Books BTS Wants Us To Read

Part one: money, leases, landlords, legal stuff

what papers do i need to rent a house? 

Not a ton. You usually need your social security number, a driver’s license or state ID card, and copies of your paystubs or some other form of proof of income.

What is a mortgage and how does it work? Is renter’s insurance necessary? What do I do if my landlord is in violation of the lease?

A mortgage is a loan from the bank to buy a house. It’s a combination of the amount borrowed and the interest accrued. You agree to pay back the loan over a set period of time, in monthly payments. It’s a lot more involved than that so I guess let me know if you want more info on that, but you don’t really need to know about that until you’re purchasing a property. 

Renter’s insurance is required by most landlords. This is so the insurance company covers it if your home is damaged by a natural disaster or a car through your wall or something. It also covers your home getting broken into. Renter’s insurance is really cheap, I think mine is $10 a month or something.

If your landlord is in violation of the lease, go above them and talk to their supervisor or the property management company. If they aren’t responsive then go to a tenant’s rights group in your area, or contact the Department of Housing (depending on how big the issue is).

hey how are you! been following you awhile now. just wondering like how much money you should save before moving out, some tips for people not making a lot of money and dying to leave their parents lol

The general rule is 3 months of living expenses plus emergency money. This should include: 3 months of rent, 3 months of utilities, 3 months of transportation expenses (bus/train fare or gas + auto insurance), 3 months of food, 3 months of phone/internet, 3 months of miscellaneous household shit 

I’ll give you the breakdown for my house as an example:

$1300 rent x 3

$100 utilities x 3

$60 phone x 3

$70 internet x 3

$75 auto insurance x 3 OR $100 bus fare x 3

$200 food x 3

$50 houshold x 3 (toilet paper, toothpaste, paper towels, soap, cleaning supplies, towels, etc)

medical expenses, personal expenses, etc not included

$5565 total (not including gas because i forgot it)

Also, you need to put down a deposit on a unit and usually first months rent + last months rent. Deposits are generally one month worth of rent.  This means total move in expenses for my house (NOT including utilities set up fees, internet fees, or any household expenses) were $3900 to my landlord.

Also broker’s fees are a thing in big cities but not Seattle.

You also have to factor in general house shit like furniture, silverware, towels, blankets, etc. Having zero furniture is cool for awhile but will make you crazy in a short period of time (example: I lived in an apartment with no dresser, couch, chairs, or desk for six months. My only furniture was a tiny bookshelf and a mattress. It was the worst. I was only living there temporarily and didn’t want to move furniture when I moved into my permanent house).

I don’t have any credit (never had a credit card, loans, etc.) will it be hard for me to get a place to rent? 

In my experience, many places are wary of renting to people without credit. I think what generally turns them off is that you have never paid bills so they have no idea of knowing if you’ll be able to make rent on time. Oftentimes they will ask for a cosigner on a lease if you don’t have credit. This means that your parent or relative (or anyone really) will sign the lease with you and also have their name on there. This is so that if you stop paying your rent, fuck up the apartment, etc, if they are unable to find you or you will not pay the rent/charges, your cosigner is responsible for paying them.

I recommend paying bills in your name or getting a credit card and using it RESPONSIBLY. That means utilizing 30% or less of your total credit available, and always making payments ON TIME, ABOVE the minimum payment. Pay a small bill that gets paid every month for sure with a credit card, like your phone bill or the internet bill. 

I also recommend just moving into an established house and being put on the lease that way, or subletting. That way even though you don’t have credit you have rental history and references.

I know that when you rent a house you have to pay for things other than rent, what kind of stuff is normally included in that and how much is a reasonable amount to pay?

Other bills are generally water, sewer, garbage, and electricity, but it varies by location. In some states heating is separate, and it’s required for the landlord to pay the heating bill (though this may mean that they leave it on all winter and you cook, or they leave it on but really low and you freeze). The most common thing I’ve seen is that landlords pay w/s/g, and you pay for electricity. Again, this varies greatly by location. For example, my electricity gets billed 4x a year, so they’re pretty large bills when they come in, but it isn’t a monthly expense. Seattle is super mild so we don’t have air conditioning or regularly use heaters. We’re also running my boyfriend’s giant computer all the time. Our bills are generally $250-$350 every three months. This is split between four people so it’s not that bad, never more than $100 every cycle. But I gotta stress that this varies from place to place. I have friends that live in large houses with 5-6 people and their utilities are about $100 a month per person, on top of rent. You need to ask the landlord what they cover and what the utilities usually come out to every month.

HORROR STORIES/PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

When making your master post about basic tips etc, I’d like to share my horror story. I only turned on the water faucets in my bathroom not the kitchen and it turned out the cold water didn’t work. In addition the faucet was missing an aerator too so the water was super wiley. Ugh and I should mention I moved from an apartment on the 3rd floor of a building to the 10th and apparently the 10th floor has bug problems I could not foresee. Maybe some tips for prevent buggies?

Fuck that sucks. Bug tips right here. Know what they look like, don’t take furniture from the street!!!!!

WARNING SIGNS

what are some things you should watch out for when looking for somewhere to rent? With the landlord?

Unit: Lots of discarded furniture outside/by the dumpster/in communal spaces (bedbugs). Dirty communal washing machines. Dirty lobbies. Weed smell (personal preference lol). Indoor smoking. Established (5 years or older) building and many empty units. Many people leaving after year-long leases.

Landlord: Are they shady? Do they tell you about their drug habits? Do they use hard drugs? Do they accept 12 applications even though they know that the first person is going to get the unit (applications are $20-$50 each usually)? Do they avoid showing you parts of the building? Are they creepy? Do they hit on you? These are all things I have had happen when looking for a place and they were all huge red flags. Don’t rent from someone that does any of those things.

im viewing an apt tomorrow and making a list of questions to ask landlord. is there anything specific i should ask thats often forgotten?

What are the utility bills generally running each month? How long do tenants usually live in the unit? How much has the rent increased over the last three years? What kind of people live in the apartments (families, students, DINKs?)?

disclaimer: all of this varies place to place, city to city, state to state, etc. this is just based on my experiences viewing hundreds and hundreds of houses and apartments in seattle.

Ciel naming Sebastian (.◜ω◝.)

**Please  do not reupload  here/on other sites**

seokjin: jungkook no

jungkook: jungkook yes

namjoon: jungkook no!

jungkook: jungkook maybe

jimin *softly*: jungkook …

jungkook: jungkook no.

it’s already starting to get uncomfortably warm where I live, so here are some hot weather survival tips to help y’all keep looking effortlessly flawless even when your face feels like it’s melting off

You want sweatproof foundation? Add a primer and a setting spray to your makeup routine. e.l.f. has pretty decent ones for really great prices (the primer is like $3-5 depending on the store you go to, and the setting spray is like $3-7), and they’re cruelty-free!

You wanna wear a skirt/dress, but your thighs are all chafe-y? Rub some deodorant on the inside of your thighs to help eliminate friction. It may sound weird but it really does help.

If you live somewhere that has really humid summers, you can keep your hair from getting too crazy frizzy by using a serum (I use Designline’s Silk Drops, but that one’s a little pricey – OGX has a good one that’s way cheaper and smells like coconut). Squeeze a dime-sized amount into your hand, rub your fingers together, and run it through the length of your hair. If you want to go a step further, you can spray some hairspray into your hand, rub your hands together, and then run your hands over your hair to smooth it down. 

BB cream is generally lighter and less cake-y than foundation, and in hot weather it’s less likely to melt off. I haven’t found a good cruelty-free one that’s pale enough for me yet, but Maybelline has a decent one that I used to use.

Liquid eyeliner is sweatproof, and the really good ones are even pool-proof. You should also make sure your mascara is waterproof so it won’t run when you sweat.

DO NOT SHAVE EVERY DAY. Shaving too often will give you dry skin and razor burn, which is super uncomfortable. You should be shaving every 2-3 days AT THE MOST. Also, use conditioner instead of shaving cream (it’s cheaper and works way better) and apply lotion as soon as you finish shaving.

If you’re struggling with sweaty skin and summer acne, try using a face wash, scrub, or mask with activated charcoal in it. It sounds weird, but it really works and is gentle enough for sensitive skin.

If your face gets all shiny over the course of the day, you might want to look into getting some blotting sheets (or “oil-absorbing sheets,” as they’re sometimes labeled) to keep in your backpack or purse. You just pat them on your face, and they absorb all the extra oil and help you look more matte and less shiny. You don’t even have to buy special blotting sheets – I had a friend who made her own by just cutting some tissue paper into little squares, and they worked really well! 

Dry shampoo is a lifesaver, especially if your hair gets greasy and sweaty during the day. You can buy a cute lil bottle to keep in your purse, and use as needed throughout the day. 

Every March/April, Walmart starts selling cheap flip flops for like a dollar a pair. I highly recommend going and buying a pair or two, because it’s honestly never a bad idea to have some cheap flip flops on hand, especially if you go swimming a lot.

Coconut oil is your best friend. You can put it on your lips to keep them soft and plump, you can put it in your hair as a deep conditioning treatment, you can use it to soften dry, rough skin like on your elbows and the soles of your feet – just do whatever. You can also substitute it for vegetable oil when you bake cookies or brownies; it tastes better and is better for you. 10/10

If you’re insecure about wearing revealing clothing because you have scars/stretch marks/ect., Vitamin E oil is really great for helping them fade. I am very clumsy and scar very easily, and this stuff is a life saver. (And of course, scars and stretch marks are nothing to be ashamed of – I personally think stretch marks are extremely adorable and love mine a lot – but if yours make you uncomfortable you have every right to use a treatment like this to make them less noticeable.)

I know you’ve probably already heard this a million times, but YOU NEED TO DRINK WATER. ESPECIALLY WHEN IT’S HOT AND YOU’RE SWEATING. Trust me, dehydration and heat stroke are not fun, you do not wanna go there. Drink whenever you have the chance. And yes, it does have to be water. Soda literally just makes you more dehydrated.

If you’re going to go to the beach or pool, go in the late afternoon/evening (like 4:00 p.m. or later). It’ll be way, way less crowded, and the sun will already be starting to chill out, so you have way less of a chance of getting burned.

If you DO get sunburned, aloe vera gel can save the day. When I was fourteen I got a sunburn so bad that I couldn’t sleep (because my soft, silky sheets were hurting me when they rubbed my skin) and almost had permanent scarring. My friend brought me some of this stuff and not only did it provide instant pain relief, but my burns healed completely and didn’t scar! 

If you are out in the sun and start to feel dizzy, lightheaded, or nauseous, or if you develop a headache, get yourself to a cool, shady place (preferably inside an air-conditioned building) IMMEDIATELY. 

DON’T WEAR SANDALS TO A CONCERT, FESTIVAL, OR OTHER OUTDOORS EVENT. TRUST ME. YOUR FEET WILL GET SO DIRTY AND GROSS, IT’S NOT WORTH IT.

You can make a really good body scrub by combining sugar, olive oil or honey, and a few drops of lemon juice. You can use it to exfoliate your body or even your face, especially if your skin gets kind of rough during the summer. 

I probably sound like such a mom right now, but please don’t forget to sleep this summer. Teens and adults need AT LEAST eight hours a night to function normally, and lack of sleep can lead to heightened anxiety and lack of focus, and can even make you gain or retain weight.

Eating is important, too. I know I, for one, sometimes forget to feed myself if someone doesn’t remind me, but it’s important to make sure you’re getting 1200-1600 calories a day at the very least. And obviously you’ll need to eat more on days that you’re walking or exercising a lot, like if you go to a festival or on a hike.  

Sketching Tips

Fit and Geeky Friday 💪🏽🤓 aww shucks!

The Amazing Spider-Man Workout Level I: 3 Sets Level II: 5 Sets Level III: 7 Sets 2 minute rest between sets

#massmotivefit #fitandgeeky #geekyfriday #amazingspiderman #marvel #fitness #exercise #fitfam #workingout #weightloss #training #gohardorgohome #marvelcomics #nogymnoproblem #homeworkout #superhero #geekyfriday

Neila Rey Workout Retrieved from www.neilarey.com

Hi! I want to draw people with a lot of emotion captured, but I don't really know how to do it so that the viewer feels something. I want to show more emotion, I guess? (This was really unclear, I know :0) Thank you so much!

What a great question, @everchangingotps​!

I think studying anatomy helps a lot. Facial muscles are a bit complex, and they move in different ways to make the frowns and smiles happen!

Here’s a few great resources I found:

Human Anatomy Fundamentals, Mastering facial Expressions - super comprehensive. Definitely worth the read!

Muscles of Facial Expression - Anatomyzone

Drawing facial expressions  - Xia Taptara on Youtube 

Folder of Facial Expression Tutorials!  Super useful

Expression tutorial by shingworks - cartoon style 

If you liked this post, please consider reblogging this post so more artists can see it! 

Also it would mean the world to me if you checked out my art at @astrikos! 

Thank you for your continued support! 

The Flat Belly Workout

Why do artists refuse to use references why why why.

It’s not a contest to see who can get by without them. It’s not cheating to look at a thing in order to know what the thing looks like.

You don’t get stronger or better by pretending. Nobody is impressed by the awkward whatever-it-is you just drew. Use references.