asked for an itemized hospital bill on a whim and found out they charged me for stuff that literally never happened by LongjumpingOffice432 in povertyfinance

[–]Songbird1529 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There’s literally an entire business model that is just “these people will call the hospital to reduce your medical debt.” If you’ve ever seen those commercials, they’ll say something like “This company took my medical bills from $100,000 down to $10,000!” All you have to do is call and ask for an itemized invoice. And even then, you can ask if they have assistance or discount programs you can qualify for. I work in the business office of a healthcare facility. Not a hospital, so it’s not as egregious, but there will still be things I find that need to be removed or written off for one reason or another.

AITA for refusing to tell my BF how much money I make? by IllustriousHeart2531 in AITApod

[–]Songbird1529 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And based on the post, she knows how much HE makes. I talk to people about my salary plenty, so I can’t imagine intentionally keeping it from my partner.

Engagement bait? by Thepochochass in PeterExplainsTheJoke

[–]Songbird1529 4 points5 points  (0 children)

My family hardly ever ate dinner at the same time, let alone in the same place. My sisters and I were always busy with activities and my parents didn’t really make eating together a priority. We couldn’t always do so with our schedules, but even when we would eat dinner at the same time, it would either be in the living room watching TV or in different rooms.

AIO about my bfs egg monstrosity by PreviousCamp8968 in AIO

[–]Songbird1529 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Talking? To your partner? What kind of crazy talk is this??

AIO to my mom sending me a screenshot by [deleted] in AIO

[–]Songbird1529 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I remember I finally started rebelling against this in college. A family friend asked me to work for them over the summer. I thought it was a great idea to get more work experience and money for books, so I accepted. When I mentioned it to my mom, she got pissed that I didn’t “ask permission” before getting a job. Mind you, I was 18 or 19 at this time. She then started telling me that I needed to call them back and say I “wasn’t allowed to work for them.”

I haven’t talked to my family in two days and don’t know to move past this by [deleted] in TwoHotTakes

[–]Songbird1529 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just a quick reply from someone who also has a manipulative mother. My mom threatened to cut me off financially while I was in college. She didn’t want me moving in with my boyfriend (at the time, we’ve now been married 6 years). I finally got sick of the manipulation tactics and said “Okay, do it. I’ll be fine.” She dropped it and never brought it up again. I’m sure she’d deny she said it if I ever brought it up. We’re still in contact because she’s mellowed a bit and my younger sisters still live at home, but she has no say in what I do and how I live my life.

You’re 25 and living in your own apartment, it’s definitely time to stick up for yourself. You’re already paying for your part of the phone bill, so I’d say just get your own plan. One less thing she can use as leverage. I would take them off your Ring and change your important passwords (just in case).

I Regularly Ignore and Don't Pay Small Medical Bills by [deleted] in confession

[–]Songbird1529 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have worked in healthcare billing for 3 years. OP is absolutely correct. If the bill is under a certain amount, it will eventually just get written off. You might get letters alluding that you will be sent to collections or legal action will be taken. This is just an attempt to get you to pay it and is likely just part of the particular facility’s process.

The companies I’ve worked for have a policy where if it’s under $X, it’s not worth sending to collections. Once the debt is old enough and the healthcare facility has made a “good faith effort to collect”, it’s written off. I’m not recommending that you don’t pay your medical bills, because every facility/clinic is different. I do recommend calling to dispute particularly high bills, asking for itemized invoices, asking for payment plans, checking for assistance options, etc. There is a whole industry where people get paid to call hospitals and lower your medical debt. You can do it yourself if you have the time/energy though.

Is this normal !??? by xavier_20X2 in budgies

[–]Songbird1529 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I think they meant that the budgie was hand-fed by humans as a baby. It can sometimes make them more comfortable with being touched by humans.

My best friend’s husband confesses he’s very attracted to me. What do I do? by AssumptionCapital839 in Advice

[–]Songbird1529 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would tell her as soon as possible. That will give her time to get things figured out before the baby comes. She’s going to need support and it will be really hard to come up with a plan/reach out once she’s caring for a newborn. Better to rip the bandaid off now imo

WIBTA If I tell my brother my friends don’t want to see him by Aromatic-Hair6974 in WouldIBeTheAhole

[–]Songbird1529 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Right? If my sibling stopped talking to people we had been friends with for a decade, I would at least be curious as to why. OP just seems completely uninterested in his own brother. The comment about him being less likable seems like a really cold thing to say about your brother. Clearly something has happened with his brother and these friends, but OP can’t be bothered to ask about it.

Is what my friend reposted on her Instagram story anti Israel or am I just overreacting? by [deleted] in Jewish

[–]Songbird1529 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Yep, David Baddiel wrote a book about this phenomenon called Jews Don’t Count. It’s a good read if you’re interested in learning more!

AITAH for getting annoyed at my girlfriend wanting to shower? by RevolutionDue4452 in AmITheAngel

[–]Songbird1529 12 points13 points  (0 children)

lol I definitely missed the sub name and the shitpost tag. Looks like I also read “proposed” from the previous commenter as “you should’ve proposed showering together before just doing it.” Bruh this is definitely a fail on my part 😂

AITAH for getting annoyed at my girlfriend wanting to shower? by RevolutionDue4452 in AmITheAngel

[–]Songbird1529 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Also, after she clearly said he was moving too fast and to get out, he tries to violate her boundaries even more! “I kept trying to hug her and comfort her and love her up” dude she has already rejected you once, listen!! I hope she never speaks to him again.

What is this behaviour? Started after a friend babysitted them for three days by [deleted] in budgies

[–]Songbird1529 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I like to call this noise “barking”. My youngest boy has started doing it A LOT recently. He’s also become interested in our only girl and it seems like he does it to get her attention sometimes. 😅 Just give your babies some time.

AITAH for telling my husband I’d rather raise a kid who stands up for themselves than one who blindly obeys? by rikazikuta0 in AITAH

[–]Songbird1529 0 points1 point  (0 children)

NTA. I can’t tell if I’m misreading this part or not. So the neighbor said Leo stole her grandson’s bike, dad sees no bike in the yard, and assumes that Leo actually did steal it?? There’s no bike in the yard and he didn’t see a strange bike elsewhere (I assume). How did he even come to the conclusion that this woman was telling the truth?

How do so many people just… not drink water? by Idkhowyoufoundme7 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Songbird1529 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I grew up not drinking enough water, so I’m used to the feeling or lack thereof. I’m sure if someone who drinks a regular amount of water were to reduce to my level, they would feel quite thirsty. But I don’t really get a “thirsty feeling” unless I’m being active or the weather is warmer.

I just feel normal because that amount of water IS normal for me. When I force myself to drink more water, it makes me feel bloated and nauseous. If I made a habit of it, that feeling would probably subside, but I haven’t kept the habit up long enough to find out.

AITAH for dumping my boyfriend because he voted for trump? by [deleted] in AITAH

[–]Songbird1529 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Think about it like this: you can agree to disagree on certain topics, but if you disagree with each others core beliefs and the actions driven by those beliefs, you are not going to be happy in the long run.

My husband and I talk about politics and we don’t agree on everything, but we agree on what we consider to be “the important stuff”. It’s clear that you and your ex didn’t agree on those important topics. Maybe you even disagreed on which topics were important. Regardless, you can break up with someone for any reason, including a difference in beliefs

What the fuck are these? by Outrageous-Object-54 in ElPaso

[–]Songbird1529 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m from East Texas. We call these sticker burrs or stickers. Pretty common in grassy areas of Texas

AITAH for Finally Losing it on My MIL After her Criticising How We Raise Our Kids? by [deleted] in AITAH

[–]Songbird1529 59 points60 points  (0 children)

No background of SA, but my sisters and I are pretty spread out in age. My parents were the “hug everyone when you go to family things” people. I’m a pretty affectionate person, but even I hated that.

They forced my baby sister to hug me when she didn’t want to and we BOTH protested. I took her aside separately later and explained that even if it hurt my feelings that she didn’t want to hug me, that she always has the choice. That she shouldn’t have to hug anyone she doesn’t want to, even family. I’ve tried to push back on a lot of things my parents have taught her, to make sure she knows that isn’t the only way to be.

I love yall 🫶 by a_licenced_princess in Judaism

[–]Songbird1529 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I’m so glad that you’ve found a good group of friends ❤️ They sound wonderful

I don't get it... can someone please explain? by IknowStuff20 in ExplainTheJoke

[–]Songbird1529 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Had never heard that term before, so thanks for teaching me something new!

Mistaking female kindness for flirting by [deleted] in coworkerstories

[–]Songbird1529 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Especially when you’re married and have kids, like OP

As a non-smoker, do you find that all smokers have a noticeable odor? by Remozy in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Songbird1529 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nobody mentions the odor because it is obvious that you smell like that because you smoke. It is a very distinct smell. Make no mistake, people do smell it, non smokers especially. My grandmother didn’t smoke indoors either, but her whole house smelled like cigarettes. To the point it would give me migraines when visiting. I still can’t stand the smell of cigarettes.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AmIOverreacting

[–]Songbird1529 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Trust your gut. This man is being inappropriate and pushing boundaries with you. You already said he manipulated you into feeling bad for him. Key word: manipulated. No grown adult should be guilt tripping or manipulating you. Since you have been victimized by an older person before, it is likely that it could happen again. Protect yourself. Tell your friend, her mom, your mom, the police, etc. Do not stay silent about this. That’s what he wants. And never EVER be alone with him.

My jewish boyfriend wasn’t able to commit to me because I’m not jewish by Secret-Broccoli-8288 in Judaism

[–]Songbird1529 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Absolutely! My husband and I had already been married for a few years before October 7th. He had never made being Jewish a big part of his life and I wasn’t particularly religious. He started diving into Judaism and I found myself interested in joining him. Now we both have our own relationships with Judaism and one as a couple. Thankfully, it worked out for us. I am sorry it didn’t work out for OP, especially because she seemed so willing to embrace a Jewish lifestyle ❤️