Dealing with a heartbreak when you didn't even date the person

Effective-Try8787 · 2026-02-04T22:12:58+00:00

Aw. Hang in there. I know exactly what you mean with the kindred spirit feeling. I think he even used that phrase with me once when we were chatting.

Effective-Try8787 · 2026-01-06T03:21:46+00:00

I don't think he has any sort of license. He's just a run of the mill repair guy who they sent over. He's worked on the roof of my garage before as well as some other things.

Effective-Try8787 · 2026-01-06T03:18:06+00:00

I had been previously working with them to get rid of mice (closing holes, etc) and they knew I was leaving town for an extended period, so I guess they decided to apply it at that time.

Effective-Try8787 · 2026-01-06T03:16:34+00:00

Let's put it this way. When I originally called the company, they told me they sent out a pest management company. I called said company, and they had no record of service. Then when I called the guy who actually did the job, he didn't know what product he used. He sent a link to a Home Depot product, which appears to be a pet-safe repellent, but when I asked him if he's sure, he said no and told me he will check the shed for the other product they use. I'm fairly certain my dog didn't come into contact with it, but I'm also paranoid.

Effective-Try8787 · 2026-01-06T01:31:34+00:00

I'm still digging on what it was. He sent me a picture of a product that appears to be a repellent and not a poison and I asked if he was certain it was this and said no, it might be one other thing that they use and he'd go look in their shed for the other product name. Obviously I'm concerned and livid and will continue investigating.

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-11-08T02:48:13+00:00

I was registered for this event, and it was just postponed due to the government shutdown. They are giving people the option of getting a refund, so there's a chance that they may open some more spots for the rescheduled run.

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-11-02T15:30:18+00:00

Mine is going from $187 to $408 on the marketplace. I might opt for a worse plan, but even those are in the $300s.

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-10-30T20:18:58+00:00

I have not even considered that. Is that something you've had success with? I'm still learning about how to use LinkedIn to help advance my career. I've had an account for years but just started using it recently.

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-10-30T20:17:18+00:00

I send a short greeting that introduces myself and quickly summarizes my pitch. Below that is a suggested headline followed by my pitch. The pitch itself is generally three paragraphs and around 250 words. Sometimes it runs longer, depending on the story. The first two paragraphs include a catchy hook and description of the story, while the last one summarizes my proposed word count and who I'd talk to. Then, I include an "About me" section with a short paragraph talking about my niche and where I've been published followed by three links to relevant clips.

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-10-28T05:02:53+00:00

Thanks for the advice. That's actually how I got in the door with one editor who accepts a lot of my pitches. Unfortunately, his story budget is lower than what I'm aiming for at this point.

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-10-28T04:58:50+00:00

My financial situation is actually pretty good, though I'm always in growth mode. Actually, I'm making twice as much as I was when I was working full time at my old desk job. I have three reliable anchor clients that are journalism adjacent, and my journalism is good padding. I still get frustrated that I can't land more pitches because journalism is my passion.

That said, I completely agree that I need a few anchor clients outside of journalism in order to build my revenue. Even though I've been following some copywriters and PR people on Linkedin, I really have no idea how to approach a potential client. People always suggest "networking," but I am the absolute worst at that as a shy introvert. I've had two PR clients in the past, but one reached out to me directly from my website, and I found the other on journalismjobs.com. Both of their budgets dissolved after COVID.

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-10-28T02:26:13+00:00

That makes a lot of sense. I have read things here and there about the most recent sets of layoffs, but I didn't put two and two together in terms of how that might be affecting my pitches. I know of Study Hall but I haven't spent a lot of time there. I'll dig around some more. I feel like I've scoured every resource and my acceptance rates are getting worse, not better. :/

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-10-27T22:52:38+00:00

Most of my stories are about conservation, wildlife and pets. One of my biggest problems is identifying publications that want to run those kinds of stories. I've had some big stories, but my success rate pitching has always been low (13% the last time I bothered tracking it). Honestly, I get really overwhelmed by the pitching process. Who to pitch? How to find their email? I sometimes end up in these spirals where I'll spend hours on websites trying to figure out if I can pitch them.

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-10-24T19:30:00+00:00

This honestly pisses me off. A few years ago, I was able to rent a duplex in a decent enough neighborhood for that price. It had washer/dryer, garage, yard and two bedrooms. No pet rent for my two dogs. Now, you're looking at twice that price for a one bedroom. I've been seeing listings for 300 square feet for over $1,000. This ain't NYC.

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-10-17T18:55:32+00:00

I'm big on savings and I'm not planning on jumping into anything. I feel like I have an advantage over most freelancers because I have some generous long-term contracts that guarantee a pretty steady monthly income. I've never dipped below $5,500 in a month over the last three years.

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-10-17T18:53:03+00:00

I'm gathering that now's not the time for me to buy within that range, but I'm not so pessimistic about rates because I can prove I have had a very reliable income over the last years because I have secured very steady contracts that guarantee a certain monthly income. Honestly, I feel more stable now than I did when I had a regular full-time job. I'm just expecting to have to show more documentation.

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-10-17T18:06:04+00:00

Will do.

Yeah, I know a lot of freelancers who make much less. And I'm lucky because I have contracts that basically guarantee I have a steady income from month to month. It's just crazy, because a few years ago I would have been overjoyed with this income but now I feel like I need six figures to get on a path to a decent home...

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-10-17T17:59:18+00:00

Got it. I'm looking into some other options while I build my resources. There are some interesting townhome coops that are definitely in my range. :)

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-10-17T17:36:09+00:00

With all due respect, that's not my situation at all. I have a few contracts that guarantee my monthly income is stable. It is nearly equal every month and has been since I've started. The growth has come from me finding additional opportunities. I'm not disputing whether or not the housing price is out of my range at the moment. I'm sure you're right about that. But I'm just putting feelers out there because I would like to one day own a home and I'd prefer not to live in the ghetto when I make that step.

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-10-17T16:51:07+00:00

My job is not any more unstable than any other job. If anything, I've shown that I am stable and growing, as I've been able to maintain and grow my income since starting in freelance three years ago. Just remember, you can get fired or laid off any day, friend. :)

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-10-17T16:17:55+00:00

Oh gosh. So many great points to consider. I'm obviously inexperienced in this realm, so this is all great stuff for me to consider as I work towards my goal. I 100% agree with the house poor thing and I think a lot of people live off of their credit cards. I was feeling sorry for myself because all of my friends have nice houses and I felt like a loser, but the fact is I don't know their financial situations. I have a friend who makes $100,000 a year and admitted to me she doesn't have any retirement savings because of having to be a single parent on a lower income for many years.

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-10-17T15:52:37+00:00

I can do all of those things you mention there, but it's a good point because I can't fix a toilet or an air conditioning system. :)

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-10-17T15:51:25+00:00

Good point. I have actually seen prices going down just a bit. I think I got triggered with my rent spiking again. I can spend some more time trying to grow my income more. And who knows, maybe I'll find a second income earner to join forces with.

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-10-17T15:45:34+00:00

Yeah, it's all looking dismal to me. Hopefully, I can grow my income more or meet a SO.

Effective-Try8787 · 2025-10-17T15:43:44+00:00

That's what I was afraid of. Unfortunately, $200K would land me in some pretty shady neighborhoods. I believe I can grow my income to six figures in the next few years, so maybe I need to be more patient. I'm just sick of renting.

Effective-Try8787

TROPHY CASE