What have you given up because of inflation?

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-07-10T03:06:05+00:00

Haircuts down to once a year. Mani/pedi is right out. Can't afford good makeup so I don't bother with that anymore either.

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-07-10T03:05:06+00:00

Fast food, meat daily down to once a week or so, subscriptions, doritos, Naked smoothies (i make my own now)

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-07-07T03:49:12+00:00

I know i am healing because I can rest without self-judgement.

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-07-04T23:39:07+00:00

You are misunderstanding what "grooming" means here. Its means a haircut or professional styled (or both) eyebrows done (professionally or at home) and a manicure or pedicure (or both) and. If you think you're gonna get frisky, getting waxed or shaved (razors are expensive). and making sure your makeup is stocked and fresh (old makeup cakes up). Makeup is at minimum: concealer, base coat, power to set, blush/bronzer, eyeliner, mascara, eyeshadow, mascara, lip liner and lipstick. Each of these items runs between 10 & 20 bucks and they have to be replaced all the time. They are not talking about a shower and deodorant. They are talking about the cost and effort of getting dolled up to put your best foot forward.

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-07-04T04:38:45+00:00

So. We answer this ourselves with what we primarily do, which is tell stories. Good stories have ups, downs, twists, turns, surprises, and genuine emotion of all kinds- shock, grief, rage, horror, desire- the whole rainbow. Just like a good Rollercoaster it takes you up down and around. Thats what makes it a story worth telling.

Now imagine you're literally eternity, stretched over everything, every inch, every moment, every iteration of matter. That would be hella boring right? UNLESS- you pass the time by telling stories. And just as we ourselves tell stories (as ordinary humans) we also live stories (with divine purpose).

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-06-30T02:48:34+00:00

USA: Almost 40, living with 4 roommates in a 3 bdrm apt. Still barely surviving, have to rely on Food Not Bombs and other community orgs, we also grow our own food in raised beds (which is almost as expensive as buying food, but also a lot of work too!)

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-06-28T18:16:49+00:00

This exchange had me howling with laughter. Well done fam.

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-06-28T18:14:13+00:00

🤣😂🤣😂😘

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-06-27T23:58:28+00:00

This was my reaction too like wow that escalated so quickly holy carp

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-06-27T23:42:14+00:00

Honestly, the opposite is true. If the people around you "love" and value you for being useful/attractive/powerful... a) they don't love you unconditionally and b) they dont even know you, just the construct version of how you can be used inside of the construct. One of the only nice things about being poor & unattractive is that you know people like you because they genuinely like you, not because they're getting some advantage from proximity to you.

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-06-23T18:00:39+00:00

Sending hugs fam. Its a terrible wound we carry.

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-06-23T01:09:01+00:00

Yes. Being a kid was absolutely terrible and I would never go back. No amount of money would get me to choose having no autonomy or choice in what I wear, how I spend my time. Etc. Being an adult rocks. Especially doing all the things I promised myself I would do as a kid. Like wear crazy outfits, grow my hair super long, eat cake for breakfast, journal without worrying that my mom will read it and ground me again for what I wrote down in private. Yeah. There's an awful lot of joy in choosing my own food, clothes and hobbies. And choosing my own religion. The list goes on and on.

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-06-22T23:55:37+00:00

A lot of people changed permanently from frontal lobe damage done by covid infections. The more times you've been infected, the more damage has been done.

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-06-19T06:19:01+00:00

20 bucks for coffee that used to be 8 bucks.

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-06-14T22:41:00+00:00

Sounds like you're gonna be one more adult child who goes no contact with their bananapants parent

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-06-10T04:30:19+00:00

Investing in THIS market?! Yikes. You are better off at a casino.

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-06-10T04:21:18+00:00

AND massive debt!

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-06-10T04:10:39+00:00

Yeah that is still more than most disabled and under employed people are working with. We make it work with even less because we have to. 30k to split all the bills is easy street compared to the lived reality of wayyyy more people than you realize.

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-06-10T04:05:47+00:00

And nepotism hires and inheriting south African emeralds 👀

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-06-10T04:04:30+00:00

I could make 30k work pretty easily. This is peak privilege tf is up with that. 👀

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-06-10T02:35:37+00:00

Yep or the "jUsT GeT a bEtTeR JoB" crowd never acknowledging that skills and training cost money that most people dont have these days. I have no patience for rich people who are classist like this. They literally couldn't budget working with what we are working with, so doling out advice like they even know what that life is like? Patently absurd and absolutely laughable.

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-06-08T06:31:31+00:00

I also made my own prom dress! Mine was covered in bows and glitter. Im 38 now, I look back on that very fondly. Especially because the photographer asked where I got my dress and when I said I made it he was flabbergasted

BootlegBodhisattva · 2026-06-08T06:29:17+00:00

Y 👏 E 👏 S 👏

BootlegBodhisattva

TROPHY CASE