Disclosure: State of Alabama-based writer. This article is a work from cited sources for informational purposes and is used with permission. No affiliate links are included. During a March 20, 2025, appearance on the All-On Podcast, President Trump's Department of Commerce appointee Howard Lutnick said he believes fraud is possibly happening within the Social Security Administration's disability program.

A cruise vacation didn't go exactly as planned for Jason and Tammy Merritt when their luggage never showed up at their cabin on Carnival Magic. According to news reports, the incident resulted in a lifetime ban for another passenger and a complex legal situation.

Listen up, fellow Americans! I've learned the hard way that hospital billing is a minefield. My personal experiences have taught me one crucial lesson: NEVER pay a hospital bill without thorough scrutiny. I once received a mysterious bill during college that turned out to be for someone with my same name who had no insurance. Last year, they overcharged me $100 and even sent it to a collection agency after I spent hours on the phone challenging it.

Cruise lines aren't playing around with their banned items list. We're not talking about a forgotten Swiss Army knife here. Trying to smuggle something you shouldn't? That's a recipe for serious trouble, potentially including legal headaches in foreign ports.

Regional offices assisting U.S. citizens with Social Security benefits are being closed by the Trump administration. The Department of Government Efficiency has terminated leases for five of Georgia’s 34 Social Security offices.

I treated myself to a gel manicure at that new salon downtown (you know the one with the pink storefront) and I'm beyond frustrated with the results. The technician rushed through the entire service, filed my nails way too thin, and used excessive force removing my cuticles which left them bleeding!

Bamboo seems like a zen, low-maintenance garden staple—until it takes over your yard, your neighbor’s yard. Most bamboo spreads via runners (rhizomes) that can grow 20+ feet underground per year. Even “clumping” varieties aren’t fully safe. Your cute bamboo patch today = a bamboo forest tomorrow.

Listen, sellers who overpaid in 2020-2022 and now think we’ll subsidize your mistake? Not happening. I saw your house listed at 400k in 2022–congratulations, you got conned by a well− meaning realtor. Now you’re asking 500k for the same avocado-green walls and outdated HVAC? That’s not a "principle" issue – that’s math.

When I bought my first house, I thought I was finally free—my own space, my own rules. Then I met the HOA. At first, it seemed harmless. A small monthly fee, some basic upkeep rules. No big deal, right? Wrong.

Folks, check out this epic fail from my landlord: Rent shot up by $275 in January, and their “repairs” are straight-up crayon-level disasters. Instead of fixing the rotting wooden columns, they just hammered tons of nails into the base like they’re building a Pinterest project. Then, to cover up the white paint nightmare on our lawn, they rinsed paint buckets directly on the grass and… ​

I've been crunching the numbers, and honestly, unless it’s a single-family home, I don’t see how buying makes financial sense in the Bay Area. Condos and townhomes come with insane HOA fees—some as high as $2,000 a month. That alone is more than a mortgage in most places. Add skyrocketing insurance costs, rising property taxes, and 7%+ interest rates, and you’re paying a fortune before even touching the principal.

A friend of mine just helped his mother secure a Section 8 apartment in a great neighborhood. The place is beautiful, but the upfront costs? Absolutely insane. The landlord required $15k upfront, including a broker fee, just to allow her to rent under Section 8.

For many, headaches are an all-too-familiar part of daily life. Whether it’s the dull throb of tension or the sharp pulse of a migraine, reaching for medication can feel like the only option. But what if relief could come from your plate instead of a pill bottle?

I learned the hard way that my aggressive horizontal brushing was destroying my gums. My dentist showed me how this technique causes recession, sensitivity, and potential long-term damage. The correct method? Gentle, 45-degree angle strokes toward the gumline, using soft circular motions.

Buying a condo and dealing with renovations was exhausting enough, and now this… I've been so unlucky lately. I bought my place in December and registered with the HOA, only to find out they raised the fees starting February. I contacted the HOA and found out they notified the seller about the hike a few days after I signed the contract. But here's the kicker: none of this was disclosed in any of the documents I received. I’m starting to feel like the seller intentionally hid this from me. Does anyone know if the seller is legally required to give me all the disclosures before I signed? Feels like I just got blindsided, and I have no idea what to do next.😮‍💨

Hey everyone, let’s talk about this: If someone is riding your bumper, do you speed up or play it cool? Here’s my recent experience. I merged onto a winding road heading home (no-passing zones, obviously), and the car behind me was basically glued to my rearview. I gradually increased my speed from 55 to 65 mph over the first 5 miles, but they stayed dangerously close. When we hit the long, straight stretch? I pressed the gas pedal to the floor. Lost ’em temporarily, but then they started gaining speed again—only to pull into my neighbor’s driveway like nothing happened.

U.S Senator Rand Paul this week introduced the Nutritious SNAP Act of 2025 to restore personal responsibility and state flexibility to the federal food assistance program. The purpose of the bill is to confront an uncomfortable truth: while the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was created to fight hunger, it is now fueling a new public health crisis — obesity and chronic disease — by subsidizing the purchase of junk food with taxpayer dollars.

Today, a cashier made me feel small for using my EBT card while carrying a Coach wallet. What they don't understand is that I bought this wallet on deep clearance for $30 five years ago. I've carefully maintained it, cleaning and conditioning the leather to make it last.

Living paycheck to paycheck just to give my son a safe home… this isn’t right. Sitting here staring at my rent payment, and I just need to let this out. $1,400 - that’s 65% of what I make each month, gone in one payment. And this was the “affordable” option.

This is NOT a hypothetical question. I’ve paid into Medicare and Social Security for over a decade—no gaps, no excuses. If lawmakers slash these programs, where does MY MONEY go? The system isn’t a piggy bank for Wall Street. ​My contributions were supposed to secure my future—not fund stock market bonuses.

As a 45+ vegetarian since my 20s, I’ve prided myself on clean eating—until my recent bloodwork showed high cholesterol. How?! I mostly eat whole foods like lentils and quinoa, though I’ll admit to weekly indulgences in processed meat substitutes (Beyond Meat, Daiya cheese). My doctor warned that coconut oil in vegan snacks and sugary sauces might sneak in saturated fats.

As a personal assistant to a tech billionaire for the past year, I've witnessed things I never imagined. Like when my boss had a $2,000 bottle of wine delivered by helicopter because he "didn't feel like waiting."

So apparently my planter has been moonlighting as the neighborhood cat lavatory. Cool cool cool. Anyone else in the "unwitting cat bathroom provider" club? Let's swap tactics:. I've tried coffee grounds and citrus peels with mixed results. My neighbor swears by those motion-activated sprinklers (bonus: the videos are hilarious).

This Craigslist ‘Landlord’ Wasn’t Human—Here’s How I Didn’t Get Scammed (And You Can Too)" So here’s the deal: Last month, I found this “perfect” $1,200 studio on Craigslist in Brooklyn. The photos looked legit—cozy, sunny, even had a little plant on the windowsill. The “landlord,” Mike, said he was a handyman who’d just moved out. Cool, right? Until…

They’re not being elitist—they’re streamlining care for medical families!. When a patient’s family member is a nurse or doc, we add notes like "Daughter RN" to switch to medical speak. This saves hours during consultations!

I have written before about the residents who bang on the walls at Fusion Studios, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless property where I live. It often goes on day and night.

Starting April 1, 2025, new California laws will significantly enhance protections for renters statewide. All of them aimed at increasing fairness and transparency in landlord-tenant interactions.

A $300 tuition fee popped up a month ago, but she delayed paying it, opting to spend on non-essentials. Now, she urgently needs me to cover it to enroll in summer classes. I suggested a subsidized loan (interest-free, quick disbursement), but she insists I pay today.

As I entered my late 40s, I noticed more fine lines and midday fatigue. Determined to age gracefully, I researched anti-aging foods and revamped my diet. Now, I swear by these 7 staples: cruciferous veggies (hello, broccoli detox!), blueberries (antioxidant powerhouses), avocado (healthy fats for glowing skin), olive oil (heart-protective magic), salmon (Omega-3s to fight inflammation), nuts/seeds (vitamin E for cell repair), and raw honey (antibacterial and healing). After six months, my skin feels firmer, my energy lasts longer, and even my doctor noted lower inflammation markers! A friend recently asked if I’d “had work done” – nope, just smarter groceries.

A few years ago, my dad, 68, started sleeping 12+ hours daily. We joked about him “catching up on rest,” but his forgetfulness worsened. His doctor mentioned studies linking excessive sleep in older adults to higher dementia risks. While not a direct cause, it’s a potential red flag for brain changes.