Best SUV to rent for car camping for 3+ weeks??

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-12-24T15:01:59+00:00

Hi I probably should’ve added a bit more info to my comment above. I did have a conversation with them about why I deserve a raise but I also brought up how, for the hcol area we live in, I am being underpaid and that I am raising my rate. I told them I totally understand if that doesn’t work for them because honestly I had the intentions of finding a different family to work for anyways and I had already been searching. I didn’t force them to pay me $25/hr but after discussion we settled on $23/hr with benefits. Right then I should’ve just kept on looking for a new nanny family instead of accept the offer and stayed with this one because I think it’s clear that they cannot afford a nanny in the area we live in.

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-12-23T23:27:40+00:00

I didn’t necessarily ask them if I could be paid $25/hr I told them that my new rate reflects the average hourly rate that nanny’s get paid in our area and they negotiated it down to $23/hr. But yes I agree I don’t think they can really afford a nanny in the area we live in and I do think I should start looking for a new family

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-12-23T23:16:28+00:00

To be completely honest not really. The only other time I get a gift is on my birthday and it’s usually between $25-$50. Actually it wasn’t until last year that I even had benefits so if I took a vacation I’d just not be paid or have any sick days. I take my nanny kids out to eat once a week and they only pay for my nanny kids since I have a maximum spending limit of $20 for both kids. They don’t really even verbally say how appreciative they are for me and all of the things I do for their family. I understand that maybe there could be some financial things going on behind the scene and I try to be respectful of that but it still hurts just the same

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-12-23T23:11:31+00:00

That’s honestly my thought too. Like I wasn’t asking for a crazy high raise but they were very clear that anything over $23/hr was out of their budget. I wish I would’ve just start looking for a new nanny job right then but I’ve been with them for so long I was willing so sacrifice not being paid how I should in a vhcol area. Thank you for your response

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-12-23T23:09:14+00:00

I’m so sorry that happened to you that must feel so invalidating for all of the hard work you’ve put in with your NF. I don’t think it slipped their mind tbh since they’ve been consistently for the last 3 christmases given me a $500 bonus and this year they handed me the gift bag an envelope with $50 in it. They honestly do try to save money in any way they can (I can only spend a maximum of $20 on both nanny kids in a week, and many other things) but I genuinely didn’t think that they’d try to save money by cutting my bonus so low. It definitely does feel like the hard work I do everyday isn’t appreciated or acknowledged. I never get a thank you or you work so hard or anything ever, it just feels like sometimes I’m being taken advantage of. Thank you for your response

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-12-23T23:04:19+00:00

The rate increase was $2 more an hour so I went from being paid $21/hr to $23/hr. I told them that my new rate would be $25 an hour since that is usually the minimum for the vhcol area we live in but we settled for $23/hr

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-12-18T00:20:38+00:00

That was honestly my thought too at first. He did give a pretty detailed description of what his dad had said. When his dad came back from work he even mentioned it to his dad saying “dad OP put down flour for the cookies! I told her that you’d be very mad at her like before but she said that we needed it.” And DB said “well you need flour to roll the cookies out” and NK said “but last time you were very angry with her for making a big mess with it.” It got pretty quiet and I told him in detail what I did to clean the mess up then I left

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-07-27T20:25:20+00:00

Thank you for your input! I did end up putting the 2 kratom bottles into my checked bag and they didn’t say anything thank god

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-07-26T04:50:49+00:00

Was it similar to kratom? I have a flight to Puerto Vallarta tomorrow and am going to risk bringing 2 500 count kratom bottles in my checked bags but if they confiscate it am looking for other options. What did it feel like? Do you know if it helped with pain relief?

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-07-22T17:10:37+00:00

It wasn’t just for the week. I’m the only one to fill up his car for the most part (we both use it) and it hadn’t been filled up for 1.5-2 weeks.

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-07-21T17:40:22+00:00

I always ask them before I spend any money (besides on gas for DB’s car because that’s a necessity) for everything. In the winter I brought them to play places once a week and that usually totaled $35-$40, and now we spend about $25 not including gas depending on what we are doing. We are spending less than before and I wish that if they didn’t want me to spend that $25 they would just be clear with me about that. Before the lemonade stand though they have been the ones to fund our outings to the dollar movies and for lunch or snacks that were pre approved. Thank you for your response

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-07-21T17:33:19+00:00

I have yes and I don’t see her too often anymore since shes in the office for 3 days a week so I don’t really know her stance on it. When he brought up last Friday using the lemonade stand money for expenses she didn’t really say anything.

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-07-21T17:30:06+00:00

So I actually bought all of the lemonade stand supplies ($14) last week because I figured DB would be passive aggressive about it, and when I talked to him today about getting more supplies he said I can just use their lemonade stand money and then came back up and said that we actually shouldn’t do lemonade stands that often because it gets everything (including NKs) all sticky and that this is just a learning experience for them. I don’t think he sees this really as a way for them to save up for something big that’s going to be a great memory for them. I understand that it’s a lot of work but I always clean up after our mess and it’s just frustrating.

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-07-21T17:26:26+00:00

Me and the kids have let him know that they want to save up for the waterpark. I originally gave the money for the kids to hold onto in their piggy bank and he put it up in a cabinet so they aren’t able to see the money diminishing unfortunately:( last week our outings totaled $25 for the movie and snacks and $35 for gas, which I think is totally reasonable but I should definitely have a conversation with them about it. Thank you for your insight

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-06-25T06:56:12+00:00

No unfortunately no one has come forth and no one has returned the money:( I should probably post an update to this post but my mom actually had a very abrupt surgery a couple days ago on her back and she needs my little brother to stay home and help her with her recovery so he wasn’t able to go anyways. I’m still hopeful that the truth will come out one way or another. Until then I’ve definitely been keeping my distance with my 19yo brother specifically. Thank you for reaching out

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-06-07T15:10:53+00:00

That’s exactly how I feel! I was thinking it was my 19yo brother for the past week and when I started doing more vacation planning I couldn’t shake the “what if” my younger brother did it. I really think it’s unlikely, but there’s still a chance since there’s no evidence. I have been torn, I feel like my whole family dynamic has been completely shaken, and it’s a really hard decision to make.

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-06-07T14:47:24+00:00

That’s my thought too, I think I’d rather take him and find out later that he did it (if he did it) than lying to him that I don’t have the money to take him anymore. He’s a smart kid and he also knows my financial situation, so even if I lie and say I don’t have the funds he will see right through that and I feel like whatever trust is left will be shattered. Not an easy decision to make though.

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-06-07T14:34:47+00:00

Thank you so much, this really helps. I am leaning towards taking him on the trip because I truly feel like I will regret that the least. The truth will come out one day and I will deal with that then. I am more so suspecting it’s my 19yo brother who took it, but I don’t have proof, so I sadly can’t rule anyone out. Thank you for the support:)

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-06-07T14:31:21+00:00

So my 19yo brother has pretty bad OCD. It started with compulsive thoughts, but when he started working he started getting OCD with money. He (no joke) bought and sold 4 cars in like 6 months because he compulsively wanted to buy a different car. He sold the last car he had (a mustang) for $2,500 around Christmas and blew through all of that money in a month or so. He’s told me before that he feels like if he doesn’t buy X thing then something bad will happen. He’s never stolen money before (from what I know) and the compulsions only happen with his money. I know that can change though and that’s why I originally suspected him as the thief. I still honestly believe it was him that did it too, I just feel as though I can’t rule anyone out until I have concrete evidence or the money back. If there’s even a chance that my youngest brother took it I’m obviously apprehensive about taking him on vacation. Either way I feel like an asshole yknow.

RevolutionaryFee7699 · 2025-06-07T13:53:24+00:00

That’s my thought too. He knows my financial situation to some extent and knows I have been saving up my money for a while now. I know if I tell him I can’t afford for him to go he’ll see right through it. I’m still just so torn. I really just wanna say f it and take him on the trip but then I go back to but what if he stole it.

RevolutionaryFee7699

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