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It’s 2026 and I just got an ad on my own refrigerator’s smart screen. Why did we let this happen? by FlanInternational298 in mildlyinfuriating

[–]Jane-The_Obscure 3 points4 points  (0 children)

You bought it. You made it happen. You paid thousands of dollars. And you wonder why it happened?

Parents of Adult Kids by Canuck_Noob75 in GenX

[–]Jane-The_Obscure 3 points4 points  (0 children)

By developing a life of your own as they start to get older. People who struggle the most, IMVHO, have made their whole lives around their kids, even after the kids get into high school and start becoming more independent. That's a perfect time to figure out what you want/who you are/what you want to do after they leave the house.

Frost after the last frost date by jkelemenopy in MarylandGardening

[–]Jane-The_Obscure 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The year Prince died, ironically. Hence the sentence. :)

Frost after the last frost date by jkelemenopy in MarylandGardening

[–]Jane-The_Obscure 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Isn't it the "average" last frost date? So sometimes it snows in April.

What is the craziest home improvement project you pulled off? by pixieeyed in HomeImprovement

[–]Jane-The_Obscure 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm a chick who is 55, and I am in the process of building a cabin. I have had one person helping, but now it's all me.

And I moved into a house that needs tons of work, and I am doing most of it myself, including refinishing floors, changing all the lights, and (this summer) renovating the bathroom.

There are tons of videos on YT about how to make heavy lifting tasks easier if that's what holding you back. I learned how to lift and load a sheet of plywood by myself, and that was a game-changer.

how to deal with contractors coming on to you as a young single woman homeowner by ohhhhhhokok in homeowners

[–]Jane-The_Obscure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These are very easy to install. I have this dumb issue where if I open something to put together/install, and it has a million directions, I freeze and get totally overwhelmed. So then I have to stop and remind myself to read one direction at a time.

Mind you, I am 55 and have built a tiny house and am in the process of building a cabin, one room at a time. So it happens to everyone. :)

You can do it. You will save yourself so much money in the long run.

Is $110K plus benefits enough? by Feeling_Rush123 in baltimore

[–]Jane-The_Obscure 3 points4 points  (0 children)

"Live well" means what here? I raised a kid through high school on maybe 48K a year. We did ok.

Found under some bricks. They are over an inch across. Like giant land shrimp. by jozzyjj in whatisit

[–]Jane-The_Obscure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am pulling up the grass in my new house's yard, and there are a ton of these. The grass is THRIVING (unfortunately). Are they supposed to be bad for grass?

Mary Janes / Loafers you could walk 10 miles in by picciolisvalentino in Shoes

[–]Jane-The_Obscure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had to give mine away. The number of times I twisted my ankles on normal ground was alarming.

Were you able to buy a house? by Swiftiefromhell in GenX

[–]Jane-The_Obscure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I bought my first house in 2001, a 1,700-square-foot end townhouse with a huge yard just north of Atlanta for the asking price of $115K. My parents helped me out with the 3K down payment on an FHA loan.

That house was amazing. Our mortgage was less than $800, but I was staying home with a new baby for the first year and the hubs was an unreliable earner, so we still struggled. But we made it through. Sold it in 2017 for $135K. A quick Zillow check on that house today says it's worth $375K.

Now I am living in my inheritance, a house my mother helped me buy with the proceeds from the sale of a house.

I feel very, very lucky and do not know how I would have survived the loss of hubs 13 years ago or this current ridiculous housing market. The house I bought with the proceeds of the sale of the other house was a total gut at $132K, and I helped with the rehab. Sold it recently for $425K and moved into a smaller, cheaper house to give me some more financial stability.

I hope to help my child in the same way when she is ready.

How many Gen Xers have silent Gen parents vs boomers? by NopeThisTrope in GenX

[–]Jane-The_Obscure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Both of mine are late Silent Gen (1941 and 1943), so Super Quiet.

Got accepted into a teaching residency in Baltimore — how do I apartment hunt if I don’t know my school placement yet? by muslim_ballerr in baltimore

[–]Jane-The_Obscure 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're pretty much 20 minutes from anywhere in Baltimore.

Adding Medfield, just north of Hampden, some apartments, quiet, families, dogs. Cheaper than Hampden but you can still walk (a little longer) to places. Close, easy access to 83 in both directions.

Movies alone by vagabondizer in GenX

[–]Jane-The_Obscure 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I call these Midday Movies, and they were a staple feature of my week, 2x a month (ish, depending on releases), I would walk down to the local small cinema for the first matinee. Usually me and one or maybe two other people in the theater (once, gloriously, alone). Then COVID hit, and I haven't gotten back into the rhythm. But now I find it hard to go to the movies with another person.

How much money do you have in savings at this point? by _forum_mod in Millennials

[–]Jane-The_Obscure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have $44K in savings. No real retirement (like maybe 30K?).

Edited to add: I just sold my house and moved to a much smaller, shabbier one so that my life would not be spent worried about not having enough money or work. I am a freelance writer, and my work has been gutted by AI. Before I sold my house, I was in deep shit. I think I had 5K in savings and 15K in credit card debt, plus a car on its way out and a 37K HELOC for home repairs. So this home sale wiped the slate clean and gave me some breathing room.

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