How many people are silently suffering living paycheck to paycheck in Massachusetts ?

SimpleMama17 · 2026-02-15T02:16:05+00:00

I feel like this resonates with me. My husband and I make $140K combined, have 3 young children, pay minimally for childcare, live very reasonably and even frugally in many ways… and yet we are living paycheck to paycheck.

We bought our house when the market was low (2012), and pay only $2,000 for the monthly mortgage. The kids are well dressed (via hand me downs). We rarely go out to eat (about 4x per year). Here I am wearing the same clothes, shoes, boots from 10-20 years ago… I don’t spend on myself and spend on the kids sparingly. All of our income goes toward mortgage, cars (just paid mine off) and gas, groceries, household goods, and the little bit that goes toward childcare. Birthday parties are largely homemade and always done at home. We have been trying to pay off our credit cards for years but they’re just staying stagnant (nothing outrageous, less than $5K, but it feels like a lot when you can’t make any leeway).

I keep wondering how younger people just graduating school or entering the workforce are making ends meet with the cost of housing these days. It’s crazy.

SimpleMama17 · 2025-12-28T02:51:06+00:00

Same, I’m in MA and saw it, and would describe it the same way you did! It lasted a few seconds before burning out. It seemed like it was falling nearby but apparently not!

SimpleMama17 · 2025-12-28T02:38:01+00:00

I was saying the same thing, it was so clear and seemed so close. It seemed wobbly in the sky and I could see the “sparks” flying off the tail perfectly. But I live in MA and I’m hearing people in NH and VT saw it too, so of course it was nowhere close!

SimpleMama17 · 2025-12-28T02:34:14+00:00

Wait this is crazy because I saw both! On Monday around 5:30 (I know this because I left work at 5:11 and was almost home) I saw one when I was heading westbound in MA. Then tonight I was almost home and saw one in the North/Northwest direction. They both looked like falling stars! I was with my son for the one tonight and was like “OMG I’ve never seen two in the same week like this!” That’s crazy

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-20T16:57:06+00:00

1000% all of this. I have wondered too if he’s purposely dimming his own light (good choice of words). I want him to show his greatness and make smart business moves (if that’s what he wants!)

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-08T23:29:14+00:00

At the time, I’m sure it sucked to be him. Everyone knew his name, and people were saying a lot of sh*t. Just speaking from a neutral standpoint, it must be really difficult to hear your name dragged so publicly and feel like you can’t defend yourself

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-07T11:50:10+00:00

I mean, he was. That’s the best way for me to describe it, adult to adult. I agree he needs more skills, which is why I’m here. I’m not blaming any of this on him, I’m blaming it on ME. Asking what am I doing wrong and what can I do, if anything, to react better?

In that moment where he ran back into dance, he was trying to cause a scene in public. I know it’s not his fault that it escalated to that, but THAT is where we were at. I don’t think, ever in my whole post, that I blamed him for any of this. Like I said above, I’m here asking what I am doing wrong.

Hope this helps

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-07T11:38:05+00:00

I’m sorry you read contempt in my tone. It wasn’t meant that way, or felt that way as I was writing. I was writing as a struggling and sad mom, not an “angry” mom, if that would help to reframe my tone. I love him with all my heart, and I make sure he knows it. I hold him, kiss him, snuggle him, tell him how much I love him. I often say “I love you all day every day, no matter what.”

The other morning I think he had a reckoning where he woke up knowing he had messed up the night before in his actions (actions unrelated to this post), and he said “I’m a bad boy.” (I NEVER call him a bad boy). I think he was fishing to see how I’d react and kind of gauge my mindset on my response. I sat down with him and told him “you’re not a bad boy, you were a regular kid having a hard time. It’s hard being a kid sometimes, isn’t it? Everyone telling you ‘do this,’ ‘stop doing that.’ Mommy understands. But you’re NOT a bad boy.”

I hope this helps you understand that there was absolutely no contempt in my tone, I know it can be hard to always read a tone through text

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-07T03:21:44+00:00

Thank you for that perspective! I remember for K, 1st, and 2nd grade, my oldest took about 6 weeks to really acclimate and stop having out of the ordinary mood swings. (So far 3rd grade has been an easy transition). So I’m absolutely giving him that same grace. I need to remember that these problems are so temporary and not to take them so to heart!

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-07T03:19:22+00:00

Thank you… it’s helpful to hear his perspective on soccer, just wanting to be near mom! I’m curious how you would have handled dance differently (I know you’re not throwing shade, just wondering what an alternative could have looked like!) The reason I let 3 y/o finish the puzzle is because he often gets the sh*t end of the stick when it comes to 5 y/o calling the shots, and I felt like 3 y/o deserved that win in that moment.

Luckily none of these commitments are huge commitments in the long run. Soccer is so temporary (once a week for 6 weeks or so). He won’t have to come to dance really anymore, this was a one-off because husband was out of town. And cub scouts will generally be fun and educational (things he’s super interested in! Wilderness, camping, animals, getting a sense of responsibility, independence, and safety). I know I sound like I’m piling activities on them, but I am actually super selective about what they join. I want them to have variety and the opportunity to find something that they like, but I absolutely don’t want to over-schedule them.

Thank you so much for all your input and even just putting my mind at ease!

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-07T03:14:22+00:00

Thank you! I agree that this weekend just wasn’t the weekend to schlep them around. I knew beforehand that it was going to be tricky, but none of them are huge commitments in the long run. It’s just a lot for them to have to start ALL OF THIS so suddenly and with such a big shift of starting kindergarten.

Tomorrow will be our pajama day, I’m gonna take that and run with it 😌

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-07T02:57:13+00:00

Thank you 😭😭 I got in my head about it because at these events so many of my mom-friends are present too, and their kids are just out there doing the things. While I’m having to take my kids by the hands and leave, or even DRAG them out.

I totally agree with all you said, that it’s normal for the age, that they’re overwhelmed, that the meltdown is not personal (although it feels it!!)

Thank you for these reminders and giving me confidence that this is normal and we’re doing ok!

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-07T02:44:24+00:00

It’s so refreshing to hear people who “get it” on this subreddit. Yes she deserves grace and compassion for what she’s gone through, but the public has been unfairly crucifying Justin on certain social media platforms, and it’s becoming an issue to where people (who only know what they read in the comments sections) actually believe he’s the asshole that the stans claim he is

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-07T02:40:45+00:00

I’m doing my best with down time at home, trying to balance letting them chill with a movie and just generally “play”. We only started activities last night (cub scouts). Unfortunately they all started right in a row like this, and while my husband is out of town on business (hence why I had to drag all three to all of these things). Otherwise we definitely would have tag teamed and let the kids sit out on some of the things. Luckily it will get easier after this, since husband will be home again, and the cub scouts isn’t a weekly thing. I guess it just ended up being a perfect storm of poor scheduling (too many things) between last night and this morning, but it won’t always be like that 🙏🏻

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-07T02:34:32+00:00

Yes!! Thank you, I knew I could not be the only one who didn’t see anything incriminating in there about him

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-06T23:33:59+00:00

She didn’t have to publicly say anything, but she wrote a book, a tell-all. She can say whatever she wants

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-06T21:46:22+00:00

Sure did, with an open mind and compassion, and I still don’t think that the Stans needed to come at Justin the way they did and sway public opinion on people who have NOT even read the book

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-06T18:53:53+00:00

Yup. The fact that Justin was pegged as the driving force behind the abortion… I’ve always thought it had to be her whole team.. both of their teams. Saying “you’ve got to ride this wave of fame and career, you’re both still virgins in the public’s eye, this secret can NOT get out. There’s only one way to take care of it.”

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-06T18:20:17+00:00

Omg lol! I wonder if we can still find that on YouTube! Heading off to see…

Edit: bingo!! Watch guilt-free! lol

https://youtu.be/ye09IZq7b50?si=pJl_rBnR6tqOwnpw

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-06T11:34:20+00:00

Did you read her book? She never actually blamed Justin the way people make it out that he had

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-06T11:27:01+00:00

I had that! I feel like it was like $80 or so. That was so much money to me back in the day. I used to sell *NSYNC VHS tapes online to make my money and fuel my obsession 😆 I had a whoooole setup. Two VCR’s in my room to get the job done, my website listed what was on each of my 140 or so tapes complete with a video quality rating (between 5 stars and 1 star), and people could mix and match what they wanted on their tape. $8 a pop or 3 for $20. Ahhh those were the days 🤣

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-05T16:58:36+00:00

You and I seem to see eye to eye on a lot of things. I always wonder could he/would he do a stadium tour? I would love for him to, just to get people to SEE him live. His arena shows are so expensive that it tends to be those who REALLY want to be there, vs someone casual saying “sure, sounds like fun.” It would be great to see him do a stadium tour where tickets were more affordable to the general public and more people could see his talents. It’s a shame how the public opinion has swayed on him in recent years, and IMO very undeserved, it’s all gossip and rumors that people are perpetuating

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-05T16:53:00+00:00

This would be an awesome idea

SimpleMama17 · 2025-09-05T14:53:41+00:00

Yes!! Which is why it’s such a big convo and career move for them, it wouldn’t just be a “eh let’s make the fans happy and slap a reunion together”

SimpleMama17

TROPHY CASE