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Are you an author who likes a little background noise while you write? Background noise can be anything. It can be music, podcasts, random videos on Youtube, audiobooks or TV channels played by AMazin Fire TV or Roku or another device. I've tried both Amazon Fire TV and Roku, and I'll explain why I left Roku for Amazon TV after many years, and why it only took me four months to go back to the Roku to spite the fact that Roku has security issues and legal issues.
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(Disclaimer: It’s important to note that I am not a financial advisor or anyone in the financial sector. This information is provided as a suggestion on what to do if you’re finding yourself in a tough financial spot. It is not the be-all-end-all of suggestions. This is simply how I handle things when I find myself in dire financial straights. You may have a better way or you may develop a better way that better meets your needs.)
Oh, American Dream, where have you gone? The United States has gone from having the world’s largest middle class to having no middle class. Of course, according to the statistics, 50 percent of US households are considered middle class, according to PEW Research. That’s for 2021. I’m sure that has greatly changed in the last 2 to 3 years. However, in 2001, 54 percent of the US population was considered middle class. In 1971, a whopping 61 percent was middle class. However, those stats don’t account for the entire story. In 2024, it now takes a salary of 96,500 for an INDIVIDUAL to live comfortably. If you’re a family of four, you need to earn $300,000 per year. If you’re a couple, you need to earn a combined $235,000. The official definition of middle class is anyone earning between $30,000 and $90,000 per year, but if you notice, even $90,000 isn’t enough for a single person to live comfortably. Someone’s numbers are way off, and I tend to think it’s the guys calculating middle class. So, if you’re having trouble paying your bills, you can start to guess why. I mean, the average car payment today is between $600 and $800 a month. The average rent in the US is $1,372, but I know people who can’t find anything under $1,500 a month. My grocery bills as a single person are about $500 a month, and that doesn’t include any fancy foods, like you know, bread, milk and eggs. Forget about steak, ground beef or anything else in that category, but I digress. How do you pay your bills when you can’t pay your bills?
Read more: How to Pay Your Bills When You Can’t Pay Your Bills
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Have you noticed the hypocrisy in the freelancing industry lately? It’s probably in more than one industry, to be honest, but I’m a freelance writer and a novelist, so I understand those two industries. Because of that, I can tell you that there’s some amazing hypocrisy going on when it comes to AI. All of these platforms are using AI, but if you use it, you are condemned to have your account removed and your IP banned.
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In a world filled with kale smoothies, meditation apps, and people who insist that yoga is the answer to everything, there lies a secret weapon in the battle against difficult emotions: writing. Yes, you heard it right, The ancient art of putting pen to paper (or fingers to a keyboard) can be a magical elixir for processing emotions that are stickier than gum on a summer sidewalk.
Now, before you roll your eyes and wonder if I've inhaled one too many typewriter fumes, let me assure you that I am not suggesting you become the next Shakespeare or J.K. Rowling. You don't need to compose the next literary masterpiece. You just need to grab a notebook and jot down your thoughts, feelings and maybe even a grocery list if that's what floats your emotional boat.
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Have you noticed all the whining and crying by big corporations lately? If you haven’t, I’d like to know what rock you’ve been hiding under and if there’s space for me. The general gist of these whiny, crying toddler corporations is – GIMME GIMME GIMME more money! I need a 10th summer home and a 6th home for my family, so I’m going to raise your rates or our prices or SOMETHING cause God forbid I don’t get my 45th house and 2nd yacht and 5th private jet! Now, if you’re thinking – Hey, this has been going on for years. You’re right. It’s just that this year seems to be ten times worse. This GIMME GIMME GIMME has got to stop! So, I propose that you shop local as much as you can and buy from independent sellers. When I say independent sellers, understand that some of these guys may be on Amazon and Walmart and Target or another bulk website as 3rd party sellers. If they’re on Amazon, they’re raked over the coals too. If you haven’t ever looked at the 3rd party seller fees on Amazon, I encourage you to look. They’re actually so high I think it’s now an FCC lawsuit. Seems I saw something about that a bit back. When I went to look at those fees, I realized that one of my semi-precious jeweled bracelets that I sell for $20-$25 would have to be $40 or $50 on Amazon in order to give me the same profit.
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