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The best places to live in Illinois criss-cross the state. You can always head to the dense urban centers or live close by in the suburbs. But, that’s the great thing about Illinois — that you have options. With a reasonably low cost of living, outside of the Windy City, Illinois offers up a variety of cities, each with their own special characteristics and charm.

To find the right spot for your budget, breaking down the cost of living in Illinois helps a lot. Looking at average pricing in key areas can make it easier to narrow down your options, and get you moved into this great state even faster.

So, what are these key categories you ask?

Illinois housing prices

Housing prices in Illinois are all over the map. Some cities crash through the ceiling of the national average, making them expensive places to live. Others are so far below, you won’t believe it. With plenty of options, though, finding that perfect home is easy, whether you’re looking to rent or buy.

Champaign

A small enough city to provide both urban vibes and quieter rural ones, Champaign is known for its art scene, food and parks. The city also draws in a lot of college students thanks to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which bridges the gap between Champaign and its neighbor, Urbana. Living here is very budget-friendly, as well as fun. Housing prices are 31 percent below the national average.

Rental prices in Champaign are still within reach for most, even with rising prices. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $874, down 3 percent from last year. A typical two-bedroom rents out for $1,042 per month, up 11 percent over last year.

Housing prices rose 18.5 percent over last year, with the median home price in Champaign at $205,000.

Chicago

There’s so much to say about Chicago, that it’s hard to know where to start. The city offers up so much to do, all of which come at a pretty high price. Home prices here are 52.9 percent above the national average. Like other big cities, Chicago has it all, and a lot of it. There are more restaurants and museums, bigger shopping and a brighter nightlife. Chicago also has a lot of parks and a sizable area of lakefront for hanging out outdoors. It’s a typical city, with great neighborhoods, but living in the thick of things will cost you.

When it comes to apartments, rents aren’t rising by too much, but that doesn’t mean prices are low. A one-bedroom apartment, up 11 percent over last year, has an average rent of $1,947. A two-bedroom apartment, up only 12 percent over last year, has an average rent of $2,597. That’s the most expensive yet by far.

Up only slightly in price, the median home price in Chicago is $370,000, a 4.5 percent increase over last year.

Danville

While still very much a small town in its essence, Danville is a perfect spot for outdoor lovers. Located on Lake Vermilion, there’s no shortage of water-based activities, hiking, fishing and more. A strong sense of community makes local festivals all the more fun. The biggest perk is the cost of living. Home prices especially make Danville more accessible to any budget as numbers are 44 percent below the national average.

The average rent in Danville is $788 per month, and home prices average out to around $250,000. This makes for a large selection of reasonably-priced real estate for any newcomer.

Peoria

A laid-back town with a few entrenched industries offering plenty of employment opportunities, Peoria provides a perfect lifestyle. Sidling up to the Illinois River, there’s great hiking and water-based activities. The bars, restaurants and casinos make for delicious times and a fun nightlife. Living here is also very affordable, at 29.1 percent below the national average.

Apartment costs are on the rise, and rents are up significantly over last year. One-bedroom apartments saw a 28 percent increase, for an average monthly rent of $1,008. Two-bedroom apartments saw a 24 percent increase, for an average monthly rent of $1,272.

Although rents are going up, home prices are going down. The median sale price in Peoria is $139,900, down 7.6 percent over last year.

Springfield

Getting closer to the national average, home prices in Springfield are only 10.4 percent below it. This still leaves a lot of wiggle room for affordable housing in the state capital. Springfield holds a lot of history and feels more suburban than anything else. However, its assortments of bars and restaurants help keep the city attractive to younger professionals.

Rental prices in Springfield are moving at the same pace but in opposite directions. One-bedroom rents went down by 15 percent over last year, while two-bedroom rents increased by 15 percent. An average one-bed apartment is currently $750 a month, while two-bedrooms are an affordable $1,100 per month.

Homes in Springfield are working a little differently in the market. Their prices are up by 6.4 percent over last year, so interest in owning property here is definitely growing. The median home price in Springfield is $154,250, still quite affordable for many.

Illinois food prices

From Chicago-style pizza to hot dogs done right, Illinois knows food. Locals spend between $200 and $233 per month on groceries. This most likely leaves room for a night or two each week out since food prices all hit pretty close to the national average.

  • Danville is 4.7 percent below the national average
  • Champaign is 4.6 percent below the national average
  • Springfield is 1.3 percent below the national average
  • Peoria is 1 percent below the national average
  • Chicago is 3.1 percent above the national average

While it may not surprise you that this is the order of cities when it comes to overall food prices, the cost of individual items on your grocery list won’t always fall into the same patterns. Although parmesan in Chicago is almost a dollar more than in Danville, bread is the most expensive in Peoria. To get a real read on what your food prices will be and how they will impact your cost of living in Illinois, it’s best to look at a few specific prices.

Illinois utility prices

Utilities in Illinois are all below the national average. This means that costs for electricity, gas, water and even internet don’t get too high at any given point.

  • Peoria is 8.2 percent below the national average
  • Champaign is 7.8 percent below the national average
  • Danville is 7.7 percent below the national average
  • Chicago is 1.4 percent below the national average
  • Springfield is 0.2 percent below the national average

It’s nice to see Chicago slip out of the most expensive spot. It means the cost of living in Illinois isn’t always super high in that one city. Other cities shoulder the burden of high expenses, too.

You can see this subtle change in averages when looking at a typical monthly energy bill across our cities. Springfield has the highest at $179.75, and Peoria is the lowest at $144.39. What’s also interesting to see is that the other cities’ averages lean more toward Peoria prices than Springfield’s. Even Chicago’s average energy bill is only about $12.50 more than Peoria’s.

It’s also worth noting that Illinois is working toward increasing its wind energy across the state. Currently, only 7.6 percent of Illinois’ electricity comes from wind power, but the state is working toward increasing that. This could help to lower energy bills even further down the road.

Illinois transportation prices

Even if you just look at Chicago alone, transportation is big in Illinois. That includes the trifecta of getting around — your feet, the train (or bus) and a car.

All modes of transportation are big businesses in Illinois. Even parking can cost you an arm and a leg in the right spot, so it’s no surprise that city averages are pretty high.

  • Champaign is 6.2 percent below the national average
  • Danville is 1 percent above the national average
  • Peoria is 6.5 percent above the national average
  • Springfield is 10 percent above the national average
  • Chicago is 33.7 percent above the national average

To keep your own transportation budget in check, consider replacing owning a vehicle with riding the bus or train. Even if you paid for a monthly pass and rode public transportation to and from work all week, while still having a car for weekends, you’d most likely save big when it came to gas and parking.

Chicago CTA

Operating both the ‘L’ Train and the bus, the CTA is the second largest public transportation system in the country. There are eight trains along the elevated train, or ‘L’, and 129 bus routes across Chicago.

A regular fare on the ‘L’ is $2.50, but it’s only $2.25 on the bus. Transfers are free and passes are available that work with both modes of transportation. A 30-day pass is $75, but 7-day passes are only $20.

Springfield SMTD

With a long list of bus lines that include a state fair shuttle, night service routes and a bullet bus, nobody can claim the SMTD isn’t a thorough system.

A single-ride fare is $1.25, but passes are available. These passes are good for a certain number of rides rather than a specific time period. You can buy a standard discount pass, good for 20 rides, for $20.

Peoria CityLink

With 17 bus routes, CityLink makes good on its promise to connect customers to where they want to go in an efficient and safe manner.

A single-ride fare is $1, but you’ll really save big with a 30-day pass. For only $40, the pass is good starting on the first day you use it.

Illinois healthcare prices

Looking at healthcare across Illinois, it’s easy to see a correlation between price and city size. The larger cities definitely have higher averages, making it very obvious that where you live affects your cost of living.

When it comes to healthcare — the doctors, urgent care visits and prescription medications, most of our cities fall under the national average, unless big and densely populated.

  • Danville is 15.9 percent below the national average
  • Champaign is 13.8 percent below the national average
  • Peoria is 6 percent below the national average
  • Springfield is 2.3 percent above the national average
  • Chicago is 21 percent above the national average

It’s a big jump between average healthcare costs in Champaign and Chicago. Big enough that you’ll see the difference when looking at the average costs of specific medical bills. An average trip to the doctor’s in Chicago is 59 percent more than going in Champaign.

Seeing an eye doctor in Chicago is 48 percent more costly than having that same appointment in Champaign. Even just looking at these two examples makes it very apparent how much your budget can skew in an area like healthcare depending on where you live.

Illinois goods and services

The cost of living in Illinois, when it comes to goods and services is relatively good across the board. Of course, that’s only if you leave out Chicago, which again skews the numbers.

  • Springfield is 12.1 percent below the national average
  • Peoria is 5.8 percent below the national average
  • Danville is 5.2 percent below the national average
  • Champaign is 4.2 percent below the national average
  • Chicago is 21 percent above the national average

Goods and services include all those extras in your monthly budget. They’re the nights out with friends, the treats you give yourself and a few practical extras. All combined they’re usually the first items to go when money gets tight, but how do you prioritize? Looking at specific costs can help you do that. It can also help you really see which cities might be too much for your budget.

Surprisingly, Chicago does not take the top spot for everything. When it comes to dry cleaning, it’s one of the least expensive cities. It does, however, rank at No. 1 in every other category. The least expensive city shifts from column to column, meaning you can never really say that one city is the “least expensive.”

Taxes in Illinois

Illinois residents pay a flat income tax each year of 4.95 percent. This means that regardless of how much money you make, you’re taxed the same. For those making less, this can feel frustrating, but overall the rate isn’t too high.

When it comes to sales tax, the state rate is 6.25 percent. On top of that, localities are able to add an additional 4.75 percent. This means that the maximum amount of sales tax you could pay in Illinois is a whopping 11 percent. At that rate, for every $1,000 you spent shopping, $110 would go straight to taxes.

Unfortunately, all of our cities lean in pretty close to that maximum amount.

  • The sales tax rate in Champaign and Peoria is 9 percent
  • The sales tax rate in Danville is 9.25 percent
  • The sales tax rate in Springfield is 9.74 percent
  • The sales tax rate in Chicago is 10.25 percent

The average rate across the state is 8.81 percent, so there are definitely cities that opt for lower sales tax than this sampling.

How much do I need to earn to live in Illinois?

To live comfortably anywhere, you need to afford rent. Experts suggest you spend around 30 percent of your annual salary on this particular expense, so there are two ways to calculate how much you should earn to guarantee you can pay for a place to live. The first is to plug some numbers into our rent calculator. This tool will help you make sure your budget aligns with the cost of living in Illinois.

The second way is to do a little estimating. You can use the average rent in Illinois, $1,442, to calculate a minimum income. From there, you can compare the average annual income for the state to see if things match up. This would put the odds in your favor.

With the average rent, you’d need to earn at least $57,680 to put 30 percent toward this monthly bill. This is good news since the average annual salary in Illinois is $59,650. It’s just a tiny bit above, but that little extra means less stress when it comes to apartment hunting.

Living in Illinois

With so much to see and do, a strong economy, a whole lot of sports teams and some amazing food, you’d be hard-pressed to argue against living in Illinois. And, with many cities being so affordable, it’s a state that could fit into your budget. So, grab a map and start checking those numbers. There could be a move in your future.

Related articles:

The Cost of Living Index comes from coli.org.
The rent information included in this summary is based on a calculation of multifamily rental property inventory on Rent. as of August 2022.
Rent prices are for illustrative purposes only. This information does not constitute a pricing guarantee or financial advice related to the rental market.

Source: rent.com

Apache is functioning normally

When it comes to moving into a new apartment, few things are more important than feeling safe. With first-floor apartments being more accessible to the outside world, it’s easy to wonder, are first-floor apartments safe? The answer is yes, but there are a few things that responsible first-floor apartment dwellers do to improve their safety and feel more at home in their street-level pad.

Do first-floor apartments get broken into more often?

The short answer is yes. This is one of the reasons that it often costs less to live in a first-floor apartment compared to an identical unit on a higher floor.

The fact that first-floor apartments are more easily accessible shouldn’t deter you from signing the lease, however. That’s because it is possible to curb the risk of attracting unwanted guests.

Read on for some of the most practical and effective methods you can use today to secure your first-floor apartment and prevent anyone from entering your home against your wishes.

What makes first-floor apartments less secure?

With street-level convenience comes street-level exposure.

Easier access

The most obvious reason that a first-floor apartment is less secure than those on higher floors is that it’s easier to gain access.

It’s easier to gain visual access through ground-level windows. This makes it possible for criminals to make a more educated guess about whether they’re home or not or likely to return soon.

It’s also easier for criminals to gain physical access to your apartment. This is because first-floor apartments are the only units that are accessible from the street and don’t require an elevator trip or lengthy walk up the stairs and down a hallway.

Easy in, easy out

Along with easier access comes easier escape. If a burglar doesn’t have to struggle to get into your apartment, they also won’t have to work very hard to make it out unseen and without causing any sort of disturbance.

Criminals will try to avoid video evidence

Depending on your setup, your apartment unit is one of the few places within your building that isn’t under some degree of video surveillance. This fact will make your apartment more appealing to potential criminals. The good news is that many apartment complexes nowadays do have adequate video surveillance in the areas around first-floor apartment entrances.

No downstairs neighbors

In apartment buildings, noise travels much more effectively downward than it does up. An upstairs neighbor hears a lot less from downstairs neighbors than vice versa. If your downstairs neighbors know you’re out of town until Thursday night and they hear a bunch of footsteps above them on Wednesday afternoon, they may feel compelled to investigate. If there’s no one below you to hear those footsteps, your apartment is automatically a more attractive target.

Simple things you can do to make your first-floor apartment safer

There are a number of simple ways to secure your first-floor apartment.

Check out the entrance

Scope out the entrance before you sign the lease. Whether it’s in person or through Google Street View, you should check out the entrance to your specific unit before signing anything. Try to check out the entrance at night. If you don’t feel safe, you probably shouldn’t make the move.

In the circumstance that you’re only able to check out the entrance in the daylight or online, make sure to check the immediate area for camera coverage, dark alleys, etc.

While the immediate area outside your door doesn’t define the safety status of your apartment, it’s a good indication of what you should expect to encounter when you head out each day and what is outside when you go to bed at night.

Lock it up

By no means is this an “insider tip.” It’s more common sense, but still worth mentioning. The basic rule to follow here is that if you’re not actively using the door, you should lock it. It doesn’t matter if you’re sitting two feet away from it on the couch on a Sunday morning. If you’re not using your door, keep it locked.

Another thing to think about when it comes to first-floor apartment living is your keys. If you lose your keys, alert your landlord immediately and let them know that you’ll need the locks changed that day. Beyond that, make sure your keys don’t have anything on them that could identify your apartment building, especially your specific unit.

The last thing you need to remember is sliding glass doors. If you’re living in a first-floor apartment and you have sliding glass doors, lock them. Many burglars look for these doors specifically because many people forget to lock them up in comparison to standard doors.

Cover it up

Regardless of whether you’re home or not, you don’t want random people knowing your daily routine or your comings and goings.

The best way to prevent someone from casing your apartment and taking advantage of your routines is by not allowing them to look inside your place. That’s not to say that you need to have your blinds closed at all times. You just need to shut the blinds at night, while you’re gone and any other time you’re not craving natural light or aren’t interested in having a glimpse into the outside world.

Put it on video

There are many companies that make cheap and easy-to-install doorbell cameras or above-door cameras. If your apartment allows it, install a camera in a position that gives you full coverage of your front door. Many of these stream to your phone and will allow you to check on any oddities outside without having to unlock your door.

A more cost-effective option, if your apartment doesn’t let you install your own security camera, is to get a professional-looking sticker or sign notifying passersby that your door is under video surveillance (whether true or not).

Even if there’s no evidence of a camera, a sign is possibly enough to convince a potential criminal to go elsewhere. The potential of a camera, in many cases, are as effective as actually having a camera.

Get to know your neighbors

If you have a good relationship with your neighbors, they’re more likely to report anything strange or suspicious and they’re more likely to help you out if you need it. This is not only good advice for safety, but it’s also a surefire way to get the most out of your time in your apartment. So, be neighborly!

Get a dog

Whether it’s a rottweiler, a chihuahua or anything in between, as long as your dog makes noise when someone unexpectedly comes through the door, it’s good to have. A loud dog is as effective as a dangerous dog for home protection, especially in densely populated apartment buildings.

If you’re looking for an excuse to get a dog, you’re welcome.

Make the move

If the only thing keeping you from renting an apartment is its first-floor location, reconsider. While they’re slightly easier to gain access to, they’re also perfectly safe places to live, provided you follow the advice above.

A native of the northern suburbs of Chicago, Carson made his way to the South to attend Wofford College where he received his BA in English. After working as a copywriter for a couple of boutique marketing agencies in South Carolina, he made the move to Atlanta and quickly joined the Rent. team as a content marketing coordinator. When he’s off the clock, you can find Carson reading in a park, hunting down a great cup of coffee or hanging out with his dogs.

Source: rent.com

Apache is functioning normally

Pet adoptions have been soaring with the current COVID-19 pandemic. In my opinion, that totally makes sense! After all, who wouldn’t want an adorable cuddle to pass the newfound time at home? 

That’s where a pandemic puppy can come into the picture. Today I will share a complete look at the cost of adopting my pandemic pup, so you can know what you’re getting into. 

What’s Ahead:

Why I adopted a pandemic puppy

I’ve been dreaming of adopting a puppy since I got to college. I grew up with a wonderful dog and waited for the day that I could comfortably adopt a new puppy. 

Over the years, I always had a responsible reason for why I couldn’t adopt a puppy at the moment. For years, my string of small apartments wouldn’t make a happy home for a puppy. Plus, I wanted to have some savings on hand for the inevitable expenses the responsibility of a dog would bring, like unexpected vet visits. Little did I know, I could save on some of these expenses by purchasing a pet insurance policy through an insurer like Embrace. However, without that knowledge, I continued to put off my desire to bring a puppy into my life. 

In January, my husband and I started to seriously consider bringing a puppy home. We were finally living in a space with a fenced backyard and plenty of nearby hiking trails for an active pup. We even applied to adopt a handful of puppies, but the timing never worked out for us. 

In mid-March, my husband and I were looking forward to a busy spring. I had several fun trips mapped out until the COVID-19 pandemic through our plans for a loop. As things started to settle into an isolating routine, my husband transitioned to working from home. At that point, we decided that we were truly ready to bring home a puppy with both of us available at the house. 

When we spotted our pandemic puppy on a rural shelter page in mid-March, we hopped in the car and drove the hour to meet him. Immediately we fell in love and put down a deposit to secure his adoption for the next week. We were able to bring him home at the end of March when he turned eight weeks old. 

Pongo has been our fun-loving pup ever since! 

The cost breakdown

Pongo was an adorable eight-week-old puppy that quickly grew into a 40-pound bundle of joy. Along the way, he has turned out to be a rather expensive pandemic purchase. 

I will take more in-depth about this below, but one way to save a ton on puppy costs is through pet insurance. Pumpkin is one of the best options on the market, with an affordable preventive care option.

Bringing him home

The first major expense of owning a pet is bringing them home. For Pongo, those costs added up quickly. 

  • $50 deposit to secure his adoption. We paid this fee a week before he was available for adoption to ensure that he was coming home with us.
  • $150 adoption fee. The adoption fee covered his neuter surgery and other medical treatments that the shelter provided. When Pongo was found at the shelter, he and his brother were in fairly bad shape. Both had significant skin issues which needed extensive treatment. Luckily, the shelter quickly restored his skin to a better condition and continued the treatments after we brought him home. 
  • $210 rental pet fee. When we first got Pongo, we were living in a rented duplex. The landlords graciously allowed us to bring Pongo home. But we had to pay a $210 non-refundable pet fee. 

The first part of the adoption journey was several hundred dollars. But that was just the beginning!

Vet bills

When you bring home a young puppy, you should expect to pay for a wide range of vaccinations. We brought Pongo home as an eight-week puppy with some severe skin issues. With that, our vet bills were a little bit higher than the norm. 

  • $189.96 – First vet visit and a handful of shots. 
  • $87.04 – A booster shot visit.
  • $205.8 – More shots and skin check-up. 
  • $67.27 – Another booster shot visit. 
  • $79.33 – A microchip visit with another vaccine. 

The veterinary costs can add up quickly. But after this last visit to the vet, Pongo should be okay until his annual appointment in March. 

Other costs

Beyond the initial costs of bringing him home and the vet bills, extra expenses needed to be considered. I’ll break them down now:

  • $98.17 – The first of many Amazon orders to make our home comfortable for Pongo. This included buying a crate to grow into, potty training pads, teething rings, and other toys.  
  • $6.25 – A quick trip to the hardware store by my house that sells dog toys and bones. 
  • $12.68 – Another Amazon purchase to stock up on toys – because Pongo rips through toys very quickly. 
  • $58.01 – A Petsmart run for food and other supplies. 
  • $10.57 – More toys from Ace Hardware. 
  • $280 – We set up a subscription for Pongo’s food from Amazon. With that, we are able to save 5% on his food, but it still adds up. 
  • $50 – Walmart Pet Rx purchase for his first round of heartworm medication. 
  • $75 – A Chewy delivery of Pongo’s six month supply of preventative medications. 
  • $275 – The combined total of boarding costs for Pongo on three separate occasions. 

As you can see, the extra costs of a puppy can get expensive. 

The total cost of adopting my pandemic puppy

Although we look for opportunities to save where we can, the cost of owning a pet is just expensive. What isn’t included in these expenses are the sleepless nights of puppy potty training and adorable puppy cuddles that make it all worth it. 

In total, the cost of adopting our pandemic puppy is $1,904.51. So far, we’ve spent close to $2,000 on Pongo. But I’m optimistic that the upfront veterinary costs of adopting a puppy with a few skin issues will not continue to be a major factor. 

Overall, we were very happy to bring Pongo into our lives. He has been worth every penny!

Where I could have saved more

Of course, there are always ways to save more. What I didn’t look into when I first brought Pongo home was pet insurance. I think that I seriously missed out on an opportunity to save on vet bills. With that, you may want to look into your pet insurance options if you are considering adopting a pet. Here is a bit more about Embrace. 

Lemonade

Lemonade is a great pet insurance option. They’re quickly disrupting the industry with their low-cost plans that start as low as $10/month (and a 10% discount if you also insure your home or car through Lemonade). But, you can decide the deductible amount and coverage limit you want to set for yourself. 

When it comes to what they cover, the answer is pretty much up to you. If you’re looking for basic wellness care and vaccine coverage, Lemonade has a plan for you. But, they’re also perfect for those looking to protect their pet in the event of an accident or illness. They’ll cover heartworm testing, fecal testing, bloodwork, emergency surgeries, x-rays, labwork, medications, and more.

Plus, an especially wonderful feature of Lemonade is that they offer expert medical advice via their chat feature. That way, you don’t have to call up the vet for every little question.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin is another pet insurance provider that offers an insurance plan designed to prioritize the wellness of your pet. Pumpkin offers insurance that covers a high percentage of eligible veterinary expenses for accidents and illnesses. Pumpkin also offers an optional preventative care plan – Pumpkin Preventive Essentials – which pays for an annual wellness exam, vaccines, and select lab tests to detect parasites & life-threatening diseases.

Here’s how Pumpkin works: when your dog is sick, you can take them to any licensed veterinarian in the U.S. or Canada for treatment. You pay the vet and then afterward, file a claim for the eligible veterinary expenses to be reimbursed after your annual deductible has been met.

In terms of annual limit options with Pumpkin, every family is offered a 90% reimbursement rate on eligible vet bills, up to an annual coverage limit of $10k or $20k for dogs and $7k or $15k for cats.

Embrace

Embrace offers pet insurance policies that you can customize to your coverage needs. You’ll be able to adjust the monthly premiums and annual payout limits to suit your budget. 

In addition to the flexible coverage, you can choose to take part in a Wellness plan. A Wellness plan will reward you for taking care of your pet’s needs on a regular basis. Essentially, you’ll be rewarded if you are taking care of your pet responsibly. 

Summary

The costs of a pandemic puppy can add up quickly. But if you are prepared for that financial responsibility, then the costs pale in comparison to the fun of bringing home a puppy. Even as the chaos of the pandemic swirls around us, Pongo has been an amazing blessing in our lives. 

If you are considering bringing a puppy home, I’d encourage you to think about the costs ahead of time. When you have the costs of a puppy factored into your budget, you can enjoy the experience of adopting a puppy to the fullest!

Pumpkin Advertiser Disclosure: Pumpkin Pet Insurance policies do not cover pre-existing conditions. Waiting periods, annual deductible, co-insurance, benefit limits and exclusions may apply. For full terms, visit pumpkin.care/insurancepolicy. Products, discounts, and rates may vary and are subject to change. Pumpkin Insurance Services Inc. (“Pumpkin”) (NPN #19084749) is a licensed insurance agency, not an insurer. Insurance is underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company (NAIC #21113, Morristown, NJ), a Crum & Forster Company and produced by Pumpkin. Pumpkin Preventive Essentials is not an insurance policy. It is offered as an optional add-on non-insurance benefit. Pumpkin is responsible for the product and administration. Pumpkin Preventive Essentials is not available in all states. For full terms, visit pumpkin.care/customeragreement.

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Source: moneyunder30.com

Apache is functioning normally

If you scan the headlines from time to time, it won’t take long to notice that a slew of celebrities have been caught up in legal troubles lately. From famous actors and musicians to reality stars, high-profile individuals often make headlines for getting on the wrong side of the law—even when their alleged crimes aren’t what you might expect. To glimpse how tough times can hit anyone—even those in the limelight who appear perfect to us— look at this shocking list of celebrities we bet you didn’t know had been accused of these crimes!

1. Vince Neil of Motley Crue

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One user posted, “Vince Neil of Motley Crue killed his friend and crippled two others in a drunk driving accident and served 15 days in prison for it. It had no impact on his career.”

Another commenter replied, “He is probably the most selfish person I’ve ever seen. His autobiography makes you hate him more. That’s quite an accomplishment!”

One Redditor added, “If you hate him for that, listen to him sing live now, and you will hate him even more.”

2. Caitlyn Jenner

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

“Caitlyn Jenner [seems to have] committed vehicular manslaughter and walked away,” shared one user.

Another replied, “BUCKLE UP, BUCKAROOS!”

One commenter responded, “Ricky Gervais made a joke about this like the Emmys or something. Said how brave Caitlyn was, did a lot for women and trans rights, Yada Yada… then sheepishly says ‘Didn’t do a lot for women drivers though.’“

3. Stephen Collins

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One Redditor shared, “That dude who plays the dad on 7th Heaven.”

Another user exclaimed, “Stephen Collins.”

One commenter added, “A family friend’s daughter went to a very pricey rehab. Stephen Collins’ daughter was also there and shared her own story of… abuse by her father. This is not something that I, nor they, would have shared due to the agreement of anonymity, except it has now become public knowledge. Truly appalling, unfathomable terror, pain, and heartbreak this man has caused to the people around him.”

4. Katie Price

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One user posted, “Katie Price, AKA Jordan. She harassed and threatened her ex’s new partner while on a restraining order. She was driving [with a] disqualification for speeding, drunk driving, etc. Threatened with jail multiple times. Finally caught driving without license insurance and crashing the car high on drugs. Free.”

Another Redditor added, “There’s a huge petition right now to ban her from keeping animals because of how many animals have died in her care too. Mainly dogs she lets roam freely. One died again last few weeks after being hit by a car.”

5. OJ Simpson

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

“OJ Simpson nearly decapitated his ex-wife and brutally murdered a bystander. People still gather around him to take selfies at football games,” commented one user.

Another user responded, “I hope those waiters were watching their backs.”

One commenter added, “If I’m his server, he’s eating with spoons.”

6. Chris Brown

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

An online user posted, “Chris Brown.”

One user commented, “My mom went on a cruise that he was on, and people ignored him, and he was booed constantly. I liked that story.”

One Redditor explained and shared, “Brown was driving a vehicle with Robyn F. as the front passenger on an unknown street in Los Angeles. Robyn F. picked up Brown’s cellular phone and observed a three-page text message from a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with.

“‘A verbal argument ensued, and Brown pulled the vehicle over on an unknown street, reached over to Robyn F. with his right hand, opened the car door, and attempted to force her out. Brown could not force Robyn F. out of the vehicle because she wore a seat belt. When he could not force her to exit, he took his right hand and [began to hit and punch her, causing multiple bruises and bloodshed.]

“Brown resumed punching Robyn F., and she interlocked her fingers behind her head and brought her elbows forward to protect her face. She then bent over at the waist, placing her elbows and face near her lap in [an] attempt to protect her face and head…

“Brown continued to punch Robyn F. on her left arm and hand, causing her to suffer a contusion on her left triceps (sic)… and… on her left hand.

“Robyn F. began screaming for help, and Brown exited the vehicle and walked away. A resident in the neighborhood heard Robyn F.’s plea for help and called 911, causing a police response. An investigation was conducted, and Robyn F. was issued a Domestic Violence Emergency Protective Order.’

“At the end of his statement, Andrews said Brown sent a text message nine days later apologizing. In the text message, Brown apologized for what he had done to Robyn F. and advised [Rihanna’s assistant] Ford that he was going to get help.”

7. Ted Kennedy

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

“Ted Kennedy—kinda of a celebrity, famous family, name, and politician,” one user posted.

Another user commented, “I used to fish on Chappy. That bridge he drove off has no side rails. It is a flat wood plank bridge and narrow. You don’t have to be drunk to drive off it. Teddy was plastered tho. Common on the Vineyard and in Edgartown for everyone. That bridge goes to basically a dead end. He drove the wrong way—suspicious.

“He pulls himself out of the water and walks miles to the ferry (literally a 60-second trip from dock to dock in Edgartown. Too late. He has to swim across. He walks home. Go to sleep.

“LEO inspects the car and finds the body of Mary Jo. Teddy isn’t charged or really even bothered by LEO at all about it.”

8. Roman Polanski

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One Redditor shared, “Roman Polanski. Sure, he’ll be prosecuted if he ever returns to the US, but he’s been living a nice life in France for decades & occasionally still releases a movie. His reputation took a hit, but otherwise, his life seems pretty great.”

9. Karl Malone

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

“Karl Malone, an all-time NBA center who is still celebrated and revered to this day, impregnated a 13-year-old girl when he was 20 and a sophomore in college. The family settled out of court, but [an assault] of this magnitude seems like one of those crimes that shouldn’t be able to be settled out of court,” one user commented. 

10. Pete Townshend

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One user posted, “Pete Townshend claiming that he was doing research for his book when caught trying to subscribe to a child p-rn website.”

Another added, “It’s weird cos Chris Langham (actor in The Thick of It) got caught in the same sting and also claimed it was for research purposes to get into character for a show he was doing. But Langham was completely blacklisted, and Townshend wasn’t.”

Do you agree with the list of actors above? Leave us a comment!

Source: Reddit. 

These are 10 Things That Completely Destroyed The Love in a Relationship

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

There’s no question that relationships can be confusing, but here are some of the top things to avoid if you want to keep your relationship healthy!

10 Actors and Actresses People Refuse to Watch Ever Again

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

We all have a favorite actor or actress, but most of us have a least-favorite as well. Check out this list of actors and actresses people never want to see performing again!

Top 10 Worst Human Inventions of All Time

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

Some inventions are world-changing, and some of them, well, they change the world in the wrong ways. Here are some of the worst inventions Redditors could think of.

10 Famous Celebrities Who Look Like They Smell Terrible

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

We’ve all had moments of hygiene faux pas—but these celebrities just look like they don’t take care of themselves at all.

10 Terrible Fads People Are Glad Died Out

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

Every fad has its time in the limelight, but some of them come and go faster than others; and some just need to die out right away. Check out this list of fads of which people were happy to see the last.



About the Author



Source: financequickfix.com

Apache is functioning normally

Banks and mortgage lenders kept appraiser blacklists for those who refused to falsely inflate home values, according to a report from the Center for Public Integrity.

These lists apparently contained thousands of names of appraisers who weren’t willing to play ball, or simply couldn’t come up with the values needed to get deals closed.

One mortgage lender, Amerisave, had nearly 12,000 appraisers on its “ineligible appraiser list,” which was available online until this report got underway.

However, the Center found that many appraisers “bowed to lender pressure” to stay relevant in the business, and often agreed on a certain house value before actually carrying out the appraisal.

Amazingly, pressuring an appraiser to inflate the value of a property is only a crime in about 20 states, but often just a misdemeanor punishable by fine, which clearly doesn’t deter perpetrators.

One appraiser from Vero Beach, Florida said lenders forced appraisers to abandon their standards if they wanted to get work, often providing an estimated value for a home on each appraisal order.

Appraisers would then work backwards from the estimate to “make the value,” which he said was actually easier than coming up with a real value.

“And since appraising homes is subjective — both an art and a science — it was easy to fudge numbers,” the report said.

Of course, it wasn’t always this way; banks and lenders used to rely on appraisers to come up with solid values so they wouldn’t get burned by the loans they held in their portfolio.

But once the originate-to-distribute model came around, where loans would be quickly originated and bundled into securities on the secondary market, it was all about volume and quality slipped out the window.

This also explains why underwriting went to the dogs and why banks and lenders pushed high-risk loan programs that were seemingly destined to put borrowers in a position of failure.

On May 1, the so-called Home Valuation Code of Conduct will go into effect; it eliminates broker-ordered appraisals, prohibits appraiser coercion, and reduces the use of in-house appraisals and captive appraisal management companies.

It’s intended to strengthen the appraisal process and reduce mortgage fraud, but it’ll probably just be a matter of time before the new rules are circumvented…

(photo: jaypeg21)

Source: thetruthaboutmortgage.com

Apache is functioning normally

Decorating a home is admittedly a daunting task. With so many options, it can be difficult to find focus and execute. Trends change and depending on who you talk to, certain rules apply and then just as suddenly, they don’t. Confusing, right?!

However, there are some best practices that stand the test of time. One that I think most everyone would agree on is mixing vintage with new. Older pieces bring a soul, personality and character to a space that just can’t be replicated.

There are people out there that are avid garage salers, Craigslist trollers and thrift store stalkers who are the queens of unearthing the diamonds in the rough. As I’ve admitted before, I am not one of them. I just don’t have the patience or the time to hunt through pages and pages of junk. Enter Chairish: a new way to buy, sell and adore pre-owned treasures online.

Chairish is a carefully curated site of gently used designer furnishings and decor. The edited selection makes it easy to find fabulous pieces sold directly by owners at amazing markdowns – no time wasted looking through pages of garbage. Chairish makes it so easy to score the ultimate vintage piece. They even have a feature called “make an offer.” If an item is out of your budget, make the seller your best offer! Genius. Here are some of our favorite pieces you can currently find on the site!

get your shop on: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 

I’d gladly swap in any one of these pieces to the loft and that’s what makes Chairish so perfect! Of course, as soon as I’m “done” with a project I want to redo it. Now that we’ve been settled in the loft life – I’m already looking to switch things up! On Chairish I can buy and sell and the best part is they make it so easy to sell by taking care of all of the dirty work! They’ll handle pick up, shipping and all the details that make me avoid Craiglist like the plague.

We thought this whole concept and the site were so genius that we wanted to learn more about the business behind the brand! We met up with Chairish’s founder Anna Brockway in San Francisco and we were so intrigued by her brains and sass – we had to share more of her story with you!

Chairish is such a great idea! Tell us about the idea and how Chairish came to be.

The idea for Chairish was born of personal experience. Our family grew from two to six super fast, necessitating a lot of moves around town. With each move came a new opportunity to decorate, but also the need to say goodbye to some great pieces that just didn’t fit into our new space. I learned to both buy and sell vintage, but found the experience cumbersome. I fell in love with the idea of creating a curated consignment shop online and running it in a full service fashion (meaning having an expert to handle the not fun logistics of payments, storage and shipping). And so Chairish was born!

With lots of other sites selling vintage and previously loved home decor pieces, how does Chairish differentiate itself?

Firstly Chairish is a place for everyday people to buy and sell their pieces. You don’t have to be an “approved” designer or store to participate. We are open to anyone who loves beautiful home decor!

Secondly, Chairish is also carefully curated. This saves shoppers endless hours of paging through Ikea leftovers and trashed futons. At Chairish, I personally approve every item before it goes on the site. From wonderfully quirky to fabulously chic to downright necessary, all items have to pass the style test.

Thirdly, Chairish is full service. We take care of the pesky logistics of payment, arranging pick up and delivery and in San Francisco and LA we even will store items for you until they sell which is invaluable for folks who are moving! (Storage coming to more cities soon!)

Lastly we are totally unique in that we allow for returns! Furniture choices can be nerve wracking – we don’t want any buyer to feel stuck.

Chairish isn’t even a year old yet. What was the most challenging part of the process? What has been the most surprising thing you’ve learned?

Whew! It is hard to believe we started talking about this idea only last Christmas and now we have 1,000+ items live on the site! The most challenging part of the process has been prioritizing. When you love your work (and we do!), there is no shortage of ideas and inspiration. Therefore, it’s important to make very deliberate choices based off of your goals. To tame the mania, we set longterm goals, followed by short term to-do’s and then execute like rabid dogs on a bone!

The most surprising (in a GOOD way!) has been the response! People love the idea of Chairish and are inspired to find out what goodies are hiding out in other design lovers’ attics. We have also been surprised at how many of our buyers are also sellers! Chairish makes it easy to change out your look and make money doing it. It makes sense: if you’re buying, you have to make room for the new and you might as well make money doing it. It can be one big virtuous circle. I am most happy when I see a seller and buyer score!

As a lover of beautiful design, I’m sure it’s hard not to buy all the pieces for yourself! What is your favorite piece that you’ve come across? 

The best part of my job is hearing the captivating stories behind the items that are being offered on Chairish. One of my favorite stories in particular was of a set of rugs that originally came from an enormous ballroom in a gorgeous Pebble Beach estate. The rugs were absolutely beautiful with a fabulous and very “now” greek key motif. To boot, they were made by one of the finest manufacturers in the world. The seller was a gracious, smart as a whip gal with the most AMAZING taste. All three rugs sold and I love thinking about the second life those lovely pieces will have in their new (and instantly more glamorous!) homes. It warms my heart to see these treasures passed on to another generation of design lovers.

What piece of advice would you give your 25 year old self or any young entrepreneurs out there?

Work with smartest people you can find. If you aren’t learning something, it’s time for a new gig!

HOW TO ENTER $500 GIVEAWAY*: 

Now-it’s time to shop Chairish for yourself. They are giving one lucky Apartment 34 reader $500 to get you started!

To enter the sweepstakes, click here. That’s it. This sweepstakes closes at 11:59pm PT on Friday, September 6th. Good luck!

*Giveaway: Please complete the entry form for valid entry. $500 USD total value. Winner will be contacted via email once comments close on 11:59pm PT, Friday September 6th, and announced at the bottom of this post soon after. This post is in partnership with Chairish. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting posts that keep Apartment 34 doors open! 

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Source: apartment34.com

Apache is functioning normally

Are you feeling down and out because of your single status? Don’t worry; it doesn’t have to be that way! This blog post is here to help turn things around by providing a list of the top 20 reasons why you’re single. Get ready for some laughs as we take an honest look at what might be keeping you from finding love. From considering yourself “too picky” to being too shy to put yourself out there, we address all the most common dating woes—plus offer up some invaluable advice on how to fix them! So if you want your happily ever after: read on!

1. You’re A Hermit

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One user posted, “I’m basically a hermit.”

Another user responded saying, “No drama, and the remote is f-ing mine.”

One user also affirmed, “Same, plus people [are generally terrible], so looking for companionship is also like sticking hands in a needle stack looking for a piece of hair.”

2. People Are Too Dramatic

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One Redditor also shared, “I have no energy for anything; people are draining and complicated.”

Another user replied, “Are you me? This is exactly how I feel. I get off work, and the last thing I want to do is have to deal with someone else.”

One Redditor added, “This is kinda one of the reasons I am not into any relationships with anyone. People are way too empty without any content, not interesting or serious about relationships, and many are also way too manipulative.”

3. You Have Nothing to Offer

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

“I don’t have anything women want that better guys can’t provide,” one user added to the thread.

Another Redditor replied, “I’ve thought about this a lot.”

One user commented, “Dude, statistically better guys are already taken by a subset of girls. There should be plenty left on your level field. That is the problem with the girls: 90% of girls are after 10% of “better guys.” but once reality settles in, they will go after you as well.” 

“Objectively speaking, though, no woman on earth is going to go for a disabled guy like me. They’ll be with me despite, not inclusive of, my disability. This has been my lived experience, to use an overused phrase, lol. They have a subconscious feeling of superiority that comes out in small ways. It’s a long f-ing story that would take too much time in a comment, but trust me here,” another commenter added.

However, one user commented, “I was married to a fine man for 26 years before death parted us. He had a disability that he was born with. I never thought of him as less than or disabled. He was simply my love. My person. We loved each other well and truly and had a family. It can happen.”

4. Too Many Fish in the Sea

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One user asked, “Have you actually seen the dating pool?! …There’s not enough chlorine in the world.”

Another user responded, “Lots of insects getting in the water…”

One commenter added, “Frogs in the filter.” 

5. You Always Feel Odd

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One user explained, “The whole dating thing makes me just feel odd. I’m tired of everybody and the red or green flags. The arguments and all, I don’t want to deal with it. I’d rather be single.”

The OP of the thread commented, “Been cheated on. It made me scared to date again, I dated again, and some other stuff happened, and let’s say I’m now socially awkward and can’t talk to women anymore. Although I find it tiring, I’m trying my best not to lose hope.”

Another commenter added, “The red flag feels like canceling culture but for dating—one wrong move and you’re done.”

6. Haven’t Met the Right One

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One Redditor explained, “I honestly don’t know. A year and a half ago, I could have answered this quickly since I’d stay at home moping, just hoping someone would come calling. Well, of course, that wasn’t going to happen, so a year or so ago, I made myself get out, meet new people, befriend them, all the things you’re supposed to do.

“It didn’t work. People saw my kindness as a vessel to take advantage of and use me. I understood why doing nothing netted negative results. I don’t understand why doing the right thing also nets negative results. It makes no damn sense, it hurts, it’s made me cynical and depressed, and I don’t know what to do now.”

Another user commented, “Just keep being genuinely kind, start keeping boundaries, and it’ll weed out the bad people. You’ll meet someone eventually. Just take it slow.”

One commenter added, “Don’t close yourself off from other people. Also, be assertive and don’t let people take advantage of you. You don’t have to sacrifice your own needs to make people like you. Real friends are your friends because they enjoy your company, not because they gain materially from your presence. Yes, maybe someone you don’t let take advantage of you will not want anything to do with you, but that just means they were never going to be a true friend anyway.”

“I totally agree with what has been said here above; take a moment for yourself and establish some boundaries, some things you won’t accept being said or made, and get back in it. You might not find someone at first, but it’s fun and gets better,” concluded another person. 

7. You Don’t Meet Enough People

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One user posted, “I just don’t meet enough people now that I’m over 30.”

Another user stated, “Was married in my 30s and now divorced in my early 40s. It doesn’t get any better, friend. Everyone has a family.”

One user commented, “This exact thing. Married for 15 years, and the guys available are all weird to me. Better alone than with someone that doesn’t fit again.”

Another user answered, “I hope this will never be me. I’m already socially awkward due to my last relationship.”

8. You Just Don’t Like People

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

Another user shared, “I hate people.”

One user replied, “Bingo!”

One person confirmed, “So true. If you hope to receive unconditional love in your life, get a dog. Dogs are better than people anyhow.”

9. Scared to Date

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One user shared, “Recovering from a divorce, I want a solid relationship; I’m also scared to re-enter the dating world.”

Another user replied, “Same here, dating looks scary in this landscape, and it’s okay to be happy on your own.”

“But I’m not happy on my own. I’m miserable. And to add insult to injury (and tangibility to metaphysical), I can’t afford … Anything as a result of only having one income. No house. No vacations. No enjoying the single life. Just a pointless, lonely ‘grind…’ More like a ‘skid.’ And it’s not like I just came out of the gate yesterday, either. I’m tired, boss,” the first user added.

10. You Like Your Freedom

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One user shared, “I like the freedom.”

Another user responded, “I feel this so much.”

“Same. Enjoying independence!” exclaimed another Redditor.

11. You Don’t Think People Deserve You

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

A user shared, “Because 99.9% of the people in this world don’t deserve me.”

Another user replied, “Someone out there for you. Happy cake day, pal.”

12. Your Mom Said No

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One Redditor posted, “My mom said no.”

Another user replied, “When I was a teen, my parents didn’t let me date. When I was 18, they still didn’t. But ofc I still dated secretly, and to this day, all of my past relationships were secret. They still believe I have never had a date.”

However, one commenter asked, “Did you try asking out anyone else?”

13. You Don’t Like the Dating World

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One user explained, “I have no tolerance for what dating has become. I’m just old enough to remember when standing someone up on a date made you a piece of [crap]. Male or female. Now it’s called ghosting, and not only is it expected. We actually blame the person who got ghosted and says they must have done something wrong. I’m a Xennial who mostly sides with millennials over boomers. But you really f-ed up making ghosting socially acceptable.”

Another commenter replied, “I also don’t understand why people ghost. Even my friends, they ghost me. And it makes me think that I’m a boring person because I am always the one who gets ghosted. If my friends ghost me, what about a potential SO? And it gives me trauma to open up with anyone fully because it feels like they’re toying with me. So, maybe this is how my life is. No matter how hard I try, they just don’t care, and they always leave me in the end without even saying goodbye or telling me my faults.”

14. No One Seems Interested

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One Redditor shared, “No one seems interested enough to get to know me. I don’t really have many opportunities to meet people. I work full-time 2nd shift, and I work every other weekend. I don’t have any friends either ’cause I didn’t keep in touch with any childhood friends.”

Another user added, “Didn’t keep in touch either. Recently I found an old friend on FB, added them, and they added me; I tagged them in a post, and then, for some reason, blocked me. [It’s terrible]. No clue why.”

One user answered, “Might I suggest, don’t tag people. It shows up on all their friends’ feeds. It might be what they deem inappropriate or something they don’t want to be attributed to. Instead, share a private message. Then, it gives you a chance to start a private conversion as well.”

The OP responded, “Yeah. I sent them a dm and got no response. And I posted a picture of my elementary school yearbook with all my classmates in it, and bam. Who knows why…”

15. Taking Care of Family

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One Redditor posted, “I am 31, divorced, living with my 76-year-old dad. I take care of him; he has cancer and Parkinson’s. I don’t have much of a life right now. I am okay with that. I don’t know how much more time I have with my dad, and I am just focusing on taking care of him.

“I have been taking care of my ex-husband (multiple injuries at work and cancer), my ex-in-laws, my eldest brother, my mom, and one aunt. After this, I am taking care of myself. I’ll probably be single for a while after he passes too.”

Another user replied, “I understand. I’m looking forward to spending my energy on myself.”

16. Not Great at Talking To Women

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

“I’m not great at approaching women, and all the women I’d consider in the friend group I’m in have boyfriends. I get matches on dating apps, but nothing ever comes out of those; the conversation never escalates into anything interesting. I think I’m also a unique person that’s gonna have a more challenging time finding a match—I’m already a person with only a few friends. My personality is not going to be a match with everyone.”, exclaimed one user.

17. You Have Trust Issues

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

“B/c I have trust issues,” one user shared.

Another user replied, “Same…mental illness and baggage and being betrayed.”

One user agreed, “Same.”

18. Not Ready to Commit

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One Redditor posted, “Few reasons: I married at 20. She left me 13 months later after five years into the relationship where she had family drama and moved in with me my senior year before high school, which complicated a lot of things since I was basically married at that point. She was emotionally abusive and left me for a coworker she told me not to worry about. A month after she left, she moved in with him in a new apartment, and once our divorce was final, she announced she was three months pregnant and remarried two days after what would’ve been our 2nd anniversary and not even a year after she left me.

“After my year-long [promiscuous] phase, I realized I didn’t want to be that way and once again attempted a relationship. For nearly a year, I was in on-again, off-again situations with someone I did fall for hard. In the end, she kept using me as a placeholder every time she and her abusive ex would break up. In the end, she just told me she was using me and felt guilty, and I was essentially a placeholder for her, hoping that her ex would get help. And I’ve still yet to recover from that.

“I’m stuck in this weird middle of wanting something intimate and to have someone I can call my person, and also wanting my isolation and freedom, which is a very confusing state of mind. Dating is hard and exhausting. No matter how many dates I go on with however many people, something just isn’t clicking for me or my dates. I haven’t found my person yet, and that’s okay. Maybe one day I will. I’ll continue trying, but I accept that being single is okay.”

Another user replied, “I really feel with you on this point. I keep missing the intimacy of a partner. However, I am not ready for the responsibility and commitment of a relationship. I am not a big fan of hookup culture; due to past relationships, I need to feel safe with my sexual partners.”

19. Not Loving Yourself

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One Redditor commented, “I don’t love myself; therefore, I cannot love someone else.”

Another user added, “I hate that line. Of course, you can love someone else. Yeah, one should work on themselves, and if they don’t, their relationship may falter—but the idea you cannot love someone else is pure horsesh-t.”

Another person replied, “You can hate yourself But you love your friends, your family… You love gaming, art, music… And someone else can love you to death, even with your ‘flaw’ of hating yourself, and if they really love you, they’ll want nothing but the best for you, so they’ll try to cheer you up. Who came up with that line?”

One commenter said, “Emphasis on try. Abstract ideas like gaming, art, music, etc., are not the same as people. People get tired of trying to help someone who isn’t helping themselves. People will try and try, but eventually, people will distance themselves from you if you’re not making an effort/progress, and it’s not because they don’t love you, but it’s because 1. They most likely can’t stand to see you in a sh-tty state because they care so much, and 2. Nobody can make you love yourself; you literally have to find that within yourself. The best people can do is try and point you in the right direction or give you an idea. The rest is up to us.

“Sidenote: You guys do know there’s a difference between love and sympathy, right…? No shame in taking what you can get, but it’s important not to confuse the 2.”

One user added, “You can’t properly love someone else if you don’t love yourself. Then you end up putting a ton of pressure on your partner because all of your attention/needs are being put solely on them instead of yourself. It’s easy for your partner to literally become your whole world and reason for living which can lead to losing yourself in them when you don’t love yourself. The moral of the story is you’re asking for dependency issues getting into a relationship without loving yourself; trust me, it’s why I’m single now after 3 of the best years of my life…”

20. You’ve Never Been on a Date

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One Redditor shared, “I’ve been single my whole life. Never been on a date. I’m not the prettiest, but I know I still have worth, and I know what I want to do in life and won’t settle.”

Another user replied, “Not so much difference. Sometimes, I want to know how it feels to go on a date, but no one has ever asked me out, or I have asked them because I am not attracted to my guy friends. It’s fine, though. Just keep on believing that one day it’ll be my time to experience it or not, considering I’m getting older and it’s just so hard to find someone I want to be with; even if I’ve found this person, it wouldn’t be sure that they wanted to be with me.”

Do you agree with the list above? Share your thoughts and leave a comment!

Source: Reddit.

These are 10 Things That Completely Destroyed The Love in a Relationship

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

There’s no question that relationships can be confusing, but here are some of the top things to avoid if you want to keep your relationship healthy!

10 Actors and Actresses People Refuse to Watch Ever Again

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

We all have a favorite actor or actress, but most of us have a least-favorite as well. Check out this list of actors and actresses people never want to see performing again!

Top 10 Worst Human Inventions of All Time

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

Some inventions are world-changing, and some of them, well, they change the world in the wrong ways. Here are some of the worst inventions Redditors could think of.

10 Famous Celebrities Who Look Like They Smell Terrible

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

We’ve all had moments of hygiene faux pas—but these celebrities just look like they don’t take care of themselves at all.

10 Terrible Fads People Are Glad Died Out

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

Every fad has its time in the limelight, but some of them come and go faster than others; and some just need to die out right away. Check out this list of fads of which people were happy to see the last.



About the Author



Source: financequickfix.com

Apache is functioning normally

Are you feeling down and out because of your single status? Don’t worry; it doesn’t have to be that way! This blog post is here to help turn things around by providing a list of the top 20 reasons why you’re single. Get ready for some laughs as we take an honest look at what might be keeping you from finding love. From considering yourself “too picky” to being too shy to put yourself out there, we address all the most common dating woes—plus offer up some invaluable advice on how to fix them! So if you want your happily ever after: read on!

1. You’re A Hermit

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One user posted, “I’m basically a hermit.”

Another user responded saying, “No drama, and the remote is f-ing mine.”

One user also affirmed, “Same, plus people [are generally terrible], so looking for companionship is also like sticking hands in a needle stack looking for a piece of hair.”

2. People Are Too Dramatic

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One Redditor also shared, “I have no energy for anything; people are draining and complicated.”

Another user replied, “Are you me? This is exactly how I feel. I get off work, and the last thing I want to do is have to deal with someone else.”

One Redditor added, “This is kinda one of the reasons I am not into any relationships with anyone. People are way too empty without any content, not interesting or serious about relationships, and many are also way too manipulative.”

3. You Have Nothing to Offer

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“I don’t have anything women want that better guys can’t provide,” one user added to the thread.

Another Redditor replied, “I’ve thought about this a lot.”

One user commented, “Dude, statistically better guys are already taken by a subset of girls. There should be plenty left on your level field. That is the problem with the girls: 90% of girls are after 10% of “better guys.” but once reality settles in, they will go after you as well.” 

“Objectively speaking, though, no woman on earth is going to go for a disabled guy like me. They’ll be with me despite, not inclusive of, my disability. This has been my lived experience, to use an overused phrase, lol. They have a subconscious feeling of superiority that comes out in small ways. It’s a long f-ing story that would take too much time in a comment, but trust me here,” another commenter added.

However, one user commented, “I was married to a fine man for 26 years before death parted us. He had a disability that he was born with. I never thought of him as less than or disabled. He was simply my love. My person. We loved each other well and truly and had a family. It can happen.”

4. Too Many Fish in the Sea

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One user asked, “Have you actually seen the dating pool?! …There’s not enough chlorine in the world.”

Another user responded, “Lots of insects getting in the water…”

One commenter added, “Frogs in the filter.” 

5. You Always Feel Odd

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One user explained, “The whole dating thing makes me just feel odd. I’m tired of everybody and the red or green flags. The arguments and all, I don’t want to deal with it. I’d rather be single.”

The OP of the thread commented, “Been cheated on. It made me scared to date again, I dated again, and some other stuff happened, and let’s say I’m now socially awkward and can’t talk to women anymore. Although I find it tiring, I’m trying my best not to lose hope.”

Another commenter added, “The red flag feels like canceling culture but for dating—one wrong move and you’re done.”

6. Haven’t Met the Right One

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One Redditor explained, “I honestly don’t know. A year and a half ago, I could have answered this quickly since I’d stay at home moping, just hoping someone would come calling. Well, of course, that wasn’t going to happen, so a year or so ago, I made myself get out, meet new people, befriend them, all the things you’re supposed to do.

“It didn’t work. People saw my kindness as a vessel to take advantage of and use me. I understood why doing nothing netted negative results. I don’t understand why doing the right thing also nets negative results. It makes no damn sense, it hurts, it’s made me cynical and depressed, and I don’t know what to do now.”

Another user commented, “Just keep being genuinely kind, start keeping boundaries, and it’ll weed out the bad people. You’ll meet someone eventually. Just take it slow.”

One commenter added, “Don’t close yourself off from other people. Also, be assertive and don’t let people take advantage of you. You don’t have to sacrifice your own needs to make people like you. Real friends are your friends because they enjoy your company, not because they gain materially from your presence. Yes, maybe someone you don’t let take advantage of you will not want anything to do with you, but that just means they were never going to be a true friend anyway.”

“I totally agree with what has been said here above; take a moment for yourself and establish some boundaries, some things you won’t accept being said or made, and get back in it. You might not find someone at first, but it’s fun and gets better,” concluded another person. 

7. You Don’t Meet Enough People

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One user posted, “I just don’t meet enough people now that I’m over 30.”

Another user stated, “Was married in my 30s and now divorced in my early 40s. It doesn’t get any better, friend. Everyone has a family.”

One user commented, “This exact thing. Married for 15 years, and the guys available are all weird to me. Better alone than with someone that doesn’t fit again.”

Another user answered, “I hope this will never be me. I’m already socially awkward due to my last relationship.”

8. You Just Don’t Like People

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Another user shared, “I hate people.”

One user replied, “Bingo!”

One person confirmed, “So true. If you hope to receive unconditional love in your life, get a dog. Dogs are better than people anyhow.”

9. Scared to Date

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One user shared, “Recovering from a divorce, I want a solid relationship; I’m also scared to re-enter the dating world.”

Another user replied, “Same here, dating looks scary in this landscape, and it’s okay to be happy on your own.”

“But I’m not happy on my own. I’m miserable. And to add insult to injury (and tangibility to metaphysical), I can’t afford … Anything as a result of only having one income. No house. No vacations. No enjoying the single life. Just a pointless, lonely ‘grind…’ More like a ‘skid.’ And it’s not like I just came out of the gate yesterday, either. I’m tired, boss,” the first user added.

10. You Like Your Freedom

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One user shared, “I like the freedom.”

Another user responded, “I feel this so much.”

“Same. Enjoying independence!” exclaimed another Redditor.

11. You Don’t Think People Deserve You

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A user shared, “Because 99.9% of the people in this world don’t deserve me.”

Another user replied, “Someone out there for you. Happy cake day, pal.”

12. Your Mom Said No

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One Redditor posted, “My mom said no.”

Another user replied, “When I was a teen, my parents didn’t let me date. When I was 18, they still didn’t. But ofc I still dated secretly, and to this day, all of my past relationships were secret. They still believe I have never had a date.”

However, one commenter asked, “Did you try asking out anyone else?”

13. You Don’t Like the Dating World

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One user explained, “I have no tolerance for what dating has become. I’m just old enough to remember when standing someone up on a date made you a piece of [crap]. Male or female. Now it’s called ghosting, and not only is it expected. We actually blame the person who got ghosted and says they must have done something wrong. I’m a Xennial who mostly sides with millennials over boomers. But you really f-ed up making ghosting socially acceptable.”

Another commenter replied, “I also don’t understand why people ghost. Even my friends, they ghost me. And it makes me think that I’m a boring person because I am always the one who gets ghosted. If my friends ghost me, what about a potential SO? And it gives me trauma to open up with anyone fully because it feels like they’re toying with me. So, maybe this is how my life is. No matter how hard I try, they just don’t care, and they always leave me in the end without even saying goodbye or telling me my faults.”

14. No One Seems Interested

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One Redditor shared, “No one seems interested enough to get to know me. I don’t really have many opportunities to meet people. I work full-time 2nd shift, and I work every other weekend. I don’t have any friends either ’cause I didn’t keep in touch with any childhood friends.”

Another user added, “Didn’t keep in touch either. Recently I found an old friend on FB, added them, and they added me; I tagged them in a post, and then, for some reason, blocked me. [It’s terrible]. No clue why.”

One user answered, “Might I suggest, don’t tag people. It shows up on all their friends’ feeds. It might be what they deem inappropriate or something they don’t want to be attributed to. Instead, share a private message. Then, it gives you a chance to start a private conversion as well.”

The OP responded, “Yeah. I sent them a dm and got no response. And I posted a picture of my elementary school yearbook with all my classmates in it, and bam. Who knows why…”

15. Taking Care of Family

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One Redditor posted, “I am 31, divorced, living with my 76-year-old dad. I take care of him; he has cancer and Parkinson’s. I don’t have much of a life right now. I am okay with that. I don’t know how much more time I have with my dad, and I am just focusing on taking care of him.

“I have been taking care of my ex-husband (multiple injuries at work and cancer), my ex-in-laws, my eldest brother, my mom, and one aunt. After this, I am taking care of myself. I’ll probably be single for a while after he passes too.”

Another user replied, “I understand. I’m looking forward to spending my energy on myself.”

16. Not Great at Talking To Women

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“I’m not great at approaching women, and all the women I’d consider in the friend group I’m in have boyfriends. I get matches on dating apps, but nothing ever comes out of those; the conversation never escalates into anything interesting. I think I’m also a unique person that’s gonna have a more challenging time finding a match—I’m already a person with only a few friends. My personality is not going to be a match with everyone.”, exclaimed one user.

17. You Have Trust Issues

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“B/c I have trust issues,” one user shared.

Another user replied, “Same…mental illness and baggage and being betrayed.”

One user agreed, “Same.”

18. Not Ready to Commit

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One Redditor posted, “Few reasons: I married at 20. She left me 13 months later after five years into the relationship where she had family drama and moved in with me my senior year before high school, which complicated a lot of things since I was basically married at that point. She was emotionally abusive and left me for a coworker she told me not to worry about. A month after she left, she moved in with him in a new apartment, and once our divorce was final, she announced she was three months pregnant and remarried two days after what would’ve been our 2nd anniversary and not even a year after she left me.

“After my year-long [promiscuous] phase, I realized I didn’t want to be that way and once again attempted a relationship. For nearly a year, I was in on-again, off-again situations with someone I did fall for hard. In the end, she kept using me as a placeholder every time she and her abusive ex would break up. In the end, she just told me she was using me and felt guilty, and I was essentially a placeholder for her, hoping that her ex would get help. And I’ve still yet to recover from that.

“I’m stuck in this weird middle of wanting something intimate and to have someone I can call my person, and also wanting my isolation and freedom, which is a very confusing state of mind. Dating is hard and exhausting. No matter how many dates I go on with however many people, something just isn’t clicking for me or my dates. I haven’t found my person yet, and that’s okay. Maybe one day I will. I’ll continue trying, but I accept that being single is okay.”

Another user replied, “I really feel with you on this point. I keep missing the intimacy of a partner. However, I am not ready for the responsibility and commitment of a relationship. I am not a big fan of hookup culture; due to past relationships, I need to feel safe with my sexual partners.”

19. Not Loving Yourself

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One Redditor commented, “I don’t love myself; therefore, I cannot love someone else.”

Another user added, “I hate that line. Of course, you can love someone else. Yeah, one should work on themselves, and if they don’t, their relationship may falter—but the idea you cannot love someone else is pure horsesh-t.”

Another person replied, “You can hate yourself But you love your friends, your family… You love gaming, art, music… And someone else can love you to death, even with your ‘flaw’ of hating yourself, and if they really love you, they’ll want nothing but the best for you, so they’ll try to cheer you up. Who came up with that line?”

One commenter said, “Emphasis on try. Abstract ideas like gaming, art, music, etc., are not the same as people. People get tired of trying to help someone who isn’t helping themselves. People will try and try, but eventually, people will distance themselves from you if you’re not making an effort/progress, and it’s not because they don’t love you, but it’s because 1. They most likely can’t stand to see you in a sh-tty state because they care so much, and 2. Nobody can make you love yourself; you literally have to find that within yourself. The best people can do is try and point you in the right direction or give you an idea. The rest is up to us.

“Sidenote: You guys do know there’s a difference between love and sympathy, right…? No shame in taking what you can get, but it’s important not to confuse the 2.”

One user added, “You can’t properly love someone else if you don’t love yourself. Then you end up putting a ton of pressure on your partner because all of your attention/needs are being put solely on them instead of yourself. It’s easy for your partner to literally become your whole world and reason for living which can lead to losing yourself in them when you don’t love yourself. The moral of the story is you’re asking for dependency issues getting into a relationship without loving yourself; trust me, it’s why I’m single now after 3 of the best years of my life…”

20. You’ve Never Been on a Date

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One Redditor shared, “I’ve been single my whole life. Never been on a date. I’m not the prettiest, but I know I still have worth, and I know what I want to do in life and won’t settle.”

Another user replied, “Not so much difference. Sometimes, I want to know how it feels to go on a date, but no one has ever asked me out, or I have asked them because I am not attracted to my guy friends. It’s fine, though. Just keep on believing that one day it’ll be my time to experience it or not, considering I’m getting older and it’s just so hard to find someone I want to be with; even if I’ve found this person, it wouldn’t be sure that they wanted to be with me.”

Do you agree with the list above? Share your thoughts and leave a comment!

Source: Reddit.

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