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The Art of Oil Paper Umbrella: A 1000-Year Legacy of Craftsmanship Explore the rich history of the oil paper umbrella, one of the earliest rain shields in the world, boasting over a thousand years of legacy. Crafted with hand-cut bamboo ribs for the frame, paper skin, adhesive made with persimmon juice, and a finish of tung oil, the process is intricate and fascinating. Join us as we delve into the complexity of making this timeless umbrella. Plus, learn about its significance in the Rural Guardians Program 2022. Subscribe for more cultural insights! #OilPaperUmbrella #Craftsmanship #RainProtection #BambooRibs #PersimmonJuiceAdhesive #TungOilFinish #CulturalHeritage #RuralGuardiansProgram2022 #CraftedUmbrella #HistoricalArt

Money doesn't buy happiness, but it sure does solve your money problems! I left my job as a resident plastic surgeon in 2018 and moved in to live with my mom. A year later, I moved to Las Vegas, sharing a 2 bedroom apartment with a friend. And a year and a half after that, I bought my first home. Here are the lessons I've learned along the way. 7 Financial Lessons I Wish I Learned When I Was 20 Actually Stick to a Budget. Stop Spending Your Paycheck. Get Real About Your Goals. Educate Yourself About Loans. Figure Out Your Debt Situation. Establish an Emergency Fund. Don't Forget Retirement. 1. Actually Stick to a Budget Most 20-somethings have played around with the idea of a budget, have used a budgeting app, and have even read an article or two about the importance of creating a budget. However, very few individuals actually stick to that budget, or any budget at all. Once you turn 30, it's time to ditch the wishy-washy process of budgeting and start allocating where every dollar you earn goes. This means if you only want to spend $15 a week on coffee runs, you'll have to cut yourself off after your third latte for the week. The overall point of budgeting is to know where your money goes in order to make sound decisions. Keep in mind that one dollar here and one dollar there adds up over time. It's fine to spend money on shopping or fun trips, as long as these purchases fit into your budget and don't detract from your saving goals. Knowing your spending habits will help you discover where you can cut expenses and how you can save more money in a retirement fund or money market account. Here's a complimentary tip to setting up and sticking to a budget: Document all your spending. Make sure you write down where and how much you spend, and what that does to your budget. This may require you to keep your receipts and cross-check everything to your checking account. Over time, you'll end up doing away with all the frivolous, spur-of-the-moment purchases and really be able to keep yourself in line. 2. Stop Spending Your Whole Paycheck The wealthiest individuals in the world didn't get where they are today by spending their entire paycheck every month. In fact, many self-made millionaires spend their income modestly, according to Thomas J. Stanley’s book The Millionaire Next Door. Stanley’s book found that the majority of self-made millionaires drove used cars and lived in average-priced housing. He also found that those who drove expensive cars and wore expensive clothing were actually drowning in debt. The reality was that their pricey lifestyles could not keep up with their paychecks. 1 Start by living off of 90% of your income and save the other 10%. Having that money automatically deducted from your paycheck and put into a retirement savings account ensures you will not miss it. Gradually increase the amount you save while decreasing the amount from which you live. Ideally, learn to live off of 60% to 80% of your paycheck, while saving and investing the remaining 20% to 40%. 3. Get Real About Your Financial Goals What are your financial goals? Really sit down and think about them. Envision by which age and how you'd like to achieve them. Write them out and figure out how to make them a reality. You are less likely to achieve any goal if you don't write it down and create a concrete plan. For example, if you want to vacation in Italy, then stop daydreaming about it and make a game plan. Do your research to discover how much the vacation will cost, then calculate how much money you will have to save per month. Your dream vacation can be a reality within a year or two if you take the right planning and saving steps. The same is true for other lofty financial goals like paying off your debt or something more long-term like buying a home. You really need to be serious and have a plan if you're going to get into real estate. After all, it's one of the biggest investments you can ever make in your life and it comes at a huge cost with a lot of extra considerations. There are a lot of things you have to think about when it comes to your finances—down payment, financing and your mortgage, how much you can afford, interest payments, other expenses. 4. Educate Yourself About Your Student Loans An undeniable reality for millennials is that many of them are confused about navigating student loan repayments. A 2016 study conducted by Citizens Bank found that more than half of borrowers don't fully grasp the process of how student loans work, making the path to serenity from debt seem far-fetched. 2 Six out of ten millennials reported underestimating monthly payments, while 44% of all borrowers haven't made any payments since the pandemic began in March 2020. 3 4 Since the recession, rates have been historically low, alleviating some pressure from crushing student loan debt. 5 Nonetheless, vigilance in keeping a watchful eye on how much interest will compound on your loans should be a top priority. 5. Figure Out Your Debt Situation Many individuals become complacent about their debt once they hit their 30s. For those with student loans, mortgages, credit card debt, and auto loans, repaying debt has become another way of life. You may even view debt as normal. The truth is that you don't need to live your whole life paying off debt. Assess how much debt you have outside of your mortgage and create a budget that helps you avoid gaining any more debt. There are many methods to eliminate debt, but the snowball effect is popular for keeping individuals motivated. Write down all of your debts from smallest to greatest, regardless of the interest rate. Pay the minimum payment for all of your debts, except for the smallest one. For the smallest debt, throw as much money as you can at it each month. The goal is to get that small debt paid off within a few months and then move on to the next debt. Paying off your debts will have a significant impact on your finances. You will have more breathing room in your budget, and you will have more money freed up for savings and financial goals. One important point to note. Pay down your debt, but don't get yourself back in over your head. It can be very tempting to see low balances on your credit cards and think it's okay to go ahead and start spending again. That will only put you back in a rut. Control yourself and keep your credit card usage to a minimum. You may want to consider lowering your credit limits or canceling cards you may not necessarily need over time. Anything to help you keep yourself above water. 6. Establish a Strong Emergency Fund An emergency fund is important to the soundness of your finances. If you don't have an emergency fund, then you are going to be more likely to dip into savings or rely on credit cards to help you pay for unplanned car or home repairs. The first step is to build your emergency fund to $1,000. This is the minimum amount your account should have. By putting $50 from each paycheck in your emergency fund, you will hit the $1,000 emergency fund goal within 10 months. After that, set incremental goals for yourself depending on your monthly expenses. Some financial advisors recommend having the equivalent of three months living expenses in the fund, while others recommend six months. Of course, how much you are able to save will depend on your financial situation. 7. Don’t Forget Retirement Many people either enter their 30s without having a single dime contributed to their retirement, or they are making the minimum contributions. 6 If you want that million-dollar nest egg, you have to put in the savings now. Stop waiting for a promotion or more wiggle room in your budget. In your 30s, you still have time on your side, so don’t waste it. Make sure that you take advantage of your company’s matching contribution. Many companies will match your contributions up to a certain percentage. As long as you stay with your company long enough to become vested, this is basically free money for your retirement. The earlier you start, the more you'll earn in interest! #financial #finance #earnmoney

Here's what they won't tell you about the reality, strategy, and pros and cons of various forms of YouTube business creation and entrepreneurship. How to Start a Successful YouTube Channel for Your Business 500 hours of video are uploaded every single minute on YouTube. While that may seem like a tough channel to break into, YouTube is still an invaluable way many businesses grow their brand exposure. And with YouTube Shorts, a new micro content form competing with apps like TikTok and Instagram Reels, creators have another avenue to reach audiences in new ways. To help you along this process, we’ve broken down the basics to make your YouTube channel functional. Tip: While a YouTube is an important marketing strategy and channel, make sure you create a website and maintain it as a content hub and centralized information source for your audience and partners inquires. Otherwise you may miss out on lucrative monetization opportunities. Follow these steps to start a YouTube channel 1. Start with the basics 2. Solidify your web presence 3. Establish your voice and channel branding 4. Fill in the about section 5. Channel your art 6. Know your market, know your content type 7. Lights, camera, trailer 8. Upload your first (official) video 9. Optimize for search 10. Stay consistent 01. Start with the basics The first thing you’ll need to do is actually create your business channel, and YouTube makes it incredibly easy to do. With just a couple of clicks, you’ll be ready to dive into setting up your new channel. Here's how to start a YouTube channel: Sign into YouTube and click on the user icon at the top right of the screen Click on the gear icon to get to your account’s YouTube Settings Click on Create a new channel Then choose “Use a business or other name” Add your brand name and click create. Tip: If you don't yet have a name, you can craft a new one with a YouTube name generator. 02. Solidify your web presence Once you have the basic setup of your YouTube channel, you’ll want to make sure that you have a complete web presence to accompany it. When viewers find your channel, they’ll likely want to know more about you and might search for your website as well as your presence on other social media platforms. To ensure these viewers find what they are looking for, you should make sure you have an up and running website. You can either create one with the help of designer-made templates, or if you already have one, you can consider redoing it to make sure it matches the style of your new YouTube channel. You can then move on to a similar creation or revamp of your page on various social media platforms. Wix user Jazza’s YouTube channel touts 6M+ subscribers. He uses his website Draw with Jazza to answer frequent questions, provide contact info and sell merchandise. 03. Establish your voice and channel branding Think about the story you want your channel to tell. Viewers will return to a channel with a consistent, clearly-defined content vision. If you find it hard to decide what story to tell, think about your niche: What message can you send to potential viewers that no one else has sent before? From there, decide how that story plays into your branding. For example, will you use a serious or playful brand voice? YouTube offers certain elements that help visually define your channel—customize them to align with your story and branding: Channel name Icon banner Trailer 04. Fill in the about section Once you've built up your complementary web presence, you may be wondering how to make sure you've started a YouTube channel that draws attention to your brand and brings in new viewers. To do so, fill out your profile and channel description. This is the first option you see after you have created a channel. Here, you should describe your brand and what viewers can expect to see on your channel. This is also a great place to add links to your website and other social media networks that you use. This description will appear in more than one place on your channel, so be sure to put your best foot forward when filling it out. Hacksmith’s uses just one personal sentence to create interest in his channel: “I quit my full-time job as an engineer and product developer to make only the coolest inventions — just for you guys — right here on YouTube.” He then adds a clear CTA, directing media inquiries to his website. 05. Channel your art When you go to a YouTube channel, you’ll immediately be greeted with a large banner displaying the YouTube channel name. This is your cover photo and is prime real estate for introducing your brand. You can make your cover photo as extravagant or minimal as you’d like, but just make sure that your brand is the focal point, as it’s going to be the first impression someone gets upon entering. Luckily, there are a great assortment of tools to get you started. Friendly reminder: YouTube recommends uploading your cover photo at 2560 x 1440 pixels with a maximum file size of 4MB. You can also learn how to make a YouTube logo to go on your banner and represent your brand. 06. Know your market, know your content type Since you’re starting a YouTube channel for your own business, you should have more than enough source material to work with, and you can approach your video content in more than one way. If you have a complex product and want to empower your customers to learn more about it, video tutorials might be a great avenue for you. Want to show off great reviews from your customers? Testimonials may be the way to go. Even better, do both. This way, your channel has a variety of content to consume, which can resonate with different viewers. As you learn how to become a YouTuber, remember to create content for your target demographic. This powerful inbound YouTube marketing technique draws customers toward your brand. Build playlists and content around your audience’s pain points, lingering questions and unique interests. The more you cater to your target market, the more likely they will want to look into your business services. We gathered 50+ YouTube video ideas to use for your business, including: Behind the scenes Customer testimonials Webinars A day in the life Interviews 07. Lights, camera, trailer You’ll need video equipment to start a YouTube channel. Experts recommend a camera, tripod, microphone, video editing software and a light ring as good things to have. Explore the market to find the equipment with the right price point, and it’s okay to start with a smartphone alone. Like your channel art, you’ll also want to create your YouTube channel trailer. Channel trailers are usually short and sweet, and are a good introduction for new visitors. You can let your audience know who you are, what your business is all about and what kind of content they can expect to see in the future. Creating your channel trailer will also be good practice leading up to your first video. 08. Upload your first (official) video At this point, you’ve probably done a fair amount of research about your first video, and if you already have your channel trailer under your belt, you have a bit of practice as well. Now it’s time to take and say “action.” Once you’re done filming and editing, it’s time to upload a YouTube video. Given that YouTube relies on video uploads, you’ll find the upload option at the top right of the screen when you log into your account. 10. Stay consistent Don’t expect success if you plan to create a YouTube channel, upload one video and then neglect it completely. Creating a successful YouTube channel takes time and effort, and viewers expect consistency from the channels that they subscribe to. After your first video, be sure to plan the next few videos ahead of time. Unsure if you’ll have time to shoot a video every week or every other week? Not a problem. Take a day out of your schedule to shoot more than one video and release them on your own schedule. Consistency is one of the most important ways to get more YouTube subscribers and grow your number of views. Alayna Joy, the Wix user behind The Compassion Revolution, publishes her new content on an organized and transparent schedule. The YouTube channel's banner displays "New video every Friday," clearly setting expectations for when viewers should check back for new content.

When it comes to money, there's a lot of noise, not a lot of signal. After years of reading intensely about personal finance optimization and investing, this is the system that works best for me. 7 Smart Strategies for Paying Off Medical School Debt Although earning your medical degree can lead to a fulfilling and high-paying career, it can also leave you with a pile of student debt. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the median amount owed by indebted medical school students was $200,000 in 2022. Fortunately, there are strategies for managing medical school debt, such as income-driven repayment and medical school loan forgiveness. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your student loans, here are seven helpful strategies for how to pay off medical school debt. 1. Don’t defer medical school debt in residency 2. Choose an income-driven repayment plan 3. Look into forgiveness programs 4. Make extra student loan payments 5. Keep living like a resident 6. Apply a physician signing bonus to medical school debt 7. Refinance your medical school loans 1. Don’t defer medical school debt in residency Many medical school graduates choose deferment for federal student loans during their medical residency, thereby pausing repayment. Yet their unsubsidized medical school debt will still accrue student loan interest, which will capitalize once the deferment ends. So while deferring medical school debt in residency might lower your student loan stress now, it could come at a significant cost later. On a $200,000 balance with a 5.3% interest rate, for example, deferring student loans for a three-year residency would add $31,800 in accrued interest. The new balance would be $231,800, with monthly payments of $2,492 on a 10-year payment plan ($342 more than what the monthly payments would be without the deferment). Deferring student loans while in residency can have a lasting negative financial impact, so it’s best to avoid doing it if you can. However, if you’re earning the typical first-year resident salary of around $60,000, you may need to enter deferment in order to have sufficient funds to cover your living expenses and prevent student loan default. If you decide to defer your student loans, try to pay some of the accrued interest in the meantime. This will keep your balance from ballooning too much between now and the completion of your residency. Before you commit one way or the other, use our student loan deferment calculator to determine how much interest you might accrue during deferment. 2. Choose an income-driven repayment plan As mentioned above, you may struggle to afford the monthly payments on your medical school debt during residency. However, an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan can help. Income-driven repayment plans could result in lower monthly payments for residents with high medical school debt. When it comes to federal student loans, there are a few payment plan options that set payments to match your income. Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE), an IDR plan that generally caps payments at 10% of your discretionary income, might be the best deal for your situation. For a single resident that owes $200,000 at a 5.3% rate and earns around $60,000, monthly payments would be set at about $349 under REPAYE. In addition, this repayment option offers a subsidy on your student loan interest. Essentially, the federal government will cover 50% of all interest due above the monthly payment amount throughout unsubsidized loan repayment. This subsidy can yield significant savings over the life of the loan and could help you pay off your medical school debt faster. To see how REPAYE may be able to help you take control of your medical school debt, check out our REPAYE Calculator. 3. Look into medical school loan forgiveness or repayment assistance programs If you have a low income compared to your medical school debt, pursuing student loan forgiveness for doctors could make the most sense for you. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) offers student loan forgiveness after 10 years for physicians working for public service employers. Many physicians might qualify for PSLF if they work in: A public or nonprofit hospital Academia The public health sector The military You may also want to check for other state and federal programs that could help you repay your debt. Many of these programs will put money toward your medical school student loans based on the number of years of service you provide. For example, one initiative in Kansas helps new physicians wipe out up to $26,000 of medical school debt per year if they commit to 36 consecutive months of serving a rural community. While working in public service can be rewarding on a personal level, it does often require you to serve in low-paying positions and/or undesirable locations. The trade-off is that you not only earn loan forgiveness but also help people who need it. Of course, not every doctor is going to work in public service or qualify for PSLF. In this case, if you still want to pursue student loan forgiveness, consider enrolling in an income-driven repayment plan. They not only cap payments as a percentage of your income, as mentioned above, but also award forgiveness of your remaining loan balance after 20 to 25 years of payments — if there’s anything leftover. Before making your decision, do the math and compare options to see if student loan forgiveness would be worth it for you. 4. Make extra student loan payments Paying extra (or even the standard monthly amount) may be tough for you to do right out of medical school or while in residency. But once you can afford to, making extra payments on student loans can help you pay off your medical school debt faster. Not only does it shorten your repayment term, but it also lowers the amount of student loan interest you’ll pay. Ultimately, your debt will cost you less. Take some time to project your own savings from prepaying student debt with this calculator and see if this is a beneficial strategy for you. 5. Keep living like a resident To keep up with extra payments on medical school debt, you need to make them a top financial priority. That means keeping your living expenses and discretionary spending low. Even though you’ll be making a better salary once you’ve completed your training, you might consider continuing to live like a resident. In other words, make the most of your doctor’s salary as an attending by keeping your lifestyle in check. You’ve probably already been doing that as a resident, so try to keep it up for the next few years. Ultimately, if you can spend like a resident while making three times more (or higher) as an attending physician, your expenses will comprise a smaller portion of your take-home pay. This will help you devote a more substantial portion of your income to paying extra on your student loans. 6. Apply a physician signing bonus to medical school debt Physician signing bonuses are common benefits offered to attract doctors. In fact, more than 80% of physicians received signing bonuses in 2018, according to the 2019 Physician Placement Report from The Medicus Firm, with the average bonus amount approaching $34,000. If you can snag one of these bonuses, it could go a long way toward paying off your medical school debt. Throwing this lump sum at your loans can shorten your repayment period and save you money in interest payments. So, before you spend your signing bonus, use this extra payment calculator to see the impact it could have on your financial future. And, even after your signing bonus is in the rearview mirror, consider applying any future “extra” income, such as raises, tax refunds or performance bonuses, to your student debt. If you consistently employ this strategy, that medical school debt will be decimated in no time. 7. Refinance your medical school loans For many doctors, interest rates on their medical school debt is a major pain point. In fact, even though they’ve been recently reduced, fixed interest rates on federal student loans for graduate programs, including medical school, are typically 1.55% to 2.55% higher than interest rates on undergraduate student loans. Since medical school debt typically has both high balances and high interest rates, the opportunity to save can be big. Some of the best student loan refinancing lenders offer APRs as low as 1.89%*, so it definitely pays to shop around — especially if you now have a lower debt-to-income ratio and a higher credit score. To see how much you could potentially save each month, check out our student loan refinancing calculator and plug in your info. Keep in mind, though, that refinancing student loans has its trade-offs — no matter what you studied in college. If you refinance federal student loans, you will lose access to federal loan protections, including student loan forgiveness options, deferment protections and income-driven repayment plans. TIMESTAMPS: 3:51 - My Approach to Finances in College & Medical School 7:06 - How I Recommend You Approach Finances 09:06 - My Current Approach loans & investing strategy for beginners what is investment loans & inrategy strategy 2022 Types of Investment Strategies What is the investment strategy of using borrowed? What is a loan investment? #loans #investingstrategy #investing