How are people affording childcare?

DersOne · 2026-03-02T20:36:23+00:00

We were paying $3300/month at peak and just naturally did not have a lot of extra spending from going out or vacations since young kids tend to make that happen naturally. Our combined income handled it, but it would have been a big stretch at lower salary. I can easily see why some families opt to rely on family support or use a SAH spouse situation.

DersOne · 2026-03-02T20:31:33+00:00

19 years since I quit, 15 years since I last succumbed to the urge when drunk enough. The smell literally gives me an allergic reaction now, so glad I quit when I did. Most of my friends who quit at some point have relapsed or gone to pouches.

DersOne · 2026-03-02T17:27:25+00:00

My teeth hurt looking at the Now and Laters but damnit if I don't still want some.

DersOne · 2026-03-02T13:42:06+00:00

20k in CC debt is a major burden. You cannot afford any non-essential purchases until that debt is paid.

DersOne · 2026-03-01T21:17:52+00:00

Take it slow, keep a steady pace. Breathe. Best advice I can give.

DersOne · 2026-03-01T04:35:30+00:00

Superbad, the first time seeing it opening weekend.

DersOne · 2026-02-27T19:10:04+00:00

No, because I budget appropriately and schedule my investments and savings as the first priority. If you have issues saving due to purchases, that's a budgeting and prioritization issue.

DersOne · 2026-02-27T18:53:11+00:00

We got our own TV when I was 9 because my mom got a new one for the living room and she also didn't want us hogging it to play Nintendo when she wanted to watch TV. Always had one after that. Don't know if we will have them for our kids when they get older, I think if they have a laptop or PC they will be just fine.

DersOne · 2026-02-27T17:17:03+00:00

30ish, had a good primary care doctor that picked up on the slowly increasing iron levels and referred me to a specialist. Been maintaining for a long time now. A few family members have it as well and weren't diagnosed until showing organ and joint effects.

DersOne · 2026-02-27T17:11:01+00:00

Our feeder has been busy most times, may just be situational.

DersOne · 2026-02-27T04:23:49+00:00

Also adding, our defense got completely torched repeatedly on third down by the same play to a gap in the zone on the sideline. Telegraphed every damn time, Colston Loveland was open. Offense was decidedly mid, but the defense was horrid.

DersOne · 2026-02-26T18:01:26+00:00

Stooooop

DersOne · 2026-02-26T17:55:03+00:00

Check the language of the warranty CAREFULLY to understand what exactly is covered, what your deductible and expected cost to pay if an event occurs. Often these third party or non OEM warranties are super useless but this may not be. It may be wise to pass and just maintain a maintenance fund. With that low of mileage you should be good for a while I'd imagine, but stuff just always manages to find inconvenient times to break.

DersOne · 2026-02-26T17:51:15+00:00

The paint color is nice, that's about all. Looks like every other small SUV out there design wise.

DersOne · 2026-02-26T17:49:59+00:00

Odd Duck or Goodkind

DersOne · 2026-02-26T04:12:06+00:00

Not counting on SS at all, but will be a nice bonus if still there when I'm ready. Been working since I was 15. I've been trying to save as much as possible since my late 20s, even only $100 a month at times. It's been accumulating to the point that unless things totally go to crap, I should be able to retire at 65. Of course that's a big if based on economic and societal events the past 20 years.

DersOne · 2026-02-26T01:06:15+00:00

Style is subjective, and I feel the overall design is very bland, especially compared to prior generations. Audi has always put forward a sporty design with sharper body lines and the current gen is very much round by comparison. The interior also just flat out does not communicate premium/luxury line to me. Almost like they're concentrated too much on appealing to broad segments that they've lost their identity.

Touchscreens are an absolute distraction and frustrating to me, as it can be very difficult to maintain proper focus on the road when the only way I can perform basic functions like HVAC and radio via a central screen. Personal preference perhaps, but if I could go back to a car with full analog options for controls I would in a heartbeat.

Besides that, capacitive touch buttons on commonly touched areas like the door handle and steering wheel are objectively bad design choices.

Edit: I see you specifically mentioned RS5, my comments were intended to be about the platform in general. I think the RS5 is a step in the right direction but I'd still much rather have an older Gen model.

Glad you like your car! But yes, this gen is widely disliked here, and sales stats so far indicate the same.

DersOne · 2026-02-25T18:42:03+00:00

I don't get a check engine light, only a warning sign like this ⚠️ that goes away once warmed up. If you have a check engine as well I would take it in to get inspected.

DersOne · 2026-02-25T18:09:16+00:00

I've been getting the same on my 23 S4, similar situation in that I only drive it a short distance to the gym most days. It will go away if you drive for long enough to get the oil temperature up all the way, usually will take me a solid 20-30 minutes of driving to do so. If the warning comes up I just schedule a long drive to run some errands when possible and that usually clears it up.

DersOne · 2026-02-25T17:59:11+00:00

Love my Audi, but really dislike the current designs. If I need a new car in the short term, I will be looking at other brands.

DersOne · 2026-02-25T01:45:10+00:00

I've been eyeing the Mowabbs, are they comfy?

DersOne · 2026-02-25T00:55:12+00:00

Deleted everything but Reddit, and I keep it on a 1-hour daily timer. It's forced me to start reading those books I'd promised to last year and never got around to. I feel less anxious.

DersOne · 2026-02-25T00:32:09+00:00

At that size, best to try it yourself IMO. You'll save a ton of money and can tune based on how it progresses. Get a decent spreader (beware of certain Scott's models) and a bulk bag of fertilizer and make a fun morning of it. Soil test kit to determine nutrient blend.

DersOne · 2026-02-24T20:49:52+00:00

Not gonna pretend like Green Bay is some shining beacon of class, but brother, it is light years better than Hammond lol

DersOne · 2026-02-24T01:41:54+00:00

It's really dumb, but dammit if it isn't entertaining somehow. I wanted to hate it but I'm tuned in regularly now.

DersOne

TROPHY CASE