u/Luann1497

As a small business owner, how are you affording life insurance for yourself to protect your family?

I run a consulting firm. It's just me and one part-time contractor. S corp LLC, and both of us are paid via W2.

My household is my wife and our 3 kids. We're a single income family. Emergency savings are minimal, student debt is substantial, but income is sufficient now that we're no longer on subsidized healthcare as of a few months ago.

I was quoted $8,400 annually for a $2M term life policy for myself and a $1M policy for my wife. The business cannot afford an additional $700/month payment right now. In the future, with expanded client base and additional revenue, I'm hopeful that situation improves.

But in the short term, what am I realistically supposed to do? I can't justify spending that much when cash flow is already tight. Even if I explore options through my state's programs, I'm looking at $450/month minimum just for basic term coverage. My wife and kids are currently uninsured from a life insurance perspective, but that will shift next year when we can potentially afford $400/month for family coverage when that becomes available.

Again, how are you managing this? Any others in similar circumstances?

I’ve been living in Spain for a few months now, and I’m honestly convinced that the menú del día is the greatest invention in human history. There is something so satisfying about getting three courses and a drink for 12–15€. However, I’ve noticed the quality varies wildly—some places give you a frozen steak, while others serve food that tastes like a Spanish grandmother cooked it just for you.

I’m looking to expand my bucket list. Whether it’s a hidden gem in a tiny village in Asturias or a legendary spot in the middle of Madrid, where is the best one you’ve ever had? Bonus points if it’s under 20€ and includes the wine!

quick 5 day trip to iceland in late october 2026 to catch the northern lights at their best before winter really hits. i found some solid packages on guide to iceland like their winter adventure one that includes dedicated northern lights hunts right from reykjavik plus an ice cave tour inside vatnajokull glacier the golden circle and south coast drives with airport transfers and 4 nights of lodging all set up.

the itinerary looks perfect for first timers with small groups and 24/7 support so you dont have to worry about logistics in the dark and cold. im a 34 guy from texas whos never been but really wants someone chill to split the experience with instead of going solo.

anyone else interested in joining for those exact dates or around then?

cheers for any replies guys

so heres the deal, bought this place a few years back when rates were super low, like below 3%, felt like a genius back then lol. fast forward to now, i got some life stuff changing and need to move but the house is... not in great shape. roof leaks in a couple spots, hvac is ancient, and i found out theres some cast iron pipe issues under the slab that a plumber said could be 20k+ to fix

i called my lender to ask about options cause im not exactly sitting on a pile of cash for repairs. they said i could do a cash out refi but with todays rates im looking at almost double what i pay now, thats insane. plus then im taking on more debt for a house i dont even wanna stay in

my other thought was just selling as-is and being done with it but i owe like 80% of what its worth with the mortgage balance, so after realtor commissions id probably walk away with nothing or even owe money at closing? thats terrifying tbh

for people who been through this - what did you actually do? did you find a lender willing to work with you or did you just cut your losses and sell to an investor? also anyone know if a short sale is even worth considering or does that trash your credit too bad

im not trying to make a profit at this point i just wanna get out without going bankrupt lol. any advice appreciated cause im losing sleep over this

Planning my first trip to Hawaii and trying to decide where to go.

Looking for a mix of good beaches, some nature/hiking, and decent food options.

Not super into nightlife, more about relaxing and exploring.

Any recommendations on which island might fit that best?

I’ve had a thing for gymnastics leotards for years. The way they fit, the shine of the fabric, the way they move when someone is training… it just does something for me. I’ve followed competitive gymnastics for a long time partly because of that aesthetic.

Lately I’ve been buying a few for personal use and I’ve really liked the ones from Energetiks.

The material feels nice, the cuts are flattering, and they’re actually well made. Anyone else have a leotard/gymnastics wear thing?

Or am I the only one haha. Would love to hear what brands or styles you guys like.

I feel like I’ve gone down a skincare rabbit hole and now I’m more confused than when I started.

There are so many products and steps that it’s hard to tell what’s actually necessary vs nice to have.

Right now I’m doing cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen… thinking about adding something like a retinol but not sure if I’m jumping ahead.

If you had to keep it simple, what made the biggest difference for you?

I got a 3 year old rescue dog, who had reportedly been "a little nervous around other dogs." This proved to be quite an understatement.

During the first week, he would bark whenever we saw another dog. I stopped going to the dog park, began scheduling our walks during the early morning hours when there were no people around, even declined all invitations since I could neither leave my dog alone nor take him anywhere.

In reality, what did make a difference was bringing in a professional rather than relying solely on watching videos online. The trainer from all dogs unleashed not only worked with my dog, but she also made me realize how my own anxiety on the leash was aggravating things.

Whenever I saw another dog, I would tense up instantly, which he sensed immediately.
We can now walk normally. Eight months ago, this seemed impossible.

Has anyone out there gone through a similar experience? What worked for you?

I recently started working part-time at a small flower shop and I still feel super slow putting arrangements together.

I can follow a basic recipe, but when it comes to making something look “natural” or balanced on my own, I kind of freeze.

For those who’ve been doing this a while, when did it start to click for you?

Was it just repetition, or did something specific help?

Im 38 and honestly getting pretty desperate with my skin lately. My face looks tired and dull no matter what i do, plus the sun spots and pigmentation on my cheeks just wont fade even though ive been consistent with tretinoin, vitamin c and weekly exfoliation for over a year now. My skin is also drier and more sensitive than it was in my 20s so a lot of products end up irritating it.

I recently tried a Vita C+ serum and Restore+ cream actually felt gentle yet effective on my combination dry skin without any sting or breakout.

Has anyone over 30 found that one extra step or product that finally gave you back some brightness and even tone? Im open to anything at this point.

Now that my kids are grown and my cat has finally stopped treating furniture like a personal challenge, I actually want to buy something that will last. I am specifically looking for stools for our kitchen island and the stores we bought the rest of the furniture kitchen from dont actually have something that we have liked

All recommendations are welcomed! We are aiming for luxury furniture stores in Canada, Thanks

something you think is strong enough on its own that it works even with no context, no mood matching, just a track that stands well regardless of who is listening

what would you pick?

trying to avoid trend chasing and hot takes, more interested in something with clear thinking and lasting value, whether it is a novel or non fiction

what would you put your name behind and still stand by later?

yo, so I’m in a weird spot and need some honest advice from people dealing with the same thing.

I’ve got a small row home in Lower Northeast, nothing fancy. lived there for years but now I need to move closer to my job in KOP. I tried listing it the normal way. Had a realtor come through, nice guy, but he said we’d need to drop at least $15-20k into it before even putting up a sign. New water heater, some electrical updates, and the kitchen is straight out of 1982. I just don’t have that cash lying around, and I really don’t want to deal with contractors for months.

the house isn’t trash. It’s solid. but it’s not -instagram ready either. after sitting on the market for two months with barely any showings, my realtor started talking about dropping the price below $200k. That’s when I started looking into other options.

what questions should I be asking these guys before signing anything? has anyone here regret going the cash sale way vs waiting for a real buyer? and if you sold to a cash buyer, did they really cover all the closing costs like they say?

not looking to get the absolute top dollar. just want a fair, fast deal without losing my mind. appreciate any real talk from people who’ve been there.

I had put my home on sale during the fall season; however, now it is 6 months and still there are no takers. Everything is fine; from my realtor to my efforts in selling my house; twice I lowered the price, refreshed the photos, did some minor repairs, but none of that worked.

Despite the favorable state of affairs prevailing in the market and others managing to sell their homes in the same locality, mine continues to remain unnoticed. I have also listed my home on various web portals, as well as used Facebook ads; but to no avail.

I do not know what to do now. I keep on making my monthly payments but still cannot sell the house.

Does anybody here have similar experience? It would be wonderful to hear from people who managed to sell their house.

I am ready for any advice since I feel extremely tired.

Hey! I’ve been playing for a bit and I feel like I’ve hit a wall with chord changes. I can play most basic chords on their own, but when I try to switch between them (especially faster), everything falls apart and it sounds messy.

I’ve been practicing slowly and using a metronome, but progress feels really slow. How did you get better at smooth chord transitions?

I am 29 and have been working full time since I was 21, mostly in warehousing and logistics. I have always been pretty decent at saving, never been a huge spender, dont really go out much and still drive the same old car I had years ago. So over time I built up around 40k in savings and at first that felt great but lately I keep looking at it and thinking... now what. It is in a HISA and yeah the interest is nice, but with how expensive everything is now it feels like the money is just sitting there not rlly doing much. I looked into ETFs, adding more into super, even fixed income investments just bc they sounded like a safer middle ground, but honestly I still dont know what makes sense

I feel a bit stuck