Like many of us, Jess Mell, 34, an insurance adjuster in England, had a hard time during the pandemic. During the first two years of lockdowns, she suffered from anxiety and depression, so on December 27, 2021, she decided to fight back by getting out of her comfort zone.
To overcome her mental health problems, she challenged herself to try something new, every day, for 100 days. The challenge was so effective at improving her mental health that she extended the challenge to a whole year.
“The first 100 I did one new thing every day—for the rest of the year I decided I’d do 365 new things in 365 days,” she said, according to The Metro. “I could do ten things in one day if I was free.”
One of the most interesting things about the challenge was the wide variety of new things that Mell attempted. She tried new artistic endeavors such as taking a life drawing class, origami and attempting to play the ukulele.
She gave up on the ukulele, but at least she tried.
She also expanded her life skills by learning to pick a lock, using chopsticks and changing a car wheel. Mell also took a walk on the wild side by drinking moonshine, taking a shot out of a belly button and dying her hair pink.
According to the New York Post, by the end of 2022, she had only accomplished 364 new tasks. She found the perfect number 365 by turning her year of new experiences into her first Instagram reel.
Mell has gotten tremendous benefits from expanding her horizons and she looks to continue the challenge in 2023 as well. “I’m going to keep [trying new things] in that it’s now just part of what I do,” Mell said according to the New York Post. “I’ve always tried to find new things to do, so that will go on. Whether I track it the same way I’m not sure.”
Anxiety and depression are serious health conditions that require professional help, so Mell’s experiences shouldn’t be seen as a cure-all for complex conditions. However, there is some scientific backing to her turnaround.
In Psychology Today, Dr. Jutta Joormann explains that “experiential diversity” (having new experiences) “can improve overall well-being” and leads to an increase in “positive affect.” Dr. Joorman adds that when we experience new things it can lead to a positive “upward cycle” that can “promote subsequent development of more positive emotions.”
That’s probably why once Mell started her challenge, she couldn’t stop.
Mell’s story is a wonderful reminder to all of us of the benefits of getting out there and trying something new. Hopefully, her story encourages people to break free from their routines and have some new experiences. As science shows, it’s bound to improve your outlook on life.
“What has been so nice about the whole experience has been that whenever I’ve thought ‘I could try that,’ rather than putting it off, I just ask myself ‘why don’t I?’ I really hope I keep that up,” she said, according to The Metro.
Here’s s partial list of some of the new things that Mell tried. Any sound interesting to you?
Tried origami
Went to hot yoga
Dyed my hair pink
Learned how to do various types of knots
Went to a life drawing class
Completed a paint by numbers
Learned to pick a lock
Ate using chopsticks
Attended a first aid course
Changed a car wheel (or helped to!)
Drank a shot out of a belly button
Made fudge
Played golf
Made a pizza from scratch
Went to Belfast/Northern Ireland for the first time
In a small village in Pwani, a district on Tanzania’s coast, a massive dance party is coming to a close. For the past two hours, locals have paraded through the village streets, singing and beating ngombe drums; now, in a large clearing, a woman named Sheilla motions for everyone to sit facing a large projector screen. A film premiere is about to begin.
It’s an unusual way to kick off a film about gender bias, inequality, early marriage, and other barriers that prevent girls from accessing education in Tanzania. But in Pwani and beyond, local organizations supported by Malala Fund and funded by Pura are finding creative, culturally relevant ways like this one to capture people’s interest.
The film ends and Sheilla, the Communications and Partnership Lead for Media for Development and Advocacy (MEDEA), stands in front of the crowd once again, asking the audience to reflect: What did you think about the film? How did it relate to your own experience? What can we learn?
Sheilla explains that, once the community sees the film, “It brings out conversations within themselves, reflective conversations.” The resonance and immediate action create a ripple effect of change.
MEDEA Screening Audience in Tanzania. Captured by James Roh for Pura
Across Tanzania, gender-based violence often forces adolescent girls out of the classroom. This and other barriers — including child marriage, poverty, conflict, and discrimination — prevent girls from completing their education around the world.
Sheilla and her team are using film and radio programs to address the challenges girls face in their communities. MEDEA’s ultimate goal is to affirm education as a fundamental right for everyone, and to ensure that every member of a community understands how girls’ education contributes to a stronger whole and how to be an ally for their sisters, daughters, granddaughters, friends, nieces, and girlfriends.
Sheilla’s story is one of many that inspired Heart on Fire, a new fragrance from the Pura x Malala Fund Collection that blends the warm, earthy spices of Tanzania with a playful, joyful twist. Here’s how Pura is using scent as a tool to connect the world and inspire action.
A partnership focused on local impact, on a global mission
Pura, a fragrance company that recognizes education as both freedom and a human right, has partnered with Malala Fund since 2022. In order to defend every girl’s right to access and complete 12 years of education, Malala Fund partners with local organizations in countries where the educational barriers are the greatest. They invest in locally-led solutions because they know that those who are closest to the problems are best equipped to solve and build durable solutions, like MEDEA, which works with communities to challenge discrimination against girls and change beliefs about their education.
But local initiatives can thrive and scale more powerfully with global support, which is why Pura is using their own superpower, the power of scent, to connect people around the world with the women and girls in these local communities.
The Pura x Malala Fund Collection incorporates ingredients naturally found in Tanzania, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Brazil: countries where Malala Fund operates to address systemic education barriers. Eight percent of net revenue from the Pura x Malala Fund Collection will be donated to Malala Fund directly, but beyond financial support, the Collection is also a love letter to each unique community, blending notes like lemon, jasmine, cedarwood, and clove to transport people, ignite their senses, and help them draw inspiration and hope from the global movement for girls’ education. Through scent, people can connect to the courage, joy, and tenacity of girls and local leaders, all while uniting in a shared commitment to education: the belief that supporting girls’ rights in one community benefits all of us, everywhere.
You’ve already met Sheilla. Now see how Naiara and Mama Habiba are building unique solutions to ensure every girl can learn freely and dare to dream.
Naiara Leite is reimagining what’s possible in Brazil
Julia with Odara in Brazil. Captured by Luisa Dorr for Pura
In Brazil, where pear trees and coconut plantations cover the Northeastern Coast, girls like ten-year-old Julia experience a different kind of educational barrier than girls in Tanzania. Too often, racial discrimination contributes to high dropout rates among Black, quilombola and Indigenous girls in the country.
“In the logic of Brazilian society, Black people don’t need to study,” says Naiara Leite, Executive Coordinator of Odara, a women-led organization and Malala Fund partner. Bahia, the state where Odara is based, was once one of the largest slave-receiving territories in the Americas, and because of that history, deeply-ingrained, anti-Black prejudice is still widespread. “Our role and the image constructed around us is one of manual labor,” Naiara says.
But education can change that. In 2020, with assistance from a Malala Fund grant, Odara launched its first initiative for improving school completion rates among Black, quilombola, and Indigenous girls: “Ayomidê Odara”. The young girls mentored under the program, including Julia, are known as the Ayomidês. And like the Pura x Malala Fund Collection’s Brazil: Breath of Courage scent, the Ayomidês are fierce, determined, and bursting with energy.
Ayomidês with Odara in Brazil. Captured by Luisa Dorr for Pura
Ayomidês take part in weekly educational sessions where they explore subjects like education and ethnic-racial relations. The girls are encouraged to find their own voices by producing Instagram lives, social media videos, and by participating in public panels. Already, the Ayomidês are rewriting the narrative on what’s possible for Afro-Brazilian girls to achieve. One of the earliest Ayomidês, a young woman named Debora, is now a communications intern. Another former Ayomidê, Francine, works at UNICEF, helping train the next generation of adolescent leaders. And Julia has already set her sights on becoming a math teacher or a model.
“These are generations of Black women who did not have access to a school,” Naiara says. “These are generations of Black women robbed daily of their dreams. And we’re telling them that they could be the generation in their family to write a new story.”
Mama Habiba is reframing the conversation in Nigeria
Centre for Girls' Education, Nigeria. Captured by James Roh for Pura
In Mama Habiba’s home country of Nigeria, the scents of starfruit, ylang ylang and pineapple, all incorporated into the Pura x Malala Collection’s “Nigeria: Hope for Tomorrow,” can be found throughout the vibrant markets. Like these native scents, Mama Habiba says that the Nigerian girls are also bright and passionate, but too often they are forced to leave school long before their potential fully blooms.
“Some of these schools are very far, and there is an issue of quality, too,” Mama Habiba says. “Most parents find out when their children are in school, the girls are not learning. So why allow them to continue?”
When girls drop out of secondary school, marriage is often the alternative. In Nigeria, one in three girls is married before the age of 18. When this happens, girls are unable to fulfill their potential, and their families and communities lose out on the social, health and economic benefits.
Completing secondary school delays marriage, and according to UNESCO, educated girls become women who raise healthier children, lift their families out of poverty and contribute to more peaceful, resilient communities.
Centre for Girls’ Education, Nigeria. Captured by James Roh for Pura
To encourage young girls to stay in school, the Centre for Girls’ Education, a nonprofit in Nigeria founded by Mama Habiba and supported by Malala Fund and Pura, has pioneered an initiative that’s similar to the Ayomidê workshops in Brazil: safe spaces. Here, girls meet regularly to learn literacy, numeracy, and other issues like reproductive health. These safe spaces also provide an opportunity for the girls to role-play and learn to advocate for themselves, develop their self-image, and practice conversations with others about their values, education being one of them. In safe spaces, Mama Habiba says, girls start to understand “who she is, and that she is a girl who has value. She has the right to negotiate with her parents on what she really feels or wants.”
“When girls are educated, they can unlock so many opportunities,” Mama Habiba says. “It will help the economy of the country. It will boost so many opportunities for the country. If they are given the opportunity, I think the sky is not the limit. It is the starting point for every girl.”
From parades, film screenings to safe spaces and educational programs, girls and local leaders are working hard to strengthen the quality, safety and accessibility of education and overcome systemic challenges. They are encouraging courageous behavior and reminding us all that education is freedom.
Experience the Pura x Malala Fund Collection here, and connect with the stories of real girls leading change across the globe.
It’s 2:00 a.m., and you simply can’t get your mind to shut down. You’ve tried counting sheep, but they just keep crash-landing into meadows, making the insomnia even worse. Maybe you’ve tried every trick in the book, from over-the-counter sleep aids to lavender-scented pillows. Well, there’s one more trick to try, and some people swear by it.
It’s called the “Infinity Tracing Technique,” and it’s actually quite simple. Simply put your finger in the air and imagine tracing the infinity symbol (the number eight sideways) for a couple of minutes. This easy technique can instantly help calm an overactive mind.
Dr. Joe Whittington explains the idea in layman’s terms in a TikTok video. “You ever lay in bed at night overthinking all the embarrassing things you’ve done since childhood?” he asks. “Same. So I’m gonna teach you a technique that might help you calm your overactive brain.”
He breaks down exactly how to do it:
“What you do is you take your finger, put it in the air, and you trace the infinity symbol slowly and methodically. Not like you’re casting spells. And as you’re tracing this infinity symbol, you’re gonna just follow it with your eyes. Only your eyes. What this does is it activates your vestibular center, which is involved with your balance and eye movements. When your vestibular system gets activated, it can help calm racing thoughts. Sort of like distracting a toddler with a shiny object, except for the toddler is your overactive brain.”
It’s helpful to the brain in other ways, too. “It’s a technique often used in therapy and neuroscience to help you stop doomscrolling your regrets,” he adds.
Whittington is likely referring to a therapy technique called EMDR, which uses similar methods involving eye movement. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and it’s used to help people process complex trauma.
“During EMDR therapy, the client attends to emotionally disturbing material in brief sequential doses while simultaneously focusing on an external stimulus. Therapist-directed lateral eye movements are the most commonly used external stimulus, but a variety of other stimuli, including hand-tapping and audio stimulation, are often used.”
Similarly, the Infinity Tracing Technique pairs eye movements with specific brain activity to help calm the mind and redirect focus. This technique has recently become popular due to therapists and influencers sharing it online.
Sarah Jackson offers additional insight in her Instagram Reel, where she demonstrates the process using a capped blue marker to “write” in the air. She explains that “Figure-8 tracking,” as she calls it, activates not only the vestibular system but also the ocular system.
“Eye muscles connect directly to the brainstem — the part of the brain that governs survival functions,” she writes. “Tracking a moving object sends rhythmic signals, saying: I’m balanced, I’m oriented, I’m safe.”
“The vestibular system regulates balance and spatial orientation. Its connection to the brainstem helps calm the nervous system. Smooth, predictable movement supports groundedness, signaling safety. Cross-lateral movement integrates both hemispheres, aiding emotional processing and shifting focus from internal preoccupation to external grounding.”
Many followers of both social media accounts say they’ve benefited from the technique. One TikToker jokes, “So I don’t need to try to remember my junior high school locker combo?”
On the Instagram Reel, one commenter notes that the technique works: “This is great and so effective! I’m always looking for quick wins like this on those days where you can’t tell where the time goes.”
Christosphere didn’t start off living up to his name. In fact, 200 days ago, he was 800 grams heavier, and much more angular. Attempting to bring a little bit of attention to his newly secured, yet fairly tucked away new brick-and-mortar, Gail recorded himself kicking Christosphere every day to see if that would make him perfectly round.
To say that Christopshere has been on a journey would be an understatement. He’s been kicked a whopping 210 collective miles across nine states, and was even thrown into the Detroit Lake on day 96. Gail apparently had a connection with the Detroit Lake Dam, which uses a special filter to collect rocks, so Christopshere was eventually recovered.
By day 200, nearly anyone would say that Christopshere, now with no edges to speak of, is indeed a sphere simply by looking at him. But to really put it to the test, Gail gathered 15 of Oregon’s “finest sphere experts” to discuss, Socratic-seminar style, as to whether or not that was an accurate assessment. Though two videos of the discussions have been posted so far, Christosphere’s fate remains hanging in the balance.
Regardless, Christopshere has proven to be a worthy mascot for Shirtzenpantz, due to his Internet fame. According to local news outlet Willamette Week, tourists come specifically seeking him out, and poems about him are offered for a discount. Business has been so good, thanks in part to Christopshere, that Gail and his twin brother were able to open up another location with a different gimmick: the “world’s largest” pair of pants.
Gail is now uniquely tasked with employing another person to kick an angular, volleyball-sized new “twin” to Christosphere in an attempt to get it to spherical proportions as well.
But beyond being a thoroughly weird and entertaining science experiment, (and an extremely clever marketing tactic), Christopshere is providing a bit of inspiration, especially back in May 2025 when Gail’s grandmother (and Shirtzenpantz regular), Juanita likened Christopshere’s journey to something incredibly human.
“This rock is in transition, just like many of you might be. Or like me, I’m transitioning to being old,” she said in the clip, holding Christopshere in her hands. “But here’s the thing: Before you become something different, you have a time when you are confused and maybe you don’t know what day it is or what you want to do when you graduate from college and everyone is on your case.
“Take that time when you’re being kicked around and decide that is part of the process,” she wisely concludes.
That’s right. Come for the rock kicking, stay for the heartwarming elderly wisdom. You’ll be in good company.
“Never knew when i started following the rock-kicking page that i’d be in my room sobbing at 1am some random wednesday night listening to grammy doling out actual wisdom about life ”
“I needed that. I can be a Katiesphere.”
“All right so here’s my journey. I watched whatever video was day five of you kicking this rock around. That was fed to me by the algorithm. I was like all right what else does he got? So I went to your most recent which is this video that I’m commenting on. You just took me on one hell of a journey sir. I did not expect to get schooled. Give that old lady a hug for me.”
“What began as a stupid rock being kicked has become something I did not anticipate. I was not ready for such a deep and profound moment.”
You honestly never know what delightful, lucky, and insightful surprises are in store simply by following your whimsy. Perfect circle or not, Christopshere is offering a perfect lesson.
Tig Notaro truly contains multitudes. She has the ability to keep people howling by charmingly re-framing the world in an absurd, yet hilariously joyous way. And this same brilliant mind that brings uproarious laughter, also delivers vulnerable depth in equal measure.
After the death of her close friend, poet Andrea Gibson, Notaro appeared on CNN’s All There Is with Anderson Cooper podcast to discuss grief. (Gibson, who used they/them pronouns, and their wife Megan Falley documented their love and mortality in the gut-wrenching—and also beautifully funny—documentary Come See Me in the Good Light, directed by Ryan White.)
Cooper, who has also often been open about his struggle to make sense of death and pain, was ready to jump right in.
Their conversation was heartbreaking, beautiful, and even hilarious.
Notaro is asked about her friendship with Gibson, who passed in 2025, and what it was like to be there in the moment. “I don’t even know how to explain what I was just a part of and what I just witnessed. It really, really resonated on a deep level. The humanity was on overdrive.”
After Cooper shares that witnessing the death of someone so close is incredibly moving, Notaro adds, “It’s really making me re-think a lot of things in my life. I think I want a new normal. I’m not holding onto anything that’s not real. I don’t know if it’s right to say make friends with that idea of dying, but it really should be more in conversation. I don’t want my death to sneak up on my kids. Although I’ve had a lot of health issues, so I don’t know if it’s gonna sneak up on anyone! But I really have such a new…” Notaro pauses for a moment for some clarity. “Not that I’m gonna abandon comedy and become a death doula.”
They seemingly half-jokingly discuss the idea of becoming duel death doulas, with Notaro suggesting they have business cards made up. “Anderson and Tig’s death doula. Sir. Let’s do this! I think people would freak out if we were who showed up in the final moments of their life.”
Returning to the initial conversation, Notaro shares “But this experience with Andrea really made me understand the importance of really talking about death. Rather than live my life fearing death and trying to kick it away at every possible move I’m making. Cuz it’s coming.”
In an exclusive with Upworthy, Notaro was willing to leave no stone unturned. (I’ve known her since our 20s, and she has always been quick to make a room explode with laughter, while always game to go deep at anytime.)
Upworthy: I know you’ve experienced so much grief, and I’d imagine fear, caused by your own health issues over the years. What do you think it was about Andrea passing, in particular, that made you feel like you were really ready to talk about it?
Notaro: “Yeah, I’ve had a lot of practice with grief: losing love, loved ones, body parts, and health in general. It’s humbling. With Andrea, I think it wasn’t just the loss, it was the clarity. Andrea had already been speaking so openly about mortality and love, that when they died, it felt like the conversation didn’t stop, it just shifted. When I was personally diagnosed with cancer in 2012, I didn’t process it in a poetic way like Andrea did. I was more like: ‘Okay, this is happening. Also, I have a show tonight.’ I think that’s how I survived things before: I kept moving until my body or heart said: ‘Nope. Sit down.’ Andrea’s death made me sit down. It made me realize I wasn’t trying to be brave, I was just ready to be honest with myself and make changes that would make things feel more congruent in my life.”
Upworthy: If you did become a death doula (and I’d like to hire you if so), what are some of the important things you’d discuss with a person who was dying? What would you say to their families/loved ones to help ease the pain?
Notaro: “To the person dying, I’d probably say very little. I’d listen. And when I did talk, it would be more about comfort: do you need a blanket? We’re all here. You are so loved—which was basically what we were all telling Andrea in those final days. To families and loved ones, I’d say: ‘There’s no correct way to be present, you don’t have to say the perfect thing, you showed up and that counts more than anything you could possibly say—it’s massive.’”
Upworthy: I had a friend who died a few years ago and I swear I felt him in my room just a few days later. I know not everyone believes in such things, and maybe it’s our brain trying to make sense of stuff, but have you experienced anything like that?
Notaro: “I’m sorry for the loss of your friend. I think it’s so nice to know you feel/felt them in whatever capacity. I don’t walk around having clear, cinematic experiences of people visiting me from the other side, but I wish I did. But I have had moments where someone felt very near, whatever that means. And whether that’s spiritual or neurological or emotional or all of it mashed together, I’m just going with it. If something brings comfort and doesn’t hurt anyone, I’m not interested in debunking it. I’m tired. Let people feel things.”
Upworthy: Is there anything else you’d like to share about your friendship with Andrea?
Notaro: “Well, Andrea was one of those people who made you feel more honest just by being around them. They were really, deeply funny and deeply gentle in a way that wasn’t fragile. I miss their literal voice. And their words. They didn’t waste any of them. The very last thing Andrea said to me at their bedside was: ‘Tig, I loved being your friend.’ So simple but so beautiful. I will also always really, really miss the way Andrea’s smile lifted the lines on their cheeks. It was one of my favorite things to see, but it also usually meant Andrea was laughing, which was always a joy to hear—that deep, deep belly laughter will forever be missed.”
Living in close proximity to others, such as sharing walls, floors, and ceilings in an apartment building, means occasionally having to communicate when one person’s noise affects another. That might look like a simple, “Hey, would you mind turning your music down?” or letting a neighbor know that stomping feet or loud voices carry farther than they might think.
It’s always a bit awkward to say something to a neighbor you don’t know well, which is why some people simply leave a note. But a note an apartment dweller left for their upstairs neighbor about the sounds coming from their unit took an unexpectedly charming turn.
The note reads: “Dear ____ in 201. I have to inform you of your cat. He or she runs around a lot. I can hear the pitter-patter of their feets on my ceiling. It’s very cute and brings me a lot of joy when I hear it. Tell them to keep it up. [Signed] ___ (downstairs neighbor).”
Some people seemed to misinterpret the note as a sarcastic complaint rather than the sweet letter it was. (Referring to paws as “feets” should have been a clue to the tone, but it’s not always easy to read intent in a note that plays on a common trope.) But most people in the comments got the intended message:
“Not gonna lie, you got me in the first half but I’m obsessed, I would’ve LOVED this when I lived in an apartment!”
“I was getting ready to tell you to get over yourself, but instead I’m here to tell you that you’re awesome. Thanks for the smile.”
“I tell my neighbor this all of the time! I think she might think I’m being passive aggressive bc I ask about her cat when I see her but genuinely, I can’t have a cat bc I travel too much and I am delighted when I hear hers jetting around and getting into stuff “
“I had three Irish tap-dancing dogs (or dogs who thought they could riverdance ) living right above my head for a year. So. Loud. . They chased each other back and forth all hours of the day. I never fussed about it though. I got so used to it, I was actually able to tone it out and it was like ambient sound to me .”
“I used to hear my neighbors cats get the zoomies and it was so cute. You could only hear it if the apartment was completely quiet but it literally was the best kind of neighbor noise.”
“As a cat owner, I’d smile if I got this note. Also I can tell it’s not sarcastic because you said ‘feets’ — a clear and friendly sign of a genuine cat lover.”
“I always feel bad when my dog plays sometimes.. she likes to stomp around with her toys. I asked my downstairs neighbor if he could hear her, and he said yes, but dogs can do no wrong. He always gives her a little treat when he sees her.”
“During covid lockdown and during stormy weather, my neighbor would use our floor’s long hallway to run their corgi up and down for exercise. I absolutely loved to hear her exuberant pitter patters. She’d only make 3 round trips before tapping out.”
“I was in a second floor flat and after over a year finally met the neighbor who lived under me (identical floor plan). She and I both had dogs, but she didn’t know I had one. She asked if we had kids because she could hear some running around in the hallway. I told her it was when we played with the dog and she was genuinely so happy to hear that, she hadn’t minded when she assumed it was kids and said she liked hearing it and knowing there were people (or a dog) playing. It was really heartwarming.”
Meeting neighbors is the first step in building community where you live. Photo credit: Canva
In reality, there are things about communal living that might genuinely be a bother, and there are times when it’s worth saying something to our neighbors to make them aware. But we can also choose the attitude we take to hearing the sounds of life around us, whether it’s kids laughing and playing or cats romping around with their little thunderpaws.
There’s something quite lovely about seeing someone choose to celebrate the joy of a cat rather than be annoyed by the kitty shenanigans upstairs. Sending a note like this is sure to bring a smile to a neighbor’s face, making life in the same building more pleasant for everyone.
This note is a good reminder that showing kindness to our neighbors goes a long way toward building the kind of community we all want to live in.
Saving money in 2025 was no easy feat. With rising home and grocery prices, everyday life became increasingly expensive.
But frugal people made it work. They used their savvy, money-saving skills to cut heating costs, grocery bills, and more.
In a discussion on Reddit, frugal people shared how they managed to save boatloads of money in 2025. These are 23 of the most effective ways they saved money.
“Mine was just bringing my own food to work. I didn’t think it would matter that much, but not buying lunch out every day saved way more than I expected.” – salamagogo
“Meal planning prioritizing what I have in my fridge that will go bad in the next few days. My food waste is way down once I started doing this.” – danedori
“It’s a great year for savin money. I completely stopped ordering takeout and drive-thru. Air fryer and rice cooker for the win! Brought all my own lunches. Best bonus, lost some weight, and brought down my blood pressure a couple digits.” – garlicnaughts
“Biggest change that will pay dividends (eventually) that I made was upping my mortgage repayments. About 2 years in at what started as a 30-year, I am now on pace to be done in another 15. If I can shave off a couple more in the coming years and just be done in 15 years all in, would be pretty happy. Gonna save me hundreds of thousands in interest over the life of the loan.” – dinkygoat
“Track my spending daily and aim for 13-18 no spend days a month. I’m ending this year with 60% No spend days and added over $1k/month to savings.” – justanother1014
“I also have a list in my reminders app for upcoming bills. It’s kept me home so much this month to see that I have $500 in car repairs next week so no, I don’t need to go out shopping right now.” – justanother1014
“Also: not logging into Amazon those little purchases really add up!” – Rowland_rowboat
“I mix black beans in with my ground beef. I use this in almost any recipe with ground beef, but mostly Mexican food which my family loves. It’s wayyy cheaper and healthier. And you still get the taste of meat. You could do pinto beans or white beans as well. Also, my investment in an instant pot was great because in other beans (cheap!) and can have them ready to go in an hour.” – Liza_Jane_
“Finally got a bidet this year. Shortly after, I switched to bidet cloths. I don’t even think about toilet paper anymore, though I keep a couple rolls on hand for guests. Wish I’d done it sooner.” – after_tomorrow
“I signed up for a few store delivery services, two with half price specials, and a subsidized ride share program for seniors, which allowed us to go to one car. We save more money not having the second car vs. paying for the other services. Walmart+ ships free and does free return pickup, plus includes a free streaming channel, so that has been an especially nice time and money saver.” – bob49877
“I bought more produce saver containers and washable silicone food storage bags so we use very few Ziploc kind of bags anymore.” – bob49877
“I’ve started making baked potatoes from Sam’s in the crockpot, just put on high for 4 hours, keeping extra in the fridge for reheating for meals for a few days. Ten pound bag, two days worth of calories, for only $3.77.” – bob49877
“I switched to loose teas I use with metal tea strainers to save money and avoid plastics from regular tea bags.” – bob49877
“I put as many electronic devices as feasible on power strips and reduced the electric bill by $25 a month.” – bob49877
“I bought a used Kindle and ended up spending $0 on books this year thanks to Libby.” – agoraphobiai
“Surprisingly, it was getting one of those budget tracking apps. I didn’t think it would do much but it really shifted my mentality when I saw that I was spending 200+ on eating out everyday, and much more on entertainment than I thought.” – Exotic_Caregiver_179
“Don’t accumulate clutter- a huge time and money saver. No storage lockers lingering away, no stacks of boxes in the basement. Yard sale that stuff or give it away.” – Due-Kale3412
“Also- Smartphone coupons. I worked at a big corporate retail store and noticed how popular these are with younger shoppers. If a coupon is offered, use it. Some stores are all about it (Menard’s, Kohl’s) others won’t mention them but a verifiable coupon will be honored.” – Due-Kale3412
“Selling on fb marketplace. It’s slow, it can be frustrating but you just keep stuff going and it can be nice.” – emeraldead
“Last week of every month we do an eat down of the pantry/freezer. I will only buy absolute essentials (fresh milk, fruit) that week and get creative with everything else. It’s basically cut our grocery costs by 20%.” – playhookie
“Shopping at Aldi really helped my grocery budget. My budget is 250.00 every two weeks and ordering online at Kroger, it kept creeping up steadily and not leaving any room for produce or forgotten items. Now I can get a full cart of groceries at Aldi for 100-150.00 and just get my specialty items from Kroger. My fridge and pantry are definitely fuller now. We really trimmed the grocery bill this year doing this. It really helped.” – LeighofMar, Rowland_rowboat
“Going out for special dates only, more expensive, less often, much more memorable, and much less average eating out.” – SoggyBottomTorrija
“Making soup. Soup is pretty cheap and easy to make. I usually cook a pot each week. This week’s was broccoli cheddar soup. The week before that was chicken noodle and the week before that was butternut squash soup. It’s something we really enjoy and it helps save us money. Having soup in the fridge means we always have something to eat. Especially when we don’t feel like cooking. So we may have it for lunch or supper or even breakfast if we don’t feel like making something else.” – Euphoric_War_2195
There are moments of kindness that miraculously can stretch into a lifetime. Such was the case for nearly 30-year-old Ronnie after he knocked on Rob and Dianne’s door one Christmas Day in the UK.
Picture this: the year is 1975. It’s Christmas in Cardiff, Wales, and a young man named Ronnie Lockwood gives a rap, tap, tap on a door. Rob and Dianne Parsons answer to see him holding a trash bag full of his belongings in one hand, and a “frozen chicken” in the other.
On the BBC Wales News Instagram page, the question is posed: “Could you imagine inviting a stranger into your home on Christmas Day?” We see a clip of Rob, who explains, “Near Christmas, there’s this knock. And I open the door and there’s a homeless man standing there. And we invite him in, and Dianne made him a meal. And she said to me, ‘Ask him to stay tonight, it’s Christmas.’ And he never left. He lived with us for 45 years.”
Throughout the lovely clip, we see photographs of Ronnie looking dapper and right at home with the Parsons family. Rob continues, “He got a job as a dustman, as I was a lawyer at the time. And Dianne says to me, ‘Make sure he gets to work on time.’ So she used to make me get up an extra hour early. And I used to drop him off at the dust yard, and then I’d go into the law practice. And I’d get home at night, and he’d be sat in a chair very often, just smiling. And I said to him one night, ‘Ronnie, what amuses you so much?’ He said, ‘Rob, when you take me to work in the mornings, the other men say who’s that bringing you to work in the car? And I say, Oh, that’s my solicitor.’”
Both Rob and Dianne let out a healthy laugh. “And Di and I have talked a lot about that. We don’t think he was proud to be taken to work by a lawyer. But we think maybe that he never had someone take him first day of school. He never, perhaps, had somebody say when he was 11, ‘How did it go in the big school today, son?’ And now he’s almost 30, and at last somebody’s at the gate.”
The Instagram post notes that “Ronnie, who was autistic and alone, ended up staying for 45 years and changed the lives of Rob, Dianne, and their children forever.”
Rob has been telling this story for a while now and wound up writing about their experience together in a book called A Knock at the Door.But for those who didn’t know, the recent clips on social media are moving hundreds of thousands to their core. One person writes, “Some angels live on earth. These angels are called Rob and Dianne.” Another writes, in part, “What amazing people. This is the real spirit of Christmas.”
Lovingly, Rob and Dianne’s niece Rachel Hurley adds in the comments, “This is my auntie Di and uncle Rob. Robbie was so loved by us all and a huge part of our family. He used to come to my nan’s every Saturday for a cooked breakfast and read the papers with my grampy.”
Hundreds reply to this comment alone, many with follow-up questions about Ronnie’s life now. Rachel answers, “He lived with them until he died in 2020 of complications after a stroke. He was 75.” To this, many send well wishes to remind the entire family how kindhearted they are.
Another friend of the family, Daf Matheson, adds a personal anecdote, “Whilst Ronnie was living there, Rob and Di let my family live with them for a few months. Robbie was shown so much love and dignity. He would always say hello to everyone he saw and then roll up his sleeves to help anyone he could. I certainly learnt a lot from all three of them!”
Upworthy had a chance to follow-up with Matheson, who shared beautiful memories of his time living with the family. “I’ve known the Parsons and Ronnie ever since I was born. As a child, my family stayed with the Parsons for what was meant to be a few weeks while our house was having some work done, but we ended up staying for a few months. Ronnie was living there at the time and had been there for many years. Ronnie was always really friendly and I only ever had fond memories.”
He even remembers the tiny details that help weave the fabric of a family. “He would head out for work before we headed to school and would say hello when we came back. We would play darts, talk football and I just saw him as part of the Parsons family. After we moved back into our home, I would see Ronnie every week at church. He would always greet me with a smile, a high five, ask how I was doing and then crack on with putting out chairs for people. Aged 15, I played my first game for Ronnie’s charity football game. No one loved Boxing Day more than Ronnie. I’ll always remember asking him every month if I could be the team’s penalty taker and then seeing the joy on his face as he’d reply ‘No chance!’”
Matheson continues to heap praise on the Parson family. “With regard to Rob and Di. I’ve always seen them as unofficial Godparents. Rob would tell me a story almost every day that we stayed with them and Di continues to be one of the funniest and most caring people I know. It’s hard to comprehend how generous they are because it is so unusual. They showed Ronnie love, which I imagine was a rare experience for him, but they also gave him dignity, independence and also the opportunity for him to be generous too.”
Many others share heartwarming stories of their own wherein they took in vulnerable people, and many feel inspired to do so in the future. In fact, Ronnie himself was inspired to help the vulnerable. In another interview, Rob shares the time that Ronnie came home wearing no shoes. When asked what happened, he said, “I gave them to some homeless guy.”
As if the story could get more heartwarming, in Charlie Buckland’s more extended piece for the BBC, he further explains that Rob “vaguely remembered Ronnie, someone he would occasionally see at Sunday School as a boy and who he was told to be kind to as he was a ‘bit different.’”
He adds, “Ronnie was then almost 30 and had been without a home from the age of 15, living in and around Cardiff and moving from job to job — Rob would sometimes see him at a youth club he ran. To make him feel as welcome as possible, they asked their family to bring him a gift for Christmas, anything from a pair of socks to some ‘smellies.’”
Dianne shares in the interview, “I can remember him now. He was sat at the Christmas table and he had these presents, and he cried because he’d never known that sort of feeling of love, you know. It was incredible, really, to watch.”
Getting warm and cozy indoors is one of the joys of the winter season. But the cost of heating your home or apartment can quickly get expensive. According to a December 2025 report by the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association (NEADA), heating costs are expected to rise 9.2% the next three months, and will bring the average cost to heat a home in the United States to $995.
Cutting heating costs can save you a lot of money. And frugal people have found brilliant ways to keep their homes heated without paying extravagant heating bills.
On Reddit, frugal people shared their advice for how to lower heating bills without being miserably cold. From better insulation to heat sources, these are 19 of their best tips for cutting heating costs.
“Small degree changes can do a lot as well, e.g. going down to 68°F.” – ShiroxReddit
“The least expected source of draft for me were electrical outlets. I’d done the work to use shrink wrap over windows etc etc. And then I’m just there in bed one night, and I could feel the most annoying draft blowing on my face… I went crazy trying to find it. The tiniest little gaps can have huge consequences. Recommend a temperature gun to ID where you’re losing heat. It’ll help triage problems and keep you from needlessly doing things that aren’t helping! My library lends out thermal cameras and other things that lets you see where your energy and heat leaks are. Y’all might want to check your local library. :)” – Taco_Bhel, iBrarian
“Heat your body, not the airspace. Put on layers, wear socks and slippers. Cover drafty windows with plastic sheeting. Drop your thermostat down to 65° (or lower). Use a heated throw blanket for sitting around when necessary but don’t run it all night long. Get a down comforter for your bed that will retain your body heat.” – anythingaustin
“Learn to live with 68, then 66, then 64. 62 isn’t worth it imo, for both comfort and pipe freeze possibilities.” – antsam9
“Turns out most of my misery was tiny gaps. The worst offender was the front door. At night, with the lights off, I could see a faint line of light at the bottom. I added a simple door sweep, and for the sides I used adhesive weatherstripping (I had to redo one section bc I placed it wrong the first time, classic). I also made a dumb little “draft sausage” with an old towel and some rice in a sock for the bedroom door, which looks kinda goofy but works. For the living room window, I didn’t do anything fancy, just checked the latch, tightened a loose screw, and put a thin foam strip where the sash meets. The weirdly satisfying part was re-testing after each thing: you hold your hand near the edge and it’s like… oh, THAT’S what normal feels like. No more cold ghost touching your ankles. I’m not pretending my place is suddenly a cozy cabin, but my sleep has been noticeably better because I’m not waking up at 3am feeling that sharp chill from the window side. Also my heat feels more “steady”, not blasting then disappearing. If you’re in the same boat, I’d honestly start with the unsexy stuff before buying another gadget: check doors, check window latches, look for light lines, feel for airflow with your hand. Just do it safely and don’t block vents or anything. I wish I’d done this like 3 winters ago, instead of rage-adjusting a thermostat and acting surprised when nothing changed lol.” – ventuscalmlight
“Electric vest or pad that can run off of USB that you can change the battery is another option.” – antsam9
“Seal the windows with the window film. It might be too cold now for it to adhere properly without you turning the heat to 70 and using a hair dryer to warm up the surface. Seal the cracks first with molding draft clay.” – antsam9
Use these items to save $$$ on your heating bill! 🤑 It’s freezing here today, so I’m doing everything I can to keep the heat inside and the cold OUT! 🥶 linked on my Amazon and LTK #homehacks#winterprep
“Increase thermal blocking capacity by reinforcing window curtains with an extra layer of felt blanket. I bought well used old comforters that were light weight on the biggest windows (damn Chicago bay windows).” – antsam9
“Save the heat that you generate. If you run a heater (expensive) run it only in the smallest room. If you run the dish washer, don’t set it to dry, let the door open so it can humidity the room and give some warmth after washing.” – antsam9
“Humid air holds onto heat better, so get a cold air humidifier (hot ones harbor more bacteria).” – antsam9
“Invest in wool socks and a alpaca fur beanie and nice gloves. You’ll be wearing these often. Inside.” – antsam9
“I got a thermal camera for my phone, cheap used off of Facebook market and looked for cold spots and used spray foam insulation to increased the insulation. If I couldn’t, I would strategically place carpet, blankets, furniture, etc to prevent heat leaking.” – antsam9
“Drop the temp and layer up like people are saying. Also I just ordered the clear plastic window insulation kits off amazon for my own house. ‘Duck brand’. Super useful and efficient. Just install over windows and it locks in a ton of heat.” – SectorZed
“My long gone grandma always had an old bleach bottle filled with hot water. She dragged it around throughout the day and jammed it in her bed to warm it up too. I have done this for our kids at our chilly lake cottage. Works like a charm on a cold rainy day.” – ketoLifestyleRecipes
“You might want to get a ceiling fan as well. It will distribute heat and cold more evenly and reduce the influence of warm and cold spots.” – cosmoscrazy
“It all starts with insulation and humidity. If its humid – get a dehumidifier, dry air is much easier (cheaper) to warm up. Make sure to always use your range hood when cooking and extractor fan when in the bathroom. Slap some of that 3M plastic film on your windows, put up some thick curtains if you can. Your windows are gonna be losing most heat (either via air leaks or just heat exchange due to a much lower R value than a wall). Also chuck some door snakes down on your exterior facing doors (balcony door, and maybe front door unless your building has a heated hallway).” – dinkygoat
“Lots of people recommending an electric blanket but I prefer an electric mattress pad with a good quality comforter. With this combo you won’t run into the situation of overheating and waking up sweaty during the night (which happened all the time for me with an electric blanket). Crank up the mattress pad before you go to bed, then once you’re in, you turn it down to low, and the comforter will retain the heat instead of generating it.” – monsterlynn
“My utility company has a free ‘Focus on Energy Comfort Pack’. It has window film, a door sweep, weather stripping, and little insulated pads to go behind outlet covers on external walls. It also had a plug in LED night light and a hot water heater temperature gauge. Super frugal as it was all free. The main window I wanted to cover was the kitchen window because former owner “bumped out” the kitchen a couple feet to the edge of the roof line and that window is so drafty. I made a huge difference but took up most of the window film. I like being able to open some other windows occasionally even in winter (though not in our current single digits) so there is only one other I’ve considered covering.” – wi_voter
“I used the leg from an old pair of jeans and two pieces of pool noodle. Made a cylinder that fits the two pool noodle pieces, then just slips under the bedroom door. Basically a draft stopper on either side. Works great, had it for a few years now. I like a cold bedroom, with no heat source in the room, my bedroom is at least 10°F colder than the house without causing drafts.” – __wildwing__
There are some people in life you may not like all that much, but it’s in your best interest to enjoy their company. It could be the brother-in-law who loves to antagonize you, a coworker who gets on your last nerve, or the parents of your child’s BFF whom you can’t ever seem to get on the same page with.
It feels nearly impossible to force yourself to like someone. However, a new study from the University of Colorado Boulder and the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Germany suggests that, thanks to a neuroscience-based trick, you can use your imagination to like people more.
How to use the 8-second rule
Let’s say that you have to go to lunch with a coworker who gets on your nerves. She talks too much, gives away too much personal information, and loves to talk behind your other coworkers’ backs. To make the situation more bearable, take just eight seconds before you go out to eat with her to imagine a scenario in which you have a good time. She lets you talk for a bit. The lunch tastes excellent, and you find out you both like the same music.
To put it simply: things turn out much better than you expected.
According to the neuroscientists behind the study, imagining an optimistic scenario with your coworker tricks your brain into thinking it was a real interaction. Therefore, you will begin to have more positive feelings toward them because of the encounter you had in the past. (Although it never really happened.)
Using this quick 8-second trick can also help people overcome phobias, much like exposure therapy. In exposure therapy, if you’re afraid of spiders, a psychologist might gradually expose you to them so repeated encounters help you overcome your fear. But this new research shows that simply imagining positive experiences with spiders can also help you overcome your fear.
“We show that we can learn from imagined experiences, and it works very much the same way in the brain that it does when we learn from actual experiences,” senior author Roland Benoit, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at CU Boulder, said in a statement. “If memory and imagination are so similar, then theoretically people should be able to learn from merely imagined events.”
“It suggests that imagination is not passive,” author Aroma Dabas added. “Rather, it can actively shape what we expect and what we choose.”
It’s important to keep imagining positive things
The good news is that by imagining an optimistic scenario with your annoying coworker, you can increase your chances of liking them. However, imagination can also have a dark side. If you constantly imagine negative scenarios, you may experience more anxiety and depression. “You can paint the world black just by imagining it,” said Benoit.
The big takeaway is that your imagination is extremely powerful and, when used for good, can help you build a more positive reality. But you should also be careful to recognize when you’re catastrophizing about future events, because that can lead to unnecessary trouble. You are what you think. The more you imagine a positive reality, the more likely you are to live in one.
