When the Omicron wave hit, it felt eerily similar to March 2020. Back then, travel plans were canceled, parties were rescheduled, and we huddled inside, avoiding human contact. We stopped doing everything, except going to work. Whether that meant risking our health to work in person or entering a “new normal” of Zooms and bedrooms-turned-home offices, for those of us fortunate enough to remain employed, work became our everything. Two years ago, all this seemed novel — now, it feels like adding another toasted layer to our burned-to-a-crisp mental health. 

So when the new downloadable content for Animal Crossing, Happy Home Paradise, was announced, I was surprised that the concept of the expansion was giving your island self a job, a half-natural, half-inexplicable extension of the game’s original conceit of building your personal paradise. The coziest, most escapist game that got us all through the spring of 2020 now wanted our exhausted brains to spend our play time… working more. 

Soon after, I noticed another popular cozy game, Stardew Valley, was also about work — specifically, leaving a corporate job for a farming job. Lake, which came out mid-pandemic, has a similar concept, wherein you leave your computer-heavy job to be a temporary postal worker in a lake town. Even high stress games, like Diner Dash, are centered around doing a job.

As I’ve played my way through these cozy games, most recently savoring every drop of Lake, I’ve found myself falling in love with the calm, repetitive nature of doing a real world task and the validation of getting a mail route done on my first go. Even so, I couldn’t help but question why I, someone who is so deeply burnt out I might as well be ash, was drawn to working during my down time. So, I did what any journalist would do and I did my research. Turns out, there are concrete reasons why we find comfort in “working” in virtual worlds, even as we grapple with the stress caused by our real-life jobs.

To understand why we want to work while we play, we first need to understand what psychologically draws us to play video games. One largely researched theory is known as self-determination theory, which says that “motivation is driven by three core human needs — autonomy, competence, and relatedness — and video games satisfy all three,” explains Michael Shapiro, PhD, a professor of communications at Cornell University. Playing video games allows players to make their own decisions (autonomy), develop and exhibit skills (competence), and form relationships whether within the game (think dating in The Sims) or outside of the game’s narrative (playing with others or even watching Twitch streamers). 

Games that require the player to go to work also satisfy these three needs. For example, in Animal Crossing, players get to make their own decisions about every inch of their island’s design (autonomy), continually learn and improve various skills like fishing and interior designing (competence), and they can interact with and befriend both in-game characters and real-world friends (relatedness). 

For those of us who are in the workforce, these work video games fill these fundamental needs in a very specific way. James Madigan, PhD, an industrial organizational psychologist, author, and founder of The Psychology of Video Games, explains that these games give the player “better, more frequent feedback and more chances to feel good about themselves than they do in real life.” While in a player’s actual job, they might have one or two performance reviews a year and an annual chance to ask for a raise, in working video games, players “receive constant, specific, action-oriented feedback that tells you what you’re doing and how well it’s working, and exact instructions on how to improve,” Dr. Madigan notes. “The most successful games are engineered this way, and they become more successful the better they design this feedback.” Essentially, when our real life bosses won’t give us a clear pathway to a raise or a promotion, our video games will.

Beyond the feedback and autonomy these work video games allow us, there is also the element of escapism. Well-known cozy gamer Kennedy Rose, who goes by @cozy.games on TikTok and Cozy K on YouTube, says that video games that give you a job “offer you the opportunity to do something you may never do professionally, like be an astronaut or criminal or postal worker in a small lake town.” Rose goes on to explain, “It’s pure escapism. We get to leave our corporate jobs behind and exist in a different, but recognizable world for a while.” 

And this goes for both “cozy” work games like Lake and high stress work games like Diner Dash. “I think of these games as falling into two categories — ‘calm and at your own pace’ and ‘meditative chaos.’” says Rose, “The escapism is obvious in the calm games, but it’s there in the chaotic games as well — you go through the exact same motions and patterns over and over at a high speed so you can really shut your brain off and think only about what’s in front of you.”

As time goes on and burnout continues to fester in our brains, existing outside of our day jobs has never been more important. And, yes, although it may seem counterintuitive, video games that depict us working give us that much-needed dose of escapism — and the structure and positive feedback that allows us to feel accomplished, when many of us are battling a sense of drudgery and existential doubt at our 9-to-5s.

The real question, then, shouldn’t be why we’re drawn to this type of game. Instead, it should be what workplaces could learn from the games. “I ask the question: How can employers copy these video game strategies in order to manage employees better and create a better work environment?” says Dr. Madigan. Offering consistent progress reports, providing clear, specific, and attainable goals, and giving regular and actionable feedback — these seem like relatively small steps companies could take, that would have a huge impact on the wellbeing and engagement of their employees.

Of course, the current corporate burnout problem is widespread and largely beyond individual workers’ control. So for now, I’ll keep getting my daily dose of cozy, soothing relief as I work my way through Lake, living for the slow pace of delivering packages in a beautiful, sleepy town.

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Whenever I’m feeling anxious or lonely there’s one place I can go that always brings me joy: Zillow dot com. Maybe it’s because I’m at an age where I’m thinking about nesting and making babies, or maybe it’s that my love language is doing extensive amounts of research, but my god, I love to house-hunt. Give me a price range and a bedroom count and I’ll find you the house of your dreams on my lunch break. Nothing thrills me more than finding someone their forever home featuring anything they want, from crown molding and a pool in Nebraska to a 28th-floor penthouse in NYC. 

And yet even though I could click through property listings for hours, thanks to the steep real estate prices in the high cost of living city I call home, the idea of actually buying my own home feels like an impossible task for the foreseeable future. It can sometimes seem like I’m the only one out there who has spent most of my money on rent, instead of saving for a down payment. Lately I’ve been wondering, Is there anyone else out there who’s planning on being a forever renter? As it turns out, I am absolutely not alone.

Forever renters — at least the ones to whom I spoke — tend to fall into a few different categories. First, there are those who are renting because they don’t have any other options. Heather, 41, who works for a non-profit organization and lives in Oregon, has been renting alone or with roommates/partners for over 20 years. “In my twenties, I moved almost every year, either because the landlord didn’t want to renew the lease or because the rent was going up. I lived all over Portland and usually paid around $500 a month,” Heather says. “Eventually I moved to my current apartment with my now-husband and we’ve been here for 14 years.” Heather and her husband pay $1,300/month, including utilities, for a two-bedroom apartment in the middle of Portland and absolutely love it. In the 14 years they’ve been there, their rent has only been raised once by $90. 

When Heather and her husband first moved to their neighborhood, houses nearby went for around $250,000, and they thought, Maybe one day. But, while the housing market skyrocketed, Heather and her husband’s salaries plateaued. They realized they would be renting for the long term. “We could probably move to a lower cost of living city and buy a house, but we’d rather live in a vibrant, walkable area.” Heather explains. “Neither of us grew up with financial security or long-term childhood homes, so renting forever has always seemed like the only way.”

Similarly, Ray, a 25-year-old in San Francisco has always lived in rentals. “I grew up on Long Island and our housing situation was always a little precarious.” Ray says. “I lived in what I think of as my childhood home for nine years, but we were evicted when I was 14. I don’t know the full details, but I know my parents were struggling to pay rent. They got evicted again when I was 17, but we never really talked about it.” Her childhood experience, combined with the astronomical pricing in San Francisco, has led Ray to feel relatively committed to renting. “I view all of my living situations as temporary,” she explains. “I don’t decorate because I’m afraid of losing my security deposit. I have, like, two posters in my living room, but that’s it.” 

While there are those, like Ray and Heather, who rent because it’s their best, or only, option, others do so because they enjoy the freedom and lack of commitment. Aly, 29, loves the flexibility that renting affords her. She currently lives in St. Louis, MO, but would like to move abroad at some point with her husband. Aly chose her current apartment because it would be large enough for her and her husband as well as a kid, if they decide to have one in the next few years. “We really like not being extremely tied down or being responsible for the big things.” Aly says. “It’s really nice that when the water heater breaks or the roof needs replacing, we just have to call our landlord.” 

Aly’s choices are also informed by her life experience, which has included some abrupt transformations. “If I can get out of a toxic relationship with shared finances and housing and change my career path, I can get out of anything — homes included.” And, if Aly does ever own, it won’t be for living purposes, she says, but rather as an investment.

Kara, 32, also pulls from her life experience when it comes to her choice to rent. “I purchased a home with my ex-husband, and we ended up only owning it for a year and a half,” she says. Within a year of purchasing their new build home in Wisconsin, Kara and her then-husband got divorced and she moved to Philadelphia. Now, Kara is remarried and doesn’t ever plan to purchase another home. “I can’t imagine saving for a down payment again, especially in Philly. And, I love our new townhome. I’m looking forward to getting to know our landlord and becoming part of the neighborhood — we don’t plan to leave any time soon. I have investment and retirement accounts and my wife has her own savings, and I like that I’ll never have to worry about losing money on a house.”

And yet, despite the fact that so many people — whether by choice or not — are forever-renters, it’s rare for that reality to be portrayed as being okay, or even beneficial. Instead, buying a house is always presented as being desirable — a better investment and, therefore, a better choice. Conversely, renting long-term is cast as being a waste, and to be avoided at all costs. But, the idea that renting is just lighting money on fire is not exactly correct. Renters are not throwing money away, they’re paying for a service — namely, a place to live that is taken care of by somebody else.  This isn’t to say that it isn’t advantageous to own instead of rent, but renting is usually the more affordable choice — and owning property isn’t the only way to build equity or increase wealth. 

“If you’re a forever renter, you can still build wealth by investing in the market,” explains Paco de Leon, a financial advisor and founder of The Hell Yeah Group. “Unlike homeownership, you don’t need a large sum of money to get started and you won’t have additional costs to maintain your investment. From a pure investment perspective, it’s possible to generate a greater return through investing in the market than buying a home.” In fact, the only time in history that the real estate market out-returned the stock market was between 1990 and 2006. De Leon only recommends purchasing a house if you have a healthy emergency fund (including emergency housing expenses) and a down payment of 20% or more. “I have a very conservative perspective when it comes to how much cash you should have on hand because of what I witnessed firsthand during the housing crisis and its aftermath,” she says. 

In the same way that the myth of a “dream job” has now been debunked, the idea that owning a home is the end-all-be-all goal for a financially stable adult is proving to be incompatible with many people’s realities. Purchasing a home — while still an understandable and common desire — is not the only way to build wealth, or even to live well. Just as someone might find real happiness by having a “good enough” job and pursuing passions in other forms than their work, people can find stability in rented homes and invest money elsewhere. As for me, I might not wind up a forever renter — I still have dreams of home-ownership one day — but for now, I’ll enjoy house-hunting for friends, and bookmarking every dream home I come across. Just in case.  

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When I think of Topo Chico, I think of sitting at a table outside a trendy restaurant in NYC, enjoying the chillingly refreshing taste of light bubbles. Topo Chico, much like San Pellegrino, is a mineral water that sits somewhere between flat water and full-on seltzer, and comes in a sexy glass bottle. Dubbed “Williamsburg Water” by my co-worker Leora Yashari, Topo Chico is exactly that — cool before it was popular, just like the hipsters who love it. Personally, I love Topo Chico for its size-to-amount ratio of bubbles (it has a ton of small bubbles); when I heard they were releasing a hard seltzer, I obviously pounced.

The Topo Chico hard seltzers, unlike their non-alcoholic counterparts, come in tall skinny cans and in four flavors — Tangy Lemon Lime, Strawberry Guava, Tropical Mango, and Exotic Pineapple. Though Topo Chico does technically have two flavored NA options (grapefruit and lime), they are known for their bubbles much more than their flavor profiles. I was able to get my hands on the first two flavors — Tangy Lemon Lime and Strawberry Guava — so I gathered my co-workers on Zoom, and we put these hipster babies to the test.

We started out with Tangy Lemon Lime, which was almost immediately called out for not tasting like lemon lime. “It tastes like being at the pool, like sunblock and beach club soap, but in a good way,” my co-worker Michelle Santiago Cortes said. “It definitely tastes like sitting at a bar in Key West,” another co-worker, Natalie Gontcharova, added. We came to the conclusion that it tastes like key lime pie and lime skittles and is reminiscent of Key Lime La Croix. Leora, who loves key lime, was a huge fan and our Lifestyle, Wellness, and Social Issues director Kristin Iversen liked it much better than the Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer I made her try last month. When we put it to a vote, most of my team decided this was the best flavor.

Next was Strawberry Guava, which smelled a lot like guava and tasted a lot like strawberry. I liked this flavor way more than the lemon lime, but the majority of my team disagreed. I thought this one tasted like a strawberry daiquiri in the absolute best way. It definitely didn’t have the fizz I wanted, but the flavor was great. Most of my team wished there was more guava and thought it tasted like strawberry candy or watermelon Jolly Ranchers. My co-worker Olivia Harrison put it perfectly: “The aftertaste tastes exactly like bubble gum.”

My biggest gripe was the lack of bubbles. Topo Chico is famous in my household for its massive amount of tiny little perfect bubbles, but the hard seltzer missed the mark. It was barely bubbly and didn’t really make that satisfying opening-a-can-of-soda sound. This was a plus for a few people on our team who don’t love bubbles (I could write an entire essay on why they are wrong, but I digress), but when I’m drinking seltzer, I want that sweet, sweet fizz. 

In the end, we all decided that these did make us feel like we were at a Brooklyn rooftop party and it made us very nostalgic for pre-pandemic hot girl summer. We also collectively agreed that we would bring a 12-pack to a party as a status symbol despite its slightly-higher-than-White-Claw price tag. While Topo Chico’s foray into hard seltzer was a mixed bag for the team, I foresee all of us sipping on some Strawberry Guava or Tangy Lemon Lime at an outdoor party at some point in the post-pandemic world.

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I can’t tell you if this is scientifically accurate, but: I’m pretty sure I’m genetically predisposed to be extra-sensitive to onion-cutting. I can barely look at an onion without sniffling, and even if my knife is the sharpest knife in the world and I move at lightning speed, I always end up with stinging eyes and tears running down my face. And, it runs in my family — my brother and father have the exact same reaction. Because of this, I have been a long time user of onion goggles (or just regular swimming goggles, depending on my mood), but when TikTok told me there could be another way to cut onions and not cry uncontrollably — well, it felt like my destiny to test it out.

When scrolling through the #onionhack hashtag on TikTok, you’ll find two camps of true onion-hack believers. TikTok duo @partyshirt went viral testing out @cerealeatingghost’s onion hack that told onion-cutters to place a wet paper towel on their cutting board. The idea behind this is that the acid onions release is attracted to a water source (aka your eyes and nose), so if you place another water source — in this case, a wet paper towel — closer to the onions and their tear-inducing acids, then you shouldn’t cry. In the TikTok, @partyshirt tested the hack out with a red onion and found that it worked: They were both tear-free.

The other half of OnionTok says that leaving the root of the onion on while cutting it works best because the acid lives in the root; so, if you don’t cut the root off, then the acid can’t be released. This method seemed a little more difficult to execute to me because it involves horizontal cutting, but I am an explorer and a risk-taker and will do anything for investigative onion journalism, so I faced my fears and got chopping.

Now, I am not a scientist, nor did I do well in high school biology, but I do vaguely remember enough about lab processes, so I know that variables are important. In this experiment, the variable is the type of onion. I got three onions to test — a red onion (which is what appears in most of the viral TikToks), a yellow onion, and a white onion. With each onion, I tried the Paper Towel Method and the Root-On Method and recorded my results. Ahead, please find my very scientific findings — I believe in the science community we call this a scientific report, but don’t quote me because, again, I’m firmly not a scientist.

Paper Towel Method

This method, for the most part, failed spectacularly. It worked best with the yellow onion, but as soon as I moved from slicing to dicing, my eyes filled with tears. The white onion and red onion both stung almost immediately. I tried varying amounts of wetness, from damp to sopping, on the paper towel, and even tried cutting the onion directly on top of it, but with every stroke of the knife, the sting worsened. Honestly, I think if this method works for you, you are either magical or are cutting quick enough to not fully soak up the onion juice. Basically, 0/10: I do not recommend, unless you are a wizard.

Root-On Method

I had a bit more success with this method, particularly when it came to the white onion. I cut an entire half of a white onion without crying. However, once the root was completely cut off, the acid reached my eyes and nose and I definitely cried. The yellow onion started off strong, but my eyes started stinging a quarter of the way through. The red onion, which apparently is not even supposed to make people cry at all, was the worst of the three, and I started to cry the second I sliced into it — even with the root on.

The moral of the story is: TikTok hacks are not always effective, and my eyes are sensitive as all hell. If this worked for you, congratulations, you are further evolved than me. And while I’m not above the viral TikTok clear-pot-lid-in-a-hood move in a pinch, for now, I’ll be sticking to my tried-and-true onion goggles.

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When I heard the news that Hayley Kiyoko was releasing a perfume, I said out loud to no one in particular, “Thank Lesbian Jesus! Somebody has finally found a way to bottle gaydar.” Much like the synthpop music that made her famous, Kiyoko’s energy is upbeat and fun, but at her core is radical, unapologetic inclusivity. For many queer people, her music is like a warm hug of acceptance — so her new gender-inclusive fragrance, Hue, is a perfect next step. Created with Kiyoko’s style and audience in mind, Hue (made in partnership with Slate Brands) toes the line between masculine and feminine so beautifully that it stands to be armor for legions of young people, gender notwithstanding, for years to come.

Conveniently, that’s exactly how Kiyoko wants her fragrance to be used: as protection, a way to make its wearers feel fearless when facing the world. “I find a lot of comfort in fragrance,” she tells me over the phone. “Growing up, I would douse my body with Elizabeth Arden Green Tea. It would give me the courage to be myself, speak to girls, and be more social. I’ve never left the house without spraying on perfume — it’s my armor.” Kiyoko always gravitated towards fragrance as a boost of confidence, and now, she wants to give other people that same feeling.

At first sniff, Hue starts out somewhere between floral and clean laundry. As it dries, it settles into citrus and musk, a breezy combination that’s not overpowering in a way that feels intentional. “The scent is complicated. The official notes start out with blood orange and freesia,” Kiyoko explains, “then it transitions into special rose, lychee, and pink magnolia. Once it dries down, it turns into a musk and a special cacao. It’s all over the place, but it all works so well together.”

Kiyoko, who identifies as a gay woman, has always battled with her feminine and masculine sides, so her goal for this gender-neutral perfume was to bottle both those extremes. Fair to say, I think she nailed it: Somehow, it makes me — a gay woman who has barely worn perfume since it was cool to smell like an Abercrombie store — feel a mix of sexy, approachable, and safe.

And then there’s the actual bottle. I’ve always thought of perfume bottles as delicate pieces of glass that I’d be scared to break, but Kiyoko has made a bottle fit for aesthetic value and clumsy folks alike. Deep red with gold detailing, the chunky bottle is made of hearty glass, and fits perfectly in the palm of my hand. “I don’t really use a purse, so I wanted a bottle that I could carry just in my pocket,” Kiyoko says. “I also wanted it to be bold. The red is powerful and volatile, but also vulnerable. Wherever you keep it, I want it to stand out.”

Hayley kiyoko releasing perfume so us gays can recognize each other by scent🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️🤩✨

— Lana (@budgiesarecute) January 30, 2021

In a time when we’re barely going outside (and probably showering less), Hue is a welcome, comforting scent that I can’t wait to wear everywhere from the supermarket to my eventual return to the office. Kiyoko has successfully brought gender inclusivity to a space that hasn’t always welcomed fluidity, and the fragrance feels both powerful and calming in a way I foresee needing as we reenter society. I feel a deep sense of pride as Kiyoko and I end our conversation talking about snow and my recent gay wedding.

For both the way it smells and the care and thought behind Hue, I can’t recommend it enough — and for all you queer women out there, you definitely need a bottle so we can finally identify each other in the wild.

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

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A year and a half ago (in the ~before times~), after a reshuffling in the Refinery29 office layout, I, the Money Diaries editor, was placed at a desk next to our Lifestyle Editor, Olivia Harrison. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship filled with tasting ice cream, talking about the Real Housewives, and me unabashedly pestering Olivia about her personal finance habits. When I learned that she didn’t have a savings account or a credit card with rewards, I felt it was my calling to give her a bit of a money makeover. With her consent, I learned about her finances and then told her to bring me three financial goals. We then hopped on a Zoom call and took her financial planning skills from zero to hero. Ahead, Olivia’s money makeover — from credit to savings to understanding why the heck you should be contributing to a 401(k).

Olivia Harrison, Lifestyle Editor
Age: 28
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Salary: $70,000-$80,000
Money Goals: I want to open a savings account, get a credit card with rewards, and I want to know if I’m contributing correctly to my 401(k).

What Is A Savings Account & Why Do I Need One?

Hannah Rimm, Money Diaries Associate Editor: Why don’t you have a savings account?

Olivia: My mom was always like, “You don’t need that,” and I only did stuff that I learned from my parents, because I didn’t get any financial education on anything outside of the home. I can pay rent, I can buy groceries, and I have enough where I’m just not thinking about money all the time. I’m just not engaging with it, I guess. I know it’s a really privileged thing. I see it in my checking account, but I don’t think, Oh, should I be making it into more money? I also am someone who is very averse to thinking about the future because it makes me really anxious. I’m just trying to get through today.

Hannah: Having a separate savings account can help you manage your anxiety and also save for big purchases. Do you think you might want to own property someday?

Olivia: Yeah, so this is something that my partner and I do talk about because he actually is interested in daydreaming about the future. He has a lot more money than I do, because he invests and saves, but I would want to be able to contribute to a future down payment for a house.

Hannah: Okay, this is also why you create a savings account. They are really helpful because you can set them and forget about them. You can automatically set up a transfer from your checking to your savings every month for $100, $200, $500, whatever you want, and it just builds up in your savings over time. Then over time you’re going to wake up one day and you’re just going to be like, Oh my god, I have an extra $20,000 that I didn’t even really think about because I’m just automatically putting away a little bit at a time. Another benefit is that if you have an emergency need for cash, like a large medical bill or you get laid off, it is very easy to access money in your savings account (as opposed to funds in long term investments/retirement accounts).

Olivia: So how do I start?

Hannah: Do you spend your whole paycheck? 

Olivia: No.

Hannah: Okay, so figure out how much extra you have every month and set an automatic payment of that amount to your savings account so that you can slowly, passively build up this money. You can also move bigger amounts of money over whenever you have extra.

Olivia: So once I open one, how much money do I put in?

Hannah: I would move the amount that lets you feel comfortable. That’s your anxiety amount. 

Olivia: How do I put money in it? Do I write a check or set a transfer?

Hannah: You transfer it! Once you open the account — at the same bank where you have a checking account — you’ll be able to go on the app or website and set a transfer to the account. Depending on your bank, you’re allowed a certain number of transfers a month — usually five to 10.

Olivia: Does the money I put in there increase? Like, is interest a thing?

Hannah: So a regular savings account with your bank probably has interest of .01% or something minuscule. That being said, that’s why people have high yield savings accounts, because when the rates are high (which they are not right now, because the Federal Reserve lowered them in response to the pandemic), you can get around 2% interest. Currently, high yield savings accounts like Ally are offering .5%. If you had $10,000 in there you make 50 bucks a year, which isn’t really worth having to deal with the hassle of banking somewhere not connected directly to your checking account, so I wouldn’t recommend it for your first savings account. Because that’s the other thing about high yield savings accounts: They are usually online banks that would require adding a second bank to your life (and another bank to check in on). Once you get used to saving and feel comfortable with your money in more than one place, then I would recommend moving your emergency savings to a high yield savings account.

Olivia: Okay, I feel good about that.

Why Should I Get A Rewards Credit Card?

Hannah: Okay, now let’s get you a better credit card! Do you use a credit card right now?

Olivia: I do now, but my parents — I think this is a Boomer thing — are very “credit card debt is evil, do not even mess with that shit.” So my parents never wanted me to get a credit card.

Hannah: Here’s the thing, credit card debt, which is consumer debt, can be very bad because many credit cards have very high interest rates if you don’t pay your credit card off in full every month. This is how people get stuck in a cycle of debt. However, having a credit card and paying it off every month — or even routinely paying it off every week — gives you the ability to grow your credit score, which you need to get an apartment, business loans, and mortgages. What is the credit card that you have now?

Olivia: Okay, so when I moved to New York, I had never had a credit card and therefore didn’t have credit so it was really hard to get an apartment. That’s when I ignored my parents’ bad advice and got the only one that would approve me, which was a starter card from a big bank. I started with only a few hundred dollars of credit and have increased my limit over time.

Hannah: How much of your daily spending is on your credit card?

Olivia: I try to put all of my expenses on it now.

Hannah: Okay, great. And do you get any rewards?

Olivia: No, I don’t get any rewards.

Hannah: Okay. So, this has been a great starter credit card to get you credit and get you used to having a credit card. Now, it’s time to get a nicer credit card that might cost a little bit of money but you get a lot of rewards. For example, when I got my current travel rewards card, I was able to go to Australia for free. 

Olivia: That’s awesome. Okay, so when I get this new credit card, do I keep my old card or is this something that I close out?

Hannah: Okay so for credit score reasons it is best to keep both of your credit cards and make one or two purchases a month on the old card. This will raise your credit score because the amount of money you spend every month will be lower vs the amount of credit you have (because you’ll have two different credit lines). That being said, I ended up closing my starter card because it wasn’t serving me at all and it was giving me anxiety to have a second card with no real rewards.

Olivia: Yeah, minimizing anxiety is the sole motivator of every move I make.

Hannah: Oh, one other thing about the higher value travel cards, there will be a yearly fee. It’s usually anywhere between $100-$500 a year.

Olivia: Okay. I didn’t know you had to pay for special credit cards.

Hannah: Yeah. A lot of travel credit cards that give you perks cost money. There are rewards cards, such as cashback cards, that don’t cost money, but if you want a travel card, it will cost you a bit.

Olivia: That’s so funny, what a weird system we live in.

What Is 401(k) And How Do I Use It Correctly?

Hannah: Okay, let’s talk about your 401(k). You want to make sure you’re maxing out the match from the company. To do this you can log into your 401(k) account and see what percentage you are contributing. It’s actually really fun to do because then you feel so rich, because you’re like, “I didn’t realize that I have so much money in my 401(k)!” The gold standard of your total contribution (your contribution plus your company match) was previously around 10%, but since we live longer that number has increased to 15% or more. If you want to retire at 67 and have $50,000 a year from your 401k, you’ll need roughly $1 million in your account when you retire. You can use this calculator to play around with exactly how much you want to have/how much you have to save.

Olivia: Interesting, okay. Yeah, I’ve had a 401(k) for about four years — since I was hired full-time by Refinery29. Before that, I was freelancing and before that, I was in college. I was aware I had a 401(k) when I got this job, but I don’t think I even looked at it until maybe a year later because I didn’t understand what it was or how much I should be contributing. I think either someone in HR gave a presentation or a co-worker told me how much the company matched, and I finally adjusted my contribution amount with that info. 

Hannah: Okay, that’s good to know. Because you are in a good financial position and we have a company match, you definitely want to be contributing at least up to the company match. For example, if your company will match you 100% up to 5% of your salary (so they’ll double your monthly contribution), you want to make sure you are contributing at least 5%. If you remain in a good financial position (you can comfortably afford all your bills and day-to-day expenses) you’ll want to keep contributing. However, if, say, your spouse suddenly gets laid off, or you have an unexpected large expense, it’s okay to pause your 401(k) contribution for a while until you’re stable again. It is also okay to wait to start a 401(k) until you make enough money to cover your bills and day-to-day expenses ,if you don’t have any kind of emergency fund. This doesn’t apply specifically to you, but if you were making $30,000 living in NYC and had no savings to speak of, I would say it is okay to build up your savings for now before you save for retirement.

Olivia: That makes sense.

Hannah: Oh, and the other thing is that you want to make sure, and write this down, that you are currently doing a Roth 401(k). This means your contribution is AFTER taxes instead of before. You are making probably less money now than you are going to be later in your life, so you want them to take the tax out now as opposed to when you retire. If you expect in your lifetime that this will not be the highest salary that you will make then make sure it’s a Roth 401(k).

Olivia: Gotcha, that’s definitely not something I understood. I do not currently have a Roth 401(k). I remember seeing that there were different options and trying to make a decision about what was best but it didn’t make any sense to me before, so I just went with the default. To be honest, none of this really made sense to me. I’m not sure I even totally get what a 401(k) is?

Hannah: A 401(k) is a company-sponsored long term investment account. Basically you give your money (and sometimes some of the company’s money) to a retirement investment company and they invest it very safely for you. It’s making money over time because they’re not putting it in volatile markets. It will have long term slow growth. It’s similar to a pension.

Olivia: Okay, got it. And what about if I change jobs or get laid off? What do I do then?

Hannah: Great question! If you go from having a job with a 401(k) to having no job, you have a few options. If you have more than $5,000 in your account you can leave it there and it will continue to collect interest until you retire (or the company closes that 401(k) account). You can also roll it over in an IRA account, which is similar to a 401(k) but not tied to an employer. If it’s less than $5,000, you can cash it out penalty-free, but you’ll have to pay taxes on it. If you go from one job with a 401(k) to another job with a 401(k) you can rollover your original 401(k) into your new 401(k), which means you just transfer your balance from one account to another. This is usually relatively simple, I would recommend calling your 401(k) company and they’ll walk you through it.

Olivia: This is very good to know. And when can I access my 401(k)?

Hannah: You can start accessing the money without penalty when you are 59 ½. Before then, there is a penalty for removing funds (it depends how much money, but usually 10%) and you’ll have to pay taxes as well. It’s a little bit different during the pandemic as the CARES act temporarily allows you to remove up to $100,000 from your 401(k) without the 10% penalty, but you still have to pay taxes. Basically, if you can, don’t remove the money until you’re ready to retire.

Olivia: Sounds good.

Hannah: Any other questions?

Olivia: I think I’m good.

Hannah: Oh my god, you can do this. I’m so excited for you. You’re going to get to have the sexy, hard, metal card. And a savings account!

Olivia: Well, thank you, thank you for helping me.

Hannah: Literally anytime.

 ******

Olivia here! Hannah and I had this conversation on a Thursday afternoon, and by the next morning, I had  opened a savings account, gotten a new rewards credit card, and tweaked my 401(k) to work for me. My biggest takeaway from this money makeover was that so much of this stuff is way more simple than it seems. It took a little time for Hannah to explain the basics of what a 401(k) is or why you should use a credit card with rewards or open a savings account, but accomplishing the actual tasks seriously took like 20 minutes.

True story: For the past four years, I’ve had a note in my phone that says, “New Years resolution 2017 — open a savings account.” I hadn’t been able to bring myself to tackle the task because I thought it would be time consuming and confusing. I think for a lot of people, personal finance decisions feel really complicated, but most of the time, depending on your financial situation, these little tweaks are pretty straightforward and the benefits are huge. If you’re in that camp, I’m here to tell you: It actually isn’t as hard as you thought. There’s no need to let these money moves hang over your head for years like I did. 

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In 2019, I didn’t travel much. Instead, I swiped my credit card for every purchase and racked up points that I planned to use for a whirlwind luxury adventure in 2020. Spoiler alert: I ended up using those points to pay for groceries around month seven of being stuck inside my tiny NYC apartment.

As COVID-19 raged across the world, every industry had to adjust to the new reality — and the credit card industry was no different. Travel credit cards changed their tune, awarding points for groceries and gas over travel and dining; cardholders turned to cashback cards to help pay their bills as unemployment soared. As the credit card industry adapted, so did those who relied on credit cards for a living — namely credit card points hackers and travel bloggers.

The Points Guy, a credit card and travel/lifestyle website founded by Brian Kelly, is the behemoth of the credit card points world. With everything from luxury hotel reviews to tips and tricks to maximize your credit card points for otherwise impossible travel, The Points Guy has long relied on its ability to make enviable travel achievable. When the pandemic hit and travel was all but shut down, The Points Guy had to shift — and they had to shift quickly. “[At the beginning of the pandemic] we focused our coverage on helping our millions of readers navigate the new travel landscape — including how to get flight refunds, which travel insurance covers COVID-19 and which countries were open to US travelers,” Kelly explains. Once the initial shock wore off, they shifted their entire focus: “We were already transitioning beyond a purely points and miles, to a lifestyle and travel site, but COVID-19 accelerated this move.”

As the world settled into extended quarantine, so did The Points Guy. They showed readers how to use points to pay for food, bills, and online shopping and they prepared their readers for life after COVID — encouraging them to save a stash of points for post-pandemic “revenge travel.” Due to their size and keen finger on the pulse of travel trends, their transition away from pure travel content was seamless.

On the other side of the credit card points travel expert spectrum are travel influencers — people whose entire career rests on their ability to travel, usually full time. Haley Plotkin, who has run the blog and Instagram @readysetjetset since 2013, has traveled full time for the last five years — meaning she didn’t even have an official residence when the pandemic hit. “Having my own place didn’t make sense before, so I just stayed with my parents when I was home [in Austin, TX] for a day or two,” she says. “Now, I just live full time with my parents and I’m investing in furniture instead of travel.” For Plotkin, COVID-19 meant a complete shift in her content and income streams. With tourism boards and hotels canceling their programs, she was forced to shift from international travel guides and luxury island getaways to local Austin content and wine partnerships. Thankfully, with over 100,000 instagram followers, she had enough of a following to find other work, and though her income is certainly down since 2019, she’s still able to live.

For some travel bloggers, though — especially those with smaller followings — the pandemic may mean the end of their careers as they know them. Dia Jin, a YouTuber who had been traveling and vlogging about travel hacking full time for three years when COVID hit, lost 90% of her business and had to rethink her entire career. “I started producing content around personal growth and spiritual expansion, but now everything is a bit up in the air,” Jin explains. She has settled in one place for the first time since she graduated college, and is racking up credit card points for future travels — even if she’ll just be traveling for fun, not work.

Jin is not alone in dreaming of a travel-fueled future, even as she doesn’t know when the skies will become friendly again — and she’s definitely not alone in hoarding her points with that in mind. According to Jasmin Baron, a finance writer and Associate Editor of Credit Cards at Business Insider: “I think a lot of folks are still banking rewards and building up a stash to take a big trip when the pandemic ends. A sort of rewards splurge, if you will.”

And even if the people traveling post-COVID don’t plan on profiting off it in the same way they once did, it’s hard to tell what lesson they’ll have learned from the pandemic. Will it be that credit card points shouldn’t be merely a way to experience luxury, but rather a way to stretch every dollar spent? Or will it be that, even if the system changes, there’s always a way to game it?

As for me, I fall somewhere in between: While I’ll be saving up some points for international travel in 2022, I also can’t help but feel glee when I pay myself back for my endless takeout purchases as the pandemic rages on. I might not be a credit card points influencer, but I do appreciate getting perks where I can find them.

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I’m just going to come out and say it, 2020 was hard. It was hard mentally, physically, and emotionally. It was so hard in fact that our drinks followed suit and became hard as well. This was the year of alcoholic coconut water, kombucha, tea, and pressed juice. It was the year we took a break from sober curiosity and everyone from Corona to Budweiser ran after the dream of hard seltzer. In a year when businesses around the world struggled, the alcohol industry soared. According to Drizly’s 2020 Consumer Report, alcohol sales were up 1,089% this year, and we saw more new types of alcohol than ever before.

Personally, alcohol has played a big role in my year. Yes, I taste and write about alcohol for a living, but it also brought me a kind of joy I desperately needed. Besides marrying my wife over Zoom, discovering Troop’s Bourbon Smash (which is arguably the best canned cocktail in the world, imho) was the highlight of my year. It brought a smile to my face in the same way discovering a new restaurant might have in previous years. When there was nowhere to go but our kitchens and our living rooms, innovation in the alcohol space felt refreshing. This year also brought a new range to ready-to-drink (RTD) alcohol. On one end, there are the craft cans, like Troop, Onda, Cutwater Spirits, and Fick’s, and on the other hand, there’s peppermint pattie Bud Light seltzer, Truly Extra Hard, and the very smashable Loverboy hard tea. Somewhere jumbled in the middle is the infusion of alcohol in every drink imaginable, coconut water (Crook & Marker) to pressed juice (Pulp Culture) to spiked still water (NOCA, and yes this is just uncarbonated hard seltzer). 

Maybe I should be embarrassed that taking my first sip of Troop’s Bourbon Smash was such a notable high point in my year, but this is 2020 so I’m distinctly not embarrassed. A small canned cocktail company based in California, Troop launched in October, in the middle of a pandemic, with a line of three full-strength high-quality canned cocktails. When I first tasted the Bourbon Smash (my personal favorite of the three, though there is also a gin drink and a rum mojito), I felt transported. I didn’t feel stuck in my small Brooklyn apartment, I felt like I was inside of an actual restaurant with an actual mixologist making actual drinks. After eight months of being stuck inside (and unable to go to restaurants for health safety), I felt a giddiness I had all but forgotten about. Troop’s Bourbon Smash made me remember a part of myself that I love — the social, goes-to-bars-and-tries-new-drinks part of me.

Now, I’m not one for regularly waxing poetic about ready-to-drink alcohol, but in a year when everything was hard, giving myself permission to be giddy about a canned cocktail felt like a gift. And this excitement over alcohol has become a regular occurrence in many people’s lives. Social psychologist Dr. Devon Price has seen this both in her research and in her own life — survey data has shown a 14% increase in overall alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. “Our research has shown that single people who live alone are more likely to drink more often and more regularly,” Dr. Price explains. “Anecdotally, I used to come home from work and have a glass of wine once or twice a week. Now, I finish work, I’m already home, so I might as well make myself a margarita.”  

Dr. Price also points out that while discovering new alcohol or becoming an at-home mixologist can be a fun new quarantine hobby, those with a predisposition to alcohol use disorders have felt the weight of the pandemic. “Psychologically, people use alcohol for relief from anxiety, depression, and stress. And people are bored,” she says. “Plus, we’re all at home. Alcohol disorders usually come to a head when it begins to interfere with your life, but if you’re home all the time, there’s no one telling you you’re messing up. If you’re not going into work or anywhere else, it can become a problem.”

Dr. Price explains that while the disease of alcoholism is a serious issue, those with the disease are in the minority. For the most part, people are drinking more because they are, in general, being more lenient with themselves, “They’re saying, ‘Screw it, this is a pandemic. Why wouldn’t I have a cocktail?'”

While the difficulties of 2020 led to a collective increase in alcohol consumption, the silver lining of this year is that this facilitated the absolutely groundbreaking innovations we saw in the alcohol industry. While unemployment soared, small RTD and spirit businesses were allowed the space to flourish, explore, and grow. Loverboy, a hard tea from Summer House stars Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula, saw sales skyrocket during the pandemic. “Our sales grew 200-400% every single month this year,” Cooke explains. “We became the #5 hard seltzer in our markets and sold out of our product every month from April to December.” In fact, the demand spiked so high, Cooke and Batula had to find a new distributor to keep up with demand.

As this unprecedented year comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on how truly hard it has been. From being stuck inside to forgetting what real social interaction feels like, to the steep increase in both the size and variety of my Drizly orders — it is safe to say 2020 was the hardest year yet. While 2021 may bring new challenges in the form of social anxiety and the reintroduction of drinking in restaurants, for now, I will be ringing in the new year safely from home with a can of hard seltzer in hand.

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Spoiler Alert: Heavy spoilers ahead for the entire season of The Undoing.

It’s unfortunate but, after watching the recent finale of HBO’s The Undoing, my Google search history officially looks like that of a deranged killer. No regrets, though, because I desperately need to know what happens to all the blood and fingerprints when you put a hammer in the dishwasher. Could a regular dishwasher — maybe on the pots and pans cycle? — rid a murderous hammer of evidence to the point that it would be deemed unusable in a court of law? Basically, I was wondering: Did The Undoing‘s Henry make a smart — albeit very illegal — move? Or was it simply a rash pre-teen, scared-as-hell move? Or, both?

The answer to all three of those questions is probably: yes. When Henry finds the hammer-in-question wrapped in paper in an outdoor fireplace, we can see that there is some dried blood on its metal head, as well as some blood splatter down the wooden handle. He then runs it through the dishwasher twice (questionable how he did this without anybody noticing, but I guess when you’re The Undoing-level of rich you have more than one dishwasher?), and stows it in his violin case. When Henry’s mom finds the hammer, it’s completely clean. Like, so clean. Like, all the blood and — we assume — fingerprints are gone levels of clean. It’s the kind of clean that had me wondering: Is this even possible?

I’m not a hammer-cleaning expert, but I do own a lot of metal pans and wooden spoons, and so I know that if you put them in the dishwasher, you can definitely get a lot of stuff off them — including oil. Since fingerprints are just oily residue, the guilty party’s fingerprints certainly could have been at least partially washed away. Blood, though, is a different matter.

According to Murphy Oil Soaps, to remove blood that’s sunken into wood, you’d need steel wool and bleach, which would leave a bleach stain, meaning the hammer handle would have been stained lighter — and not in a uniform way, making it pretty evident that it had been tampered with. Plus, the blood would have had time to sink into the wood since it spent 24-plus hours hidden in the fireplace prior to being washed. While the blood in question probably only belonged to the murder victim here, there could have been traces of the murderer’s blood as well.

There’s another risk involved with cleaning a murder weapon in a dishwasher though: Trace DNA could be left inside the dishwasher, too. So even if the hammer provides no evidence, the dishwasher could.

Because my curiosity has no end, I also spoke with a crime tech (who wished to remain anonymous), who confirmed my suspicions. “Due to the high evidential value of this item, it would always be subject to high-end forensic examination,” he said. “So, though [the dishwashing] would hamper recovery, under the right conditions it could yield both DNA and or fingermarks.” While the actual findings would depend on quite a few details (how hot the water was, type of detergent, etc), he assured me that, although a dishwasher could “potentially destroy any useful evidence,” some items have survived very harsh conditions and still yielded evidence years after they were used in crimes.

So, did Henry actually do a good job at protecting the murderer (in this case, his father, yikes) by running the hammer through the dishwasher (twice!)? Honestly, probably. At the very least he would have gotten some of the fingerprints off and probably some of the blood, too — especially the blood on the hammer’s head.

As to the question of whether or not he should have obstructed justice in the first place? Well, he’s just a kid who wants a dog and a functional set of married parents, so can you blame him?

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At 5 p.m. on Election Day 2020 I was full of nerves so I did what any decent person would do, I called my fiancé into the kitchen and set up a taste test of Bud Light’s Ugly Sweater Seltzer Variety Pack. My fiancé graciously sat down with me and readied her solo cup (along with a second cup for spitting out the seltzer after a good taste because, unfortunately, she is undergoing medical treatment that precludes her from ingesting alcohol).

In terms of makeup, the Ugly Sweater Variety Pack, which is available for a limited time only, is similar to Bud Light’s previous hard seltzers. The variety pack includes four flavors, all of which are 5% ABV, 100 calories, and contain less than one gram of sugar. The biggest difference appears in the flavors themselves — namely, most of them aren’t flavors we’ve seen in any other mainstream hard seltzers before. As a self-proclaimed hard seltzer connoisseur, the holiday-adjacent flavors (Peppermint Pattie, Ginger Snap, Apple Crisp, and Cranberry) both intrigued and terrified me. Needless to say, I needed to know if Christmas candy and Thanksgiving pie could be canned and carbonated, so we turned the blaring news down and dug in.

Cranberry

Not to be biased, but cranberry hard seltzer is almost always my favorite. No matter the brand, I’ll clamor my way to canned alcoholic cranberry whenever it’s available — so I expected to at the very least not hate this one. And I did not, in fact, hate it. Actually, I quite enjoyed it and would go as far as to say that this crisp and tart seltzer was my favorite of the pack. My fiancé ended up placing this one third because she thought it tasted a bit like Bud Light beer, but she also admitted to not loving cranberry flavored drinks to begin with. In the end, we collectively decided it would be an appropriate flavor to bring to a party — that is, if we ever get to have those again. It’s a general crowd-pleaser.

Apple Crisp

The Apple Crisp seltzer took me by complete surprise. If I’m being 1000% honest, I thought this would be disgusting. The idea of seltzer with a hint of pie just didn’t sound appetizing. That being said, it actually tasted almost exactly like apple crisp and was far more refreshing than I anticipated. With notes of nutmeg, apple, and cinnamon, it reminded me of a not-so-sweet hard cider. At first, I said I would drink it if it was handed to me but wasn’t sure if I would buy it myself. By the end of the can, I had changed my mind. Apple Crisp can have a place in my winter hard seltzer rotation. My fiancé agreed and decided this one was better than the cranberry flavor. She also suggested that I use the seltzer as a cocktail base with bourbon and bitters, so I tried it, and it was pretty delicious.

Ginger Snap

My fiancé couldn’t wait to try Ginger Snap. She’s a huge ginger beer fan, so she had high hopes. I, on the other hand, was skeptical, seeing as I’ve been burned by ginger hard seltzer in the past. So, I was pleasantly surprised when it did taste almost exactly like a light ginger beer. This stood out as my fiancé’s favorite, though I put it in third place because I didn’t really want to finish the entire can. It was great for a few sips, but halfway through those twelve ounces, I was done.

Peppermint Pattie

This is the seltzer I did not want to even try. I’ve had mint hard seltzers before, and they can be super hit or miss. I was also extra skeptical because this one added a dark chocolate flavor to the mix, which felt risky in a seltzer. And I wasn’t wrong. This seltzer literally tasted like a tootsie roll and a peppermint dissolved in water. And not in a great way. My fiancé put it plainly, “I don’t know if it’s the chemo, but I don’t like this one.” We decided this seltzer’s flavor was reminiscent of the swish and spit that you do at the dentist, which isn’t necessarily terrible but also isn’t something that I wanted to sip throughout the night. I wish Bud Light had gone for a solid peppermint flavor because the true downfall of this seltzer was the fake chocolate taste.

Final Thoughts

In the end, Bud Light’s Ugly Sweater Variety Pack can be summed up in one word, surprising. The flavors were, for the most part, pretty good. We also appreciated the gimmick of it all — tasting these seltzers was a really good quarantine activity and a solid hour-long distraction from election anxiety. Plus, the packaging is really cute. It has a wintery sweater pattern on it as well as a little tag that says “to and from” so you could easily give this as a gift — I think it would be great as a secret santa gift for a coworker. All in all, this actually feels like a step up for Bud Light. Compared to their other canned drinks, this pack is definitely more innovative — both in taste and presentation. While some of the flavors may be divisive, that’s almost the point. Bud Light gave us something to talk (and drink) about at the Christmas dinner table, and that in itself is a win.

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If escapist tropical content is your thing, then you’re probably ready to dive into another season with Captain Lee as he drives a giant boat all over the Caribbean. Though the trailer teases that COVID will hit at some point in the season, for the most part, this season of Below Deck will feature what every other season has featured: rich people asking for ridiculous things, beautiful blue waters, and just so much crew drama. Personally, I cannot wait to sink my teeth into this Captain Lee-helmed season (though, I am a Sandy stan at heart) and pretend I’m sliding down the annoying water slide that will most definitely cause tension between the crewmates. And, of course, I’m thrilled for another season of tip meetings and gawking at how much money passengers spend in such a short period of time. Ahead, we investigate just how much the cast of Below Deck makes.

What Are The Below Deck Crew Salaries?

While we can’t say for sure what the actual Below Deck crew make, we can make some educated guesses based on average superyacht crew salary and average tip per the show. We’re also going to assume that the cast gets some kind of appearance fee for being on the Bravo series.

According to my extensive YouTube searching and Crewfinder International, for a Below Deck-sized superyacht (this season’s yacht, My Seanna, clocks in at 185 feet), a second and third steward(ess) would make about $5,000 a month, a chief steward(ess) would make $5,500-$6,000 a month, and a chef would make $7,000-$10,000 a month, depending on experience and training. In terms of the exterior, a deckhand would make $3,500-$4,500 a month and a bosun would make $5,000 a month. This is before tip, which across the Below Deck seasons averages $15,000 a person for about six weeks of work. So a third stew could easily come away with $22,500 after a month and a half. Not too shabby.

Now, the Below Deck cast doesn’t work an entire yachting season, which is actually between four and five months, so it is completely possible that the crew moves on to their next boat and makes even more money throughout the season.

What Is Captain Lee’s Salary?

While this isn’t actually disclosed by Bravo or Captain Lee himself, Crewfinder International estimates that a captain of a 185-foot superyacht makes between $150-$210,000 a year, assuming he or she works the full year. This is also before tip, which could add $100,000 on top of that salary if he or she works charters the full year. Wowza, time to get into yachting.

How Much Does It Cost To Charter A Below Deck Yacht?

This year’s superyacht is big, even in the superyacht world. At 185 feet, My Seanna, sleeps 12 guests and 12 crew members. The yacht has its own gym and sauna, movie theater, deck jacuzzi, every water toy you could imagine, and helipad. While the Below Deck guests usually only charter the yachts for three or four days (and therefore pay about half the normal price), pricing is usually based on a per week schedule. If you want to charter My Seanna, you’ll have to hand over a mere $395,000 for the week. This is, of course, not including tip, tax, and fees. Needless to say, this is going to be one bougie season and I cannot wait.

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If an alien came to visit Earth right now, they’d see a whole lot of staying inside (hopefully), masks covering faces, and a complete lack of normal activity. The only constant they would find? Good ol’ Pumpkin Spice Lattes. That’s right y’all, PSLs are coming back very soon, which is oddly the most comforting thing to happen to me in all of 2020.

Now, we can’t say when exactly they’re coming back to Starbucks across the nation, but over its seventeen-year history the release has tended towards Labor Day weekend — last year they dropped early on August 27. Oh, and one California Starbucks location recently posted on Instagram that it’s coming back August 28, so there’s hope for a similarly early release.

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Who is excited for the Pumpkin Spice launch!! 🎃🧡🍂 Coming August 28th!! Mark your calendars!! #tobeapartner #starbucks #pumpkinspice #fall #newdrinks #madera #latte #pumpkin

A post shared by Yosemite & Tozer (@starbucksyosemiteandtozer) on Aug 2, 2020 at 8:30am PDT

Though Starbucks hasn’t officially confirmed the return date of PSLs to locations across the country, we can confirm that Pumpkin Spice is back in our grocery store aisles — a perfect treat for this pandemic. Whether you’re braving the store yourself or Instacart-ing your way to autumnal perfection, you can now get Starbucks Pumpkin Spice in the form of K-Cups, Roast & Ground, VIA Instant Coffee, and Flavored Creamer. If you can’t wait for the traditional PSL to hit stores, you can always grab a Ready To Drink Iced Espresso Classics Pumpkin Spice Latte to stock your fridge until the end of the month. And for all you fall fanatics, Pumpkin Spice isn’t the only fall flavor coming to your taste buds this year — PSLs will be joined by Maple Pecan and Salted Caramel Mocha, which both sound truly mouth-watering.

Now, I won’t lie to you, I’ve never been one to clamor to Starbucks the second the Pumpkin Spice syrup hits stores. Sure, I’ve dabbled in pumpkin spicing here and there and was very into PSLs as a teenager, but my taste buds have bittered over time. So why do I feel myself holding on to every speck of PSL news I can find? Maybe it’s because for the last seventeen years Starbucks has given me a clear sign that fall is coming, which in a pandemic world, is a beautiful, spicy-sweet reminder that despite it all, the world is still turning. I’ll see y’all in the coffee aisle, wearing a mask, six feet apart, twelve bottle of Pumpkin Spice Creamer in hand.

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Hannah Rimm, Khareem Sudlow