Crystal Knows It: September 2023

I Feel You Linger In The Air

It got its own post because it is the only show i’m currently watching on Youku.tv

It’s an amazing show, I highly recommend watching it if it is available in your region. You maybe able to watch it on Youku’s youtube channel or on Gagaoolala, but those platforms don’t currently have licenses in the US so I watch the TV version on their website

7 episodes currently available; can watch tv version free, VIP required for uncut

It’s a BL with hints of GL. There is time travel, cheating drama, polygyny, etc. So far I think it is very well rounded in its sources of drama, there is a lot of conflict and I look forward to watching it every week.

What I’m Watching on Gagaoolala

Minato’s Laundromat2 /japan/ 12 episodes aired wednesdays

Crazy handsome rich/ thai/ 6 episodes

hard for me to watch because of the dubbing that i feed was very unnecessary but i don’t know if something happened to the original audio that dubbing was the only way to make it work

what did you eat yesterday? season 1 /japan/ 10 episodes

My favorite shows to rewatch

Falling into your Smile /China/ (netflix / viki) / 31 episodes

Go go squid! /China/ viki /41 episodes

Goblin aka guardian: the lonely and great god /Korea/ viki /19 episodes; the show is 16 episodes and viki has 3 BTS episodes

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon /korea/ Viki /17 episodes; the show is 16 episodes long and viki has 1 Bts episode

It’s Okay Not to be Okay/korea/ NetFlix /16 episodes

love o2o /china/ Netflix /30 episodes

What I’m watching on Netflix

My Happy Marriage /anime/ japan/ 12 episodes/ Aired Wednesdays

The Uncanny Counter season 2 /Drama /Korea/ 12 episodes

Building Income Streams

There are 7 streams of income that people generally think about (which I will list in no particular order)

1. Physical Products - creating and selling a good

I have been creating jewelry and art for the last 3 years with my business crystalamethystco.com. I love to use my hands so I want to let them help me create new pieces for as long as I am physically able.

I recommend selling a product you actually use and a product that can speak for itself.

2. Freelancing - complete work for a business or an individual. Can be per project or an hourly wage

I have transcribed interviews for PhD candidates dissertations. I typically charge an hourly rate but you can also charge per project or interview.

When trying to find a freelancing job look at what is needed in your area or by people in the communities you are a part of.

3. Coaching/ Consulting - Holding clients accountable to your system/ ideas/ framework

I have a degree in business administration with a concentration in management and have assisted fellow entrepreneurs and given them resources to manage their businesses better. I also held peer mentorship positions in college and helped my younger or newer to campus peers navigate college life.

There will always be something that you have a better grasp of than some of the people around you, use that to your advantage. Also continue to learn about the things you are interested in and one day it will help you to help others.

4. Digital products (ebook, course, printable) - creating and selling digital goods that can consumed electronically/ showing clients step by step how to achieve a goal

I plan to expand into digital products soon

5. Speaking - presenting your system/ideas/ framework

I am an anxious, thinking, social introvert so I’m still working on my speaking skills but if you like to talk and be in front of people, I’m sure you have a story to tell and there are people out there that want to hear it.

6. Affiliate - recommend a product/service to your audience

A lot of bigger companies now have affiliate programs and if you like a product and would recommend it anyway see if you can get some money from it.

7. Brand Sponsorship - advertise a brand to your audience

I will be documenting my experience as I’m building my streams of income and I hope you will come along this journey with me, feel free to comment and share your experiences as well.

Building credit

For college students I highly recommend getting a student credit card as your starter card. I also recommend getting a credit card with a bank you already have a relationship (checking/savings) with. If you don’t have any credit history and are also not in college you can apply for a secured credit card or become an authorized user on a trusted person’s credit card.

Maintain a good credit card utilization

I like to keep my credit card utilization under 10% and pay off my credit cards every month but really anything under 30% is considered good. However, the lower your utilization the better it is for your credit score. You can’t go wrong if you use your credit card in the same manner as a debit card and don’t spend more than you can afford to pay off. Some people pay off their credit cards as soon as the charge posts, I do that with bigger purchases that take up a significant portion of my credit limit on that specific card. For example if you make a $5,000 purchase on a card with a $7500 limit I would encourage you to pay it off when it is posted to your account as opposed to waiting until the statement period ends because at that point the balance will be reported to the credit bureau and impact your credit score negatively.

Pay bills on Time

Pay off debt

Pay more than the minimum as permitted by your budget.

To avoid any missed payments, set up automatic payments and bill reminders.

Take on balances with the highest interest rates initially using the "avalanche method"

Utilize the "snowball method" to pay off the smallest loans first, and then progressively raise payments toward larger loans.

To combine all of your debt obligations into a single loan with fixed interest rates and monthly installments, apply for a debt consolidation loan.

caution against canceling or deleting a credit card account since it could harm your credit history and credit utilization. It should be noted that paying off your credit card debt is a wonderful strategy to improve your credit.