an Investing 101 Blog Post 📈📉

If you decided to start a new journey of saving or fixing your relationship with money please remember this.

"Be patient with your coin" this saying has stuck with me from the moment I heard it and it serves as a constant reminder for me to be patient not only with myself but with my finances. I heard this saying from content creator @jnaydaily on YouTube who makes amazing content for self development, furnishing your space, branding and so much more!

Be consistent. You've probably heard this saying a million and one time but Consistency is very important in anything that we do. When we set goals for ourselves it can be hard to see the end of that goal due to lack of motivation, procrastination, self sabotage and even just life may get in the way of the things that we want to accomplish. Affirming to yourself to continue to be consistent and patient with yourself will help boost your confidence and get you to the goals that you set!

Affirmations. I got into the routine of saying affirmations everyday which has also elevated my mind by being kinder to myself through the practice of writing down my affirmations, saying them aloud or having them visible in my most personal spaces. You can also find our Daily Affirmations on Pinterest as well!

Money Affirmations

✨I am wealthy.

✨I am an abundant being.

✨I have many streams of income that support the life I want to live.

✨Money continuously flows to me.

✨My money will support generations and generations to come.

Get in the habit of saying these at least once a day for twenty one days straight and see how your mindset transforms.

Manifest

"See it. Say it. Sow it"- BlackBoujeeBeauty

Manifesting the life you want by visualizing it, speaking it into existence and planting that seed helps to create a healthier mindset and image of yourself that eventually you will grow more and more comfortable showing up as that person that you dream of being.

I hope you have found these tips helpful and that they serve you along your journey, because we are what? STRIVING FOR FINANCIAL FREEDOM. You got this, I'm rooting for you sis!

[dropoutdaisy]

I recently saw a post lamenting how expensive sewing as a hobby is, which has been nagging me all day and of course now I can’t find it anymore.

It is, in fact, quite an extensive hobby and you can get bogged down by the capitalism monster thinking you need to buy a ton of things right away. You don’t! I’ve been sewing most of my life and have been slowly collecting tools and things as I need them but you can start off real small! Here are some random tips from me to you:

Sewing patterns: there are butt loads of free patterns all over the internet. Check out Mood patterns, Peppermint magazine, and your local library for the pattern bind up books if you’re lucky. However, indie patterns are totally worth the price, especially for beginners. They tend to have great instructions and better fit than the paper patterns you can find in stores and they come from people with a real passion for sewing. If you’re going more historical costuming, some of the free patterns can be finagled, but your best bet (besides drafting) is to purchase patterns depending on your era, just avoid Sense and Sensibility patterns. You can also find vintage patterns, but the instructions and fit are a tad different than you may be used to, especially for beginners. Shameless plug anyway for my vintage pattern shop.

Fabric: don’t be scared of your thrift store! Ive found lengths of fabric a couple times, but I always check for sheets and tablecloths that I like the look and feel of. You can get natural fibers wayyyy cheaper this way and tho it’s an extra step you can dye or overdye to get the color you want. The black fabric in this stack was faded so I dyed it darker black with Rit and the yellow I dyed with marigolds from my garden.

Notions/random bits and bobs: ask your friends and family! Sewing used to be basically ubiquitous and has gone out of style so as a result there are more vintage sewing supplies in the world than you could ever want and usually people hold on to them until they can find a good home. I’ve gotten so much random bullshit from my mom and grandmas and friends just by announcing that I love to sew. Obvi don’t be rude or conspiratorial, but esp older folks love to share their love of the craft.

Machine: cheapest is to inherit one, but you can usually find some older models at thrift stores or on Craigslist/fb marketplace. I found my serger for a decent discount from a company that refurbishes sewing machines.

I hope this helps anyone who is interested in sewing but scared of the starting costs. It’s a bit of a learning and cost curve, but the internet has helped break that down so much.

[malusokay]

how to treat yourself on a budget

I often get comments about my self-care routines being unrealistic, and I get it; not everyone can afford a facial, a professional massage, or some fancy lush products, so here I have a guide on how to tread yourself on a lower budget! <3

Got some oats and a banana? Great, try the oatmeal banana face mask! Mash a banana, add some honey, and add your oats; let that soak for a while, and put it on your face! (link down below)

Exfoliate, shave and put coconut oil on your legs. It will feel amazing.

Make yourself a green tea, and once your tea is done, put the tea bags on your eyes, it helps with dark circles, and you will feel great!

Make a new playlist with your favorite songs.

Slice up some cucumber and put the slices on your face; I don't know if it actually does something, but I've seen it In movies, and it looks fun.

Make a smoothie; my favorite is banana, frozen raspberries, and coconut milk! :)

Drink a lot of water.

Look for a yoga or stretching routine on youtube; my favorite is the Pamela Reif 30 stretching routine <3 (link down below)

✩‧₊*:・love ya ･:*₊‧✩

links:

oatmeal mask (don't add the lemon if you have sensitive skin!!):

stretching routine:

[poetry-siir]

Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist. Pablo Picasso

[dicatumminervae]

Fasting bears no fruit unless it is watered by mercy. Fasting dries up when mercy dries up. Mercy is to fasting as rain is to earth. However much you may cultivate your heart, clear the soil of your nature, root out vices, sow virtues, if you do not release the springs of mercy, your fasting will bear no fruit.

St. Peter Chrysologus

[traditionbeckons]

My Book of the Church's Year. By Enid M. Chadwick.

[apricitystudies]

i’ve been loving the recent cold rainy weather, but it hasn’t exactly done wonders for my lighting.

[nonsense-health]

Abnormal Study/Work Things that Actually Help Me

Scrolling through Pinterest, Tumblr, YouTube, etc. for study vibes. Lots of people would say this is a waste of time, but getting in the mood to study significantly helps me. As someone that rarely has the motivation to do things and struggles with low-energy levels daily, seeing aesthetic pictures or watching study-with-me videos gives me the inspiration and motivation I need. 

Multitasking is my best friend. If I’m interested in what I’m working on, this isn’t always necessary, but usually, having multiple things to do at once is helpful. Jumping between similar assignments, working 20min on one long assignment or chore, then finishing a smaller one, then going back to that longer thing, etc. It helps me avoid burn-out and taking breaks that turn into just giving up. 

On the subject of breaks, taking breaks isn’t always the best for me. I know a lot of people rave about the pomodoro method, and while it works to help me get started on something, I eventually let go of that timer once I’m in the groove of working. Taking a break– long or short– will usually just incentivise me to stop working altogether because that ‘break’ is sooo much better than working.  I much prefer long hours or scheduled out work vs play times. 

Having multiple drinks on my desk. This is another form of multitasking to me. Water is always a necessity, but juice, coffee, tea, etc. is a needed addition. Similar to chewing gum, it helps stabilize me and prevent burn-out since my brain has multiple forms of stimuli. 

Long to-do lists. I will literally have 20-30 things on a to-do list typically. Sure, I don’t always finish it all in a day, but writing out that to-do list helps get my mind organized and keeps me focused. Plus, it also helps to avoid procrastination. If I only write out 5-6 things, I’d think “Sure, I can wait to do those. There’s only a few” whereas 20-30 things pushes me to work as soon as possible. 

A lot of people would disagree with how I work, or tell me that there’s a better way, but these are just some things that work for me. Some of us are wired a bit differently, and that’s perfectly fine. Do what works best for you.

[myattemptatbeingastudyblr]

Winter study vibes

[lifeofthegrind]

some people were asking for actual advice and i can never pass up an opportunity to procrastinate so here’s just a couple of things i always need to remind myself of…now back to my paper :(

[luxinyourlife]

I am simply obsessed with my weekly! 😍🌱

I want to take all of the walks to see flowers poking up from the dirt and saying hello to Spring!

Do you garden? I’d love to have my own garden one day. I’m also interested in having a pollinator front yard. And I’d love to keep bees one day! 🐝 Do we have any of the same goals?

Stickers and washi in this spread by Audrey OKeya Shop! Use my code LUX10 for 10% OFF your order! Shop closes today, April 4th, at 11:59pm EST and reopens mid-May 2022. Visit https://etsy.me/2DmFOVg

IG luxinyourlife

[academedical]

04.04.22 11.00am

Yesterday’s study ft. my bujo (first time using an iPad for bullet journalling after 9 years of physical journals!) and an amazing homemade protein oreo frappuccino.

[medemedemed]

Times are tough right now, no matter what you do. So let's all be kinder to ourselves if we wanna make it through.

[rosacarolina]