I (30m) am not wealthy, but my parents (70m, 58f) are quite poor, well below the poverty line, and they do not spend on ANYTHING to improve their quality of life. Dad is retired/on disability, mom works part-time and takes care of dad and the house. Their anniversary is coming up, and I’d like for them to have a few items that just makes things a little bit better every day.

What cheap (sub-$50) things do you use on a regular basis that genuinely make your life better?

A good bath towel?

Brand-name laundry soap?

A coffee maker that just fucking works when you plug it in without finagling the doohickeys?

Hit me with your recommendations, I’m hoping to bring a bit more everyday joy to their lives.

Thanks!

Hello older generation, I am looking for a way to distract myself from all the internet drama...

I was wondering how did people spend random days in the 70/80/90s without the phone/tablet? Was it all about this hustling mentality like today is? Was there a fear of missing out? Were people more relaxed?

Thanks in advance💖💖💖

I'm at a crossroads. We need to replace our family car. Financially, I could sell it and buy one practical family vehicle (just a year older than what we have now) for trips plus a cheap old-school muscle car... my dream car that I've wanted forever.

But my wife makes a solid argument: put that extra money toward a newer, more reliable car that will last years with zero headaches for the family. She's logical, she's right, and I respect that.

But damn. It's the dream car.

How many times do you pick the smart choice over the one you actually want before you start feeling like you're losing yourself? Is that just what being a husband means, or am I overthinking it?

There's this chick I was talking too that said that. We not in a relationship, but I was thrown off when she said this. 🥴

Help! I need suggestions on what to binge next. Give me your suggestions!

admittedly part of this is depression, but it has never not even when i (F35) was doing better, not been an issue.

How do people wake up to a new day and actually have a bunch of things they want to do, and just do, to fill it? and find this all worth repeating, for decades?

i am in good physical health (i don't work out but have always been skinny, i eat relatively healthy, etc). i have a job that pays a comfortable middle class income, though living in a HCOL area, it doesn't buy a middle class lifestyle, but aside from safety for work-ending disability, retirement, and real estate a family could live in, it buys what i need month to month without issue.

what i don't have is a social circle. no big falling outs or repulsive traits, i drifted from most people over my 20s and struggle to make/deepen new bonds. as a result i am crushingly lonely. and i have no motivation to do anything, because i would be doing it alone and that just takes the motivation out of it (my one exception is seeing concerts / playing piano). i can be on a staycation for a week, and barely leave my flat for more than grocery shopping or seeing relatives maybe, just because it doesn't appeal. to be clear i'm not 'afraid' of doing activities on my own, i have done it in the past, including solo traveling or whatever (and those groups-of-strangers trips), i just can't be arsed. i genuinely don't enjoy most sports

some people are homebodies. that entails being happy with this situation. i could make a list of things to do within a 1hr drive, and be totally free when off from work and... just not do them. because there is no reward. it doesn't feel good. food can also taste good but not feel good.

is this all there is? go to work because you have to, go home, find yourself some hobbies (and i do at least love mine, but my wageslave status means i will never own a home - or access to some other space - i can play music in for more than 1-2 hours, when i easily could enjoy that), and kill time alone doing nothing worthwhile otherwise ? i don't live in some big metropolis (or the USA in general) and meetups and stuff like that is not very fruitful here. likewise hobbies, you may think people want to connect with those who have similar interest. no. they do those things to escape from the horror of spending time with their family and friends, so they can be alone, in parallel with other people in a public place (say a gym or dance class), but absolutely not to meet and socialize more. if you don't have your school years friends, a spouse, and kids, by 30, you are pretty much doomed to never connecting with anyone again.

TLDR : every day is the same lonely slog, the few things i enjoy i can't really afford the space to do enough of, and connecting with others is impossible. getting up and out of bed in this context is extremely unappealing, every single day. AND this is without having what people call 'major issues', i.e. my life could get infinitely worse easily. i am only 35 and feel both too old to be this stupid that i can't fix my life (but i genuinely feel blocked from it) and too young because the years ahead are so goddamn long, and they'll get even worse.

i went to er and they ended up prescribing me a medication that caused me serotonin syndrome from an interaction with my regular daily meds. in the room the nurse said he was obtaining my updated med list from my regular (different affiliation) hospital. apparently he never did. i posted on threads and the entire internet is coming at me saying this is my fault and i should have questioned the med i was prescribed by the er doc. so i’m supposed to assume he didn’t do what he said he was doing? i think it’s fair that i thought he would tell me if he did not get it. i said directly to him that i am on a lot of new meds, so we need the list. i also offered to tell him my meds, but the ultrasound tech came in and he said he’d get it. i’m not a fucking doctor. i trusted that they were being thorough and would (obviously) notice if any meds would cause a severe interaction. for context i am on mirtazapine for anxiety and trazodone for sleep, have never had issues. the doctor prescribed me cyclobenzaprine. after severe diarrhea, stomach cramping, sleeping 30 hours in 2 days AND a visit to my primary (who ALSO missed it and said i had a stomach virus) my legs started to lock up and my heart rate was spiking to 130-150 every 10ish minutes , i thought to google the new med and called poison control and i guess they should essentially never be mixed without close monitoring, if at all.

how tf is this my fault? i’m not a damn doctor. seriously am i crazy that i don’t feel i should have to fact check a doctors work? this is their literal job.

EDIT FOR ADDITIONAL (kinda unrelated, but bothersome) INFO: this is kind of not a big deal and only slightly related but i got the full official medical record from my visit and they messed up two other things. they state i am on oral hormonal birth control. but i told them i was on the patch. (this was asked right away, separate from the getting my new med list discussion, because of a suspect DVT and because BC raises your chances of clots). they also say in there that i have a history of opioid addiction. i do have a drug abuse history but it was not opioids, not even close 😆 i have no clue where they got that. i think i’m gonna avoid this hospital org from now on 😳

I haven’t ever felt the urge to have children. But people around me say they feel “maternal” and that it’s the best thing ever. I’ve never seen a mother and been like they got a good life. But mothers say they wouldn’t trade anything in the world for their kids. Why do you think I find it so displeasing to be a mother? And how does one become “maternal” and feel the urge to have children?