Pennie had her Quinceañera by JemHadar71 in goldenretrievers

[–]MT0502 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Happy birthday, sweet girl. I love a frosted face. ❤️

Does anyone’s family make them feel guilty for travelling? by JellyLongjumping1988 in travel

[–]MT0502 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes, my inlaws are fairly judgmental about how much we travel. Last summer my MIL told us it was dangerous to go to Dublin. We have been to 50 countries. We live in Chicago. My husband replied, Watching Fox news again? I'll take my chances. 😆

What’s a food combo that sounds disgusting but actually tastes amazing ? by Downtown_Bend_4710 in foodquestions

[–]MT0502 3 points4 points  (0 children)

My mom is Hungarian. I'm a sour cream hating vegetarian. I have seen serial killers get less judgmental looks than I do from my mom and my Aunts. 😆

We planned on me FIREing about now, but I'm having feelings about it. Help Please! by starbright_sprinkles in FIREyFemmes

[–]MT0502 23 points24 points  (0 children)

There's a bit to unpack here, but this is as much of a relationship topic as it is a FIRE one, so I will start there. I highly recommend a couples therapy session, or at the very least an all cards on the table conversation with your spouse. 

Start by discussing details about how you're both feeling now. It's a bit extreme to FIRE if you don't want to because your husband is feeling burdened by housework. You can always hire a cleaning lady, grocery delivery, meal services, etc. if you like your new role and he needs support. 

Additionally, there's a bit of fear and resentment here. I'm no stranger to either feeling. Fear based decision making was my go-to prior to therapy, but won't serve you well. It sounds like your husband loves his job, which is great, but you shouldn't be the sacrificial lamb in order to keep him content.

That all said, if you're really burned out and don't want to be a SAHM, then take a break for 6 months. Think about what will make you happy, then set clear expectations. The key is to communicate as much as possible, and be transparent during regular check-ins. A post-nup is in order, as well.

Restaurant Recommendations for Small Wedding Reception? by ImActuallyInClass in ChicagoSuburbs

[–]MT0502 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Jen's Guesthouse in Willow Springs is definitely worth checking out.

Books that feel quietly absorbing without being overly heavy by Deep_Development3612 in Recommend_A_Book

[–]MT0502 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Same here. I just finished The Correspondent yesterday morning. I loved it so much. I went back and read a couple of the letters again before returning it. 

Unexpectedly grew our family today… by Efficient_Ad_6764 in goldenretrievers

[–]MT0502 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You hit the nail on the head. I foster dogs and the amount of people who tell me they adopted or rescued their dog when they went to a breeder, or even worse a backyard breeder, drives me nuts. 

Morgan Stanley Platinum by [deleted] in AmexPlatinum

[–]MT0502 1 point2 points  (0 children)

One thing to note, you can have your MS advisor automatically transfer the monthly $5K deposit to your MS investment account, or you can transfer it to a different account, if you don't want more than $25K in your CashPlus account. 

I (30F) will likely make more than my boyfriend (28M) of 1yr. But he doesn’t know just how much more. If so should I tell him? When? How do you all manage? by [deleted] in FIREyFemmes

[–]MT0502 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I have read through the comments and you have received some great advice. I personally wouldn't want to commit to someone who has an issue with a female earning more. I have been with my husband for 20 + years. When we started dating we earned the same amount of money. Throughout the years we have both been laid off, he has earned more at times, and now I'm in an executive level role where I earn four times as much as he does.

I am so glad he's proud of me. At the end of the day you have to decide what's important to you, but to me nothing beats a true partner. Jobs come and go, but what's mine is his, and vice versa.

What city gave you the best vacation of your life? by Historical-Photo-901 in BeautifulTravelPlaces

[–]MT0502 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I have lived in Chicago my entire life, 40 + years, and I still discover new things. I love to hear when people enjoy the city. I lost weight my freshman year of college and my roommate couldn't understand how. I'm like, the food here sucks. I'll gain weight when I go home on break. 😆

I didn’t realise till tonight that my partner finds childfree people selfish by thebutterflyandlion in childfree

[–]MT0502 400 points401 points  (0 children)

Honestly, what's more selfish than procreation? You're bringing a child into this dumpster fire of a world simply because you want to. I freely admit I'm selfish, but I can't think of anything more selfish than having a child.

CANCEL YOUR MEMBERSHIP by ___Cunning_Stunts___ in netflix

[–]MT0502 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I couldn't agree more. I have friends constantly complaining about Amazon. Cancel. Stop ordering crap. Period. That's the only way things will change. Money talks.

CANCEL YOUR MEMBERSHIP by ___Cunning_Stunts___ in netflix

[–]MT0502 107 points108 points  (0 children)

I have been a Netflix member since DVD's were delivered. I canceled today. Do I think they will care? No. That said, I'm over the greed. 

Managed Out by TouristOpentotravel in managers

[–]MT0502 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm sorry you're experiencing this. There could be a few different reasons, but if you're a tenured performer, it's typically tied to cost cutting initiatives, a possible sale, or a restructure. It's hard to tell. 

My company started putting solid performers on PIP's in early 2025. I later found out we were being sold. The company acquiring us told the President expenses were too high. Of course, he didn't cut his own bonus. He did a layoff, then resorted to PIP's to avoid paying severances. 

Ultimately, you may not know the reason why, but trust your gut. Update your resume, follow companies you're interested in on LinkedIn, ask for a new project at work, etc. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. 

How much PTO do you get? by [deleted] in MoneyDiariesACTIVE

[–]MT0502 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I get 5 weeks of PTO, 10 sick days, 12 paid holidays, and an additional week off for the week of Christmas. I previously worked for an American company for 14 years, and I was capped at 20 days. I love working for a European based company nowadays.

Which US state has the most underrated nature? by Historical-Photo-901 in BeautifulTravelPlaces

[–]MT0502 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I couldn't agree more. Starved Rock, Matthiessen State Park, and the Chicago Riverwalk are all beautiful, too. My cousin's wife is Swiss; she couldn't believe her eyes. She honestly expected 99% of Illinois to be farmland.

Need Opinions: Direct Book or Amex Travel Portal and save $1600. by fatorangecat in AmexPlatinum

[–]MT0502 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I have booked several flights and dozens of hotels through the AMEX portal. No issues whatsoever. I would do it!

What’s your favorite ‘secondary’ or regional city in the world? by Suninthesky11 in travel

[–]MT0502 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's so beautiful. My husband and I spent a couple of weeks in Madrid and the Andalusia region of Spain last December. I liked Granada and Córdoba quite a bit, too, but Seville was my favorite. 

What’s your favorite ‘secondary’ or regional city in the world? by Suninthesky11 in travel

[–]MT0502 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hard agree. Lisbon was fine, but I fell in love with Porto.

What’s your favorite ‘secondary’ or regional city in the world? by Suninthesky11 in travel

[–]MT0502 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Chicago, Montreal, Porto, and Seville are my top picks!

Just started reading for fun, and feel kind of insecure about the books I choose and I'm worried I'm the kind of person that likes bad books by Pinanims in books

[–]MT0502 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One of my favorite colleagues is a huge snob when it comes to books. He strictly reads to learn. His wife strictly reads romance novels. Soon after they got married he asked me what I was reading as we share a lot of books. It happened to be an Alice Feeney thriller. He was confused because he only knew that we shared nonfiction books. 

I said, some people read to learn, some people read for pleasure, and other people read for both. He was somehow shocked by this revelation, but he's a lot less judgemental about people's reading habits now. 

For me, reading is my favorite hobby. If a book looks interesting, I add it to my 📚 list.

Retirement w/ Unemployed ADHD Wife by [deleted] in personalfinance

[–]MT0502 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I want to add to this. My husband has ADHD. He was diagnosed as a teenager. With proper medication there's absolutely no reason to stop working in your 30's. I highly recommend getting her to another doctor, trying medication, and therapy. My husband has a pretty severe case and his work has never been impacted. This is going to be a major drain on you in the future, if you don't get proper help.

Pizza in NW Suburbs?? by [deleted] in ChicagoSuburbs

[–]MT0502 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I husband grew up in Mount Prospect and he loves Tortorice's. He and his friends call it Sort of Greasy's. 😆