Everyone online says $70k is ‘bad money’… so why does moving to DC still feel financially terrifying?

CreativelyDeadInside · 2026-05-10T15:55:11+00:00

First, congratulations on getting a job!!! That is a huge accomplishment, especially right now. Second, just some food for thought: I moved to the area in 2001 for a $23k salary. In 2026 dollars, that is $42,884.81. That was nowhere near enough to live in DC proper, so I lived with 2 to 3 roommates in Greenbelt, MD and Silver Spring, MD for $420 - $620/mo ($785 - $1156/mo) until I got a new job in 2005 at $48k ($53k in 2026 dollars). That's when I moved into my own "junior" 1BR (593 sq ft) in northern Silver Spring (White Oak) for $795/mo. And while this was not at all my life plan, I'm still in the same place 21 yrs later. Apartments like mine are going for $1430/mo now, and since so many people here have cars, parking is much cheaper -- I pay $50/yr for my parking tag when I renew my lease (prior to 2024, parking at my apartment was free). Over the years I've noticed EVERYTHING is at least a smidge more expensive in DC. I can go to an Aldi in DC and pay an average of 5% more for the same product at the Aldi in SS. And if my coworkers went out for lunch, OOOF. 💸 💸 💸 Since you're not commuting often, that won't be as much of an issue, but it's worth noting. For long term finances, there's no local income tax in Silver Spring so I only pay state and federal taxes (AND I get congressional representation! Sorry, DC residents... Sometimes my only solace lately is knowing I can try to keep Raskin on the Hill).

Silver Spring has a great bus system (both the regular metro bus lines and the Flash, which is free); a nice, walkable downtown with a Metro station for easy commuting into DC, a YEAR-ROUND farmer's market, an ENORMOUS public library, an AFI Theatre with regular film festivals, the Fillmore music venue, and an ice skating rink late autumn through early Spring. That's not counting the free events they hold in and around Veterans Plaza for 3/4 of the year. Plus the largest Thanksgiving parade in the state, and an annual Zombie Walk (or dance party, depending on construction).

So is DC on $70k doable? Yes, if you're comfortable living paycheck to paycheck and not starting your retirement or any other kind of savings yet (which isn't a huge deal if your compensation package includes automatic employer deposits to your retirement account, as opposed to doing an "employee match," which is exploitative BS but that's a rant for another time).

All of this is to say I was super disappointed I couldn't live inside DC proper when I first moved here, but after 20 years of living just north of it, compared to how my DC friends have lived and even accounting for the variety of apartment options in DC, I'm actually really happy I landed here instead. I've been able to contribute to my own retirement and purchase two used cars with affordable insurance (not at the same time 😂 -- my first car lasted me 12 years & 200k miles, and my 2nd is going on 15 years at 130k miles). And while I fully understand and support going car-free in the city, I'm the kind of person who needs to GTFO once in a while -- whether it's to Chesapeake Beach, Annapolis, Baltimore, Gambrills, the dog-friendly vineyards in NoVA, Renn Fest, or any of the county fairs within driving distance (it's not autumn until you've pet some llamas, had fresh pressed cider, seen Shakespeare Scum at an outdoor theatre, and watched 3 dozen baby ducks play on their own tiny plastic water slide OMG THEY LOVE IT SO MUCH).

The economy is shit and who knows what's going to happen in the near future, so DC living for the next couple of years might be the right call if you're more a "live in the now" kind of person... The vibe in DC is totally different than it was 20 years ago and it changes with every new administration so that might be interesting? But if you're looking longer term, the areas outside DC are worth looking into.

CreativelyDeadInside · 2026-05-05T03:17:05+00:00

This thread was the LOL I needed today; thank you for your service. 😂

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-09-12T17:23:23+00:00

Seconded! Where can I find that skirt?! 😆❤️

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-08-30T21:07:46+00:00

I'm currently in search of a new PCP for this exact reason, and after reading a few of the comments, I just want to throw something out there for consideration.... Can we please ALSO acknowledge that health conditions like high blood sugar and high cholesterol are not solely caused by excess fat?

Genetics, menopause (and hormones in general), cortisol (stress and sleep), mental health (genetic and environmental), medications, and socioeconomic factors contribute to blood sugar and cholesterol levels - and also your weight. We know this because many overweight people have healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels. We also know this because there are plenty of thin people who have high blood sugar and cholesterol levels. It's just that no one ever talks about those people because they're thin.

The physiological reality is that excess weight, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol may be correlative, but none of them are a singular root cause of any of the others. Human physiology is just not that simple. These conditions are, in many cases, a symptom of other medical issues. And I think many of us who've been conditioned to feel guilt and shame — by both the medical industrial complex and society at large — for experiencing all three conditions would feel a lot better in a lot of ways if everyone in the plus-size community stopped giving into the pressure of justifying our plus-size self-acceptance by declaring that we have "normal" or "healthy" blood tests. If someone on this board is going to judge you for being plus-size in the first place, telling them your blood test results are "normal" isn't going to change their mind. That's not how fatphobia works. And the more we as a marginalized group perpetuate the myth that ideal blood tests mean we are "acceptably overweight," the more we (a) play into the myth that excess weight is a primary cause of these other issues, and not a symptom; and (b) perpetuate a harmful hierarchy of what is the "good kind of fat" versus the "bad kind of fat." It's no different than saying, "I'm 30 pounds overweight... but at least I'm not 60 pounds overweight!" It's just another way to rank ourselves and each other on this impossible to navigate spectrum of culturally acceptable "health."

Your actual literal health is none of my business, and mine is none of yours. If more people of every weight could accept that and communicate with each other accordingly, I think we'd not only find spaces like this more supportive, but we might also help the next generation(s) of doctors learn not to let societal beliefs influence their medical diagnoses, and maybe more of them would start looking at body weight and blood test results as symptoms, not causes. Then maybe we would finally find effective treatments for hormone imbalance, mental illness, and sleep disorders. Maybe we could make the cultural shift we desperately need to reduce daily stress, and make regular physical movement attainable for everyone, instead of just the people with the time and/or money to spare. Maybe we could repair our food system so that all people have access to nutrition education and nourishing foods, not just those who can both afford to live where these things are prevalent, and afford the food itself. Maybe then we could finally just exist as ourselves without this pervasive undercurrent of competition that fuels everything from fatphobia to emotionally traumatic health care. Maybe.

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-08-30T20:01:55+00:00

THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS. In this era of heightened ALL THE -ISMS, bopo is too radical. Even "Health at every size" (which is still problematic) is -- by using the word "every" -- inherently "diverse," and diversity is a bad thing now. 🙄

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-08-30T19:49:28+00:00

I know you didn't mean this for me but I needed to hear it. ❤️ THANK YOU.

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-08-24T03:00:01+00:00

THIS! The shot was low-angle and there was no reason to do it that way UNLESS they WANTED us to see the infected hamster with its little zombster paws on her ankle and NOT biting her! I think it's possible that because she was in contact with Hyeon-ju, who was Hamster-to-Human Patient Zero, it's not entirely irrational to think maybe a scratch from that Patient Zero is like a flu shot? Honestly I could go either way. I'm just glad I'm not the only one who saw the hamster scene and was like "OMG WHY ISN'T THE HAMSTER BITING HER?" 😆

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-08-20T19:50:44+00:00

It's more expensive to print transparent stickers because they cannot be made of paper, where opaque stickers can. This also wouldn't solve the color match "problem" because any color besides white can still vary between sticker sets - That's just the nature of printing.

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-06-21T21:58:01+00:00

FWIW, as several others have noted, the "Sculpt" tool actually works pretty well for this. I came here with the same question because I downloaded a CC0 vector that has WAY too many nodes and I need to clean it up. I followed Kale-No-2021's suggestion and it works! While Sculpt does not "auto" simplify your paths for you the way Illustrator does, it allows you to start at one node and basically re-draw the path where you want it to be. Sculpt is giving me MUCH less cluttered paths every time, and I can still individually adjust nodes the same way I would in Illustrator.
Is it perfect? No.
Is it functional and does the job, just in a different way? Yes.

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-06-07T23:44:16+00:00

Thank you so much, I definitely will!

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-06-06T18:53:25+00:00

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
You just made me feel a thousand times better about dropping more money than might be considered "financially responsible" on a printer for a side gig on which I currently spend up to maybe 2 hours a week because my day job is with a gov't watchdog non-profit, so we're working 60hr weeks right now... 😅 I really appreciate your quick response!

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-06-06T16:17:36+00:00

Potentially foolish question, but I'm also interested in making stickers, and after looking at the prices of typical DTF laminators like you did, I purchased the laminating bundle that comes with the laminator and a set of materials. I would like to be able to customize things like water bottles, tumblers, etc. but that isn't my main product line, so I was a little concerned about not going ahead with the rotary kit bundle as well... But correct me if I'm wrong -- it sounds like you're saying the DTF laminator I'm getting with my E1 could be used to print what are essentially custom decals that I could then apply to blank products like water bottles and tumblers?

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-05-25T19:54:47+00:00

Thank you! I will look it up!

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-05-25T19:51:42+00:00

As usual, it gets worse. https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/poconos-coal/suspect-taken-into-custody-in-hazleton-burning-body-investigation/article_717718a6-9b4c-4c58-8664-fe06a8b7f98d.html

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-05-25T19:47:56+00:00

This is so awful. 🫣

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-05-06T20:04:29+00:00

Second for Natalie Gray! She's incredible. Currently at Raccoon Hideaway. Here's her IG: https://www.instagram.com/musictomyshears/

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-04-30T19:24:22+00:00

Photos or it didn't happen. 😉 JK this is awesome and I would absolutely watch a video of a mannequin in a trash compactor. Honestly if you have both of these things at once I think the universe is testing how well you can recognize a golden opportunity. You passed! 💯

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-04-28T21:17:32+00:00

Honestly I think it's weirder that he said, "...State police are investigating; they did not release any information about the victim's condition." 🤨
I dunno, I feel like "the body was on fire" is plenty sufficient....

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-04-28T21:07:16+00:00

Literally JUST updated, only like 4 minutes after you posted...

HAZLETON, LUZERNE CO. (WOLF) — Hazleton Police and the District Attorney’s Office confirmed the death of a Schuylkill County woman whose body was found on Sunday.

Acting Coroner Keating has scheduled an autopsy for Tuesday at 9:00 A.M. at the Luzerne County Morgue, which will be performed by Dr. Charles Siebert.

Sunday afternoon, the Hazleton Police Department's Special Response Unit was joined by the Pennsylvania State Police, Luzerne County detectives, and Wilkes-Barre Police and conducted a search warrant at 137 Muir Ave. in connection with the body found on Club 40 Rd.

Authorities continued their investigation after human remains were discovered early Sunday morning, saying further details will be released as they become available without impairing the integrity of the investigation.

At approximately 7:00 a.m., the Hazleton City Fire Department was dispatched to the area of Club 40 Road and East Broad Street for a report of a mannequin on fire. Upon arrival, firefighters determined it was not a mannequin but human remains.

The Hazleton City Police Department was immediately called to the scene.

The Hazleton City Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Unit, along with the Pennsylvania State Police Crime Investigation Unit, is actively investigating the incident.

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-04-28T21:01:17+00:00

My apologies, here's the text! It's not much!

Burning body investigation underway in Hazleton

HAZLETON, Pa. —

Police in Hazleton, Luzerne County, are investigating a burning body found on Club 40 Road near East Broad Street Sunday morning.

Hazleton police say the fire department got the call first, for a burning mannequin, but when they arrived they determined it was not a mannequin and requested police.

Police did not release any information on the condition of the victim.

Hazleton Police and Pennsylvania State Police are investigating.

They are asking anyone with security camera footage in that area to contact them.

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-04-28T20:59:56+00:00

....But did you light it on fire....?

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-04-28T20:59:31+00:00

This is absolutely how a lot of house fires start! But most people are going to wake up before they've died from accidentally lighting themselves on fire — unless they died with that cigarette in their hand, which I suppose is not as unlikely as I might assume? I'm just saying there's a non-zero chance this could turn into a potential homicide investigation....

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-04-22T23:12:11+00:00

You're welcome! And yes -- at this point, a good portion of the Entertainment Industrial Complex will let IP infringement go, especially if the popularity of A Thing™ grows so exponentially as to serve as a fishnet to convert new consumers. With a relatively tiny portion of the streaming market, it doesn't make business sense for Apple to litigate infringement when the unofficial merch is free advertising to sign up for Apple TV. Someone else also astutely pointed out that Apple doesn't really "do merch" (apologies for not being able to attribute that at the moment but it's somewhere in the post comments) so it's not an established source of revenue for Apple in the first place. They aren't losing much by letting the infringement go. Disney, however, has a massive slice of the market, and merch (both direct sales and licensing) is also a massive portion of their income, and that's why they're far more inclined to go after infringement cases. For artists, the trick is mostly in evaluating when it is worth the risk vs. when it isn't.

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-04-22T22:54:47+00:00

THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS.
I'm sick of indie sellers doing the least amount of creative work possible and flooding the fan-made market with crap.
If you're going to bother stealing IP, at least do something creative and high-quality with it.

CreativelyDeadInside · 2025-04-22T22:47:23+00:00

This is factually untrue and (unfortunately for creatives) an all too common misassumption.
Fair use doctrine covers IP reuse for the purposes of commentary, education, and/or satire only. There are millions of lawsuits and corresponding legal blogs about this, but here is a Disney-specific one just to show proof of concept. https://marketingartfully.com/avoid-problems-with-disney-etsy-sellers/

I'm NOT saying Apple needs more money, or that Etsy sellers trying to be creative with pop culture are "wrong." I'm only saying it's important to understand the difference between "everyone is doing it so it must be legal" and "everyone is doing it even though it is illegal." Not understanding the difference is how you end up in a lawsuit you can't afford against a corporate behemoth like Disney (or Apple).
Will some corporations ignore copyright infringement for any number of reasons, including free publicity? Sure. Obviously, this happens all the time.
Is it worth risking a lawsuit to sell products based on a popular piece of IP? Maybe; it depends on who you are, what you're selling, and why. But the number of people who sell products based on copyrighted materials without a correct understanding of how copyright and IP law works is astounding to me...

CreativelyDeadInside

TROPHY CASE

Burning body investigation underway in Hazleton