Yes, and we’re also trapped in the “last in, first out” level on the seniority ladder. My mom, who has no higher education, has been with the same organization for 26 years. I, with a master’s degree, have had three jobs in the last four years. I don’t feel like my generation is going to have that kind of job…

I fully agree that “making mac-n-cheese and reading bedtime stories shouldn’t command the same wage as a professional teacher.” Perhaps we should consider paying teachers more and treating them less like glorified babysitters.

I thought it was more of a code phrase, like “The duck flies at midnight.”

That’s actually the part that’s most upsetting to me about this. Public perception of healthy is so distorted that we can no longer recognize it. Graham’s waist is below the recommended 35" size.

It depends on how long their memories are. Carla Hayden was outspoken against the PATRIOT Act when she was the president of the American Library Association. She, like most librarians, strongly favors privacy. It’s possible that they’ll argue about that, but I don’t think it’s likely.

The willingness and ability to walk away is key. At my last job, I learned that a coworker was making ~$15k more than I was, even though we were on otherwise equal footing, so I asked for a raise. I was told to get a job offer and they would counter, which is apparently what happened for my coworker.

I disagree. Funeral expenses are usually immediate, whereas an inheritance may take weeks or months to fulfill.

I imagine you could say the same of any generation. People born in 1946 will have had a vastly different experience than people born in 1964 (Boomers). People born at the earliest of that group would actually remember racial integration, whereas it had been in place for ten years for people born in the latest years.

I assume the person means cover your funeral costs. I explained in detail in another comment why life insurance is so important to my family and I in light of my grandmother’s passing, but I can give you the reader’s digest version. Funerals are expensive, and it takes considerable time to access funds from a 401K or…

My grandmother passed away last week, and I can tell you why her life insurance policy was so important to us: it takes time to get money from a 401K. It also takes time to get money from the deceased’s checking or savings accounts to pay for final costs, if you aren’t already listed on their accounts. Also, if you…

I’m from West Virginia. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told this to someone, and they say “What part of Virginia?” We are our own state! Have been since 1863.

Yes, this is true. I would hope that the gifter would think about that, but there’s also the possibility of turning a solid planter into one with drainage holes depending on the material. The idea of a live plant is also a good idea!

That stuck out to me, too. I would love to see an adoption storyline where the child doesn’t feel like they were “thrown away.”

The vessel you use to store the flowers can be even more meaningful than the flowers, also. If you have an empty wine bottle hiding in a closet that you saved from a special event, that could be nice with some tall flowers. If your honey loves a good cup of coffee or tea, buy a sturdy mug to hold the flowers. You…

I don’t know. I know that my mortgage lender has a line that reads “Additional Principal Amount” on the payment page. My car lender also has a line with “Additional Principal Payment.” The default is probably that extra cash goes toward next month’s payment if you send in a check above your total due, like @Kumicho…

I was so excited to see that my tip became an article...for about five seconds, when the novelty wore off and I remembered that I was highlighting a local bigot. Of course the comments section on the WV Gazette article has blown up now, but even yesterday it was shockingly positive. I would say that 90% of the…

Weston isn’t all conservative. A group holds a massive Witches’ Ball at the Transallagheny Asylum every Halloween. It must drive the bible thumpers absolutely bonkers.

These are good points, and I’d like to add one more thought. Taking a car loan and making the monthly payments on time every time can help your credit score. If you are able to get 0% financing, it would be wise to set up automatic payments on a 3 or 4 year loan. You aren’t raising your monthly debts because the money…

If you specify that extra payments go toward principal, it can shorten the length of your loan. My loan officer explained to me that one extra mortgage payment a year—paid to principal—can shorten a 30-year loan by ten to twelve years. Amortization schedules start interest-heavy and end principal-heavy, which is good…

This attitude is also common for women who report rapists and abusers, especially if the man is seen as a paragon of virtue or athleticism. “She ruined his life!”