Broke Af?

Broke af?

But still interested in feeding yourself? What if I told you that there’s a woman with a blog who had to feed both herself and her young son…on 10 British pounds ($15/14 Euro) per week?

Let me tell you a thing.

This woman saved my life last year. Actually saved my life. I had a piggy bank full of change and that’s it. Many people in my fandom might remember that dark time as when I had to hock my writing skills in exchange for donations. I cried a lot then.

This is real talk, people: I marked down exactly what I needed to buy, totaled it, counted out that exact change, and then went to three different stores to buy what I needed so I didn’t have to dump a load of change on just one person. I was already embarrassed, but to feel people staring? Utter shame suffused me. The reasons behind that are another post all together.

AgirlcalledJack.com is run by a British woman who was on benefits for years. Things got desperate. She had to find a way to feed herself and her son using just the basics that could be found at the supermarket. But the recipes she came up with are amazing.

You have to consider the differing costs of things between countries, but if you just have three ingredients in your cupboard, this woman will tell you what to do with it. Check what you already have. Chances are you have the basics of a filling meal already.

Here’s her list of kitchen basics.

Bake your own bread. It’s easier than you think. Here’s a list of many recipes, each using some variation of just plain flour, yeast, some oil, maybe water or lemon juice. And kneading bread is therapeutic.

Make your own pasta–gluten free.

She gets it. She really does. This is the article that started it all. It’s called “Hunger Hurts”.

She has vegan recipes.

A carrot, a can of kidney beans, and some cumin will get you a really filling soup…or throw in some flour for binding and you’ve got yourself a burger.

Don’t have an oven or the stove isn’t available? She covers that in her Microwave Cooking section.

She has a book, but many recipes can be found on her blog for free. She prices her recipes down to the cent, and every year she participates in a project called “Living Below the Line” where she has to live on 1 BP per day of food for five days.

Things improved for me a little, but her website is my go to. I learned how to bake bread (using my crockpot, but that was my own twist), and I have a little cart full of things that saved me back then, just in case I need them again. She gives you the tools to feed yourself, for very little money, and that’s a fabulous feeling.

Tip: Whenever you have a little extra money, buy a 10 dollar/pound/euro giftcard from your discount grocer. Stash it. That’s your super emergency money. Make sure they don’t charge by the month for lack of use, though.

I don’t care if it sounds like an advertisement–you won’t be buying anything from the site. What I DO care about is your mental, emotional, and physical health–and dammit, food’s right in the center of that.

If you don’t need this now, pass it on to someone who does. Pass it on anyway, because do you REALLY know which of the people in your life is in need? Which follower might be staring at their own piggy bank? Trust me: someone out there needs to see this.

Tags

budget cooking

OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. THE BRINE.

Tags

oh god the brine. da dwarves

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quandrixing

4 months ago

Get More Library! California edition

Is one of your New Year's Resolutions to read more books? Me too. Are you in a situation where buying books is hard, carrying books is hard, storing books is hard, and/or your local library doesn't have enough of the kind of books you want to read? Tired of waiting for your library's ZipBooks queue?

If you live in California, under the cut is a big list of public libraries who offer free library cards to California residents 18 and older through some form of online registration. Includes links to catalogs and links to online registration forms. Some libraries listed here offer permanent/physical cards if you go into a branch, offer permanent cards online, offer cards to minors/out-of-state residents, etc. I've made notes on each library, but there's also a link to the library website if you need more info.

Nearly all of these libraries require a photo ID and proof of address for a full, permanent library card for a person 18 or older. Persons under 18 can typically get a permanent card with parent permission/signature. Some libraries allow teens to get a permanent library card if they have photo ID and proof of address, even if a parent is not present. I didn't make note of these nuances in this list, because this list focuses on digital access to materials. If you're traveling, you might find it worth half an hour to pop into a library branch and get that card.

These digital cards generally give you access to Libby, and some to Hoopla, but I haven't checked all of them. I've noted which ones are on Libby.

While the California libraries ask for your physical address, California public libraries are required by state law to protect the privacy of their patrons, and they are not allowed to disclose or sell the address you provided to any third parties.

If you don't live in California but you do live in the US, I highly recommend looking through the directory of libraries in your state (you'll need to expand the search options and enter the name of your state).

If you know of a California library that offers free cards online to all CA residents, even if those digital cards expire, please drop me a line and I'll look it up and add it.

If you want to make a list for a different state and drop me a line, I will add a link to that post in this post.

Disclaimer: I haven't tried most of these and the information contained here is what was present and available as of the writing of the post. It's possible I misread, misinterpreted, or flat out missed some information. If you find an error in this info, please let me know!

Queer Liberation Library: You only need an email address to obtain one. You have to attest that you live in the US, but they don't ask for your address or your age. This is my one exception to the "California" filter on this list, because it's incredibly useful and awesome. Gives you access to their Libby catalog.

Alameda County Library: Get an eCard online (valid for 30 days), or a permanent card in person. Libby, Hoopla, & a lot more. (Catalog | Apply Online)

Alameda Free Library: Get an eCard online (valid for 2 months), or a permanent card in person. Libby, Hoopla, & other services. (Catalog | Apply Online)

Altadena Library District: Get an eCard online (doesn't seem to expire), or a permanent card in person. CloudLibrary, Hoopla, & other services. (Catalog | Apply Online)

Arcadia Public Library: Get an eCard online (valid for 90 days, takes up to 48 hours), or a permanent card in person. Libby & Hoopla, possibly others (I couldn't find a list). (Catalog | Apply Online)

Burbank Public Library: Get an eCard online (valid for 1 year), or a permanent card in person or by phone (info on their website). Libby, Hoopla, & other services. (Catalog | Apply Online)

Burlingame Public Library: Get an eCard online (doesn't seem to expire), or a permanent card in person. Libby & Hoopla. (Catalog | Apply Online)

Commerce Public Library: Get an eCard online (valid for 1 month), or a permanent card in person. Libby, Hoopla, & other services. (Catalog | Apply Online)

El Dorado County Library: Get an eCard online (temporary, but I couldn't find any information on when it expires), or a permanent card in person. Libby & others. (Catalog | Apply Online)

El Segundo Public Library: Get an eCard online (temporary, don't know how long it lasts), permanent card in person. Libby, Kanopy, & others. (Catalog | Apply Online)

Escondido Public Library: Get an eCard online, physical in person. Libby, Hoopla, & others. (Catalog | Apply Online)

Fullerton Public Library: Get an eCard online, physical in person. Libby & others. (Catalog | Apply Online)

Humboldt County Library: Get an eCard online, physical in person. County residents can get a permanent card; non-residents get an express card. Both get you access to Libby. (Catalog | Apply Online)

Mendocino County Library: Get an eCard online (valid for a year), permanent card in person. Libby, Hoopla, & others. (Catalog | Apply Online)

Monterey County Free Libraries: Apply online for a card by mail (CA residents only), or get a card immediately in person at a branch (CA & out of state residents). (Catalog | Apply Online)

Oakland Public Library: Get a temporary card online (valid for 30 days), permanent card in person. Small chance you can get your card verified (and therefore permanent) by calling, but I haven't tried it yet. Check out their FAQ. (Catalog | Apply Online)

Riverside County Library: Get a card online (unclear how long it's valid for), permanent card in person. Out-of-state residents can get a card for $10/yr. Cloud Library, Comics Plus, Kanopy & others. (Catalog | Apply Online)

Riverside Public Library: Get an eCard online (doesn't expire), physical card in person. Libby, Hoopla, & others. (Catalog | Apply Online)

San Bernardino County Library: Get an eCard online, physical card in person. Libby, Comics Plus, & others. (Catalog | Apply Online)

San Diego Public Library: Get an eCard online (temporary, but doesn't say how long it lasts), permanent card in person. Cloud Library, Comics Plus, Kanopy, & others. (Catalog | Apply Online)

San Jose Public Library: Get a temporary eCard online (valid for 1 year), physical card in person. Libby, Hoopla, & much more. (Catalog | Apply Online)

South San Francisco Public Library: Get a temporary card online (valid for 30 days), permanent card in person. Cards (both kinds) expire after 3 years. Libby, Hoopla, & others. (Catalog | Apply Online)

Stanislaus County Library: Get a temporary card online (valid for 30 days, takes 48-72 hours to process), permanent card in person. Libby & others. (Catalog | Apply Online)

Tags

holy shit this is so useful my local library is shit but i'm in ca

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quandrixing

7 months ago

If you're American will you reblog this with where you grew up and wether or not they had sixth grade camp. I grew up in southern California and every class in sixth grade would take a field trip and go to a camp for a week and this is absolutely bewildering my wife cause she's never heard of sixth grade camp

Tags

north carolina i mean I was homeschooled but most of my friends were in public school so I know it wasn't a thing never heard of it until I met Californians

31K notes View Post

quandrixing

2 months ago

Whoa. It's fish doorbell season

28K notes View Post

quandrixing

3 months ago

Global Citizen

John Oliver Buys $15M of Medical Debt for $60K and Forgives It All, Because He Could

Once again John Oliver proves that you can do anything with money and lawyers

191K notes View Post

quandrixing

5 months ago

*sensually smooches and licks a pomegranate like a horny tiktok chef*

(Support me on my Ko-Fi! <3)

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quandrixing

5 months ago

If you enjoy reading, are there any books on your reading list that you would like to read but haven’t gotten to just yet? Any recommendations from ones you’ve read?

I'm actually reading books on writing right now! FIGHT WRITE: How to Write Believable Fight Scenes by Carla Hoch

I really want to learn how to write action scenes, since there are some future chapters and one-offs I would like to have realistic fighting in it.

I used to do a lot of action writing in my early days -- when I was participating in a BLEACH RPG on forums and LJ, but it's been a long ass time. I'd love to create tension through motion-- and be able to actually help @thedissonantverses for the story we're cooking up. Word Painting: A Guide to Writing More Descriptively by Rebecca McClanahan Just to help me write more descriptively. I don't wanna be someone who uses purple prose for everything, but I could think a little harder about what the world reminds me of. Even the simplest actions have a rich story behind it. I'd like to know how to bring that out.

How To Write Erotica by Rachel Kramer Bussel

Because...reasons 👀 I don't want that cottage to be quiet forever.

As far as books on the list, the main one is 'How We Heal' by Prentiss Hemphill!

Tags

writing books

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quandrixing

2 months ago

I Made These As A Way To Compile All The Geographical Vocabulary That I Thought Was Useful And Interesting

I made these as a way to compile all the geographical vocabulary that I thought was useful and interesting for writers. Some descriptors share categories, and some are simplified, but for the most part everything is in its proper place. Not all the words are as useable as others, and some might take tricky wording to pull off, but I hope these prove useful to all you writers out there!

(save the images to zoom in on the pics)

Tags

geography writing reference

214K notes View Post

quandrixing

6 months ago

Ok but like. What the fuck is there to do on the internet anymore?

Idk when I was younger, you could just go and go and find exciting new websites full of whatever cool things you wanted to explore. An overabundance of ways to occupy your time online.

Now, it's just... Social media. That's it. Social media and news sites. And I'm tired of social media and I'm tired of the news.

Am I just like completely inept at finding new things or has the internet just fallen apart that much with the problems of SEO and web 3.0 turning everything into a same-site prison?

208K notes View Post

quandrixing

7 months ago