Yes, of course you’re hoping that your parents will pay for your phone, but two things:  If you offer to pay at least part of the cost, you’ll be showing your parents that you take the situation seriously and it will make them more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt. If your parents say no, you can continue saving your money and approach them later, offering to cover even more of the cost to show your commitment. In addition to making good argumentative points, you should show your parents that you’re responsible enough to merit a smartphone.  Take care of your current possessions. Keep what you do have, whether it’s a laptop, tablet, or flip phone, in good shape. Protect it, don’t drop it, don’t lose it, and let your parents see how well you’re taking care of it. Act responsibly by attending to your assigned chores, or, if you don’t have specific chores assigned to you, pay attention to what needs to be done around the house and do it without being asked. Take out the trash, set the trash cans out on trash day and bring them back in afterward, change and wash your sheets, clean the dog poop out of the yard, wash the dishes in the sink, straighten up the living room, etc. The more you demonstrate responsible behavior, the more likely your parents will be to see you as responsible enough for a smartphone. Show your parents that you’re focused enough and doing well enough in school to handle a smartphone.  If it seems like you’re barely getting through your classes as it is, they’re unlikely to want to give you anything to additionally distract you. For the weeks leading up to when you’ll ask your parents, work on doing all your homework, getting As on tests and quizzes, etc.

Summary: Start saving money. Demonstrate your responsibility. Get good grades in school.


Understanding the name and function of each part is essential in maintaining control over your gun at all times. This helps you aim with precision and tells you which side to hold the gun on (if applicable).  Extend both arms in front of you. Make a small circle with the index fingers and thumbs of both hands. Looking through the circle, focus on a distant object. Draw the circle back towards you, still focusing on the object. The eye in line with the circle is the dominant eye. If you are shooting an air rifle, the gun should rest on the same side as your dominant eye. Breathing - or, rather, not breathing - is an important element in aiming your gun. The movement of the body as it breathes makes it difficult to get a good sight picture, much less shoot straight.  Breath and relax the body before aiming. Take a deep breath and exhale halfway. Hold your breath halfway exhaled as you aim and squeeze the trigger, then exhale. You can practice this technique without your gun to get used to it.

Summary: Familiarize yourself with the parts of your BB gun. Determine your dominant eye. Learn the proper breathing technique.


While you may think you need to lift everyday to build up your muscles, you really need to only lift 2 or 3 times a week for 30 minutes each time. In fact, the vegan diet may better sustain this type of workout method, rather than a long daily workout, as it allows more time for recovery. Don't work the same body parts everyday. Pick a day for each group, so that you are slowing building up each set. For instance, you could work on your front upper body one day, your back and buttocks the next workout, and you lower half at your next workout. Another strategy would be to do a full-body workout 3x/week so that all muscle groups are being hit 3x/week versus 1x/week. This is helpful if you are following a vegan diet because muscle retention/building is so important to overall health.  One exercise you could try for your front upper body is the barbell bench press. Lay down with your back to a bench. Lift the barbell up over your body with your arms almost locked. Have someone spot for you if you haven't done this exercise before. Lower the bar towards your chest, and then hold it for a brief second. Extend your arms back up, lifting the bar. Breathe in as you bring it back down, and breath out as you push it back up. Repeat 6 to 8 times until you begin to feel the strain, then set the bar up to take a short break.  For your back and biceps, try a wide-grip lat pulldown. Once sitting on the bench, make sure your knees are up against the knee bar. Grab the bar from above. Push your chest out, and lean back a little. Pull the bar down using only your arms. Breathe out as you slowly bring the bar back up. Breathe in as you pull it back down. Repeat until you feel it in your muscles, and then take a break.  For your legs, use a barbell squat. With the barbell at the correct height on a rack, center the bar on the back of your neck across your shoulders. Move away from the rack with the barbell on your shoulders with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down with the barbell still on your shoulders, as if you are sitting in a chair. Breathe in as you squat down. Try to keep your back straight. You should stop lowering yourself once your thighs are parallel to the floor. Breathe out and push yourself back up. Repeat 6 to 8 times, then place the barbell back on the rack for a break. If you're new to strength training, use the help available to you at your gym. Many gyms have trainers to help you learn how to properly use equipment, including weights. If you don't learn proper technique, you could injure yourself. Your trainer will work with you to learn techniques such as warming up (doing 5 minutes of aerobic exercise before lifting), keeping your body in proper alignment, increasing the weight you lift slowly, and learning to breathe properly while lifting. That is, you are trying to work certain muscles at a time. If it seems too easy and you don't feel anything while lifting, you may need to adjust the way you're lifting. Don't automatically switch to a higher weight. You don't want to strain your muscles by adding on too much weight too quickly. If you feel sudden pains or strains in your joints, you should stop that exercise. It's ok for the muscle to have slight burning, but you can injure your joints if you don't pay attention to them while lifting.

Summary: Lift 3 times a week. Trade off which body part you work. Ask for help. Feel for the burn. Know when to stop.


You want to have the lighter firmly in your hand, with a bit of the lighter's bottom poking out of the thumb side of your first. The lighter will be in line with the point of your middle knuckles. In other words, the long side of the lighter bottom will be parallel with your thumb.
Summary: Hold the lighter tightly in your fist so that bottom 1/2" is all that is visible.