How to Make Yum Yum Sauce (the Easy Way) A Food Lover's ...

what is yum yum sauce made of

what is yum yum sauce made of - win

Christiansburg related: Does anyone have any idea what their yum yum sauce is made of? I've been trying to find a similar sauce online and nothing comes close.

Edit: This is for the Sakura restaurant in Christiansburg. Any and all help would be appreciated. Thanks!
submitted by Kalypso989 to blacksburg [link] [comments]

I am 27 years old, make ~$43k, live in rural California, and work as a forester.

Hi. Asian female born/raised in NYC. I wanted to post something from the environmental field and from a lower-income standpoint. Certain positions in this field can be quite transient, and this definitely reflects in my savings. It took a while to find my first FT job, and I thought it would be interesting to share and reflect. I know my finances aren’t the greatest (I have negative net worth due to student loans and not the greatest savings compared to seemingly everyone else on this subreddit). But I don’t feel poor, and maybe that’s what counts. Really, I'm the richest I've ever been.
I live with my partner of five years (T) and our dog (D). Our incomes are not combined, but we split rent, bills, and pet-associated costs. He makes the same $ as I do.
Section One: Assets and Debt
Retirement Balance: ~6k in a Roth TSP. I’ve contributed 5% since I started this job last year since the feds match the first 3% and 0.5% for the next two. Once I get my grade increase in March, I’d like to increase this to ~10%.
Equity: N/A.
Savings account balance: 6k in HYSA.
Checking account balance: 2k.
Credit card debt: 0, paid off in full every month.
Student loan debt: 19k total (6k from undergraduate, and 13k for graduate). My parents partially paid for my undergraduate and graduate degrees, and I worked as a TA and other jobs to supplement my income during grad school.
Section Two: Income Income/Job Progression:
This is my first full-time job. I started off working in wildlife rehabilitation and progressed into seasonal biological work (varying from $11 to $15/hr, or just room+board). This is across five years, during and after college. I worked mostly with birds -- banding, nest monitoring, breeding surveys, etc. I lived and worked in some beautiful and remote places. I love this work, but I consistently met others who worked seasonally well into their 30s (including my current partner), and this did not appeal to me. There is a lot of uncertainty involved: applying to positions every year, finding work during the off-season, moving cross-country or internationally, relationships are hard to maintain, etc. That uncertainty is expensive, both financially and mentally. “Home” can be hard to define, and the loss of purpose after the end of a season is hard to deal with sometimes. I have a lot of complicated feelings about seasonal jobs re: privileges associated with seasonal work, white people vs. minorities in conservation, treatment of seasonals (esp. wildland firefighters).
Ultimately, I went to graduate school so I could get a permanent job with the feds. I wanted to stop relying on my parents for shelter when I didn’t have a job, and actually have more than a few thousand dollars to my name lol (obviously still working on this latter bit). Forestry still involves being outside (yay) but is less competitive than being a Biologist™. I still grapple with this change though. Turns out the job title is important to me. Sometimes forestry can be seriously male-dominated and that scares me. But I’m very lucky with a great supervisor and coworkers. Our office also considers a lot of wildlife and habitat aspects in our forestry practices, which is very important to me.
My position tops out at a GS-11, and I’m due for a grade increase next month (+10k/yr approximately). My current level/income (GS-7) is low considering my education, but I accepted the job knowing I’d have job security and a few years of fast salary increases. Eventually, I’d like to move into a forest ecologist role. We’ll see if that’s possible lol.
Main Job Monthly Take Home: $1974
Side Gig Monthly Take Home: N/A.
Do your parents pitch in monthly? Do you withdraw from a trust? Do you withdraw from your own savings regularly for whatever reason? Please specify here. No. My parents supported me through college and graduate school, and always gave me a roof over my head when I needed it. It’s time for them to take care of themselves and not worry about me.
Section Three: Expenses
Rent: 350/mo (700 split with T).
Renters insurance: 6/mo.
Retirement contribution: 5% towards Roth TSP (counted in monthly take home).
Savings contribution: ~500/mo. Sometimes this is less.
Investment contribution: N/A outside of my Roth TSP account. This is something I hope to educate myself in and change this year.
Debt payments: 200/mo for student loans. On hold for now.
Donations: 100/yr to the animal shelter we adopted our dog at.
Electric: 25/mo.
Watesewage: 50/mo.
Wifi: 20/mo.
Cellphone: 30/mo.
Subscriptions: Spotify 10/mo. T pays for Disney+ and Peacock, and we mooch off others for Netflix/Amazon Prime.
Pet expenses: ~400/yr for food, heartworm meds, lepto/other vaccines, etc.
Car insurance: 760/yr.
Day 1 (Sunday)
morning
There’s a soccer game going on, so T. is very invested in waking up and watching it. I laze around bed and get up around halftime to make coffee and watch the rest of the game. It’s cold af but I don’t make a fire because we will never leave the house if I do. Or at least, I never will. The wood stove’s our only source of heat (by choice) and is probably my second-favorite part of the house.
We decide to go to town for groceries, art supplies, and a general walkabout. The area we live in isn’t the best for food shopping. There’s a gas mart, a small grocery store, and a supermarket where the meat’s gray and half the aisles are alcohol. These choices aren’t really viable for stocking up on food, outside of small things we run out of sometimes.
afternoon
Arrival! The drive is always pretty, and we’re lucky that the snow has melted off the road. It still lingers on the trees though, and the snow sparkles in the sun. There’s not a “downtown” where we live, and even the closer towns are pretty barren. I really miss seeing people walk around, window shopping, and wandering around.
*We’re wearing our masks inside all stores and outside as we’re walking too.
I head into a houseplant store while T. takes the dog for a walk around the block. They’re only allowing four people in at a time, and it’s just me and another customer. I pick up a calathea beauty star, a replacement sansevieria bantel’s sensation (I killed my previous one with cold damage oops), and a new pot ($83.60).
I’ve been eying a nail polish brand/color online (Palate Polish Jawbreaker lol) that is stocked in one of the small stores. I pop in and buy it ($14.00). I am a lifetime nail biter trying to quit, and painting my nails helps me lol.
We walk around and look through the shop windows. D. is especially enjoying all the smells. We drive to the supermarket and pick up tofu, chips and dip, beer, kefir, toilet paper, cookies, and other things I’m not remembering ($51.88). We head to the asian food store and stock up on ramen packs, thai chili peppers, instant thai iced tea, and various sauces. To be honest, I always just black out and buy anything I want because we go here so rarely. ($42.44)
Before heading out, we stop by an art supplies shop. I pick up a new sketchbook, a watercolor pad, and two watercolor palettes ($106.52). A wildfire ripped through the town last summer, and there are remnants of cars and buildings just across the street. It’s sad, bizarre, and scary.
night
We head home. It’s late, and we’re all ready to be back. The dog rubs his face into the carpet and sofa as we bring things in. We eat leftover chicken pot pie for dinner and draw and play with my new watercolors for a while.
Daily Total: $298.34
Day 2 (Monday)
morning
It’s MLK day, and we have the day off. I make a fire and drink coffee while looking through reddit and other nonsensical internet things. I watch old Jenna Marbles videos while finishing the last of the pie for breakfast.
afternoon
Still on the couch. We put on the Great Lebowski and crack open the white russian-inspired stouts we picked up yesterday. I’m not really a fan of the movie and fall asleep halfway through.
I wake up an hour later, and we decide to go on a walk on some nearby forest service land. A different wildfire went through here last summer, and part of the area is closed. We recall good memories of the place when we were visitors and not residents: camping in ice-covered tents, singing meadowlarks, frozen pea soup. It’s quiet, and we keep our eyes peeled for potential owls as the sun sets.
night
I make a vat of tom yum soup, aka my favorite soup in the world. I also make a chocolate coffee swiss roll while the soup bubbles away. I like to eat well and eat what I want to eat lol. It definitely drives up my grocery bill, while my partner can eat pb&j and mac & cheese for days.
We watch season 6 of the Great British Bake-off while we eat, and head to bed soon after.
Daily Total: $0
Day 3 (Tuesday)
morning
Look over the weekend’s emails and skim the study manual for the week’s training. An hour later, I’m in the training meeting, which goes all morning. I feel shy and don’t participate much, but resolve to participate more tomorrow. I finish off the rest of the swiss roll with my coffee.
afternoon
Speak to some people about working on wildfires for this year’s season. I don’t think I’m physically strong enough to keep up on the fireline, but I’m interested in working as a GIS specialist. I have a certificate in GIS and would like to keep developing those skills. I’m meeting some roadblocks for a necessary class, and that disappoints me. Lunch is the last of the soup. Yum!
T. decides to buy some frames for a few art prints we have. I split the difference ($50). Expensive, but probably better than rolled up in storage.
night
Make some chicken and roasted potatoes and asparagus for dinner. T. and I have a minor fight, but we make up a few hours later. I think WFH is making us spend too much time in the same space, and it’s hard for us to get alone time to refresh. We watch the finale of season 6 GBBO (Tamal, I love you), and I skip ahead to watch Kim Joy’s season again lol.
Daily total: $50
Day 4 (Wednesday)
morning
Inauguration day! Excited and hopeful that nothing goes awry. I read some responses on my GIS inquiry, and there’s nothing definitive. My training’s in an hour, so I look over the break-out tasks so I can have something to input. I still feel new even after nearly a year, and I don’t want to look stupid lol. Graduate school induced a lot of imposter syndrome and anxiety that lingers to this day.
I actually speak today; it’s kind of dumb, but that makes me feel good and happy.
afternoon
My training’s finished, and it’s lunchtime. I go for a run -- it’s week three of my 5k training. T. gifted me a Garmin watch for Christmas, and I’m actually getting into it (shout-out to C25k for the most supportive people ever). I sporadically tried running in the past few years, but never made it past week one. I take D. with me off-leash. I do my walk/run intervals, and he runs about a million miles lol. It’s so fun to see him zoom around.
Eat yesterday’s dinner leftovers for lunch. I seriously crave chicken and crispy chicken skin all the time. I get out some frozen hamburger buns and black bean patties to thaw out for dinner.
Work on some Excel sheet things and catch up on one of our timber sale contracts until it’s time to sign off.
night
Make some thumbprint cookies with apricot jam while T. makes the burgers. Binge through GBBO while T. finishes up some work documents. This show is just comforting to me, and I definitely lean into a lot of comforting habits.
Daily total: $0
Thursday (Day Five)
morning
T. goes to the field today, and I kind of relish being alone in the house. I make coffee, a fire, and look over some NEPA docs. I text T. to bring home milk and half and half (we don’t split small trips to the store, so $0 for me). I don’t get much reading done before it’s time for our training.
afternoon
Another run day today. D. comes with and sniffs coyote poop along the trail. There are giant flocks of red-winged blackbirds foraging about, and the sound of them taking off reminds me of the ocean. I eat the remains of chicken dinner from Tuesday. I’m still hungry and eat some chips and a tangerine too. While eating, I catch up on the news -- Biden extends student loan forbearance! AOC skips inauguration day to support the Hunts Points Market Strike (yes to that fucking dollar raise!)! Bernie huddled in those mittens! I love it all. In the meantime, a package arrives. It’s this month’s coffee subscription that we were gifted for Christmas!
Finish reviewing the NEPA docs from earlier and work on some maps for another contract. My boss emails. We had a question about a likely mistake in our handbook, and he has an answer from the state office. He compliments me for catching it, but I don’t feel like I deserve it because he was the one who told me to look into it! I spend twenty minutes agonizing over how to respond before writing a short reply back.
Take out a pack of homemade basil pesto to defrost. We grew a shit ton of basil in the summer and made batches of pesto to eat in the winter. We’re like goddamn squirrels caching.
night
I call my parents because it’s been a while. They’re still in NYC, and I worry about my dad since he’s a bus driver. He says buses have been pretty empty, but he hasn’t gotten the vaccine yet because apparently they ran out. My mom is working from home, and she says she’s going crazy. We talk for almost an hour -- about work, Chinese New Year, and she makes fun of my dad about things. She’s funny and direct about a lot of things, and it makes me laugh so much. T. arrives home soon after.
T. makes pesto pasta and washes the dishes while I laze around and catch up with a friend from NY. We’ve been friends for almost six years, and that’s probably one of my oldest friendships! I’m grateful to still be friends.
Daily total: $0
Day 6 (Friday)
morning
Coffee, fire, sign onto work. I’m tired and feeling very ready for the weekend. I’m hungry and eat some crackers. It’s the last day of training!
afternoon
No run today. T. checks the mail, and we have a package from his parents! They sent us reading material: The Best of Me by David Sedaris (one of my favorite authors) for me, and a seed catalog for T. so he can start planning out this year’s garden (lol). Turkey sandwiches for lunch! Take out some chicken to thaw out. Work ends in a blur between Excel sheets and making plans for next week.
night
I make some noodle soup with chicken and chinese vegetables. The dog watches me the whole time, hopeful from the smell of chicken. We rewatch Monsters Inc. because I am a child. I have some wine because who cares anymore.
Daily total: $0
Day 7 (Saturday)
morning
Did not sleep well. T. goes for a 10 mile run with the pup while I try to sleep a little more. I crawl out of bed around 10 to make coffee and watch youtube videos. Eat some leftover noodle soup for breakfast.
T. and the dog return! I have a run scheduled today, but it’s thankfully not 10 miles. We watch a soccer game while finishing coffee.
afternoon
I go on my run so I don’t have to think about it later. I’m supposed to run 1.5 miles today, and I break my PR for a mile! 11:28 minutes is slow compared to a lot of people, but T. says at least I’m doing it and getting out the door. So that’s nice. The dog and I also ran past some dead geese, and that makes me somewhat sad. We ran out of greens and vegetable staples, so we head into town for groceries and the dog park. We should’ve planned our grocery trip last Sunday better. On the way out, we check our mailbox. I have a postcard from a friend who recently moved to DC! It’s of cats reading books, and she says it reminded her of me. This makes me very giddy, and I plan to send her one back.
There’s no one in the park, but D. likes sniffing around anyway. We head to the grocery store for vegetables and things ($37.60 for my half). We head home.
night
T. makes chicken burritos for dinner, and I have some wine too. We do a New Yorker crossword while eating. This reminds me to text my friend in Philly if he wants to do a crossword together tomorrow.
We put on Monsters University for background noise. I sketch different angles of D. from pictures I’ve taken. I’m not very good, but it’s fun to mess around. We stay up too late, but it’s nice to do and think about nothing in particular.
Daily total: $37.60
Totals
Food + Drink: $131.92
Fun / Entertainment: $190.12
Home + Health: $50
Clothes + Beauty: $14
Transport: N/A.
Other: N/A.
Weekly Total: $386.04
Lastly, reflect on your diary! How do you feel about your spending? Was this a normal week for you? Has this inspired you to make changes or has it given you a “wow I’m doing pretty good” confidence boost? Is there anything you’re actively working on? No need to answer any or all these questions but just use this space to write any thoughts you have! This was above average for me. We usually don’t spend that much grocery shopping, but we ran out of a lot of frozen and preserved foods this week. I also don’t buy art supplies or houseplants every week, but would probably spend some money on a treat like nail polish. I guess part of it is not going to that town very often, and also just feeling like supporting those small stores. I spent a lot on things I don’t need, so I know I was irresponsible there. I also think I need a therapist for my anxiety. But anyway, I hope this was an okay read and please be kind <3 Thanks if you made it this far!
submitted by risingbreadloaf to MoneyDiariesACTIVE [link] [comments]

28y/o making $95,000 in consulting in the Washington DC metro area

Sorry I was scheduled to post yesterday but it was a crazy day.
Background: I just got married and live in a apartment with my husband.
Growing up I didn’t know much about money, my parents emphasized that you never know if someone has money (wealth) or is living beyond their means. My mom was really strict when it came to me working because she thought it would interfere with my school work. I was never allowed to have a job in high school and even early in college. I got a summer job later in college when I had to work. I would babysit in high school though and saved around half the checks I received. I had about $2000 saved up before entering college.
Income progression:
First job (2015): $20/hr temp for a year although I earned more because I could work OT. Probably made around $43k that year, temp job ended and most of us got laid off.
Second job (2016): $39k I was really eager to get back to work and settled for the first job I got, this was a government job and I literally hated it. I quit after a year.
Time off and third job (2017-2019): I took some time off of my last job to figure out what I wanted to do with life and contemplated picking up and moving to a brand new city. I was living a really reckless life at this point as well and was trying to find balance. I finally landed a job doing tech consulting at $45k, I was good at my job and got a promotion and raise to $52k after a year, but I was still severely underpaid. In early 2019 I started interviewing with other companies.
Fourth job (2019-present): I switched companies and got hired on at $80k. I like company and the resources it provides. Over the last two years I’ve been promoted and received some annual raises taking me to $93k currently (my currently salary break down will be from last paycheck which was pre-raise and still has my husband on my health insurance)
section one: assets and debt
Inheritance: I have a pretty hefty windfall, over a couple mil is all I will say. I try not to use it and act like it’s not there but it did afford me to pay for finishing college and a car amongst some other things.
Retirement: total: $92k
20k in a Roth IRA, $12k in a traditional IRA, $52k combined in current and rolled over traditional 401k, $5k in HSA, and $4k in my brokerage. My first couple of jobs did not offer retirement options (temp) so I was late to start saving. Wish I did earlier!
HYSA: $25k, saving for a house
Equity: nada
Credit Card balance: $1,000
Section two: income
9-5 job in consulting: 93k
Side hustle: anywhere from $200-500 a month, I’d prefer not to indulge any details about this.
section three: Monthly expenses
My last direct deposit paycheck: $4,025.33
Rent/utilities/HOA/cell: my husband is my landlord and I’m on his cell plan, I pay him anywhere from $1,000 to $1,200 a month depending on other outstanding bills we have
IRA: I average $500 a month, I just got married so I’m switching from Roth to traditional due to our increase in income
Groceries: I average about $400 a month between weekly produced deliveries and buying from the store. I buy all groceries for my husband and I and he usually pays when we dine out.
Eating out: $50 for the occasional lunch
Car insurance: $116
Domestic partner health insurance: $550, I paid extra for my husband (we weren’t married yet but literally just got married last month) to be on my health insurance. He is on his companies in the new year and I haven’t gotten paid yet but I’m excited for the extra money!!!
HSA: $300
Traditional 401k: $890
Health insurance for myself:$160
Amazon prime: $12.99
Spotify: $9.99
Various workout subscriptions: $200, I’m still going to in class workouts around 5 times a week, it keeps me sane and on track
Day one:
8 am: It’s the Tuesday after Christmas and one of the best work weeks because everyone is still off for the holidays! I sign on to my computer and make some green tea to start the day followed by a bowl of cereal.
3pm: Since it’s a slow day for work i am able to dedicate my afternoon to making some Bolognese sauce, I forgot how labor intensive it was! I go to the Italian store to get some 00 flour to try to make homemade pasta and some wine while I’m there, $19.98. I fail miserably. I don’t think I let the dough sit long enough and didn’t roll it thin enough. Good thing I have some store bought pappardelle.
7 pm: My husband, J and I have the bolognese with a side salad, yum!! We clean up and start watching a new show a friend recommended (Your honor). 10pm: Naturally I fall asleep on the couch and then zombie sleep walk into the bedroom.
daily total:$19.98
Day two:
8 am: I ended up not sleeping well last night. J woke up ahead of me and made sausage and eggs. I don’t like eggs so I just have sausage and make a smoothie. I do a little work but it’s still slow.
1 pm: I post up with my laptop and my bed and see that there is a new season of 90 day fiancé...A guilty pleasure of mine. I manage to catch up on the existing episodes then I browse the subreddit to catch up on the shit talk and opinions. I do a training in the background during all of this as well.
5pm: I start to get dressed and head to a workout class. I have a side hustle after this but don’t really want to divulge. Just an FYI I stay masked up during both of these occasions and distanced.
10pm: I get and reheat some bolognese for a late dinner and off to bed.
daily total: $0
Day 3: 9:30 am: It’s New Year’s Eve, but it doesn’t feel like it. I took today off of work. I get up lazily and J and I make breakfast. He makes the bacon and eggs and I make the smoothie. We don’t really have plans due to covid but decided to meet up with some neighborhoods while the ball drops and have a glass of champagne outside (distanced) later that night.
3 pm: I remember I’m having my cousin over tomorrow for a late Christmas celebration so I run out to Safeway to get some food for it, as well as some items to make drinks that night, $79.59. I decide my drink for the night is going to be a blackberry fizz and I’m excited to use some new bar tools we have. I get home and put the groceries away and then J and I clean our place. I’m always amazed at how much of my fucking hair gets everywhere! We have steak, sweet potatoes and a salad for dinner.
8 pm: J and I start drinking and FaceTime some friends. I did pretty well with the blackberry fizz.
11:50 pm: we head outside and meet our neighbors and toast with some champagne. It’s too fucking cold and we head in after 20 mins or so. We continue watching the NYE show, FaceTime a couple more friends and then I pass out around 2 am.
daily total:$79.59
Day 4: 10 am: I wake up and am not hungover! We make breakfast with some biscuits this time. I clean up from breakfast and the remnants of the night before. J and I park our butts on the couch and stay there for a couple of hours watching TV.
2 pm: I get up and start to cook dinner just to realize I forgot something...ugh. I run out to HT to pick up some shallots and a couple other things, $19.97
3:00 pm: I get home and am ready to cook. I start with the braised short rib and while I’m browning them my apartment is getting really smoky and the smoke alarm keeps going off...J takes the batteries out. I put the short ribs in the oven to really cook and start on the sides. First, the mushroom risotto. I get the risotto prepared and even enjoy the wine I used to cook it. Lastly I season the vegetables I’m roasting (potatoes, parsnips and carrots).
6:00 pm: My cousin shows up and we all exchange late Christmas gifts. Managed to score a gift card to crate and barrel 😍.
7 pm: Dinner is finally ready and I serve my creation and it’s received well. We have tea after dinner and chat. Around 9 they head out and we clean up.
10 pm: I do my skincare routine, just switched to a new retinol (dr lancer) and it is scorching my skin so I only do it a couple times a week. J and I snuggle in bed and watch some it’s always sunny.
daily total: $19.97
Day 5:
*I want to preface this by saying I made some poor dietary choices this day and if stomach stuff weirds you out, just skip this day.
9:30 am: I got some great sleep and wake up to get ready for A workout class. I head to class and get a good workout in.
12 pm: I have some time to kill before I get my hair done so I stop by this place In old town to eat. I get Mac n cheese and a cherry coke $9.99, since it’s covid and there is no indoor dining I eat in my car and then walk around the shops on king st. I hop back in my car and head to the salon to get my hair done.
2pm: I get some highlights and a cut and it turns out really well (I already had a deposit down, the remaining including tip was $160.)
4:00 pm: I head back home and change since I’m still in workout clothes. I snack on some pumpkin seeds and wait for J to get home. It’s pretty nice out this day so we decide to go somewhere for outdoor dining and drinks. I get an optimal wit and loaded tots and chicken tenders, $32.20.
8:30 pm: It’s nice to be outside but we start getting cold and head home. It’s about a 8-10 minute drive home and about 4 minutes in my stomach starts hurting and about 2 minutes later I’m realizing this is an emergency. In recent years, my window between feeling the urge and having to go has shrunken, not sure if this is aging or possibly IBS. We get to be about a minute away and I tell J to pull up and let me out. I get out and literally run to the closest bathroom on the ground level. I didn’t make it. I text j to bring me clothes and clean myself up and throw away my clothes.
10:30 pm: I go upstairs and take a shower and then cry and head to bed.
daily total: $202.19 and my dignity
Day 5: 10 am:It’s Sunday, which is a nice lazy day for us. I eat some oats for breakfast and kiwi on the side for a guy friendly meal.
1pm: J posts up on the couch to watch football. I alternate between reading and going down a rabbit hole of sustainable beauty products, over the course of a couple hours I debate buying a composter for our place as well as new moisturizer. I decide I probably should just use what I still have.
6 pm: I reheat the leftover short rib and risotto and make a salad to go with it for dinner. I have a glass of red wine as well.
8 pm: we head to bed and watch Soul, I loved it!!!
daily total: $0
Day 6:
9 am: I wake up a little late and log on to my computer. Meanwhile I have skyr with raspberries for breakfast. I have a couple meetings and listen to a podcast in the background, (hidden brain.)
1:30 pm: I make some chicken pesto for lunch and do a training for work.
5:00 pm: I get ready and head to a HIIT class. I’m late and the class literally kills me. I haven’t done much cardio recently and I’m out of shape. My chest feels heavy for the rest of the night.
6:30 pm: I come home and J and I make steak with sweet potatoes and parsnips plus some rice.
8:30 pm: I’m practically falling asleep on the couch. I wake up around 9 and make myself some magnesium tea and head to bed. J and I watch some shameless and now I can’t fall asleep! I play on my phone and toss and turn, I’m not sure if I actually ever fell asleep.
Day 7:
7:00 am: since I didn’t sleep I cancel my workout class for the morning and get charged $10.00. I try to sleep for another 2 hours.
9:30 Am: I finally get moving and make some toast for breakfast. I send some emails and have a meeting. I still see bolognese in my fridge, I freeze it for some future lasagna.
4:00 pm: there is no food in our fridge so I go out to the grocery store. On the way I stop for gas, $15.27. I don’t know why but I never get a full tank. I make it to HT, I hate buying anything more than what can fit in a basket but I fill that baby to the brim and can barely carry it, $49.54.
5:15 pm: I’m home and start making dinner. I make some butter chicken from the honeysuckle cookbook and add in some mushrooms. I make some brown rice to serve with.
6:30 pm: we eat dinner. It’s good the first night but probably better the 2nd night because the sauce thickens a little more. I pack up the leftovers and do the dishes.
8:00 pm: I take a shower and try on some new bras I bought on Black Friday that just arrived. They’re super cute and comfy (bought from negative underwear). I do my skin routine and make some chamomile tea with honey.
9:30 pm: I got a new manduka yoga mat for Christmas and bust it out for some yoga/meditation before bed. I join j in bed and we start watching some stupid Adam Sandler movie, it was so terrible I fell asleep 15 mins in.
daily total: $74.79
Overview: Compared to other weeks in December, this one was on the lower side. I was finished paying for presents and am trying to save more money now. Yesterday I ended up buying new pants and booties as well as ordering Chinese for lunch. The DC area is crazy right now and we were under curfew...so we’ll probably be laying low. Stay safe y’all.
weekly total: $396.52
submitted by MoneyD_21 to MoneyDiariesACTIVE [link] [comments]

E1 Megathread (2021)

Welcome to LivingMas!

For those who don't know, this pinned thread explains the experience as well as discussing Taco Bell news and also any changes for this subreddit. Limited Time Offers (LTOs) are a part of each Taco Bell "Experience". Previously, Taco Bell released around 10 "Experiences" per year, each one with new items, limited offers and special releases nationwide. These experiences averaged 4-6 weeks each. In 2021, Taco Bell plans to have 5 Experiences lasting around 2-3 months each, filled with multiple LTO's. This post holds a ton of information to be able to answer any questions on this experience, this way you don't have to make a post asking about what's going on.

Experience 1: December 24, 2020 - March 10, 2021

NEW ITEMS
​
These Items will continue in E1:
​
These Items are Taken Away/Discontinued in E1:
​
In Other News
​
LivingMas News
​
I do not receive comment notifications for this post, so if I am missing anything please mention me in the comments or send a PM and it will be edited/added on this megathread. Thank you!
​
Flairs
Places to be
\This subreddit and all pages associated with it are operating without affiliation to Taco Bell or YUM! Brands. Information is sourced from fans, publicly and discreetly by employees, and by research through various sources. Statements made by moderators or members in no way reflect the Taco Bell or YUM! Brands companies. Please send all comments and concerns of this subreddit to the mod team in a private message. If your comment or concern is about Taco Bell, the company, use their* contact page on their website.

**To see previous 2020 Limited Time Offers (Experiences) please see this post.

submitted by tacobellblake to LivingMas [link] [comments]

20 Hot Nightspots In Night City

So you all meet in a bar. But which one? Night City is full of nightspots, legal and not. Here’s a few interesting places that may slake your thirst and scratch your various itches.
1: Smash/Cut. Smash/Cut is a dance club owned by the EDM band URBIS, and frankly, the place would have closed down entirely if it wasn’t for the fact that URBIS are propping it up with their royalties. This isn’t because Smash/Cut is unpopular. To the contrary, it is one of the most popular nightspots in Night City. No, it’s because most clubs and bars make their profits off alcohol sales and Smash/Cut’s main clientele are drugged-up neo-ravers.
The interior decor is perfunctory, with a few desultory chairs and tables arranged around an immense dance floor. 360 degree wraparound vidwalls and holoprojectors in the ceiling and dancefloor combine with strobe lights and mirrors to create an atmosphere described as “an armored truck having sex with a neon sign”. You do not go to Smash/Cut to talk, as most conversations are inaudible under the loud dance beat. You go to Smash/Cut to dance, and to have casual sex with people you haven’t spoken to. The staff at Smash/Cut are trained in American Sign Language to communicate quickly in a crisis, and many of them have dazzle compensation in their smart glasses or cybereyes. Noise-cancelling earplugs are standard issue.
Signature drink: None, but the bar always has energy and isotonic drinks available for the thirsty neo-ravers. €8 per 20oz bottle.
2: Fiddler’s Green. Fiddler’s Green is a popular Irish pub run by a veteran of the SouthAm wars, Kate Mulvaney, who can be seen mopping the bar with her medical-grade cyberarm. She, her wife Audrey, and their extended family staff the place, which is also open from 11:30AM on for lunch hours, as Fiddler’s Green also serves classic American-Irish food such as corned SCOP on cabbage. It’s a lively but not overwhelming place full of military and PMC veterans looking to unwind.
A former Panzergirl, Kate named Fiddler’s Green for the place cavalrymen supposedly go to after they die, while mere infantrymen have to go straight to their infernal rewards. It’s a good place for any Edgerunner to pick up the gossip and hear about jobs. Kate operates a poste restante service for various mercs, holding mail for them until they come to pick it up.
Signature drink: The Pint O’ Plain. Actual Irish Guinness imported from Ireland, with a softer edge than Canada-brewed Guinness. Kate has contacts. €10 per pint.
3: Kasim’s. Kasim’s is an unusual nightspot inasmuch as it does not serve alcohol, as its proprietor, Kasymbek, is a devout Muslim of Turkish descent. What Kasim’s has is strong thimble-size cups of Turkish-style street coffee and some of the best scented tobacco on the market, all compounded to be smoked in water-pipes, or nargile. Kasymbek’s thick, bitter street coffee (no actual coffee beans involved) is served in small cups, unfiltered, and flavored with cardamom, and drinkers are supposed to drain the liquid contents and leave the dregs behind.
As a compliment to guests, Kasymbek serves each pot of coffee with a plate of free sweets, sometimes loukum (Turkish delight) or baklava, made by Kasymbek’s mother Elif, who runs the kitchen. Elif will occasionally leave the kitchen to come out and greet favorite customers, and take a puff or two of rose-scented tobacco herself. If she really likes you, she might read your coffee grounds for you and try to tell your future. Kasim’s is closed on Fridays for Friday prayers.
Signature drink: Strong black street coffee, with a small plate of sweets. €10 per cup, to be refilled as long as you keep buying tobacco for your nargile, €8 per foil packet.
4: Bella Mia. Bella Mia is an exclusive club to see and be seen at, established by rockergirl and ultramodel Velvet Lux, who uses the place for PR and for soft releases of new clothing from her exclusive Lux Lines fashion label. The bouncers at Bella Mia’s are all issued with custom Wardrobe and Style skill chips that allow them to only let the best-dressed people in. In practice this means you’re probably only getting in the door if you were dressed by someone who has a Wardrobe and Style Base of 14 or better. Detractors call Bella Mia’s “Bulimia’s”, which is completely unfair, since part of Lux’s brand is an emphasis on healthy eating.
Signature drink: The Velvet Lush, Prosecco with passionfruit pulp. €20 per glass. Yes, Velvet’s just bad at naming things, but she tries her best, really.
5: Sakura’s. Sakura’s is an izakaya, an informal bar where customers may partake of beer or sake over a wide selection of Japanese drinking snacks. Marked by distinctive red paper lanterns flanking its door, Sakura’s is a Night City mainstay. The menu has been curtailed in recent times, but fans of edamame and yakitori can still find those old favorites, as long as they’re willing to accept fakemeat on the chicken skewers. Sakura’s was never really a hangout for Arasaka expats, who tended to frequent more upscale establishments. Instead, Sakura’s main clientele were Night City denizens of Japanese-American descent.
The original owner, Sakura Yamamoto, is long dead, and the bar is now run by her grandson Toru Evans.
Signature drink: Warmed sake, €25 per flask.
6: Greta’s. Greta’s was originally established as a lesbian bar back in the 1990s, but of recent nights its clientele has expanded, as it is now more famous for the quality of its amateur pool players, and the amount of betting that can take place over a single game. A pleasantly divey bar, Greta’s still attracts a healthy proportion of sapphics, each evening, especially because the top non-professional pool player in Night City is the butch and dapper Tech Jack Sawyer, and she will only play and drink at Greta’s.
Jack has her pride, and will not lose a game to please bookies. That has led to the armed lesbians among Greta’s clientele forcibly escorting injured Fixers out of the club after they dared make that suggestion to Jack Sawyer.
Signature drink: The Sunk Pocket, cherry infused vodka, Grand Marnier, and a splash of heavy whipping cream, topped with a Maraschino cherry. €15 per glass.
7: Chopper’s. Chopper’s is not a biker bar, despite the name. No, the name alludes to the fact that this bar used to be a local butcher’s shop, up until there just wasn’t any more meat to sell. The proprietor of Chopper’s, a slightly pouchy-looking man named Norman, has put the old chill-cases to good use by keeping booze cold in them. Customers sit on high stools up against the chill-cases, and Norman and his staff pour out the shots and slide them over.
Customers also come to Chopper’s because Norman’s nephew 80/20 runs a Fixer business out of the now-defunct walk-in freezer in the back. 80/20 got his nickname by what he’s willing to do to people who try to fuck him over, because unlike the walk-in, the meatgrinder still works… Enterprising Techs or Medtechs also come to Chopper’s for pre-owned cyberware. You just gotta clean it and fix it back up.
Signature drink: What kind of fancy place do you think we’re running? We got beer. We got rotgut. What do you want? €10 per glass of beer, €10 per shot of rotgut.
8: Redline. Redline IS the place to watch fights. Not bar fights, no. Redline brings the best in augmented and unaugmented mixed martial arts. The entire bar is built around a window-lined fighting pit. Customers willing to book the private viewing rooms (€200 to €1k depending on the fights) get to sit up against those big armored windows, watching people fight each other, while waiters and waitresses bring them their drinks and their bar snacks.
Less wealthy customers can hang out in the bar area, watching the fights from the caged top of the pit, or on screens mounted on the walls. The cage on top of the fighting pit is a new addition, installed after a cybered-up fighter threw her opponent clean out of the pit and onto some customers. Officially all fights are fought to the knockout, and Redline maintains a Trauma Team membership so fighters who get badly fucked-up can get treated. However, the rumor goes that there are deathmatches every month, on the new moon, for special guests and customers only.
Owner-proprietor Jenny Nails denies all of that, naturally.
Signature drink: The Winner’s Cup. Salty beef bouillon (made with a bouillon cube nowadays), cognac, worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and a garnish of soy bacon, €20 per glass.
9: Red Oktober. Red Oktober is a Soviet themed bar and restaurant based on an old novel about a nuclear sub that went rogue. The bar, built in a defunct subway station, is done up to look like the inside of a Soviet bomb shelter, and its staff all wear replicas of Soviet military uniforms and speak with varying Russian accents. (Some good, some awful.) The walls are plastered with Soviet propaganda posters and the jukebox only plays patriotic Russian songs sung by the men of the Red Army Choir.
Tank, the owner-operator of the joint, inherited 4 Green Box storage units full of Soviet propaganda posters and kitsch from his late granduncle Ollie, who had been a political science professor at Night City U. That inheritance was largely useless to Tank, up until he had the idea of opening the Red Oktober as a theme bar and restaurant.
The Red Oktober attracts Red Army posergangers, real Cold War veterans, and Soviet emigres alike, if only because Tank also managed to poach the kitchen staff of a defunct Russian restaurant before they left Night City altogether, and now The Red Oktober serves the best Russian cuisine in the city.
Signature drink: Vodka. €16 per double for the good stuff.
10: Bear’s. Bear’s is named for its huge, hairy owner, but also for the moth-eaten bear head sitting above the bar. Bear is a jolly giant of a man with forearms the size of hams, whose deep rolling laugh can be heard frequently over the clink of beer mugs and the low hum of conversation. If asked to, Bear will relate the story of how his great-grandfather shot that bear whose head is mounted above the bar, with many, many embellishments.
Bear’s is famous for its microbrew beers, and has a limited menu of SCOP burgers and fries, chili con kibble, and tofu hot wings. To Bear, a proper beer ought to be thick and rich, like a liquid loaf of bread, and he despises the practice of covering up inadequate flavor with excessive hops. Bear is an ale man, and he will die on that hill. Bear runs the place with several apprentice brewers — he seems disinterested in sex or romance, and he intends to continue his legacy by adopting an heir.
Signature drink: Bear’s Berry Beer, a strong ale with pureed blackberries poured into the wort for secondary fermentation, giving it a whopping ABV of 9%. €12 per mug.
11: The Randy Dandy. The Randy Dandy is built in a passenger ferry out in Flotsam, Night City’s floating district out past the harbor, and can only be accessed by swimming (ugh) or by boat. Occasionally, very rarely, she puts in to harbor herself to pick up important dignitaries when the Randy Dandy is booked for Nomad family meetings. Run by a sea Nomad known only as The Skipper, the Randy Dandy is the place to go to pick up harbor gossip or buy sweet lots of salvage before it makes it to the middlemen on land, who will mark it up as it passes through their hands.
The Skipper is a lean, leathery woman of middle age with iron-gray hair, and a harsh, low voice. She’s missing the two smallest fingers on her right hand — ”an accident with a coil of rope when I was young and stupid,” — but does well enough without prosthetics. Her rule for the Randy Dandy is “Don’t start none, won’t be none,” and disobedient customers will be swiftly tossed overboard by one or two of her burly crew. Business is the general atmosphere at the Randy Dandy, and the Skipper arranges matters so that the eddies keep flowing.
Signature drink: The Blackbeard. Rum, ginger oil, and a squeeze of lime, on the rocks. €15 per shot.
12: Yum Seng. Yum Seng is run by Alan Lam, a Chinese-American raconteur of Cantonese heritage. Lam’s grandfather fled Hong Kong with his sizable fortune shortly before Hong Kong left British control, and Alan has used his inheritance wisely, building a modest empire in the vice scene of Night City. Yum Seng (Cantonese for “cheers!”) is a host and hostess bar, but it’s also oddly one of the best places to get a seafood meal, because Alan Lam is also something of a gourmand. Customers to Yum Seng are asked to choose their seating by the host at the entrance. Customers who just want to eat are escorted to tables in the communal eating hall. Customers who want more personal attention are escorted to booths, where they will be attended to by pretty, pretty people.
Lam is smart enough that he’s not using Yum Seng as a money laundering front. No, that’s for the other businesses he controls in Night City. Yum Seng is just his personal hangout. He takes great interest in the comfort and satisfaction of his customers, stopping at their tables or booths to ask if all is well, and is very responsive to their concerns. The seafood is the best and freshest in Night City, the drinks are of high quality, and the hosts and hostesses are all beautifully and elegantly bodysculpted and trained in manners and etiquette.
There are also soundproof karaoke boxes, because Lam LOVES karaoke. Any Edgerunners wanting to do business with him will have to participate. He doesn’t expect them to sound good, but he wants them to have the balls to try.
Signature drinks: Anything expensive and showy. Veuve Clicquot, 18-year Scotch, all at least 150% of standard price, except when Alan Lam visits your table, then he comps you the drink after asking if you’ve had a good time.
13: Chatelaine’s. Chatelaine’s is a smoky old cabaret decorated and designed to look like it came out of the 1930s. The mirrors are scratched by hand and hazed with airbrushed pigment to look smoky and stained, the synthetic floors are treated to look like scuffed wood, and the staff all dress in period costume. Chatelaine’s is also one of the more popular gay bars in Night City, with a Friday Burlesque Night and a Saturday Drag Fest, to the point where some nights they have more heterosexual tourists than actual queer customers.
This has led to some murmurs that Chatelaine’s has “sold out”, and members of the Night City Queens gang have begun shunning Chatelaine’s Drag Fests. Owner and proprietor Lulu deLuz remains supportive of queer concerns, however, and she has allowed young homeless queer people to sleep in the club’s office space while she arranges for emergency housing for them.
Signature Drink: The Cocktease, peach schnapps, Cointreau, crème de cassis, €18.
14: The XX. The XX (pronounced “The Twenty”) is a raucous punk dive that serves no liquor. That’s because the punk band that owns and runs it, Breakfist, are straight-edge, partaking of no booze or drugs. The XX has a juice bar instead of a booze bar, and their smoothies are particularly good. That’s because Breakfist bassist Ten Ton used to be a pantry bitch at one of Night City’s finest eateries, Angelo’s, and she uses her restaurant contacts to pick up bruised and wilted fruits and vegetables before they get thrown in dumpsters. Her pickup runs save the back-of-house staff a drop-off trip, and she saves on ingredients for the bar’s juices. After all, nobody’s going to care how beat-up a fruit looks if you’re going to stick it in a blender.
The XX’s other draw is live punk music, every night. While the various members of Breakfist aren’t always available every night, they allow other acts to perform at the club with one caveat: Nazi Punks Fuck Off.
Signature drink: The Lean Mean Machine. Frozen bananas put in a blender with soymilk, chocolate-flavored syrup and peanut-butter flavored kibble to make a mean smoothie. €16 per cup.
15: Yewtree. Yewtree is a slightly overpriced neo-hipster bar near the new Night City U campus, and is therefore crammed with students most nights. The bouncers seem constitutionally incapable of recognizing a fake ID, and yet Yewtree has never been raided by NCPD. That’s because Yewtree was set up with the covert cooperation of NCPD. College kids will drink. They’re going to do it no matter how many enraged calls their parents will make. So why not make sure they can do so with a minimum of trouble? So Yewtree welcomes its fake ID wielding hordes, and waters the drinks down just enough. Bartender Stuart Hedley keeps an eye out for anyone trying to get someone drunker than they want to be, and he listens to the gossip, and if anything truly alarming reaches his ear, then he passes it on to the Lawmen.
Signature drink: Slightly overpriced, watered-down beer, €12 per mug.
16: Air is a sterile white cube with transparent glass bars, and uncomfortable brushed-steel stools, and it sells curated blends of scented, purified air to the afflicted masses of Night City. It’s an unfortunate truth that the air in Night City can be heavily polluted at times, and Air was established to make breathing a commodity.
Ranks of transparent oxygen masks hang above the bars at Air, and customers choose their blend of choice from a touch-screen embedded in the bars themselves. Then they put on the mask, insert their credchip, and the flow starts.
Signature drink: Alpine Mountains Blend, 20% oxygen in nitrogen with assorted herbal scents. €5 per minute.
17: Rusty’s Dive Shack. Need a drink while you prep your salvage dive? Need to rent mostly-safe dive equipment to do a salvage run? Want to trade salvage for booze and eliminate the middleman? Rusty’s Dive Shack is the place to go. Rusty is a sour old coot with the heart of a pawnbroker and the merciless gaze of a seagull, and he caters to those salvagers too poor to own proper kit, and too desperate to not work for him.
There’s all kinds of stuff out there in Night City Harbor. Most of the stuff on ships has already been cleared out by Families of sea Nomads, so it’s the stuff in the drink for the unconnected and ill-equipped. Rusty will rent would-be salvagers equipment for a share of the finds. He’ll also take their salvage if they want to trade it for booze.
Signature drink: Homemade shark liver oil, supposed to keep you warm in the cold depths €12 per cup. Tastes fishy and rancid.
18: Maria’s. Maria’s is a lively little beer tent with outdoor seating. The chairs and tables are loosely chained together so nobody can run off with individual pieces of furniture. Not without bringing bolt cutters, anyway. Maria’s is a popular hangout for road Nomads as it’s set up in the vast amount of parking space near several industrial workshops — an auto body shop, a couple chop shops, and a Tech workshop shared by two vehicle specialists.
The original Maria passed away five years ago, and now Maria’s is being run by members of her extended family, among them her niece, Lupita Garza, or Little Wolf. Little Wolf is a trained Medtech, but she comes around and tends bar in between jobs. The Nomad connection means that Maria’s is one of the few non-executive bars where you can get real tequila, as it gets trucked in by various Nomad families on a regular basis.
Signature drink: Real tequila. €20 per shot.
19: Buffalo’s. Buffalo’s is cursed. No two words about it. Track down a hospitality professional after shift and ask them, and they will tell you about the Bad Restaurant Curse. The Bad Restaurant Curse works like this: A restaurant will open in a space, and it will be a bad one. All future restaurants using that space will also be bad ones. This apparently applies also to bars.
The first bar opened in Buffalo’s space was Foxy’s, a topless sports bar and wing joint, which was acceptable enough except that the management got busted for using “illegal” meat in the boneless wings. A commonplace, in Night City. Foxy’s was replaced by Baby Grand, a piano bar and lounge, but their management got busted for money laundering. Baby Grand was replaced by Frezh, a juice bar that got shut down after it gave most of its customers food poisoning one night, and so on so forth, for the past sixty years.
The current management of Buffalo’s has lasted three months and there’s a healthy betting pool projecting its closure in timespans ranging from the next week to the next month.
Signature drink: The Buffalo Nose. Bourbon, pickle juice, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce. €16.
20: Anjelika’s. Anjelika’s is a host and hostess bar, and the destination for anyone who might have a cyberware kink. The hosts and hostesses are all bodysculpted with EMP lines and Chemskin to look like attractive androids and gynoids, and some of them have taken on employment at Anjelika’s so they can save for further cybernetic modifications to their bodies.
The most popular host at Anjelika’s is Gavin, a beautiful young man with bronze-tinted skin, custom cybereyes, and cybernetic arms and legs. He lost his organic limbs in a childhood accident and has spent his whole life with more chrome than some Solos. His cyberlimbs are custom designs from Rocklin, and he changes the casings to suit his wardrobe. Gavin’s popular not just because he’s the most cybered-up host in Anjelika’s, but because he has a warm, sympathetic manner with his clients, who just want to be pampered emotionally for an hour. He also does modelling work in the daytime, and has been solidly booked three months ahead for the past year.
Signature drink: The Coolant Flush. Midori, peppermint schnapps, seltzer. €16 per highball.
PS: And with this I'm taking the weekend off. (: More posts Monday.
submitted by almondbreath to cyberpunkred [link] [comments]

Picky eater ideas/tips?

I nanny 2 kids in a pod (6F, 7M) and they are both very picky eaters, the girl being even pickier than the boy. I make them hot dogs or chicken nuggets every day and throw away 1/3 to 1/2 of the girl’s food typically. The only fruit she likes is strawberries but she complains when I serve them. Snack time isn’t ever an issue and they have 2-3 throughout the day when they ask. I say no if it’s going to interfere with being hungry at lunch.
I want to make a plan to get them to try new foods and the parents are very on board. The “recipes even the pickiest child will love” lists are killing me. Garlic shrimp? Gnocchi with Gorgonzola sauce? Are you high? They don’t even like grilled cheese as well as many other typical kid foods. During a school break, we made a list together of some foods they would be willing to try which we were all excited about! I’m going to send it to both sets of parents. Do you have any tips on making this run smoothly? I’ve been a “short order” cook with the girl because I’m not her parent and I feel guilty if she won’t eat what’s on her plate. I’ll talk to her mom and dad and see if they’re comfortable with me being more assertive and serving both kids the exact same thing/portion instead of making her something else.
We also bake together once a week and the “don’t yuck my yum” thing has happened a few times (one kid says ew gross so the other kid thinks it’s gross). They definitely love being involved in prep though and are wonderful in the kitchen so that’s a win. Anyways any advice on picky eaters or even foods to try would be amazing. I’m definitely not trying to cause any food issues and I know a healthy relationship with mealtime begins in childhood! :)
submitted by eggplantparmesan1 to Nanny [link] [comments]

I am 32 years old, make $54,000 (joint 159k), live in Maryland (DC metro) and work as an Enrollment Manager/work-at-home mom to 3.

Like so many others, I wrote a NOVEL and I’m sorry!! I love reading this community’s MDs and am so thankful for this supportive sub and for the opportunity to share.
Section 1: Assets and Debt
My husband and I share all finances except for our retirement and savings accounts (we each have savings accts in our own names but realistically we share the funds within them). We have separate credit cards as well.
Section 2: Income
- My first jobs were babysitting and working as a camp counselor in my teens. Throughout my late teens and early 20s I mostly worked as a bartender and/or barista, as well as tutoring (I lived in France for a little bit in high school so tutoring rich kids in French was always a moneymaker), dance teacher for budding ballerinas, and a bit of writing/editing. I graduated college over the course of 4 years but took a circuitous route (didn’t love college tbh), including taking two semesters off to travel and taking a full year leave of absence to live and work in Santa Fe when I was 20. When I wasn’t enrolled in college I was responsible for my all of my expenses. When I was enrolled in college my parents paid for housing and tuition as much as they could, and I covered my personal expenses.
- After graduating I continued to bartend for about a year and then I got a job as an advisor in higher ed, because it was one of the few industries hiring during the recession. I made 40k but with no benefits besides PTO. After 2 years, I moved to university where I currently work with the same salary but far better benefits including healthcare, retirement, paid family leave and tuition remission.
- My job hasn’t changed much in the last 8 years -- salary increases were mostly inflation adjustments masked as bonuses -- but it’s ideal for me right now. I enjoy the people I work with and have a lot of flexibility (outside of meetings I mostly work when and how I want) with great benefits that allow me to contribute to retirement and stay in the workforce as a young mom. When my daughter was born 8 years ago, I went part time and then PT with 90% telework when my son was born 5 years ago. I went back to full time while teleworking 2 years ago. So I was doing the work-from-home-parent thing for a while before COVID, but uh at least with some childcare.
- I met my husband in my early 20s and we knew within a few months (excuse the mush) we were it for each other. He’s 8 years older and we were both in a place where we wanted to start a family, so I had kids about 7-10 younger than most of my social group. This could be pretty isolating at times, but overall I don’t regret it and recognize that I'm fortunate to be able to make the choices I have. We’re putting the baby (8 months old) in full time daycare next fall and I plan to begin to start my career in earnest then (I’m very interested in the intersection of education policy and law especially w/t the equity gap). My friends lovingly refer to my approach as the Nancy Pelosi method – I’ll take it.
Mine- $2,760 (paid biweekly after taxes, healthcare, 403b, savings transfer)
Spouse - $5900 (paid 2x/month after taxes, 401k and savings transfer)
Total HH - $8660 ($9260 incl. savings contributions)
Section 3: Expenses
Section 4 – The rundown
Total: $899.81
Day 1, Wednesday:
8am -- The baby cooing wakes me up after a rough night of sleep. I nurse him a little and then hand him off to his almost-8-years-old sister (J.) who happily takes him to her room to cuddle and play before virtual school starts up at 9.
My husband wakes up around 7:00 to clean up the kitchen and basically take care of everything house or kid related before heading to work around 8:30, but I get breakfast for everyone and make sure the kids are (mostly) dressed. My five year old son (C.) settles on “bee cereal” i.e. Honey Nut Cheerios, and that’s good enough for the group, except for the baby who gets sweet potato puffs and a blueberry-banana breakfast bar. The big kids play video games for about 10 minutes before school starts at 9am.
C. should be in Kindergarten, but he was having meltdown after meltdown trying to stay logged into virtual school for 5-6 hours a day, so he watches the recorded zoom meetings on his own time and spends most of the day playing outside or watching tv. We try to do one academic-ish thing a day outside of listening to the zoom lessons (playing alphabet games, practicing writing, making an art project, or finding patterns). Schools in our area have been closed for in-person learning continuously since March. This morning C. turns on the Netflix du Jour, a riveting show called “Trash Truck” about - you guessed it - a trash truck, and I sit down to catch up on work e-mails while the baby crawls around investigating the bucket of toys I overturned for him. Or maybe those are the dog’s toys? Whatever, he’s entertained.
10:30am -- I finish up my work emails in between letting the dog out (and back in) and tending to the baby a bit, and then make a payment on two of our credit cards to cover spending in the last week. We use reward credit cards for everyday spending, so I make payments a couple of times a week to make sure we don’t carry a balance. I also reconcile YNAB.
$0, but a lot of money management (I didn’t include the credit card payments because I count that spending when we actually… spend it…)
11am -- Baby is down for his morning nap, C. is climbing trees outside, and J. is finishing up her homework at the end of the school day (Wednesdays are half days). I turn on Price is Right and throw a load of laundry in, straighten up a little, and then make lunch. Usually my husband makes the kids’ lunches in the morning, but C. complained of too much redundancy yesterday, so today I offered to make them a hot lunch: dino nuggets, Annie’s mac and cheese, and ants on a log. My plan is to make myself an everything bagel breakfast sandwich with prosciutto, cheese, fried egg and a side salad and sit down to work before the baby wakes up. Sounds great, right? Well just as I’m finishing the big kids lunch, our meat CSA is delivered so our dog goes bonkers and wakes the baby up. I try to nurse the baby back to sleep while responding to a work email on my phone but the big kids each interrupt twice, so he’s up for good. I haphazardly slap some cream cheese on my sad bagel and throw some olive oil and Parmesan on some greens and try to scarf down something while managing chaos.
1pm - I give the baby lunch (puréed carrots and shredded provolone cheese). After clean up he wants to nurse for about 10 minutes. A full belly did the trick and he’s down for his nap again.
3pm - We make some slime with a kit our neighbor gave us. My daughter complains it’s too slimy
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ We then sit down to plan her birthday party for next weekend, which will be a virtual tea party. I buy a $5 digital invitation template on Etsy to send out to family and friends and try to make it a little more fun since we can’t do a normal birthday party for her this year. When I check out, I still have in my Etsy cart a wooden train set I was planning on buying for my new baby niece for Christmas. I buy that too. Total - $54.95
4pm - I heat up some tomato soup as a snack for the big kids and nurse the baby. We head out to run some errands — I have to drop off a birthday card in the mail and it’s the veggie csa pick up day at the farm (curbside so no contact). I swing though McDonald’s and get two ice cream cones for the big kids and a coffee for me as a treat since the farm is about an hour round trip. The baby takes a nap during the drive. Total - $4.64
5:30pm - Home again and I switch the laundry, straighten up, nurse the baby and check in on work.
6:30pm - I throw some personal pizzas into the toaster oven and serve them with carrot sticks and dressing for dinner for the big kids. They watch a show about a flamingo that delivers baby animals to animal parents.
7:30pm - I nurse the baby (he loves his milk and his mama) and then head downstairs to straighten up and ask the big kids to clear their plates. My daughter does; my son plays video games. We spar; I’m tired. My husband is trying to work on leaving for work earlier in the day so he can get home earlier because honestly after 6pm I’m spent, and my patience reserve feels especially low today. My husband finally arrives a little before 8 and immediately takes over baby duty and feeds him dinner (green beans and sweet corn) while entertaining the big kids. I heat up some leftovers and scarf them down while chatting with my friends on WhatsApp.
8:30pm - bedtime routine for all kids start. I spar with C. again over brushing his teeth. It escalates and I get pretty angry. C. is smart and spirited and strong willed and this pandemic has been so hard on him. It’s been hard on me. We sometimes take it out on each other. I put J. and the baby to sleep and then sneak into C.‘s room while my husband is reading to him to give C. a hug and apologize to him for my temper.
9:30pm - I have a beer and some hummus and pita chips while finishing up some work. My husband eats some leftovers and we watch an old season of The Amazing Race, and then go to bed around midnight after I dream feed the baby.
Daily Total: $59.59
****
Day 2, Thursday:
8:30am - I wake up to our 45lb shepherd mix lying on top of me for a snuggle and quickly get out of bed and for some reason get dressed in real clothes. Jeans even. Amazing. My husband has just left for work, so I take the baby and get him dressed. In the living room, C. has already poured cereal and milk for him and his sister, but is also totally naked. I bring him some clothes. I give the baby some plain Cheerios, help J. log into school, and cuddle a little bit with C. while he watches a Disney Nature show before getting up to make some toast and eggs for myself. I’m planning on trying to get some work done but end up making hand turkeys with the kids instead.
11am - I nurse the baby and put him down for a nap. I get the big kids a snack (chips and hummus), do the breakfast dishes, and give J. some encouragement in virtual learning. Then I refill my coffee and finally sit down to work.
11:30am - Baby’s awake. So I guess half hour naps is a thing now.
12:00pm- I’m on lunch duty again so I make some cheese quesadillas with apple slices and grapes while trying to finish a report I need to send out before my 1pm meeting. I reheat my coffee for lunch and send the kids outside to play while I nurse the baby and text with my sister after the report is out.
1pm - I give the baby a bit of butternut squash for lunch and log in for my meeting with him in tow because he doesn’t seem sleepy yet. I have two meetings and a parent/teacher conference today so I asked (/demanded) my husband work from home this afternoon and he’s on his way now. My employer is much more flexible and accommodating than his — babies on zoom don’t phase them— but it’s almost worse this way because it means less boundaries and more stress/shuffling for me. He is pretty isolated at work (masked with his own office, no in person group meetings), so it’s kind of ridiculous he has to go to the office at all, but he doesn’t have much of a choice.
2pm - my husband got home a half hour ago and my first meeting is done, so I nurse the baby to sleep for his nap. I grab a cliff bar and my husband and I log in to a zoom parent teacher conference with C.’s Kindergarten teacher. He hasn’t attended virtual school live in 6 weeks, but she’s not worried about it and neither are we. I straighten up a little bit and then am back in the office for my 3pm meeting.
4pm - The big kids are having a tea party and request tea snacks so I make them s’mores and peppermint tea and then stress eat a s’more (or maybe two) myself because skipping lunch is a terrible idea when you’re constantly breastfeeding a giant baby. I send out J.’s virtual tea party invites and finish up work e-mail and then straighten up a little bit.
6:30pm - My husband stops working and says he’ll make dinner and watch the kids so I can take a much needed shower and relax a little. He starts on the ingredients for an epic taco bar dinner with roasted corn, and I throw together a spinach salad before getting in the shower. I take a long shower and savor the silence. When I emerge I can hear the baby screaming, but (mercifully) my husband is never phased by crying children so I take my time getting into PJs and submit my answers for a daily trivia league I play in.
9:00pm - Kids are all in bed. I clean up the house, which is a disaster zone, because I hate clutter. My husband and I then eat our tacos and salad, and I make myself a hot chocolate. I tell myself I’m going to get some work done but instead I spend two hours updating my fantasy football teams and texting with my sister.
11:30pm - we watch the end of an episode of David Letterman's Netflix show and then the daily show. I fall asleep on the couch and then migrate to bed.
Daily Total: $0
*****
Day 3, Friday:
8amish - I’m slow to get out of bed. The baby and C. are both cranky and my husband (who works at home on Fridays) and I play chicken to see who’s going to get up first to do stuff. Eventually he’s up to change the baby and then clean up the kitchen and make ice and coffee. I pull on some sweatpants and a tshirt and get breakfast for the big kids. They want a bagel and cream cheese (daughter) and a bagel with peanut butter (son), so I oblige because friyay. My daughter logs into school, and is sad I made the wrong kind of bagel for her (everything instead of cinnamon raisin, the horror). I pop the right bagel in the toaster and eat her everything bagel instead. The baby eats a few blueberry bars and shares what he can with the dog.
11am - Baby down for his nap. I got paid last night so I budget that money in YNAB and work.
1pm - Baby awake. I make dino nuggets and carrots for kids’ lunch and I’m starving but don’t have the energy to make anything, so I just start eating prosciutto and goldfish by the fistful. #momlunch (FYI you can buy like 1lb of prosciutto at Costco for $8).
3pm - There is a mega kids consignment sale that happens in our metro area at a few locations several times a year. I frequently consign old kids clothes and toys at these and also buy a lot of the kids’ stuff here too (the steals on really nice quality things is amazing… plus seeing one of these sales reinforces the insane amount of things already in the world. We don’t need to make/buy more.). With COVID they started an online model for their sales which includes curbside drop off for sold items and pick up for bought items. I have to drop off my sold items this afternoon. Due to time and stress I wasn’t able to consign as much, so it’s only about 18 items. I make $52.00 (70% of the total price, sale organizers keep 30%). I pick up a latte from the neighborhood coffee shop on the way and jam out to Betty Who in the minivan. ($5.64 + tip = $7.64)
5pm - Pandemonium when I get back. C. had a couple of rage fits, the baby was asleep but had been crying most of the time (I never set out to be an attachment parent but being born at the start of a pandemic kind of forced it on us, and the baby is really, really attached to me.) My husband looks exhausted from juggling all the kids and wrapping up a few projects from work. We know it’ll be a take out night for us. Take-out is our biggest weakness. I don’t mind cooking but I also don’t love it, so it’s something that I easily pass on if I can. I’m trying to shift to cooking dinner midday when I have more time and energy, and I do meal plan (though it’s more like meal opportunities… I grocery shop and stock the kitchen for scheduled meals at the start of every month but I often hop around the schedule). But take out is one of our few indulgences, and it calls to us far too frequently. It doesn’t help that we live in an area with phenomenal food choices.
7pm - After straightening up and getting the big kids an easy dinner (my daughter actually wanted spaghetti and not take out), I run out to pick up steak fajitas and sopapillas for my husband and me; I order online and do curbside pick up. $49.65. I also run into a beer and wine store to get a 12-pack variety IPA for my husband and a 12-pack of Guinness for me. $45.76
Total: $95.41
9pm- Home, bedtime for kids, clean up as much as I can. While my husband tucks my son in I lay out our Mexican food feast in the family room. He logs into a virtual call with a bunch of his college friends and we eat and catch up with them as we relax. My husband has opted for straight vodka instead of a beer tonight (thanks, pandemic parenting), and I savor a nice cold Guinness. The call ends around 11pm and we watch an episode or two of the Amazing Race, clean up dinner, and then slink to bed around 1am.
Daily Total: $103.05
****
Day 4 - Saturday
8am - Baby awake. The big kids take him into their rooms to play. I get up thirty minutes later when I hear the big kids banish the baby to the hallway, because he started annoying them. Poor baby. He’s smelly because he pooped overnight and the poop is now encrusted on his legs under his PJs, so it’s bath time now. Kids are fun.
10am - I’m starving and the baby is cranky from teething so I have chips and queso for breakfast because it’s 2020 and idgaf. I make my daughter a bagel and cream cheese and give my son cheerios before making a mental note to order a grocery delivery for tomorrow because we’re out of milk. My husband pours me a coffee and we relax a little bit as I nurse the baby. I catch up with my sister via text.
12pm - Baby is asleep and the big kids and my husband are playing video games, so I sit down to do all the things - Work! Bills! Grocery delivery! -- first I make myself a couple fajitas from last night’s leftovers.
I reconcile YNAB transactions and then pay a $25 co-pay bill from a doctor’s tele-visit last month. I’ve had mild to moderate anxiety most of my adult life, and it’s gotten particularly bad in the last few months (um obviously), so my doctor prescribed me low dose Zoloft and it’s been wonderful. Social media likes to tell parents (read: moms) about all the things they should do to raise children (“stop using negative language!” “be supportive of big feelings!”) … but I’m a working mother with three kids in a pandemic, and you know what helps me be a better parent? Medication. Because maybe the pressures of modern American parenthood are unrealistic, and we just need more help. (Descends from soapbox…)
Baby awake before I complete the grocery order.
3pm - I’ve been nursing the baby and doing housework (there are 7 loads of laundry so help me god) before I finally get a chance to finish the grocery order while the kids are outside playing with my husband. I order milk, sprite zero, broccoli, blueberries, queso, cereal, oatmeal, tea (to send out to the virtual party guests), and chai concentrate. Plus a $3 delivery fee = $51.17 We usually do a large Costco trip once a month for staples (about $400), and then I make 2-3 grocery deliveries throughout the month like this to re-stock.
6pm - Somehow the big kids got turned onto this game where they call me The Queen and my husband The King and they’re the maids who have to do whatever we say. I assume it’s divine intervention that they came up with this so I never tempt fate. While they play (slash clean up the house) the King makes dinner - shrimp scampi and a big broccoli, arugula and lentil salad - while I read the paper. I eat a big portion of the salad topped with just a few shrimp because I need the greens like whoa.
9pm - Bedtime routines and the rest of the night is a bit of a blur to be honest. We watched the Great British Baking Show and had a couple beers and cuddled probably. Not sure when we went to bed.
Daily Total - $76.17
****
Day 5 - Sunday
2am - While “awake” nursing the baby I suddenly snap up and remember that the Best Buy and Game Stop Black Friday sales started at midnight. The kids currently play a retro Super Nintendo complete with games from the mid 90s (what can I say, they’re awed by my donkey Kong skills), and we finally figured they were old enough now it’s probably time to bring them into the 21st century. I snag a Nintendo Switch bundle with Mario Kart for $299 from Best Buy after waiting a few minutes (they released stock in waves to prevent an immediate sellout), which we’ll give them for Christmas. Total with tax - $317
9am - up for real now and we’re late. We hurry out the door with a pitstop at Starbucks for coffee, peppermint hot chocolates, pumpkin bread, and bagels ($32). We’re headed up to do a curbside pickup of the stuff I bought from the consignment sale. For Christmas, we try to keep the kids gifts to one big gift (often to share, like the Nintendo Switch), one medium gift, and two small gifts per kid. I managed to finish all the kids Christmas shopping in one fell swoop at the online consignment sale (including gifts for my nephew and two nieces). We also got a bike trailer for kids for about $50 that retails new at REI for $400, plus a lot of clothes. All in I spent $196, and Christmas shopping is mostly done.
11am - after picking up the consignment sale goods, we head to a drive thru covid testing site. I was around a larger group of people (20 or so) for a memorial last week, and I’ve been isolating to household as much as possible since then. I had a negative covid test last Monday, but both my husband and I are getting tested again today. The testing line is looooong in advance of Thanksgiving, and it takes us just under 2 hours to get through. Yikes. The kids are screaming for lunch so we zoom home and I make a quick grilled cheese and serve it with bunches of grapes.
2pm - my brother, sister and I are chatting about a vacation at the lake (about 2 hours away) we had booked for all of us and my parents over New Years. It’s looking increasingly like that would be an irresponsible trip to take given the current covid climate, so we decide to move it to the end of April. My sister and her family live in Canada and we’re going to have to miss it anyway, so at least this way they have a chance at joining us. My brother will call the rental company and move the dates and pay the new deposit ($300). We lose the old deposit, but my card’s travel insurance should reimburse us. I make a mental note to call their claim center this week.
4pm - We log onto zoom for a Friendsgiving get together with friends - there’s about 20 participants, many with young children - and it’s a little crazy. By the time we log off it’s too dark to take the bike ride my son was hoping for, and he has a meltdown.
6pm – I take a shower and then start a K-pop dance party in the kitchen to try to brighten up C. who is still angry about not being able to bike. He eventually succumbs to the BTS beat. Once upon a time I was that music snob that would only go to concerts in tiny venues with obscurely known indie bands, and now I’m moonwalking to Dynamite. Life comes at you fast, friends.
7pm - We decide on takeout again because we definitely fall into a “it’s the weekend, treat yo self” trap and decide to order Thai for lots of leftovers as a way of lessening our guilt over ordering. Our local Thai restaurant will deliver to us. We get curry puffs, yum watercress, pad Thai with shrimp, pad see ew with chicken, and massaman curry. ($74 with tip and tax)
9pm - Kids are all in bed. I do about an hour of work and then tell myself I’m going to fold laundry or do something else productive, but we’re exhausted so we just watch an episode of the Queen’s Gambit and then go to bed around 11:30.
Daily Total - $619 ouch
*****
Day 6 – Monday
8:30am - I’m going to get up early and get some work done today, I told myself last night. Spoiler: I did not do that. I emerge from bed and find my family in the kitchen — my husband finishing up chores and all the kids eating oatmeal with blueberries. I get my daughter set up with school as my husband departs. She’s out of underwear, so it looks like that seven loads of undone laundry is starting to be an issue.
10:30am - baby down for nap. I feel very unproductive. I put a load of laundry in and sit down to work but instead somehow end up browsing political memes on Instagram instead.
12pm - by the time the baby wakes up I have gotten a little more work done. I nurse the baby and then play a few rounds of Crazy 8s with my son. I text my husband the info for our zoom parent/teacher conference with my daughter’s teacher so he can login from work. Conference is at 12:50. I heat up leftovers to eat for lunch and get the kids lunches out (husband made them this morning). I give the baby some apple sauce and rice for lunch.
3pm - Baby is down for another nap. I make myself a chai latte and switch the laundry before sitting down to do more work. It’s half days for my daughter this week because of Thanksgiving, and she and her brother are actually getting along well, so they spend a lot of the afternoon playing outside together. I take a 20 minute break to prep dinner, which is Ina Garten’s Turkey Hash, so it should only take about 20 minutes to throw together at dinner time. I get a good chunk of work done, possibly motivated by the announcement that we get Wednesday off. My husband texts to say his boss gave the green light to go back to full time telework after thanksgiving due to the surging covid numbers. Micro good news, macro bad news.
6pm - I do some more laundry and ”pretend” to sleep in a fort J. and C. built before getting dinner together. I make a few eggs to throw on top of the Turkey hash and toss together a big salad as well. We all eat dinner when my husband gets home a little after 7. Baby has bananas and strawberries for dinner.
8:30pm - Bedtime for all kids. I do a little work and we watch our old standby, the amazing race, while I have a Sprite Zero and a s’more for dessert. The baby isn’t sleeping well tonight so I spend a good chunk of time trying to get him to settle before heading to bed around midnight.
Daily Total - $0
******
Day 7 – Tuesday
8:45am - I’m up! I’m up. I help the kids all get dressed and change the baby. I make a few eggs for myself, a bagel and cream cheese for J., and oatmeal for C. The baby has cheerios and a few slices of banana. I do some housework and try to motivate myself to get some work done.
10am - The baby broke my glasses when playing with them -- probably should have seen (ha) that coming. I hop on Zenni and they have a Black Friday sale (oh no) for 20% off $30 or more. I get two pairs of glasses for me, plus a pair of prescription aviator sunglasses for my husband to put in his stocking. Total with $5 shipping - $48
12pm - Baby is napping and I’m trying to get some work done. The big kids eat their packed lunches and I see my husband has also made a sandwich for me, so I scarf that down over reports. I’m really sluggish again today. I make a chai but it feels like I can’t concentrate. The dog and I usually go for runs 2-3 times a week on a local trail, but since semi-isolating I’ve stayed in and I think it’s starting to really affect my overall state. It probably doesn’t help that I often catch the pup looking longingly at her running harness and then back at me, disappointment evident in her eyes.
1pm - I set up Zoom Thanksgiving for my family. It’ll just be us with my mother and father in law, who live 20 minutes away, for Thanksgiving in person. I spend 40 minutes making a Jeopardy game to play online for my family and then immediately text everyone about how excited I am to play it. I continue to do no legitimate work.
2pm - The baby wakes up the very minute a team meeting is supposed to start. I grab him, turn my video off (no Toobin slips here thanks) and nurse him for the first half of the meeting that goes for about an hour. Afterwards I officially say sayonara to work until next week. During my meeting the big kids have gotten into an argument over video games and it gets uglier than it should. When people ask how it’s going with the kids in quarantine, I relay it this way: imagine you’re a kid again and your sibling(s) are your only playmate or social contact for 8+ months. Even if you get along with them, that’s batshit insane. Sometimes I’m shocked they haven’t done more damage to each other. I’m feeling particularly kumbaya-like and crunchy today so after I calm them down I make us all tell each other two things we love about each other. They tell the baby the two things they love about him are his sweet personality and his fat thighs; better him than me.
4pm - My daughter got a baking cookbook and utensils from my brother and sister in law as an early birthday present in the mail today, and she’s been hankering to make brownies all day. We make a pan and afterwards we veg out and watch tv together for a bit while playing with snapchat filters until my husband gets home.
6pm - I throw together a mongolian beef-esque marinade and toss that with some sirloin cuts in the instant pot, steam some rice, and roast broccoli and green beans for dinner. It’s pretty good but the marinade is a little too sweet for me --- my son eats all the vegetables and none of the beef and rice. He truly is an enigma.
7pm - My husband and the kids go outside to play some catch (in the dark, whatevs), and I work like a tasmanian devil cleaning up the house. When unencumbered by children I think I could set records for how quickly I clean up. I finish by changing out sheets on all the beds, and then take a shower.
8:30pm - Bedtime for the kids; they’re down by 9.
9:30pm - I indulge in one of my favorite teas - African Nectar by mighty leaf; I’ve loved mighty leaf since I worked at a coffee shop that carried their collection, but I try not to drink them too often since I find it’s pricier than your everyday tea. We watch the rest of the Queen’s Gambit. I fall asleep on the couch around 11:30, I’m told, and zombie walk to bed around midnight. I fall asleep reveling in the wonderfulness of the sensation of fresh sheets on shaven legs.
Daily Total: $48
Total Spent: $899.81
**********
Section 5: Reflection
This was a bit of an atypical week for me, because I bought a lot of Christmas presents, which mostly come from our piggybank fund. Gifts and food are for sure my weakness; if I could eat take out all day while shopping for other people I’d be good for life, and I think that was reflected this week a little bit. I was definitely more conscious of my gift spending this week since I had to record it all though. Throughout this year I’ve struggled to find the right balance between giving myself a little grace on spending because oh em gee does my day-to-day feel stressful sometimes, while also being mindful of overspending. Recording everything this week definitely hit home for me that sort of guilt trap I fall into with money (but also how I feel guilty about pretty much everything).
submitted by throwaway_md_yay202 to MoneyDiariesACTIVE [link] [comments]

Legend of the Crystal Skull Quotes but I'm Drowning in a Bayou of Metaphors

Ahoy-hoy! Welcome to another week of quotes, this time with Legend of the Crystal Skull, and my personal favorite, Professor Hotchkiss. Also this game has a ton of metaphors, really adds so much character to such a unique and interesting game. Please enjoy! Which quote from the game is your favorite?
submitted by waiting_forit to nancydrew [link] [comments]

E9 Megathread (2020)

Welcome to LivingMas!

For those who don't know, this pinned thread explains the experience as well as discussing Taco Bell news and also any changes for this subreddit. Limited time offers are a part of each Taco Bell "Experience". Taco Bell releases around 10 "Experiences" per year, each one with new items, limited offers and special releases nationwide. These experiences average 4-6 weeks each. This post holds a ton of information to be able to answer any questions on this experience, this way you don't have to make a post asking about what's going on.

Experience 9: November 5, 2020 - December 23, 2020

NEW ITEMS
​
These Items will continue in E9:
​
These Items are Taken Away/Discontinued in E9:
Note: The Chicken Chipotle Melt replaces the Shredded Chicken Chipotle Melt
Note: ​#8 Combo becomes 3 Doritos Locos Tacos and a Large Drink (Replaces Mexican Pizza Combo)
​
In Other News
​
LivingMas News
​
I do not receive comment notifications for this post, so if I am missing anything please mention me in the comments or send a PM and it will be edited/added on this megathread. Thank you!
​
Flairs
Places to be
\This subreddit and all pages associated with it are operating without affiliation to Taco Bell or YUM! Brands. Information is sourced from fans, publicly and discreetly by employees, and by research through various sources. Statements made by moderators or members in no way reflect the Taco Bell or YUM! Brands companies. Please send all comments and concerns of this subreddit to the mod team in a private message. If your comment or concern is about Taco Bell, the company, use their* contact page on their website.

**To see all 2020 Limited Time Offers (Experiences) please see this post.

submitted by tacobellblake to LivingMas [link] [comments]

I am 22 years old make $68,000, live in NJ and work in tech

Section Zero: Apologies for getting this up a few days late. Honestly, I’m terrified of posting this, but here’s to doing things outside your comfort zone! My full-time job started at the end of September, and I thought writing this at the start of my career would be fun to look back on. For some background information, I was raised by an incredible immigrant single mother. I still live at home, which is the only reason I’ve been able to save. Thanks for reading.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Section One: Assets and Debt
Retirement Balance: ~$1800 in Roth IRA which I recently opened. ~$460 in 401k, I was allowed to start contributing in Nov, employer does not match
Equity: n/a
Savings account balance: ~ $4200 in HYSA for my emergency fund. And over $4000 set aside for student loans payoff once forbearance ends
Checking account balance: ~2800.00
Robinhood: ~$100. This is mostly for fun.
Credit card debt: None. I pay my full balance at the end of the month.
Student loan debt (for BA): $7,500. The rest of tuition and college expenses were paid for by financial aid, scholarship, work-study job, and a part-time job.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Section Two: Income
Income Progression: I’ve worked part-time jobs since I was 15 which includes being a tutor, working in food service, babysitting, being a receptionist, and outreach caller. The most money I made before my current job was as an intern for $15/hour the summer before my senior year.
Main Job Monthly Take Home: About $3800 after taxes, health insurance, 401k contribution, etc. are taken out.
Side Gig Monthly Take Home:In October, before the election, I worked as a phone banker for a nonprofit for $16/hour. I worked 4 hours a night (after full-time job) for a couple of weeks, and I used that extra income to buy Christmas gifts.
I sell clothing on Curtsy and make ~$10 a month, but it’s not consistent.
I consistently take surveys on Prolific during lunch breaks (thanks to the idea from another Money Diary!) and I get on average about $2.50 a day. This is my “fun money.”
Any Other Monthly Income Here:
My mom pays for my car insurance (this is the last year). I live at home so rent, utilities, and most food is covered. Thanks birth giver!
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Section Three: Expenses
Retirement contribution: 8% for 401k, and just throwing money into Roth IRA, honestly still just figuring that out
Savings contribution: $1200 at the minimum split between an emergency fund and moving-out fund
Debt payments: $600 set aside for student loans
Donations: Nothing regular, but I gave ~$80 in pet supplies to an animal shelter this month. I also volunteer for my university by interviewing prospective students. I like talking to first-gen students like me and do this about once a week.
Electric /Wifi/Cable: I don’t normally pay this but last month I chipped in $230 because it was a financially rough month for my mom. I expect I’ll be doing this a few more times in the next year.
Cellphone: $80 for my mom and me (I recently negotiated this down from an outrageous $115 and I’m very proud of it)
Subscriptions:
$9.59 Netflix
$5.31 for Spotify/Hulu/Showtime (this is the last month of student prices)
$0.99 for Apple cloud storage
Amazon Prime $59 (annual)
Disney Plus (mooch off of boyfriend’s)
Car payment: none, was passed down a beater. Eternally grateful for this.
Pet expenses: $18.76 for Pet Insurance and peace of mind, ~$70 for cat food and litter
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Section 4: Money Diary
Day 1- Sunday 12/13
8:30 AM- I wake up at boyfriend N’s house. We eat delicious bagel sandwiches, and lazily watch trivia shows on TV.
4:00 PM- Back home and it’s time to get some groceries. I buy some essentials. $18.68. I make a strawberry, banana, and mango smoothie afterward and quickly realize I forgot to buy spinach. Rats.
5:00 PM- I launder. I feed my cat. I start writing my Money Diaries while a silly Christmas show is in the background, hoping the Sunday Scaries do not creep in.
7:00 PM- I crave a banh mi sandwich and my telepathic mom comes home with a vegetarian one. Success! I munch that up.
9:00 PM- I’m in bed and read The Millionaire Next Door on my kindle before my library loan expires. I aspire to be a PAW vs an UAW. Lights out by 10:30 PM.
Daily Total: $18.68
Day 2- Monday 12/14
8:00 AM- Good morning, world! At least that’s what I think my cat is saying when she angrily meows at me to wake up. I aimed for waking up at 7 AM to work out but that simply didn’t happen. I brush my teeth, moisturize, make my bed, make a cup of herbal tea, clean the litter box, and put on a slightly less frumpy outfit than the one I was already wearing.
8:30 AM- “Commute” to work by sitting at my desk in my bedroom and open up a laptop. I remind myself how fortunate that makes me.
9:45 AM- Hunger gets the best of me, and I make avocado toast. My cat curls up on my lap for some cuddles. I eat while waiting for a meeting to start.
12:00 PM- Take a break by browsing the Money Diaries Reddit lol. Someone recommends reading “Bullshit Jobs” so I request to loan it through my library on my kindle. I hear there is an imminent snowstorm, which only encourages me to purchase car window covers that have been sitting in my Amazon cart. I get one for my mom and me as an early Christmas gift. $30.34 I eat a tofu vegetable stir fry with rice for lunch.
5:30 PM- I sign off and take my cat to the vet for an annual checkup. I adopted her this time last year and want to make sure I’m not doing a terrible job raising her. The vet has COVID protocols so I’m not able to go inside with her, and I instantly feel bad when they take her away to be prodded and poked alone. To my surprise, she gets a stunning behavior review from the vet and they clip her “talons” as a courtesy. $165.00
7:00 PM- Back home, I eat leftovers for dinner and watch a few episodes of The Crown. I hang out with the family for the rest of the night and I fall asleep at 10 PM.
Daily Total: $195.34
Day 3- Tuesday 12/15
7:30 AM- I begrudgingly wake up and after checking my phone, I realize that it’s payday! When that direct deposit hits chef’s kiss. I change into workout clothes and follow along a 15 minute HIIT Pilates workout class on Youtube. It’s short, but it will do. I jump in the shower and do my skincare routine afterward: the Great Barrier Relief serum from Krave Beauty and the Elta MD tinted sunscreen. I put on a real top today but balance it out with yoga pants.
9:00 AM- Sign into work while eating an onion bagel with cream cheese. Can you tell I love carbs? I spend most of my morning finishing up and sending assignments in, and also help a new brand new hire with JIRA.
12:00 PM- Lunch time. I do a Prolific survey then turn on the Bachelorette because mind-numbing TV gets me through the day. My boss messages me to review something urgent so I get back with him with a mouth full of Thai veggie stir fry (yes I eat a lot of stir fry). I eat it with a side of avocado and I’m a happy girl.
2:30 PM: I finished most of my work this morning so I take a quick break and drive to a nearby park, which has a Little Free Library. I recently cleaned out my book collection and like to donate a book or two (it’s usually full) every week. While I mainly read on my kindle, there’s a treasure in there every now and then. Last week I got the Hobbit! Back to work by 2:45 PM
5:00 PM: I get an email from a prospective student regarding an alumni interview. We set up a time to Zoom later this week.
5:30 PM: Finish up work and sign off. I’m hungrier than usual so I put frozen fries in the toaster oven. While those cook, I do the dishes and clean the litter box. After finishing the fries, I eat a Trader Joe’s salad I got last week because balance. I realize I’m very boring because the rest of the night is pretty much the same as always. I watch another episode of The Crown, play with my very high maintenance cat, and catch up with my mom after work.
9:00 PM Read more of The Millionaire Next Door. Talk with N on the phone until I fall asleep. Love that boy.
Daily Total: $0
Day 4 – Wednesday 12/16
8:00 AM- Wake up with an extremely sore back. To put it mildly, my mattress sucks. I think I’m making it a 2021 goal to save up for a new one. I’ve browsed mattresses online for months but can’t commit because all the reviews seem fake. Any suggestions for a side sleeper? Go through the motions of my usual morning routine.
8:45 AM- Log onto work and good thing because I have a surprise client meeting at 9 AM. Quickly make an avocado toast to eat for breakfast beforehand.
12:00 PM- Morning meetings went well but now it’s time for lunch! I eat fish tofu in a tomato sauce with rice. This probably sounds weird to some people, but it’s delicious. I eat green grapes as a side. I also watch the Bachelorette and my favorite guy makes it through to the final 3!
3:00 PM- Today is a meeting heavy day and I still have another on my calendar. In other news, it’s snowing! I make a strawberry, banana, mango smoothie to celebrate and get back to work.
5:00 PM- Finish up work. Do the dishes, and clean the litter box. I haven’t really moved my body all day so I follow along a 20 minute Pilates video. I jump in the shower and as I’m finishing I have an intense muscle cramp in my chest and (I’m embarrassed to say this)… lose consciousness. I’ve fainted before in the past so I braced myself in the shower before going down as I’m in pain and the water is just running over me. I muster up all the energy I have left to get out of the bathroom and call my mom. She’s on her way home early anyway because of the snow.
7:00 PM- I spend the rest of the night horizontal drinking lots of water. I was probably dehydrated and I talk with N on the phone to feel better. Lights out by 10:30 PM.
Daily Total: $0
Day 5- Thursday 12/7
8:00 AM- Slept in until 8 which seemed luxurious. I feel better by the way! I have naturally low blood pressure so I’m prone to these sorts of things but I can’t help feeling a little lame that my body couldn’t withstand a 20-minute work-out. I go through my morning routine and put on makeup because today is an on-camera day, and I could use a confidence boost. I use CC cream, bronzer, blush, mascara.
9:00 AM- Log in to work while sipping herbal tea and eating a bagel. I check my personal email and realize I’ve heard back from the Movers and Shakas program in Hawaii! I spontaneously applied a few weeks ago hoping that I’d get an excuse to move to a tropical paradise. I was a pretty adventurous person in a pre-COVID world and I feel like that part of me has died. They’re recruiting remote workers from the mainland to live and work from Hawaii in exchange for community service, and they’ll be reaching out to finalists on Dec 31st. If you can’t already tell from my diary, my life is pretty monotonous, and just the prospect of moving somewhere new and warm lifted my spirits.
12:30 PM- Today has been slow. I make Trader Joe’s ricotta and spinach ravioli for lunch and do Prolific surveys.
5:15 PM- I finish the workday strong by getting a compliment from a teammate which fuels my soul because my love language is words of affirmation haha. I do my usual after-work routine and then catch up with my best friend on the phone. We talk about work woes and it’s nice to not feel alone.
6:00 PM- Time to volunteer by interviewing a prospective student of my college. This person seemed really nervous and gave me really short responses so we were done in 15 minutes.
7:30 PM- Mom made noodles for dinner and in true Asian fashion, we watched the new Mulan.
10:00 PM- Body shower, get cozy for bed, and chat with N. Fall asleep by 11 pm.
Daily Total: $0
Day 6- Friday 12/18
7:00 AM- Abruptly woken up by meowing cat who is demanding attention. Open the door to allow her in, but get back in bed to scroll until 7:45 AM. Get up and realize it’s a hair wash day so I hop in the shower and scrub that nasty scalp. Make my bed, make herbal tea, do skincare routine, yada yada yada.
8:30 AM- Log on to work with a butt load of emails to welcome me this glorious Friday.
12:30 PM- After a stressful morning, I decided to treat myself to Chick Fil-A. Do I agree with their politics? Nope. Do they have delicious fried chicken sandwiches? Yes. Will I later donate to the Trevor Project to morally counterbalance this discretion? You betcha. My boss called me and shared his screen while I was in the drive-thru, and it was overall a chaotic endeavor. Would not recommend. $10.33
4:50 PM- This day will not end.
6:00 PM- FINALLY the weekend. I immediately take a nap.
7:00 PM- Wake up, spruce up the house before N’s visit.
10:00 PM- We watch the finale of the Mandalorian and wow. Great episode!
Day 7- Saturday 12/19
9:30 AM- Good morning world!
11:00 AM- Out of the house because Santa is driving by on a firetruck! He waves at us. I feel the magic of Christmas. N and I get a bagel sandwich to share and drinks, I pay. $10.15
1:00 PM- We head out to do some last-minute Christmas shopping. I’m pretty much done, but I see a pair of slippers I think my mom would like. $10
3:00 PM- At Target and I’m in such a great mood. N and I dance while browsing and I’m sure everyone internally cringes at us, but I squash the internal critic and pretend I’m in a coming of age movie.
4:00 PM- N treats me to Starbucks and buys me a chestnut praline latte. Yum.
6:30 PM- We finally put up the Christmas tree, and order out for dinner (N pays). It’s instantly cozier in my house, and my cat quickly cuddles up on the tree skirt. We watch anime and fall asleep by 11 pm.
Daily Total: $30.38
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Totals: $244.50
Food + Drink: $39.16
Fun/Entertainment:
Home + Health:
Clothes + Beauty:Transport:
Other (Gifts): $40.34
Other (Vet): $165.00
Lastly, reflect on your diary!
While I don’t go to the vet every week, I feel like this was a typical spending week for me. It wasn’t reflected in this dairy but I’m typically restocking something whether it’s toiletries/beauty, or cat supplies so I feel like my spending wasn’t increased by that much. It’s typical for me to eat out a few times on the weekend as well. I am actively trying to boost my emergency fund and moving-out fund so I try to minimize my expenses. Sorry in advance if you don’t enjoy this diary. I really am trying my best to figure this personal finance thing out. Happy holidays everyone!
*edits are for formatting*
submitted by Typical-Squash-6182 to MoneyDiariesACTIVE [link] [comments]

[WTS + LOTTO] Tabula Rasa - The Nermal "Sprint" Sale (Boos, No-Not-The-Malibu Protech, CJRB, ZT, SBD, CRK...and a Brown Knives Lottery)

"What have I done?
Sweet Jesus, what have I done?
Became a slave to the knife
And now I YOLO "for fun"
And have I fallen so far
And is the hour so late?
(Tomorrow I'll run to the post office gate),
The cries in the dark that nobody hears,
Front pockets all smiles, as the wallet drowns in tearrrrrs...
​
If there's another way to go
I missed it twenty long YOLOs ago
Knife-life was a war that could never be won
I started with Kershaw, Benchmade, and so on
Then Koenig left me with nothing to spend
Yet I YOLO new grails againnnnn..."
-Nerm Val-Nerm, from "Who Am I?" (Act I of the Broadway smash hit "Le Miserable Knifebro")
****
The Nermal Sprint Run.*\* Went full-friggin-send on a grail. Not that complicated.
​
A veritable medley of my journey to date, at prices categories along the entire spectrum of 'Swap-bro fare:
but never, ever:
Short, sweet, and hopefully something for everyone. This is my protagonist's lunge upwards, onwards, to the sky... to slow my tumble into this blissful, terrible abyss... to avoid becoming forever lost...\*
*...at least until next week.
\*...y'all notice how the term "Sprint Run" is actually redundant? Hm.)
****
Look at this stuff, isn't it neat? Wouldn't you say my collection's... (in)complete?
****
A. Boos Smoke Mini // B (stropped only) // $189 SOLD
B. CJRB Feldspar (Large) Blade HQ Exclusive // B (ownership, uncarried by me) // $49 SOLD
C. Pro-Tech Sprint // B (stropped only) // $99 SOLD
D. ZT 0450CF // B+ (ownership, uncarried by me) // $119 SOLD
E. Sharp By Design Void Micarta Inlay // B (ownership, stropped only) // $269 SOLD
F. Craig Brown Exponent #17 // C (ownership, previously disassembled and cleaned, uncarried) // **$349** (retail: $650) SOLD via HappyHour© to a very lucky man u/Badumtss99 (and hopefully the impetus for a new HappyHour rule to limit # of consecutive wins...LOL)
(stop... "Oppan' LOTTO-Style!!"* The new experimental u/Knife_swap remix by our community's mad mad mixologist and royal CRK census-taker, Monsieur u/JoeyPole. Terms and conditions here via his inaugural post). To enter the lottery, comment "IN" if you want to get at it. Then check your chat/PMs in 3 hours for the winning note from Nermal, and transact as usual. Note: "IN" = simply a YOLO with a delay and some reverb, so jus' be sure yous' really IN if you "in," ca'piche?). I also anticipate that the comment section may (or may not) become a bit of a mess, but such is life on the cutting edge of progress here at KS.
G. Chris Reeve Knives Small Sebenza 21 - "Koi Pond" // B (ownership, uncut, uncarried) // WITHDRAWN
Alert: Category 4 pricing structure. To the 👮🚓...I love you, and I know: just read the 'scrip carefully. Come in close and let me tell you something, friends...
Y'all already know how much I love this thing. And I am hoping that no one buys it. \hand wave*) You will not buy this knife. I'm just not ready. But I felt the need to make it available for a true tabula rasa sale.
Nermal falls, scrambles to his feet, grabs a Sebenza from the dirt and spins to face the KS 5-0 as they bare their sharp downvotes, to meet their steely gaze with courage. "...Come for me, Price-Police! I am NERMALLLLL!"
****
Thank you again Knife_swap. You've made so many of my days a special day, by just your being you. There's no subreddit in the whole world like you, and I like you just the way you are.
- Amor siempre, Nermalito
edit: HEY, HappyHour© Lottery Participants... Readme.txt:
  1. First apologies and thanks to u/merkon and the team for putting up with my somewhat rogue HappyHour, and allowing it to remain up given the circumstances for the participants to enjoy. Note for the future: read the rules more carefully Nermal...and everyone thinking of going HappyHour: model it after the model u/JoeyPole's model post. Model. Model...o? Yum.https://www.reddit.com/Knife_Swap/comments/jg8hok/lottoboker_dessert_warrior_kalashnikov_b/
  2. After the third hour is up, HappyHour is over and I'll be sorting through for one last check to see if A: you have 5 confirmed transactions or more, or B: you've been a member of Reddit for more than 1 year. To our younger-accounted members or newbies to the Swap... your time will come faster than you think! Feel free to see what's left on the menu while you're here.
  3. I'll post up here with the randomizer process, and a slow scan of the finalized list (the numbers you got from me may not be the number so don't be alarmed... just did the numbering in the comments to track y'all visually - this is a tiny bit more complicated than you think lol). Imgur link will be right here: https://imgur.com/gallery/HXhBLQw.

Winner of Craig Brown's fine flipper guillotine at almost 50% discount from new is... u/Badumtss99! PM incoming. Thanks for playing all!

submitted by Nermal_in_AbuDhabi to Knife_Swap [link] [comments]

Investing News Morning Roundup – January 29, 2021

Investing News Morning Roundup – January 29, 2021
The heavy trading volumes in Reddit-fueled stocks is set to resume today, with limits placed on trading yesterday by some brokers being removed today. Traders, politicians and regulators are all complaining about the situation though few have clear answers on what should be done. On Wednesday about 24 billion shares traded on US stock exchanges, a record. On options exchanges 59 million contracts traded, also a record.
GM Targets 2035 to Phase Out Internal Combustion Engines
General Motors (GM) has hopped on the all-electric automaker train, announcing it will sell an all-electric lineup by 2035. No more small-block V8s, diesels or hybrid powertrains; just batteries. Today, 98% of GM’s vehicles sold run on combustion engines GM’s most profitable vehicles sold are its pickup trucks and they are also the biggest polluters. GM’s CEO Mary Barra made clear a successful transition to all-electric will very much depend on government subsidies, like everything else EV. Car companies need the subsidies to help offset the higher costs of electric vehicles, a tough hurdle for many consumers, especially with the relatively cheap gas we enjoy in the US. In speaking of the needed subsidies, GM’s sustainability chief, Dane Parker said, “They really help with consumer acceptance and overcoming some of the initial hurdles consumers might have with first cost, as well as things like charging infrastructure.” While GM has invested heavily in electric vehicles, investors have not rewarded GM’s stock which has lagged the S&P 500 significantly.
Tesla’s Semi-Truck Program Behind Schedule on Lack of Special Battery Cells
Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk said yesterday the reason the market has not seen its Semi-Truck yet is due to a lack of batteries. An electric car company without enough batteries? Sounds like a situation. Muck said the first Semi-Truck delivery will happen by the end of the year, but…. “Scaling production is very hard,” Musk said on Tesla’s earnings call. “So a big part of the reason—the main reason we have not accelerated new products is—like, for example, Tesla Semi—is that we simply don’t have enough cells for it.” The Semi-Truck was introduced in 2017 and promised by 2019 but we have not seem one yet. The Semi will use five times as many batteries as its passenger cars. While Musk is confident Tesla can produce long-range large trucks with batteries, he said, “But it would not sell for five times what a car would sell for. So, it would not make sense for us to do the Semi right now, but it will absolutely make sense for us to do it as soon as we can address the cell-production constraint.” Tesla’s new truck will sell for $150,000 to $200,000 while a diesel-powered Class-8 tractor sells for $110,000.
GameStop is Back! Brokers Remove Limits, Stock Soars Pre-Market
WSJ calls it “Nerds vs Wall Street.” The “little guys” slaying Wall Street hedge funds. Whatever you call it, the trading in a handful of stock has caught the market’s attention and GameStop is at the center of it all. Trading in GameStop (GME) was limited at a number of brokerages yesterday after the stock saw an over 400% move, with extremely volatile trading all day long, on Wednesday. Yesterday, the stock fell with less trading. Overnight, Robinhood Market decided to reinstate trading in the stock and 13 others, and GameStop resumed its rise this morning in pre-market trading. It is a fascinating case of retails investors versus institutional investors and so far, it seems the retail people are winning. Regulators, however, have noticed, with a Congressional investigation already promised.
WeWork in Talks to Go Public Via SPAC
WeWork is in talks to go public by combining with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), according to WSJ. WeWork is in talks with multiple acquisition companies to sue the strategy to go public. Talks value WeWork at around $10 billion. Additionally, WeWork has received offers for a round of private financing that would see it avoid going public for now. “Over the past year, WeWork has remained focused on executing our plans for achieving profitability,” Lauren Fritts, WeWork’s chief communication officer, said. “Our significant progress combined with the increased market demand for flexible space, shows positive signs for our business. We will continue to explore opportunities that help us move closer towards our goals.” WeWork famously saw its attempt to go public flame out in 2019 when investors soured on its CEO Adam Neumann, who subsequently resigned as chairman and CEO. WeWork has over $3 billion on its balance sheet and presently does not need financing but is entertaining offers, nonetheless.
Pizza Hut Introducing “Detroit Style” Pizza and the World Says “Huh?”
Pizza Hut (YUM) has a new pizza on its menu and most customers seem puzzled. It’s called “Detroit Style” pizza and when asked what it is, most people just shrug their shoulders. Pizza Hut, though, thinks it has a hit with its new style. Detroit Style pizza is square, with cheese on its crust edges that caramelizes when cooked, giving a crunch crust. Tomato sauce is placed on top of the cheese, not below it like on most pizza. The pizza was invented in Michigan in 1946 and has been popular in the state ever since; the rest of the country, not so much. “The Detroit-style trend is something we’ve seen rise across the country,” said Pizza Hut’s Chief Brand Officer David Graves. “We get that some may not be as familiar with this style of pizza yet.” Most people are familiar with Chicago’s deep-dish pizza. Mr. Graves said he thinks Detroit style can stand up against Chicago and New York pizza. “Those pizzas may be more well-known, but Detroit style can be the same. Everyone just needs a chance to try it.”
submitted by 2112trader to PersonalInvesting [link] [comments]

World cuisine: 10 best food cultures

​
We love to write about food and drink. We love to celebrate the good stuff and lambaste the bad. This is our take on some of the best food cultures and destinations, but of course it's subjective.
It's time to find out once and for all, which cuisine is king as you dream about where you'll travel next:
  1. United States
This may be because most of the popular foods in the USA originate in some other country. The pizza slice is Italian. Fries are Belgium or Dutch. Hamburgers and frankfurters? Likely German. But in the kitchens of the United States, they have been improved and added to, to become global icons for food lovers everywhere.
📷© LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP/AFP/Getty Images Souvlaki is paradise on a stick.
Don't neglect the homegrown American dishes either.
There's the traditional stuff such as clam chowder, key lime pie and Cobb salad, and most importantly the locavore movement of modern American food started by Alice Waters.
Yum
📷© GREG BAKEAFP/AFP/Getty Images Peking duck -- just one of many Chinese culinary delights.
Cheeseburger -- a perfect example of making good things greater.
Chocolate chip cookie -- the world would be a little less habitable without this Americana classic.
Dumb
All overly processed foods such as Twinkies, Hostess cakes and KFC.
  1. Mexico
If you were only allowed to eat the food of one country the rest of your life, it would be smart to make it Mexico. The cuisine has a little bit of everything -- you'll never get bored.
Amongst the enchiladas and the tacos and the helados and the quesadillas you'll find the zestiness of Greek salads and the richness of an Indian curry; the heat of Thai food and the use-your-hands snackiness of tapas.
📷© Courtesy pexels We apologize in advance if this article makes you hungry ...
It is also central station for nutritional superfoods. All that avocado, tomato, lime and garlic with beans and chocolates and chilies to boot, is rich with antioxidants and good healthful things. It doesn't taste healthy though. It tastes like a fiesta in your mouth.
Yum
Mole -- ancient sauce made of chili peppers, spices, chocolate and magic incantations.
Tacos al pastor -- the spit-roast pork taco, a blend of the pre- and post-Colombian.
Tamales -- an ancient Mayan food of masa cooked in a leaf wrapping.
Dumb
📷© MARIO LAPORTA/AFP/AFP/Getty Images Nothing beats traditional Neapolitan pizza
Tostadas -- basically the same as a taco or burrito but served in a crispy fried tortilla which breaks into pieces as soon as you bite into it. Impossible to eat.
  1. Thailand
Street eats are a Thai attraction. Flip through a Thai cook book and you'll be hard pressed to find an ingredient list that doesn't run a page long. The combination of so many herbs and spices in each dish produces complex flavors that somehow come together like orchestral music. Thais fit spicy, sour, salty, sweet, chewy, crunchy and slippery into one dish.
📷© NOAH SEELAM/AFP/AFP/Getty Images Sweet and spicy chai tea.
With influences from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar and a royal culinary tradition, Thai cuisine is the best of many worlds. The best part about eating Thai food in Thailand though is the hospitality. Sun, beach, service with a smile and a plastic bag full of som tam -- that's the good life.
Yum
Tom yam kung -- a rave party for the mouth. The floral notes of lemongrass, the earthy galangal, freshness of kaffir lime leaves and the heat of the chilies.
​
Massaman curry -- a Thai curry with Islamic roots.
Som tam -- the popular green papaya salad is sour, extra spicy, sweet and salty. It's the best of Thai tastes.
📷© Lauren Aloise Churros: dough meets chocolate.
Dumb
Pla som -- a fermented fish eaten uncooked is popular in Lawa and reported to be responsible for bile duct cancer.
  1. Greece
Traveling and eating in Greece feels like a glossy magazine spread come to life, but without the Photoshopping. Like the blue seas and white buildings, the kalamata olives, feta cheese, the colorful salads and roast meats are all postcard perfect by default.
​
The secret? Lashings of glistening olive oil. Gift of the gods, olive oil is arguably Greece's greatest export, influencing the way people around the world think about food and nutritional health. Eating in Greece is also a way of consuming history. A bite of dolma or a slurp of lentil soup gives a small taste of life in ancient Greece, when they were invented.
Yum
Olive oil -- drizzled on other food, or soaked up by bread, is almost as varied as wine in its flavors.
Spanakopita -- makes spinach palatable with its feta cheese mixture and flaky pastry cover.
Gyros -- late-night drunk eating wouldn't be the same without the pita bread sandwich of roast meat and tzatziki.
Dumb
Lachanorizo -- basically cabbage and onion cooked to death then mixed with rice. Filling, but one-dimensional.
  1. India
When a cuisine uses spices in such abundance that the meat and vegetables seem like an afterthought, you know you're dealing with cooks dedicated to flavor. There are no rules for spice usage as long as it results in something delicious. The same spice can add zest to savory and sweet dishes, or can sometimes be eaten on its own -- fennel seed is enjoyed as a breath-freshening digestive aid at the end of meals.
And any country that manages to make vegetarian food taste consistently great certainly deserves some kind of Nobel prize. The regional varieties are vast. There's Goa's seafood, there's the wazwan of Kashmir and there's the coconutty richness of Kerala.
Yum
Dal -- India has managed to make boiled lentils exciting.
Dosa -- a pancake filled with anything from cheese to spicy vegetables, perfect for lunch or dinner.
Chai -- not everyone likes coffee and not everyone likes plain tea, but it's hard to resist chai.
Dumb
Balti chicken -- an invention for the British palate, should probably have died out with colonialism.
  1. Japan
Japanese apply the same precision to their food as they do to their engineering. This is the place that spawned tyrannical sushi masters and ramen bullies who make their staff and customers tremble with a glare.
You can get a lavish multicourse kaiseki meal that presents the seasons in a spread of visual and culinary poetry. Or grab a seat at a revolving sushi conveyor for a solo feast. Or pick up something random and previously unknown in your gastronomic lexicon from the refrigerated shelves of a convenience store. It's impossible to eat badly in Japan.
Yum
Miso soup -- showcases some of the fundamental flavors of Japanese food, simple and wholesome.
Sushi and sashimi -- who knew that raw fish on rice could become so popular?
Tempura -- the perfection of deep-frying. Never greasy, the batter is thin and light like a crisp tissue.
Dumb
Fugu -- is anything really that delicious that it's worth risking your life to eat? The poisonous blowfish recently killed diners in Egypt, but is becoming more available in Japan.
  1. Spain
Let's eat and drink, then sleep, then work for two hours, then eat and drink. Viva Espana, that country whose hedonistic food culture we all secretly wish was our own. All that bar-hopping and tapas-eating, the minimal working, the 9 p.m. dinners, the endless porron challenges -- this is a culture based on, around and sometimes even inside food.
The Spaniards gourmandize the way they flamenco dance, with unbridled passion. They munch on snacks throughout the day with intervals of big meals. From the fruits of the Mediterranean Sea to the spoils of the Pyrenees, from the saffron and cumin notes of the Moors to the insane molecular experiments of Ferran Adria, Spanish food is timeless yet avant garde.
Yum
Jamon Iberico -- a whole cured ham hock usually carved by clamping it down in a wooden stand like some medieval ritual.
Churros -- the world's best version of sweet fried dough.
Dumb
Gazpacho -- it's refreshing and all, but it's basically liquid salad.
  1. France
If you're one of those people who doesn't like to eat because "there's more to life than food" -- visit Paris. It's a city notorious for its curmudgeonly denizens, but they all believe in the importance of good food. Two-hour lunch breaks for three-course meals are de rigeur.
Entire two-week vacations are centered on exploring combinations of wines and cheeses around the country. Down-to-earth cooking will surprise those who thought of the French as the world's food snobs (it is the birthplace of the Michelin Guide after all). Cassoulet, pot au feu, steak frites are revelatory when had in the right bistro.
Yum
Escargot -- credit the French for turning slimey, garden-dwelling pests into a delicacy. Massive respect for making them taste amazing too.
Macarons -- like unicorn food. In fact anything from a patisserie in France seems to have been conjured out of sugar, fairy dust and the dinner wishes of little girls.
Baguette -- the first and last thing that you'll want to eat in France. The first bite is transformational; the last will be full of longing.
Dumb
Foie gras -- it tastes like 10,000 ducks roasted in butter then reduced to a velvet pudding, but some animal advocates decry the cruelty of force-feeding fowl to fatten their livers.
  1. China
The people who greet each other with "Have you eaten yet?" are arguably the most food-obsessed in the world. Food has been a form of escapism for the Chinese throughout its tumultuous history.
The Chinese entrepreneurial spirit and appreciation for the finer points of frugality -- the folks are cheap, crafty and food-crazed -- results in one of the bravest tribes of eaters in the world. But the Chinese don't just cook and sell anything, they also make it taste great.
China is the place to go to get food shock a dozen times a day. "You can eat that?" will become the intrepid food traveler's daily refrain. China's regional cuisines are so varied it's hard to believe they're from the same nation. It's not a food culture you can easily summarize, except to say you'll invariably want seconds.
Yum
Sweet and sour pork -- a guilty pleasure that has taken on different forms.
Dim sum -- a grand tradition from Hong Kong to New York.
Roast suckling pig and Peking duck -- wonders of different styles of ovens adopted by Chinese chefs.
Xiaolongbao -- incredible soup-filled surprises. How do they get that dumpling skin to hold all that hot broth?
Dumb
Shark's fin soup -- rallying for Chinese restaurants to ban the dish has been a pet issue of green campaigners in recent years.
  1. Italy
Italian food has captivated tastebuds around the globe for centuries, with its zesty tomato sauces, those clever things they do with wheat flour and desserts that are basically vehicles for cream. It's all so simple. Get some noodles, get some olive oil, get some garlic, maybe a tomato or a slice of bacon. Bam, you have a party on a plate. And it is all so easy to cook and eat.
From the cheesy risottos to the crisp fried meats, Italian cuisine is a compendium of crowd-pleasing comfort food. Many people have welcomed it into their homes, especially novice cooks. Therein lies the real genius -- Italian food has become everyman's food.
Yum
Ragu alla bolognese (spaghetti bolognaise) -- the world's go-to "can't decide what to have" food.
Pizza -- mind-bogglingly simple yet satisfying dish. Staple diet of bachelors and college students.
Italian-style salami -- second only to cigarettes as a source of addiction.
Coffee -- cappuccino is for breakfast? Forget it. We want it all day and all night.
Dumb
Buffalo mozzarella -- those balls of spongy, off-white, subtly flavored cheeses of water buffalo milk. The flavor's so subtle you have to imagine it.
submitted by tusherseo to u/tusherseo [link] [comments]

what is yum yum sauce made of video

Yum Yum Sauce What is Yum Yum Sauce. Yum yum sauce is a mild savory dipping sauce typically found at Japanese steak houses. Our version is only 5 ingredients and takes about 30 seconds to whip together! This sauce goes by many names (Seafood Sauce, Japanese Vegetable Sauce, pink sauce), but it’s most often called Yum Yum sauce, and it isn’t super hard to make. With only a few ingredients and a few hours in the fridge, you can whip up a bowl of Yum Yum sauce to eat with your fried rice, grilled tofu, or steak in no time! If you’ve ever been to a Hibachi grill or a Japanese steak house, you’ve probably dipped your food into the delicious pink sauce sitting on the edge of the table. This sauce goes by many names (Seafood Sauce, Japanese Vegetable Sauce, pink sauce), but it’s most often called Yum Yum sauce, and it isn’t super hard to make. With only […] This is THE sauce! I've tried making it with other recipes that call for sriracha sauce, but it never came out right. The last time we went to our favorite Japanese restaurant the chef gave us the basic ingredient list -- identical to this. Yum Yum Sauce Ingredients. Most recipes for Yum Yum Sauce have somewhere between 7-10 ingredients. These ingredients are mayonnaise, ketchup or tomato sauce, melted butter, rice wine vinegar, mirin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and sugar. Many of those things you probably keep in the cupboard most of the time. Yum Yum Sauce is a) the best name ever, and b) what is often served at Japanese hibachi restaurants, and also, as I found out last weekend, at fun hipster restaurants with ethnic fusion food. How amazing is it that the GIVEN NAME of this sauce is Yum Yum Sauce? I did not make that up, friends. Yum Yum Sauce. Yum Yum Sauce, the name says it all, a Japanese steak house mayo based sauce that is amazing. This popular sauce is light, sweet and tangy! Popular sauces that are made from scratch are so easy and so much better. Think homemade Famous Fry Sauce, Tzatziki Sauce and Homemade Cheese Sauce. Homemade Yum Yum Sauce […] Yum Yum Sauce, the name says it all, a Japanese steak house mayo based sauce that is amazing. This popular sauce is light, sweet and tangy! Popular sauces that are made from scratch are so easy and so much better. Yum Yum Sauce, though, is fitting: "Well, I mean, it tastes yummy." For years, Southerners who had tasted or heard about Ho's Yum Yum Sauce — which he made a little differently from others (less oil and sugar) — would come to his restaurants asking for 16 or 20 ounces of it. Sometimes called Japanese shrimp sauce, Benihana Yum Yum sauce, or hibachi shrimp sauce, this is the authentic yum yum sauce you’ve been looking for ever since enjoying it at your local Japanese steak house! This post was updated in 2020 to include a step by step video.

what is yum yum sauce made of top

[index] [4632] [7822] [1420] [6004] [5243] [382] [4130] [8296] [9776] [1829]

what is yum yum sauce made of

Copyright © 2024 hot.alltop100casinos.site