Why Does He Know This?

     The post The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping first appeared on Worth it or Woke.

People often talk about the costs of having a family, which is fair, but on a per-person basis, living with other people is arguably much more cost-effective. The cost of things like rent and utilities are spread over multiple people, you can buy food in bulk without it going bad before you can use it, and more. Whether you're single or choose to live alone, it can be expensive. Finding ways to save money living alone can take some creative thinking, but there are easy ways to put some extra cash back in your wallet. So when someone posed the question on Reddit to fellow people who live alone: "What random cost-saving measures have you found that work well for those living alone?" single people and people living solo happily shared their money-saving hacksHere are 45 of the best ways to save money if you live alone: A full fridge uses less energy than a mostly empty one. Giphy Saving fridge energy"I'll start, to save money on energy I fill empty glass jars with water and store them in my fridge. It costs more to cool an empty fridge than a full one, and since I don't eat very much my fridge is often nearly empty. Not sure how much this has saved me, but now I have water if I ever were to need it!" Just_Throw_Away_67"It took a little bit of up front investment, but I dumped my gigantic and ancient energy-hungry fridge a long time ago for a brand new one that is much smaller and also has a variable speed compressor for extra efficiency. The energy savings from that move alone probably paid for the fridge several times over by now." BrewCityChaserV2 A/C is expensive. Giphy Managing heat and A/C"Blackout curtains because I live in the South, so it’s always hot. I also have privacy film that blocks some UV rays when I do want some light. Using a floor fan in my room (where I spend the majority of my time) with the door closed to keep it cooler. Close the air vents in my guest room since it’s primarily unused to cut down on AC costs. Cook large batches of food at one time so I’m not constantly using my stove/oven." eternally_feral"I keep my heating and cooling low. I can wear extra layers or less to get to a comfortable temp." Reasonable-Cold2161"If you own your house: Ceiling fans in every room that have a ceiling light fixture in the center. I also changed almost all lights to LED. When the furnace was red-tagged, I replaced it and the AC. It was a budget buster but there was a federal government rebate. My bills are less and it’s much more efficient and quieter." GRIThere Cooking for one can be tricky. Giphy Saving on cooking"It’s a pain to heat the whole oven for a little food. I recommend an air fryer over a toaster oven though. They’re a bit faster (and you can still make toast)." MissDisplaced"I buy the family-size packs of meat, divide and freeze. I also still cook big meals like when my kids were teenagers, and divide them into portions and freeze. It's simply too hard to cook for one person. I make a weekly menu of the dishes I want to cook and then place my order for the grocery delivery. It does save money and since I cook a lot of casseroles, big pots of soups and stews, etc., and freeze in portions. I use my air fryer to warm the frozen dishes instead of the oven. It has almost become my hobby to have a variety of different meals through out the week without having to cook every day. Life is good ?." No_Guava_90 Grocery shopping has to be strategic. Giphy Grocery shopping hacks"I read a tip to not bother doing a full 'grocery shop' trip if it doesn’t work for you/doesn’t make sense for you. Rather, if you find you’re throwing food away you couldn’t eat in time, try to do the method of going to the store of getting, say, just what you need for tonight and tomorrow’s meals, or whatever." citynomad1"Grocery delivery. I end up spending 50% less compared to shopping in the store." Everydaylookwithin"This is why I do curbside pickup. I order through the app, see what deals and coupons they have, stick to my list and don’t end up impulse buying. An added bonus is I can pick up on my way home from work and not spend time waiting in the checkout line." zoebadwolfAvoiding single-use items"I try to avoid one-time use items. For example: bottled water, wipes, Swiffer dusters and mop heads, paper towels, etc, add up rather quickly. I use reusable mop pads, reusable duster heads and i always have a stainless steel water bottle with me so i don't have to buy water when I'm out." Rich_Group_8997 Leftovers are key to cost effective single person cooking. Giphy All of the above plus more…"I have a countertop dishwasher that I intentionally use only during off-peak hours. Luckily, this rental has a new refrigerator, and I run my air purifier on its 2 hour timer during those off hours (cat hair lol). Oh- I bought a Tushy bidet on sale- it pays for itself in the first year!" sk8rcruz"I always bring my own lunch to work. I also cut up fresh veggies, put them in ziploc bags, freeze them, and then steam them later in the microwave. You can also just put a whole bag of spinach in the freezer and then steam it in the microwave. Clean with a plastic spray bottle of vinegar and dish soap. Sprinkle baking soda on carpets and rugs before vacuuming." Unhappy-Jaguar-9362"I have milk jugs with water in them in the fridge and freezer. I also buy in bulk. Usually the more you buy the cheaper per unit it is. I have a year supply of everything (joking) not quite but almost. I keep my air conditioner at a warmer temperature and use a fan to cool me all the way. I close blinds and curtains during the day. This cuts down on the heat in the room. Unfortunately it is dark in my apartment during the day , but this can make a difference of up to 10 degrees. This saves on cooling costs. Instead of buying single servings of food. I make a family size amount and put the leftovers in round dinner containers all ready to go for the next meal. These can also be frozen if you don't want the same thing a couple days in a row and put in the microwave for 6 or 7 minutes." Delightful_Helper"I turned up my AC and invested in a Dreo fan and another simple standing fan for my room and living room. It’s going to save me about 50 bucks this month I think. Also stocking up on beans and rice and frozen veggies and proteins. Keeps me from eating out of if I don’t want to cook. Also making more than I can realistically eat in 3 or 4 days and freezing the rest. Also utilizing holiday sales for big ticket items. I bought a mattress around Memorial Day and a washer this past week for Father’s Day sales at Lowe’s. The washer was actually $100 cheaper the day after I bought it so I went in and was refunded the difference." MindPerastalsis"I live in the southwest. It cracks me up to hear that people are fainting and falling ill in 100 degree heat. It's regularly hotter than hell here. I have two layers of reflectix in all my windows. And I have insulated curtains over that. Then I have two AC units. They are both window units but they are big enough individually to cool my tiny house. I sectioned off my house so that I only have to cool the room I am in. I built a solar water heater. I haven't eaten out in years. I repair everything if I can and have invested in lots of tools. I get up stupid early in the morning so I can sit outside in the coolest part of the day. I only shop for groceries once a month and I use the app so I don't impulse buy. I buy large cuts of meat, then I smoke it all and portion it up and freeze it. Makes daily cooking short and sweet I have leftovers from last night for lunch every day. I make my own coffee and bread I turn on my water heater, when it's cold outside, long enough to heat it up and then I shut it back off. I have it turned up a little bit more so it gets a little hotter, but I only run it for an hour or two every two days. I don't smoke cigarettes. I do vape but I go through like $20 worth of vape pods a month instead of pack after pack of expensive cigarettes. When I use the shopping apps I pay close attention to the cost per oz and get the cheapest I can. I own my vehicle outright. It's older but reliable. I don't have any debt other than my phone and power bill. I only subscribe to 3 streaming services because they are a bundle deal. I don't have cable and my Internet is the cheapest deal I can find. Results are still coming in but I estimate I have cut my power bill alone in half and that's the single most expensive thing I pay." AuntBarbaThis article originally appeared in June.

Sitting down to an incredible spread of food on Thanksgiving is arguably one of the best things about the holidays. But with grocery prices peaking, serving Thanksgiving can get expensive—which is why budget-friendly recipes are always great to explore.Budget-conscious home chefs and bakers shared their favorite affordable and frugal Thanksgiving recipes on Reddit to help others save money on their Thanksgiving feast.From appetizers to side dishes to dessert, these are 16 budget-friendly Thanksgiving recipes to try this year. - YouTube www.youtube.com AppetizersCaramelized Onion Bacon Dip Deviled Eggs"I've made almost every one of these variations in the serious eats post, but my favorite is to take caramelized onion bacon dip from scratch, mustard, and the egg yolks to make deviled eggs." - HunterHunted9Thanksgiving Day Grazing Board"Thanksgiving Day Grazing Board!! Enjoy." - sillyrabbit552Sweet Potato Stuffed Mushrooms"Sweet potato stuffed mushrooms. Peel, cube, and boil, and mash some orange sweet potatoes. Mix in some Greek yogurt (4:1ish potato to gurt ratio), drop of lemon juice, salt, pepper, and some chopped green onions. Peel and destem some mushrooms. Put a heaping tablespoon of sweet potato mash onto each cap. Bake for around 30 mins at 350. You can prep them a day or two in advance and. Bake them the day of. Adding sage, walnuts, brown sugar is nice. Or you can add curry spices and lime zest. I think next time I’m going to pop some bacon on top." - Manxome__FoeCranberry Cocktail Meatballs"I recently had recommended to me cocktail meatballs. Frozen meatballs, cranberry sauce, and chili sauce in a slow cooker for a few hours. Some recipes call for other additions like brown sugar and spices." - @the_recession_chef Thanksgiving Shopping List: Stuffing! A cheap, easy and DELICIOUS recipe to ease the strain on your wallet and your anxiety! #thanksgiving #stuffing #recipes #easyrecipes #fyp Side DishesFall Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad"This Brussels sprouts salad is easy and good (can swap out anything, really and use your own dressing and can make ahead) - I skip the pears and go for a cheaper cheese." - User UnknownVegetarian Pumpkin Dumplings"If you have the other stuff, here's a good idea for canned pumpkin." - Crispy Potatoes"Crispify your potatoes. I made these last year. They were so good and cheap and easy to make as the ingredients are common kitchen staples." - Chemical_ActuatorRoasted Yams"Roast Yams, literally just slice and roast yams in butter or olive oil n the oven until soft." -Corn Pudding"Corn pudding. I can't find the exact one but this sounds similar." - Zenosparadox1Parmesan Crusted Carrots"I make parmesan crusted carrots and everyone loves them." - wholesomefiddlebluesRoasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes"Roasted garlic mashed potatoes! I use the recipe below but instead of mixing it with the mashed potatoes, I just add them finely chopped at the end."- jessisgonzSpoonbread Casserole"I like Spoonbread:1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)1 8-3/4 oz. can of corn, drained1 8-1/4 oz can of creamed corn1 cup sour cream2 eggsServes 6–8.Costs more, but it’s super fancy (like soufflé), yet still comfort food. My store always has dented cans of corn for cheap. And Jiffy’s less than a dollar. Leftovers are delicious with maple syrup + hot sauce." - editorgrrlClassic Mac and Cheese"This is my favorite Mac n cheese recipe, but I typically simplify it. I don’t bother with the crumbs on top and baking (brings down butter to 1 stick and no panko). I recently made a huge batch for church. I spent $6 on cheese (8 oz Gouda for meltability and 16 oz extra sharp cheddar for flavor - 3 store brand blocks of cheese I shredded), and 1 1/2 boxes of small shells (at $1 a box) because I think there’s a lot of cheese for the amount of pasta. Then factor $1 for the butter stick, and whatever the milk costs in your area. So you’re probably looking at a bit under $10 just for the mac n cheese, which is a good chunk of your budget, but it’s so rich and delicious, and you’ll have leftovers. Note that when you first combine the cheese sauce and pasta, it’s nice and creamy. When homemade Mac n cheese sits around or you’re dealing with leftovers, it turns to kind of a drier, paste-like consistency - I think from the pasta absorbing more of the milk. So reheat with some milk or even a bit of hot water to get it creamy again." - unlimited_insanityYorkshire Pudding"For an interesting twist, Yorkshire puddings are really easy and minimal ingredients (and not actual pudding)." - Heuristicrat @jennthornton18 $5 & $10 Thanksgiving Sides ?✨Budget Bites: Thanksgiving Edition- Episode 1 Cheap, Easy & SO good for the holidays! #budgetthanksgiving#budgetmeals#thanksgivingrecipe#sahm#feedingafamily#CapCut DessertPeach Dump Cake"1 (around 29 oz) can of peaches, 1 generic cake mix (we use yellow), 1/2 stick of butter sliced thinly, sprinkle of cinnamon if you have it. Dump undrained peaches in square cake pan then sprinkle the cake mix over it then dot the butter over the top. Bake at 350F until bubbly all over. Serve warm or cool. For 18 double it in about a 9" x13" pan. Take ice cream or Cool Whip to top. - hawg_farmerPumpkin Crunch Cake"Pumpkin crunch cake. This stuff is SO good! And gotta have some of that pumpkin for Thanksgiving!" - alcristoJam Crescent Rolls"Crescent rolls with your preferred flavor of jam. Just put some jam on the inside of the roll before you roll them up to bake them. Also works great with chocolate sauce." - gwig9

Friend groups naturally evolve as people hit different milestones. Some get married or have kids. Others lean into careers, travel, or independence. And while these shifts can strengthen a bond, they can also create unexpected distance. Especially when one topic begins to dominate the conversation. That conversation, of course, being children. According to Pew Research Center, nearly 44% of Americans ages 18–49 say they don’t expect to ever have children, either by choice or circumstance. At the same time, a 2023 Survey Center on American Life study found that American adults report having fewer close friends than they did just a decade ago, a trend some researchers call a “friendship recession.” Part of that strain comes from diverging life paths—marriage, parenthood, career changes—that can make people feel like they no longer share common ground.This is the dynamic one Redditor recently bumped up against. - YouTube www.youtube.com A Redditor who goes by Remarkable_Lake410, who we’ll call RL for brevity’s sake, went on a girl's trip with her friends (most of whom were married and a few who are mothers) when the conversation veered towards married mom life. Instead of feigning interest, RL decided to be honest with them about why she didn’t want to join them on a trip.“I (27F) have a group of female friends (8 of us). We have been friends for over a decade, since school. Now, we don’t live in the same place, but we meet up a couple of times a year for a weekend on an Airbnb. This used to be a weekend of good food, drinks, hot tub, etc.” she wrote on the AITH forum.“Around five of my friends are either married or in very long-term relationships. Of these five, two either have a baby or are pregnant. I will be seeing all of my friends this year for various weddings, friend and baby events. I have been invited to this year's girls' trip, but I have said I can’t come. I didn’t originally provide a reason,” she continued. But a friend pushed her to find out why she didn’t want to go on the trip, and she was honest: She didn’t want to be stuck constantly hearing about babies, marriage, and weddings on a trip that was going to cost a significant amount of money.“[Last time], I listened to one of my friends talk about her breastfeeding plans, with vengeance, for over an hour. She is not pregnant or trying. Truthfully, it’s boring, and it feels dismissive,” RL wrote. It’s also a really expensive way to feel bad about myself.”When her friend heard her reason, she was “really hurt,” and it felt like RL didn’t care about her and her other friends. So, RL asked the Reddit forum if she was in the wrong for being honest and skipping a trip that would be all about marriage and babies.The internet overwhelmingly took RL’s sideRL’s post received more than 4,000 responses, the vast majority supporting her decision. And, more importantly, her honesty. She was not in the wrong, it seems. media0.giphy.com "On the surface, this seems like it’s just about engagements, weddings and babies. You go out of your way to be constantly supportive of them. However they don’t reciprocate that for you. They can’t relate to anything or want to relate to anything outside of their lives. It would sort of be like if you just won an award, but all they talked about was the pie they just ate that morning," Dependant_praline_93 wrote in the most popular comment."We all change as we get older. You naturally drift apart from some friends, especially if their lifestyle changes dramatically (think married with children, in particular). I wouldn't want to spend a lot of money to spend 3 days with a group that had such dis-similar interests. And I don't think it was wrong to be truthful when your friend asked you why you wouldn't go," Smokin_HOT_Ice added. One commenter with kids has a close friend who is child-free and she has made an effort to ask her about her life and interests outside of just talking about parenting.“I was 38 when I had my first child and I read an article in Working Mother magazine when I was pregnant, and it said not to be the jerk who always talks about your pregnancy and your baby to your friends, especially the ones without babies,” JellyBear135 wrote. “When I see her, I always ask about her work, her activities outside of work and recently, her new baby dog. She lives alone and doesn’t have a lot of people who always ask about her life so I make sure I always do. I check in via text every couple of weeks to ask her about her life.”After receiving a huge response from her post, RL wrote an update revealing that another friend who’s in the same boat decided not to go on the trip as well. “I have spoken to one of my other friends invited on the trip (who is also not at the baby stage of life); she is also not going on the trip and said she is not attending for the same reason,” RL wrote. Cheers to that. media1.giphy.com It seems the big takeaway from RL’s dilemma isn’t just that stage-of-life changes such as marriage and having babies can create chasms in friendships. But we need to make sure that we’re not just talking about ourselves to our friends but listening to them as well. Because a one-way friendship isn’t a friendship at all.How to stay close when you’re in different life stages Life transitions don’t have to break friendships. Here are a few simple, research-backed habits that help mixed-stage friend groups stay connected:Ask about each other’s worlds Make space for conversations that aren’t only about babies, weddings, careers, or dating. Curiosity is connection. Use gentle conversation boundaries Try a playful rule like: “No baby talk for one hour!” Or rotate topics intentionally so no one dominates. Plan stage-neutral activities Cooking classes, comedy shows, hikes, art workshops—things everyone can enjoy without life-stage baggage. Mix group time with intentional 1-on-1 time People reveal more (and listen better) outside big groups. A coffee date or walk can rebalance the dynamic. Friendships don’t have to split along life-stage lines. But they do require mutual listening and the willingness to see each other fully—regardless of who’s having a baby or who isn’t.This article originally appeared last year.

Most people believe that both parents have an equal right to choose their baby’s name and that this decision should be reached through agreement between both parties. That doesn't mean it’s always easy for both people to agree on the same name, but look, if you’re going to be a successful parent, you must know how to make compromises occasionally. Starting the job with your heels dug in does not bode well for anyone.That’s why the following story is interesting. It shows what happens when a mother decides she can make the decision on her own and what the fallout is when her husband and his family find out. The story was recently shared on social media, and the commenters were shocked that she wasn’t sure if she was in the wrong. What's amazing is that the mother posted her story on social media without really believing she was in the wrong. "So, my (32F) husband (33M) and I just had our first baby girl a couple of weeks ago,” she begins the story. “We’d been going back and forth on names during my entire pregnancy. I really wanted to name her Eleanor after my late grandmother, who basically raised me when my parents weren’t around. She was my hero, and losing her last year was devastating. Honoring her felt deeply important.”Here's what happened A husband and wife disagree over the naming of their newborn babyImage via Canva The woman’s husband preferred modern names such as Nova or Ember, which the mother just “couldn’t connect with,” so they never compromised. “On the day our daughter was born, while my husband stepped out to grab coffee, a nurse asked if we had a name for the birth certificate. I know I should have waited, but I was emotional and felt this rush of conviction. I just blurted out, ‘Eleanor.’”When the husband returned with the coffee, he was “furious.”“He said I’d blindsided him, robbed him of having a say, and that our daughter would hate her 'old lady' name. His family is also calling me manipulative. I feel terrible about the timing and how it all went down, but it’s not like we hadn’t discussed Eleanor before. I just feel like I honored a name that truly mattered to me when he wouldn’t budge.”The mother asked the commenters if the father was overreacting because “we couldn’t find common ground.”Was the mother in the wrong?The commenters overwhelmingly supported the father in the situation:“You made a unilateral decision about your shared child,” the top commenter wrote. “You literally started her life by using her as a centerpiece for conflict with your husband. You also isolated her from your husband during the first major decision regarding her. What a terrible way to start her life.”“‘…it’s not like we hadn’t discussed Eleanor before.’ You discussed it and he said no. Personally, I think the name Eleanor is lovely, but that’s not the issue,” another commenter noted. “You unilaterally made a decision —a decision you knew your husband disagreed with—about your—both of your—child. Your giving birth doesn’t make this child any less his. Your husband and his family are absolutely right. You blindsided him."However, a few commenters believed whoever birthed the child had the right to pick the name, even if the father disagreed:“This might be the only daughter you have and if he can’t make it meaningful for you when you just risked your life for this baby and let you have the win then idk,” one of the few supporters of the mother wrote. ”I would let him pick the middle name. Trendy names are overrated.” A pregnant woman and a man point fingers at each otherImage via CanvaIt's strange that the woman posted without a hint that she was in the wrong for naming the baby while her husband was absent. That's the kind of behavior that's a real red flag, because she probably lost a lot of her husband's trust. If you can be sneaky about naming the baby, what else could you be hiding?The woman who posted her story has yet to follow up and share what happened next, but let’s hope she took the commenters’ advice and apologized to her husband and changed the baby's name. Most agree that it's not fair for him to call his daughter a name he doesn’t like for the rest of their lives, and it will always be a sore spot in their relationship. It’s best to bring a child into a family where everyone is on the same page and agrees on the things that matter most.This article originally appeared last year.

"Incredible guy." The post The one singer Rick Rubin thinks the world is “lucky to have had time with” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.