FAIL Blog

Young man calls savings accounts 'dystopian,' questions why a 24-year-old with $5K wouldn't use that money to go to New York Fashion Week: 'It's more dystopian to not have savings.'

Emmy Pratt — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 14:15:00 -0700

It's pretty common for 24-year-olds to have nothing in savings. In fact, most 24-year-olds have a negative net worth from student loans or credit card debt, so any 24-year-old who has a positive net worth is something to celebrate. There is definitely such a thing as "living in the moment" too much, and if you willingly spend every penny you have on fun things, you're not going to be in a good position when you need your money for necessities.

There was a time in my life when I spent nearly every penny I made. I did always make sure to save a percentage of my income into my 401K, but that was easy! After all, it came directly out of my paycheck, and I didn't even have to think about it. But from ages 22 to 24, I basically spent all the money I made on whatever I wanted: Broadway tickets, basketball games, Citi Bike day passes, you name it! I just made sure I never let my bank account drop below a certain amount, so I wasn't spending more than I made, and that was good enough for me at the time!

As I've grown older, I've recognized the importance of saving more for my future. It's not enough to just save 10% of your check for retirement! You need an emergency fund of 3-6 months to cover unexpected expenses. You need to invest in the stock market so your money grows instead of sitting in a regular savings account forever. If you want to go on vacation, set up a "sinking fund" so you can save specifically for that, instead of draining your retirement account to go to a resort.

While some people are serious about saving money in their 20s, many aren't, even into their 30s, 40s, and 50s. Some adults with great jobs and kids still don't have $5,000 to their name, even though they make double that every month. When people have a high income but no savings, it points to a pattern of being undisciplined. If you can't delay pleasure and you buy everything you see, it's not a good sign for your long-term financial health.

It is pretty darn common for 24-year-olds to spend every dollar they have. The young man in this story is probably around that age, and he's learning that most people aren't as willing to spend their life savings as he is.

Parents on vacation expect their friend to pay for their kids’ expenses, friend refuses: ‘Having children doesn’t automatically make their expenses everyone else’s responsibility’

Melissa Knudson — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 12:15:00 -0700

Is it okay to bring kids to a friend group vacation?

Going on vacation is something we all look forward to. Vacations are fun, as you just get to kick back, relax, and recover from stress. Well, some vacations are exactly like that, and others are more stressful than the stress you were supposedly leaving behind. For example, vacations with kids are on a whole different level. If you're a new parent and you're expecting your next family vacation to be blissful, you've got something coming.

Family vacations are complicated and require extra effort from the adults involved, even though kids tend to love them. Parents, on the other hand, tend to have to run around getting everything organized beforehand and making sure kids are having fun while being safe. It's a full-time job on its own. That's why family vacation and a getaway with friends don't typically mix. When they do, things can quickly get out of hand, especially if this mixture of events happens unexpectedly.

That's what this story is about. A group of friends decided to go on a trip, but things drastically changed when two of the adults involved decided to bring their kids along. Expenses went up in both housing and food, as could be expected. However, when it was time to split the costs, the parents in the group suggested an even split, which didn't sit well with the person sharing the story. They thought that the parents should pay a bigger portion, as they had a bigger family unit and thus, more expenses. The group disagreed, and the whole situation created tension among the friends.

Mother gets accused by her in-laws of eating the candy that was for her daughter, she gets offended and gives back all the food: 'Now you don't have to worry about me, my husband, or my daughter eating anything you purchased'

María Cetra — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 10:45:00 -0700

Why would your in-laws think their daughter- in-law is eating the candy they are gifting their grandchild? Do they not trust her to keep the food for her? Can't the kid share her treats with her family?

Some in-laws are very weird towards their daughters-in-law. As if they couldn't accept the person that their child married just because they are not biologically family. This always makes me think if the problem is whether they don't trust their child's ability to choose a decent and loving partner, or if it's just because it's an outsider to the family and they need to act defensively. Whatever the case is, it's not only malicious to be acting this way, especially if they are the mother of your grandchild. They are part of the family whether the in-laws like it or not, so it's better to get used to it instead of acting all weird and crazy. They married into your family; they didn't steal your child or push it away from you. They just fell in love and decided to form a family on their own. Isn't it easier to accept them into your family than to mistreat them all the time?

The grandparents in this story are not doing things right. They are being incredibly disrespectful by assuming that a mother would take a gift that was supposed to be for her daughter. Yes, it's just candy, but it's also so much more than that. If a mother takes candy from her daughter so she can eat it, what other wicked things does she do? The saying "taking candy from a baby" is the most well-known phrase to describe a witch, so do they think the mother is a witch? I think that these in-laws are either overthinking some little situation and creating a huge mess over it when it's nothing in reality, or they just saw the kid offer one of her candies to her mother and they took it the wrong way — which is insane to do.

I don't like this people's attitude, and I do think that if they do this big of a mess over something this dumb, then it's better to keep your distance from them. If this whole family drama started over some candy, what can happen with a bigger misunderstanding? I don't think that they like the mother of their grandchild in the first place; the way they acted all defensive over nothing proves it. I do think that the mother is right to be upset over this. After all, they are spreading lies about her, and even if they are dumb, no one wants people to be lying about them, especially to their family. I do hope that the husband stands up for her family and either makes his parents understand why they are wrong or at least forces them to change their attitude. No one deserves to be treated like this, and taking your distance seems like the best solution to avoid a bigger fight over nothing.

Employee refuses a suspicious demand to re-sign a “lost” contract to receive bonus they owe him: 'They let me go a week later'

Etai Eshet — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 10:00:00 -0700

This story has the feel of a questionable car sale: sign here, everyone is busy, and somehow the missing paperwork is now your problem.

This employee already swallowed a substantial pay cut and kept working through conditions management kept promising to fix. Then the company misplaced the contract and decided another signature was needed to release an overdue bonus

Airbnb host bemoans new rules limiting guest cleaning, claims it takes 4 hours to do the extra work: 'Does it feel good knowing you made another human being's day worse?'

Ally Perry — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 09:30:00 -0700

Should a guest also have to double up as a maid?

If there is one thing that you learn from cleaning up after strangers in any capacity, it is that people can be nasty. Everybody has wildly different tolerances for dirt, which are often a lot higher if they know that they can leave a mess that they don't have to deal with themselves. Anyone who has worked that side of the hospitality industry probably has a horror story or two.

This is just one reason that it is a courtesy for anyone who is a guest somewhere to tidy up a little before they leave. It is not like they need to leave the place as they found it, but leaving used towels all in one place and making sure any trash is in the garbage can are small gestures that can go a long way.

Unfortunately, the state of the vacation rental industry today has taken this etiquette and turned it into something that basically gives guests another job when they are meant to be on holiday. Airbnb hosts have become notorious for giving their guests an obscenely long list of domestic tasks to complete before they check out, purely because they want to make their job easier. On top of that, many of them have the audacity to charge a cleaning fee to everyone who stays at their property. It is no wonder that many travelers are turning back to hotels as a more convenient way of staying away from home.

Mother demands that her neighbor close his curtains when watching TV so her kid won't see through them, instead of teaching her child not to spy on the neighbors

Giuliana Tiscioni — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 07:30:00 -0700

A kid from the neighborhood was looking inside a neighbor's window while he was watching American Horror Story, so the mother went and demanded that the neighbor watch kid-friendly shows or close his curtains instead of teaching her kid not to invade people's privacy.

What is it lately with parents and blaming other people for their own kids misbehaving?

Seems like parents are tired of parenting lately, and instead of actually raising their children to be respectful human beings ready to live among society, they let them run wild and then confront and antagonize other adults who try to set a boundary on the child. Because children need boundaries. They can't just be left to do whatever they want or cave to their every whim. That's when you get disrespectful kids who throw temper tantrums over nothing, and the parent just stands there, looking into the void while the kid makes a mess around them.

I know a handful of people who are good neighbors and friends, but when it comes to parenting, they are not the best. Their kids do nothing other than nearly crawl up the walls and run around enclosed spaces while screaming and nearly making everyone around them trip and fall to the floor. They have almost made me fall a couple of times. And let's just say that they don't take it very well when you tell those kids to stop and behave correctly.

Truth is, it's their job to raise them, not everybody else's. They can choose to ignore their parenting tasks if they want to, but they certainly have no moral authority to come to anyone else and tell them how to live their lives, especially because they're incapable of controlling their own kids.

Friends bail on Airbnb 3 days before trip, demand $800 back from nonrefundable charge and are baffled when friend refuses: 'They say I am stealing their money'

JR Atkinson — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 05:00:00 -0700

If you've ever arranged an Airbnb for your friends, you know how much of a commitment it can be.

There are pluses and minuses to being the friend who is good at planning. I'm that person, so I know allll about it. I'm naturally the person who wants to take control of plans and make sure that everything is in place. I'm booking the stuff and making the plans. I try not to overexert myself and truly commandeer the trip or activity or whatever it is, but somebody needs to book the Airbnb. And that somebody is going to be me. There are some good things about being this kind of person. You're ultimately in control of what kind of experience you're going to have. You're helping set the parameters of how much you're going to spend and what kind of place you're going to book. Plus, I happen to love researching Airbnbs. It's one of my pastimes. But there are a bunch of drawbacks to being this kind of person. The main one is exactly what happened in this story. If you're the one booking, then you're the one putting your card down. You're happy to get the credit card points, but you have to chase people down to pay you back. If you have friends who are weird about money, they might get weird about paying you back. This is never a fun position to be in with the people you love. You don't want to feel like they owe you money, and they don't want to feel like they owe you money. And if something goes wrong in the friendship or during the trip, you might be on the line for hundreds of dollars you weren't expecting to be. It's never a good idea to mix money and friendship, but sometimes you have to if you're going on a trip or having an experience somewhere. That's what happened here, and what unfolded set a weird chill over the friendship.

Parents expect their daughter to cover nearly all household expenses after she lands her first job, call her selfish when she wants to save for her future: ‘I have my own future to plan for’

Cata Holmes — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 05:00:00 -0700

When does helping your family become a financial burden?

I can still remember the day that I got my first paycheck. I was so excited to work, and getting that money felt like a huge accomplishment; I was very proud of myself. When I told my mother, she told me I was supposed to spend it all, every single penny. She said money is energy, and I need to make it move and flow so I can receive more. I didn't really know how that worked, but I followed her instructions anyway and bought new clothes and other things I'd wanted for a long time. It felt great to have that independence, and it also taught me a lot about money and life.

I also understand that my mother's attitude might not be the most common, and I know for a fact that some parents demand their kids help with household expenses as soon as they start working. I don't consider that a bad thing; maybe the opposite. It teaches kids that things don't come for free and everything needs to be paid for. So, I see the point of the parents in this story, who may want to teach their daughter a lesson about money and how it works by having her cover almost every household expense.

The problem is that they take almost all of her salary, leaving her no room to save for moving out or planning her own future. Where do you draw the line between wanting to help your family and still having your own money?

Dad refuses to let Mom buy Halloween costumes for his 2 daughters, but buys himself a Halloween costume: 'What I do with my money is my business, and I don't have to explain what I do with it.'

Emmy Pratt — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 16:45:00 -0700

If you are in a financial place where you have to choose between buying yourself a Halloween costume and buying your two young daughters a Halloween costume, you'd be a fool to choose the former. It is parents' job to facilitate Halloween for their kids, and if you put your own Halloween experience above theirs, you shouldn't be a parent.

Once you're an adult, it's easy to stop prioritizing holidays that you used to care about so much as a kid. As a child, I planned my Halloween costume by July or August, giving my mom and grandma plenty of time to help sew it. These days, I either wear costumes I bought the year before or put together something mildly creative from my own clothes. Last weekend, I went to a Halloween party dressed as Elizabeth Holmes. I have already seen so many people dressed as Elizabeth Holmes, and Halloween hasn't even started yet! It's perfect for lazy blonde people who own a black turtleneck and don't want to buy yet another Halloween costume.

There's been a lot of discourse online recently about whether it's immature for adults to still celebrate Halloween into their 30s. I've seen a ton of tweets that say some version of this:

"34-year-old guys be like, "What is the move on Halloweekend?" Dude, it's time to start a family!"

Different 34-year-olds are in very different places in life. Some have been parents for 14 years, some are about to have their first baby, and others still live like they're 21. I don't think it's a crime for anyone, no matter their age, to want to celebrate holidays with friends and family. If a mom with 2 kids wants to go trick-or-treating with her kids on the 31st after going to a Halloween party with her friends the night before, I don't see anything wrong with that! I would question a parent who always chooses hanging out with their friends over spending time with their children, especially when the years of trick-or-treating go by so quickly. Also, and I say this as someone who goes to around 5 Halloween parties every single year, Halloween is for kids. Adults can celebrate and have fun, but if you prioritize that over your kids having fun, your priorities are out of whack.

Woman stops putting effort into maintaining friendships and realizes she was the only one keeping them alive: ‘I used to be the one checking in, starting conversations, making plans, and making sure everyone was okay’

Olivia Arocena — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 15:35:00 -0700

Friendship news: Not every misunderstanding deserves a trial, and not every incompatibility is fixable

I had a very old friend who once got offended because I didn't respond to a meme she sent, and she made that incident about how I didn't care about her or her needs, and that I needed to pay special attention to those things; otherwise, she would feel abandoned.

I thought the whole issue was ridiculous, but her argument sounded logical: it was what she needed to feel loved, and I couldn't provide that to her. She said that if I were empathetic enough, I would've made an effort to do what she needed. I thought about it a lot, and I finally concluded that some people are simply not compatible, and although we can make an effort here and there, we can never fix things that naturally don't work.

Of course, I also thought what she was asking was entitled and that it didn't leave any room for me or my feelings, and didn't give me the benefit of the doubt. I sincerely thought that she should take responsibility for her issues around abandonment and that I wasn't responsible for that, even though I was her friend, especially because we had been friends for a long time, and I really wished that she could trust that over any random paranoia she could have about an unrequited meme.

At one point, I decided I didn't want to turn a minor incident into an exhausting conversation, so I left it at that. I could have defended my point, reassured her about my feelings, and explained things for an hour, but to me, the cost of maintaining that friendship had become higher than what it gave me. I decided to let her go and let her think whatever she wanted, even if that meant that in her story I was the bad guy.

This doesn't mean her feelings were wrong; it just means that the preservation of a friendship is not mine at any cost. I can't be subjected to my friend's every whim, because that's not what I subscribed to, and because that's not what I ask of my friends either.

To me, it comes to a point in life when you realize that no matter how much you talk about certain things, there are relationships that cannot work simply because the two personalities naturally don't communicate well, and there is no point in trying or changing yourself to fit someone else's standards. We should all gravitate to where we're naturally accepted, and where what we have to compromise doesn't feel as big.

How much emotional labor do we have to put into a friendship for it to exist? Don't we have some friendships that basically flow and do not need as much work? Can our friendships survive a simple, human oversight?

Not every disagreement needs a solution, and we can let some friendships go without turning the other person into an enemy. I suggest we all try a deep friendship cleaning once in a while. Cheers!

21-year-old sister refuses to buy older brother a Christmas gift after he doesn't even get her a card for her birthday despite earning 5K a month: 'He said he hates presents so I don't see the problem'

Celeste Mello — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 14:15:00 -0700

Why do some people only care about gifts when they're receiving them, but not when it's their turn to give one?

I'm on the sister's side here. We're ALL on the sister's side. I would be hurt if my brother didn't even get me a birthday card and then even dare to expect me to shop from his Christmas wish list. Oh, I see his objections to presents come with seasonal exceptions. That must be convenient, right?

And no, having a birthday doesn't entitle me to an expensive present. But it is a day when people you love make something special for you. I wouldn't calculate what somebody "owes" me based on their salary. That 5K a month mentioned in the story does nothing but reinforce that what stands out here is the lack of effort. A few handwritten lines would have shown that he'd at least thought about her. But he wasn't even capable of doing that.

20-year-old gives his best friend's concert ticket to a girl he met 3 weeks ago, then gives up his own ticket to make things right and stays home while his bestie and his new crush attend together: 'I scared away Bianca tho, but I learned a lesson'

Celeste Mello — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 12:15:00 -0700

Why would anyone want to date someone who treats their best friend like a backup plan?

If I found out that my concert ticket originally belonged to someone else, I would feel uncomfortable from the start. Imagine if that someone else was the best friend of the person inviting me, someone I have only dated for three weeks. Now that's a really big red flag. How can you ditch your friend for a girl you just met? How can you not consider your best friend before a new crush?

Some people get carried away when they like someone. Who hasn't had that friend who starts dating someone and disappears off the face of the earth? I understand the falling-in-love stage. We always find excuses to see our special someone and every shared interest feels like an opportunity. But dating and meeting new people don't require somebody else to lose their Friday plans. And above all, it absolutely does not require leaving your best friend behind.

Friend wants to change hotel rooms to be with her boyfriend without anybody noticing, when the friend with the reservation denied the couple got angry at her: 'I don't think I'm being selfish for wanting my own room'

María Cetra — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 10:45:00 -0700

Don't expect people to do things for you just because you asked. You inquire if it is possible. You can receive a positive or negative response to that. And most importantly, you have to deal with it.

Entitlement is like a sickness that is spreading everywhere. You may think, as most stories are from the U.S., that it is just a local problem. Well, it's not. People everywhere are starting to act entitled and expect things to go their way. And what makes everything worse, they get so upset when they do not get what they want that they start to resemble a child with their temper tantrums and their lack of method to regulate themselves. As someone who has worked in customer service and knows a thing or two about entitled customers, I sometimes thought that these grown adults need a baby pacifier to calm down. If they want to ask like children, maybe they should also be treated that way…

My question when I read stories like this one is always, "Is there a way to make them understand that what they are doing is wrong?" "Can entitled people change for the better?" I have faith in humanity; that's why I will always pursue others to change, because I know it's possible. But the fact that it is possible to achieve doesn't mean that it's easy. Entitlement is worse than jealousy and meanness, because it's a combination of those two things powered by the thought that they are better than everyone else. That's why they deserve to get whatever they want. I hate entitled people's mentality. I cannot even fully understand it. They like to get what they want no matter the circumstances. I thought everyone had learned the meaning of the word 'no' as a child, but I guess these people didn't.

If you wanted something, asked for it, and they said no, and you argue. Then what isn't clicking in your brain? When you ask, you can receive a positive or negative answer. It is not as if just because you asked, you are able to do whatever you want. People can say no, and you have to accept it. If a teenage kid without a license asked to use the family car, the family would say no, but what happens if he uses it anyway? Well, he would at least get some kind of reprimand. But with adults, that isn't possible; that's why we have a lot of them acting entitled and arguing with people. Because they don't understand the word 'no', they don't get punished. They create a mess in the hopes of changing the other person's mind, and sometimes they achieve it. So what are we left to do? Put up with it forever, hoping that someday they learn and are mindful of other people? Cut ties with those people? That is for you to decide, but I wouldn't like to have a friend who acts this way, especially if they act this way towards me.

Employee is fired via group chat in front of coworkers as a fear tactic: 'He just put her on blast in front of the whole company'

JR Atkinson — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:30:00 -0700

If you were fired in front of all of your coworkers, what would you do about that?

Professionalism is important, and that extends to the higher-ups too. Too often, bosses feel like they can get away with something because they're the boss. But just because you're in charge doesn't mean that you're automatically in the right and get to exert absolute power over everyone else. This isn't how most people like to be treated, no matter who they are. The employee in this story didn't deserve to be called out in front of the entire group. This is no way to treat people, even when you're firing them. Nobody wants to feel like they're being made an example of, even if they are.

Have you ever had a job with a toxic environment? Luckily, I haven't experienced that... yet. But I've heard tell of so many toxic places of work that just don't seem to give their employees a break on anything. They have a culture of toxicity, and it's rotten to the core. Or maybe it's just one person who makes their own insecurities into everyone else's problem. Whatever it is, it makes you dread showing up to work. This is no way to live. That's what this workplace clearly was, evidenced by an incident that happened in the workplace group chat. Group chats can be tricky things. They're places where things get decided, and stuff goes down. But there is plenty of drama that can pervade a group chat. They're not always the friendliest places, especially in a toxic workplace. There is a lot that can go wrong in a group chat, and this employee figured that out posthaste. They couldn't expect that their ultimate termination would be aired out for the whole world to see.

23-year-old nephew, "Tyler," who is staying with his aunt and uncle after being priced out of his rental, surprises them by doing all of their outstanding home maintenance that had been piling up—uncle is unsure how to repay his kind gesture

Brad Dickson — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 07:30:00 -0700

An uncle shares his heartwarming struggle of not knowing how to repay his nephew, who unexpectedly took care of all of their home maintenance that they hadn't been managing to get to while living with them after being priced out of his rent. The nephew refuses to take cash payment, which has forced his uncle to consider alternative ways of paying him back.

Where would we be without family?

When I first moved from the area where I grew up back to where my dad's family were, I was very fortunate to have their support.

My girlfriend and I had, simply, been priced out of the city where we had both studied at university. Even with degrees, working entry-level jobs in a city where rent and the general cost of living were surging had become unmanageable. We simply weren't getting ahead and felt our lives stagnating.

So, we packed up and moved. We knew it would be hard, but it was admittedly harder than either of us anticipated. We had very little money to our name, especially after we had purchased my cousin's old car from him (at a generous family discount). Even though we tried to make it on our own as best we could, there were various points where we ended up staying with family for a time to make ends meet.

We were, of course, appreciative of all the support we received at the time. But now that I have moved away from them again, I fully understand the value of having family's support. It, quite simply, is invaluable. It also provided priceless time with aunts and uncles. Allowing me to form adult relationships with those family members to whom I was just the nephew who had grown up far away…

Roommate demands her roommate's boyfriend pay $150 monthly because he spends 2 nights a week at their apartment: 'Please don't take this personally, it's literally just about boundaries.'

Emmy Pratt — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 05:00:00 -0700

Is asking for a $150 monthly "boyfriend tax" reasonable, especially when he isn't doing anything particularly harmful to the home? Do using the restroom and turning on the lights really set this household back by over $100 in utilities, or is she trying to shame her roommate into not bringing him over?

Wife demands husband stop sharing details about their arguments to his mom, he accuses her of being ‘too controlling’ in response: ‘I don’t want his mother having a front-row seat to our conflicts’

Melissa Knudson — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 16:45:00 -0700

How much is it okay to confide in your family when it comes to your relationship?

Part of being an adult is running to your parents when you have any type of trouble in life, to get some experienced and trustworthy advice from them. At least, I do that quite a lot. From fixing my sink to choosing a new job, I ask for their opinion on a lot of the details in my life. That said, I can't help but wonder: can you share too much with your parents?

This couple is having trouble because the husband keeps venting to his mom whenever he gets in an argument with his wife. As a result, the mother in question continuously makes snarky remarks at the wife, hinting that she knows exactly what is going on behind closed doors. When the wife comes forward and tries to explain to her husband that the situation is slowly getting out of hand and that he shouldn't confide in his mother about marriage, he gets upset and accuses her of being too controlling.

'It all started when...': Pour a dash of these laughs into your morning meme coffee for extra energy (October 27, 2026)

Cata Holmes — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 15:35:00 -0700

Is it too soon in the week to laugh at everything going wrong so far?

What a week it has been, right? What? That's only Tuesday? Well, we all know what I'm going to be doing if I want to make it out of this week alive. And yes, that's drinking gallons of coffee. I always try to be as mindful as possible with caffeine because, between the coffees, teas, and matchas, I'm on my limit. And let's add to that combo that I'm usually a pretty energetic and anxious gal. So that much stimulation won't bring out the best in me. But listen, this week, I don't care if I end up turning into a brown coffee monster because I need my coffee.

Besides, coffee gets me going, you know? It motivates me to get my work done because I see it as a little break or reward. Let me give you an example. Right at this moment, I'm writing this story, right? Well, I need some coffee because I haven't had one yet. But I need to get this done, so as soon as I finish, I'll take a quick walk to my closest coffee shop and get my fave. Isn't that just the best? That little reward… I'm drooling just thinking about it. Anywho, you're not ready for the memes I got you today…

School Forces Teachers to Work At McDonald’s to Raise Money for the School: 'What a respected profession.'

Emmy Pratt — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 14:15:00 -0700

While I understand why teachers participating in a volunteer event for the school can incentivize kids and their families to attend, I also understand why teachers would find this particular event to be degrading.

If you were a certain age or in a certain socioeconomic class as a child, you were told again and again that if you didn't go to college, you'd end up flipping burgers. If you were a kid post-2008, it's more likely that you were told that if you didn't major in the "right thing," you were going to end up flipping burgers. If you're a kid in 2026, you might be told that going to college isn't necessary, because people who got the "right" majors in STEM are still struggling to get any jobs, let alone a job in their field.

While it can be cruel and classist to scare your child into doing something to keep them from becoming a fast-food worker, everyone who has worked in fast food knows it isn't a sustainable career. You work so hard, hurt your body from being on your feet all day, and you get paid next to nothing. Some jobs require you to wear down your body, like trades, but they pay much more and often have unions that protect workers. If you work at McDonald's, the chances that you're going to get benefits and make enough to support yourself and your family are extremely slight. If you're determined to climb the ranks at your fast-food job, then more power to you, but for most employees, it's not a sustainable long-term career.

There are some jobs that will likely not go extinct due to AI, so if you're a risk-averse person, they are solid fields to enter. Not all of these fields guarantee high incomes. A doctor is going to make more than a teacher, but if you are a doctor or a teacher, you probably won't have the problem that some Computer Science new grads are having right now, where they are struggling to find any kind of job, even in fast food, after graduation. People will always get sick, children will always need teachers, and the public will always want fast food. These consistencies show up in the job market.

In most areas of the United States, teachers are paid very little, get little respect, and work extremely hard. That combination is sure to breed resentment, especially since teachers didn't always face this. Once upon a time, teachers got pensions, and parents cared more about their opinion than their poorly behaved child's. Today, parents, students, administrators, and the public at large disrespect teachers. Do you know how many people think teachers don't deserve to be paid more than $50K because of summer break? Way more than you'd think.

If you work as a teacher and your school asked you to work at a McDonald's to raise money, would you agree? Or would you take it as an insult?

11 Children of Karens who recounted their most publicily humiliating experiences with them: 'The store closed at 10. We were there until 2 AM'

Ally Perry — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:15:00 -0700

Is it really so hard to commit to learning the most basic emotional regulation skills?

Although all of us have suffered the presence of a Karen at some point, not everybody is so unlucky as to have grown up with one. Witnessing a Karen on the rampage in the wild, cutting an underpaid service employee down to size, or even being the unlucky worker on the receiving end of that behavior is not in the same league as having a mom or dad with Karen tendencies. That is nearly 24 hours a day of exposure to somebody liable to go on an unstoppable rant at any minute.

Miserable as it is to think about it, a big proportion of those unreasonable people who haunt hospitality and retail establishments will have kids, and those kids are likely to be in a front-row seat to witness all of their crazy behavior. If all the stories we hear of dysfunctional families are anything to go by, being related to a Karen is a common affliction.

If you get easily angered by small annoyances, you might think that it would be better to think twice about whether reproducing is the right decision for you. The stress of having kids may only increase the chances of an embarrassing outburst of Karen behavior in public. Every child has had those moments with parents where they wish that the ground would just swallow them, but with these kinds of moms and dads, this kind of situation is likely to happen with a lot more frequency.

Parents demand free swim lessons from mother of their daughter's friend after the ones that she gifted them for free were cancelled, cut off contact when refused: 'Their reaction caught me by surprise'

Brad Dickson — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 10:45:00 -0700

In a post on social media, a mother shared how an offer of free swimming lessons they extended to her daughter's friend fell through because of a pool closure, and the girl's parents demanded replacements for the free lessons at her expense. Then cutting off all contact and effectively ending the girls' friendship when she refused.

Have you ever offered someone something for free and suddenly found yourself facing a demand for more?

Little girl's dress gets dirty at a painting-themed birthday party, so the mother demands the venue pay for it after not providing smocks: 'The poor sweet owner ended up offering to pay her 50%'

María Cetra — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 09:30:00 -0700

Why would you send your little kid to a painting-themed party with a very expensive dress? And what's even worse, why do you think you are entitled to get paid for the damages when you were the one who sent the girl dressed like that?

People are weird, but parents are weirder. Being a new parent of a little kid must be really hard, and I don't doubt that at all. I may not have kids, but I'm sure it is hard to take care of them, especially when they are under 10 years old. It is a little kid who wants to know and discover everything but still knows nothing. That is definitely not an easy task to have to take care of. I will not be judging a parent for their parenting style. I'm no one to do so, and I don't think that is correct. Parents do what they can with what they have and what they know. Of course it's going to be hard, and it will involve a lot of mistakes along the way. This story is not really about parenting; it's about entitlement, and not a little kid being entitled, which is understandable and fixable. A full-grown adult entitlement that is cringy, pathetic, and concerning.

You cannot make other people responsible for the mistakes you make, and that is something that some people need to learn with urgency. If you decided things were going to be done one particular way, and it didn't work out. Then who do you think is responsible? The person who planned for things to be like that? Or someone else who had nothing to do with the planning but happened to be there at the time of the downfall? I think it's obvious that the person with poor planning skills is the one to blame. But an entitled person does not see things that way. If a 'Karen' went into a shop, bought something she thought was meat but was actually vegan meat, it had a label; she just didn't read it. Whose fault would that be? Karen's, of course, but Karen won't realize this, or would simply not care. She will go back to the shop, make a mess, and demand not only the money back but also some extra for her suffering. That's just another example of how entitled people behave.

So, going back to this mother, who do you think is at fault for sending the little girl with an expensive dress to a painting-themed party? The person who is in charge of her and dressed her? Or the venue owner who wasn't even at the birthday party? It's the mother's fault. That's why she needs to deal with it instead of trying to blame other people for her awful way of planning things and her complete lack of thinking skills when deciding to dress the girl for the party. If she wants to be mad at someone, she just needs to get mad at herself. After all, it's her fault.

Boss fires employee and gives them $1000 for moving costs, demands money back when they file for unemployment: 'He thought the $1000 would be enough until I found a new job'

Ally Perry — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 07:30:00 -0700

When is it appropriate for an employee to owe a job that they no longer work at?

Getting fired can be a traumatic experience at the best of times, and it is an unfortunate truth that some employers will make it more of a headache than it has any need to be. Depending on the circumstances of the termination and the trustworthiness of the company, how a former employee gets treated when they are out of a job can vary wildly.

For most people, the immediate worry when they lose their job is their finances, and how they are going to afford all the expenses of living without a steady income. A lot of places will provide some kind of severance, but this is by no means something to survive on for a long time, nor is it always strings-free. Many employers view it as one last perk for being associated with them, even if it doesn't feel that way.

It is pretty common among those who get fired to want to look forward, keep moving, and not dwell on their old job when they are in the process of finding other employment. There is no use in obsessing over a situation that can't be changed. However, there are circumstances where their former employer continues to haunt them. Although they may not be getting their job back, they still face certain expectations that mean they can't make a clean break and leave the past in the past, as they may have hoped.

Father gains access to 19-year-old daughter’s bank account and monitors her expenses, she opens a secret account in response: ‘I had never felt more free financially’

Bar Mor Hazut — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 05:00:00 -0700

When you were a kid, you didn't question the fact that every decision you made had to go through your parents first. You couldn't just go into an Apple Store and buy yourself the iPhone 18. Not only did you not have that much cash on you to do that, but you also had to have your parents' permission and support to do so, which everyone can agree is very understandable.

In time, however, you become more and more independent. You start working and earning your own money, and you get to decide what you want to do with it without having to run it by your parents first. You go out with friends, buy yourself lunch, or go shopping like a full-grown adult, and for your teenage self, that feels great. There are so many kids, however, who don't experience that independence. They have to deal with parents who demand to stay in control of every aspect of their lives, including their finances. They would go so far as to monitor their bank accounts, just like this father did to his 19-year-old daughter. She is practically an adult, yet she still needs to deal with a dad who takes money out of her account and asks her about every expense she makes. Every step of her financial journey, he's there, watching.

The daughter started to feel so controlled that she decided to open a secret bank account that her father couldn't touch. He eventually found out about it, and the aftermath wasn't pretty…

CEO Fires Marketing Employee “On the Spot” for Standing Their Ground Against Impossible Targets: 'He expected organic traffic to increase by 45% in 4 weeks'

Brad Dickson — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 17:45:00 -0700

A marketing professional with 8 years of experience gives an account of being fired publicly after challenging the CEO's expectations for organic search results. During 13 months at the company, they faced low pay, targets presented without the resourcing required to meet them, and repeated insults whenever they explained the limits of SEO. In the latest team meeting, the CEO demanded that organic search generate 65% of leads within a month, then accused the marketing professional of incompetence when they questioned the goal. They calmly defended their professional assessment and were fired on the spot.

We'll take a look at their account of events and discuss the costs of leadership that assent to their anger to protect their ego.

Everyone loves to talk about honesty, transparency, and open communication. That is, until that transparency becomes a criticism of them or their work.

'Chauffeurs or private drivers for ultra wealthy/powerful people, what's something you've overheard that you'll never forget?': Drivers for famous and wealthy people spill the tea about things they have overheard during their job

María Cetra — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 16:15:00 -0700

Being a limo driver or a fancy car chauffeur for wealthy people and celebrities can definitely make you hear gossip.

Famous people and celebrities are a big interest of mine; some people like to pretend they don't care about that, so I'm all for knowing about the life of the Kardashian family, reality shows, and celebrity weddings. I love all that. I find so much joy from hearing celebs gossip; the lifestyle of the rich and famous is actually a good way to take my mind off of things that worry me, to dissociate. That's why I like watching reality shows and reading about royal weddings. It's a dumb interest, but it surely helps to forget, at least for a while, about other things that are going on.

This thread made me think about when people reveal stories about their interactions with famous people. They usually have two ways of going: they say they were super nice and they were able to take a picture with them, or they were incredibly mean and it completely changed the perception they had of them. These kinds of reactions always led me to think that it may be that the celebrity could be having a bad day, or wanting to avoid pictures, and by just denying whatever request the fan had, now they are incredibly mean and do not deserve the fame they have. It could also be that they are lazy or entitled and don't want to take pictures with people they deem less important than them. As if they wanted the fame but not the tasks that come with it. We would never be fully sure a famous individual's behavior is entitled and mean or a sweetheart unless we are the ones who meet them in person, and even if we do, they could just be having a bad day or simply not like the attitude that you had when approaching them.

So, do we believe these stories that "fans" tell about the celebrities they have encountered? That is completely up to you; you can believe it, consider it simple gossip, or defend your favorite celebrity through everything. You are entitled to your own opinion about them. But I do think that judging someone's character according to one encounter that someone had may be biased. But if you hear the same story over and over again about one particular celebrity always acting entitled and mistreating everyone, then well, you do have more reasons to believe that it isn't simple gossip. But, again, we cannot know for sure, as we haven't met them yet. I like simply reading about those encounters that people had and take them like that, just a good story; whether it's true or not, it doesn't affect me in any way. And even if they are in fact entitled and annoying, that is not really that relevant to me. I may like celebrity gossip as a distraction, but I do not care whether they are nice or not in real life.

Miami apartment dweller reveals the biggest downside of living in a high-rise: 'I was successfully deinfluenced'

Ally Perry — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 13:00:00 -0700

Skyscrapers may be glamorous, but they sure can be inconvenient as well.

Tall buildings have become an unavoidable part of every major city skyline in the past century and a half, to the point that it is kind of weird to imagine urban life without them. It's hard to believe nowadays, but the building that is commonly considered to be the very first skyscraper was only 10 stories tall. Things have only gone upwards from there on out.

Although they seem to be a fact of life at this point, it is important to remember that living or working that close to the clouds is a very recent development in human history. As a result, we don't exactly have all the creases ironed out yet. There are plenty of horror stories about very tall, unbelievably expensive buildings that simply haven't been designed that well. Think 432 Park Avenue in New York, where residents have sued due to severe defects like excessive swaying, structural failures, and an explosively loud garbage chute. Then there's the case of 20 Fenchurch Street, otherwise known as the Walkie-Talkie, in London, which had to be redesigned after it reflected sunlight so strongly that it damaged cars and caused fires.

In short, there is usually a price to pay if engineers and architects do not thoroughly think through the logistics of making such big and impressive buildings a reality. Those who pay the price for that are the ones who use them every day and quickly figure out what they could have done better.

High school teacher questions how to teach teenagers who can't start a sentence on their own: 'How will they survive if they graduate?'

Emmy Pratt — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 11:30:00 -0700

Teachers are between a rock and a hard place when half their class is multiple grade levels behind and shows no interest in catching up.

It's no secret that many kids are getting left behind in the education system. When I was a kid, America was all about not leaving kids behind in this exact setting (when I was a kid, I thought that policy was about parents not leaving their kids behind at the grocery store), but now that it's been 20 years since that initiative, it seems like it might have been a mistake. I understand why teachers and parents don't want a 16-year-old still in a 5th-grade classroom, even if, educationally, that's where he belongs. But many kids have been promoted when they shouldn't have been, and it has hurt them in the long run.

Schools have a major incentive to pass students, even when they don't deserve to move on to the next grade. They don't want their school's graduation rate to be low. If only 60% of high school seniors graduate, the school looks bad and gets less state funding. Long gone are the days of the 19-year-old high school sophomores. If a kid doesn't complete the work required in 10th grade, he's passed along to 11th grade, just like his peers who did the work.

When kids face no consequences for not doing their work, teachers have very little they can do to motivate them to come to class and complete it. Some kids are genuinely motivated and want good grades to get into college, but they're not the ones who make teachers' lives miserable. Kids who don't care whether they pass or fail need external motivation to get their work done if they're not getting it from their parents. If a kid actually thinks he'll be held back and unable to graduate with his friends, he might become more inclined to do C-grade work instead of F-grade work.

I feel bad for teachers who are thrust into this system without any real way to fix it. They can't hold their students to a high standard because they get in trouble for giving the grades their students deserve. They are forced to hold their students' hands through everything, even if a student will be going to college in a couple of years. When a professor has 300 students in their lecture, they are not going to give every kid unique special treatment.

Wife constantly throws away pounds fresh produce after noticing 'dirt,' husband cooks it anyway against her will: 'How could i eat trash vegetables'

JR Atkinson — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 10:00:00 -0700

Everyone has a different relationship to cooking, and some of us are more comfortable with it than others.

Not everyone has the same relationship to food that we do. There are as many relationships to food possible in the world as there are people on Earth. And you start to know that when you start to live with other people other than your family. Heck, even within your family, people can have very different relationships to food. This doesn't mean just what we like to eat and don't like to eat; it means the way that we prepare our food. Some people grew up having to prepare all of their meals themselves, or helping other family members prepare meals. When they become an adult, they have to provide for themselves, and they know how to cook. Even without a recipe, they can turn something out. But some people start that journey a little bit later in life. Learning how to cook can be an overwhelming experience, and it can feel like you're starting from scratch sometimes. It can feel like everybody else knows what to do except for you, and you're playing a game of catch-up. But it's worth learning, because it's a wonderful skill to have. And then when you live with somebody and want to provide for them, you will be able to do that. But the couple in this story was having a hard time navigating cooking together, cause they had pretty different outlooks on food.

Parents demand that their 19-year-old daughter rearrange her work schedule to drive her 14-year-old brother to his soccer practice, she refuses, and they accuse her of not wanting to 'help the family'

Giuliana Tiscioni — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 08:15:00 -0700

Should older kids take responsibility for their younger siblings on a regular basis?

The short answer is: No. Can older kids help around the house and with their siblings? Yes, as long as it's controlled and they still have time for their own homework, chores, and time to just be children. When they are teenagers or older, they also have other responsibilities to attend to, so the amount of help they can provide usually declines. But some parents seem to forget that the responsibility to take care of the children is theirs, not their older kids, and end up putting too much pressure on them to be substitute parents.

When I was a teenager, I had a friend whose mom got remarried and had kids with her new husband. My friend was about fourteen when the first kid was born, and then they had two more, the three of them in less than 4 years. The mom was way in over her head, and she had her eldest daughter help out. She loved her new siblings, of course, and she was almost old enough to be their mom herself, but key part: she was not. She took care of feeding them, changing diapers, bathing them, putting them to sleep, and generally, making sure they were happy and healthy. Now, babies are really time-consuming, so she really didn't have much time for anything else, sometimes not even time for schoolwork, much less for normal teenage stuff.

Back then, it wasn't my place to complain or say anything about their family situation, but the fact that she seemed to be the mom of her siblings always rubbed me the wrong way, especially because I know for a fact that if my own mom had had a new baby when I was a teen, she would have never made me take care of them.

In this case, it wasn't an older sibling taking care of a new baby; it was two almost-grown-up kids, but the parents were still expecting the older girl to take care of her brother.

Husband, who recently opened a restaurant, pressures wife to hand over her late grandmother's secret dessert recipe so he can sell it, calls her selfish when she refuses: ‘My grandmother trusted me with it’

Cata Holmes — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 06:45:00 -0700

Does being married mean sharing absolutely everything, even the family traditions you hold closest to your heart?

"All families have secrets", they say. For some, this means keeping quiet about sad, hurtful things; for others, it means sharing kitchen tips and secret recipes. And we all should respect that. Since we don't know how each family works or the code they follow, demanding something from them is wrong, and most people can take it the wrong way. This is exactly what happened to this married couple, and the secret recipe from the wife's grandmother, which apparently she left specifically to her before she passed.

The husband wants the recipe for his new restaurant and is more than willing to credit the grandma on the menu. But there's no way that the wife is giving him the recipe. And who can blame her? This goes beyond the food: the old lady gave it to her because of their special relationship, and now the woman doesn't feel right sharing something that isn't hers. And she has a point right there. But beyond that, if she has the recipe and doesn't want to share it, that's where the story ends.

Getting married doesn't automatically let a significant other take possession of things that belong to the other, especially things like recipes that have been in the family for years. So he can't expect her to give him the recipe just because of that. Marriage is about building a life together, not preserving those little bits of individuality along the way. Family traditions are meant to be shared, and secrets don't belong there.

Parents watch their kids climb on fragile gravestones at historic cemetery and do nothing about it, tourist steps in and is shut down by mother: ‘These kids are fine’

Melissa Knudson — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 04:15:00 -0700

Is it okay to parent someone else's kids when they are doing something wrong?

I can understand why parents don't like other people to correct their kids, even when they do something wrong in public. Because they know their children the best, they should be the ones to educate them and guide them in the right direction. That said, on many occasions, strangers feel the need to intervene. Some of them somehow feel like they could do a better job at parenting (probably not), and some of them just see no other choice in a particular situation. It very much seems like something you should never do, and it will be taken as an overstep in most scenarios. However, what if it was the right thing to do?

In this story, two women, who are also moms, are visiting a historical landmark in Boston. A cemetery that is a couple of centuries old. Because of its age, the tombs in the place are fragile and unstable. That's when they see a couple of children playing around, directly endangering the integrity of the historical artifacts. As their parents were not intervening, the two women decided to jump in and correct the kids as nicely as possible. When the parents saw this, however, they challenged the women's authority by telling the kids to disregard what they had been asked to stop doing. The parent's argument was that they were local kids, so they shouldn't be called out for playing in their own neighborhood.

Woman drives 3 hours to visit new parent friend, then learns what they did with the nanny cam footage that she didn't even know was being recorded: 'They had apparently watched footage from their nanny cam from that visit months ago and had timed me'

Brad Dickson — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 16:15:00 -0700

Mother brings her friends to her daughter's house while she's away and, without asking permission; then gets upset when her daughter tells her she'll do the same: 'She doesn’t want a bunch of people she doesn’t know in her house'

Giuliana Tiscioni — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 15:00:00 -0700

A mother had her daughter's security code for the entrance, and while her daughter was away for her cousin's wedding, she took all her friends into her daughter's house for a gathering without asking her first. The daughter found out through her security cameras and told her mother that she would bring her own friends into her house on a random day.

What is it with parents and their nearly total lack of boundaries toward their children's private property?

It's baffling to me that some parents seem to think that they still have the right to enter their children's homes without asking first. It's not like they're teenagers locking themselves in their rooms while still living in mom and dad's house. Even then, the kids should have a right ot their privacy, but even more so when they actually move out.

The weird thing about growing up in a normal family, with healthy parents, is that you end up comparing yourself to all the crazy family stories you hear everywhere, and end up getting all outraged when you hear how little boundaries exist out there, and how little respect parents tend to have for their own children.

I know for a fact that my mother would never get into my house while I'm away without telling me, much less would she bring strange people into my place without my knowledge. Unlike my own, this mother didn't have that kind of consideration towards her daughter and her home.

Expecting mother threatens to cut off her sister if she doesn't come to her gender reveal party when she has pneumonia: 'I also have a child who she’s never met.'

Emmy Pratt — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 11:30:00 -0700

You would think that a woman who is carrying her child wouldn't want to be around somebody who has a serious illness, but I guess she cares more about the party than she cares about the baby's safety.

I love to host parties. Every couple of months, my roommates and I invite our 200 closest friends to our apartment for a themed house party, and at least 60 of them show up without fail. We have developed a reputation for hosting pretty fun parties. Zack, my roommate who is great in the kitchen, makes a huge vat of special-flavored punch for all the guests, so we never run out of what keeps the party going. My other roommate, Audrey, loves to transform our space, and she makes incredible decorations that really set our house parties apart from others. I invite the majority of the party guests, mostly members of my adult recreational sports league. When we work together, we can create something wonderful. I am grateful to have roommates who are not only comfortable with us hosting parties, but also willing to put in the work to make them great.

Over the years, I've learned you really can't be too sensitive about people bailing on your events, especially house parties. Even though I know one person not showing up won't totally change the event's trajectory, it still sometimes hurts my feelings. The worst part of the party planning experience is an hour or two before it starts, when people start sending you paragraph-long texts about why they can't make it. I know not everyone would agree, but I would rather party guests not show up than try to justify bailing. I would understand a long text explaining why you're bailing on an intimate dinner, but for a big party, I don't think it's a crime to just bail without explaining yourself. The worst is when people go from RSVPing "Going" to RSVPing "Maybe" on the day of the party. At that point, just RSVP "Can't Go," and move along!

Even though I am a little sensitive when people bail on my parties, I know my party isn't the most important thing happening in their life right now. If someone is sick or not feeling up to it, I would never judge them for skipping. I know a 27th birthday party isn't that big a deal, so I won't judge my friends for putting themselves first.

Some events in life you really want your friends and family to be there for. If my best friend missed my baby shower or my wedding because she had a slight cold, I would be pretty upset. But if she had a serious, spreadable illness that she had not recovered from, I would not want her to take the risk of coming to an event with a ton of people. The sister in this story cares more about her party than her sister's health, her own, or her guests', and that is sad to behold.

Gift-giving people discuss what gifts that people don't realize they need until they get them: 'What are gifts people do not realize they need until someone gives them to them?

María Cetra — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 10:00:00 -0700

Do you find a better gift to be something you really like or something useful that you didn't realize you needed?

The best gift I received in the last few years wasn´t some big, expensive thing or an incredible adventure. It was actually something pretty dumb, an electric hairbrush that blow-dries, styles, and straightens the hair by simply brushing. It is something that I could have bought for myself; it's not really expensive or difficult to find. I could have gone to the store and bought it, but I didn't, and you know why? Because I didn't even know it existed. When my mom gifted it to me, I was surprised at first, but then it became the thing I use the most. Now every time I wash my hair, I use it. So every day I think about my mom when I use it. It wasn't a heartfelt present or an activity we would do together. She gave me something she knew I would love, even when I didn't even know that I needed it in the first place. I'm all in for a really great gift that is something that you have wanted for a while, but sometimes the best gift for someone isn't what they want, instead what they really need but didn't realize they needed. Something useful.

Some people love to give gifts that are useful, instead of a book you may already have or a T-shirt that you will donate in a year because you never wear it. Most of my friends and family members usually give me for birthdays and holidays something that I already have. I'm not saying this to be disrespectful towards their gift. I'm sure they put a lot of thought into it. But the last 5 birthdays I've been gifted the same books way too many times. It got to a point where my guests started to ask my mom before buying me something to make sure that I don't already own it. I have to admit, I do have some fault in that. My favorite thing to do is reading, and I own too many books. So when they think of me, they think books, and that, almost always, leads to buying me a copy of a book I already have. Last year, one of my friends was so tired of always getting me something that I would need to exchange that she bought me something completely different: a water bottle. She saw that mine was old and leaked; she knew I would never spend money on a new bottle until it fully breaks, so she bought me a quite expensive one that is better at keeping the temperature, and it doesn't break every time I drop it —yes, I'm really clumsy. So maybe I'm the kind of person who needs more useful gifts. Instead of thinking about what they think I would like to own, they need to think about what I need and would never buy for myself.

Bride’s Father Leaves Wedding Immediately After Walking His Daughter Down the Aisle: ‘He walked over to my in-laws and said he was “feeling sick” so he left’

Olivia Arocena — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 08:15:00 -0700

Some parents can't handle not being the centre of attention, but you can't point it out to them because they won't admit it

Your wedding is supposed to be your night. It's one of those (rare) occasions in which the spotlight is on you. Yet some parents still manage to make it about themselves.

They might genuinely feel that they're getting sick, or have intense stomach pain out of the blue, and have to storm out of the party, leaving everyone worried.

Imagine you're so committed to making everything about yourself that you do it unconsciously. I guess you can't blame them, because if they do it unconsciously, they're not doing it on purpose. You can and should get mad at them, though, because they can ruin your night, but in the end, it's because they likely have a very deep psychological wound. Otherwise, why would you do that?

Seeing somebody else shine might trigger feelings of inadequacy for them. They don't consciously want to sabotage your happiness, but they can't tolerate the feelings that arise when somebody else is the center of attention.

Of course, you can't discuss something they aren't even aware of, so you're likely stuck having to process it on your own. If they were aware of this, they would probably manage it in another way, by talking to you or somebody they trust, and trying to resolve their issues. But they can't, and it manifests as sudden stomach aches or itching. If it really is like this, there is nothing you can do about it.

I was the first in my family to go to college, and when I finally got in, I remember my father looked at me in the eye and said I should go back to school because I was surpassing him. He looked very worried. Instead of being proud, he took it upon himself and saw his own daughter as competence.

Luckily, at that time, I only saw him as a wounded person, and I didn't think too much of it, but he did stuff like that many times years later, and I think it all had to do with his own frustrations.

Anyways, having unresolved psychological issues might explain why you behave in a certain way, but it doesn't excuse you. You still have responsibility for your actions.

That's the most frustrating thing about dealing with people like this: you can understand where their actions come from, but that doesn't mean you should silently accept everything they do. And it certainly doesn't make their behaviour any less hurtful.

When you're dealing with emotionally immature people, you'll end up comforting them for something they did to you, and that's simply not fair. That's why you should be very careful with who you choose to spend your time with, and it doesn't matter if it's family or not.

Understanding someone psychologically doesn't mean you can stop them from ruining your party.

What you can do is uninvite them from the next one! Cheers.

Malicious Coworker Keeps Taking Credit for Other People’s Work: ‘By the third time, I started keeping copies of everything I sent’

Olivia Arocena — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:45:00 -0700

When your coworker is a credit thief

Some people have mastered the art of looking busy while secretly looking for ways to steal credit from those who are actually doing real work. Don't get me wrong; they invest a lot of energy in it, and it becomes a full-time job, but it would be more ethical to invest all that energy into actually working.

They'll be the first to volunteer to present work and say, "We've been working so hard on this," while everyone thinks: "We?" At first, it might go unnoticed, but reality always catches up to them, and everyone on the team ends up hating them and/or taking revenge.

Many office achievements are reserved for those who successfully advertise their accomplishments, not necessarily for those who objectively accomplish more.

These credit thieves are generally very quick to put the "I" in work they never participated in, and even quicker to throw a "we" when there is a mistake. It's all about enhancing their good qualities and hiding those not so good. We all do it, to some extent, but there are limits.

They usually take advantage of the fact that not many people like conflict or confronting others, and they use that to thrive. But if they steal credit long enough, it will likely backfire, and when it does, every team member will be there, happily watching.

At work, your intellectual credit can grant you a better position, more responsibility, more money, and many other cool improvements. The thing is, eventually, if a credit thief gets any of those, they won't be able to perform at a higher level, and that's when the mask will drop. You can't steal your way out of work as you go up the ladder and take more responsibility; at some point you are going to be confronted with actual work, and you won't know what to do.

I have to say it, I actually believe in confronting people, and I don't understand why it has such a bad reputation. I've done it many times, and when you do it on time and assertively, it can save you years of stress and petty fights.

I used to have a friend in college who copied my every move, to the point that it became weird to everyone but her. At first, I didn't say anything because I thought it was my imagination, but when it became evident, I immediately brought it up to her, and it was like the spell was broken. Of course she denied it, but it probably made her so embarrassed that she dropped it the next day.

Confrontation works wonders, if you do it well. If I had to give you advice on that, I would say you have to be very respectful and try to keep it short and to the point. The most important thing is that what's bothering you stops being a weird taboo that grows without anyone noticing.

Once you put it on the table, you can do something about it. So good luck confronting anyone you have to confront!

Aunt demands 15-year-old babysit 7 kids at Halloween party, mom considers sending her $15 hourly rate: 'What else is a teenager doing on a Saturday night?'

Ally Perry — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 04:15:00 -0700

Should childcare always be free just because a parent is related to the person providing it?

Finding a good babysitter is the ultimate challenge for any parent who still wants to have some form of a social life that doesn't always involve their kids. There is nothing wrong with wanting some time that is adults-only now and then, but this is something that is likely to come at a price. The person who is most likely to take on any childcare duties without complaint is the one who is getting a paycheck out of it.

Of course, most parents would argue that it isn't unreasonable to expect a family member to provide some free babysitting now and again. Most moms and dads hope that they have some kind of village to fall back on when they really need it.

However, there is a big difference between generous relatives offering their help on their own terms and expecting them to watch the kids at the drop of a hat. Even the most willing of babysitters is likely to get a little bitter if their childcare becomes something that doesn't even warrant a proper discussion. Although the topic of compensation can be controversial when a family member helps out with the kids, it is sometimes appropriate to bring it up. For younger babysitters in particular, this may be one of their few forms of income, and it makes it worth it to give up their free time in favor of caring duties.

The Wall of Weird: Spooky Stories of People Seeing Strange Stuff That No One Else Believed

Giuliana Tiscioni — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 15:35:00 -0700

What better time of the year to talk about all of our spooky stories than Spooky Week itself?

There's only a week left until Halloween, and our decorations are up, the party invitations are already sent (or received, if you're not hosting), and our costumes are hanging in our closets until it's time to put them on. The jack-o'-lanterns are carved, the candies to give to the kids trick-or-treating are already bought, and all that's left is to sit down and wait until the day finally comes. But what do we do in the meantime? After all, we're already filled with the spooky spirit, and we don't want it to get cold, so how do we keep the scary adrenaline in our systems until next Saturday? Well, there are a few options.

First, and an old-time favourite: horror movies! There are so many classics we can turn to to keep our scary moods up. No matter how many times we've seen them, we always fall for the jump scares. And if you're not a fan af true horror, that's no problem! We can scale down a little bit and choose something along the suspense lines. The Haunting of Bly Manor is a favourite of mine, and yes, it could be qualified as horror, but don't worry; what scares you is the anticipation; there is nothing too graphic. We can always turn to Disney's Halloween movies; they have quite a few and are really good.

Or, if you prefer, telling your own weird and spooky stories will keep us all interested. It doesn't even have to be scary; all things weird and unusual are welcome!

Bridesmaid buys a $230 dress for sister-in-law's wedding, gets kicked out of the bridal party less than a month before the ceremony, then the bride has the audacity to demand she hand it over for free: ‘I bought that dress with MY money’

Cata Holmes — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 14:15:00 -0700

What happens when a bride kicks you out of her wedding party but still expects you to hand over the $230 dress you paid for?

Is a wedding really without some bridal drama? I get it: we're all getting nervous as the big day approaches, and a bit of selfishness comes with the punches. What can we say? I've attended a lot of weddings, and I can always say there was some kind of drama, most of it about the bride and her bridesmaids. They either couldn't agree on a color, a shape, or how to line up for pictures. Needless to say, I know these stories well.

But what surprised me most was that the bride literally kicked out this bridesmaid less than a month before the wedding because her fiancé's sister wanted to be in. Why wasn't this discussed earlier? They could've avoided this whole problem if they'd talked about it before going dress shopping. The woman bought her own bridesmaid dress for a hefty $230, and it's not wrong for her to want the full amount back before donating it to the person taking her spot.

Mother-in-law refuses to apologize after she paints over grandkids' doorframe height chart without parents' permission: 'Not even giving it a second thought'

Bar Mor Hazut — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:15:00 -0700

Did you have a doorframe height chart when you were growing up?

There are many childhood traditions that parents really look forward to doing with their kids. They remember how important these moments were for them as children, and they want to ensure their own kids get to experience that excitement as well. Who here doesn't remember the first Christmas they got to sit on Santa's lap at the mall, or the first time they got to go to the beach with their parents? These moments are special, and you carry them with you for as long as you can, at least until you get to create these memories for your kids as well.

Marking your height at the doorframe every few months and getting to see how much you've grown every time you enter your bedroom is also a tradition many kids cherish, and many adults think back to fondly. Every time a family moves, the one thing they always hate to leave behind is that little chart that shows how much the family has grown and evolved. When first-time parents hold their newborn babies for the first time, they can't help but think about the new adventures to come. That little growth chart at home is the perfect manifestation of that.

Update: 20-year-old Airbnb guest in Nevada faces $58k in damages after shower handle comes off at 2 AM and floods the rental—returns 9 months later with an update: 'I know I didn’t directly cause the damage'

Brad Dickson — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 10:45:00 -0700

While staying at an Airbnb in Nevada, a shower malfunctioned around 2 a.m., spraying water and causing damage. The host blamed the guest and requested $58,000 in damages. The guest returns now, nine months later, to provide an update on what has happened since.

When are guests responsible for accidental damage to a short-term rental? And when is that just a cost of doing business?

11 small town red flags that show they're not a good place to live: 'One family owning 99% of the businesses'

Ally Perry — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 09:30:00 -0700

There are some places that make you want to leave as soon as you set foot in them.

If it is the kind of life that you want to lead, there is nothing wrong with deciding that a small town is the place for you. The houses are probably cheaper than a lot of other places, and it is a less hectic pace of life than being in the big city. Being somewhere where everybody knows everybody isn't going to appeal to some, but for others, it is exactly what they want.

No doubt about it, when it is done right, the small-town attitude can be charming enough for even the most hardened city slicker to rethink what it is they are doing in the big smoke. That's what every Hallmark movie has always taught us, right?

Unfortunately, this isn't the reality for every place that just so happens to have a reduced population. In fact, much of the time, the reason that a town doesn't have that many people is that so many felt like the best option was to leave it behind. It takes a real effort to make any town or city a good place to live, no matter what the size, but if that effort isn't there, it tends to be magnified in those places where there aren't as many inhabitants. The things that simply don't work so well are made pretty obvious, and it isn't even like there are enough neighborhoods for there to be a way to ignore the bad parts now and then.

15 Top Professions and Careers That Are Way Over-Romanticized and Offer a Reality and a Lifestyle That Is Way Less Glorious Than You Expected: 'Doctor sounds amazing until you find out the real prize is a decade of debt and a pager'

Brad Dickson — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 07:30:00 -0700

A look into top-voted discussions and responses about the most commonly over-romanticized professions that don't live up to the hype.

Which careers and professions do people romanticize far too much?

Medical Receptionist Job Posting Requires Applicants Have 15-30 Years of Experience, Despite Only Paying $16-19 an Hour

Emmy Pratt — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 05:00:00 -0700

What kind of people are applying to this job? Or was the posting written by a bot that intended for bots to apply for it?

Have you ever looked at a job posting and wondered, "Who in their right mind would apply to such a position?" I'm talking about jobs where employees only make $45K a year in San Francisco and are expected to work around the clock. Some jobs require 10-15 years of experience and still pay only $70K in New York City. If you're a normal person who is trying to pay your bills and put some money away for retirement, these jobs probably don't sound like they're for you, and you're probably right. A lot of jobs exist for the sole purpose of employing independently wealthy young people who don't need an income from a job to pay their bills. If someone has a hefty trust fund that gives them enough money to live more than comfortably every year without having to lift a finger, then they can easily take a "fun" job that makes no money. Such positions are not limited to young rich people; they also exist for old rich people.

Restaurant manager humiliates employee by printing complaint email sent by customer after food takes too long: ‘Feels incredibly dumb to blame me for ticket times being slow’

Melissa Knudson — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:00:00 -0700

How does a manager properly correct an employee's behavior? Not like this, that's for sure.

A restaurant manager's job has a long list of tasks in the description. Making sure there's enough staff to handle customers, helping the place run smoothly, and handling any complaints or situations that might come up on a normal day of work. This means things can get awkward when an employee does something out of line, and the manager has to tell them to fix whatever problem generated the situation.

On this matter, there are many ways to correct an employee's actions. A private discussion, an email, a written warning, or, in the worst cases, a momentary suspension. I have not been to management school, but I don't think printing a giant email with an employee's picture on it and marking every mistake with a Sharpie for everyone to see is part of the crash course. I feel like there are better approaches here, especially when the infraction in question is also the responsibility of the manager.

That is exactly what this restaurant manager decided to do. An employee clashes with a customer after food took a little longer than expected. As it turns out, due to scheduling patches, for which the restaurant manager is responsible, this employee had to cover several tasks at once. That's when this super hangry man furiously claims that the food has taken too long and takes a picture of the employee without their knowledge. This picture was sent attached to a complaint email to the store. Instead of talking to the employee and clearing this mishap up, the restaurant manager decided to print the email in a giant format and place it for everyone to see. Also, she marked every visible mistake made by the employee in the picture with Sharpie. May I highlight the fact that not a single word had been exchanged with this employee at this point.

Employee is written up as 'no call no show' even though they were not notified of the shift change: 'I don’t think my personal phone should be a job requirement'

JR Atkinson — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 11:30:00 -0700

Sometimes when mistakes happen, you can feel like you want to blame someone, but there is nobody to blame.

This employee was majorly frustrated with a scheduling error at the workplace, but the way it unfolded spoke to a larger trend of how we treat employees and what we're asking of them. The workplace already asks so much of us. Sacrifice is just another part of having a job. You fork over a lot of your time, energy, and creative juices, and you hope you get a little something in return, but it's not always that easy. The employee in this story noticed something unfair happening in her workplace that she needed to address, but wasn't sure how to go about it. Work conflicts can be difficult to get around, especially when you're worried about hurting someone's feelings. You also probably don't want to jeopardize your position by speaking out, and that might easily happen in certain kinds of toxic workplaces.

Woman Wonders What Goes on Inside the Mind of Their Friend Who Always Cancels Plans at the Last Minute: ‘If I didn’t know better I’d say she’s trying to get rid of me as a friend, but she still mails me a birthday and Christmas present every year’

Olivia Arocena — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 11:00:00 -0700

'It's me, hi, I'm the problem, It's me': I'm the type of person who never confirms plans, and I can tell you what goes on in my mind

I don't intend this to be a defense of flaky friends; I just want to explain what is possibly going on in the mind of someone who's flaky, ok?

I just wanna start by saying I wanna see you, just not necessarily on Saturday, ok? The plans I agreed to on Tuesday might not feel appealing on Saturday, and I rely heavily on my mood. Sometimes I don't want to go out; sometimes I'm exhausted and want to stay home in my jammies the whole day. Is that really so hard to understand?

I know I should be more responsible and not agree to the plans in the first place. Still, I genuinely want to see you, and I think I'll feel good on Saturday; it just happens that sometimes you have an unexpectedly rough week. Then, Saturday comes along, and you wanna hide under the covers and ignore all your calls.

I've tried being honest with friends about this and saying things along the lines of: Look, I'm agreeing now, but a lot of times when the day comes, I don't feel like it; I'm much better at making plans on the spot; and it has worked with some friends, but most friends simply don't understand it and take it personally.

Trust me, I tried attending the plans I already agreed to out of sheer commitment, and it always turns out horrible; I'll want to leave the entire time and bring the worst possible vibe to the function.

I guess, if I'm honest, that it has a little to do with how much desire I have to see said friend; I've gone great lengths to see friends I really wanted to see, and I'm not flaky at all on those occasions, but it's not as related to desire as people might think at first glance. I might really want to see you and not have the energy for it.

I know a friend cancelling on you last minute is objectively horrible, and I'm not defending it; I'm even trying to stop doing it completely. I'm genuinely just trying to be honest and maybe extract some understanding from the unflaky people out there.

Either way, I have to take responsibility for my actions and not make people organise their schedules around my moods, so I'll have to share the disclaimer that I can't make plans in advance.

It's selfish to expect everyone to be understanding or happy to accommodate. That said, some type of plans are easier to attend for me than others, like I love going to coffee shops and I hate going out at night, so I guess I just have to be more honest with myself and mostly just accept the plans that I like? Gosh, I hate having realizations; I can't take any more realizations this year. I need a break.

'What’s a financial mistake that can take years to recover from, even if you earn a decent salary?': People discuss what the biggest financial mistake they ever committed was

María Cetra — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 10:00:00 -0700

Have you ever encountered money problems due to a financial mistake you made? Did you learn anything from it?

Money problems are common, especially with the current state of the world. People get into debt more and more, whether it is to buy a house, a car, go to college, or for medical expenses. Almost everything can make you need a loan and put you in debt. I'm not here to demonize loans. They are a good way to go through life and do and have the things you want without having to save for your whole lifetime before acquiring them. But they only work out if you are extremely careful with your finances, you cannot trust them to just work out eventually; you need to plan, have stability, and have as your main goal to pay them out.

Nobody learns how to manage their finances unless they studied something related to that in college; it's not common knowledge. In school, you don't learn about credit cards, debt, loans, or even budgeting. So the only two ways you actually learn what to do with your money are by getting some tips from your parents or family members, or by making mistakes. The last one is the most common. People learn how to manage after already committing the mistakes that put them in money issues, and recovering is hard. That's why it is important to listen to what others have gone through as a way to learn not only from their mistake, but also how to recover from them. It can be stressful to have issues with your finances, but it's important to remember that you are not alone. A lot of people go through the same things. In the U.S., according to National Debt Relief, more than 45% of citizens have credit card debt, more than 35% have car loans, and more than 20% have student loans. So it's not uncommon to have debt. On the contrary, it is not that common to be debt-free. They explained that according to their data, only 23% of Americans are completely debt-free.

"Most Americans have long had some level of debt, and if you've taken on more due to the rapid rise in the cost of living"

What we should take from all this is that being in debt is not bad in itself. You can get into debt like most people in the U.S. and not be in financial trouble. That is how the economy of the country works. The problem is when you have debt but no way of paying, or too much debt in categories like credit cards that have insane interest rates. So, if you are in debt, you are not alone, not at all. A lot of people are in the same situation. The important thing isn't the debt, is to have a plan to pay it and be aware of the interests they have to prioritize what to pay first. Financial mistakes happen, but not everything has to be a tragedy. There is a way to solve the problems; we just need to learn how to manage money most constructively to avoid them happening again.

Grandma gets bamboozled by the price of gas when granddaughter reveals the price to fill up: 'You think my gas cost $10?'

Ally Perry — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 09:30:00 -0700

Must be nice to be completely unaware of the financial realities of modern life!

Old age supposedly comes with more wisdom, but one of the biggest drivers of generational rifts between young people, baby boomers, and even older generations is that they seem allergic to understanding the realities of being a youngish adult in today's world. Sure, there are Zoomers and millennials who could do with giving a bit more sympathy to their elders, and there are older people who can empathize with the fact that things just aren't as simple as they were back in their day. Nonetheless, even the well-meaning can sometimes have a conception of the lives of youth today that couldn't be further from the truth.

We have all heard the complaints about avocado toast, but the misinformation goes even further than that. The reason that some believe an innocent brunch snack is getting in the way of their grandkids affording to buy a house is that they genuinely think that starter homes are close to the same price they were when they were the target market. This isn't to say that older people didn't have their struggles, too, but it is the unwillingness of many to understand the problems faced by those still trying to make it in the world that can leave them shocked when they are faced with the cold, hard facts. Even an expense as simple as the price of a tank of gas can be enough to expose how they are out of touch.

12 employees share the fastest times they've seen a coworker get fired at their workplace: 'Intern used their corporate credit card to BUY a Honda civic.'

Emmy Pratt — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 08:15:00 -0700

Even if you feel like you make stupid mistakes at your job, I am almost certain that you haven't made as many stupid mistakes as the people who have gotten fired less than 24 hours after their first day of work.

The first year of a new job can be stressful. You know that if anything really bad happens to the company, you're going to be the first one to go. All the stuff they told you in the interview about how the company is growing and successful could be patently untrue, and if you aren't able to figure that out before you accept the job, you very well might be signing up to be on the cutting room table within a few short months of getting hired.

If you get hired at a good company, they will understand you won't be perfect at your brand-new job after 3 months. Every employee makes mistakes, and a good manager will guide you rather than reprimand you too harshly for normal mistakes. That said, you should have a solid grasp of your job's daily duties and responsibilities by 3 months in. Your boss shouldn't have to tell you to put on your safety equipment or remind you to schedule 5 newsletters per day if those are basic duties in your job description. Heck, you should know the basic duties of your job before you even walk in the door on day one, because they were probably listed on the job application or discussed in the interview!

In your first week at a new job, you have to mess up pretty badly to get fired. The people in this story got fired almost immediately after getting hired in most of the cases; I 100% understand why.

Boss tells mechanic he's making too much money, moves him to a pay-per-job commission—regrets it immediately when the mechanic stops managing his business for him: 'The office is filling up with customers, and the phone is ringing constantly'

Brad Dickson — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 07:30:00 -0700

An auto shop boss switched his experienced mechanic to commission, discovering only afterward how much of the business had been depending on the mechanic's extra efforts. Efforts that were now excluded from the new pay structure and effectively out of the mechanic's job description, so he had simply stopped doing them. This raised questions of fairness in compensation and the unseen value of employee goodwill, as the mechanic maliciously complied with the new structure.

How is it that almost everyone who has ever worked on commission has had this experience?

You know that argument that you get into at home with your spouse. The one who isn't pulling their weight and contributing to the household functions. Chores, admin, anything that keeps the house organized and moving that you do out of necessity but probably don't want to be doing otherwise.

No matter how harmonious the relationship. No matter how much you are a "team" and agree on everything... At some point. At some point one of you will be frustrated about how much you're doing around the house, and, more notably, how much the other one isn't.

"Hold up, I thought this post was about employment?" You're probably wondering. "Now you've got me fighting with my spouse?"

Hang on, I'm getting there.