| How to Live Off Interest Posted: 26 Feb 2018 04:00 PM PST With careful planning, it is possible to live off the interest from your investments. The more money that you can invest upfront, the more interest you will be able to collect as income. If you can't live entirely off of your interest earnings, you may be able to collect enough from small scale investments to cover some living expenses. EditMaking an Investment Strategy - Create an investment plan. Taking your salary and expenses into account, make a plan for earning and investing money. Look at your monthly income and necessary expenditures, such as rent and utility bills, to see how much money you can spare for investments. Decide how much money you will invest each month, and how much you will keep for travel, entertainment, and other indulgences.[1]
- Consult with a financial advisor. Setting up your investments so that you can live off interest requires careful planning, which will be made easier with the help of an expert. Visit with a financial advisor who can provide advice about your savings and investment choices. You can find a financial advisor through your bank, insurance company, or an independent financial consulting company.[2]
- Make investments that will pay off at different times of the year. To ensure that you can live off interest year-round, build a portfolio with a mix of trusts, funds, and other income-paying investments. Choose investments that pay dividends at different points of the year so that your earnings will be spread out. This will not guarantee even payments throughout the year, but it will ensure that you have income to live off of.[3]
- Sell off bad investments. It is not prudent to hold onto investments that bring you big losses in the hope that they will improve. Sell bad investments to strengthen your overall portfolio. Avoid holding on to investments for reasons of loyalty or sentimentality (e.g. your company's stock, or stock you once thought had great promise.)[4]
EditGetting an Annuity - Purchase an immediate annuity to get income right away. An annuity is essentially an insurance contract that guarantees that you will have money throughout your retirement. For a lump sum you can get an immediate annuity, which will generate payments right away. The payments received will depend on the lump sum you invest, current inflation rates, and your age.[5]
- Ask an agent form your insurance company to outline your annuity options to invest your savings wisely.
- These payments can be received monthly, quarterly, or annually.
- You can choose to get payments up until a certain age, or until death.
- For older people, the annual payout of an immediate annuity can be as high as 10%.[6]
- Get a deferred annuity if you are still years away from retirement. if you do not need to earn an income from interest right away, opt for a deferred annuity. This will give you time to invest tax deferred money from each paycheck while you are working, which will grow tax free for you to collect, in regular payments, starting at a later date. See what deferred annuity options your insurance company offers to start building your financial security as early as possible.[7]
- Contributions to your deferred annuity do not have to happen at regular intervals or in equal amounts. There is no yearly contribution limit so you can invest large sums whenever you want to have them build interest, tax free.
- Choose a variable income annuity to diversify your investment. With a variable annuity, the money you invest will be split between different bonds, stocks, according to your risk level and preferences. There is a minimum income generated, which depends on variables like your age and the nature of the investments you've chosen. Ask your insurance provider about setting up a variable income annuity if you want your investment to be split into several subgroups with multiple opportunities for growth.[8]
EditEarning Interest to Cover Certain Expenses - Sign up for a high yield online savings account to earn 1% interest. Online savings accounts can offer interest rates of 1% or more since they don't have to maintain branch locations. Transfer money from your regular savings account into one of these high yield accounts, or save money gradually with each paycheck. Depending on how much you save, your interest money could cover certain living expenses like groceries or utilities.[9]
- Get a credit card that offers cash-back on your purchases. Cash-back credit cards can offer up to a 5% return on your total purchases in cash or gift cards of equivalent value. Using these cards to pay for everyday expenses is a good way to yield money without any extra effort or risk. Speak to a representative at your bank or credit card company to find a card that will yield you the biggest cash benefits.[10]
- Be sure to read the fine print on your credit card agreement before signing up for a new card.
- Some cards may have a limit for yearly cash-back earnings.
- Certain cards only offer cash-back for specific categories of purchases, such as restaurants or gas stations.
- Buy U.S. treasury bonds to earn interest bi-annually. Investing with the government treasury is entirely safe and the interest that you yield will be exempt from state and municipal taxes. Interest is paid every 6 months at a fixed rate. Purchase treasury bonds directly through the U.S. Treasury website at https://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/products/prod_tbonds_glance.htm.
- Treasury bonds have maturities of 30 years, but they can be sold before then.
- Interest earned on treasury bonds is still subject to federal taxation.
EditSources and Citations
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| How to Feed Butterflies Posted: 26 Feb 2018 08:00 AM PST Butterflies are unique, delicate insects that come in many different beautiful colors and patterns. If you have some butterflies that you need to regularly feed or you just want to provide a snack for the butterflies that pass through your yard, there are ways that you can do so. What kind of food you feed butterflies and how you should feed them depends on whether they're injured, in nature, or in a habitat. EditIn a Hurry? To feed butterflies that are sick or young, soak a paper towel in either children's juice, cola, or fruit punch. Place the paper towel in a dish. With dry hands, carefully pinch together the tips of a butterfly's wings when they're already closed. Pick up the butterfly and set it onto the paper towel. Use a toothpick to lower its proboscis if it doesn't do so on its own. To learn how to feed butterflies in nature or in a habitat, scroll down! EditHelping Injured Butterflies Eat - Opt for liquids like warm children's juices, colas, and fruit punches. Children's juices, colas, and fruit punches make for the best first aid treatment for hurt, sick, or young butterflies. Use these as food if possible, and make sure to provide them at room temperature or warmer.[1]
- Soak a paper towel with the liquid food and place it in a dish. Decide which kind of food that you'd like to go with and then soak up the liquid with a paper towel. This will allow the butterflies to eat the food without getting their feet extremely wet.[2]
- Pick up each butterfly and set it onto the soaked paper towel. First, make sure your hands are completely dry. When one of your butterflies closes its wings, pinch them together extremely carefully at the tips. Lift the butterfly up and place it onto the paper towel so that it can taste the food on it. Continue doing this with all of your butterflies.[3]
- If you aren't gentle, you can very easily seriously injure the butterflies by picking them up. It's very important to be careful when handling them.
- It's necessary to do it this way because butterflies taste with their feet.
- Lower the butterfly's proboscis with a toothpick if it doesn't do so itself. Once they're placed on the paper towel, the butterflies will likely recognize that food is available and automatically lower their proboscises to consume it. If one of the butterflies doesn't do this, very carefully take a toothpick or a paperclip and lower the butterfly's proboscis towards the food yourself.[4]
- The butterfly may be resistant at first and try to push the toothpick or paperclip away. Be persistent for a couple of minutes. If the butterfly is still resisting at this point, stop and try again in 1-2 hours.
- Offer the butterflies food at least once each day. Pick up each butterfly carefully by the tips of its wings and place it onto the food-soaked paper towel at least once a day. If you struggle to get a butterfly to eat, give it a few more chances throughout the day. Even your butterflies who eat willingly may eat at these other opportunities too, as butterflies tend to prefer spaced out feeding times.[5]
EditFeeding Butterflies in Nature - Provide flower nectar for butterflies in nature. Naturally, butterflies survive by consuming the nectar provided by different types of flowers. The best kind of food you can give them is this nectar. Milkweed, zinnias, and marigolds are popular with butterflies -- try planting these in your yard to attract and feed butterflies.[6]
- Use canned fruit nectar as an alternative to flower nectar. If you don't want to grow and take care of flowers, purchase some canned fruit nectar instead. To successfully serve canned fruit nectar, pour some into a plastic bottle cap or saturate a tissue in it and set it out in a butterfly feeder, on a porch railing, or somewhere similar.[7]
- Give butterflies sugar water if you don't have any nectar. This acts as makeshift nectar. Mix 1 part white cane table sugar with 4 parts warm water until the sugar dissolves completely. This should provide nutrition and energy for your butterflies so that they can thrive.[8]
- White cane table sugar provides the best nutrients for butterflies and also dissolves easily, compared to other forms of sugar.[9]
- Feed butterflies rotting fruit as an alternative. Slice up some fruit that's going bad to give to your butterflies. They especially like to eat rotting grapefruits, oranges, strawberries, peaches, nectarines, apples, and bananas. Add a little bit of water or fruit juice to your sliced fruit to keep it desirably moist.[10]
- Make a butterfly feeder. The best way to feed butterflies in nature is to buy or create some sort of butterfly feeder. You can do this is several different ways, whether you want to hang a plastic water bottle full of food from a tree, or set a shallow plate with a base among your garden. Get crafty and make a desirable feeder to draw in as many butterflies as possible.
EditFeeding Butterflies in a Habitat - Use Gatorade or fruit juice as an easy solution. The easiest way to feed butterflies in a habitat is with Gatorade or another already-prepared juice drink. As is, Gatorade and fruit juice have the sugar and water needed in order to provide nutrients to your butterflies. Use these for food if you want to be able to feed your butterflies quickly and easily.[11]
- Make your own creative butterfly food solution to get the best results. If you're willing to put a little more time and effort into your butterfly food to ensure maximum nutrition, make your own food solution. Mix 3 ounces (88.7 ml) of water or Gatorade with of simple syrup. Then, add in 6 drops of soy sauce.[12]
- To make your own simple syrup, add of sugar to of water. Almost bring the mixture to a boil, but remove it from heat just before it starts to boil.
- Serve liquid food in a small, shallow container for easy access. To make the food appealing to your butterflies, you'll need to serve it in a proper container. The smaller and shallower the container is, the better. Opt for a saucer or bottle lid if possible. Simply fill the dish or container, lower it into the habitat, and close the habitat.[13]
- You can also use a small cup or a candle votive, but since these options are deeper, make sure to fill the container with marbles for the butterflies to stand on while they eat.
- Provide skewered fresh fruit when you have several butterfly species. Fruit serves as an adequate food source for all different types of butterflies, so this might be the best option if you have a variety of species in your habitat. Take a skewer or a piece of bamboo and slide chunks of fruit onto it. Then, set it in the habitat.[14]
- If the fruit won't stay on the skewer, secure a bread twist tie underneath the bottom piece of fruit.
- Place fruit in the brightest area of the habitat. Butterflies instinctually gravitate towards bright areas, so they'll have an easier time finding the fruit if it's located in a brighter part of their habitat.[15] Place fruit skewers horizontally on the butterflies' habitat floor or set them up vertically in a corner in the brightest part of the habitat. They should be able to find and consume the food themselves.[16]
- Butterflies have extremely delicate bodies, and you may severely injure or kill them accidentally if you mishandle them. To avoid this, make sure you know exactly how to touch them and interact with them safely before attempting to.
EditThings You'll Need EditHelping Injured Butterflies Eat - Children's juices, colas, or fruit punches
- Paper towels
- Dish
- Toothpick or paperclip (optional)
EditFeeding Butterflies in Nature - Flowers
- Canned fruit nectar
- Bottle cap or tissue
- White cane table sugar
- Warm water
- Butterfly feeder
EditFeeding Butterflies in a Habitat - Gatorade or fruit juice
- Simple syrup
- Soy sauce
- Small, shallow container
- Marbles (optional)
- Skewer or bamboo
- Fresh fruit chunks
- Bread twist tie (optional)
EditSources and Citations
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| How to Make Bracelets from a Pringles Can Posted: 26 Feb 2018 12:00 AM PST Pringles chips are sold in long, skinny cans made out of cardboard. You can use these cans for all sorts of fun projects, but one of the best is bracelets. Making bracelets from Pringles cans is fast, fun, and easy. Once you know how to make a basic bracelet, you can make all sorts of fun, creative designs! EditCutting the Can - Find an empty Pringles can. If you cannot find an empty one, pour the chips inside into another container or into a plastic zippered bag. If you cannot find any Pringles cans, find another cardboard can that is wide enough for you to fit your hand into. Some pre-made, refrigerated pastry doughs come in cans that might be wide enough for this.
- Wash and dry the inside of the can. Rinse the inside of the can with soap and water, then dry it off with a towel. If the outside of the can got wet and soggy, set the can out in the sun for a few hours to dry.
- Cut the rim and bottom off of the can. It is better to do this first so that you don't accidentally include them in your measurements. Simply make a hole in the side of the can just below the rim, then cut around the can to remove the rim. Repeat this step for the bottom of the can. You can do this with a sharp pair of scissors or with a craft blade.[1]
- Make a mark on the side of the can from the top. Your bracelet will be wide. If you want the bracelet to be wider, make the mark lower. If you want the bracelet to be narrower, make the mark higher.[2]
- A black or blue permanent marker or ballpoint pen will work the best for this.
- Trace around the can based on the mark that you drew. Wrap a piece of string, measuring tape, or a rubber band around your can. Make sure that it is at the same height as the mark that you drew. Use your string, measuring tape, or rubber band as a ruler to draw a line around the can.
- Cut along the line that you drew. Use your scissors or craft blade to poke a hole into the cardboard, right on the line. Cut along the line to separate your bracelet from the tube. You can stop here, or you can continue cutting the tube apart to make more bracelets.[3]
- Trim off any fuzzy edges with scissors. Look over the top and bottom edges of your bracelet. If you notice any unevenness or "fuzz," cut it off with a pair of scissors. Do not get too carried away, however, or your bracelet will end up too narrow!
EditCreating a Ribbon Wrapped Bracelet - Choose a ribbon to wrap around the bracelet. Choose a satin or grosgrain ribbon in a color that you like. Something between wide would be ideal. If the ribbon is too narrow, you won't be able to cover the bracelet completely, and if the ribbon is too wide, it will wrinkle when you wrap it.
- If you want something more vintage, cut a t-shirt into narrow strips, then pull on the strips to make the edges curl.[4]
- Use thinner ribbon for narrower bracelets, and wider ribbon for wider bracelets.
- Cut the ribbon or take it off of the spool. If the ribbon is or less, take it off of the spool, and wrap it around your fingers to make a bundle. Slide the bundle off of your fingers and find the end. This will make it easier to pass the ribbon through the bracelet.
- Plan on using at least of ribbon for this craft. How much you actually end up using depends on the width of your bracelet, the width of your ribbon, and how much you overlap the ribbon.
- If the spool has more than on it, measure out about first, then proceed with the above step.
- Glue the end of the ribbon to the inside of the bracelet. Place a drop of hot glue or fabric glue inside the bracelet. Press the end of your ribbon into the glue making sure that the shiny side of the ribbon is facing out.[5]
- If you are using t-shirt fabric, you can have the outside or the inside sticking out.
- Rather than keeping the ribbon perpendicular to the bracelet, glue it at slight angle. This will make it easier to wrap.
- Wrap the ribbon around the bracelet, overlapping it as you go. Pull the ribbon over the top edge of the bracelet, down the front, and under the bottom edge. Pull it through the inside of the bracelet and over the top edge again. Continue to wrap the ribbon around the bracelet in this fashion, making sure that you overlap the edges so that the can doesn't show.[6]
- How much you overlap is up to you, but somewhere between would be ideal.
- Wrap the ribbon tight enough so that it lays smoothly, but not so tight that it bends the bracelet.
- Add a drop of glue to the inside of the bracelet after every few wraps. You don't have to do this, but it will prevent the ribbon from unraveling. After 3 or 5 wraps, place a drop of hot glue or fabric glue inside the bracelet under the ribbon, then continue wrapping.[7]
- Glue a new piece of ribbon to the end of the old one if you run out. If you see that you are running out of ribbon, glue down the end of the ribbon to the inside of the bracelet and cut the excess off. Place a drop of hot glue or fabric glue right over the end of the ribbon. Press the end of your new ribbon into the glue, and keep wrapping.[8]
- Always attach new pieces of ribbon to the inside of the bracelet. If you attach it to the outside, the seam will show.
- Cut and glue the ribbon to the inside of the bracelet. Once you are back to where you started, cut the ribbon so that it overlaps the end that you already glued down. Glue the ribbon down to the inside of the bracelet, making sure that you glue down the entire cut edge.[9]
- Embellish the bracelet as desired. You can leave the bracelet the way it is, or you can embellish it with beads, buttons, rhinestones, or brooches. Use hot glue or fabric glue to secure these items to your bracelet. Make sure that the colors and designs go together![10]
- Small fabric flowers or cameos make a great vintage design.
- Layer small buttons on top of larger ones to create a more colorful design.
EditMaking Other Types of Bracelets - Start with a bare Pringles bracelet. Cut a Pringles can into a bracelet following the method in Part 1. Make sure that the can is clean on the inside and the outside. It might be a good idea to cut several bracelets in case you mess up or want to make more.
- Cover the outside of a bracelet with patterned fabric. Cut a strip of fabric that is the same width as your bracelet, and long enough to wrap around it. Cover the outside of your bracelet with glue, then wrap the fabric around it. Wait for the glue to dry, then embellish the bracelet as desired.[11]
- Cotton fabric with a small print on it works the best. Check out the quilting section in your local fabric store.
- Embellish the bracelet with rhinestones, buttons, chains, or brooches for a fancier touch.
- For a nicer finish, make the fabric twice as wide as the bracelet, then fold the top and bottom edges into the bracelet for a nicer finish.
- Wrap self-adhesive paper around the bracelet for an easy craft. Cut a strip of patterned sticky paper that's long enough to wrap around the outside of your bracelet. Make sure that it is the same width, then peel the backing off. Wrap the paper around the outside of the bracelet, smoothing out any wrinkles.[12]
- You can also use self-adhesive shelf liner, duct tape, or even washi tape.
- If you want to use scrapbooking paper or wrapping paper, coat the bracelet with tacky glue first, then wrap the paper around it.
- If the paper does not have a waxy finish, seal the bracelet with clear, acrylic sealer. This will make it smoother.
- Paint a bracelet with acrylic craft paint if you want something easy. Paint the bracelet a solid color using acrylic craft paint. Let the paint dry, then paint designs on it using a contrasting color. Stripes, polka dots, or geometric designs work great for this. Let the paint dry completely before wearing the bracelet.[13]
- Seal the bracelet with clear, acrylic sealer for a nicer finish.
- Outline your designs using a permanent marker or paint pen. Black, white, silver, or gold are great choices.
- Glue a thick yarn braid to a bracelet if you want a chunky bangle. Cut about 24 to 30 strands of yarn, then split them into 3 equal sections. Braid the 3 sections together to create a rope that is long enough to wrap around the outside of the bracelet, then cut and tie the ends with yarn. Glue the braid around the bracelet so that the ends touch.[14]
- The braid needs to be thick enough to cover the bracelet. Tug on the edges of the braid so that they touch the edges of the bracelet.
- Hot glue or fabric glue will work the best for this, but you can use tacky glue too.
- Glue a chunky rhinestone or a large button to the middle of the bracelet. You can also glue it over the ends of the braid instead to hide them.
- Coat a bracelet with glue and glitter if you want something sparkly. Paint the bracelet white, or glue a white tissue over it. Paint the bracelet with white school glue, then roll it in glitter. Let the glitter dry, then paint it with clear, acrylic sealer. Let the sealer dry before using the bracelet.[15]
- If the bracelet is not sparkly enough, apply another coat of glue and glitter before you seal it.
- The sealer must have a glossy finish, or the bracelet won't be sparkly anymore.
- Mix chunky and fine glitter together for an interesting texture.
- Paint a bracelet with pearly nail polish if you want a fancy bracelet. Paint your bracelet with nail polish that has a pearly finish. Let the nail polish dry, then add another coat if it looks too thin. Let the polish dry for 1 hour, then glue matching rhinestones to it. You can use the same type of rhinestone on your bracelet, or different shapes and colors.[16]
- Hot glue or super glue will work the best for this.
- Seal the nail polish with clear polish or glitter polish to make it sparkle even more. Do this before you add the rhinestones.
- Finished.
- Test the fit of the bracelet before you decorate it. If it is too big, cut the side, then overlap the ends. Once you get the fit that you like, glue them together.
- If the bracelet is too small, cut the sides, then round the corners.
- Children should be supervised during all steps involving scissors.
- An adult should handle all steps involving craft blades.
- Use low-temp hot glue guns. High-temp hot glue guns can cause painful blisters and burns.
EditThings You'll Need - Empty Pringles can
- Pen
- Scissors or craft blade
- Ribbon
- Fabric glue or hot glue
- Embellishments (buttons, brooches, rhinestones, etc.)
EditSources and Citations
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