A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS
As I’ve navigated life as a freelance artist, Ph.D. student, and an adult woman with un-diagnosed ADHD and hormonal imbalances until I was 32 years old, I’ve had to find life hacks to adult, which means finding tools that help me manage my limited funds and organize my life a bit better. Friends and loved ones know that I spend A LOT of time researching, especially when I find a new hobby or interest (thanks ADHD brain!) so I end up with a list of my favorite things. Also, note, these are the things that have withstood the years, even despite my short-term attention span and tendency to switch interests, so I highly endorse them!
Friends often come to me for suggestions, so I decided to compile these into a list for easy access.
(I do earn from these affiliate links, but so do you as most come with discounts!)
My ACTUAL favorite thing : Marrón the poodle and chaos agent that controls my life, heart, and wallet.
Chani Nicholas has incredible astrological guidance and education, an BEAUTIFUL planners, affirmation decks, and books. They make incredible gifts for loved one you want to affirm and support on your journey. Purchase here.
Scrivener is my favorite word processing software. I use it for my dissertation, creative writing projects, class notes, job application, and anything else. With features that NO OTHER software even comes close to, scrivener is the go-to app for writers of all kinds, used every day by best-selling novelists, screenwriters, non-fiction writers, students, academics, lawyers, journalists, translators and more. Scrivener won't tell you how to write—it simply provides everything you need to start writing and keep writing.
This is the budgeting software that has helped me over the past 10 years through the storms of earning less than $18k/year while living in New York City, working as a freelancer with highly variable income, and transitioning to the more steady, if not super abundant, life of a PhD stipend. I love it because it is the perfect combination of automated (linking to your accounts and importing data) and hands on, so you don’t just see where your money went, but it helps you plan. The whole concept is that you “give every dollar a job.” Also, the support is amazing, you can have a real person help you deal with any issues you run into if you’re not sure YNAB is matching up to your accounts. And there are of guides and how-to tools. There is a 34-day trial so you can see how it works for a bit more than a month (a full pay cycle). There is a bit of a learning curve, but it is WELL WORTH it.
The cost is $99/annually, or $14.99/month. If you use my link and we both get a free month!
Referral link: https://ynab.com/referral/?ref=fqBEiYsvgJI2jtt-
IBOTTA is an app (mobile and a chrome extension) that earns you cashback. The basic premie is you either shop online through their link, or my preference, you go to the grocery store you were going to anyways and before you pay you select the offers. Then you scan your receipt (or with some stores you can link it to your loyalty program) and you get the cash in IBOTTA and can transfer it to your bank account. My first time using it at Harris Teeter I spent $47 and got $10 cash back. That’s 20%. When combined with cashback cards like I highlight below, it’s awesome. It’s an extra step, but for those of us trying to save and bring in some extra money. Use my link or code and you’ll get some extra cash when you sign up. Code: PJDYHAQ
I’ve used Freshbooks for years to invoice, track time for my freelance work, and organize my expenses each year for taxes. I find it better suited for individual freelancers than Quickbooks. It keeps your books perfectly organized, but also has lots of invoice payment options. They make it easy for both owners and their clients to process payments super fast. Like Quickbooks, you can add your accountant so they can review your info directly when it’s time to file taxes.
My undiagnosed ADHD meant I was always looking for things to help my brain work better. I guess I knew I needed help even though I didn’t know why. I got interested in mushrooms for all of their benefits and after trying a few brands I’ve stuck with real mushrooms. They are the highest quality mushroom, made from fruiting bodies, not mycelium,
Mushrooms have long been touted for their myriad of health benefits, and the use of medicinal mushrooms dates back thousands of years. Real Mushrooms is a brand I trust when it comes to functional mushroom products and trustworthy education.
My favorite products are Lion’s Mane for brain function and 5 Defenders for immune system support. I take both in powder form and mix into my morning coffee, but they also sell capsules if that’s more your style.
Use this link to get a 25% first time buyers discount.
After your first purchase you can use my discount code “ALISON” at checkout for a 10% discount
CREDIT CARDS
In my early-20s I had NO credit, but I knew I needed to grow it and I could benefit from filtering my money through rewards cards that would earn me cashback. I did some research and by strategically applying to and using my credit card, I’ve built EXCELLENT credit and earned lots in rewards. I wish I had the exact numbers, but I can tell you that I have FULLY taken advantage of my rewards. Pre-COVID I could regularly book flights on rewards, during COVID I used cashback to pay my credit card statements and for purchases. I’ve also taken advantage of 0% APR intro periods and balance transfer offers to make big expenses more manageable and to avoid paying interest. Below are my favorite cards that have served me well.
Be realistic about your credit and use a website like Credit Karma or Nerdwallet to check your score. But don’t use their links, use mine please!
* I am NOT a financial expert or advisor, but a reminder that it is best practice to use your credit cards like debit cards. YNAB can help you manage this, to avoid getting into debt and instead earn money on the money you would spend anyways. Always pay your credit card back in full and on time or early, and if that’s not possible, aim to transfer any debt to a 0% balance transfer offer to avoid paying interest.
Each Chase Freedom Card has it’s benefits. I like having both to benefit from the different rewards schemes, and then I can combine all of my points via Chase, along with points from Chase Sapphire (below).
Same Same - Both Cards have:
No annual fees
Intro cashback bonuses and 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers
Earns 1.5% cash back on every purchase and following benefits
INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
No minimum to redeem for cash back and No annual fee
5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter!
INTRO OFFICE: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
No minimum to redeem for cash back.
Described as “nearly a must have for travelers” by NerdWallet, this round out my Chase card family. Requires higher credit and has an annual fee of $95, but comes with great rewards, high earning on travel, lots of benefits like travel and rental car insurance, and no foreign transaction fees!
APPLY HERE
BONUS and BENEFITS:
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
$50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
APPLY HERE
I opened this card to transfer a balance from a higher-interest card, giving me 15 months to pay it off at 0% APR. It also has 15 month of 0% APR on purchased.
I can’t comment on cash back yet because I haven’t used it for that, but Discover has seven different cards with different reward options, including cash back, gas and restaurants, travel, students and more.
With my link when you become a Discover Cardmember would will get a $100 Statement Credit when you make your first purchase within three months. Just three purchases, the amount doesn’t matter! Then, earn rewards with every purchase after that.