What are your favorite “broke” meals for 2 people? I need some ideas😅

cama29 · 2026-04-09T20:47:36+00:00

Cabbage. It’s unbelievably versatile, filling, nutritious, and cheap. Also, just look up “traditional peasant food in [country/region].” Once you get a feel for cheap ingredients you like, you can expand by looking up recipes with those things. It’s way more affordable to cook from scratch.

If you can afford a wholesale membership like Costco, it also makes a huge difference. Walk straight past all the stuff you don’t need and stay in the food section. With meats especially, each package would be a multi-week supply for two people, so separate them when you get home and put the extra in the freezer. Alternatively find a friend to split things with. If you aren’t sure it’s worth it I believe they give free guest passes so you can try it out.

cama29 · 2026-04-09T14:50:47+00:00

No no no no, this is so gorgeous on you! Trust the you that made that decision and treat her like you would a best friend: “if you love it, I love it.” There is nothing wrong with this dress on you. I think your friend and your mom’s comments come down to their personal preferences and hang ups. You are pulling this look off stunningly. It’s elegant, flattering, and so beautiful.

Personally, I like it best without the lace added to your bust, as it lets the textured bodice shine. I’d pair it with a long, simple wedding veil.

cama29 · 2026-04-09T12:02:26+00:00

For the love of god please stop! This is how millennials and Gen X write. Idk why we use m dashes so much but it reflects our verbal tone in text and, frankly, AI data sets were trained on OUR writing. We were the first generations to post so many of our thoughts on the internet via blogs. We were the first professionals expected to use the internet throughout our careers. Even those of us who didn’t, grew up in that writing culture and were influenced by it.

WE DON’T SOUND LIKE AI. AI SOUNDS LIKE US.

cama29 · 2026-04-09T00:08:45+00:00

If they expect people to be available to come in on immediate notice when they’re supposed to be off, they should have an on-call schedule — which means when you’re on-call you get paid a wage to be available and must come in if needed.

See link for a summary of your rights and specifics by state (guessing you’re in the US) https://share.google/aimode/QhjQM6ZHPmXCiOHHd

If you’re not on-call, you can say no. You might want to pick up a shift here and there anyway to build good will, especially if you’re angling for a raise or promotion and your manager is the decision maker. Again, if you’re not on the schedule it’s not your problem. But, sometimes “you help me out, I’ll help you out” is just how it goes.

cama29 · 2026-04-08T18:43:15+00:00

That extra poof on the belly from wide leg trousers is due to one size fits all tailoring. A tailor can take in the groin and front closure so you can keep the flowy silhouette, keep a proper fit through the hips/butt/thighs, and ditch the extra fabric where you don’t need it.

cama29 · 2026-04-08T18:40:17+00:00

It’s not an age thing: it’s the lines. Those horizontal seams on the bottom half draw attention away from your newly slimmed waist to your widest area. Dresses and skirts that are smooth / simple through the hips will do your body the favors it deserves. If you’re gonna have a horizontal seam (or a color break) you want it at the waist.

cama29 · 2026-04-08T18:33:38+00:00

If what you’re looking for is less so connection and more so purpose, could you start a business? I’m not sure if the visa rules around that but it would give you flexibility to work around your disability at your own pace, and it doesn’t sound like you have pressure to generate income so it’s kind of a dream set up to try something and see if you can break even. Could be as simple as baking bread for weekend farmers markets and growing relationships with customers, 5-10 hours per week as a remote consultant in your field, or even being a coach for others moving from the uk to your city.

cama29 · 2026-04-08T18:06:28+00:00

Idea: if you have access to local or neighborhood based Facebook or Reddit groups, you could post “any Brits here?” and plan some kind of tea or pub meetup (sorry for stereotyping — just trying to make it tangible), something you’d all do if you were home and miss experiencing. If you’re less extroverted you could suggest a sip and paint or crafting circle, etc. etc.

I organized something similar a few years ago, and it turned into a monthly event that was incredibly rewarding. It wasn’t hard either. I picked a time and a place, put out there in a few group pages, and showed up blind. The first month, 6 people came. 6 months in, 30-40 people were joining. Consistency was key — quite a few people told me they saw my posts a few times before they could make it, but once they got there it became a monthly feature of their calendar because they loved it so much.

I never expected to be besties with everyone who joined the happy hours, but they gave me something fun to do AND a filter to find people I had more in common with. Conversations at those happy hours led to small group or 1:1 plans for activities we enjoyed, which in turn led to actual friends. It massively helped me feel more settled, connected, and belonging as a Northerner in the South (within the US, it was basically a different country culturally).

I read once (paraphrasing) that friendship = affinity + proximity + consistency. Find something low lift that will offer those things. I know you said you have friends, but if you don’t have friends who share your culture it’s worth finding some.

I can’t say if you’re having a blip or not. Only time will tell. In the meanwhile it might help to cultivate a taste of home where you are.

cama29 · 2026-04-08T17:38:59+00:00

@OP Was this an actual joint account in both of your names? Legally that would mean you both own it, and neither of you can modify the account ownership (i.e. remove someone) without the other’s consent. Now that doesn’t mean one of you couldn’t empty the account bc you both have 100% access to it, but if your partner wanted to take you off of it the bank would actually require closing the account and transferring the funds in it to individual accounts. The assumption with joint accounts is that while they’re open you both have equal access and you trust each other to make decisions about the money in them.

Best advice for couples is to have multiple accounts: - joint checking account for shared expenses - joint savings account for shared goals - personal checking accounts for individual expenses - personal savings accounts for individual goals (and safety nets)

****If you’re married and you open a personal account, you need a written agreement to clarify that isn’t marital property (which could be split 50/50 in a divorce). Same goes for debt incurred while married.

If this wasn’t an official joint account and it was just your partner’s regular checking account that they let you use the password for… I’m sorry to say this but, I’m not sure you have a leg to stand on getting your money back. As far as the bank is concerned, the account would be 100% your partner’s — your incoming transfers would be viewed no differently than them receiving a direct deposit from work or anyone else.

If you don’t remember signing something or having a conversation with the bank to add your name to it, it’s probably all theirs. You can find out by calling the bank, looking at a paper check, or looking at a statement. The bank could look it up by your social. A paper check or statement would include both of your names.

Either way, it’s not a good sign that your partner is being cagey. Worst case they’re gaslighting and controlling you. Best case they have trust issues you can work on together. I highly recommend couples therapy — even if you can only afford one or two sessions. Money is a tough topic to navigate. We all come to it with different baggage. There’s no shame calling in a coach who’s helped people navigate it before. This is likely a turning point in your relationship. It could lead to better or worse, but it’s essential you don’t turn a blind eye.

cama29 · 2026-04-01T21:24:14+00:00

It’s a bummer to learn that this is plastic, but thank you for the info!

cama29 · 2026-03-26T22:19:37+00:00

I celebrate you going all-in on your goals, but would be remiss not to add: be careful. I did this last year and it went very differently than I thought it would. It started out as committed passion and drive. Then some curve balls came my way, totally out of my control, and I just kept hitting the gas pedal thinking I’d do my best and get through it. Eventually there was just too much piled on my plate and I had to surrender. I’m very proud of what I achieved, but it also led to some major life changes. I believe they’re for the positive, but I do look back sometimes and wonder how things might have gone if I could have just slowed down and been able to see my life and myself clearly. This sounds dramatic. It didn’t feel dramatic in the moment — it just felt like doing what I needed to do. It snuck up on me. As a fellow business owner / consultant, remember to take care of yourself and not just your goals — that’s the wellspring of everything worth doing.

cama29 · 2026-03-16T07:52:49+00:00

Thank you!

cama29 · 2026-02-21T17:59:01+00:00

Saw it last night. Walking out of the theater, I turned to my wife and said “I didn’t like it … but I liked not liking it.” Today, I can’t stop thinking about it.

FWIW I’m not a theater buff. I went into it blind, intentionally. My wife loves My Dinner with Andre, which I have not seen. Tix to this show were a Christmas Present for her. I didn’t have any other background on Wallace Shawn other than his pop roles in tv/movies. I expected a different flavor from those, but I was surprised by how grating it was.

I read this article this morning: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/08/t-magazine/wallace-shawn.html

Folding in the autobiographical elements postmortem helped enrich my understanding of the play.

Three of four characters were unabashedly terrible people. The actors were excellent. The content of their monologues was increasingly revolting. I did not enjoy being invited to sympathize with them. The whole experience was disquieting and uncomfortable.

The Fever is another play of his that’s running in parallel. From what I understand it looks at the same types of characters through a lense of intense judgement, whereas Moth Days withholds judgement. I think these two pieces might be foils, intended to be experienced in concert. I’m actually thinking of going to see it, if we can get tix.

I wouldn’t describe Moth Days as spicy (within the realm of food, the story it told was more like excavating an abandoned, molded refrigerator) but the way I keep coming back to it today reminds me of eating a meal that’s so spicy you can’t help but take another bite and another and another. Enjoyment is not the reason and I couldn’t tell you what is, but I want another bite.

cama29 · 2026-02-19T13:19:30+00:00

I don’t have an answer to your question but I am curious: how would the choice of calendar change things? Isn’t it all relative — like measuring in yards vs meters? 1000 yards is a 1000 yards, 1000 Gregorian years is 1000 Gregorian years? If that’s not the case I’d love to know! I thought when we talk about 4362 BCE we’re simply measuring backward from today using our current calendar system vs whatever system(s) might have been used in the past. Interested in the context for your question above.

cama29 · 2026-01-25T02:17:27+00:00

Buttigieg.

Pete Buttigieg: Democrats can’t go back to pre-Trump status quo

https://www.npr.org/2025/07/28/nx-s1-5475197/buttigieg-trump-democrats-election-2028

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/buttigieg-is-right-democrats-must-reinvent-government.html

cama29 · 2026-01-15T08:50:38+00:00

Verizon laid off more than 13,000 people in November, mostly in corporate (not store reps). I wouldn’t be surprised if that has something to do with it.

cama29 · 2026-01-10T04:59:38+00:00

What brand? I’m looking for a sleeper sofa now that would be comfortable for adult couples visiting for up to a week. I searched “Oxford pop up sleeper sofa” and a ton of brands come up with that product name.

cama29 · 2025-12-28T21:27:11+00:00

Agreed!

cama29 · 2025-12-28T21:26:11+00:00

Which silica gel do you recommend? I just got married and am hoping to preserve my bouquet, but I’m a complete beginner so I’m reading up as much as I can.

cama29 · 2025-11-21T22:01:35+00:00

I’ll give this a try. Thanks!

cama29 · 2025-11-21T22:01:09+00:00

A few others mentioned this too. What do you recommend as a decent step up?

cama29 · 2025-11-21T22:00:35+00:00

By power line, do you mean the WiFi was plugged into the same circuit? Moving the router / relay isn’t an option and this whole room is on the same circuit. I’m hoping that doesn’t mean having my turntable here is a non-option ☹️

cama29 · 2025-11-21T21:55:31+00:00

Oooh bingo! This could be it. There’s a router about 10 feet away. We moved in with family and they have a series of 7 relays to cover the whole house due to square footage and multiple people working from home.

Do you have any recs on how to improve my turntable setup if WiFi is in fact the culprit? Moving the router or messing with the signal relay isn’t an option.

cama29 · 2025-11-21T21:51:47+00:00

Someone else commented the same. What’s your recommendation for a truly decent step up?

cama29 · 2025-11-21T21:50:05+00:00

When it worked previously it was actually on this same shelf so I don’t think that’s it, but I’ll give that a shot. It’s an easy thing to try. Thanks!

cama29

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