Karen Banes

Writer and Content Creator at Freelance

Freelance writer attempting to change the world through the magic of storytelling. Join my Substack: https://t.co/stBk8cRqkd

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Articles

Classic Novels To Read (or re-read)

4 days ago | benable.com | Karen Banes |Daphne Du Maurier

This year I want to re-read some of the classic books I read in my youth and have never re-visited, as well as some I've never gotten around to. I'm planning out my reading year here. I reserve the right to define ‘a classic’, but feel free to argue ... Classic horror with a powerful underlying message from a 19 year old Mary Shelley. I read this in a day, lying in a hammock in Western Australia when I was about 24. I remember the theme and the message but not the details.
Creating a Happy, Loving, Peaceful World

1 week ago | changetheworldwithwords.substack.com | Karen Banes

Big thanks to Tim Ferris and his Five-Bullet Friday email for putting this quote in front of me this week. “How could you go about creating a happy, loving, peaceful world? By learning a simple, beautiful, but painful art called the art of looking. This is how you do it: Every time you find yourself irritated or angry with someone, the one to look at is not that person but yourself.
Running a Donation Based Substack

2 weeks ago | changetheworldwithwords.substack.com | Karen Banes

Last week I turned on paid subscriptions. I’d been putting it off because I wanted to wait until I had something really cool to offer my paid subscribers. Then I read How to Make Money with Substack: Unlock the Power of Subscription Newsletters by (free if you have Kindle Unlimited – or with a free KU trial – highly recommend). In it she talks about various monetization models, including what I’m calling the ‘donation model’.
Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum

2 weeks ago | medium.com | Karen Banes

My simple guide to not letting the bastards grind me downPredicting the future has never been easy. Right now, it seems impossible. I don’t live in the USA, but the political and social chaos that’s ensuing over there is having repercussions worldwide. The world economy is in flux, inflation is out-of-control, and international stock markets are yo-yoing.
Almost One Third of Americans Have Money Dysmorphia: Is Social Media To Blame?

3 weeks ago | wealthtender.com | Karen Banes

If you’ve never heard of money dysmorphia, you’re not alone. The term seems to be a relatively recent phenomena, although the concept is not. It’s a modern-day take on the age-old phenomenon of feeling pressure to “keep up with the Joneses”. Except now we all think we know exactly how much money the Joneses have, because they tend to flaunt it online.
Why Getting Out of Debt Fast Isn’t Always the Right Choice

3 weeks ago | medium.com | Karen Banes

Occasionally, there are better uses for your moneyIf you’re in debt right now you’ve probably heard a lot of advice about how you should get out of it as fast as possible. That way, you’ll pay less interest overall — and that just makes sense, right? You should cut expenses, stop all discretionary spending, and just throw everything at getting out of debt. If you can make that work, that’s great — but for many of us, it’s simply unrealistic. Here are three good reasons to get out of debt slowly.
Getting Through the Tough Times by Losing Yourself in Your Art

3 weeks ago | changetheworldwithwords.substack.com | Karen Banes

I’ve been writing more than ever recently, and not because I’m getting more client work than usual. I’ve actually been getting less, if anything. I guess that’s what happens when the world is in chaos. But still I write. It’s how I start every morning and end every evening. I write in spite of the fact that times are tough right now. In fact, I write because times are tough right now.
Find the Best Travel Deals With These Simple Online Resources

3 weeks ago | medium.com | Karen Banes

A soaring cost of living doesn’t have to keep you on home groundAs the cost of living rises, finding affordable vacations becomes harder, but there are always cheap travel deals to be found. Bookmark these websites to find the best travel deals, to almost anywhere in the world. SkyscannerSkyscanner is a simple search website that most associate with finding cheap flights, although it’s now also possible to search for deals on accommodation and even car hire as well.
The True Cost of Motherhood

3 weeks ago | medium.com | Karen Banes

How the gender pay gap impacts women with childrenThe way women need to plan their personal finances differs from how men need to plan theirs, for a range of reasons. The gender pay gap is one of them, and it still very much exists. Despite recent improvements, Pew Research suggests that women in the US still earn around 85% of men’s earnings, but what really needs consideration is that the gender pay gap isn’t consistent over a lifetime.
DEI Policies Don’t Aim to Put Unqualified People In Charge

1 month ago | medium.com | Karen Banes

We are a community of women who share our personal stories about how we’ve survived and thrived in our lives. We share our messages to heal and help others learn from our experiences. Follow publicationThat’s what happens when we don’t have themIf you’re looking for lies and misrepresentations in political rhetoric, you never have to look far.