DMT Beauty Transformation

QAnon’s Big Inauguration Day Theory Was Proven Wrong. What Comes Next For The Group?

January 21, 2021BruceDayne

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

As Joe Biden was inaugurated on Wednesday, some people breathed in a sigh of relief to see that the Trump administration had finally come to its end. Others, like followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory completely melted down as they realized the so-called “Great Awakening” they had been waiting for wasn’t coming after all.

Followers of the conspiracy theory have long believed that Democratic politicians and celebrities were involved in a Satanic international child sex trafficking network. They were also holding out hope that on January 20, 2021, Donald Trump would declare martial law and round up his political enemies for execution at the Guantánamo Bay detention center.

Some adherents prepared for a nationwide blackout ahead of the inauguration, as they believed Trump would alert them that the arrests were being made. On Wednesday morning, they remained encouraged that those arrests were coming, noting that Trump had 17 flags with him onstage at his farewell event at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. They noted that Q is the 17th letter of the alphabet and therefore, this could not be a coincidence.

Among the Democratic elite who were supposed to be arrested and executed, according to the conspiracy theory, was the incoming president. Instead, Biden’s inauguration went off without a hitch and the former president took off for the last time from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

If any of us are lucky, we won’t hear from Trump again, but QAnon supporters were a wreck as everything they believed in fell apart. “It’s done and we were played,” one person wrote in a Telegram channel. Another wrote, “I just want to throw up. I’m so sick of all the disinformation and false hope.” Ironically, it was disinformation that led people to the QAnon conspiracy theory in the first place.

The QAnon conspiracy theory first started gaining traction in right-wing spaces in October 2017 after Pizzagate went viral the year prior. At the time, some people were led to believe that Democrats were running a child sex trafficking network out of the D.C.-based pizzeria, Comet Ping Pong. Since then, supporters of the theory have made a number of predictions, including that Hillary Clinton would be arrested for her role in the activities (which do not actually exist) and that the government was preparing for riots.

None of these things happened, of course, and a lot of QAnon followers are expressing anger and disillusionment as a result. Many people who follow the conspiracy theory said they were “sick to [their] stomach” on forums and that it was the “Worst day in American history” after the mass arrests didn’t happen, according to a tweet posted by Daily Beast reporter Will Sommer. One post on the Great Awakening forum was titled, “If Q Was a Fake, Why Didn’t Trump Denounce It?”

Meanwhile, a moderator of the forum warned that posts questioning the validity of Q would be banned, writing, “this IS NOT over HAVE patience,” Slate reports. Some followers still have hope and have started coming up with new theories. “Like many of you, I am in shock by today’s [events] and then I realized why it had to happen and that Q told us it would happen and, why this NEEDED to happen,” read one post on a QAnon forum, according to The Guardian. The post went on to explain the new theory in detail.

Despite the major Q theory unraveling, researchers of the far right are concerned about where these splintering supporters will go next. Following the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, QAnon communities have made their way to platforms that are less regulated when it comes to white nationalist and neo-Nazi organizing. And while the theory is already thriving on antisemitic tropes, some people worry adherents of Q are only a few clicks away from entering and radicalizing further to the right in white nationalist digital spaces.

It’s unclear what will happen next with Q, QAnon, or the fake satanic cabal of Democrats they seem to believe is running the world. What we do know is that QAnon will probably live in the dark corners of the internet (or Facebook) for a little while longer, though hopefully only to fade from memory, much like Donald Trump himself.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Experts Are Warning Us Of Inauguration Day Riots

Who Did Trump Pardon On His Last Day In Office?

The FBI Knew About The Capitol Riot Beforehand

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Erin Corbett, Khareem Sudlow

featured Khareem Sudlow Refinery29

A Week In Washington, D.C. On A $118,000 Joint Income

January 21, 2021BruceDayne

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.

Today: a project manager who has a joint income of $118,000 and spends some of her money this week on a rose gold MacBook Air.

Occupation: Project Manager/Consultant
Industry: Business Consulting
Age: 31
Location: Washington, D.C.
Salary: around $45,000 (this is an estimate)
My Husband’s Salary: $73,000
Net Worth: -$131,000 (Assets: car worth approximately $7,000, seven guitars worth approximately $5,000 (my husband always tells me these are assets and part of a retirement plan as “guitars only go up in value once you start buying nice ones.”), savings: $19,000 Debt: $162,000) — My husband and I combined finances shortly after getting married, so everything goes into one joint account. We run big purchases past each other, but other than that, we’re pretty autonomous because our money philosophies closely align.
Debt: My student loans: $19,756.98, My husband’s law school loans: $142,000
My Paycheck Amount (1x/month): $3,750 (no taxes, health insurance, etc. are taken out. Even when I was full time, the company didn’t do any of this.)
My Husband’s Paycheck (biweekly): $2,111.99 (after taxes, benefits, etc.)
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $2,150 (includes utilities, going up to $2,300 in February)
Storage/Parking: $160 (going up to $225 in February)
Monthly Loan Payments: Varies, currently we’re doing $0 on mine and $2,000 on my husband’s because his loans gain so much more in interest
Cell Phone: $102.07 (includes internet and minutes)
Health, Vision, Dental Insurance: $497 (this includes health, dental, and vision for my husband, myself, and our baby, all through my husband’s work.)
iCloud and Apple Music: $19.99
Netflix: $14.99
Disney+: $33/year (split with my parents)
Amazon Prime: $119/year
Car and Renters Insurance: $11
Internet: $127(reduced to $81 next month)
Son’s 529: $50
Retirement: $150 (right now this just goes into savings)
Peloton: $65.07 for bike and app
NYT: $1/week
Childcare: $0 (We’re rocking that no childcare life during the pandemic, which allows us to put a lot of extra money into loans while taking precautions that we’re comfortable with)

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
I was taught from birth that higher education was a requirement — my dad was the first to attend college in his family, and my mom attended but dropped out after two semesters to support my dad as he finished school so that they wouldn’t have to take out loans. My brother was born before my dad graduated and she chose to be a stay-at-home mom, so she never finished college. It was ingrained in me that college was a requirement, but that I could choose whatever job and field I wanted. My parents always supported my various chosen careers. I obtained a bachelor’s immediately after high school — my parents had told me growing up that they would cover the cost of living expenses but I would be responsible for tuition, so I worked hard so that I had a good chunk of money saved up and received scholarships. As a result, I ended up paying around $8,000 total out of pocket for my degree that I finished in three years. I was on my own for my master’s — my husband and I were married by then. I received a half-tuition scholarship but took out loans to cover the cost of living as my husband was also in school. We lived on around $10,000/year in one of the most expensive cities in the world for two years. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
I got an allowance from an early age. It was always $20/month and if I didn’t do my chores, I didn’t receive it. My parents taught me to save half, donate 10% to charity, and then the rest was spending money (so I got $8/month spending money, which stayed consistent all the way until college). Money wasn’t a taboo topic, but I also don’t feel like I ever sat down and had an official education. My mom taught me to balance a checkbook, how to shop sales, etc. My parents gave me $100 every year to buy my back to school wardrobe and school supplies so that I would learn how to budget for what I wanted versus what I needed. We always lived well below our means, and I didn’t know until I was an adult how well off my parents truly were. They bought a house worth less than half of what they could have afforded, paid it off in 10 years, always pay cash for cars, etc. As a teenager, our big “treat” was going to the Burger King drive-thru once a month as a family on a Friday night. Money was never a mystery and any questions I asked got answered.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I got my first job in the seventh grade. A family friend hired me to take care of their kids three days a week after school. My mom would pick them up from school, bring them to the house, and I would occupy them until their parents picked them up around dinner time. Looking back, I see how a lot of the money should have gone to my mom since she did the driving and would help, but she was kind and let me feel like I was in charge and doing the work and put all of the money into my savings account. All through high school and college, I worked as a nanny for a family in the neighborhood. I would pick the kids up from school and go back to their house and help with homework/make dinner until the parents came home. During the summer, I would work four days a week doing the same. I made $15/hour and it is what set me up to be able to afford college with no loans, as well as not work during the school year in college.

Did you worry about money growing up?
No. We didn’t live an extravagant life (read: Burger King once a month as a treat) but I never felt like we were poor or lacking. I grew up in a very affluent area so it would have been easy to feel that way, but we had family friends who actually didn’t have enough money to cover the bills, buy food, etc. on a regular basis, so I was aware that while my parents didn’t spend like some people around us, they weren’t poor. I always assumed we were middle class, but now as an adult, I know that my parents are squarely upper middle class, largely thanks to the frugal lifestyle they live.

Do you worry about money now?
All the time. Since my husband and I graduated from college, one of us has always been in school (or both of us) and neither of us has ever had a job that offers a retirement account. My goal for this year is to pick one out and start saving on our own by the end of January. I’m terrified of not having enough, and now that we’re officially done with school, it’s time to aggressively put money in to make up for the lost time. We are in a good spot with loans and will be able to pay them off by the end of 2024.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became fully financially responsible for myself at age 21 when I graduated from undergrad. I was expected to be able to fund my own lifestyle once I had a job lined up. My husband and I got married after graduation and combined finances about six months after we got married. It works for us. We definitely have a safety net in my parents. There have been two instances where we have moved in with my parents. My parents are very generous and would help if we ever needed it financially, but I would feel horrible having to ask. We plan on having my parents move in with us when they get too elderly to live on their own, which hopefully won’t be for many years.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
We received $5,000 from my husband’s parents when we moved back from living out of the country and needed to buy a car. We were going to buy within our means, but they thought that was unacceptable and gave us this cash present under the condition that we had to buy a car they wanted. Other than that, the only inheritance I’ve ever received was a piece of furniture from a grandparent. Depending on when my parents die, I will receive an inheritance from them. My sibling and I will split what remains of their retirement account (if any remains) and proceeds from the sale of the house and cars.

Day One

4:45 a.m. — I wake up because the baby makes a noise and immediately my body tells me there’s no going back to sleep. I head out to the couch and waste some time before I login to work around 5:30. If I’m going to be up, I might as well work on making money. There’s a lot of street traffic outside — we live in downtown D.C. and today and tomorrow are big Trump rally days, meaning that our street will soon be closed off to vehicular traffic by the National Guard and police. We’re nervous about potential violence given the fact that at the last rally a BLM sign was stolen from the church next to us and burned in the street. My husband, B., joins me at 5:45 to work out while I continue working. A friend of ours’ son-in-law passed away unexpectedly so I donate $25 to a meal train to provide some food for their daughter and granddaughter. $25

6:30 a.m. — The baby, V., wakes up and I take my computer into the bedroom to nurse him while I continue working. B. picks a very “me” outfit for V. since I’ve already warned him that today will be a very tough day emotionally for me due to some ongoing work issues. I work in bed until V.’s breakfast is ready, head out to eat oatmeal as a family, and shower before getting back to work, this time on the couch.

9:20 a.m. — Time for V. to eat. B. gets V. ready for a nap while I set up to nurse him while I keep working. Typing one-handed is a skill I’ve only recently acquired as my quarantine skill. I nurse V. while formatting an excel spreadsheet for a client and sneaking in some Bridgerton. This show is trash but I can’t stop watching.

11:06 a.m. — V. wakes up from his nap and B. goes and changes his diaper and brings him out to play. V. does this cute thing where he peeks around the corner (assisted) after each nap to smile at me until he collapses with laughter. Babies are hilarious. I wrap up an email and then settle in to do some playing with V. while also packing up books for our impending move. I make food for the three of us and we all sit down to eat together (read: watch V. squish food around). B. and I talk politics while I set up a subscribe and save for one of V.’s favorite snacks and order a can of compressed air to clean out my keyboard. $21.42

12:50 p.m. — I hop onto my computer to do a bit of prep work for a meeting at 1 and B. takes V. into the bedroom so that he isn’t begging to join my call for the whole thing. Halfway through the call, B. brings V. to me to nurse so I turn off my camera, put myself on mute, and hum to him (which helps stops the biting) while still taking notes for myself. After a very unpleasant hour-long call and follow-up, I’m extremely frustrated and jump straight into a full-body weights workout to burn off some steam.

3 p.m. — V. wakes up. We play for a bit and then I set him up in the window with a snack while I finish up a job application. After an extremely unpleasant few months at work, I’ve been looking for a new job since July 2020. Unfortunately, this also coincides with tons of other people looking for new jobs, so I try not to be too discouraged, but it’s hard. After snack time is done, V. and I head back to his corner to practice walking and play some more.

5 p.m. — B. finishes up work and we bundle up and head outside for a family walk. The Trump supporters are out in full force so we spend the walk heading away from the White House and peering around corners to avoid the roving crowds. We get back around 6, V. waves hi to the doorman and flashes him a toothy smile, and we head upstairs where I make V. dinner while B. calls his family. V. eats, has bath time, and I nurse him while reading. He is asleep by 7:15 and we eat salad for dinner. I fall sleep on the couch and my alarm wakes me up at 8:45. I get ready for bed and then watch more Bridgerton (still trash but so addictive) until B. joins me. We’re both asleep by 9:40.

Daily Total: $46.42

Day Two

4:37 a.m. — My body randomly decides it’s time for me to wake up. I move out to the living room and respond to the 46 text messages I received overnight (my two best friends both live in more western time zones, meaning this is a common occurrence on our group text). I take a look at the Senate run-off and see one has already been declared! So far D.C. is still standing, so the Proud Boys must not have gotten the news yet. We’re officially behind the police/national guard line now, so it’s eerie/quiet out, even this early. I set myself up on the couch and log in to work around 5:15. B. wakes up and hops on the Peloton around 5:45 for a quick ride. I eat a bowl of granola.

6:15 a.m. — V. wakes up for the day so I move to the bed to nurse him while I keep working. B. is feeling very anxious/depressed (he’s struggled with/been diagnosed with both and is currently searching for a new therapist). I tell him we’re using some gift money we’ve been saving to order dinner tonight, which cheers him up some.

6:45 a.m. — I’m about to hop in the shower when I get news from my mom (who is watching D.C. news closely even though they live elsewhere) that protesters are already out for the day. What a weird and nerve-wracking time to live in the District. Mayor Bowser warned everyone in the area to stay clear of downtown D.C., but it’s hard to do so when you live here. I go around and quickly take photos of the apartment and everything in it, just in case. I reflect on the fact that V. was born in the first week of lockdown — in his short life so far he’s only known quarantine (so the number of people who have been willing to quarantine prior to meeting him can be counted on one hand) and protests. D.C. has been boarded up for the majority of his life. What kind of world have we brought a baby into? This certainly wasn’t what we had imagined when finally finding out that we were expecting. I shower while continuing my existential crisis.

8:20 a.m. — B. gets V. ready for a nap (grump master supreme) and I nurse him on the couch while working. I take a quick work break to order a belated holiday present for one of my two best friends who is finally returning home from a months-long car trip out west to stay with family. I order her the same succulent and pot I already have and got for our other best friend so we can have friendship plants. $22.35

10:10 a.m. — V. wakes up. I finish Bridgerton while I do a bit of work busy work. Trash. So good. V. drives a small tractor that my parents sent him around the apartment while I prep for an 11 a.m. meeting with clients. B. generally takes the lead with V. in the mornings and I take it in the afternoon, so I try to complete all my work in the morning so that I can apply for jobs, work out, and play with V. in the afternoon.

12:20 p.m. — Finally off my call, I have a migraine and a million more things to do for work (that all need to be completed yesterday, obviously), and V. is losing it. I grab myself a few crackers as a snack and set up on the couch to nurse. B. heats the oven and the pizza stone while I nurse so we can break for lunch afterward. We eat pizza for lunch while watching MXC on Amazon Prime and chatting. Today is already turning out to be the kind of day where you need something mindless on TV because the world is too much. We skim Trump’s remarks from the Ellipse. What a dope.

2 p.m. — V. wakes up from his nap. I’m trying to finish up the last dregs of work so I set up shop in his play area with my computer while I finish up a few e-mails.

2:14 p.m. — We start hearing lots of sirens. My mom texts that rioters have stormed the Capitol. We turn on CNN on my iPad and start watching the mob a mile away from us. I can’t believe this is real. We see the bomb squad and hazmat team leave from the fire station by our house and tear toward the Hill. The police guarding the church next to our building head over that way, but the National Guard stays put. It’s eerie here like an end of the world movie. No sound but sirens and occasional Trump supporters running past and cheering and whistling. We watch out our front windows as our doorman runs out of the building and crosses the street to his car between a line of police cars. I hope the evening doorman doesn’t come in for his own safety.

3:45 p.m. — It must be nice to be a baby and be completely unaware of the chaos that is going on outside. I set up in the rocker and nurse V. while streaming the news on my iPad. I multitask by picking the fruit on B.’s Animal Crossing island while V. sleeps on me and I keep watching in shock. Thinking of all the hatred V. has seen in his first few months of life, what will he see in the rest of his life? We get an alert that we have a city-wide curfew of 6 p.m. No exiting the building, even via car after that. B. and I have a quick text conversation about whether or not we need to drive somewhere to stay safe. Will it get worse overnight? We decide we feel safe enough for now, and that if need be, we’ll get in the car and leave in the middle of the night, curfew be darned.

5 p.m. — V. wakes up. I change and do a Peloton ride to burn off some steam and some stress. We normally would be on a walk right now but it isn’t safe to do so. We have our blinds drawn and are staying away from the windows, but I can’t resist a peek every once in a while. Bands of jubilant MAGA people are starting to come back to their hotels. We feed V. his dinner, do bath time, get him ready for bed, and I nurse him. After we put him down, we head out to the living room. Tonight is a night for comfort food and stress eating. B. makes himself a quesadilla and a big bowl of Amish popcorn in our WhirleyPop (clearly not ordering in tonight as was previously planned). He flavors the popcorn with homemade buffalo ranch seasoning. It’s incredible. We eat while watching the news as Congress reconvenes. I eventually have to cool the burning fire on my tongue by finishing off the last of our TJ’s soy dark chocolate cherry ice cream. We watch until 9 then get ready for bed. We’re both asleep by 9:40.

Daily Total: $22.35

Day Three

4:07 a.m. — My body tells me to wake up. I put on my glasses and check that everything is still standing outside. All looks good. I see that Biden has officially been confirmed. I start reading Trump’s statement and shake my head in disgust. I’m so stressed that I decide I can’t start work this early. I go back into the bedroom and read the news on my phone until 4:45, then sit in the dark until 5:30 when I fall back asleep.

6:44 a.m. — V. wakes up. It’s rare that he sleeps in this late. B. gets him ready for the day and I nurse him. I work while I nurse V. He is in a bad mood today. I hop in the shower and then work on the couch while B. showers and V. plays next to me.

9:15 a.m. — I set up to nurse V., who is having a full-on meltdown. I think he can sense that we’re still on edge. I nurse him while I continue working and then hop on a call for an update with the team on a project I’m managing for a client. The call ends at 10:45 and I’m extremely frustrated.

11:45 a.m. — I log off work to hopefully do some networking before I prep lunch. Instead, my boss calls. When he’s done talking, I hang up and prep lunch. Chicken, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and mayo sandwich for B., chicken, tofu, lime-cilantro rice, hard-boiled egg, spinach teething wafer, and pear for V., and a veggie bacon BLT for me. We fill in the holes with salt and pepper chips. I play with V. for a while, we FaceTime to say hi to grandma, and I nurse him around 2:15 and put him down for a nap. During nap time, I do some networking, finish applying for a job, take a 20-minute power nap, and read the news.

4 p.m. — V. wakes up and he joins me while I do a strength workout. B. wraps up work at 5 and we head out on a walk. On our way to the store, we’re accosted by three Trump supporters not wearing masks. They tell us that they don’t bite and we can get closer and we politely tell them we’re social distancing because of the baby and just waiting to cross the street. They ask where we live and we tell them D.C. We’re trying to be polite because we don’t want them to follow us anywhere or do anything scary. They tell us they’re sorry we live in such a hell-hole. We tell them to have a nice day and cross the street a bit shaken. B. runs in to the grocery store and picks up mayo and tater tots, which he tells me are essential. We take the long way back home to avoid the same intersection where the Trump supporters were. $8.06

6 p.m. — We feed V. dinner, do bath time, and I nurse him before putting him to bed. B. makes a salad for us while I do all of this, as I have a networking/job search event at 8 to attend via Zoom. We watch MXC while we eat to avoid the relentless news cycle and the stress of being here and then hop on the job search event. We all have our cameras turned off, which is a relief since I’m in pajamas and not wearing a bra. It’s a testament to how tired I am at this point in the week that I fall asleep sitting in front of my computer for the last 12 minutes of the event. B. wakes me up at the end and tells me he took notes for the last bit while I was sleeping. We get ready for bed and are asleep by 9:45.

Daily Total: $8.06

Day Four

4:12 a.m. — My body wakes up. I’m way too tired for this. I sit in bed in the dark after reading two chapters of my book. V. wakes up at 6:12 and suddenly everyone else has joined me in being awake. I nurse him, shower, eat breakfast, and hop on to work. I try to set up a genius bar appointment since my computer keyboard still isn’t working after doing their recommended compressed air cleaning, but none are available within 40 miles in the next week. I chat with an Apple specialist who tries to set me up with an appointment at a store that their website (and the signs outside the store) says is temporarily closed. She tells me to stay up until midnight and try to set up an appointment then, as that’s when new ones become available. Guess that means I’m stuck using my Bluetooth iPad keyboard for the foreseeable future.

9:15 a.m. — Nurse V. and put him down for a nap.

10 a.m. — I’m way over on my hours for work this week (I went down to part-time a few months ago for my mental health and to give me more time to job hunt) so I decide to get some tasks out of the way for our upcoming move. I call Xfinity and transfer over our service as well as cancel all TV (we only had it because of the sign-up offer) and get our bill down $40/month. I call our rental insurance agency and get our policy transferred over to the new location and updated. I make our first month’s rent payment on my credit card (rack up those points, we’ll take a bar trip someday is what I keep telling myself). Before I know it, an hour has passed and V. is awake and pounding on my leg while I try to get back to work.

12 p.m. — We sit down for lunch. V. throws blueberries and rice all over while I eat mushroom soup and B. eats a sandwich. We decide to use our gift card on dinner tonight and place an order for vegan nachos and decidedly not vegan wings from one of our favorite local joints. I play with V. until it’s time to nurse him. I hop on a work call at 2. It goes great (not) as the client is upset. I get off around 3 and do some wrap-up work from the call.

4 p.m. — V. and I go on a walk. We get back and I prep his dinner, then do a bath, nursing, and bed. B. picks up dinner from the lobby right as V. falls asleep and we dig into our vegan nachos and chicken wings. While doing so, I try to boot up my computer and it won’t even start! This doesn’t bode well… I hope that I’ll be able to get a Genius Bar appointment ASAP since it sits in the start-up phase with fans running for a full hour before we give up. We put on the Da Vinci Code on Netflix and snuggle until I fall asleep at 8:45.

Daily Total: $0

Day Five

4:15 a.m. — My body, once again, betrays me. I log on to Apple and see that by some miracle there’s a genius bar appointment available at 1:20 in Georgetown. I snag it, text B. so that we both remember that it’s happening, and read in the dark until I’m tired and can fall asleep again around 5:45. V. wakes up at 6:15 and we’re off! I nurse him and then head into the kitchen to make a breakfast with lots of leftovers that V. can eat for the next few days. I also start my puff pastry for our traditional galette des rois. It was supposed to happen on Wednesday, but with everything going on and work, I didn’t start the puff in time so our galette got moved to this weekend. I pound out the butter before nursing V. and putting him down for a nap around 9:30. B. and I are both in a funk and get in little tiffs all morning before we decide to do a reset.

9:30 a.m. — Cleaning time. I start assembling the puff, put it in the fridge to chill, and then clean the countertops, appliances, toilet, and shower while B. does the dusting and floors. I do another turn on the pastry while B. starts the laundry. I pack some boxes for the move. We sit down to relax and V. wakes up at 11:15. I prep lunch, and after we eat, we walk the two miles to the Apple store in Georgetown. I drop off the computer for diagnostics per their modified protocol. I call B. when I’m done and we start heading back home. B. ducks into a CVS on our route and picks up two bottles of water and a box of cheerios for V. $9.06

4:30 p.m. — I prep the rest of the galette and get it in the fridge to chill prior to cooking. I prep dinner for V. and we sit down and talk to my parents while he eats. The apple store calls and the news isn’t good — it’ll be $478 and at least a week. They won’t bill me until the work is done. They tell me to buy a new MacBook and then return it when I get mine back from their repair center and they’ll give me a full refund. I go online and reserve one for pickup tomorrow — there’s one rose gold, souped-up MacBook air available 26 miles away from us. I’m more of an all-black-all-the-time type of girl, but whatever. I pay the fee out of pocket but will be returning the computer per their instructions once I have mine back. $1,323.94

6 p.m. — I pop the galette in the oven, I make V. dinner, and he eats while we FaceTime my parents. We do bath time, I nurse him, and we put him down for bed. Then, we have a dinner of popcorn with a nice healthy helping of galette. It’s my absolute favorite dessert in the entire world and I think we should have it all the time. We finish The Da Vinci Code and start in on Angels and Demons while folding the various loads of laundry that we did throughout the day and then snuggle up on the couch for a bit before I fall asleep.

Daily Total: $1,333

Day Six

4:22 a.m. — Up and at ‘em. I read for a while in bed before falling back asleep around 5:45.

6:30 a.m. — V. wakes up for the day. After I nurse him, we get him dressed in a tiny tuxedo because it’s the weekend so why not. We eat breakfast together while talking to my parents on FaceTime. After we’re off with my parents, I hop in the shower and B. calls his parents. I then do a tiny tux photoshoot with V. I nurse him and put him down for a nap.

10:00 a.m. — We attend Zoom church. Someone who isn’t a member of our congregation gives a wonderful sermon on acceptance and love — B. and I can’t stop talking about how inspiring it is and how much we loved his perspective. V. wakes up around 11 and we do a quick lunch for him and some snacks for us before we head out to the Apple store. We get back home around 12:45 and B. and V. play for a while while I set up my computer for work tomorrow before I nurse V. and put him down for a nap around 2.

2 p.m. — B. and I eat a lunch of Moroccan stew that we heat up from the freezer. We talk for a bit and then lie down on the couch to finish Angels and Demons. V. wakes up around 3:30 and I give him a quick top-off nurse and we head out on our normal Sunday afternoon walk. Every Sunday, we sit on the Mall and play with V. We get down and the entire Mall is fenced in so we can’t do our normal picnic play. It’s unsurprisingly much more crowded than normal in front of the Capitol for a Sunday afternoon. We take in the new unscalable fence and the newly filled reflecting pool. There’s a memorial toward the side for the Capitol police officer that was killed and tons more National Guard, Capitol Police, and MPD than normal. We head back home and hang around for a while.

6:20 p.m. — I make V. dinner and then we call my parents again. V. loves to show them what he’s eating for dinner. After dinner, we do bath time. V. poops in the tub (become a parent, it’s fun!). Then, while I’m holding him in his towel as B. scoops out the poop, washes the tub, and refills it to wash off V., V. pees on me. After a much longer bath than anticipated, I nurse V., and then B. and I eat a dinner of galette and carrots with hummus and start Strike, which is based on one of our favorite book series. B. refuses to let me fall asleep. We head to bed around 9:20, excited for an early night.

9:40 p.m. — V. has foiled our plans. He’s up, screaming, and pounding on our feet from his crib. B. gets up to soothe him. One hour later and it isn’t working. I give him some Tylenol — he must be working on those molars. One hour later and it still isn’t working. Finally, at 11:30, we get him to fall asleep through a magic combo of rocking, snuggles in bed, and singing. We put him in the crib and both fall asleep exhausted.

1:30 a.m. — V. wakes up screaming again. It’s about 45 minutes before we can get him back down. If my body decides to wake me up at 4 again I may keel over.

Daily Total: $0

Day Seven

6 a.m. — V. wakes up. So do I, and by some miracle, I didn’t wake up at 4 this morning. We’re all exhausted. We do our morning routine and then I start work. I break from work for breakfast, shower, and then get back to work with a tiny helper sitting next to me on the couch. I decide that I feel like an Instagram influencer with my rose gold MacBook. All I need is someone to take a totally not staged photo of me sitting, perfectly coiffed and staring off into the distance with my trendy computer in hand while I perch casually on the couch.

9:02 a.m. — V. is losing it. B. gets him ready for his nap and I nurse him on the couch while I continue working. My parents shoot us a text offering for us to come quarantine with them prior to our move so we can escape any potential violence in D.C. for the inauguration. The internet is abuzz with people planning things, and it’s making us nervous. My parents both work from home and were already quarantining so that they could come help us with the move so that we’re not exposed to anyone, so it isn’t the worst idea out there. They’re comfortable assuming the risk of us going to the Apple store. We have to decide if we want to accelerate my slow pack method into a quick get-it-all-done-this-week method and head to their house this weekend and then come back after the inauguration for the day of the move.

9:48 a.m. — I get a text that my birth control subscription is ready to pick up. It’s free, and I get a notice that it’s eligible for free delivery. Even though CVS is in the building behind ours, I’m still all about that free delivery life if it means I don’t have to potentially expose us to COVID.

10:20 a.m. — V. wakes up. I was really hoping he’d have a monster nap so that he was in a better mood after the horrible night’s sleep. No such luck. He roves the apartment like a wild animal, randomly biting various pieces of furniture and toys that he’s strewn about. He’s in a mood, so around 11:15 B. straps him into the seat in front of the window, gives him some toys to chew on, and sits next to him while he watches the cars go by from his perch high above the intersection.

1:30 p.m. — After eating lunch, I nurse V. and put him down to sleep and then change into workout clothes. Of course, he won’t fall asleep. I give him some time while I prep chili for dinner, but when he hasn’t fallen asleep after 45 minutes, I bring him out to the living room to rock him to sleep. He sleeps for 45 minutes and I close my eyes and listen to an audiobook to relax since I can’t do anything else.

5 p.m. — B. finishes up work so we head out on a walk. D.C. still feels weird. We get home and have dinner. B. talks to his parents and then we do bath time (V. pees all over me tonight right after we take him out of the bath and I put him in his towel) then I nurse him and put him down. We pack some boxes and finish up folding the last few loads of laundry we did today. I put my pee clothes in the washer and we relax while eating Oreos. We’re in bed and asleep by 9:30.

Daily Total: $0

Money Diaries are meant to reflect an individual’s experience and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29’s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior.

The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend — to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day. For more money diaries, click here.

Do you have a Money Diary you’d like to share? Submit it with us here.

Have questions about how to submit or our publishing process? Read our Money Diaries FAQ doc here or email us here.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

A Week In San Jose, CA, On A $72,000 Salary

A Week In Brooklyn, NY, On A $58,500 Salary

A Week In Ski Town, CO, On A $165,000 Salary

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Refinery29, Khareem Sudlow

Eliza Huber featured Khareem Sudlow

Meena Harris’ Inauguration Night Dress Is Kate Middleton-Approved

January 21, 2021BruceDayne

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

From England’s first family to America’s second, one dress has crossed the ocean. Following the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday, the VP’s niece Meena Harris swapped her daytime Ulla Johnson green dress (pictured, left) for another of the same shade (pictured, below). For the nighttime celebrations, the author, lawyer, and founder of the Phenomenal Woman Action Campaign slipped into a high-neck, three-quarter sleeve dress by Susie Cave’s U.K-based fashion brand The Vampire’s Wife. And according to royal expert and author of HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style, Elizabeth Holmes, Harris isn’t the only “royal” to do so.

Soon after Harris posted a mirror selfie of her look on her Instagram Stories — with the caption, “On my vampire shit” — Holmes pointed out that Harris’ exact Vampire’s Wife dress was previously worn by none other than Kate Middleton.

The Duchess of Cambridge debuted the dress — which is currently for sale at Farfetch and Matches Fashion starting at $2,344 — in March of last year during a three-day royal tour of Ireland. The color was meant as a statement of support for the country, and, at the time, one of many green dresses she wore, according to Bustle. With her dress, the Duchess wore Manolo Blahnik pumps in a similar shade of emerald and carried a metallic clutch purse. (When the Duke and Duchess ventured to the Guinness Storehouse as part of their official royal duties, her elegant handbag was replaced with a creamy pint.)

Middleton isn’t even the only member of the Mountbatten-Windsor clan to take a liking to Cave’s collection of green dresses. Princess Beatrice, the cousin of Prince William and Prince Harry, wore a dress nearly identical to Middleton’s and Harris’ at Ellie Goulding’s wedding in August 2019. She paired it with a decorative headband and black pumps.

Harris being, well, Harris, was a bit more daring with her styling of the dress than the royals across the pond, choosing a pair of black, pointed-toe boots to wear with it, as well as a patterned face mask.

Below, shop the dress, titled the Falconetti dress, as well as a handful of more affordable, yet equally royal-worthy options — which, yes, we’ll be pairing with boots.

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Here's Why Kamala Harris Inauguration Look Matters

TikTok Calls For More Looks From Biden's Grandkids

Ella Emhoff Brought Brooklyn To Inauguration Day

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Eliza Huber, Khareem Sudlow

featured Khareem Sudlow Stephanie Long

Now That She’s Stuck In Your Head, Flo Milli Is Just Getting Started

January 21, 2021BruceDayne

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

Post-COVID life — whenever that comes — is predicted to usher in a new Roaring Twenties era. The decade, which marked both a period of economic prosperity and social change, came right after the 1920s influenza pandemic, and gave rise to a time of profound transformation of life as folks knew it back then. Poised and assured as ever, Flo Milli is channelling that renaissance energy in her latest track and manifesto, “Roaring 20s,” her first offering since the release of her breakthrough mixtape, Ho, why is you here ?

“Everything was flourishing at that time, so I feel like manifesting that into my career,” a soft-spoken Flo tells me over the phone. Her calm and airy demeanor is a stark contrast to the bravado heard on tracks like “Pockets Bigger” and “Not Friendly.” She sounds focused and grounded. Perhaps it’s because, at 21, the Mobile, AL rapper is also at the beginning of her own rebirth — and she’s setting out to make the most of the decade.

“I’m a big person on manifesting and speaking things into existence, because there very much is a power in the tongue,” Flo muses. Flo’s tongue is mighty, as she proved to us on her debut, and she solidifies that fact on the Kenny Beats-produced “Roaring 20s.” “You can’t hate on pussy if it rule the planet,” a cocksure Flo boasts over a sample of “If I Were A Rich Man” from the classic Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick musical Fiddler On the Roof. “Roaring 20s” is an apt song title for the young rap dynamo, who spent most of the previous year gearing up to kick ass and take names. In 2020, Flo quickly became a salve for unbothered Black girls everywhere. “Flo Milli Sh*t,” her now illustrious catchphrase, was repeated so often across social media that one could call it a mantra. 2021 is her coming-of-age year, and if the trajectory of 2020 is any indication of where the star-in-the-making is headed, you can rest assured that Flo is here to stay—and it’s not just because the industry is trending in her direction.

2020 marked a year during which women rappers ran the world. In May, Nicki Minaj and Doja Cat tag-teamed on the inescapable “Say So,” while Beyoncé dropped bars alongside Megan Thee Stallion on the chart-shattering remix to “Savage.” For two weeks, the ladies occupied the top spots on the Billboard Hot 100, stamping historic milestones for Minaj, Doja and Megan. Not only did the trio land their first No. 1 hits, but “Say So” also became the first single by two female rappers to reach the top of the chart. Come August, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion would drop “WAP,” the sex-fueled collaboration heard around the world. Meanwhile, Rico Nasty, Bbymutha, Junglepussy, Chika, City Girls, and Mulatto were all releasing captivating new music. Chi-town’s CupcaKKe made her comeback. Overseas, Lex Amor stunned with her debut album, Government Tropicana and became a fave on music platform COLORSXSTUDIOS. The list goes on.

A Wardrobe Company Jacket; A Wardrobe Company Shorts; Poster Grl Burn Notice Thigh-High Boots, ~~$98.00~~ $39.20, available at dollskill.com; Saks 5th Avenue Earrings.

Then, there was Flo Milli—skilled, irrefutable, and not one to f*ck with. Her confident take on Playboi Carti’s “Beef” (“Beef FloMix”) took TikTok by storm, leading up to the release of her landmark debut EP. The 12-track, 30-minute mixtape was featured in multiple Best of 2019 lists — including The New York Times, NPR, and Complex — and has racked up 500 million plus streams and video views across the world. “In The Party” is now RIAA gold certified. Flo was also nominated for Best New Artist at the 2019 BET Hip-Hop Awards. But while she may have gained momentum through viral fame, Flo quickly (and graciously) corrects me when I allude to her as an internet sensation.

“I never was a viral internet star. I just used my internet platform to my advantage, but I’ve always been an artist first,” she tells me. If anything, Flo considers, the attention she garnered through TikTok taught her how to use her social media platform to market herself as an artist. This skill would prove beneficial amidst a global pandemic, when many people were quarantined and scrolling on their phones at home. I ask her if she feels the circumstances of the pandemic slowed her down at all, if things ever became tough for her to navigate despite all her success. “The best thing to do in the music industry right now is to take advantage of your circumstances,” she says.

That’s something Flo has done throughout her career. And if managing a budding music career while the world was on fire got to her, she isn’t showing it. “I feel like I had a lot of free time, and with that free time I was able to be inspired by a lot of different things instead of being discouraged,” she says. “I feel like in order to make something dope, you can’t always be serious, you have to have some type of fun with it. You gotta be free with it.” In that free time, Flo’s been working on her follow-up album, teasing that fans can expect new work at the end of the year.

House of Chelsea B.Red Ballon-Sleeve Tube Top, $110, available at etsy.com; House of Chelsea B. Bikini; A Working Hippie Chaps; A Wardrobe Company Belt; Steve Madden Robyn Rhinestone Booties, $179, available at macys.com; Nordstrom Necklace.

Born Tamia Monique Carter in 2000, Flo is part of the last in a generation of kids raised on MTV and BET, when music video countdowns still reigned over the airwaves. She cites shows like BET’s 106th & Park as inspiration. “I swore up and down I was gonna be number one on that top 10,” she says. “I swear I used to always say that.” The artists she was introduced to back then served as notable influences. “Nicki Minaj was somebody I was heavily inspired by watching her on 106th & Park. I thought [she] was dope,” she says. “Nicki was everywhere when I was growing up. She very much inspired me in my era and she still does.”

Flo says there weren’t many artists breaking from Alabama when she was growing up, though Rich Boy, whom she admires, immediately comes to my mind. When I mention him, I hear her voice brighten.“I still have mad respect for him for doing the things that he did do and getting the respect that he did get. That’s the only person I really knew. And then after that it was just kind of like, you know.” She pauses, and I feel like she may be taking a moment to reflect.

She remains short when I ask her about what her life was like when she was growing up, which doesn’t surprise me, since there isn’t much mention of her family life in her other interviews. But what she does share (she cites navigating a “rocky road,” alluding to an overcoming of odds) further solidifies her destiny to be where she is today. She performed at school talent shows, at restaurants, and even started her own rap group (Real & Beautiful, later renamed Pink Mafia). “[I did] anything I could do to get my name out there. It was really kind of like a little girl with a dream from a small town.”

Making it out of Mobile, AL is no easy feat, Flo shares with me. “I was the first girl out of Mobile. All the other rappers were boys.” Her story points to the trajectory of the hip-hop industry as a whole, in which male rappers are magnified while women are marginalized. “I think it’s very empowering to see women dominate a male sport.”

Current Mood Perfect Escape Lace-Up Top, $35, available at dollskill.com; Poster Grl Undercover Influencer High Waist Shorts, ~~$42.00~~ $21.00, available at dollskill.com; Current Mood Dangerous Desires Knee-High Boots, $98, available at dollskill.com; A Wardrobe Company Hat; A Wardrobe Company Gloves; Nordstrom Earrings; Artist’s own necklace.

It’s significant to note that Flo is just one of two breakout female rappers presently representing Alabama on the mainstream charts. In August, fellow rap darling Chika, who hails from Montgomery, was featured as a member of XXL’s 2020 Freshman class. Flo pitched herself for a spot, but ultimately was not nominated. Chika shouted out Flo in her XXL profile. “I love seeing another woman from Alabama rapping her ass off and consistently applying pressure,” she said when asked who else should have been featured. “I’m down to support her, always.”

The feelings are mutual for Flo, who is excited to see a fellow Alabama native putting on for Black women in rap. “I meet girls [from Alabama] all the time who tell me that we inspire them. It’s dope to see people who come from where you come from, and it inspires those out there who are looking to be in the music industry.”

I realize early on in our conversation that Flo, a Capricorn, has had her career mapped out for a while. Capricorn women, the powerhouses of the zodiac, are known for their headstrong ambition and unshakable drive. Flo, who turned 21 on January 9, is no different. But this is deeper than a dream. This is the drive of someone connected with their divine calling — someone who knows what they’re destined for.

“I was always going after what my heart wanted instead of just listening to people,” she shares with me. “I’ve had teachers tell me to come up with a plan B. I remember telling a teacher that I wanted to be a rapper at 10 years old, and she told me to come up with a plan B. I had church members tell me that. I never really listened to anybody. I never listened to naysayers. I always listened to my intuition and this is where it got me.”

Abby Peeters Coat; House of Chelsea B Crochet Set; The Working Hippie Heels; Nordstrom Earrings.

Following one’s intuition is key, says Flo, who tells me with conviction that “everybody on this earth has an intuition, and if they say that they don’t, then they’re lying.” It’s the key to “stepping into one’s higher self,” something she mentions a couple times throughout our conversation. I ask her to elaborate on what she means when she refers to a “higher self,” and she says, “Only you know what your higher self is. Only you know what your intuition is.”

Sure, this could sound woo-woo to some, but would explain why she got the number 777 tattooed on her neck two years ago, at the start of her career. Flo says she starting seeing the number everywhere — while traveling, attending label meetings, on billboards, you name it. “It was just crazy,” Flo recalls. “I looked it up and I found out that it meant that as long as you see those three numbers you’re gonna continue to work on your higher self. I felt like that was cool to have on my neck, because whenever I look in the mirror, I’m gonna see it. And when [people] look at my neck, they’re gonna see it, too.”

As a breakout star, Flo is as focused on being a source of inspiration for her fans as she is being a successful artist. But, as she’s noted in multiple interviews, she especially wants to be a champion for Black women—a crucial mission within an industry where misogynoir continues to leave Black women on the back burner. “I’ve always felt like a strong Black woman. We’ve always been the strongest even over time. We should just continue to know our power and our worth, and that’s what’s gonna allow us to stay strong.”

And in terms of keeping her momentum going, she has no worries.

“People fell in love with me because I was always myself, so I’m gonna continue to be myself and they’re gonna continue to love me. What’s for me is for me and what isn’t isn’t.”

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Flo Milli Is Here To Stay

It's Time For The Rap Game To Grow Up

Exclusive: Chika Addresses Calvin Klein Ad Critics

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Stephanie Long, Khareem Sudlow

featured Khareem Sudlow Refinery29

A Week In Texas On Disability (Follow Up)

January 21, 2021BruceDayne

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

Welcome to Money Diaries Extras – a Money Diaries series that takes a deeper look at our diarists, our readers, and the world of money.

Editor’s Note: Last year, this unemployed woman living on disability in Texas wrote this Money Diary, and readers loved her for her positive attitude, her ability to stretch a dollar, and her generosity in sharing her story. Ahead, we caught up with the diarist and got a few updates about her life since her first diary as well as a follow-up diary of her current pandemic life.

First of all, how are you? How has the pandemic been for you?
Isolating. That’s one word I would use to describe the pandemic. I have a bubble because I need one. Due to my autoimmune illnesses, it’s a bit more dangerous for me to be around too many people, however, I also require assistance for certain tasks. Birthdays, holidays, etc? I’ve missed them all for safety reasons so that can be quite disheartening. My bubble is made up of two neighbors and two friends who help me with everything from food deliveries to errands to taking my dog out.

Last we heard from you, you were living on disability in a camper in Texas — is that still the case? How’s it going?
Still here! Just celebrated my two-year anniversary two weeks ago. It’s been…..an adventure, to say the least, hahaha! I spent a few months without running water, a couple of months with no hot water, the roof needs to be replaced because when it rains outside, it’s also raining inside, two of my three doggos passed away of old age (one was 20 years old!) — it’s been a rollercoaster. But I’m here. I’m here and I have a home and a roof, however leaky, and I’m getting it done. I’m doing my best and I’m very grateful to have friends in my life who are willing to help.

Are you still living with your roommate?
I haven’t had a roommate for a while. He is now my neighbor if you can believe it. He bought his own camper and he lives about twenty feet away. I can open up my kitchen window and holler at him!

Do you have any financial updates? Do you still receive disability at ~$600/month?
Oh, I got a “raise.” From $639 per month to $645 per month. BIG raise! (Yes, I’m being sarcastic. My apologies.) My annual income is now roughly $7,700. I also received both of the standard stimulus payments, which saved me this year. When the first stimulus check came in, I cashed the entire thing out, then held those twelve one hundred dollar bills in my hands, took a deep breath of that money…..then gave it all to my landlords. Same with the follow up $600. Cashed it out and sent it straight to them. It’s more important to me to have the safety and security of knowing I have a place to live than it is to buy a thing or stuff. Also, my landlords are just amazing. They are absolutely and truly incredible humans and I am insanely grateful to them for all they do. Making sure they get paid is very important to me.

Have you had any unexpected or large purchases this past year?
I had to buy a water heater. That was horrific. About $480. That’s a substantial portion of my monthly income and it took a while to save up. It’s also why I simply went without hot water for a while. My bedroom needed to be insulated because it wasn’t at all and I believe the total cost for the insulation was around $120. Any purchase to me is a large purchase, though. I’m a bit of a tightwad. I can squeeze six pennies out of a nickel.

Any other financial or health updates?
I’m going to have to hire an electrician soon. My lights have decided they want to be strobe lights and/or quit working entirely. We actually have a joke around here, “Let me turn on a light” means opening a curtain. If you don’t laugh, you cry. It’s honestly not that big of a deal to me. My eyes are quite sensitive anyway so living without lights isn’t major. The expense is going to be insane. I’m looking to replace my roof first so it’ll cut down on the damage inside; I’ve already lost an entire kitchen cabinet to rain. Then we can worry about the lights.

As far as my health, I had strep throat twice in the last two months. I suffered a couple of falls (I walk with a cane) and some gnarly bruises came out of those. The surgery I was supposed to have was delayed due to COVID being too much of a risk to my health so I’m feeling the effects of not having that done yet but we’ll get there. I’ve also lost a massive amount of weight for a currently unspecified reason, so we’re trying to figure that out.

I’m a mess. But I’m a happy and content mess. All of these are solvable problems. It can all be handled and dealt with. I truly, truly am happy and grateful for the life I have, for my friends, for my landlords. The rest is inconsequential. It’ll all happen when it happens.

Okay, we have to ask, how is your dog?
My remaining girl turned 17 years old in October. She’s always joyful but her time here is coming to an end likely in the next few weeks. I almost lost her last month but she held on. That girl has an amazing spirit. It’s impossible to be sad when she’s around.

Anything else you want to add?
There are things we simply have to accept in this life. I’m Deaf. That’s a reality. I have chronic illness; it’s unfortunate but it’s true. My dog is going to pass away, my lights don’t work, and my roof leaks. Bad things are going to happen. It’s how we get through them that matters. For me, it’s who I get through those things with. I would be nowhere without the love and support and help of my friends. They are priceless.

In today’s follow up diary: an unemployed woman on disability who spends some of her money this week on groceries.

Occupation: N/A (on disability)
Industry: N/A
Age: 35
Location: Texas
Salary: $7,740 (disability)
Net Worth: In the negative hundreds of thousands (Home + vehicle: $4,000 minus debt.)
Debt: Hundreds of thousands in medical debt; I stopped counting when it got into the hundreds of thousands, likely pushing a million at this point. I’m in collections with several agencies due to multiple hospital visits and stays and a couple of ambulance rides. There is no way I would ever be able to pay all of it off and I don’t have enough income to make payments on all of the bills but I try to do what I can. The bills themselves are what’s left after Medicare pays their part. I think my last ambulance ride and hospital visit was around $26,000. Talk about sticker shock. That one visit would be approximately four years’ worth of income for me.
Paycheck Amount (1x/month): $645 from disability
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $400 (I live in an RV and this is what I pay to the RV park where my trailer is. It has a community center and wifi access)
Cell Phone: $15
Shared Streaming Account: $6
Propane: $25
Medical Supplies: $50
Fuel: $20

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Absolutely. It was always assumed I would attend a university. No question. It was also assumed I would figure out how to pay for it myself. My education was quite intense and very draining, with advanced classes, extracurriculars, etc. By the time I graduated high school, I was exhausted and chose to go directly to work instead.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
My parents have never been open about finances in general. We were taught things like how to balance a checkbook using (made up) numbers and we knew we were poor but we weren’t let in on any particular details.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first job was probably helping out the family business; my father owned a small shop. I was usually paid in lunch and sodas. It was actually a lot of fun because it made me feel useful. My second job, something I was actually paid for, was working as a part-time caterer. That job was tough at times but I did enjoy being able to purchase things I wanted or needed for myself since I was receiving a real paycheck. That felt great.

Did you worry about money growing up?
Money was a constant worry growing up. Money and time. There was never enough of either. Both parents worked multiple jobs. We lived very frugally but never felt “without.” We were latchkey kids because we had to be.

Do you worry about money now?
Always. I always worry about money. Money is always a worry when you don’t have much. It’s incredibly stressful, though I do try to remain positive. Not knowing if you’ll be able to pay rent the next month or to buy food in the next week, the next day — that weighs on anyone. Or if a disaster happens? Something breaks or needs replacing in the house? It’s terrifying because I know I have no way of affording those issues.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I suppose I was around 17 when I became financially responsible for myself, for the most part. For a brief period (a few months), I lived with an older sibling who took care of everything in exchange for me watching his children.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
No.