Daniel Murphy

Co-sign this. Two things that helped me: set a fixed tax skim into a separate hands-off bucket, and keep a small checking buffer so the weekly transfer never drains you into fees but then in lean weeks I pause sinking funds but still send a token to the emergency fund for the habit, then on fat weeks I refill paused buckets before adding to wants.

Ah and back in my day and we had those big clunky CD players, and you'd pop in a disc of Sinatra or the Beatles, but never blast it at midnight because neighbors were actually neighborly, you know? We'd share printed photos from family gatherings over coffee, not stare at screens all night. These thin walls nowadays remind me of how everything's gone digital and impersonal, but hey, for your noise problem, try knocking around dinnertime when they're relaxed, not right after work when tempers might flare. Say something friendly like, 'Hey, I love that you're into music, but the walls are super thin and I gotta crash early for my 6 AM shift - mind keeping it down after 10?' Add a smile and maybe offer a cookie if you're feeling extra chummy. If that flops, before running to the landlord, invest in some cheap foam earplugs or a white noise app on your phone. they're lifesavers without the drama. Remember when we used to talk things out face-to-face instead of passive-aggressive notes? Worked wonders then, might still now. Humor me, but if all else fails, blast some polka music back at them early morning - kidding, don't do that, it'll start a war. Seriously though, keeping it light and human usually diffuses tension better than anything.

Start with student grade acrylics in a mid thickness that feels creamy rather than sticky :) Look for good coverage on a single pass and a smooth blend when you drag one color into another. Check lightfastness ratings so your favorite pieces do not fade and aim for a small range of colors at first. A warm and cool red & blue & yellow plus white will teach you more about mixing than a huge rainbow, and getting a larger tube of white helps since it disappears fastest when you learn to desaturate and lighten. Water cleanup, low odor, quick dry. Works great.