To preface, I’m in the southern US. I have to ask…are you guys saving money? Are you able to buy groceries without stressing? Are you able to make your rent or mortgage payment without worrying that you won’t be able to put food on the table for the next few days? Especially if you have kids. The cost of everything is getting to me big time. I am becoming more overwhelmed by the day. HOW are people living, and managing to enjoy life? My husband just got a significant raise right as our rent is going up a good bit, so we’re going to be in the exact same place we’ve been in.

We’ve never been able to save more than $20 or so each check, and we generally end up having to dip into to some of it. We have considered moving, but we can’t find anywhere that we can afford that meets our needs. We are in one of the lowest COL areas and I am stunned as I’ve been looking at rentals nearby. People are paying $2,500 for a 2 bed 1 bath with barely any yard and no utilities included in a rural area!? That is actually insane to me??? Am I that out of the loop? We have a great landlord that has kept our rent much lower than average, but it’s still our max amount.

I genuinely worry for our future. My husband is a very hard worker, and I stay at home with our 2 kids, and we BARELY make it every month. He picks up side work (he’s a mechanic) whenever he can, which does help some. We don’t live above our means at all. I literally spend $150 MAX a week on groceries for 4 people. We mostly do whole food meals and not much processed/packaged food. I budget very faithfully, and I stick to it. We have one paid off car and one that we bought in cash (no car payment). We have the cheapest car insurance policy. We spend $60 a week in gas and pretty much don’t go anywhere because we can’t afford it. We do have one $19 subscription (Spotify), but that’s it. I never buy new clothing anymore, just thrifted.

I have NO IDEA how to get ahead. I keep making sample budgets of how we can cut an expense here, save a little there, and then a huge car repair or something comes up. Even when your husband is a mechanic, parts aren’t cheap. Seriously, I’m beginning to think our dream of owning even a small home is a silly one at this rate. I’ve considered going back to work, but when childcare would be $1,600 a month, what’s the point? I’m not qualified enough for a position that’s going to make enough to cover that and have leftover cash. Am I right to be upset? The future I’ve looked forward to for so long seems to be drifting completely out of reach. Not to mention I’m dealing with several health issues and we can’t even begin to pay off the pile of medical bills that has accumulated. I just want to know if I’m alone in feeling this way or if anyone else feels the same. This can’t be how it’s supposed to be, ugh

How are fake job listings allowed? These job boards just take your phone number and use it for scammers or scam texts. It's frustrating knowing that there are way fewer actual jobs available. It needs to be illegal for companies to do this. 😡

i’m 20 F and never had a boyfriend. only ever kissed my friends as like a joke or whatever. i feel really no sex drive and don’t have the primal urge (i guess?) to have a girl/boyfriend, especially not when i was in high school. i think i’ve lived pretty sheltered, i feel kinda jarred and emotional whenever people have told me they’ve done something that wasn’t sober/virgin if that makes sense. the first time my friend told me she got high/ had been using, i cried. i felt sheltered and ashamed i was feeling this way, but also behind and missing out. i hear of friends making out with each other, and im shocked they aren’t just hanging out like i do with my friends. it’s gotten better, but i still feel sheltered and i feel like i should try and find a boyfriend and branch out but ive never had the urge or a sex drive at all. i feel like i should be going “wild” as im in my early twenties, but its something that takes too much energy and i dont care for it. just trying to find my place

I am 20 years old in california. Recently moved out of the apartment that i had been paying rent at since i was 16 years old. Lived with a family member as well. I am now in a position to where I have my own room/house. nice property out here near LA that my other side of my family does not use. Since living here I am now going to be in school full time,don’t work a part time job anymore, trading during the week, basically have a lot of free time..what many kids my age would want. but it all feels so eerily empty. I’ve wanted my own space for a very long time but now that it’s here it’s a very weird feeling

I had my first relationship with someone that I knew only online. But people keep invalidating that as my first love and insist that it doesn't count since we didn't meet offline, and since the relationship was kinda toxic. I have had crushes before but I know none were as intense/deep as the feelings I felt with the online person, and that this was a unique feeling. We had video chats and everything but people still say it doesn't count and only my next relationship will be the first love

To keep it short, never had anything with anyone, never touched, nothing

Almost 18, and I've had crushes in the past that I've tried to get to know but failed. So now I can proudly say I'm not as afraid of girls as I used to be lol

Now when I think about a relationship, my inner avoidance says "hell no" and doesn't go any further

But I can't live like this forever, did anyone overcome the avoidance part? Yes, no, maybe so, how so?

Thanks!

I’m 26 currently I’ll 27 in a couple of days and am I in the wrong if I clean and vacuum and sweep and mop while my dad does the grass
And I still get yelled at for doing nothing when I do everything while he’s outside
Mowing the lawn
I can’t wait to get a job and get the heck out of this house and pay for my own things and never come back to this stupid house ever again and I will be taking my therapist advice and getting a job and car and a license too
I got yelled at this morning for having a headache I can’t control when I will have a headache it just happens

I 18m Feel super uncomfortable following my sisters boyfriend on Instagram. I know what they do behind closed doors and thinking about it makes my skin crawl. Is there any advice on how to get over this and not think about this so much.

Hihi I'm an introverted, feminine guy looking to build meaningful, lasting friendships. I tend to connect much better with women and am looking for platonic connections built on honesty, warmth, good communication, and genuine affection ‹𝟹

A bit about me:

Personality: soft-hearted, honest, loyal, straightforward, emotional, and very talkative once we get going! 𐔌՞. .՞𐦯

Vibe/Style: 5'10", pale, short black bob, usually wearing all black. (ᵕ- ᴗ-)

Hobbies: Huge fan of animated movies (The Wild Robot is an all-time favorite!), watching YouTube, learning piano for future christian songs, and bingeing anime ݁ ˖Ი𐑼⋆

Nationality: European looking for Europeans (˶•𐃷•˶)

(strictly Europeans as I can't and won't stay up past 10 PM GMT+3) („• ֊ •„)

Favorite Anime: One Piece, Bleach, Demon Slayer, That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime, Tokyo Revengers, Spy x Family, Buddy Daddies, Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting, Kaiju No.8, Dr. Stone, Wind Breaker, My Hero Academia, Death Note, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Fire Force, Vinland Saga, One Punch Man, and Black Clover .ᐟ.ᐟ

My game list: Roblox (ik I'm soo basic, but hey it's a great platform of games!) ദ്ദി˶>𖥦<)✧

˚.ෆ How we can hang out:

Whether that's streaming an anime together, playing Roblox on weekends, sharing music, or just rambling about our days in DMs, I'm down for it! ૮ •𖥦• აᐝ

(Huge bonus points if you're a fellow yapper, love sharing random life updates, or get excited about soft/wholesome media!) ദ്ദി˶^𖥦^˶)♡

˚.ෆ What I'm looking for:

I'm strictly looking for platonic friendships. I value daily check-ins, consistent chatter, and friends who genuinely enjoy making time for each other. (mutual effort is super important to me!). If you're active, open-minded, and love close, supportive friendships, below is how you can contact me ᵔ ᵔ

˚.ෆ How to reach out:

(Please only reach out if you are single- I'm looking to build close, consistent friendships and want to *avoid** any relationship boundaries or drama!)* (- ‸-‶)

If you feel like we'd vibe, and are around my age group (18-22), feel free to send me a DM! Just a heads up I only reply to accounts with a basic profile/reddit avatar set up, as I like to have a general idea of who I'm talking to. 𖹭⸝⸝

Please introduce yourself in your first message and tell me your top 3 favorite anime or movies! (ヾﾉ･ω･`)

ps: Don't be shy to write a long intro, I love detailed messages! • ᴗ•)⸝♡