|
Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Sept 24, 2014 11:27:12 GMT -5
I realized that getting pregnant was a phenomenally bad idea. I went to PP and made sure tht that was not going to happen. Secondly, I learned everything that was thrown in my direction. Any class that was available, if it had the least amount of info to my job, I took....on my own time and dime.
Yup. And I know everyone jumps all over this statement because "accidents happen" but they truly, honestly don't if you're determined enough to avoid them. No one likes it but there is a 100% foolproof way to prevent pregnancy which can be used at any time by any person, causes zero side effects and costs $0. It's not anyone's preferred method but it does exist. Exactly. PP had been run out of town where I went to college and, lacking access to any BC, I abstained.
|
|
Lizard Queen
Senior Associate
103/2024
Joined: Jan 17, 2011 22:19:13 GMT -5
Posts: 14,659
|
Post by Lizard Queen on Sept 24, 2014 11:39:41 GMT -5
I think the minimum wage could stand to be raised a few bucks. It has fallen way behind the inflation curve. Just like raising taxes, the increase does fall onto owners to some extent and doesn't all get transferred into higher prices. At least, that's what I learned in Econ class.
|
|
CarolinaKat
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 21, 2010 16:10:37 GMT -5
Posts: 6,364
|
Post by CarolinaKat on Sept 24, 2014 11:41:28 GMT -5
I realized that getting pregnant was a phenomenally bad idea. I went to PP and made sure tht that was not going to happen. Secondly, I learned everything that was thrown in my direction. Any class that was available, if it had the least amount of info to my job, I took....on my own time and dime.
Yup. And I know everyone jumps all over this statement because "accidents happen" but they truly, honestly don't if you're determined enough to avoid them. No one likes it but there is a 100% foolproof way to prevent pregnancy which can be used at any time by any person, causes zero side effects and costs $0. It's not anyone's preferred method but it does exist. I remember being scared to death of getting pregnant in HS or college or really until I had graduated and had a 'real job.' I was convinced my life would go to shit and I would never recover from it. My parent's never told me these things, but I was firmly convinced of them all the same. Then I look at my SIL. She got pregnant at 18. I don't understand people who don't have that inborn fear of getting pregnant before they are ready.
|
|
movingforward
Junior Associate
Joined: Sept 15, 2011 12:48:31 GMT -5
Posts: 8,385
|
Post by movingforward on Sept 24, 2014 11:55:07 GMT -5
I realized that getting pregnant was a phenomenally bad idea. I went to PP and made sure tht that was not going to happen. Secondly, I learned everything that was thrown in my direction. Any class that was available, if it had the least amount of info to my job, I took....on my own time and dime.
Yup. And I know everyone jumps all over this statement because "accidents happen" but they truly, honestly don't if you're determined enough to avoid them. No one likes it but there is a 100% foolproof way to prevent pregnancy which can be used at any time by any person, causes zero side effects and costs $0. It's not anyone's preferred method but it does exist. I remember being scared to death of getting pregnant in HS or college or really until I had graduated and had a 'real job.' I was convinced my life would go to shit and I would never recover from it. My parent's never told me these things, but I was firmly convinced of them all the same. Then I look at my SIL. She got pregnant at 18. I don't understand people who don't have that inborn fear of getting pregnant before they are ready. I didn't have sex until I was 18 because I was so scared of getting pregnant in HS. In college I was so afraid of getting pregnant that my boyfriend and I used two methods of BC. Finally after 8 months of him wearing a condom (and him taking a blood test - LOL) he convinced me that using only BC pills would be good enough. I made certain I took that pill at the exact same time each day. This was back in the dark ages (before I had a cell phone) so I bought a small pocket watch with an alarm on it.
|
|
Lizard Queen
Senior Associate
103/2024
Joined: Jan 17, 2011 22:19:13 GMT -5
Posts: 14,659
|
Post by Lizard Queen on Sept 24, 2014 12:00:13 GMT -5
Shoot--I was scared of being pregnant even after I was ready. Lots of weird shit happens to your body, then labor, then dealing with a newborn...
|
|
Firebird
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 29, 2010 12:55:06 GMT -5
Posts: 12,452
|
Post by Firebird on Sept 24, 2014 12:06:59 GMT -5
Then I look at my SIL. She got pregnant at 18. I don't understand people who don't have that inborn fear of getting pregnant before they are ready.
Word! I've always been paranoid about getting pregnant when I didn't want a baby. It led to me abstaining much longer and much more frequently than other people I know. Even though I've always been religious about birth control (I used to feel sick to my stomach if I missed my pill by more than an hour), if I was sufficiently scared to get pregnant at that time, I didn't even rely on that. I just abstained. I've lightened up slightly in recent years, but in my teens and early twenties I was what some might call neurotic about birth control However, I've never had an unplanned pregnancy. So I'm cool with that.
|
|
Firebird
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 29, 2010 12:55:06 GMT -5
Posts: 12,452
|
Post by Firebird on Sept 24, 2014 12:09:53 GMT -5
I'm STILL pretty scared to have a whoops baby. Pregnancy is horrifying enough when you're planning for it I'm tempted to get a tubal, but DH and I aren't 100% sure we're done having kids yet so I'll just have to risk it until then.
|
|
Phoenix84
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 17, 2011 21:42:35 GMT -5
Posts: 10,056
|
Post by Phoenix84 on Sept 24, 2014 12:16:39 GMT -5
I agree, in many articles I see people arguing they don't have enough to support their kids. But not every job should pay enough to support an entire family. The ability to support a family is a luxery.
I think in most areas you could live off of minimum wage if you're single with no kids. It would be difficult, but as Justme said, all you need to live at the end of the day is some food every day and a place to sleep.
|
|
|
Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Sept 24, 2014 12:22:20 GMT -5
Then I look at my SIL. She got pregnant at 18. I don't understand people who don't have that inborn fear of getting pregnant before they are ready.
Word! I've always been paranoid about getting pregnant when I didn't want a baby. It led to me abstaining much longer and much more frequently than other people I know. Even though I've always been religious about birth control (I used to feel sick to my stomach if I missed my pill by more than an hour), if I was sufficiently scared to get pregnant at that time, I didn't even rely on that. I just abstained. I've lightened up slightly in recent years, but in my teens and early twenties I was what some might call neurotic about birth control However, I've never had an unplanned pregnancy. So I'm cool with that. Tell me about it! I abstained until I graduated from college because I was terrified I was going to get pregnant and get trapped. Living the life of a young airman dependent (I had spent my life as a dependent daughter) scared the ever loving crap out of me. In my time where I was budgeted within a gnat's ass, my BCP ranked higher than food on my budget list. When you are bringing home $143/week and paying $275 for rent, another $25 for electric and $10 for a landline, that left me less than $300 for the rest of the month. My transport pass was about $30/mo, BCPs at $20/mo and spent between $20-30/week for food. That doesn't leave much for the other things....like laundry, toiletries, etc.
|
|
Firebird
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 29, 2010 12:55:06 GMT -5
Posts: 12,452
|
Post by Firebird on Sept 24, 2014 12:30:52 GMT -5
In my time where I was budgeted within a gnat's ass, my BCP ranked higher than food on my budget list.
It's so refreshing to hear I'm not the only one who was super serious about not getting pregnant before I was ready. More than one guy and a surprising number of girls over the years have called me neurotic/crazy/etc.
|
|
|
Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Sept 24, 2014 12:40:25 GMT -5
In my time where I was budgeted within a gnat's ass, my BCP ranked higher than food on my budget list.
It's so refreshing to hear I'm not the only one who was super serious about not getting pregnant before I was ready. More than one guy and a surprising number of girls over the years have called me neurotic/crazy/etc. Oh, I was called MUCH, much worse before I got the hell out of dodge. It wasn't a good week if I wasn't called a CT at least once. I was up front about abstaining, just no one believed me.
|
|
CarolinaKat
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 21, 2010 16:10:37 GMT -5
Posts: 6,364
|
Post by CarolinaKat on Sept 24, 2014 14:01:12 GMT -5
In my time where I was budgeted within a gnat's ass, my BCP ranked higher than food on my budget list.
It's so refreshing to hear I'm not the only one who was super serious about not getting pregnant before I was ready. More than one guy and a surprising number of girls over the years have called me neurotic/crazy/etc. What's crazy is I had no examples in my life of what happens when you aren't careful. No one beat this into me. I had no idea what it was like to be a single parent. My family are all those super boring people who go to school, then college, then get married, then have babies, who then go to school, then college, then get married..... ETA: I remember getting my first 'real' job and feeling like the pressure was less. That my life wouldn't go off the rails completely if something happened. But now i'm VERY PARANOID all over again because i'm taking so many things that would hurt a baby i cannot get pregnant now!!! I thought I was done with this.
|
|
Angel!
Senior Associate
Politics Admin
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 11:44:08 GMT -5
Posts: 10,722
|
Post by Angel! on Sept 24, 2014 14:01:53 GMT -5
I realized that getting pregnant was a phenomenally bad idea. I went to PP and made sure tht that was not going to happen. Secondly, I learned everything that was thrown in my direction. Any class that was available, if it had the least amount of info to my job, I took....on my own time and dime.
Yup. And I know everyone jumps all over this statement because "accidents happen" but they truly, honestly don't if you're determined enough to avoid them. No one likes it but there is a 100% foolproof way to prevent pregnancy which can be used at any time by any person, causes zero side effects and costs $0. It's not anyone's preferred method but it does exist. I remember being scared to death of getting pregnant in HS or college or really until I had graduated and had a 'real job.' I was convinced my life would go to shit and I would never recover from it. My parent's never told me these things, but I was firmly convinced of them all the same. Then I look at my SIL. She got pregnant at 18. I don't understand people who don't have that inborn fear of getting pregnant before they are ready. At one point in college I thought I was pregnant. I wasn't, it turned out some medication I was on totally screwed with my hormones & made me late & feel like shit. But, for those brief few days when I thought I might be I knew I wasn't having the kid. I was not becoming a mom before finishing college and having a job.
|
|
Phoenix84
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 17, 2011 21:42:35 GMT -5
Posts: 10,056
|
Post by Phoenix84 on Sept 24, 2014 15:07:49 GMT -5
Yeah, I can see that, but that is still a self imposed problem. Just a little discipline would ensure that doesn't happen.
Yes and no. I am SO glad that I can pay all my bills online now and send out electronic checks which clear the instant I hit "Pay Bill." No float at all - I haven't used paper checks for anything in at least a year, probably closer to two. Life is so much easier now. I freely admit that I was HORRIBLE about knowing my balance before this wonderful phenomenon. I hated writing down every single purchase in a checkbook and it was really frustrating when I would have plenty of money in the account to pay all my bills but then constantly wonder (after I'd paid them) exactly how much I had left in my account and whether this check or that one had cleared yet. And I've always made plenty of money to cover my bills plus compensate for my screwups. I generally had enough cushion that even if I had an "oh shit" moment I still had at least a couple hundred bucks in my account. I can't imagine how tough it would have been to keep track of the money coming and going from a checking account back in the days of paper checks if I was barely making ends meet. Yeah, we can say it's all about discipline but in reality that's too simplistic. We all have our strengths and weaknesses - some people are not good with money. I realize that's YM heresy but it's true. Overdrawing on my account has never been an issue. I don't keep a check book either, but I have so much money in my checking account that unless I write a check for more than $10,000 I know it will clear without any problems. But I recognize that most are not in that situation. If I had to, I would keep a checkbook.
|
|