@ZehraSky

@ZehraSky 31 March 2022

I took the first step to help myself ***This article includes content that may be triggering to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.*** *Trigger warnings: self-harm, suicide* **Everything written here is my personal experience. I have been mostly silent about my struggles in the recent years but now I want to share what I had went through and what I will go through in the following months.** For years, I have struggled with my mental health. Maybe it was because of the pressure of being a Science High School student wherein we are expected to be ***always*** be better than our peers. I am not quite sure when it started but I knew the breaking point that exposed how fragile my mind was. It was back in Grade 10 (2016) when I first started harming myself. At first it was just mere words. Some negative comments about myself here and there until it turns to a regular thing. I would wake up and instead of feeling grateful, I felt disappointed that I had to live through the day again. It felt as if a blackhole was inside me eating up every emotions that I could feel. There was nothing else of me, I wss just a shell. In this time I got a paper cut and I felt something. It started a routine in which hidden parts of my body started having scars from my own hands. I wanted to feel something and at the time, it was the only thing I could do that made me feel anything at all. I felt empty most of the times. This empty feeling lingered until the time when someone metaphorically pushed me to the edge. It was my then-bestfriend who shouted at me in front of our school, with many strangers watching as she ranted about certain things about me. She knew I hated attention, she knew I hated being screamed at yet she did it. It was a Friday when that happened. I remembered that I kept on thinking back on that for the whole weekend. I could not sleep on that Sunday because I did not want to face the day. It was around 2AM of a Monday, when I decided to just end it all for myself. I remember that there were certain random things that happened that usually don't. It was as if some force was trying to wake up anyone in the house to stop me but no one thought anything of it and they continued sleeping, ignoring all the random things going off that time. As I lie there watching the blood flowed out of my wrist, I felt at peace. But then I remember that my mother would have been the one to find me. At this point, more than an hour had likely passed. I am not sure. However, my mind finally cleared up a bit and saw what I had done. I climbed down from my place at the top deck of our double bed and went to where my mother and father were busy preparing for the day. When my mother saw me and the blood, I could tell she was scared. I was taken to the hospital and there I experienced something that I hoped no one else has to go through. The nurses on duty kept pointing at me and talking amongst themselves. They thought I tried to take my life over a stupid boy or that I was heartbroken, maybe even pregnant. I wanted to scream that it wss not the case but I stayed silent and bear all the stares I got from both the staff and the patients as well as their family. When they took me home, the neighbors are already spreading rumors. They even asked my sister when she went to buy something if she is the sibling of the one who tried to end her life. My sister was angry but she just denied it calmly. She let us know about it when she went home and I could see how troubled my family were. As well-meaning as my family were, their attitude towards me suffocated me. I felt as if I had to "get better" instantly since they kept acting as if they were walking on eggshells around me. So I buried what I truly feel and just act as if I am "totally okay" now. My adviser then told my mother to take me to the psych department to know what is going on with me when several teachers visited our home. However, I refused to go there. I was afraid that they would treat me the same way that the staff from the emergency room treated me. I was not ready for that yet. It did not end there I have many more instances when I should have asked for help but I did not. The fear of facing what is wrong with me kept me from truly getting better. However, there is a single thought that made me realize that I need help, and I need it now. It was the thought I had of ending my relationships with other people, specifically with my partner, that slapped me back into reality. I no longer had any excuse to stop me from seeking help. I have enough money for several consultations. I am now legal age so I can seek help without informing my parents. There are online consultations so I do not have to worry about long lines nor worry about commuting somewhere unfamiliar. I could feel that my decision would affect the future I have. And I could not bear to lose the connections I have right now. Moreover, I refuse to cause more damage to my relationship with my family. I could continue pretending that self-help is helping me get better or I could truthfully admit to myself that this is not something that I could do alone. I chose the latter. I set up an appointment for my first consultation, something I should have done years ago but was tooafraid to do so. I even paid for it already so I will not back out. I do not want to waste my money so I know I would be there for the consultation. I am not actually sure what to expect yet but I will see about it soon enough so I am not going to worry too much. Closing words I plan to share how I set up my appointment, and how much I spent on the consultation in a different article. I will probably write it after my first consultation. This was a difficult article to write. It actually made me emotional but I feel like I owe it to my future self to start my journey at this moment instead of letting all the problems pile up more. If you are struggling, I hope that you too can find the courage to seek help when you finally can. **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 30 March 2022

I made 4 pairs of crochet headset covers Last time I shared about how to make your own headset cover in an article. Since then, I have received orders for it from time to time. As of now, I have actually received 5 orders of it with more promised orders in the future. I try not to hope too much since I do not want to be disappointed. But I always do my best to make sure that those who received my products will like the quality of it and think that the money they spent is worth it. Crocheting is more of my hobby that a serious side hustle. The reason I am selling these products is to support my hobby. So I do not really sell my crochet items for an expensive price. I just sell them at a reasonable price than I know my broke self will buy if needed. But I understand why handmade products are expensive especially ones created by people who have honed their skills for years already. Anyway, I sell my headset crochet covers to my sister for only P20 and she tells her co-workers about it. They then place an order to her. *Why only P20?* Well, making these headset covers is actually easy enough for me to do. I can do 4 pairs in an hour and they do not use up a lot of yarns. So I believe I am pricing my products fairly, but I am confident that I can price it higher as well. Last time I received another order of my crochet headset covers and I had forgotten about it. Good thing that my sister reminded me so I worked on it during my free time. Some requested to see a different color than violet and blue so that is what I did. I actually updated my progress in my noise.cash account. I will share the links here so you can check out some behind the scenes pictures. https://noise.cash/post/qzv6r78bj8xg This is the post wherein I shared about receiving another order of my crochet headset covers. https://noise.cash/post/0q8279nax6k5 This post is where I shared the extra headset covers I made for more variety of colors. I only have limited colors available though since I have yet to restock on my yarns. Remember last time I shared that I plan to use up majority of my yarns first or at least have some profects for each remaining yarns before I stock up on more yarns. https://noise.cash/post/qzv6g92bj8xg This is a post where I shared that I have made 4 pairs of crochet headset covers but I was unable to add a picture since I planned to take a nap. The 4 pairs of crochet headset covers These are the crochet headset covers I made today. As you can see I used 3 different colors for today. I made 2 of the light pink color since the order requested a pink color. So I made an extra one for the sample colors of the crochet headset covers. If you want to make your own headset covers, feel free to visit my article about it. https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/make-your-own-crochet-headset-covers-3d5fc234 The link leads to the article where I wrote a step by step process of how to make your own headset covers as well as how you can customize the pattern to fit the size of your own headset. Moreover, I also shared the materials I used for the project. **Where am I selling these?** As of now, I am only selling it thriugh word of mouth so it is mostly my sister's acquiantance and the likes. But once midterm examinations are over, I plan to start working on relaunching my online shop on Shopee. So if you are interested in affordable handmade items, feel free to wait for my announcement about my shop relaunch. Closing words As much as I tell myself to not hope for something, I find myself being hopeful for the future. I do not want to share about it yet since I do not want to jinx it but I am really hoping that something came out of it. Today is a productive yet calm day. I feel relaxed and happy about this day. Being able to finish crochet projects really made me feel proud of myself. You wanna know what made me not feel proud of myself? It is my expenses for today. I spent a lot of money on food today. I do not regret it but I do not feel proud of it either. But can you believe March is about to end? Slowly, the face to face classes will start to resume this April and I am not yet sure what to feel about that. Mostly, I just want to see my bestfriend again. Plis face to face classes means daily allowance from parents so that is a plus too. Then it is decided, I want to have online classes so I can have more savings. I am just kidding. Anyway, this is all the things that I can tjink of sharing right now. I hope you all have a wonderful day. **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 29 March 2022

I did not want the day to end It seems that luck finally decided to pay me a visit today. The day started on a funny note. Me and my sisters are up early since we planned to go on a morning walk but my younger sister asked us to wait for her to get home from work. So we postponed it, but it was already 6:30AM and yet there was no sign of my younger sister yet so we were unable to go on a walk since our youngest sister has a morning class at 7:00AM. It was okay though since I actually did not feel like moving too much. After eating breakfast, I went back to my room to supposedly take a nap before doing my Engineering Economics homework but I was unable to sleep. I tried to past some time scrolling mindlessly through different applications in hopes of getring sleepy but it did not work. So I opted to begin working on my assignment at around 8:20AM. I finished my activity at 9:00AM which is supposedly the time I would start it so I felt proud of myself. After doing that, I checked on our group chat to see that the stipend from last semester is finally sent to our accounts. It was an allowance for one month only since we were not supposed to have it because our semester was compressed last time. But the department still gave it to us. I am very glad despite the delays. The stipend amounted to P7000 (~134 USD). It is an incredibly helpful amount since it will take care of sime of the bills that we have. Of course, I did not keep all the money for myself. I gave my mother and father P2000 each. Then gave a separate P800 for additional groceries and P200 for my youngest sister. I kept the P2000 for personal use. I already spent part of my stipend Since I waited a long time for this stipend, now that it is here I decided to celenrate it by asking my partner out on a date. Good thing that my partner is eager to see me again as well so we were able to pick a time in our schedule. We met up at around 5PM since my class ended at 4:30PM. Supposedly we were only going out from 4:30PM until 6:00PM but since there were no syncheonous classes from 6:00PM to 9:00PM, we decided to extend out time together. At first, we both thought of going on a date either at Jollibee or McDonalds. Don't judge is since we have yet to go on a date there even though it is a common place where first dates take place. But in the end, we decided to eat ramen instead. Ramen memories Since he always go to our place and we have to stay just around the city, he asked me if I know any ramen shops nearby. There was one in the same street as our home, but I also remembered that there is a ramen shop in Starmall. So we went there. This is Kyukyu Ramen 99. It is a ramen place that sells ramen at an affordable price. I first found out about this place when our eldest sister treated us here. I remember that I ordered the cheapest thing on the menu since it was a treat. Here is my partner placing our orders. I have a hard time talking with strangers so I appreciate it a lot when he does not make me feel bad about it nor does he ever tried to force me to place an order to "cure" me. He just does these kinds of things whenever we are together. *A random tidbit here is that I wanted to post this picture on my Stories on Facebook but then I remembered that I did not attend a group meeting since I set up this date before the leader announced that there will be a groupings. So I did not attend. I know my priorities. But even so, I believe this picture looks cool so I wanted to share it. The ambiancel This is just one wall in the shop. There were actually two walls with pictures from mangas with chefs. I think it is why some people go there. I like the ambiance inside the store but I think they were saving up on electricity since it was a bit hot in there despite the presence of many airconditioners. The menu Here is their short menu. As you can see there are not a lot of variety to choose from but their prices are so affordable which is probably one of the reason why there are still customers. Our order After my partner placed our order, he was given this thing that alerts us when the food is ready. As we were waiting, we were just talking about random things we can think of. Our orders are ready Since it was my partner's first time at the shop he chose to buy the cheapest option just in case he ended up not liking the taste. He chose Kyukyu ramen for his order. My order is Tonkotsu ramen since I wanted to est some egg but I did not want to be too full. Our rating of the food I like this ramen place so I rated it 3/5. The main reason for this is that I do not have expensive taste buds so I like food easily. Plus I also like how affordable the options are. My partner rated this place 2/5 because he told me that the noodles are overcooked. I honestly could not tell the difference but he can. So you can see who has a more sophisticated taste buds out of the two of us. After the meal Once we finished eating, we just walked around the mall while talking. We are trying to catch up on some of our missed dates and I really appreciated how he went to our home when we both have free times. Then he brought me home and we ate dinner. My partner befriended Moshi despite her attitude. It took a while and some food for them to get along. As I was watching my partner leave, I remember wishing that we could have extended the day we spent together. I really wished that we could have more time for our date but alas, the night was getting deeper and he needed to go home. Closing words I always appreciates that my partner still picks me up whenever we go on dates and he also makes sure to get me home safely. This is probably the reason why my parents did not seem to mind his company. In fact, during the months when we were unable to go on dates my parents kept pestering me asking about why he is not coming to our place. Anyway, I really enjoyed this day a lot. And I am looking forward to mlre dates like these. You know, being with my partner made me realize that the number of dates is not more important than the quality. I used to think that to keep a relationship going, the couple would have to meet up weekly to keel the spark. But now I realized that even a date separated by months is better than a date that started to feel more like an obligation. Of course, I honestly want to go on a date with my partner weekly. I just have to wait until we both have work though so we can go on as many dates as we want. Hopefully, my parents will be less strict when it comes to where they would allow me to go. **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

+3 more

@ZehraSky 28 March 2022

Jumbled Words Today, I am feeling overwhelmed. I have a hunch that this might just be due to lack of sleep. After all, I only had 3 hours of sleep last night and I have yet to take a nap today. I know that it is bad for me and it actually affects my mood negative but I could not help it. All this time, I did not feel sleepy since I found a great webtoon that caught my attention. I ended up finding out that the whole plot was already posted somewhere else so I just read that all day instead of napping. Now, I have finished reading all 100+ chapters and I can feel the tiredness sets in. Moreover, I feel uneasy probably because I was unable to work on an activity that needs to be passed tomorrow. Right now, I am waiting for our last class for the day to end. I might take a short nap then work on my assignment. You know, lately I found myself overthinking. In April some courses at our University will already have face to face classes. We are not yet included since we have a small population of students so we were not even considered for the line up for the pilot testing. I am not sure if I am ready to go back to "normal" classes again. My social anxiety is acting up and we are not even included yet. I think I should look into getting an online consultation with a professional to help me calibrate my mind. Forgive me for this random article. My mind is so sleepy right now and my eyes are already half-closed, but I did not want to skip writing an article. You know, I really want to expand my sources of income because there are some things that I want to afford. The first one is of course the online consultation with a professional. I have read up on the topic and I believe I will do better arranging a psychiatric consultation due to my mental health history. I am just contemplating when I should arrange a consultation and if I should wait for my stipend first. Another thing I want to afford is a new drawing tablet. There is nothing wrong with the one I am currently using but I jist have an impulse to upgrade my drawing tablet. I also want to buy more yarns since I have been receiving some orders. Plus I want to buy things for my room. I want to add a table to my room just so I can have more space when I work kn my crafts. Moreover, I want to buy a printer so I can study better. I feel like I have a hard time focusing on my lessons when I am just using the screen of my laptop to read. Closing words My mind is a mess right now but hopefully, a good night's sleep will help me out. I know that I will be able to prpbably answer the questions but sometimes I just feel so pressured that I can not move. This article is si random and probably confusing too. Sorry about that. Maybe just think of this as a freewriting exercise. Also, have I shared that my bestfriend introduced me to some opportunity related to writing? Basically, you will apply to a freelance group and they will be the ones to look for clients. You just have to choose which jobs you want to take. I am still mulling over it but I am not thinking too much about it right now since we have midterm examinations next week. I will probably worry about that after the exams since I would need to have a writing portfolio. **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 27 March 2022

Just the three of us It has been a few months since we last saw each other. It was my birthday last December when we were able to bond together. I remember the three of us laughing and joking around as if we had not seen each other for months. I remember wishing the day would never end so we could just continue to be together. Of course, during that day we were also with my partner so I was with three of my loved ones. Unfortunately, everything has to end. When I watched the two of you leave our house back then, we did not know when we would physically see each other again. Distance might not be that much of a problem but our circumstances proved to be a hurdle so despite our strong desire to see each other every week or so, months passed by without another hangout. Sure we have video calls once in a while as well as movie marathon, but they pale in comparison to doing it together when we are sitting next to each other. I miss the days when we would repeat the same parts in the movie because we liked it so much or the times when one of us will fall asleep during a boring scene in the movie. I miss being able to get together when we have to rant or even if we just feel a bit lonely. I miss hanging out with just the three of us. Today, it was Iskonars' birthday but we dod not have any plan because she was busy preparing for quizzes. However, out of nowhere she messaged our group chat that her mother is cooking spaghetti. I jokingly told her to give me some. And she replied that we can come over there. I know that she meant it mostly as a joke since it was already nearing night time (it was already around 5PM, close to 6PM) but like we have told her before. When she told us to go where she is, me and Engr will go there as soon as we can. Iskonars did not take us seriously but a few minutes later we were knocking at their gates and she was putting on an act for her mother about how surprised she was to see us there. You know, the moment she opened that gate something just clicked for me again. It was as if the world is right again after money months of spinning out of its axis. The moment the three of us were together, the world felt right. The peoblems we have still exist but we can laugh about them. We let out our own selves eithout fear of judgement. We are finally together again. I know that all of us were wishing we could extend our time together. I brought some money to buy Iskonars a cake but I did not buy it immediately because I hesitated since I know she is not that comfortable with receiving things that she view as expensive. Her mother ended up making her buy a cake anyway despite Iskonars' initial refusal. For the next few hours, we did what we usually did back before the pandemic happened. We catch up on things that we missed. Only the important or most pressing things though since we have limited time. We bond over the food and we enjoyed each other's company. I can not describe it fully except that at that moment, I knew that I did not want to be anywhere else. The three of us together is just what I needed to get through hard times. Closing words I am so happy right now that I can not think much else of what to write. You know, if I couls have some powers, I would want tge power to keep precious memories like these intact forever. I want to preserve it untainted with my future self's thoughts about this moment. I just want to remember this moment as it is right now. **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 26 March 2022

It is a Productive Day Rest used to be something that brings me much guilt. Especially in high school where teachers treat us as robots in the name of upholding the excellence science students are known for. I remember that 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep caused envy amongst students since many times, sleep is a luxury we could not afford. It is probably why it comes as no surprise when by the end of our six years stay in highschool, the students have various mental health issues from the constant pressure of performing our best every single day. The effects of that battleground lasted longer than I would like to admit. I remember viewing my college blockmates with judgement because they do not perform up to my standards (which was just the average standards we had at high school). I remember looling at them with irritation and frustration when they would rather joke around than work on the assigned tasks efficiently. However, as I started to unlearn and unpack unhealthy things that I have been carrying, I realized the importance of resting amidst stressful times. My college blockmates were not being lazy when they choose to hang out over the weekends instead of doing all activities. They are enforcing their boundaries and doig their best to ensure a balance in their academic and personal life. This realization made me open my eyes to how much I have been feeling so guilty when I am supposed to be resting. But the restlessness I feel during my so-called rest just made more uneasy than just pushing myself beyond my body's limits. However, I have realized that I am not a robot. I require rest to perform my best. Rest ensures that the quality of my work stays above average most of the timeand it also prevents me from burning our too fast and too soon. Developing the habit of resting without guilt is a difficult journey. There were times when I would berate myself for sleeping instead of working on my activities despite the fact thatI am feeling unwell. I remember there was a time where I had a fever and nonstop cough yet instead of resting, I attended virtual classes. I ended up having to answer the recitation with my clouded mind and I have further insulted myself in my mind because the answers I gave were not the best. I am no longer that way Though I encountered countless hardships alpng the way, I helped myself choose the better optipn for me every single day trusting that the situation will work out in my favor. When I am sick, I rest instead if reviewing for an exam. This is then rewarded by the fact that I knew what to answer since my body and mind had time to heal. When I could feel myself burning out, I do not oush myself to do academic works in hopes of forcing myself to regain the motivation to do it. I sleep if my bosy wants to or I spend my time doing creative hobbies that feed my soul. This gave me the spark that I needed to continue moving forward. Rest is productive My rest days are productive days since I am recharging my energy for future activities. I am not being lazy. I am resting actively. The guilt that I used to associate with rest is no lomger around ever since I realized how easier life became when I have sufficient rest. My mind is clearer and sharper, my body is up to doing multiple tasks, and I could prevent major breakdowns from happening by resting when I could feel my body asks for it. Closing words Today, I slept the whole morning then played with Moshi putside for about 2 hours. Then we ate lunch and I napped again. After that I let Moshi out again and played with her. We ate snacks and I crochet while waiting for dinner. Moshi napped while I was doing my thing. At dinner time, Moshi awakens and we ate together like always. After dinner, I had a group meeting for an activity that started at 7:30PM and ended at 9:30PM. It is now time for sleel again since I had a productive day. Tomorrow will hopefully be chores day if the weather allows. I hope that it does not rain nor does it becomes too hot. Well, I will see tomordow what will happen. **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 25 March 2022

Speciesism: The bias for the same species Ethics class has been one of my favorite class in my three years in college. It seems weird since I am an engineering student but like I have said in my introductory post, my interests lay more on the abstract and creative spectrum instead of the academic role. Although, I will be lying if I said that I have no academic skills because I do and I recognize that I have an edge over my coursemates since I came from a science high school but that is beside the point. The point is that I like topics where I can think non-technical things. There is huge difference between problem solving and thinking which is why I like Ethics. Actually, I have been meaning to share the lessons I have learned in our classes but O kept putting it off. But now I would probably do it since we have a week to review for Ethics midterm and writing about the topics will be hitting multiple birds at the same time. Back to the topic at hand, I learned a new thing today known as speciesism. Now, I am not that great at remembering the names of the people and the reporters are not that great as well but I learned interesting things that I thought would interest you guys as well. What is speciesism? Based on the word itself, it is a bias for the same species usually applied to the human animals. It basically means that we, as humans, have a tendency to favor our own species over other non-humans species. For example, many people will think that it is morally right to leave a non-human animal to a burning building if they can save the humans inside. Parents would even leave their pets behind to ensure their child's safety. Now, I am not saying what is morally right or wrong since Ethics class is for leqrning new perspectives in life. I am just reiteratig what I have learned. Speciesism is saying that a human animal should inherently hold more weight in out decisions since human animals are of the same species as us and humans also have a different level of intelligence than that of nonhuman animals. Peter Singer disagrees I knew Peter Singer because of an earlier topic in this class. I knew him for his fundamental principle that one is morally obligated to prevent suffering if it will not cause a morally comparable sacrifice. This means that if you have the money to buy luxury thing or donate to the victims of floods, then you are morally obligated to donate your money instead of spending it for yourself. It is similar to seeing a drowning child, wherein you are morally obligated to save the child if you have the capacity to swim even if you are going to be late for an interview and your clothes will get muddy. He came up again in this new topic about animal rights since he is of the belief that nonhuman animals must carry the same fundamental rights that we have. This means that he believes nonhuman animals should have the right to live their lives without human intereference. Speciesism examples The first one that I remember is that if nonhuman animals eat each other, why must humans stop themselves from doing so? The reporters explained this by saying that nonhuman animals eat each other because they have no alternative food sources unlike human animals. However, I would counter that humans get nutrients from animal meats that could not be found on plants. One might argue that vegans exist but from what I know they have some nutrients deficiency which is why they take supplements. But these supplements actually has animal parts since one can not just produce the nutrient out of thin air. Even if one were to live without these nutrients, there are several consequences in their bodies too. So, do we humans really have an alternative to not eating nonhuman animals? I will leave that up to you to decide. The next example is that humans use nonhuman animals for experimentation. This reminded me of the video that went viral before about a working rabbit. The rabbit "works" in a research lab where the researcher inject them with various substances to test the effects of the makeup. Most of the rabbits are injured this way but they can not do a thing since they are test subjects. I can argue that humans also do human trials but those trials only happen when there is a reasonable expectation that is safe to do so. In short, humans will put through nonhumans into harm's way to ensure that humans will be safe. Conclusion It exists because humans believe themselves to be superior than nonhuman animals. While it may hold true, the fact exists that nonhuman animals are also deserving of being able to live freely outside the human's entertainment and needs. Closing words I made this right after class so I am already tired and my brain is asleep already. Still, I hope that I managed to convey some of the lessons I have learned today. It is already close to 11PM so I will be sleeping now. **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 24 March 2022

Make your own crochet headset covers This week, I have received 4 orders for my crochet headset covers. The orders came from my sister's coworkers who saw the covers I made for her and decided to order some from me too. It really made me happy since I still get orders even though my online shop is closed right now. Actually, all orders that I have received are from connections in real life and none from my online shop yet. So I am planning to share some orders I have done already when I started posting on my business page again. Just so future customers will know that I have received orders before. Anyway, if you are someone who likes to crochet, I will not mind sharing my simple pattern for the crochet headset covers I made. Just adjust it according to the brand of the headset since my sister's headset are kinda small. Things you need Before I share the pattern, I will share the things you will need for this small and easy project. So take note of these materials and get ready to make your own crochet headset cover. **4/0 crochet hook** This is obviously needed since you will not be able to crochet anything without a hook. I used a Tulip Sorbet (4/0 - 6/0) hook but you can use any equivalent hook. Just make sure that it will be approriate for the yarn type that you will use. **Soft Indophil Acrylic Yarn (8 ply)** This is the cheapest yarn that I have found locally which is why I stocked up on it a few months ago. I am slowly using up all my stocks so I can replace them with new yarns but I can say that this yarn is suited for the headset covers since it is thin and quite comfy. The sound is also not muffled with this yarn type. I suggest trying out different yarns so you can find one that you are comfortable with. If you are not that tight on budget, check out milk cotton yarns since they make crochet more fun. **A pair of scissors** You will need this for cutting off excess yarns so that your prpduct will look more presentable. **Needle** Darning needle is needed to sew the excess yarns into the product so that the yarn will not unravel. This is very important since it ensures the product will retain its shape. **Tape measure** Of course, you can not forget tape measure. You will use this to measure your projectto ensure that it is the right size. Simple Pattern This pattern is beginner friendly. You only need to know how to do a magic ring, double crochet stitch (US term), increase and decrease of stitches, and slip stitch to crochet along this pattern. If you are unfamiliar to any of the terms I mentioned here, please do study how to do them first before coming back into this pattern. Measure the headset. To do this, you have to measure the diameter of the circular part of the headset. You can do this with the foam on or not. Then you have to measure the height of the headset. This measurement will help you in figuring out how big your covers should be. Make a magic ring. Chain 3, this will not be counted as a double crochet stitch. Insert 12 double crochet stitches inside the magic ring. After the 12th stitch, slip stich to the first stitch to close the circle. Chain 3 then do 2 double crochet stitches in each stitches. Slip stitch to the first stitch. You should have a total of 24 stitches for this round. Chain 3, (insert a double crochet into the first stitch, then inrease by putting 2 double crochet in the second stitch) × 12. Slip stitch to the first stitch. You should have 36 stitches for this round. Chain 3, put a double crochet in each stitches. Slip stitch to the first stitch. You should have 36 stitches at the end of this round. Chain 3, (double crochet in the first stitch, decrease on the second stitch) repeat this until the end of the round. You should have 24 stitches at the end. Fasten off. This pattern will create a headset covers that have 1.5 inches diameter, and 0.25 inches height. You can increase the increasing rounds if you have a bigger headset. Then you can have more rounds of one stitch for every stitch to increase the height of your headset cover. Final product This is the one that I gave to my sister. She used it for her work so her coworkers can see her colorful headset covers. These are the crochet headset covers that I made for the 4 orders I received. They are simple to make but they are so cute. If I use headset, I would want one as well. What about you, are you interested in this crochet project? **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 23 March 2022

A memory to treasure The last time I saw my partner was December 26, 2021. It was my mother's birthday and she invited my partner to celebrate it with us. We ate the food prepared for the small celebration, and we also went out for a bit with just the two of us to get my mother a present. He also accompanied me to get my laptop upgraded. Actually, he was the one who did all of the talking to get my laptop upgraded since I do not understand much about technology. When I watched him go home that day,we were so sure we would see each other next month. But then January came, and COVID cases started to rise again which caused us to postpone the date we planned for the month. On February, we were both busy so we were unable to meet again. Despite months if not seeing each other, we still find ways to have quality tine together. The most common thing we do is to watch movies. There was even a time when we watched movies with my friends. Moreover, we also try playing games but we do not usually do this a lit since it is time consuming. Anyway, today we finally managed to meet again. We decided to go through our previous plan of eating unli wings together. He went to our place to fetch me. Then we went to Wings Master (the place with unli wings) riding his motorcycle. I appreciated it a lot since the oil prices are high right now yet he still went to our place for me. We actually got lost for a bit since the place was not that eye catching so we missed it the first few times. Good thing that we managed to find it. The first order came with a rice. We were hungry so we ate it without remembering to take a picture of it. Then the next tray, we decided ti order 2 spicy flavors since I wanted that plus 2 non-spicy flavors. The spicy flavors ruined our momentum of eating since they are not good. They are not spicy at all. I cannot describe it other than I wish I did not order it. My dearest partner ate most of the spicy wings despite the fact that I wss the one who ordered then end up not liking the taste. He also dislike the taste but he still finished eating it. But because of this wring selection of flavor, we were full with drinks when we ordered for the third tray. There were 2 leftover wings because we felt like we were gonna vomit if we continue eating so we stopped. There are so many things that made me happy today but I want to keep them for myself since I find the memories so precious. I feel like I can be who I am with my partner without having to hide parts of myself. The best part of today for me is watching Moshi interact with my partner. Moshi is not used to having guests over so she is protective. But my partner was patient and when Moshi shows no sign of wanting to be friendlier even after being given food, my partner let Moshi be. Hopefully, next time Moshi will be better with meeting strangers. I kind of blame myself for her attitude since when she was a baby, I used to praise her a lot when she barks. I did that because when she was a baby her barks sound tiny and cute. She probably started to think it was the right action to take when strangers are close to us. I will start looking for training methods to stop this bad habit of hers though since I did not want her to hurt someone just because we did not train her enough. Anyway, this day is so much fun for me. I enjoyed it a lot. I needed this bit of joy since midterm is coming next week. So it is a good thing that me and my partner managed to go on a date. Closing words The best thing about this relationship is that despite the fact that we go months without seeing each other, we know that our feelings for each other stays despite the distance. **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 22 March 2022

Adulting 101: Consider these things when setting up your emergency fund Yesterday we established what emergency fund is and why it is important. Today let us try to figure out the things that ome must consider when setting up an emergency fund. You have to remember though that this is a personal decision so what might work for me might not work for you. Make sure to think deeply about your own life when setting up your emergency fund. Just a quick disclaimer that this article is not meant to be taken as a financial advice. I am not a professional financial advisor so DYOR is highly encouraged before making a decision. This article will be divided into three sections. The first one will be about what to consider for your emergency funds. The next one is where to put your emergency fund. And the last will be about keeping cash on hand. What do you have to consider? The first one is knowing your role in the household. Are you single? Do you have any pets that need to be taken care of? Are you living with your family? Are you the breadwinner for the family? Do you own your house or do you pay rent monthly? These are some of the questions that you can ask yourself first to get started. By doing this you will have a clear view of where you stand and what your responsibilities are. This makes it easier for you to see the effects that an emergency will have on your family. After answering the question, you can list down all your regular expenses. What I mean by this is the expenses that you have monthly such as rent, any credit loans, groceries, transportation fees or gas, monthly bills, etc. These are the expenses that you will not be able to escape from no matter how tight your budget is since they are necessary. So take them into consideration when making your plan for building up your emergency fund. The next thing you have to take into consideration is your monthly income. This includes the payment you receive at your job and any side hustles you have. This way you can see how much you can allocate every month or every payday for your emergency fund. Building up your emergency fund takes time so do not feel pressured if you come up with a large amount. The fund should usually 3-6 months equivalent of either your monthly expenses or your monthly income. It is up for you to decide. Another thing that you have to consider is your debts. We will discuss this sometime in the future articles of this series but I will put it here now since I believe it is important. Debts with high interest rates will be harder to get rid of the more you put off paying the whole debt itself. So while planning your emergency fund, you have to take into consideration if you are putting more than enough money to pay off your debt. Your emergency fund might end up drained if you are shouldering massive amount of debts wkth high interest rates. You can still build your emergency fund while paying off debts of course, you just have to make sure that you take it into consideration. Where should you put your emergency fund? Since emergency fund is for urgent matters, it is important to put it where you can easily liquify it. Imagine if you invested your emergency fund in real estate that you would not be able to deal with a better price because you badly need money. This is why you should put your emergency in a place where you can take it out withing 1-3 days. I am personally building my emergency fund for our family in an online savings bank. I do this since online banks offer higher interest rates than traditional banks. This way, I can keep my money while also enjoying the interest. You can also put it in some stable investment options. The type where the price is not as volatile. This is a bit riskier but you might feel more comfortable with it than putting it all in a bank. Wherever you decide to put it, just remember that it has to be in a safe place that you can take out easily. Should you keep emergency fund in cash? I believe that a part of your emergency fund should be kept as cash onhand. Why? Well you never know what emergency might happen. If it is a natural disaster then most likely, the banks will have long lines so you will have to wait hours before withdrawing your money. If it is in an online bank then what will you do if the towers are down and affecting your signal? Cash will save you in tight situations where you can not immediately access your main emergency fund. Of course, keeping a large amount of cash in one place carries some problems too so make sure that you take the proper measures to ensure its safety. You can put the cash in a sealed plastic to protect it from getting wet in case of strong typhoons. And you can also keep it within reach so that when emergency happen, you know where you can get the cash. Closing words The things I wrote in this article are also what helped me in my journey of setting up an emergency fund. I still have a long way to go to get to my desired amount but I am slowly getting there so it is alright. Small progress is better than none. Anyway, I enjoyed writing this article and I really hope that you enjoy reading it as well. This is a part of the Adulting 101 series that I am writing. You can read the earlier articles of this series here: **Adulting 101: Realizations** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-realizations-03c6b444 **Adulting 101: Children does not count as investment** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-children-does-not-count-as-investment-a2863bcb **Adulting 101: Set Financial Goals** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-set-financial-goals-314fb139 **Adulting 101: Track your Expenses** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-track-your-expenses-a8f6c523 **Adulting 101: Make your own finance tracker (Part 1)** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-make-your-own-finance-tracker-part-1-19aa8b55 **Adulting 101: Make your own finance tracker (Part 2)** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-make-your-own-finance-tracker-part-2-73b2987a **Adulting 101: Prepare an Emergency Fund and its importance to BCH holders** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-prepare-an-emergency-fund-and-its-importance-to-bch-holders-1ac19dea **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 21 March 2022

Adulting 101: Prepare an Emergency Fund and its importance to BCH holders In the last article of this Adulting 101 series, we have discussed about the importance of tracking our finances. We went over the ways how you can track your money and I have also given a free finance tracker format for those who want to get started. Today, I want to go over another important aspect of financial freedom which is peeparing for emergencies without being buried with debts. But first a small disclaimer, I am not a professional financial advisor. Everything I share on this article is based on my observations and own research. Thus, this article is not meant as a professional advice. DYOR is highly recommended. When life happens I think I do not speak for myself when I say that sometimes things happen that put an unexpected financial strain in our lives. Growing up, I have seen many people borrow money from others just to survive the emergency. However, most often than not, the interest kept piling up until the borrower is burdened with debts they cannot pay off. These emergencies might include sudden medical diagnosis that needed urgent treatment or medical emergencies where money is needed to save the life of your loved one. Sometimes it could include accidents where you are out of commission for months yet the bills continue pouring in despite not having an income due to the accident. Or maybe a natural disaster occured that wrecked your place or took out some important things that you need and have to be replaced like laptops, phones, or other things that you usually need. When this happens, you might turn to others for help if you are not prepared. You know the saying that "better be prepared than sorry" is very applicable in the journey to financial freedom. What is an emergency fund? An emergency fund is basically an allocated amount of money that can only be used for emergencies. It is not to be used for vacations or other big purchases that are unneeded but rather emergency fund is only used for times where money is urgently needed such as the emergencies I mentioned a while ago. Based from my research, there are many ways you can set up an emergency fund and how to compute for the amount. But the baselime is that it must be enough to cover at least 3 months of your monthly expenses. Your emergency fund must have enough money in it to cover all your monthly bills, credit responsibilities, food, rent, and other necessities that you have if you live alone, and that your family has if you are a breadwinner. Some advices I encountered though are saying that emergency fund must be equal to your 3-6 months income. So if you earn P20,000 per month, you must have around P60,000-P120000 set aside for emergencies. You might already be thinking that it is impossible to do since it is a big amount of money for ordinary people. But I have a story to share with you about why building up your emergency fund is a must. If only they had emergency fund I have an aunt and an uncle who love to take out new cars or motors on a credit. Since they both have works they are confident they can pay off the monthly payment for this. The first time it happened, they got a brand new motorcycle. I do not know much about it but I heard them bragging about how it is a new model at the time and how expemsive it was. Then a few months later, I sae that the motorcycle was no longer theirs since they failed to pay the monthly payments consecutively due to some emergencies they had. It might just have been a little hiccup in their lives though so they got a new car after a year. This car is great since it provided them extra income since my uncle use it to drive for Grab. So they can pay for the monthly payments using the income the car generated for them. It would seem like they learnt their lesson. Then pandemic happened, and both of them lost their jobs for a few months. They had no savings or anything. They had been paying for this car for more than 3 years out of the 5 years payment they have to finish. But because they were unable to continue paying for it due to the pandemic, they had to return the car. So in the end, they paid 3 years worth of money with norhing to show for it. It is a sad thing to witness. If only they had emergency fund. They could have continued paying for the car for a few months as they get back into their feet. But alas, they were so confident with their monthly income that when it wss suddenly cut off, they did not know how to pay for their necessities. Importance of emergency fund for BCH holders I am sure that many of us have encountered the need to convert the BCH we have because of an emergency. Despite knowing that we are selling at a loss, we could not do anything but convert our BCH anyway since this is all we have. Now imagine if at the peak of BCH, we set converted some for emergencies. Then we will not have to sell at a loss because we have some money set aside. Having an emergency fund will ensure that we will not have to touch our BCH during the red market. Because we all kmow the heartache of selling when the chart is going down. Sure, we could use BCH as our emergency fund but do you think it is a good move? Remember crypto prices are volatile so you might have set aside around P60,000 worth of BCH at one point as your emergency fund. But when the emergency finally arrives, the BCH price is halved so instead of P60,000 your emergency fund is now around P30,000 only. So what should you do? You should slowly build up your emergency fund. You do not have to complete it all in one month since that is unrealistic. But be sure that you are regularly putting aside money for emergencies and make sure not to touch it except for emergencies. Some of you might be rolling your eyes and thinking that I do not know what I am talking about. But trust me, I have been on both side of this situation. I have been on the side where I have money set aside for emergency so when an emergency came I was not scared or worried that much. I did not hsve to touch my investments at all because I have some extra. And I have also been at the side where I had to sell my investements (not just BCH) at a loss since I badly needed the money and I have yey to refill my emergency fund. I am leaving it up to you to guess which situation I prefer to find myself in. Closing words Emergencies are a part of our lives. We can not predict when it is coming but we can always prepare for it. In the next article, I will try tk share some of the things you have to consider when setting up emergency funds and where you should store your emergency fund. But for today, my article ends here. Hopefully, this article is helpful in making you realize how important emergency fund is. This is a part of the Adulting 101 series that I am writing. You can read the earlier articles of this series here: **Adulting 101: Realizations** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-realizations-03c6b444 **Adulting 101: Children does not count as investment** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-children-does-not-count-as-investment-a2863bcb **Adulting 101: Set Financial Goals** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-set-financial-goals-314fb139 **Adulting 101: Track your Expenses** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-track-your-expenses-a8f6c523 **Adulting 101: Make your own finance tracker (Part 1)** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-make-your-own-finance-tracker-part-1-19aa8b55 **Adulting 101: Make your own finance tracker (Part 2)** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-make-your-own-finance-tracker-part-2-73b2987a **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 20 March 2022

Sunday random thoughts I have had more free time than usual because I have stopped cramming most of the time. I usually finish my activities days before it is due but sometimes my body refuse to move. And I let my body rest when it tells me that it needs rest and downtime. This has been the case this weekend so I have just been sleeping when I have free time. I do not even play games nor read that much these days. I have been focused on just resting and reflecting. I realized that I have much thoughts that I really want to see come to life yet I am too scared to take the first step. This is especially true involving re-opening my shop. Some of you might remember that I had a crochet shop a few months ago but I closed it after a few weeks because I got busy. I was just starting to get orders then but I was doubting if they really like my products. So I stopped taking orders unless I knoe the customer personally like my sister and her bestfriend. Despite the fact that I closed my shop, I still received orders so it did not bother me. Or that is what I told myself. To be honest, I had so many plans for my crochet shop. One of it is accepting BCH as a payment for my crochet product. This will of course be only open locally and there would be a lot of process involved but I did not pursue the thought further. I even thought about including random amount of BCH QR codes to the orders I received so that my customers might get interested about BCH as well. But again, I did not continue through with the plan. The reason is that I doubt myself a lot. I do not know anything about business. Sure, I have already gotten back my invetment from my initial run at my crochet shop but I still feel doubtful. I can not help but overthink my thoughts and actions. What if no one notice my efforts? What if I am just wasting my time? What if this is not for me? And then there are questions about how to handle a business properly. Do I have to register my online shop with our barangay? Do I need a permit? Will I get in trouble if I do not do that? I have researched this but many answers vary. I have also asked around for my fellow crocheters who sell their works and I actually just got more confused. In the end, my doubts won over my desire to try something new and I stopped. But still, I can not stop myself from wondering about it. If I had the courage to re-open my shop any time soon, I hope that I can implement the things that I want to do. Moreover, it is a bit frustrating since I know this is an aspect of life wherein I hace to take the first step to learn. I can not just grow and learn by reading and watching about other people's experiences. I have to start my own path si I can learn how to navigate it. I know that logically but it is hard to fight the fear that comes with it. I have so many things I want to do but I have so many excuses. I wonder when I will finally ran out of excuses and start taking actions. However, I usually think about my dreams at night time. I imagine opening my shop and telling others that I accept BCH as well. Will it not be amazing? But for now those dreams will just have to remain that way. I am not yet ready to tackle such a task right now. Slowly but surely I will get there, someday. I am just taking baby steps right now to start bringing my dreams to life. Closing words Free time for me means more time to overthink things. Anyway, I kinda feel lighter now that I share these random thoughts here. I still habe lots of thoughts to think about but I want to keep them for myself for a while. **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 19 March 2022

Just keep showing up The one thing that I learned in building my habits is that I need to stay consistent especially during the time when I have no fire to do it. For me, habits start to stick when you choose to be consistent despite not feeling the motivation nor the urge. In the first month of my fitness journey, I was not that great at showing up. But I accepted that as part of my progress. Showing up for 20 days out my planned 25 days of workout is already an achievement for me considering the fact that the month before that I have done 0 workouts. On January 26, I started to start walking in place for about 30-45 minutes. I decided that for the whole month of February I will do that but try to get an hour of walking in place everyday. Why did I choose walking in place as my exercise? First reason is that I have no place where I can walk freely without going out. I did not want to walk with a mask since I feel uncomfortable. So I am only considering indoor exercises. Since I am doing it in my room right after I wake up, I did not want to walk around my room over and over again because I will get dizzy. I did not want to follow anymore workout videos since I did not enjoy doing them which in turn makes the fitness journey feels horrible. I wanted to bring a good balance into my life where I could work on my staying healthy and enjoying the exercises I do. There is no other physical activity that I liked more than walking. I could walk for hours on end without complaining since I enjoy moving my legs. So I ended up deciding that for the whole month of February, I will be walking in place for an hour. The result You can see that there is a light green on the 26th. That day was when I was truly too lazy to do anything but I did not want to break my streak so I pushed myself to get up and walk. I managed to walk for 25 minutes despite not wanting to do it initially. This is what I mean when I say that you have to keep showing up. No matter how unmotivated you feel like, just take that one step and it will get easier. I am not going to lie and say that I enjoyed doing this exercise on those days. However, what I can truthfully say is that thinking about not wantig to break my streak keeps me going. For me, it does not matter if at some days I could not complete the whole 45 minutes, what matters is that I showed up to do it despite not being in the mood. When you keep showing up Consistency brings result. A habit will not be formed without consistency. But I also know that I am just a human so there are bound to be days when I am not at my best, and I have learned to live with it. I have started applying the rule of mean in my life. I learned of this from oyr Ethics class during our Virtue Ethics discussion. Basically it says that to be good is a habit. It means that you choose to be good more often than not which is why it called the rule of mean. This is what I keep in mind when I feel unmotivated to continue moving. Sure, being lazy for the meantime will satisfy me but getting up and doing exercise will give me longterm benefits. Closing words This article has been in my drafts for a few weeks. Today I decided to finish it since I needed the reminder. I have been feeling unmotivated and down for the past few weeks due to many circumstances. It is hard to feel energetic when I am stretched too thin already and I find myself with nothing to look forward to at the end of the day. Still, I am doing my best even if my best right now might not seem much. I am trying which is something that I can be proud of. Although, I could feel the inevitable breakdown coming so I am taking things slowly because I know I would have to face my breakdown alone. Anyway, you might already know that I have incorporated walking outside in my March exercise routine. This is more difficult that just going out of bed and walking in place. I will talk about this once March ends. Can you believe that we only have a few days left this March? Time keeps flying so fast. You can read my fitness journey last January 2022 here: https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/i-made-up-my-mind-696837e4 **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 18 March 2022

BCH saves the day Life is funny in a way that it can go from one extreme to the other. I have never been that fond of revealing my life with anyone as it is happening so this article is hard to write. I have only share my struggles once I am through it, not while I am going through it. So usually the emotions are somehow faded and tamed in comparison to what I felt during the moment. Even my friends know that I never ask for help. It is not a matter of pride or anything like that. It is just the way I have functioned ever since I can remember. However due to some twist of fate, I found BCH through noise.cash and read.cash. Since then, BCH has helped me and my family. BCH became my fail-safe when I need help so I no longer feel alone when facing my problems. When problems arise Today I have to make a kind of difficult decision. I say kind of because I already know what I prioritize more but it is still not that easy to do. I had to touch the 1BCH I saved up just a few days after I posted about wanting to HODL that for the future. I think I have this unwanted thoughts of many things. Logically I know that the BCH I have is mine to spend and use but I can not help overthinking. I do not know if you get my point but yeah that is it. However, I know where my priorities lie so even if it is hard to swallow the fact that I had to touch my 1BCH (especially with its price right now), it is still the expected decision for me. The problem started when the monthly budget we have for this month is ruined because of what happened to my sister's phone. It broke and just in time too when she actually needs it since she will be working onsite. So she had no choice but to have it repaired. The repair costed around P4000 (~$80). It might seem like a small amount but that money would have been enough for us to get by until I get my scholarship stipend which I am expecting to be around P26,000 (~$520) for three months of the semester plus the book allowance. This is already a big amount for us, it is even more than my sister's monthly salary. So it will have definitely been a great help if it had just come right on time. Alas, Fates have other plans for me. BCH helps me out Since the unexpected stuff happens we have to adjust accordingly. I already withdrew my extra BCH last time because we ran out of LPG while cooking lunch so I gave money (around $20) so we can buy it. Today, my mother started to share that she no longer holds money that we can use for food in the next few days so I know what I have to do. BCH saves the day because now I have money to give to my parents for bills and other expenses too. I will withdraw 0.50BCH for today. Hopefully it will be enough as we wait for my stipend to arrive. Do I feel sad about it? Yes, since I believe BCH will have a higher price in the future. It is kind of disappointing to sell at this price. But also no since I need money to help my family right now. And we all know that BCH is money so it is meant to be spent. I just sometimes wish that there are stores near me that accept BCH. That would be neater than just converting my BCH to fiat. Closing words This experience is honestly frustrating especially since I know I have money coming in. But it is not coming in at the moment that I need it so now I have to touch my other money. But still, I am just so relieved and happy that I have BCH to fall back on during situations like these. Maybe once I get my stipend and our monthly expenses are taken care of, I will buy more BCH to replace what I converted. But that is for future me to worry about. I do not want to talk since crypto prices are volatile. Anyway, this is a very personal article that I think many would relate to as well. It isdifficult when you have to take on financial burdens for the family sometimes. But at the end of the dsy, we do what we have to do. This experience also reminded me of a topic that I have been meaning to write an article about. I cannot wait to share it with you after. **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 17 March 2022

Sippin' on Sunshine ***Missing the waves? This one is right for you***. As the heat starting to make its presence be felt, we will do everything we can to quench our thirsts for beach and waves. I've been seeing a lot of posts about Boracay. I've never been to Boracay but I am planning to, soon. I am canvassing prices that I need to consider going there. But this article is not about Boracay. For us who have tight budget but still want to have a touch of sand under our feets, carry on reading. I will list down my personal suggestion of beaches that I went to that costs a little but I brought home a memory that money can't buy. 1 . **Matabungkay, Batangas**. Located in Lian, Batangas. I've been here a lot since it is the closest beach in my province. Still named as one of the top beaches in the South. Though the sand is not as white as the others, it still can compete. In terms of budget, the floating cottage can be rented for as low as P1,500 for a daytour. There are also other water activities that can be part of your adventure. Here in Matabungkay was my first banana boat experience. I also enjoyed the snorkeling and island hopping offer here. I loved that I was infront of the boat during the trip where I can see how clear the water is. The only thing that may not be for everyone is how salty the water is. I didn't taste it on purpose ha, but I had so I can definitely say that it was salty. Other than that, it will be a good experience to be here. *This photo was capture on the way back to our floating cottage after the snorkeling.* 2. **Manuel Uy Beach Resort** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/a-life-without-distractions-4023954a 3. **Hundred Islands, Pangasinan**. I have only been here for a daytour but I may say that it is the place where I want to be back. It is a DIY (Do It Your Own) travel. I don't have a tourguide when I went there but there were a place where you can rent a boat for the island tour. I rented a carpool back then to drove me until Alaminos. It was quite expensive compare if you'll be commuting. The only advantage is I brought my own food. 4. **Bolinao, Pangasinan**. The inviting color of the sand and sound of the wave is a must visit here. Every cents counts. Though, I went here during the rainy season which prohibits me to go to the underground cave. That creates a need for me to go back. The food here is a must try! And there's a lot of place you can go and explore. This place super instagrammable! 5. **Loloc Bauan, Batangas**. The hidden paradise of Batangas for me. I am a native Batangueña and I never heard of Locloc before but when I went there, I would never forget that place. The color of the sea separates it from the rest of Batangas. Though it was a place where there's no market available, if you're not a picky eater then you will survive. You must never miss going to Sumbrero Island if ever you visit here. It will send you to a different dimension, with no exageration. Fight me if you will not enjoy this place. Haha! It is not for people who want an extreme adventures on the sea. They have limited water activities. One of the attraction here also is Enrique Gil. You're lucky if you will have the same dates that he will go to his beach house. Here are my top travel destinations from the places I have been. I based it on the peaceful scene it can bring me, I know I am getting old. If you know places where I can experience extreme activities may it be land or water, I am down for it. I kept it short for the description so that you can be curious and search for it. Always remember to be a responsible traveler wherever we go. **Closing Thoughts** I have been very busy. Eversince I went back onsite, I always felt exhausted. Oh, I hate the traffic! Still I am thankful for Zehra for not kicking me out here eventhough I was inactive. I need to focus on one thing at a time. I don't want to be overwhelm again with pressure and responsibilities. One at a time. We are still doing our daily walks. Earlier 4 of us siblings with Moshi went there. I don't know who between me and Zehra will share the experience and improvements in our body. But I promise it was worth it. **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 16 March 2022

I let down my walls a bit (it was worth it) The academic workload I have is starting to get heavy since midterms week is fast approaching. While it may not be as terrifying as it had been before since we already got used to it, the pressure is more suffocating since these are all major subjects. Anyway, there is this subject that our block bond over since the professor is so confusing. This is the only time when admitting you do not understand the question or that you got lost in the discussion is not embarrassing since you know everyone feels the same way too. This subject has a group requirement to be passed next week. We were able to choose our groupmates so we were somehow close with each other but not that much. You know it is because of COVID. This group is actually starting to get along quite well then COVID happened and we sort of just give each other space since we never really chatted each other before. But because of this requirement, I was able to have a glimpse of what could-have-beens if COVID did not happen. The friendships that could have formed and the connection we would have felt with each other are something that I deeply regret. Back to the story, we usually use Discord to talk about group activities since it is what we are already used to. The first two people who arrived at the channel was me and my bestfriend of around 8 years. We were just talling about random stuff while waiting for the others then we started joking around with our groupmates since they were late. It was just a funny act since we were not really irritated. When they finally hopped onto the server, we were laughing. We started to work on our script for the video. We have a shared Google Document so we can edit it simultaneously. As we were doing this, another group for a different subject messaged our group chat. The matter was just a small thing but it irritated me so I ranted to our group in Discord while we were editing the document. You know, I really hate it when other people want to make their problems yours to deal with. I already took the initiative for that different group just so we can have progress and then the cannot even do some simple adjustments in their part of the document. Like I said, it was just a petty matter but I hate people who just can not seem to think for themselves. It seems that my Discord groupmates are in agreement since they have their fair share of complaints with the other blocks. Oh, I forgot to mention that the groupings in that other subject is composed of 2 students from each block so you can imagine how much we differ from one another. After ranting, we continued to work on our script in relative silence. So we managed to finish it quite fast because we are all doing our part. Once we rechecked everything, we had a bit of some talk. At first it was just some mild teasing then it turned into a more personalized discussion. We talked about if we are still happy with our course. This simple question gave us an insight to what the others are thinking. We figured out that only one of us actually wanted to truly pursue Instrumentation and Control Enginering. Most of us just found ourselves in the course by some twist of fate. You know as it was happening, I can not help but think how close we would have been if we had continued attending physical classes together. It felt as if everyone is heard then even though we are just talking virtually with our cameras closed. Yet the connection is there. I feel happy to have opened up just a bit because it showed me that I actually have blockmates that I enjoy talking to. I just hope that in our last year we could at least catch up on some lost time. It also amazing to know that I was not the only one who thinks this way. A groupmate tweeted about how he wonders about how deep our friendships could have been if it weren't for COVID. When we left the server tonight, I think all of us are thinking the same way. We all prpbably carried some kind of regret of not knowing each other more because of the circumstances.

@ZehraSky 15 March 2022

A Life Without Distractions ***Is there a time where you want to to disappear? A time where you wish you can have peace?*** I came across a Facebook post of one of my friend. I recognize the place based on the silhoutte shots taken and the low tide beach during sunrise. Manuel Uy. Pre-pandemic, I had a chance on staying there. I was actually eyeing Stilts before discovering Manuel Uy. I was more into a comfortable bathroom and a bed type of person but budget wise, the latter is the best option. As per the reviews from blog and vlogs, they said that the bathroom already upraded from the last time they went there. Though it is a public bathroom, it was cleaned, which I confirmed. February of 2019, my friends birthmonth, we decided to go to Manuel Uy. I was expecting nothing but happiness since I was with my friends. For our budget, it costs us P1,00p per person and we were a group of three. The budget was used to the following: 1. **Transportation**. During the time that we've travelled, from Batangas terminal to Bayan in Calatagan costs P280 per head. That's one way. 2. **Food**. Prior to our travel date, we had shopped for our necessities and food. We bought typical outing food. Liempo, adobo, rice, snack and etc. Basically, P1,500 in our budget was used for food. Food is life. 3. **Drinks**. Cannot be forgotten. It was just one bottle as we decided not to get drunk to enjoy the trip. 4. **Tent**. At the time that we traveled, tent renting only costs P500 that can already accommodate 3 pax. Tent pitching is for P150. 5. **Environmental Fee**. It was a mandatory fee collected but it was for P20 only. And you can never felt as if it was wasted because the place itself was well taken cared of. At night, there people who will collect your trash, so it was gone the next day. We forgotten to tidy up the liempo and they may have thought that it was already a eaten, so we woke up the next day without it. Don't be like us. Clean the things that you will still need or else it will be collected. This pricelist was in 2019, I don't have any idea how much it would cost now. Expect a higher rate because of what's happening, the price hike on gas and I think they just opened up this year after 2 years of pandemic. I inquired October of 2021 and they were still closed. Good thing that they are back on business now. I will visit this place again soon. It was a place where you would want to keep coming back. Mainly because it is budget friendly and it will give you peace. Just imagine the sound of the wave on a quite night. A cold breeze brushing through your face. Walking on the sand barefoot in the middle of the night and feel safe. I want to go back to that time. If you're looking for a place to disappear, this is the best place. It don't have any reception and it was peaceful. At 10pm, no one is allowed to make a noise. It was a solemn place to go if you need a place to think. I really enjoyed this place. It was not the typical place where we were laughing loudly, it was a different kind of happiness. I felt like for a moment I can focus on myself. I have a time not to think about anything but that moment I am into. This is a 100% recommendation from me if you want to contemplate with your life. **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 14 March 2022

Turning Red Last night (March 13), I had a virtual bonding time with 2 of my bestfriends, and my partner. One of my bestfriend's (A) girlfriend was supposed to join us but due to some unforeseen events she had to back iut at the last minute. It was disappointing but also understandable. We still bave time to meet her again anyway. Virtually for now since our other bestfriend (K) can not go out due to personal reasons. Anyway, we watched 2 movies only since we do not have much free time. The first movie we watched is Encanto since K has yet to watch it. She was not able to watch it because she is busy with multiple readings that their course required. This is the 3rd time I have watched Encanto and yet I still enjoyed it a lot. Even though I know what is going to happen, watching the first part is really difficult. *spoilers* Especially when Mirabel saw the cracks on the Casita during Antonio's Gift ceremony but when the others came out the crack were gone. Moreover, seeing how Abuela was basically telling Mirabel that the best way she could help the family is by stepping aside for the others is really sad. It is really amazing to see how Mirabel still has so much love for her family despite being treated like that for years probably. I knew that if it had been me, I would not have bothered trying to prove myself. I would have just spent the time in my room all by myself enjoying peace, being entirely un-extraordinary. *spoiler-free* K enjoyed Encanto too. She was telling us that she was not prepared for the sad parts of the movie since she thought it was just a fun movie. Knowing that she enjoyed it is worth suffering through another Encanto fever where my mind would keep playing Encanto songs over and over again from the moment I wake up until I fell asleep. The next movie we watched is Turning Red. According to A, this is a new movie that was just released a few days ago. I have no idea what it was about when we watched it but we agreed to watch it with her. I am glad that we did because the movie was so cute! At first I was a bit surprised since that is not my usual type for movies but I immediately warmed up to it after a few minutes. The plot revolves around Mei who is a 13 year old girl. She is the perfect daughter of Ming and Jin who follows what her parents told her. That is until an event happened that made her want ti rebel against her mother. Honestly, Ming was a helicopter parent that I was not surprised with Mei's actions. If you are so strict to your child you are not stopping them from doing things, you are teaching them how to hide things from you. I think parents need to realize that if they want to be included in their child's trusted person then they have to be a safe space. If a child opened up what they want and it evolves in you belittling what they like, chances are that is going to leave a crack in your relationship no matter how much you thought you are doing it for their good. I do not want to tell the whole plot since it was just recently released so no spoilers allowed. All I can say is that I enjoyed watching it. I like the animation, the music, the dialogues, and everything. I think that this is a movie where you feel quite content at the end. You may want to know more of their stories due to curiousity but the movie is enough in my opinion. If they do not make a sequel it eould be fine, that kind of enough. However, I will not say no to more red panda movies. It was so cute and heartwarming. Closing words Everytime I am feeling burnt out, hanging out with my loved ones usually make me feel better. Being with them physically would be better but we understand everyone's circumstances right now so we make do with virtual hangouts. **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 13 March 2022

As Disappointing As It Can Be ***Take care of what you have before it become what you had.*** **March 13, 2022** I used to believed what's really meant for us, will be ours. Whatever, whenever, however circumstances separate us. Have I ever wondered that it will only stay if it has been taken cared of the same way we treated it the first time we laid our hands on it? I guess this is what you call "Nasa huli ang pagsisisi" (Regret always comes last). February of 2020 since I had owned my phone. I was at my happiest as I bought it from my incentives at work, in cash. As I shared before, my phone got broken. I thought it was because of the incompatibility in the system update and its software since that was what I searched on youtube and Google. I tried every recommended steps to fix the black screen but unluckily unresolved the issue. That's when I decided to bring it to a repair shop. Now, here's where I would say "if only". I brought it to a familiar repairman. Familiar since we had previous transactions with him and he worked well. As per checking the insides of my phone, the issue didn't came from the system but because it was wet that affects tge LCD. Then I remembered that when I had my morning walk, since I don't have a pocket to put my phone, I end up hiding in under my shirt. That's when I realized that my sweat caused it to malfunction. I wouldn't have been more disappointed. It can be fix as per the repairman but it will cause me money. Class A LCD would cost P2,500 while the original case worth P4,000. I chose the original LCD. However, it was stocked per order. I gave a downpayment and on the day that I will bring my phone, I was informed that the original Samsung LCD was out of stock. Since I needed my phone for work purposes, I looked for other repairman. I didn't go to Samsung store directly, which I wish I should have, because I know that it will be more expensive. This new repairman I talked guaranteed that it will be fixed and it was an original LCD. It does but it seems fake. The fingerprint is not working on my new screen. I was really disappointed. I didn't demand for a refund as I have mentioned that I badly needed my phone and when I asked them about the LCD where the fingerprint feature would work, they price it for P7,000. I don't have that money with me. I regret being unknolowdgeable on this kind of stuff. I even left my phone for him to repair it. I trusted them because him and my father had something in common. This exprience really made me wondered why there were people who took advantage of the innocence of others. Good thing is, my phone has a face recognition feature. At least it helped me unlock my phone conveniently. It was just awkward at first and might become more awkward if I do it in public. Oh no! I was planning to buy new phone and hand this old phone to my mom. Any phone recommendations? The only specs I care about are the easy acces, quality camera is a must and with a high storage. **Closing Thoughts** Good evening, everyone! Manju's finally back. It has been 3 days since I had an access here. Apologies for being inactive. I'll make bawi to you guys. Just to set a good vibes mood before this article ends, Moshi and Beau walked together earlier. My friend joined us to our walking session. We were shocked by how active Beau was. He was jumping from one barricade to another. Haha! The cutest part is both Moshi and Beau wore an OOTD. We were not able to take a picture since we no longer bring phones with us, a lesson learned. **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 12 March 2022

I made up my mind Health is not something that was in the forefront of my mind when I was a bit younger. Well, I am still young but I am already feeling the effect of my sedantary lifestyle. In high school, it was not that noticeable since I am in school from 6:30AM to 5:00PM then there will be extracurricular activities and groupings. So I do move quite a bit and that is excluding the dance practices and other PE activities we do everyday. During my first year in college, I also managed to get a lot of walkin in my routine since we usually move to different classrooms for laboratories. Then, when I am not willing to wait for jeepneys, I would walk from the University to our house. So maybe calling my lifestyle before the pandemic sedantary is not quite right. But sefantary lifestyle fits as a description during the time when pandemic started. I was just lying on my bed most of the day, only getting up to go to the washroom, or to eat. My food intake also increased a lot since we have nothing else to do so my sisters and I just bonded over delicious food. We did this since 202o up to the last day of 2021. My weight went from the usual 49kg at the start of my first year in college to being 59kg at the end of my 2nd year. I gained 10kg and my BMI was on the overweight category since I am short (I am only 5'). Anyway, I enjoyed the last few days of 2021 eating and relaxing since it was the holiday season. Then come January, I started to change my routine. It is time to say goodbye The first to go is our regular midnight snack. I feel that this contributed a lot to my weight gain since I would eat breakfast, small snack before lunch, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, then midnight snack. Most of the times I eat rice during those meals. It is difficult to do. And for the sake of transparency, I will tell you that there were times when we gave in to our cravings. But I was not too hard on myself since the number of times when we did give in are a lot smaller than the times we managed to resist it. Say hello again One thing that I have restarted doing is working lut from time to time. I remember there was a week or two during the pandemic where I was motivated to have a glow up but it disappeared when I realized I would be staying inside for a long time. But on January, I started working out again. I did not aim to workout everyday since I know my body will not be able to handle it. My partner and I was supposed to do it at the same time but our body clock is not at sync with each other so we just decided to update each other about oue daily exercise. The first week was easy Since it is a new year, there is a great boost within me that gave me the motivation to push through the week with a lot of energy. I have decided to just workout for five days a week and to dedicate the 2 days as rest days. Unfortunately, I was unable to keep it up since I had my booster shot against COVID on January 19. The side effects were worse than my other doses so I mostly stayed in bed to rest. While resting, I had a bit of realization about why working out seem to be a chore instead pf something that I want to do. I did not enjoy the workout videos that I am following. I enjoyed them at first but after a while it became boring. I was yawning while working out even though I should be feeling energized. I looked back to the time where I genuinely enjoyed moving and I realized that I am veey fond of walking. So once I got better from the side effects of the booster shot, I switched my routine. Instead of looking for workout videos, I decided to just walk in place for 30-45 minutes. I was just walking in place since I did it inside my room. This is my exercise tracker. As you can see, I started with a weight if 59.5kg and at the end of the month my weight went down to 57.2kg despite having some midnight snacks and skipping exercise for days. This weight loss brought my BMI back to normal although it is still close to overweight. Unfortunately, I forgot to write down my measurements so I am not sure how much my body changed in terms of inches. Closing words I planned to write this last month but I ended up forgetting about it until now. This is my article lined up since I am writing articles on my free time. I am not yet sure when I will publish it. Anyway, there will be a continuation of my fitness journey next time. In that article about my February routine and my weight at the end of that month too. **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 11 March 2022

Adulting 101: Make your own finance tracker (Part 2) In the last part of this articles series, I shared a copy of my finance tracker which you can use as a basis for making your own tracker. Today's article will be divided into two major parts. How my finance tracker works Tricks that will help in editing my free format Of course, we can not proceed further without a quick disclaimer. I am not a financial advisor, this article is not meant to be taken as a professional advice. All information written here are based on my personal experiences, own research, and own understanding. DYOR is highly suggested after reading this article. Now, let us start with *Make your own finance tracker's* part 2. How my finance tracker works Below are screenshots of what the sample finance tracker looks like. As you can see, I have frozen a few rows so that it is always visible. These rows include the monthly summary of how much I have left on my wallets. Current balance- the sum of all the monthly finances. Initial balance- the amount I have in my wallets when the year started Months- monthly summary of the money. These rows and colums have formulas so that it automatically updates whenever I input something on my transactions. I also grouped the months together so I can hide them when they are not needed. I usually keep them hidden since I can always see my current balance. Here you can see what the finance tracker looks like when the months are hidden. As you can see, below the frozen rows, I have included my transactions divided per month. Transactions- is a dropdown option where I can choose what type of data I am putting on the spreadsheet. My dropdown options include: income, expense, transfer, savings, and investment. Each option will also automatically change the fill color so that I can clearly see if I am earning and saving more than I am spending. Details- here I put the reason for every transaction I made so that I know where my money goes. I am not trusting my memory to just remember where an income comes from or what expenses I made. Wallets- every input I made on the wallets column will automatically reflects on the frozen rows. When I put a positive number, it will automatically turn green. It will turn red if I input a negative number. I am using the financial format for these numbers as I prefer how they look over the other formats. Tricks that will help in editing my free format Now that I have given you an idea about the mechanisms of my finance tracker, let us discuss some tricks that I think will help you in either creating your own tracker or editing the free format from my last article. **=sum(F21:F24) or any row/column numbers** This a basic formula that I am sure many already knows. However, I am still including it for the benefit of those who may not be aware of it. Trust me, there was a time when I am using my calculator even though I am inputting data on Excel. That was when I was around 12 years old, but still it is possible that someone might have never encountered this before. Basically, you just have to adjust the row number and column letter for each wallet and month when you are editing this file for your own tracker. You can see the F21:F24 is highlighted with orange. You just have to include everything that you want to include per wallet and month, and you will be fine. **Ctrl+Shift+down** What this command do is to basically select the full column without scrolling endlessly just to reach the bottom. This is helpful when you want to apply some data validation and conditional formatting to a column. **Creating dropdown option** This is a clean part on the finance sheet. So, you just have to do what I have written above: ctrl+shift+down. Then the column where you want to apply the dropdown will be selected. After that, right-click to show the option. Click on *view more cell actions* then *data validation.* Once you have done that, a pop-up will appear. On the data validation option, you will be able to see what kind of criteria you can use. For inputting some words, I chose *list of items*. After that you can input the options that you want to choose from. In this example, I wrote: *income, expense, etc.* **Adding conditional formatting** Now that you have a dropdown option, you might want each option to be automatically associated with a color. This is easy to do so just continue reading to know how. Select the column using ctrl+shift+down. Right-click then choose *view more cell actions.* After that click on *conditional formatting.* The conditional format rules will appear on the right side of the spreadsheet. Here you can choose what conditions you want to apply. For this example, I chose the if *text contains "income"* then the format must be with green fill. You can add another rule by clicking *+add another rule* on the conditional formatting rules. This can also be used for automatically changing the color of a number depending on whether it is positive or negative. If that is what you want to do then you must select *greater than* or *less than* in the part *format cells if...* *Greater than 0* will refer to the positive values which is you income. While *Less than 0* will be for negative value which means your expenses. You can just explore it more if you want. You can choose different formatting style too if you do not want to worry about what shades to pick for colors. **Result:** This is the result of what adding a data validation and conditional formatting does. As you can see, choosing the option income will automatically change the fill to green while it will turn red when you choose expense. Closing words I hope that you are able to learn something from this article. There are much more complex operations that you can do with spreadsheets. Some are operations that I used for other parts of my financial sheet such as my BCH tracker where it automatically takes into account which wallet I added or subtracted from. But that is a topic for another article. If I end up writing one about it. Honestly, this article requires a lot of effort since I am not really fond of taking screenshots and then cropping them. But it was still fun to do. *It is suppsoed to be Manju's day for publishing but she asked me to cover this day for her.* This is a part of the Adulting 101 series that I am writing. You can read the earlier articles of this series here: **Adulting 101: Realizations** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-realizations-03c6b444 **Adulting 101: Children does not count as investment** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-children-does-not-count-as-investment-a2863bcb **Adulting 101: Set Financial Goals** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-set-financial-goals-314fb139 **Adulting 101: Track your Expenses** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-track-your-expenses-a8f6c523 **Adulting 101: Make your own finance tracker (Part 1)** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-make-your-own-finance-tracker-part-1-19aa8b55 **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

+10 more

@ZehraSky 10 March 2022

Adulting 101: Make your own finance tracker (Part 1) In the last article on Adulting 101 series, I said something about sharing my expense tracker so that you can have a basis of what to include in your tracker. However, upon writing this article I realized that what I call my expense tracker is really not just for tracking expenses so I changed the name to finance tracker. Today's article will be divided into three parts. What is a finance tracker? What do you need? Free finance tracker format Before that though, just a quick disclaimer. I am not a financial advisor nor do I claim to be one. Everything I share in this article series is based on my own research and understanding. This is not meant to be taken as a professional advice. DYOR is highly suggested. With that important disclaimer out of the way, let us start. What is a finance tracker? I have already written about expense tracker in the last article which is similar to what a finance tracker does. You can find the links to the past articles on the series below. But essentially, a financial tracker is where you can put all your expenses whether big or small so you can see where your money goes. It also includes the information about your income and where it goes. This can be sub-divided into all the wallets and ATM cards that you have as well as the online wallets. It is a personal preference so it is up to what you want your finance tracker to look like. What do you need? First, you can use a notebook where you can manually track your money. The downside to this is that it requires more effort and if you lose the notebook without any backup, you will have lost important information about your money habits. Another way to have your own finance tracker is to install some applications. All you have to do is download and then input everything in the app. The downside here is that it is less customizable unless you want to pay for the premium versions. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy any experience I have with finance tracker apps so I am unable to recommend some good ones. Last way that I know of (and my favorite) is to use a spreadsheet. All you have to do is create a spreadsheet where you can input the information you want. You can make it as automated as you want or you can just use some simple formula. It depends on your knowledge of how to use Google Sheets or Excel. But honestly, even though it is intimidating at first, learning some basic things that you can do with Google Sheets/ Excel can go a long way. Free finance tracker format To get you started on making your own tracker, I am going to be sharing a copy of my finance tracker. Remember that this is my personal preference so you are free to change or remove anything. You are also welcome to just visit it and design your own tracker by using some elements that you may find interesting. In this tracker I already included some instructions but I will still write it here just in case you will not notice it. You will not be able to edit the file. This is to make sure that the next person who clicks on the link will still get the original copy. But how can I use it if I can not edit it? All you have to do is to make a copy of the file and then you can play around with your copy. Just click the link, then you will see the word "file" below the title on the upper left part. Click on it and then choose "make a copy". You now have your own copy. Please remember that so that you will have no problem when you access my free finance tracker format. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xIFbv7YoCgo-687-3Qo6chqeJi0Xubn3a_LP5VyON6Y/edit?usp=sharing Closing words I will be ending this article here today because this article will be too long if I still include the next part. The part 2 of this article will be some helpful tricks of how to edit the free finance tracker to better suit your needs. The first part will be a breakdown of how the free finance tracker works. Then it will also include how to make dropdown options on spreadsheet as well as how to automatically change the colors of the fill or text depending on what you input on the spreadsheet. If you are interested in the next part be sure to look out for it next time. This is a part of the Adulting 101 series that I am writing. You can read the earlier articles of this series here: **Adulting 101: Realizations** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-realizations-03c6b444 **Adulting 101: Children does not count as investment** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-children-does-not-count-as-investment-a2863bcb **Adulting 101: Set Financial Goals** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-set-financial-goals-314fb139 **Adulting 101: Track your Expenses** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-track-your-expenses-a8f6c523 **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 9 March 2022

How's your day ***It is comforting to know someone cares.*** Today, I started to notice a huge change in my perspective about everything. I guess that day to day walk I'm doing with Moshi really helped. You know what? Zehra even joined us! She's been with us since Monday. She had been curious about Moshi's behaviour outside our premise. On top of that, she knew well that if I'm alone, tendency is I'll get lazy to do what I need to do. From our house to the jogging area, we will just walk. It is around 20 minutes walking distance. We considered it as our warm-up exercise. Zehra was afraid to hold Moshi's leash on the way. Mainly because we will encounter a lot of dogs. She's afraid that she won't be able to stop a fight once a dog approached Moshi. Good thing is it never happened so far. Most of the dog that approached Moshi will just smell her and go, or Moshi will distance herself from the dog. I noticed that she is not yet comfortable to be friends with a stranger dogs. She seemed fearful even if the dog is much smaller than her. Haha! I hope she will conquer her fear soon. Once we arrived at the jogging area, that's the time Zehra will takeover in walking with Moshi. Both of them really matched each other as they liked running fast, I easily get out of breath if I run too much, it's the mask's fault. Too bad that I was not able to get on video since my phone broke. I'll rant about it later on. This everyday walk that were doing made me think less of how I look or how people would see me. It was actually the first time where I won't care about sweating or if my hair is a mess. It helped me see that all of us who were there mind our own businesses and was too focused on our goal. No judgement at all. You know what's really fun about it? It is when Moshi will be praised because of her outfit. It was such a fulfulling feeling to have someone acknowledged her outfit of the day as we really prepared it for her. If I felt this way towards the good comments Moshi received, I know it's doubled for Zehra since she was the one who made Moshi's outfit by hand. I'll how you Moshi's outfit so far. Tuesday's outfit is schoolgirl theme. I have her on diaper just in case she will feel a call of nature and won't disturb anyone. Today's theme is a pumpkin! It is a terno that really looked good on her. I am excited for tomorrow's walk. We will make her a princess. Haha! Though I'm doing the walk after my 8 hours shift, I don't feel tired at all. I am even more energized than I used to be. Seems like my bloods pumped evenly on my veins. For those who knew the place based on the photo I shared, call us if you see us there! Now that I shared about my day, I'd like to hear yours. Closing Thoughts As mentioned, my phone broke yesterday. It just suddenly went black and no longer showing anything on the screen. But I know it's working since I can feel the vibration of the notification. It even alarmed on the set time. I searched in youtube about the problem and seems like it was an on going issue of new units if Samsung galaxy. I tried the suggested procedure in the videos to fix mt phone, but unluckily it didn't worked. I will have it check and if I can be lucky, fix as well. I hope it will not cost me too much. **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 8 March 2022

Maybe next time She was never a believer of love or anything romantic. How could she believe in such thing when all she has ever known is betrayal and sadness? He was a hopeless romantic. Doing things by the book. The courtships and flowers were done smoothly. Yet even he knows the taste of betrayal. She never understood why people turn to her when they needed advice on love. Maybe they trusted her to be objective because she never experienced it in the first place. He never understood why someone would want to love again after he was stabbed in the back. It did not make sense since every one will be the same. But then life works in funny ways, and soon enough these two people met. She hated his laidback attitude, he did not care for her seriousness. Since the beginning, it was obvious that there would be no happy ending for them, not that they ever thought about that. Years passed and she would have grown more optimistic. She would have seen the world in a happier perspective. He would have grown more bitter. He would have believed that letting people in just means inviting trouble. The two people who hated each other, somehow kept finding their ways back to each other. And the harder they try to resist, the stronger the pull becomes. "I don't understand it. Why would people want to fall in love when it all ends in heartbreak?", he said to her one random morning when it was just the two of them. She thought that it was still too early in the morning to deal with his questions but she did not mind. She liked it when he share his thoughts like that. In the silent mornings like this, his voice is a welcome distraction. After a minute of thinking, she finally replies, "I don't know. I never felt that way before. I don't think I will understand why people would willingly risk it all." It was just one random morning at first but then the random exchange of thoughts grew in number. It was like a start of a fairytale, but with two jaded persons as the main characters, it was no surprise to see that all the build up was for nothing. The random conversations faded into history. They pass each other sometimes, glances are exchanged but no words were ever spoken again. They would live their lives as best as they could. She would smile and talk about the only three good things she could think of. She would repeat these like a mantra as if by saying them repeatedly, she would finally believe her words. He would write random words sometimes, written for no one in particular, hidden in quotation marks with anonymous as the sign. He would live his life with bright colors, but the shadows will linger behind his eyes. Maybe in the future, their paths would cross again. He might see her laughing surrounded with people he does not know. He would think her happy, and feel both relief and longing. But their eyes might meet across the room, and he would see in her eyes what no one else had. The same longing that he felt yet could never act upon. The yearning for a different life with someone that could-have-been would be reflected back at him. But then she would smile lightly at him, and her eyes would not show a glimpse of her inner thoughts. They would continue living their lives as they had done in the past. Wishing for another chance. Hoping to wake up back in time. Trusting that in the next life, there would be a chance for this masterpiece to be completed. Closing Words I am starting to think that what I write are actually drabbles but then again it is a bit too long to be considered one. So I am just going to stick to calling them short stories that randomly popped in my mind. **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 7 March 2022

Change Being Constant ***March 7, 2022*** Recently, I have been dealing with a lot of stress and pressure, may it be about work ot my personal life. Work because of the sudden announcement of returning back onsite and the pressure of hitting a certain goal to keep my job. Our client had been demanding high numbers which on an agent's perspective is unaatainable, given how we rarely even talked to live customer. However, the management won't see that as some site were giving them numbers. Also, I've been thinking how adulting hits hard during this time. How I wished I started my career with the course I graduated with. How I see no sign of improvement in my position at work. How pressure I am with getting accomplishments and settling down with my own life. And realizing how far I am to achieving that goal. I am a optimistic but there were these days when I just can't control myself from overthinking about the future and forgetting to live at the moment. My only way out of thinking of every little thing that immobilized me mentally is to sleep. For a while at least, I get to forget what reality is. But even in my dreams problems haunt me. I would wake up catching my breath with how bad and realistic my dreams would be. I am being eaten by stress as days goes by. **"Change is constant. If you can't change the circumstances, change your perspective."** I finally decided to take a stepback with my race pace in life. I am overwhelmed by responsibilities and adulting, that all I know now is stress. At some point I forgot that I was the one who was in control of how I would react to a situation. I decided to get a breather, though I was not able to travel yet to connect with nature, I changed my day to day routines. Starting on a happy morning I found my life boring for only sleeping, eating and working. That's why this morning with full of enthusiasm, I drag Moshi out of our house and had a walk. I was with my youngest sister that is motivated to do a healthy living. I want to at least clear my mind from what burdens me but I want to do it in a way that I would benefit from it. Sure, sleeping worked but it no longer helped me. When I got out of my house, I get to see the clear day. I never really expected anything out of it. I just want to feel tired with a reason. upon arriving at the jogging area, I started to warm up and as we were walking I saw how there were people doing a morning exercise with their family. Groups who walked with their pets. People who will go to work. The elderly dojng zumba passionately. I never felt so happy seeing such sight. Usually I would just passed this place as if it is nothing but, I never knew that it holds something that will bring me happiness. I loved seeing Moshi walked, run and interact with other dogs. It really refreshed my mind. I'd loved that there were people who appreciated Moshi's outfit. How fun to see Moshi poop in a public place. Diclamer: She had a diaper on. I also enjoyed Moshi's behaviour during our walk. She never barked to people and never even show any threat towards other. She's just a well behaved dog who is also enjoying her walk. **Closing Thoughts** I already fall inlove with this additional routine. I felt energized. I also think it will help me think straight to settle my problems and worries. At least now, I am fully maximizing my time rather than sulking in bed until I fell asleep. Maybe when I'm strong enough, I would like to hike again. I only tried once but my asthma was worse that time that is why I never attempted to do it again, but I hope soon I would conquer my very own struggle with breathing. I just missed the view from above. Send me an invite if you have plans to hike. Haha! I hope that I am free from work to accept it. I can't wait to do more physical related routine! **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 6 March 2022

You get used to it The funny thing about being a human is that you are adaptable. You need to if you want to survive in this world. And yet, by being adaptable you get used to some unpleasant situations too. Ain't it funny how easy you can get used to something? Just a few days of a routine and then you find it hard to imagine what life looked like before. You think that this kind of day will never change. Yet change is the only thing that is constant which is why we have to be adaptable. You know many people who had adapted to their situations as best as they could. Some left the situations, some turned to unhealthy or maybe healthy coping mechanisms, but there are some who just get used to it. You get used to how people treat you. The ways they could make you believe in something only to be shown that it was a trick all along. You get used to getting the short end of the bargain. Smiling all the way, saying it is okay even though it is not. You get used to being disappointed. The first time it happened, it would be unexpected, but the next few times it will be default. You might not even notice the disappointment build up until they are already too high. Until instead of disappointments, they just become your expectations. You get used to being treated like you are just an afterthought. The way you could allot time for everyone in your life yet no one else could ever allot time for you. You get used to dealing with your own problems, and help others deal with their own too. You get used to all these things because it is all that you have known. Sometimes, you would see a post in social media and cry yourself to sleep wishing someone could make you feel that way too. But then you would wake up and think that they probably did not feel that lucky all the time. It would be easier to deal with than facing the truth that maybe the people you have around you just do not value you in that way. You get used to waiting for nothing. You get used to wasting time. You get used to endless silence. You get used to the feeling of emptiness in your chest. You get used to swallowing the words and just agreeing to anything. You get used to it, eventually. And yet no matter how used you are to these type of things, a small hope will always linger. Just a tiny wish that it will be different someday. But you know what? You will never get there is you are still in the same place with the same people. They might change but what if they don't? Or they will change but not in the way you thought they would be. Then you would have wasted your time waiting for something that will never happen. No matter how many times you get used to not receiving the same energy you give, you have a limit too. There are just so many instances that you could take before it lefts you tired. There are just so many times you could be understanding until you run out of care to give around. However, if you are feeling this way I want to tell you that it does get better when you finally removed yourself in such situations. It is difficult since you will lose the familiarity of what to expect but you will see the right people for you. They will stick with you through thick and thin and you might even meet more people who would accept you for you. I am saying it based on my experience. I got used to being taken for granted, got used to being in a toxic environment. After a while, I started to become so used to it that I believed that what I received was the only thing I deserved. But then I left that situation, there was a lot of things that happened and I lost a great deal of my old friends. Yet at the end of the day, I had myself and my few true friends and I managed to find who I am again. Now, I am surrounded with people who made me remember that I do not have to get used to disappointments. I know that when I wait, my efforts were not going to be wasted. I know that if I ever felt unappreciated, I never had to get used to that feeling because just one word and I know that I am heard. It is so easy to get used to things less than we deserved because that is all we have ever known but I wish you would know that it does not have to be that way. **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 5 March 2022

It is over *Over* is a word she is infinirely familiar with. It has been attached to the many adjectives they have for her. Overachiever. Overbearing. Overacting. Overrated. Over and over again they keep pushing her and dragging her at the same time. Her body is stretched too thin yet she can not do anything. She had to be someone like this to survive. This was the only way she knew how to live. No one has ever shown her another life. It has always been "be the best, or do not try at all". It used to not bother her at all. The words they whisper behind her backs meant nothing. However, hearing something over and over again is bound to have some effects on you and others. Soon, she notices her friends joining in the whispers. Their chuckles at the mean jokes they threw at her broke her heart. And yet, she toughened up. She built up a wall so thick that not even her so-called friends could ever managed to glimpse what she is thinking of. The fallout of that failed friendship was easier to deal with than she thought. For years, she kept the walls up never lowering them even for people who wants to be in her life. She smiles, and still does everything right. The same kind of person she always was. And yet, the cracks are starting to form. She is overwhelmed bur has no support. She felt like a dam so close to bursting. What would happen when the walls finally broke? How will she survive what follows after that? For the first time in her life, she did not know. She is stuck in darkness with no hopes of ever finding light when she met him. Him who gave her something to hold on to. A person so responsible that she had started to bring down her walls bit by bit. She though she had finally found someone who will be able to see past what others have always described her as. She thought she will no longer have to feel as if her very existence is *too much*. But she was wrong. The person who gave her hope was also the one who crushed it. The person who showed her what it means to ask for help, is the one who turned away from her when she needed it. The one who made her think that maybe soulmates exist is the one who made her feel like a fool for believing it. How could anyone ever believe such things? She should know by now that the only way she will be accepted is if she cuts pieces of herself and hid it from the rest of the world. Take off the parts that are too much and maybe then she will be enough. Maybe then, the people will stop whispering behind her as if she could not hear them. Maybe then someone will stay with her and not make her feel like she asks for too much. Maybe someone will be able to give her the bare minimum and not say a tbing about how difficult it is to understand her. Maybe she will just believe it all someday. That she was nothing special, and all the hardwork she had been doing was for nothing. Her expectations are too much, so she should just accept what is given. She is not worth any extra effort afterall. Who is she other than someone with exceptionally high standards? And when she finally breaks free of the adjectives used to describe her over and over again, she will be nothing like her past self. Her eyes will not shine like they used to. Her smiles will never reach her eyes. Her appreciation will be for all things given to her yet no one will ever know what she wants. She will be stuck in the situation where she is unhappy but still has to smile. A life where she is loved but only if she is not herself. And by the time they figure out something is wrong, her story will be long over. Closing words Today I was asking myself what to write but I could not decide so I just said whatever, let us just start writing what comes to mind. This is the result od that exercise. It is a short story with no clear plot or anything. Just a vague sense of emotions that might be familiar to someone. Also, let me just take this time to apologize about not interacting much. As you know, I am a student. And Manju who sometimes handles this account is also working. So even with the two of us, it is hard to keep this account as active as it was back in the days where this was still my priority. Anyway, I know you guys understand so thank you for your continued support! **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 4 March 2022

Level 1: Return To Work Metro Manila was placed under Level 1 on March 1st. Meaning the restrictions of the pandemic's regulations is at ease. Lots of outdoors activities are already allowed. Cinemas, gyms and other entertainment facilities can occupy 100% capacity. While it is a good thing to most, it will be the most challenging for me. It was just announced in my work that we will be required to report back onsite on Monday, March 7th. I do understand that one of the reasons why the management decided to implement this action because our site out of all sites that our account handled, were performing well. We were at the bottom. The difference they thought matters is that the other sites were reporting in their respectives offices. It was just announced and we were only given 3 days to let it sink in in our heads. I am considering a lot of facrors that will be affected by me reporting onsite. Let me list it down. 1. **Moshi** Though my sisters helped me big time in taking care of Moshi, most of the time I still do what needed to be done. I know that they will never let Moshi be alone, but still I will ve very sad being separated from Moshi. 2. **Internet Bill** Main reason why I applied for internet is because of the work from home setup. Now that we will be required to work at the office, I will be paying my internet bill without the help of my employer. 3. **Electricity Allowance** At least P500.00 allowance was provided to us agents who worked at home for electricity consumption. I will also lose that starting March 7. 4. **Transportation** The company did not announced that they will be providing either shuttle services for those who will be reporting onsite nor provide a Grab reimbursement like they did before sending to work at home. Hence, an additional expense will be added on my day to day needs. 5. **Food** As we all know, this will be a major need in working to sustain one's health. When you're out and have all the access to every fastfood chain, it will be hard not to spend a little extra. Haha! 6. **Sleep** Unlike staying at home, where it will only take a few steps to lay down in bed, when I go back onsite, there is no guarantee that there will be available sleeping area. To begin with, our building don't have sleeping areas anyway. 7. **Time to Study** As I shared before, I enrolled in a Japanese Language course. During the time where I received less calls, I took the opportunity to review on what we have discussed so that I will not forget. Now, when we return onsite, papers and ballpens are not allowed in the production floor. ~~These are the main factors that I am thinking right now that will need a major adjustments not only in my body clock, but also in my budget. As much as I want to ptotest againsts the implementation of going back onsite, I know for sure that the management were just trying to keep the client on our side or else we will all lose our job. An extra level of care againsts the pandemic is what I am more concerned about. Looking at the positive side, Level 1 means a lot of travel spots will open without requiring too many documents. Not that I'm complaining, I know it is a protocol, but I am too lazy to process what was needed. That's why I kept to be at home for quite a while now. It's time for a travel blog. Haha! Soon once I successfully adjusts to my financial needs. **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 3 March 2022

Adulting 101: Track your Expenses Last week, we have talked about setting financial goals and what things to consider when doing it. Today, I want to tackle about how tracking your expenses can help you achieve the goals you have set at the start of your adulting journey. But first, I will say a disclaimer. ***I am not a licensed or professional financial advisor. I am merely sharing the things that I have learned from my own research. I advise that you take what I write with a grain of salt and do your own research as well.*** With that friendly reminder out of the way, let us get started. This article will be divided into two parts. How do you track your expenses? Why is it important? How do you track your expenses? Most likely, you already have an idea about what I mean with what I wrote. Tracking your expenses involves being aware of where every cent goes. In achieving financial freedom, every cent matters so you have to consider where it goes. Let us have a uniform definition of what I mean by expenses in this article. Expenses are the things where we put our money. It may either be for wants or needs, recurring or non-recurring, and fixed expenses. As long as the money is going out of your wallet, then consider that as an expense. The first way to do this is by writing down where you spend your money. You can do this in a small or big notebook. First, write down the date of where the purchase took place. Then include the reason for why you spent this day. Most importantly, jot down the amount of money that you spent down to the centavo. This is a time consuming way to track your expenses. Moreover, it will require more effort on your part to do. You would have to have your pen and notebooks ready as well as a calculator for when you need the total amount of your expenses. If you are lazy like me, you will surely benefit with another way of expense tracking. Setting up your own spreadsheet will be tume consuming at first but it will save you time in the long term. By setting up a mainly automated process woth the power of spreadsheet, all you would hsve to do next time is to input all the expenses that you have and the sheet will do the work for you. Well, that is if you know how to maximize the potential of spreadsheet. It is intimidating at first, but trust me it is a fun process. I do not know everything there is to know about using spreadsheet but I know enough that I managed to do my own expense tracker. I might do an article about it next week so if you are interested, be sure to look out for it. Now that we have discussed the ways in how you can track your expenses, let us talk about its significance. Why is it important? Do you really have to track your expenses? Actually, you don't have to... If you do not care about money at all. But if you do, then you must be vigilant where you put your money. This way, you can see how you can achieve your goals. By tracking your expenses you will mot be able to pretend that your impulse buys just take up a tiny amount of your budget. You will be able to see where you put most of your money. Not only that but you can also see if you are spending within your means or if you are stretching your money too thin that you end up having more debts than savings. While it may sound silly, being able to see where every cent you have goes will put your mind at rest. You will no longer have moments where you ask yourself, "where did my money go?" because all you have to do is to check your expense tracker and you will see where you put your money. This small change in your routine will make you more mindful of where you want to out your money so you will be able to resist unneccessary spending money. Closing words I really wanted to write this article as I used to hate tracking my expenses. I used to have the mindset that money is meant to be used so why would I bother where it goes. well, that was until I started handling more amount of money and soon I did not know where the P40,000 I had went. No matter how hard I tried to add up all the things that I can remember buying or spending for, it does not match the money that I should still have. At that moment, I realized the importance of tracking where my money went because I can not just rely on my memory. I started tracking my large expenses first because I thought it would suffice. I had a small notebook where I list down where I use P100 and up. But as time passed by, I started to notice how the little change I have adds up so then I also strated tracking it. Right now, I am using a spreadsheet to track my expenses as it is more convenient than just writing them on a notebook. I wrote this article in hopes that there will be younger people than me who might read this and really think about setting up their own expense tracker. This is because I believe that you will be able to appreciate the money you have right now when you have little financial obligations than when you are making more money but also handling more financial obligations. Trust me, I miss the times where the money I receive immediately goes into impulsively buying things. Now I have to bidget how much I should give to my parents as well as give my share for the bills we pay monthly. Anyway, I wish that you enjoyed reading this article. This is all that I want to say today. This is a part of the Adulting 101 series that I am writing. You can read the earlier articles of this series here: **Adulting 101: Realizations** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-realizations-03c6b444 **Adulting 101: Children does not count as investment** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-children-does-not-count-as-investment-a2863bcb **Adulting 101: Set Financial Goals** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/adulting-101-set-financial-goals-314fb139 **Thank you for reading this article!** If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here: **February 2022 Article Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/february-2022-article-summary-1ac4a2d8 **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7

@ZehraSky 2 March 2022

Plus Size Confidence I was one of those inviduals who gained weight eversince the start of lockdown. The first month of ECQ wayback 2020, I had been an enthusiast to live a healthy life to surprise the people who knew me about my transformation. It did worked! Everyday workout plus LCIF diet (Low Carbs and Intermittent Fasting) has become my life before. But after hearing the news that ECQ will be extended, I let myself cheat for a while in terms of food; we hate cheaters. Haha! I never knew that will be the start of me being too much inlove with food. Without noticing it, I thought that I was just treating myself for the last month's achievement, well in fact I was spoiling myself too much that I lost control. From 79kg, my current weight now is at 86kg. I am aiming to at least go back to my weight before my birthday comes as I have plan to wear bikinis. Honestly, I lost confidence eversince I increased in weight. I thought that I will never be better for anyone, especially myself. I started to envy those instagram butterflies and their confidence. I tried to get back on my diet but kept in losing my track. I know I made an article about me starting my diet, but it failed. I also started this year (2022) with a lot of motivation and positivity and I was really sure that I will do my best to achieve my goal, but again I failed. It's already the third month of the year and I have done nothing to help myself lose weight. I just came to realized that I should love myself not only in writing but in real life as well. I thank Shein for adding in my self confidence. I know some of you will say to not support Shein because they stole from small businesses. However, I can't find any shop that matched the product produce by Shein. If you knew a shop, please refer me to it so that I can check my options. Believe me, I do support small businesses. I am a solid customer of Shopee but lately, every outfit I purchased with are disappointing for its price. That's why I tried Shein. I never felt confident wearing an OOTD before. This was different. I know that I'm getting what I paid for. The fit are well designed for plus size individual. Recently, I purchased my dream bikini as I know summer is getting near. I am really satisfied. Though, I received laugh becausr of its size, it never really bothered me because I know that I do look good on it. I can't wait to wear it in summer. I also bought croptop which I have never anticipated that will look good on me. I think reading reviews really helped. I saw motivating words from someone who also struggles to find the right outfit for them because of our size. I still didn't give up on working to be fit. I just want to tell you that I finally found my confidence after a long time. I made a deal with my mom that this coming June, if I didn't lose any weight then I'll give her 5k, if I do she will give me 1k. I am sharing this as a proof of our agreement. Haha! She might forget or maybe I will, at least we had documentation here. I am enjoying my life now. I know I work to eat but I guess I might have overdo it. When money is involved, I had no choice but to work extra hard. Also, I don't want to let my mom think that I am still the "all talk" kind of person. I want to surprise her with what I can do. ***What I will do?*** **Uninstall Social Media Apps** I already did this. I am happy with people who shows confidence. I am also happy with their achievements but I think that it will really helped me a lot if I limit mysrlf from seeing things I might feel insecure about. So far, it is the best action I made. **Follow a Routine** I thought the reason why I failed a lot of times is because I am doing it without a guide. So I started looking for an influencer who has a suggested diet plans and workout challenges. One on my list is Chloe Ting. During ECQ, me and Zehra would workout together on Chloe Ting's videos. So I know how credible her workout is. **Discipline and Consistency** The attitude I never had before. Reason why I never succeeded with my goal. With the combination of being emotionally and physically prepared, I just need to add commitment that I will never stop doing what I have started. I am mentally prepared to take on challenges now. **Closing Thoughts** I invited my siblings to jog during weekend when they don't have class. Let us see what will happen on Saturday. We will also include Moshi on this exercise. I hope we will enjoy this new journey and bonding we will have. I want to be consistent but I am not ashamed to be a plus size beauty. Haha! I also want to express how thankful I am with read dot cash. As per Zehra's article, we have achieved 1 BCH in 2 months! This platform really helped us a lot not only financially but also in molding our skills to be a writer. We were also have a place to expressed our thoughts without being judged and was able to interact with amazing people. Thank you for being part of our journey. Goodluck also to your earnings here. Let's grind some more! We are just starting. https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/dreams-do-come-true-1-bch-unlocked-5e8bd03d **January 2022 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/january-2022-articles-summary-158cfc1f **December 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/december-2021-articles-summary-900cb111 ****November 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/november-2021-articles-summary-2c68b6ca **October 2021 Articles Summary** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/october-2021-articles-summary-1293a999 ****September 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/september-2021-articles-summary-7febda16 ****August 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/august-2021-articles-summary-cb068f97 ****July 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/july-2021-articles-summary-fc106569 ****June 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/june-2021-articles-summary-baeb334f ****May 2021 Articles Summary**** https://read.cash/@ZehraSky/may-2021-articles-summary-5ba6d0c7