Surviving finances!

Does anyone have any tips on how to survive mat leave on just SMP?

Does anyone do any side hustles or self employed work?
Need a way of making some money on the side!

in our community

What's better

It's it better to have health insurance or go without in the USA? Trying to decide if I should get insurance next year or keep going without it. I've had insurance before and want another honest opinion.

i think i resent my husband

it feels like this entire pregnancy he’s been pushing every boundary i’ve asked for. when i first found out i was pregnant initially i said no telling anyone until 12weeks. but i was so sick so my parents who live near us would come drop off food regularly so they found out i was pregnant around 6 weeks bc i was hospitalized. i asked him to wait to tell his parents until after first trimester though bc of risk of MC and i don’t really have a relationship with them and so was really anxious. he kept fighting me about that but ended up not telling them.

then a few months ago he insisted they be present for the birth even though i asked for a few weeks to recover. that was another huge fight because he said they’re also grandparents they should be here when the baby’s born. i tried explaining there are very few people i want around me when im bleeding and leaking everywhere but he kept saying it’s not fair they’re grandparents too even when i tried to explain its not about the baby it’s about ME.

Ive tried compromising ive tried saying ok they can come but they need to stay in a hotel but its apparently disrespectful to ask his mom to stay elsewhere and he keeps going back to “fair”. Is it fair i had severe hospitalization nausea for 16 weeks? Is it fair i cant sleep bc i get up to pee 6x a night? I’m the one growing the child I have to recover while learning to breastfeed (something HE wants, id happily do formula) and learning to keep a tiny human alive.

I’m 1 month from delivering and we keep having these fights. I said ok let me see how i’m feeling post birth then we can decide when his parents come (how long they need to wait) but even that’s not okay. It’s like if i don’t decide right now we won’t see them for 4-5 months bc they don’t want to travel in the cold and I feel like that decision is being blamed on me.

Looking for my girly group

okay where is my girly group because i know you’re hiding somewhere 😭

i’m looking for a little group of girls around brisbane who actually want genuine friendships — coffee/matcha dates, brunch, cute little outings, shopping, walks, dinners, playdates if you have kids, sending each other stupid reels and eventually getting to the point where we can just show up at each other’s houses looking feral 😂

i’m a mum of two but you definitely don’t have to be a mum. i’d actually love a mix of girls where our entire friendship doesn’t revolve around being parents.

i’m into beauty, skincare, books, reality tv, spirituality/psychic stuff, cute outfits, y2k everything and having conversations that somehow go from completely unserious to deep life shit within five minutes.

i’m not looking for the “we should totally catch up!!” and then never speak again type of friendship 😭 i want my actual girls. group chat, spontaneous plans, checking in on each other, celebrating birthdays, the whole thing.

bonus points if you’re a little introverted, a little unhinged and also wondering how adults are supposed to make proper friends 😂

where are youuuu 🤎

Happy mail!?

Is anyone interested in sending each other "happy mail" once or twice a month? Maybe we create things and share them with one another or maybe sometimes we can just gift one another things we find that the other person might like. We can be virtual friends and talk and make each other feel special with little packages that we can look foward to ❤️

Life be lifeing

I fear I found the best solution to my depression and poor productivity and hate to report it is working out. Haven’t done it consistently for over 3 yrs, and wooo am I back to square one, but twenty minutes of movement each day has really helped my mental state and my overall attitude. Life has been kicking my families ass for the better part of a year, and this small thing has been helping me cope.
Been doing the Grow With Jo workouts on YouTube, lots of beginner friendly workouts and no equipment needed!

Looking for mama friends 🧡

I’d love to find some mums who can relate to this 🤍

I’ve been feeling a little extra alone lately, and I’ve realised how much I miss having that “someone checking in on you” kind of support.

I lost my mum when I was little, and my dad isn’t present in my life. I also have a pretty complicated/dysfunctional family situation, so I don’t really have that parent or family network that a lot of people naturally have around them.

I’m a mum myself now, and sometimes it hits me that there isn’t really anyone who’s going to randomly call and ask, “Are you okay? How are you coping with the kids?” — and I think I’m craving that kind of mutual support and friendship.

I’m not looking for sympathy at all. I’d actually love to hear from other mums who have a similar experience — whether you’ve lost a parent, are estranged from family, have an absent parent, or just don’t have much of a family support system.

It would be so lovely to make some friendships where we can check in on each other, have a chat when things feel hard, celebrate the good stuff together, and just know there’s someone who gets it. 🥹🤍

If this sounds like you too, please message me. I’d genuinely love to connect.