Ways To Save Money

Hey!


I started uni 3 days ago and I am already tired. Yes I know... But that's a different topic. The point is that since I started uni, it has been a challenge for me to save money. It is even harder when you get maintenance grant which I believe our academic year is the last year that will receive this facility. So, here I have for you some tips and tricks to save money! Here we go!


1. Transport

Do not use day tickets with no oyster or if you have an oyster then do not use top up system. If you are a student, make sure you have a zip card for under 18 or a 18+. Not only that but make sure you have a weekly or monthly pass, depending on which one fits you better. In my opinion, if you have lessons for almost every day of the week then get the monthly pass because you will not have lessons every month and weekly is a hassle.


2. Food

Try to avoid to buy fast food or eat on the go. This is no.1 expensive and no.2 unhealthy. Try to have a meal preplanned so you do not need to buy food outside and we know how expensive food can be in Zone 1 areas if that is where your school, college or university is. If you live with your parents, it is better! Go grocery shopping with them every once in a while and that way you can get some food for yourself as you are not having to pay for it 😅. Get some food and snacks for yourself so you can get through the week and you will also see that going grocery shopping is quite therapeutic and an excuse to take a breather from studies or work. You can also be creative and do your own cooking as for someone who loves cooking like me, this is a win-win situation.

Sometimes we go out to eat with our friends and we get a bit carried away by seeing the menu and seeing what our friends are ordering. We end up ordering way too much food and after 2 bites we are full. Be realistic and order what you will actually be eating. If you are confused order a starter and then decide from there if it is enough or not.



3. Shopping

Well! I hope you know where I'm going to go with this... Me being someone who loves shopping and commutes to uni almost everyday which is located in damn OXFORD CIRCUS, I am going to be tempted to go and get myself something. Even this morning before the lecture I went and bought myself a lipstick and a lip liner convincing myself that "I need it". Don't do that. (This also goes to me too if course). Have a bit of self control. Again, be realistic and only buy it if you really need it. I know it's not possible to not buy anything. If that's the case then make sure to make use of you being a student. So many stores have student discount and if you think about it, it saves a lot of money. Also, things are cheaper online and the best thing is that you don't have to spend so much time outside looking for what you want because you can do that with online shopping and it is delivered to you at home.


4. Books and educational supplies

Do not buy books at the start of the year. They are really expensive and you don't need it at the end of the year and they are really hard to sell. I suggest you give it some time first and understand your course. A lot of times they will have ebooks for you absolutely free or you can always borrow from your uni library also for free. Basically don't buy books because that's a dumb choice unless your teacher/ lecturer tells you to do so. You can save money by making notes on your digital device and this will also mean that you are helping the environment by not wasting paper. However, this is a totally personal choice as some people learn better by writing it down in paper rather than digitally. You can also use any supplies you have spare at home from previous years. It's a good way to clear the house and NO NEED TO BUY NEW FANCY PENS EVERY YEAR! Use what you already have.


It is okay to try to save money but it is not okay to become a total stingy brat. Don't become stingy in the process of trying so save money.


I hope you enjoyed this post and it was helpful. Make sure to check back every Wednesdays and Saturdays.


Take care,


Yours, Nafiza

Home Remedies For Skin Problems

Hello!


Girls! And boys, how often are you embarrased with the issues you face with your skin? If you are like me, all the time! I always have dry, flaky skin and will always have a pimple in my face, which results to become scarred. It is awful. You are always insecure about it and your self-confidence drops...

More than for you, this is for me! Here I have a list of home remedies for the following skin problems. Try them and I will for sure look back at this and try these out. Note that I have just reseached them so I am not sure if they will work. If any of these do work, please let me know!


1. Dry/flaky skin

- Olive oil - make a scrub with sugar and exfoliate skin with the mask in round motions then rinse it off. Best to use brown sugar as it will be more gentle

- Milk - use a cotton ball to soak some milk and apply through the face and leave it for 5-10 minutes then rinse it off.

- Honey and Yogurt - make a mask by mixing both of them together and apply as a mask for 10-20 minutes then rinse off.

- Coconut oil - use it as a mask and wash it off after 10-20 minutes or as a moisturiser before going to sleep.

- Avocado - mash some avocado and apply it like a mask and leave it for 10-20 minutes.



2. Oily skin

 - Lemon juice - soak some lemon juice in a cotton ball and apply through the face and rinse off after 5-10 minutes.

- Tomato - slice a tomato and rub it all around your face and leave it for 5-10 minutes for the skin to soak up the juice then rinse it off.

- Cucumber - Same method as tomato

- Egg white - whip an egg white until stiff and apply as a mask for 10-20 minutes then rinse it off.



3. Spots/Blemishes

- Lemon juice - same method as oily skin but targetting the spot only.

- Garlic - cut a piece of garlic in half and rub it in the spot and leave it for 5-10 minutes then rinse off.

- Potato - slice a potato and rub it against the spot and leave it for 5-10 minutes then rinse it off.

- Avocado  - same method as dry skin but only targetting the spot only.



4. Hyperpigmentation

- Lemon - same method as oily skin. Beware for sensitive skin as it may irritate the skin so dilute it with some water. This can also have the reverse effect for some people, it may make it darker.

- Potato - same method as spot/blemishes

- Turmeric - make a paste by mixing with some milk and apply like a mask and leave it for 10-20 minutes then rinse it off.

- Aloe vera - use the pulp as a mask and leave it on for 10-20 minutes then rinse it off.



5. Redness

- Chamomile tea - soak some tea bags in luke warm water and apply all around your face with a cotton ball, leave it for 5-10 minutes then rinse it off.

- Green tea - same method as chamomile tea.

- Turmeric - same method as hyperpigmentation.

- Lavander oil - apply some oil directly on your face, or where you have redness and leave it for 10-20 minutes then rinse it off.



6. Open pores

- Ice - take an ice cube and rub on your face targetting the open pores until the ice cube lasts.

- Apple cider vinegar - soak some vinegar in a cotton ball and apply to the open pores and leave it for 5-10 minutes then rinse it off.

- Egg white - same method as oily skin.

- Baking soda - make a paste by adding a bit of water to a bit of baking soda and apply to the area with open pores then rinse it off after 10-20 minutes.

- Cucumber - same method as oily skin.



I hope you enjoyed it and you will make the most of this guide as me. I am sorry it is late, whenever I decide to post this. Again, if you try it or you have tried it before, let me know how it goes!


Take care,


Yours, Nafiza 

Plantain Fritters

Hi!


I bought plantains the other day for some reason (that I rather not say) and I boiled one. It is so hard to mash it, you literally need all the strength you have to mash it. So I mashed it and mixed with some salt. I tried it and it was so nice. There was some left over and I was thinking what to do with it. Accidentally ended up making fritters and they were delicious. Plantain is basically raw banana or unripe banana. Here is a picture of it below. They are used to make fish curry in my region in Bangladesh and a medicine for loose bowel.

Ingredients:

- Plantain

- Chopped onion in really small pieces

- Salt

- Red chilli powder

- Cumin powder

- Egg white (optional)

- Oil for deep frying


Method:

1. Cut both ends of the plantain but don't peel it. Boil the plantain(s) in a pressure cooker till 4 whistles. Remove them from the pressure cooker and let it cool. Peel it.

2. Mash the plantain with your hands till almost no chunks left.

3. Add all the spices and give it a good mix.

4. Make mini circles by squeezing them really hard . If you see that they are not binding together, add a bit of egg white and see if they bind.

5. Heat up the oil quite strongly. Drop 2 or 4 of the plantain balls and fry them for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove them from the oil before they crumble down in the oil.

Serve!


 I suggest you try this too. It is also vegetarian or even vegan if you do not need to add the egg. I feel like having some right now. It tasted very similar to the falafels I make at home. Let me know how it goes!

Make sure to check back for new posts every Wednesdays and Saturdays!

Take Care,

Yours, Nafiza

20 Facts About Me

Hey Guys!

It is my birthday! I am 20 today! It is quite unbelievable that 20 years of my life just passed in a blink. So, here you go, 20 random facts about me in honour of 20 years of my life!

1. When I was being born, the doctor/midwife pushed and hurt my chest from which I suffered asthma for 5-6 years. I am fine now so don't worry..

2. I am left handed, always have been and always will be and I am happy with it.

3. Despite my roots of being Bengali, I hate (more like detest) Bengali fish and coriander. It gives me nausea.

4. I am fluent in 4 languages. Guess which ones, they're easy!

5. I secretly sing and I love to. I also secretly dance and I also love to.

6. I have always been a healthy (or rather chubby).

7. I am an introvert.

8. Favourite movies: Toy Story 1 and 2, Big Hero 6 and Inside Out.

9. Favourite colour: Yellow. More like yellow is my love.

10. I have roughly been to 8 or more countries.

11. I would love to visit America, Saudi Arabia, Dubai and of course Australia.

12. I love receiving gifts whether it's an occasion or not. (I like to give too)

13. I love makeup

14. My favourite food is either pizza or salad. Still haven't decided...

15. My mum used to keep me distracted by making me watch the film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

16. I really like Chemistry but I am necessarily not good at it.

17. I am horrible at art, and generally drawing anything. But I love buying and receiving colouring pens, pencils, etc.

18. I only have 1 brother who is 6.5 years younger than me. He is better at studies than me.

19. I don't like politics and generally hate talking about it. I have absolutely no interest in it.

20. I have a large number of cousins from my dad's side but I have met a handful of them and not very close to them. However, I have 3 cousins from my mum's family and they are all boys but we are really close.

Well, it really made me think hard about myself. If you try this, you will see that it is really hard to think of facts about you. People that know you can do this better. I hope you enjoyed it and make sure to check back every Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Take Care

Yours, Nafiza

My Selfish Desires

Hello!



Strange right? You are probably thinking "Nafiza what is this?". Hold on, let me explain!
Not long ago, I was watching ReLIFE (it's a really cool Japanese animation series aka anime that I am in love with) and in some episodes it was showing where Hishiro was talking to Tamarai and Kariu about their "Selfish Desires". This got me thinking a lot about this "Selfish Desire" term. I thought I would share with you some desires I have in life which are personal, making it "selfish" and I ended up convincing myself that's what it probably means. These desires may sound like I am a bad person but if you think about it, it is probably what you also sometimes desire at the back of your mind but refuse to accept it. Either way, I am extremely grateful for what I have.


1. Celebrate birthday with friends

My birthday is coming up this Saturday 17th and it got me depressed thinking that I have never celebrated my birthday with my friends. It is amazing to be able to celebrate your birthday with your friends as I have celebrated my friends' birthdays. You get amazing presents, surprises, cakes, pranks and so much love from them. If you know me, you probably know that I love receiving and giving presents, I always keep them and look back at them when I feel low. It is my selfish desire to have a day where it is just me. I guess there is no point as that day is not coming anytime soon.


2. Be pampered/spoiled

Being the eldest child in my family, I have always been the responsible one and I still am. Which is why I can say I rarely get pampered. It is a long wish of mine to get pampered or spoiled by anyone I know but not for too long because that is boring. It is not bad if I get a free day where I can do anything I want and go anywhere I like.


3. Loose weight

It is a shame to accept the fact that I am fat. Since childhood I have been bullied due to my physical appearance and I still get critisised about it. The only thing that changed is that I care less now and I am trying to loose weight with the best of my abilities. It is a desire of mine to loose weight and be able to fit anywhere in society without worrying that I might get critisised by people. If you also think you are fat, you are not alone and we will get through this together because I am with you and always will be.


4. Be known to others

Yes! In the future, I want to be known to others because of my actions or my work that might have caused a positive impact on them. This is different from saying that I want to be famous. I do not want to be famous at all. I just want to do something that will have a positive impact on someone's life and be known for that.


5. Drive my own car

I just want to have a car that I can call my own and of course have a driving license to be able to drive my own car. I assume it is pretty cool to have a car and drive around the town with it and make good use of it.



These are my selfish desires. As the title says, they are pretty selfish and anyone can have desires. It is okay to desire things in life no matter how unrealistic or realistic they are. I can say mine are a bit unrealistic but they will always be My Selfish Desires.

What is Your Selfish Desire?

Take Care,

Yours, Nafiza

My Experience With Turkish Airlines

Hey there!

I am back home! Finally after so long I am back and I am both happy and sad to be back. Happy to be where I am most comfortable but sad to have left all the amazing people and the amazing place itself. However, this blog post is not about how I am feeling about leaving Bangladesh. In fact, it is about my experience with Turkish Airlines and how mad I am with their service. Before I go any further I sincerely apologise for not posting anything last Saturday. I was on my way back, maybe in the air... Also I am going to be back with twice-a-week blogs every Wednesdays and Saturdays. 

My experience with Turkish Airlines:

It was 3rd September, we arrived to the airport by 3:30 am. We checked in, gave our bags, passed security, customs and all that nonsense involved with flights. The flight was supposed to be at 6:15 am Bangladesh time and land at 11:50 am Turkey time. We were pretty early. BUT, they delayed the flight a lot and ended up departing at 7 am. Bear in mind that changing gates in Istanbul airport takes minimum half an hour to catch the next flight and the stopover time in Istanbul is only 1hr because the flight to London LHR was at 12:50 pm. I am terrified that we won't be able to catch the next flight but some random people, not staff because they are clueless, kept reassuring that it is their fault so it is their responsibility to get us the next flight and that they would fly faster in the air to catch up with the delay. So I am getting worried and then calm the next minute. Half way my brother got seriously ill. We are trying to take care of him but it was getting worse. That plane ended up landing at 12:20 pm Turkey time and we have 30 minutes on the dot.

We get off the plane and get inside the airport. We find this Turkish Airlines staff who is calling for "London Heathrow passengers". I am thinking "Okay maybe she will get us to the next flight by some special priority way or something since it is their fault". When she gathered all of us she told us to follow her and she started to walk fast. A lot of the passengers had children so they could not cope with her speed. She made us run around the airport back and forth because she could not find the gate herself and just kept calling people. Then she made us get in the area for security checks and left us stranded in the middle of nowhere. There was 10 minutes left at this point and security checks take time. We are looking around trying to find a gate number and we find it when 5 minutes left. We run as fast as we can and guess what? WE MISSED THE FLIGHT!!!! Like what!?!?!?!? Why were you there in the first place if you couldn't get us to the flight??? I am fighting with the staff like how can they depart without taking everyone? We missed it by 1 or 2 minutes as well. The staff at the gate writes "next flight" and told us to find and get the next flight. We are lost. We have no idea where the next flight is. We go back through where we came and find that "London Heathrow" lady/staff. We tell her the plane left without us and that we need to get the next flight. She constantly kept checking her phone and calling people and told us to follow her again. This time my dad directly tells her to slow down because there are families with kids so she agreed.

She took us to the customer service area, took our boarding passes and told us to wait in the corner and went inside the opaque glass office. She told us that she was getting us new boarding passes for the next flight. So we wait for an hour! Me and my dad went to check how far it was done and she was not there! SHE RAN AWAY!!! She left us stranded again in the middle of nowhere and she ran away. We ask where the boarding passes are and they say "We don't know, we did not get anything". What!?!? We try to argue with them about it and they absolutely blank us. We see another lady/staff coming there and we tell her the whole situation. She told us she will check it herself and do it for us. We wait another ridiculous amount of time and my brother is getting worse. My body and mind is not functioning anymore. Shall I punch that first lady in the face or find a treatment with what I have for my brother?

After a while she gets half of our new boarding passes and a bit later the rest of them. You know what time the next flight was at? 8:20 PM!!!! WHAT????? It was 2 pm and the next flight was more than 6hrs later. We lost our minds. They were not willing to give us any facilities. Then they told us to go "215 care point". We are again back and forth looking for this whatever point they said. We ask people they reply "Upstairs", we ask more people they blank us or ignore us by raising their hand. Funny story my dad was calling a staff like "Hello, hello, excuse me, hello" and approached her. She replies "Sorry no English". Oh wow you are in such a high position where you have to deal with English customer and you "sorry no English" us?? Okay.... We had to go through security again and we found this damn point and they give us tokens for food but families have to get the same thing. I can't get a burger and my mum stew at the same time. We had to go to the same restaurant and pretty much get the same food. We get the food and at this point I am sick. I forced myself to eat and just want to lie down. My brother can't move or eat anything. We had food and my parents left me with my brother to find a pharmacy. After a while they are back with some drinks. "What happened?" Mum: "There are no pharmacies or health shops in this airport" Great! My dad got him fries and drinks so at least something went in his body. He had it and we went to some chairs to rest a bit. He slept and so did I. I am regretting taking this airlines and just trying to stay positive. Tried to get my brother what he wanted and can you believe Halal Haribos were £4 for every 100g! What!? I got him a generous amount because money is nothing compared to family.


It's like 6:30 pm and we find the gate number. To not to risk it we go to the gate pretty early but they were departing Hajj customers at that time in the same gate. The flight was at 8:20 pm and they open the gates at 8 pm. There is no way this plane is flying in 20 minutes. I was right! That plane flew at 

9 pm Turkish time and we landed at 11 pm UK time. Reached home at 1:30 am.

My mum had work the next morning and my brother school. Thank you Turkish Airlines and that

"London Heathrow" lady for this horrible experience. 

In terms of the flights themselves, the planes are quite small, the chairs are also small and

uncomfortable. Food portion sizes are small and food itself is bland. Some air hostesses gave the

impression that they did not care for us and a bit rude but the rest is fine.

I AM NEVER EVER FLYING WITH TURKISH AIRLINES!

You might be thinking why am I posting this? Well... I usually promote what I like and not mention

what I hate. But this was special. This is me warning you of the consequences as it happened to me so

you never know, it could happen to anyone. No offense to Turkey or their people but your airlines...

If my Turkish friend is reading this: Hi! You are amazing but I am not taking this airlines and my

opinion about this airlines won't ever change.

I hope you liked this post, but I am not sure how enjoyable I made it. I am back at it again and I

apologise again for ghosting and not being up to date with my blogs. Make sure to check back again

every Wednesdays and Saturdays

Take Care,

Yours, Nafiza