It’s worse with instagram. I debated switching to Pixelfed at first because no one I know is on it. But then I realized I barely see friends content on insta, so it’s not really different, at least on Pixelfed I don’t see adds and only see posts from people I follow.
I was the first of my siblings to cut contact with my dad and stepmom. I had to really consider how I would feel when my dad died, if I cut contact, I didn’t want to regret it.
My stepmom was abusive and my dad always chose her over our safety.
Now all but one of my siblings have cut contact.
They tell people we ghosted them.
They reach out regularly to try to contact us. I’ve realized it’s because they feel bad about themselves and it’s never about knowing us or caring about us. Half the messages they send us say stuff about how we are going to hell and we need to find Jesus.
The hardest part is explaining to people with normal families, they never understand that parents who can’t love you exist, and that a big happy reconciliation wouldn’t be a good thing.
Our library loans out state parks passes for a month so you can go to parks for free. It also loans out hiking gear, provides immigration resources, and oddly, a ukulele.
My advice is if you need something electronic or mechanical and it’s expensive buy it now. I just replaced my hvac last month because I know this summer will be a mess. Most air conditioners are made in Asia. You want an e-bike, buy it now.
The more parts something has the more likely it’s going to be affected by tariffs.
Start growing some food if you can it’s a great way to be more resilient. I’d recommend buying things like coffee and tea and chocolate that are not easily grown in the US. There’s actually a pretty bad chocolate shortage right now I believe.
Also for other stuff, buy used, in thrifts or on eBay. Not only are you recycling, most sellers are individuals rather than big corps. Also, if you have old stuff you are not using, it’s a great time to sell. My eBay sales are up 10% this year.