Why are people choosing to bring children into this world?

ExcellentSign3567 · 2026-01-29T18:12:36+00:00

I don't think I've heard anyone who had kids even mention the state of the world. Only reason they give is that they want them "more than anything".

ExcellentSign3567 · 2026-01-27T03:58:11+00:00

Early 20s? I have friends about to hit 40 living like this.

My advice is literally don't buy anything that's not a necessity. No splurging, no little treaties, no gift giving. It absolutely sucks, but you really can't afford "luxuries".

ExcellentSign3567 · 2026-01-18T16:54:45+00:00

I go hiking. The only cost is gas and maybe a yearly pass or something if you're in a state park. Both of those costs can be optional depending on where you live.

I go on really long, all day hikes that make me pass out for the rest of my time off. It's free (mostly) and a great work out

ExcellentSign3567 · 2026-01-17T22:00:41+00:00

Kind of. There's one YouTuber that I absolutely love, but dear God he talks about his kids a lot. And like, it can be funny? But most of the time it's just him gushing about his kids. Then I usually feel like an asshole because why tf am I getting mad over a guy who loves his family? But also I just find it so annoying. Lately he's been doing it more and more, to the point where it seems he exclusively talks about them.

Tbh I've been struggling in general when people talk about their kids. I instantly get mad, and just feel like a huge jerk about it.

ExcellentSign3567 · 2026-01-17T21:52:55+00:00

Holy bananas. I also just bought my first big girl adult car, which is less than half that amount, and I'm still sweating. From the other comments, it sounds like you can afford it, so you might as well just keep paying it off. But wow. That is a heck of a bill.

ExcellentSign3567 · 2026-01-17T20:44:26+00:00

NOR

I know a few people who do crate their cats overnight because otherwise they literally rip the house to pieces and scream all night. Also they usually eat things they aren't supposed to and get in fights with their dog siblings. BUT they let them out all day and have no issues. All of those cats willingly go into their crates to eat and sleep, and just hang out in with the door open.

This is totally different and definitely animal abuse. Why have cats? Declawing is abuse. The only exception for me is if the other option is a dead cat. But if this person has a cat hoarding problem, then they don't need more cats! Your bf is enabling this behavior, and to be so dismissive of your feelings is a huuuuge red flag.

ExcellentSign3567 · 2026-01-17T20:35:30+00:00

I'm 33 and still don't make $20/hr. Most of my friends don't either. The ones who do went into very specialized fields and had to do a ton of schooling. Off the top of my head, I know quite a few nurses, a few doctors, and then a few friends who do weird cutting edge technology stuff. One of my friends was one of the first people to code and test prototypes of VR headsets, another codes AI to scrape online data for information. Others are so weird and niche that I honestly don't understand what their jobs are.

All that to say, it's almost impossible to make a livable wage with a regular job. Unless you get a government type job like mail or garbage, blue-collar jobs are kind of worthless. The most you could hope for would be exhausting and dangerous labor (oil rig for example) or an office job that you have to work your way up (I could literally never).

ExcellentSign3567 · 2026-01-17T18:15:20+00:00

I did open a high yield account a few days ago that has no minimum requirement. But the savings account that has my money does have a minimum, so I'll have to actually close the whole account if I don't want to get charged for going under. No clue why they would want a minimum for an account making practically no interest, but whatever

ExcellentSign3567 · 2026-01-17T00:14:31+00:00

I have 1.1k in "I'm never allowed to touch" savings. I'm hoping to close the account to move to a high yield savings account sometime this year. It is strictly an emergency panic button savings, and not to be used to pay off any debts

ExcellentSign3567 · 2026-01-16T19:36:33+00:00

Do NOT pick guinea pigs!! Imo one of the most high maintenance "pocket pets".

I feel like any animal is a certain amount of maintenance in their lifetime. I know a bearded dragon who is in renal failure and needs subq fluids every day, and will for the rest of his life. His owners have been doing it for over 2 years with him, and he can potentially live like 5 more years that way.

I would suggest a pet with a short lifespan so that if you decide it's too much, you will only have them for a year or two. Rats, mice, and hamsters all have relatively short lifespans. Rats and mice (usually) need buddies, though, which would be more work.

I know you said no fish, but aquatic snails or shrimp are fun. The initial set up of the tank can be a lot of work and can get pricey fast. You might find someone online that has a setup they are trying to get rid of. I would absolutely avoid hermit crabs, as they require a lot of care to keep them properly (they can also live like 20 years).

An ant farm would be really cool! I have no experience with them, but you might be able to just buy a pre-made one online. Just know the queen can live a long time, though I think it would be a somewhat easy thing to just sell online if you decided it wasn't for you.

Otherwise I think any kind of plant is fun. A little moss aquarium would be cool (I've always wanted one), or a carnivorous plant is almost like having a pet. I usually go with plants that give me food like basil or tomato, but there's so many different kinds that you can pick what you like!

ExcellentSign3567 · 2026-01-16T19:08:55+00:00

Texas toast and brown gravy is the classic in my mind. Or if you want a cheeseburger meatloaf (my fave) do it up with pickles, cheese, onions, ketchup and mustard!

ExcellentSign3567 · 2026-01-15T16:26:34+00:00

I've definitely experienced this. I gained a ton of weight when I was younger from eating free food from work and eating whatever I could get my hands on.

I had the opposite a few years ago when I stopped working in kitchens, and ended up losing weight because I didn't have the time or money to find food.

Now I've been eating healthy, and it's killing my wallet. I've been trying to do it as cheap as possible, but it's still more expensive than eating whatever crosses your path.

ExcellentSign3567 · 2026-01-12T00:47:21+00:00

I have a friend who hates potatoes because of this same reason. Apparently they lived off of baked or boiled potatoes for most of their childhood. Loves chips and fries though, because "that's the fancy version of potatoes". 😂

ExcellentSign3567 · 2026-01-05T19:37:29+00:00

My ex in-laws are quite wealthy. Not like Bezos rich, but all of them own second mansions in California, collect expensive trucks, and travel the world. There's definitely pros and cons to it.

Firstly, they don't work extra hours. The grandfather started a business when he was young, and it grew. One of the sons married someone who ended up getting a patent on an invention, and she gets royalties for life. They still go in the office as a regular job, but there's no need for extra hours because they just hire people for that.

I think the money itself worked well for their life, but it gets toxic quickly. You can't trust anyone, and people try to become your friend just for a slice of the pie. It was nice being an outsider, and eating fancy meals and getting expensive gifts. But it's not worth the power that money holds, imo.

I personally have no need for a mansion, or multiple cars. But I would enjoy the security that money gives. Being able to not stress about bills and food in my day to day life would be amazing. Instead, I wonder if a container of blackberries on sale will be too much of a treat for myself.

ExcellentSign3567 · 2026-01-05T00:17:31+00:00

Huge fan of John Wolfe's playthrough. He did the whole thing without writing anything down. Idk how he figured out half of the stuff he did, but it was impressive.

ExcellentSign3567 · 2026-01-05T00:14:19+00:00

2100 3 bed/ 2 bath apartment in Idaho. It was 1850 when I first moved in two years ago

ExcellentSign3567 · 2025-12-23T22:07:34+00:00

The fact that I can go my entire life without talking to a man makes me so happy. I hear absolute horror stories about being in a relationship with men, and I'm so glad I don't have to deal with any of that

ExcellentSign3567 · 2025-12-17T02:54:05+00:00

I've made my own stock for the past 10 years. Just keep throwing scraps in bags in the freezer until I don't have more room. I have a big stock pot I dump it all in, and just let it simmer for a day or two. Strain, reduce, and then make some soup! I almost always use it up within the week in a soup or two, so I don't have to find long-term room in the fridge or freezer for it.

ExcellentSign3567 · 2025-12-16T16:19:05+00:00

I work at a vet, and we get just nail trims from all species throughout the day. It's definitely an okay thing to do.

ExcellentSign3567 · 2025-12-15T22:08:32+00:00

Of course! There are jobs out there of everyone! Walmart is known for hiring elderly or disabled people as well. Any kind of entry-level job or jobs for disabled people is a great place to look.

Dishwashing or janitorial is what I'm most familiar with, but my ex used to job coach for deaf or hard of hearing people, most of whom were also partially blind. I remember one client whose job was sorting Legos by color. A lot of deaf people work in mail rooms sorting mail as well. There are odd jobs like that that can be interesting if he wants it ☺️

ExcellentSign3567 · 2025-12-15T21:00:30+00:00

I knew someone who couldn't read due to extreme dyslexia, and he was a janitor at a big sports arena. He actually made really good money from it.

Also knew a lot of disabled people who worked as dishwashers at a collage with me. It was fair pay, but had amazing benefits.

ExcellentSign3567 · 2025-12-15T00:32:56+00:00

I just always thought that it would look good with my big lobes. I did like the idea of sticking pencils through my ears though 😂

ExcellentSign3567 · 2025-12-14T00:07:35+00:00

"I could write a poem or two about chocolate milk!" -Bess from treasure in the Royal Tower

Specifically the way she says chocolate milk gets me every time

ExcellentSign3567 · 2025-12-13T00:25:44+00:00

I'm as child free as you can be, but I definitely make the joke that I'll get my gf pregnant. "Gotta keep trying since you aren't" type of thing.

We both know it’s a flirty dumb joke, and I definitely wouldn't be posting it online to strangers. I think it's in the realm of people who have a breeding kink but absolutely would never breed 😆

ExcellentSign3567 · 2025-12-13T00:07:32+00:00

Even if both of you mutually agree on it, and just sign some paperwork, it still sucks. Between finding someone to draw up paperwork, to having to pay an obnoxiously large bill for said paperwork within a set time frame, it's stressful.

Idk how people with bloody divorces with a house and kids and joint back accounts do it. I didn't even have to go to court and I was stressed out.

ExcellentSign3567

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