u/OctaviusHerb

Looking for solid buffet recommendations! My fiancée and I are burnt out on our usual Brazilian steakhouse runs and want to branch out. Indian, Chinese, Italian, or anything else, as long as the food is actually good. Drop your favorites!

I’ve lived here all of my life. San Antonio has always taken a different path than other major cities. We tend to focus heavily on historic preservation and protecting the character of our downtown rather than building massive glass skyscrapers.

But it seems as though, ever since I was a kid, the city has looked the same. Sure, we have things like the Pearl, the Rim, etc. But it seems many things are missing.

If you were in charge of our city's direction for the next four years, what style of growth would you advocate for? Would you want to see SA aggressively chase corporate high-rises and a massive vertical skyline, or should the focus be entirely on street level density, walkability, and keeping the city affordable?

So I’ve been going back and forth on this for days and I need some outside perspective because I’m driving myself crazy.

Quick background, I’m a marketing analyst with about 3 years of experience in Texas. I recently transitioned out of a corporate role and ended up with two offers at the same time which sounds great but honestly has been stressful as hell.

Offer A: Large Hospital System
Marketing Specialist role paying $83,200 but it’s hourly and bi-weekly. After taxes and insurance I’m looking at about $2,439 every two weeks. The role is pretty field based, think community events, health fairs, organic social media, some physical setup and teardown. I’m actually already in week two there which makes this decision even harder.

Offer B: University
Project Manager (Strategic) role paying $79,000 salaried. Monthly pay which is the part freaking me out. After taxes and insurance I’m looking at about $5,100 a month. The role is exactly what I want to be doing, leading cross functional projects, coordinating teams, strategic work. Benefits are really strong too, 10% employer retirement contribution after 2 years, 12 weeks paid parental leave, one free grad course per semester.

Why I’m torn:
The hospital pays more on paper, $4,200 more gross annually.

What’s really getting to me is the monthly pay schedule. I’m so used to bi-weekly that the idea of one check a month is genuinely stressing me out even though I know logically I can budget for it.

Also, I’ve already been laid off once from a corporate healthcare environment. The university feels more stable but the lower salary and monthly pay have me second guessing everything.

Personal context that matters:
I’m engaged, getting married in 2028, we have about a $35,000 wedding budget. I have savings but I’m trying to be smart about this.

What would you actually do in my shoes?:
Is the monthly pay adjustment really that big of a deal? Is the PM title and trajectory worth the pay difference? Am I overthinking this?

TL;DR: Got two job offers. Hospital pays $83,200 hourly bi-weekly doing field marketing work and I’m already in week two there. University pays $79,000 salaried monthly doing strategic project management. Monthly pay and less money on paper has me second guessing the university even though the title, stability, and trajectory are way better. Which one would you pick?

So I’ve been going back and forth on this for days and I need some outside perspective because I’m driving myself crazy.

Quick background, I’m a marketing analyst with about 3 years of experience in Texas. I recently transitioned out of a corporate role and ended up with two offers at the same time which sounds great but honestly has been stressful as hell.

Offer A: Large Hospital System
Marketing Specialist role paying $83,200 but it’s hourly and bi-weekly. After taxes and insurance I’m looking at about $2,439 every two weeks. The role is pretty field based, think community events, health fairs, organic social media, some physical setup and teardown. I’m actually already in week two there which makes this decision even harder.

Offer B: University
Project Manager (Strategic) role paying $79,000 salaried. Monthly pay which is the part freaking me out. After taxes and insurance I’m looking at about $5,100 a month. The role leading cross functional projects, coordinating teams, and strategic work. Benefits are really strong too, 10% employer retirement contribution after 2 years, 12 weeks paid parental leave, one free grad course per semester.

Why I’m torn:
The hospital pays more on paper, $4,200 more gross annually.

What’s really getting to me is the monthly pay schedule. I’m so used to bi-weekly that the idea of one check a month is genuinely stressing me out even though I know logically I can budget for it.

Also, I’ve already been laid off once from a corporate healthcare environment. The university feels more stable but the lower salary and monthly pay have me second guessing everything.

Personal context that matters:
I’m engaged, getting married in 2028, we have about a $35,000 wedding budget. I have savings but I’m trying to be smart about this.

What would you actually do in my shoes?:
Is the monthly pay adjustment really that big of a deal? Is the PM title and trajectory worth the pay difference? Am I overthinking this?

TL;DR: Got two job offers. Hospital pays $83,200 hourly bi-weekly doing field marketing work and I’m already in week two there. University pays $79,000 salaried monthly doing strategic project management. Monthly pay and less money on paper has me second guessing the university even though the title, stability, and trajectory are way better. Which one would you pick?

Hey everyone!

I'm planning to propose to my girlfriend here in a few weeks and I want to hire a photographer to capture the moment. I'm looking for someone who has experience with surprise proposals. Specifically someone who can help me coordinate the logistics/timing so they can stay hidden until the moment happens, and who knows some great scenic spots around town. I do have locations in mind, but I felt it’s better to find the photographer first before moving forward with planning.

Thank you in advance! Everything from buying the ring to asking for her family's blessing has been crazy, and now that it's all coming together... Pulling off the actual logistics of the day is definitely the hardest part.

Hi all! First off, Santa Barbara has been amazing, love the energy here. Yesterday we spent the day at Stearns Wharf, Shoreline Park, and the State Street/Funk Zone area. Today we’re hiking up to La Cumbre Peak and Lizard’s Mouth, but after that we’ll have about 6 hours to kill before dinner reservations. We have a rental car so we’re happy to drive a bit. Any recommendations for what we might be missing? We’re a couple and open to anything: beaches, neighborhoods, hidden gems, whatever works. Thank you!

Bookings are sold out for Santa Cruz Island to Scorpion Anchorage this weekend on the 31st. I know I should’ve booked earlier, but alas, I’m here. Island Packers told me to show up at 7 AM for standby. Has anyone actually pulled this off? I want to know if it’s worth the early drive from Santa Barbara or if I should pivot to something else. Thank you!

Hey all! I’m planning to propose to my girlfriend soon and want to start ring shopping these next few days. My budget is around $1,400-$1,800 max (looking for lab-grown), and I’d ideally like to buy by the end of the weekend.

I know the style/size/carat she wants, but I’m not sure which jewelers are reputable vs not. Can any one point me in the right direction? I’m looking for recommendations on trustworthy places so I won’t get taken advantage of. Thank you, this is more stressful than I thought!