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People say these 20 outdated financial myths could be hurting you in today's economy

"'That commodity prices, like gas and eggs, are controlled by the president.' False."

inflation, economy, finance
Photo credit: Canva

Credit is still wildly misunderstood.

The economy has changed a lot since we all took our high school Economics class. And it is certainly miles away from what our parents grew up with. And yet, many still hold on to certain money beliefs that come from these bygone eras. Or frankly, ones that never had a right to exist in the first place.

And honestly, there’s so much conflicting information out there (about all things, really, but we’ll stick to finances for the sake of the conversation) that it’s no wonder that so many people might just stick with what they know, even if certain money truisms aren’t all that true, and even they aren’t actually helping.

Recently, someone flat out asked, “What’s the biggest financial myth people still believe that’s actually hurting them in today’s economy?" Below are some of the most illuminating answers.

Right off the bat, we have some politically fueled myths to debunk:

1. "'That commodity prices, like gas and eggs, are controlled by the president.' False. They're actually priced on a trade market, bought and sold, with production controlled by large corporations."

2. "That immigrants are taking our jobs! Like seriously. If every immigrant, legal or otherwise, disappeared tomorrow, it wouldn't do a single positive thing for me personally, much less the broader economy."

"People are so ignorant about this. The trades would be hurting horribly if this happened,” one person replied.

Next up were long running myths that were also deeply entwined with our collective relationship to hustle culture.

Photo credit: Canva

3. "That hard work will lead to wealth. This simply is not correct for the vast majority of workers (read: anyone not C-level). The truth is that the US is a shareholder economy, not a labor economy. This means that even if someone is getting regular raises, they're likely barely keeping ahead of inflation."

4. "That your employer will be there for you when times are bad. Build and keep a savings. You are a liability to them, not an asset, and will ditch you the moment they can profit from it."

"^This. Always remember this,” someone replied. “You are a cog in the machine and if they can find a cheaper cog, they will. Oh, and HR is not your friend.”

Then there were the strategies many people implement in hopes to save money, which actually end up costing them in the long run, whether that’s with groceries or with housing.

Photo credit: Canva

5. "Dollar stores are generally a worse food value based on size/quantity. Sure, it's $1, but the $2.25 box at the grocery store has 500% more food by weight, therefore, is a much better value. You're paying a little less to get a lot less."

"If anyone didn't know, US grocery stores almost always put a price per unit on the price sticker (i.e., $1.23/lb or $0.0865/oz). You should be looking at these when comparing prices for exactly this reason," one person wrote.

6. "That cheapening out on your laundry doesn't impact your clothes' lifetime. You can vastly improve the life and sustained quality of your clothes by not throwing everything in the wash together. Also, most better quality laundry detergents need less to clean better, so spending a little more on a decent brand will give you better returns. I have also found they wash out better, too."

7. "'Paying rent is like throwing your money away.' The truth is renting is a better financial move than buying in a lot of markets where home prices are too high."

And yet, certain things that could definitely add value…people are afraid of, it seems.

Photo credit: Canva

8. "Not investing back into yourself. Investing doesn't always have to be some major cash return. It could be education, making your life easier so you have more time and energy, or simply relaxing. I know a lot of people who played the frugal game and are just now getting out in their 70s."

To this, someone replied, "I tell people that one of the best investments you can make early on in life is a top-tier mattress and office chair. The amount of money you'll save yourself on future medical bills is one of the best returns on investment you'll make in your life."

9. "'The stock market is just like gambling.' You are never going to accumulate enough money to retire without using the stock market. The market has always gone up in the long term. If it stops going up in the long term, society will be in pretty bad shape, and your money probably wouldn’t be worth anything anyway."

"'Time in the market beats timing the market.' The stock market can be gambling if you're into day trading and trying to achieve short-term gains. But if you're investing long term, then yes, it's a great tool for growing your wealth."

By and large, people seemed to think taxes were an elusive subject to most folks. And probably rightfully so. Along with credit cards, do any of us really ever get a basic education on this unless we actively seek it out?

Photo credit: Canva

10. "Turning down raises because 'it means a giant jump in my taxes.'"

"11. Understanding tax brackets (in the US) in general. Can't tell you how many times I heard mention that their raise/overtime/bonus will just be eaten up by taxes.Fine, I'll take your raise and pay the taxes. No one ever went broke paying taxes."

12. "People do not realize that a tax refund is their money to begin with and that they should have their deductions set up to break even or owe a little. A lot of people still think it's some kind of stimulus."

13. "That tax breaks for the wealthy will allow some of their wealth to 'trickle down' to us poors. Something is trickling down on us, but it's not money."

Speaking of credit cards, that was also a popular topic in the responses.

Photo credit: Canva

14. "Keeping a balance on your credit card DOES NOT improve your credit score. What it does do is get you comfortable having a balance on your credit card, which, when it likely gets out of control, is like napalm pouring down on your future financial hopes and dreams."

15. "Credit cards are great, but under no circumstance should you ever pay a penny of interest on your credit card. You absolutely need to pay off your entire credit card balance at the end of each month. Credit card debt is the last thing you want to have due to the ridiculous interest rates they charge."

16. "Credit cards are bad. If you use them right, you can actually come out ahead. Get a card with good cash-back rewards and use it for everything. I mean everything. If you can pay your rent, bills, and insurance with it, do it. If you can use it for work and they reimburse you, do it. Pay the balance off at the end of every month, and make sure you keep track of your ins and outs. It requires you to be responsible, but it's worth it."

There was also a lot of talk about how our mainstream views on success in general (what it looks like, how to actually achieve it, etc) are inherited myths.

Photo credit: Canva

17. "That you have the smallest of chances of becoming a billionaire. People don't understand the orders of magnitude difference between even a low-level multi-millionaire and a billionaire. At 100 million dollars, you're still 10 times closer to homelessness than you are to becoming a billionaire. Stop trying to get there. Stop voting for people and policies that promise you that opportunity. The only way these people achieve that wealth is through siphoning it away from everyone else."

"My wildly successful uncle came from true poverty and he's worth about $50 million. If you look at what it takes to get even there, it looks BARELY possible at best. He worked his ass off from his early teens, he's incredibly smart, he's incredibly good with money, AND he was lucky, and he's still only 5% of the way to a billion after a lifetime of work,"one person replied.

"18. That you need to spend big to look successful."

19. "That you deserve something you can’t afford because you work hard. Deserves has nothing to do with it."

Lastly, we have the myth of the savings account. More specifically, the myth of how helpful it really is.

20. "Just save money.' No. You need to do more. Most savings are not beating inflation. As a result your money is shrinking by doing that. One of the most insidious ways our money is effectively being stolen is just by having inflation make it worthless by the time you'll go to use it.The easiest thing I am aware of is to put it in an index fund that automatically reinvests. These are automatic funds that follow a set algorithm of stocks (an index) and do not have a human element in the decision making. They regularly outperform professionals. They typically do very well compared to inflation, and require zero maintenance."

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5 ways people are going "all in" this week

From the silliest to the most sentimental, there are so many ways people are going “all in” on the internet this week. Here are our five favorites.

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There's something truly special about watching someone go "all in." This could mean throwing an elaborately themed birthday party for a Chihuahua (see below) or something a little simpler, like surprising someone with a long-anticipated birthday present. Whatever it is, going "all in" means total commitment—no holding back, no second-guessing, just passion and full-throttle enthusiasm. It means being fully present in the moment and creating something truly special as a result.

In this roundup, we’ve scoured the internet for the best examples of people going all in—those moments where passion, creativity, and total commitment take center stage. Some are silly, some are sentimental, but all of them are a reminder that giving 100% is the only way to truly leave a mark on this world. Buckle up—these folks didn’t just show up, they went all in.

1. The guy who learned Mandarin to propose

@yinrun_hello He secretly learned Chinese to Propose 😭😭😭 #fiance #proposal #engagement #love ♬ pluto projector - ☆

Talk about commitment. Getting married is the ultimate example of being "all in," but this guy takes it to a whole other level. Shared to social media by content creator Yinrun Huang, the emotional video captures a marriage proposal that's completely in Mandarin from a non-native speaker. That's right—this guy learned a whole language (and executed it pretty well) to win his girlfriend's hand in marriage. Not only are the words beautiful, his dedication is, too.

2. Kid-approved snacks that help local communities  

It’s scientifically proven that kids are brutally honest, unfiltered, and don’t hold back—which is why our friends at All In couldn’t resist sitting down with this group and getting their honest opinion. Are these snack bars really that good?

The Bite Size Board has spoken—and they’re all in. Not only are these snack bars delicious, they’re also an easy way to help people in need: Every time you buy a bar, 2% goes to a community to help them get fresh food.

Want to try these Board-approved treats? Snag a free box by signing up with your phone number on Aisle. Then grab two boxes of All In bars at Sprouts, snap a picture of your receipt, and text it through Aisle. They’ll Venmo or PayPal you back for the cost of one box. Easy and delicious.

3. This Chihuahua’s extravagant birthday bash

@phoebeparsons__ Tell me you’re a DINK family without telling me #chihuahua #dink #mexican ♬ EVERLASTING LOVE - GROWS

Do you love your dog? Would you throw a birthday party for them? How about a full-out celebration in a Mexican restaurant that includes banners, party hats, and the entire restaurant serenading him? Yeah, we thought not. These pet owners are absolutely "all in" on this dog's birthday, and we love to see it. Not only is this celebration extravagant and clearly well thought-out, people in the comments section are jokingly pointing out that taking a Chihuahua to a Mexican restaurant is a nod to the dog's cultural heritage. If that was intentional, this might be the best dog birthday party we've ever seen.

4. Truly unhinged (and maybe true?) Taylor Swift theories

@grindcitymedia did taylor swift drop super bowl hints? 😲 #swifties #nfl #taylorswift ♬ original sound - grindcitymedia

OK, whether you love Taylor Swift or not, you have to admit that her fans (known as “Swifties”) have an incredible commitment to the fandom (and an eye for detail). Case in point: Last week on her boyfriend’s podcast, Taylor announced the upcoming release of her new album, The Life of a Showgirl. The news was responsible for breaking the internet, and also for spurring a ton of fan theories about the future album and her future performances. In case you didn’t know, Swift is famous for dropping “Easter eggs” that hint at things she’ll be doing in the future, such as when she kept flashing peace signs and dropping the number 2 in her instagram posts in the weeks leading up to her double album “The Tortured Poets Department” in April 2024. This time, Swifties have taken to social media to discuss potential Easter eggs that were hidden throughout her podcast appearance. The latest theory? Her constant references to sourdough bread were actually Easter eggs hinting at a 2027 Super Bowl Halftime performance. Only time will tell if that's accurate, but the enthusiasm, the attention to detail, and the hours of research that must have gone into all these fan theories is truly something to behold.

5. This dirt bike birthday surprise 

@dmndboys_

This is why I look forward to fatherhood 🔥

♬ original sound - dmndboys_

These parents didn't give their kid a birthday present—they gave him the best birthday present of all time. Not only did the setup require a lot of thought and planning, but check out this kid's reaction. You can tell this was something he'd been wanting for a long time. Going "all out" and getting such a great response in return—it's something amazing to see.


Snag your free (!!) snack bars here while this deal lasts.

Science

Couple plants real-life 'money tree' and its first seeds are worth over $6,700

The species is at least 200 million years old.

via Daderot/Wikimedia Commons and C T Johansson/Wikimedia Commons

A Wollemi pine and one of its cones.

As the old adage goes, money doesn’t grow on trees. However, what if you had a tree that was so rare that people would spend good money for its seeds? Then you could honestly say that you have a money tree growing in your yard. Such is the case for a retired couple in England, Pamela and Alistair Thompson, both 75, who in 2010 paid £70 ($98) for a 46cm-tall Wollemi pine sapling that a friend bought on the Shopping Channel. It’s believed that it was the first ever endangered tree species to be protected by making it available to the general public.

What is the Wollemi pine?

The Wollemi pine is valuable because it appears in the fossil record as far back as 200 million years ago and was thought to have gone extinct about 70 to 90 million years back. However, in 1994, a bushwalker in Australia came across a Wollemi pine in a secluded gorge. Biologically, it was a discovery as significant as coming across a living dinosaur in a hidden part of Australia in the ‘90s.

Wollemi is an Australian Aboriginal word that means "watch out—look around you."

wollemi pine, endangered trees, australian trees, seattle, washington, rare trees A Wollemi pine in Seattle, Washington. via Brewbooks/Wikimedia Commons


The tree may have made its way to Eurpoe, but the wild trees are under threat from wildfires and climate change. It’s believed that only about 90 exist in the wild today. In 2006, it made its European debut when Sir David Attenborough planted one at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. “How exciting we should discover this rare survivor from such an ancient past,” Attenborough said.

After 15 years of special care, the Thompson’s tree began to bear fruit for the first time in August 2025. “This year has been so ­unusually dry, it happened earlier,” she said, according to The Times. The couple now plans to package the valuable seeds from the tree and give the money to the National Garden Scheme. The National Garden Scheme is a government program where people open their gardens up to the general public, and the money that is generated is donated to the Queen’s Nursing Institute.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

How much does a Wollemi pine cost?

“I saw a small tree for sale for more than £1,000 ($1352), which shows how rare they are. We’re planning to package the seeds five or six at a time and sell the bundles online for £5 ($6.76). We’ve seen some retailers sell them for much more, but we want to make them accessible for people, as well as raise money for charity. We don’t yet know how many will be healthy and produce trees. Only time will tell.”

"We have around five large cones, which have produced about a hundred or so large seeds each. It would be lovely to see just how many seeds we can produce, but I have been very surprised by the numbers so far this year,” she said, according to Unilad. So, if you do the math, 100 seed packs at $6.76 each would go for $676. Not bad for just collecting seeds.

But they could make a lot more money off the seeds if they chose to do so. It’s believed that one seed can go for as much as £10 ($13.52). If they sold all 500 seeds produced by the five cones, they'd make $6,760.

This tree could net them thousands of dollars a year in perpetuity. “It really does prove that money can grow on trees,” Mr. Thompson said, according to The Times.

wollemi pine, endangered trees wollemi pine cone, australia trees, money tree, dinosaur tree A female Wollemi pine cone.via Adrian198cm/Wikimedia Commons

Preserving the Wollemi pine for the future

In 2023, over 170 young Wollemi pines grown by the Botanic Gardens of Sydney, in Australia, were shipped to be planted in 28 botanic gardens with climates that could support the pines, across the UK and Europe. One Wollemi was sent to Atlanta, Georgia, in the U.S.

“Discovering the lost Wollemi pines in the wild was a truly astounding moment for international tree conservation, and to be a leading partner nearly thirty years later in launching this important new metacollection on UK soil is an exciting moment for Forestry England,” Mike Seddon, Forestry England Chief Executive, said in a press release. “As we care for the Wollemi pines we plant today, we’ll be able to study the way they grow, learning with the other botanic gardens how they flourish outside Australia. The climate crisis means that across all continents, many trees like Wollemi pines are facing urgent threats to their survival. We know that 34 per cent of conifers are now endangered, and our ongoing work to research, propagate, and save tree species is more vital than ever.”

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Joy

John Cena flips the script on a reporter in the most wholesome way while on the red carpet

Talk about making someone feel seen, ❤️

Gage Skidmore/Wikipedia, Photo credit: Canva

For someone whose catchphrase is "You can't see me!" he sure knows how to make others feel seen.

So many of our favorite celebrity moments are when “stars” treat everyday people with the same honor, respect, and admiration the world often bestows upon them. When they break through any preconceived hierarchical structure caused by fame and simply exist with their fellow humans.

In July 2025, Peacemaker star John Cena shared this kind of moment while on the red carpet for the premiere of Amazon Prime’s Heads of State.

john cena, john cena interview, peacemaker, peacemaker season 2, celebrity news, heads of state, amazon prime A snippet from the notorious Peacemaker intro. media4.giphy.com

Tushar Joshi, a journalist who had traveled in from India, asked Cena who he would like to have an interview with, and what he might ask this person. Rather than naming some arbitrary icon, Cena simply makes the interviewer the interviewee. And it ended up being a truly wholesome exchange.

“So if we get to swap places, and I get to ask you a question,” Cena begins, "you flew in when?” He then quips, “That’s not my question.”

Joshi then reveals he flew about ten hours, from Bombay, to Abu Dhabi, to London, where the premiere was being held.

Then Cena says, “You flew all this way to be in the heat, to be behind the camera, and drive a journalistic interview…why do you do what you do?”

To Joshi’s credit, he didn’t miss a beat in delivering a pretty awesome answer, one that Cena couldn't help but smile at.

“Because I absolutely love the movies, it’s in my blood. And I can’t think of anything else than doing this. This moment that I’m sharing with you right now is exactly why I think I was born, and why I’m here. Absolutely love my job.

Grinning ear to ear, Cena replies, "That's one hell of an answer. I dig your passion. And I think that's who I would ask and why I would ask it. Thanks for making me think that way. I appreciate you.”

In Joshi’s caption, he would later share that it was a moment he was totally “unprepared for” but one that really gave him a dose of confidence.

"What came out of my mouth as he was rushed out on the carpet was also an eye opener for me,” he wrote. “So when you have those moments of doubt and you wonder, if what you do is worth it, it helps to get a perspective from someone else. And if that someone else is John Cena, then that moment becomes one the most memorable moments of your life..”

Perhaps this display of kindness should come as no surprise, considering that Cena has made notable positive impact through his charitable work, particularly with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, where he famously set the world record for most wishes granted (650), as well as being an outspoken ally for the LGBTQ+ community and veterans. Then again, it’s one thing to do charitable acts, and another to be able to simply make another human feel seen, which is what viewers really commended him for after watching this video.

“Bro pulled out the uno reverse and the result was UNREAL 👏👏👏”

“It doesn’t matter to me how much money someone has or how famous they are. It’s how they treat people and respect them that matters to me. John Cena is a class act and he has a great heart. This was a beautiful, touching exchange by the both of them. He made the journalist feel seen and that he matters.”

“So nice to see someone who’s ‘made it’ act like a human being. Rare but commendable.”

“John saw the moment, and rose to the moment's occasion, creating a moment between the two that was mutually shared in kindness and uplifting positivity. This, this is what it means to be superhuman. ❤️”

This is the kind of celebrity news that we should be inundated with, don't you think?

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Brit shares the one-word 'dead giveaway' that American actors can't do an English accent

“There is one word that is a dead giveaway that an English character in a movie or a TV show is being played by an American."

via Warner Bros Discovery

Peter Dinklage on "Game of Thrones"?

When it comes to actors doing accents across the pond, some Americans are known for their great British accents, such as Natalie Portman ("The Other Boleyn Girl"), Robert Downey, Jr. ("Sherlock Holmes"), and Meryl Streep ("The Iron Lady"). Some have taken a lot of heat for their cartoonish or just plain weird-sounding British accents, Dick Van Dyke ("Mary Poppins"), Kevin Costner ("Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves") and Keanu Reeves ("Bram Stoker's Dracula").

Some actors, such as Tom Hardy (“The Drop”) and Hugh Laurie (“House”), have American accents so good that people have no idea they are British. Benedict Townsend, a London-based comedian and host of the “Scroll Deep” podcast, says there is one word that American actors playing characters with a British accent never get right. And no, it’s not the word “Schedule,” which British people pronounce the entire first 3 letters, and Americans boil down to 2. And it’s not “aluminum,” which British and American people seem to pronounce every stinking letter differently.


@benedicttown

The one word American actors aways get wrong when doing an English accent

What word do American actors always get wrong when they do British accents?

“There is one word that is a dead giveaway that an English character in a movie or a TV show is being played by an American. One word that always trips them up. And once you notice it, you can't stop noticing it,” Townsend says. “You would see this lot in ‘Game of Thrones’ and the word that would always trip them up was ‘daughter.’”

Townsend adds that when British people say “daughter,” they pronounce it like the word “door” or “door-tah.” Meanwhile, Americans, even when they are putting on a British accent, say it like “dah-ter.”

“So top tip if you are an actor trying to do an English accent, daughter like a door. Like you're opening a door,” Townsend says.


What word do British actors always get wrong when doing American accents?

Some American commenters returned the favor by sharing the word that British actors never get right when using American accents: “Anything.”

"I can always tell a Brit playing an American by the word anything. An American would say en-ee-thing. Brits say it ena-thing,” Dreaming_of_Gaea wrote. "The dead giveaway for English people playing Americans: ‘Anything.’ Brits always say ‘EH-nuh-thin,’” marliemagill added. "I can always tell an actor is English playing an American when they say ‘anything.’ English people always say it like ‘enny-thin,’” mkmason wrote.


What is the cot-caught merger?

One commenter noted that the problem goes back to the cot-caught merger, when Americans in the western US and Canadians began to merge different sounds into one. People on the East Coast and in Britain pronounce them as different sounds.

“Depending on where you live, you might be thinking one of two things right now: Of course, ‘cot’ and ‘caught’ sound exactly the same! or "There’s no way that ‘cot’ and ‘caught’ sound the same!” Laura McGrath writes at DoYouReadMe. “As a result, although the different spellings remain, the vowel sounds in the words cot/caught, nod/gnawed, stock/stalk are identical for some English speakers and not for others.” For example, a person from New Jersey would pronounce cot and catch it as "caht" and "cawt," while someone from Los Angeles may pronounce them as "caht" and "caht."

To get a better idea of the big difference in how "caught" and "cot" are pronounced in the U.S., you can take a look at the educational video below, produced for a college course on linguistics.


- YouTube youtu.be

American actors owe Townsend a debt of gratitude for pointing out the one thing that even the best can’t seem to get right. For some actors, it could mean the difference between a great performance and one that has people scratching their heads. He should also give the commenters a tip of the cap for sharing the big word that British people have trouble with when doing an American accent. Now, if we could just get through to Ewan McGregor and tell him that even though he is fantastic in so many films, his American accent still needs a lot of work.

This article originally appeared last year.

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Animals & Wildlife

I was orphaned in the Rwandan genocide. I found unexpected healing in squirrel photography.

"I see parts of myself in them."

Photos by Niki Colemont (used with permission)

Niki Colemont captures squirrels in their most delightful moments.

Niki Colemont was just four years old when his home country of Rwanda erupted into violence in 1990. To escape the civil war, which would eventually lead to the brutal genocide of more than 800,000 Rwandans in 100 days, Colemont and his older sister were sent away to Belgium. They would never make it back home.

Colemont grew up in an adoptive family in Belgium, learned English by watching TV shows and movies, and found an unexpected source of healing from his childhood trauma as an adult: photographing red squirrels. He is now an international award-winning nature photographer who travels the world capturing wildlife, and he shared some of his journey of loss and healing in an interview with Upworthy.

Q: How were you and your family impacted by the genocide in Rwanda?

A: I left Rwanda at a very early age, so I don’t have many direct memories of what actually happened. I only began to truly understand the genocide after watching the movie Hotel Rwanda. It had a deep impact on my family. My father was killed during the war, and my mother passed away shortly after giving birth to me.

Growing up without our parents gave me a constant feeling of loneliness and a sense of not really knowing where I belonged in the world. It also had a profound effect on my sister, who left Rwanda at the age of nine. She carried many questions about what happened and often wondered about our past. One of her biggest dreams was to return to Rwanda to find her birthplace.

For me, much of my early life was about trying to find my way in a new country while carrying the weight of a history I was still learning to understand.

- YouTube www.youtube.com


Q: You were close to your sister, who died in 2019. (I'm so sorry.) Can you share a bit about her and the impact she had on your life?

A: She was a familiar face in a not-so-familiar country, and it was a privilege to have her in my life. What I loved most was her personality. She was always happy, always smiling, and she carried so much knowledge about our past and our family. She often knew the things I never thought to ask, and now that she’s gone, so much of that information feels lost with her.

Her passing left me with a sense that part of my past disappeared too. There are so many questions I wish I could ask her, things I’ll never get answers to. Even recently, when I discovered that I have a brother—something my adoptive parents had kept a secret. I immediately thought of how much I would have wanted to share that moment with her. She had such an impact on me, and her absence is something I still feel deeply every day.

Q: How has your photography work helped you process that loss?

My photography has helped me process loss in ways I didn’t expect. A big part of it has been the reactions I receive from my community, especially on Instagram. People connect with the images sometimes in really touching ways. I’ll get comments like, ''This is the best thing I’ve seen on the internet today,' or a parent will share that their child loved a particular photo, like the one of the squirrel with the dinosaur. Those responses mean the world to me. They give me the energy to keep creating, even on difficult days.

I never started out expecting anything to come from my photography; I just followed ideas as they came to me. But realizing that my work can bring joy and inspiration to others has been deeply healing. Combined with the support I’ve received from my girlfriend’s family, it’s given me a sense of belonging and purpose. Photography has helped me not only process grief, but also discover where I fit in the world.

niki colemont, photography, squirrels, wildlife, nature, animals Hey, whatcha got there, pal? Photo by Niki Colemont (used with permission)

Q: Have you ever gone back to Rwanda? If not, do you have a desire to?

A: I haven’t gone back to Rwanda yet. For a long time, I told myself I wouldn’t return—I felt almost guilty for having the privilege of a good life elsewhere, with reliable healthcare and a steady job, while so many others back home didn’t have the same.

But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve seen how much Rwanda has changed—stronger schools, fewer financial struggles, and a real sense of growth. Now that I’ve found my passion in wildlife photography, I’ve been thinking a lot about visiting the Virunga Mountains to capture its incredible wildlife.

Returning also carries a deeper meaning for me. My sister always dreamed of going back to reconnect with her roots. She was saving to make that trip before she passed away. I feel like going back to Rwanda, to the place where I was born, would be a way to honor her dream as well as discover more of my own.

niki colemont, photography, squirrels, wildlife, nature, animals, Squinderella? Cindsquirrella? Photo by Niki Colemont (used with permission)

Q. You say photographing squirrels has helped you heal from trauma. What is it that makes squirrels so special?

A: Squirrels have such unique personalities. They’re chaotic, persistent, and endlessly curious. They can also be surprisingly clumsy, like when they misjudge a jump or forget where they buried their stash of nuts… which is how we end up with unexpected walnut trees!

They have incredible skills that set them apart from other animals. For example, they can rotate their ankles 180 degrees, which allows them to hang upside down or escape danger quickly. They’re also surprisingly human-like in some ways; they can push and carry things, they’re highly intelligent, and I’ve even seen them wipe their mouths on branches and groom their tails. They’re actually very clean animals.

I think what makes them so special to me is that I see parts of myself in them. I’m also a bit clumsy, forgetful, and chaotic so when I watch squirrels, I feel a sense of connection. Photographing them has been both healing and joyful because it’s like capturing little reflections of my own personality in nature.

niki colemont, photography, squirrels, wildlife, nature, animals A squirrel reflects.Photo by Niki Colemont (used with permission)

Q: How did you discover that you enjoyed photography?

A: I first discovered my love for photography in a very simple way with an iPhone 4. I started taking black-and-white landscape shots, just experimenting without any specific subject or real knowledge of what I was doing. Still, I felt a strong pull to keep going, because every picture, good or bad, seemed to leave a footprint and tell its own story.

In 2010, I began a relationship with my girlfriend, and that’s when I met my father-in-law. He owned a Nikon D3100 DSLR, and I was instantly intrigued by this big, professional-looking camera. I borrowed it for a year and dove into experimenting. I learned everything by making mistakes, and it took me quite a while to figure out how to shoot manually.

During that time, I saved up for my own camera. By 2015, I felt ready and bought my first DSLR, a Nikon D5200. With it, I’ve been fortunate to win a few photography awards.

Looking back, I realize it was my father-in-law who gave me that initial spark to start this journey. That spark grew into a passion that continues to inspire me every time I pick up my camera.

Q: What is one of your wildest photography experiences?

A: One of my wildest photography experiences has to be winning the National Geographic Public Choice Award in 2022 and the fact that it was for one of my squirrel photographs made it even more special. I had been a finalist back in 2019, but actually winning was on a whole different level.

It was the biggest boost I’ve ever had in my photography journey, not just because of the recognition, but because it touched something deeply personal. For a long time, I believed my work wasn’t good enough to achieve anything significant. That feeling was tied to my background. I was adopted and have always been incredibly grateful to my adoptive parents for giving me a second chance in life. But I also felt like I owed them something, that I had to support them no matter what, and that nothing I did was ever enough.

As a child, when I made mistakes or had disagreements, I was warned that I could be sent back to Rwanda. That fear stayed with me, and it made me scared to fail. I lost a lot of self-confidence because of it.

So when I won that award, it wasn’t just a trophy, it was proof to myself that I could achieve something on my own terms. It gave me the confidence I had been missing, and it made me believe in my work in a way I never had before.

Q: What do you hope people take away when they see your work?

When people see my work, I hope they feel the same happiness I felt while creating it even if it’s just for a split second. I want my photographs to give them a moment where they can forget the bad things in life and simply enjoy the beauty in front of them.

For me, it’s not just about taking pictures; it’s about spreading joy and, in my own way, raising 'squirrel awareness.' Squirrels are incredibly intelligent and full of personality, and I love showing the world just how special they really are.

niki colemont, photography, squirrels, wildlife, nature, animals Squirrels ride dinosaurs? Who knew?Photo by Niki Colemont (used with permission)

Q: What are your dreams and wishes for the future?

I’m a pretty simple guy and tend to take life as it comes. But if I had one wish, it would be to spread even more squirrel awareness all around the world. I’m not someone who enjoys being in the spotlight but for my squirrels, I’m happy to make an exception, because they truly deserve all the glamour. :p

My dream is to keep sharing my story and my photographs on a global scale, reaching more people who can appreciate these amazing little animals. And honestly, I’d be grateful if people could find their way to my Instagram, because that’s my favorite place to spread joy and connect with others through my work.

You can follow Niki Colemont on Instagram to see more of his delightful photography.

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People are freezing their old and secondhand books for this disgusting reason

"Book worms are real??!!"

Image via Canva/Jupiterimages

People who buy thrifted, secondhand and old books are shocked they need to freeze their books after buying.

Finding a treasured book at a thrift or secondhand store is a treat, and the look and feel of holding an old book is something special. Plus, they're often a good deal.

Many people who frequently buy used books are just finding out that they should be freezing their purchases. Sound weird? A little, but book lovers have a few solid, good reason for the quirky hack are spreading awareness about why they always put their secondhand books in the freezer before reading.

The main reason: it will get rid of any creepy-crawlies that may be lingering in the books. In an interview with Country Living, Lindsey Chastain, home expert and founder of The Waddle and Cluck, explained: "Freezing can get rid of booklice, silverfish, and bedbugs."

Surprisingly, bed bugs love to hide in books. According to library resource Mobius Consortium, bed bugs are usually found in the bindings of books near the spine, and often leave marks on pages. The organization notes that bed bugs may be more commonly found in hard cover books, but can also be found in paperbacks.

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Booklice also thrive in books, hence their namesake. They feed on mold and fungi and eat through paper products, thereby destroying books, according to Penn State University. Like booklice, silver fish also feed on book bindings.

Besides getting rid of bugs, freezing used books can also help with preservation. According to the Northeast Document Conservation Center, freezing books can also help prevent mold growth and maintain an old book's shape and condition.

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To properly freeze books, you should not simply place them in the freezer. "Put the books in a sealed plastic bag to keep condensation from warping the pages after you take them out," Chastain told Country Living.

Used books should remain in the freezer for at least 48 hours to eradicate anything that may be lingering inside. According to Dartmouth University, the cold temperatures and oxygen deprivation will slowly but surely kill the pests.

@mychala.reads

i learned why you should freeze your thrifted books and have never been the same since 😅 #thriftedbooks #bookthrifting #secondhandbooks #booktok #bookishtips

The pro-tip had book lovers shocked. "How did I not know this was a thing?" one commented on a video shared by book lover Diya on Instagram. Another added, "Oh, this is... sincerely helpful 👏 Thank you!" Another reader wrote, "My family thinks I am crazy that I do this! Glad I am not the only one!"

And some shared their horror stories about finding critters in their books: "I always set my books on my night stand right? one day noticed TINY little crawlies all over it... book lice. MORTIFIED. had to put the night stand out in the snow for a few days. haven't seen em since.. (I am a clean person I promise)," one reader commented on a TikTok video. Another shared, "Uhh we got book lice once and never again. We freeze everything."

Others found humor in the new revelation. "Cracking open a cold one has a whole new meaning 🤯," one commented on reader Iraiter's Instagram video. Another quipped, "Cause reading is cool."

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