thoughts & money talks.
Joined December 2024
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A box of cereal says $4 for 16 oz.
This year it’s still $4, but the box says 14 oz.
Nothing on the shelf tag changed.
That’s about 14% more per ounce.
The price tag stayed the same. The box just got lighter.
I would rather the price go up not the box getting smaller, stop the shrinkflation ffs!
LOOK AT WHAT FEDERAL INCOME TAX ACTUALLY MEANS FOR A $60,000 SALARY.
For the 2026 tax year, the IRS standard deduction for a single filer is $16,100.
That leaves $43,900 in taxable income before other adjustments.
Using the 2026 federal income tax brackets, the estimated federal income tax is about $5,020 before credits. That doesn't include Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes, state taxes, or other deductions.
So when someone hears '$60,000 salary,' that's not the same as having $60,000 to live on.
I understand taxes fund public services. What I want to know is why so many people have to do this much math just to figure out what they can actually afford.
WHY DOES A SALARY SOUND SO MUCH BIGGER BEFORE THE DEDUCTIONS START?
I genuinely want to know why boomers so unwilling to invest in younger generations and America so willing to invest in generations that will die off in two decades time?
Yes, I get it, old people vote. But beyond that, genuinely what is the logic to just not setting up the younger generations for any kind of success? Do people not want competent doctors or lawyers or scientists or construction workers. Do people not want a well functioning society in the future?
Or is the prejudice against young people so strong that people are willing to fuck up their own futures to kick young people with their bad policies while they’re already down?
The average household budget is a lot less comfortable than people make it sound.
$2,189 a month for housing
$1,110 a month for transportation
$847 a month for food
$519 a month for food bought at home
$516 a month for healthcare
$816 a month for personal insurance and pensions
$6,545 a month in total average household spending
These are BLS 2024 household averages, not a bill every family pays exactly. Categories overlap with real-life budgeting, and individual costs vary.
But it helps explain why telling people to 'just budget better' can feel so detached from reality.
A spreadsheet can organize the pressure. It can't always make the numbers work.
That’s my pro-feminist president! Dismantling the patriarchy one field at a time!
Can the government even do anything about it, other than setting up some kind of affirmative action for men?
It's probably all the fault of companies.
A new midsize sedan MSRP often sits near $30,000.
A three-year-old version with average miles is listed around $26,000–$27,000 in current market data.
The upfront savings look small. Used-car loan rates are commonly 7–9% while new-car promo rates can be under 3%.
By the end of a five-year loan the extra interest on the used car can erase the initial savings and leave you with no warranty.
The old rule that used is always cheaper does not hold when financing costs are this high.
I’m starting to think the whole 'just buy used to save money' advice is completely dead. 🤔
Just an opinion on taxes:
I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE WORKING HOURLY, RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS, RAISING KIDS, OR TRYING TO GET THROUGH RETIREMENT... PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY OWE AND WHY.
Taxes are complicated enough without making ordinary people feel like they need an accountant just to avoid a mistake.
Personally, I don't think wanting a clear explanation of where your money goes is some radical position.
A SYSTEM PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO FOLLOW SHOULD BE A SYSTEM THEY CAN ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND.
My grandpa was an auto mechanic. Grandma stayed home. They raised 4 kids, owned 2 houses, nice cars, a boat, and took vacations every year. He retired at 62 without worrying about money.
A lot of the people I know who work full-time still can’t quite get the basics lined up the way that generation seemed to, and the ones who already have money appear to have an easier time making more of it.
I’m not sure the whole system flipped overnight with one set of tax cuts, but something shifted. The gap between 'I have assets that work for me' and 'I’m trying to build something from a paycheck' is wider than the stories I grew up hearing. And most of the people I talk to who are just trying to work their way into a stable life say the same thing.
I'm starting to think "JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU CAN BUY A HOUSE" leaves out the part that makes the math so difficult.
Average 30-year mortgage rate is at 7.32%. A year earlier, it was 6.19%.
On a hypothetical $300,000 loan over 30 years, principal and interest at 7.32% comes to about $2,061 a month.
At 6.19%, the same loan would be about $1,835 a month.
That's roughly $225 more every month at the newer rate, before property taxes, homeowners insurance, or repairs.
People can save carefully and still face a market where the same borrowed amount costs hundreds more each month.
THE DOWN PAYMENT IS ONLY ONE PART OF THE AFFORDABILITY PROBLEM.
The SAVE student loan repayment plan ended after a court order in March 2026.
MOHELA says affected borrowers may have 90 days from their notice to choose another repayment plan.
So if someone built their budget around one payment arrangement and that arrangement disappears, what are they supposed to do next?
HOW ARE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO PLAN THEIR FINANCES WHEN THE RULES CAN CHANGE UNDER THEM?! CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN THIS LIKE I'M IN KINDERGARTEN?
Voss ×͜× retweeted
Everything you missed in crypto last week
BTC fell below $80K, hitting a low near $79.2K after failing to hold its rally toward $85K.
Bitcoin ETFs recorded heavy outflows on Oct. 22, with $635.5M leaving in a single day.
Bitcoin liquidations exceeded $800M in 24 hours as the market sell-off intensified.
Kimchi joined Pump.fun for creative direction, triggering controversy over token launches and wallet allocations.
Bubblemaps challenged Kimchi's claim of making $40M on $TRUMP, reporting approximately $6M instead.
A token promoted through Kimchi's account surged before crashing, adding fuel to the #BOYCOTTPUMPFUN backlash.
Playboi Carti's X account added a Pump.fun link, and $CARTI reportedly surged before collapsing.
Rabby Wallet faced criticism over its Hyperliquid referral code, with claims circulating about millions in referral earnings.
A court dismissed the $LIBRA case against Javier Milei, but the ruling should not be interpreted as proof that every aspect of the token's launch was legitimate.
$IRYS surged over 1,300%, triggering significant short liquidations.
Meanwhile, across the wider crypto market:
Switzerland approved its first retail Bitcoin ETF, expanding regulated access to BTC.
BlackRock filed for a Bitcoin ETF designed to provide downside protection.
Ethereum ETFs suffered approximately $225M in weekly outflows.
MARA Holdings transferred 1,000 BTC, worth roughly $82.8M, to exchanges, sparking speculation about a potential sale.
The Initia network was halted following an exploit that reportedly drained around $2.6M.
The Drift exploiter moved $109M through Tornado Cash over two days.
HSBC introduced RedCoin, a stablecoin initiative for PayMe users in Hong Kong.
JPMorgan brought tokenised money market funds to Solana.
Aerodrome and Velodrome announced a merger into Aero DEX, spanning seven chains.
Approximately $337M in token unlocks were scheduled across crypto projects during the week, including major unlocks involving LayerZero.
MemeCore, $ENA and $PEPE were among the notable gainers, while Starknet and several DeFi tokens suffered significant losses.
The bigger picture:
Bitcoin's decline highlighted how closely crypto remains tied to traditional markets, institutional ETF flows and macroeconomic uncertainty.
Meanwhile, memecoin controversies reignited questions about transparency, insider allocations and the risks of celebrity-driven launches.
What did I miss? 👀
I LOOKED AT MY RISING HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS AND REALIZED I CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO BE INSURED.
My plan charges $620 a month for a family tier with a $9,000 deductible.
That is $7,440 every single year just to keep the card in my wallet.
And if my kid breaks an arm, I still have to pay the first $9,000 out of pocket before the insurer pays a dime.
I asked the customer service rep what the $7,440 actually buys if I still pay for every doctor visit myself.
She explained that the policy protects against catastrophic worst-case events after the deductible is met.
I told her I understood the terms.
What I do not understand is paying $700 a month for healthcare and still being terrified of an emergency room visit.
WE ARE PAYING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS A YEAR FOR HEALTH INSURANCE THAT LEAVES US ONE ACCIDENT AWAY FROM BANKRUPTCY.
I genuinely don’t understand why contractors keep exploiting homeowners who need basic utility repairs.
I was quoted $1,800 to replace a standard 40-gallon residential hot water heater.
Actual unit costs $550 at Lowe's.
The copper fittings and pipe sealant take about $40 in raw materials.
Job takes two hours of labor for a standard swap.
You are charging $1,210 in labor for 120 minutes of work.
That's an hourly rate of over $600. For what exactly?!
Nobody explains HOA fees the way they explain mortgages.
Say it $350 a month.
That’s $4,200 a year.
Ten years is $42,000, and that’s assuming it never goes up.
If you never touch the pool or the clubhouse. The bill is the same.
I’m not against paying for a shared road or a roof. Somebody has to.
But it’s a second housing payment that doesn’t build any equity for you.
A mortgage ends. An HOA fee doesn’t.
Paid off, but not done paying.
CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN HOW THIS IS ACTUALLY LEGAL.
I just read how a health FSA works and I can’t believe it.
For 2026 the IRS lets workers set aside up to $3,400 of their pay before it ever hits their bank account (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32).
Don’t spend all of it by the deadline? The most a plan can let you carry over is $680, and carryover is optional for the employer.
$3,400 minus $680 is $2,720. Whatever is left past that is forfeited under the “use it or lose it” rule.
So a worker can put in $3,400, spend nothing, and walk away with $680 at best.
Yes, it’s pre-tax. That still doesn’t bring back $2,720.
A savings account does not take your own money back because you missed a deadline.
I DON’T CARE IF YOU’RE STOCKING SHELVES, I DON’T CARE IF YOU’RE DRIVING A TRUCK, I DON’T CARE IF YOU’RE ANSWERING PHONES... IF YOU GIVE AN EMPLOYER YOUR FULL WEEK YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO STAY HOME SICK WITHOUT LOSING A PAYCHECK.
You’re a human being, not a machine that only gets repaired on your day off. Personally I don’t even know why this has to be a debate...it just shows how little thought people give to the person doing the work.
Something about prescription costs really bothers me.
According to KFF's March 2026 Health Tracking Poll, 27% of adults said they hadn't filled a prescription because of the cost in the past year.
Another 19% said they'd cut pills in half or skipped doses.
Overall, 43% reported at least one cost-related measure that meant they weren't taking medication as prescribed.
I understand that medicines cost money to develop and distribute.
But the entire point of getting a prescription is that someone needs the treatment.
A medicine that someone cannot afford is a treatment they may never actually receive.
An essential prescription drugs SHOULD have a strict out-of-pocket price cap.