Hi all,
For those that aren't in the know, Rite Aid announced bankruptcy filing back in October '23. They've since closed around 100 bottom performing stores nationally to combat their financial position.
Is anyone a vendor for Rite Aid, either pharmaceutical or otherwise (CPG)? I heard from my sales partner that they stopped orders for all of their vendors last month. My team is doing a risk analysis for revenue loss and it's a pretty hefty amount. Curious if anyone else in demand planning that deals with RA is having similar convos.
I heard elsewhere that they haven't paid out 401k employer contribution matches since filing, and they "expect to pay it out within 6 months", lol. In other news, there's some talk of either Walgreens or CVS cannibalizing the remaining stores if they go belly up

I might put a limit order on PLD and CVS. Don't love either, but I like them around $100 and $54 respectively. WPC looks nice at $53.
Note: I'm looking for long-term holds for a portfolio designed for income now. I have a boring 401k (contributing % matched) and a mildly interesting Roth (max annual contributions) with ETFs.

401k was opened up few months ago with vanguard. Only has in 200 bucks or so. I plan to leave in 2 months. Going to be working at my first Job again. Can whoever detail me the step by step process to end this plan. Is it automatically done by the employer. I want it completely closed out and no401k

Is the CVS match through Roth or traditional 401k? On the Vanguard website, it shows 401k Savings, then Roth, then annual incentive, and Roth incentive. To get the 5% company match, do you have to put it in the 401K savings or can you put it in the Roth?

Recent graduate here. I’m currently at an independent company, after leaving my old chain due to store closings. I don’t mind the workload, but the location I work at is inconsistent (often with a lengthy commute) and I’m not getting full time hours. No benefits or 401k contribution either. I’ve been sending applications to other places (my hope is to get into a Costco one day), but so far the only one I’ve heard back from is Walgreens, from a posting for part or full time employment.
I’ve heard the stories about Walgreens and CVS, and I’d like to keep an open mind, but I’m feeling a bit unsure of what to do. I’ll have a brief call with the person who reached out for the listing in a few days to discuss the position before scheduling a real interview; if they offer full time and consistency in location, is it worth leaving to start there?

Context, warnings, disclaimers:
Previous MD
Joint income is roughly $115k. My partner is freelance and his income is variable. As in my last diary, I will refer to my partner by his pet name, Smol. We are not married and maintain separate finances except one joint account for paying our mortgage and settling up on bills. We have been together 10 years.
We only were able to purchase our home due to assistance from parents ($35k from mine, $20k from Smol’s). I know some people prefer to see that up front so they can skip the read and I totally understand.
We recently adopted a Valentine’s Day kitty, so we have four animals now.
Section One: Assets and Debt
Retirement Balance (and how you got there) –
TSP - $58,668. I’m only contributing 5% plus match.
Old job 401K - $8274. Still need to roll this over. Oops.
Equity - $71,000. Principle balance: $460,252 for 3 bed 1 bath purchased with Smol in 2021.
Savings account balance – $10,865.39
Checking account balance – $2,020.51
Joint Checking - $221.91
Credit card debt - $0
Student loan debt (for what degree) - $49.5k for Masters degree.
Undergraduate covered by state education trust. Parents paid in 7k when I was a baby. This covered 125 credits at an in-state university.
Section Two: Income
Income Progression –
2015: $28,000
2016: $30,000
2017: GS-9 Step 1 $56,229
2018: GS-11 Step 1 $66,253
Present: GS-11 Step 5: $90,912
Biweekly Take Home – $2,178.59
Deductions:
Mandatory Pension Contribution - $153.33
TSP - $174.24 (5%. Agency matches first 3% and then 50 cents on the dollar for the next 2%)
Social Security - $208.18
Federal Taxes - $422.94
State Taxes - $156.86
Life Insurance in the amount of my salary - $14.88
Medicare Tax - $48.69
Health Insurance - $95.74
Dental - $25.70
Vision - $5.65
Side Gig Monthly Take Home – I’ve cut back on dog sitting. I sit once or twice every 2-3 months, usually making around $500 per job.
Section Three: Expenses
Mortgage Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance - $2,677. I pay $1,606 (60%).
Savings contribution - $100-300 when possible, but something always seems to come up with the house, the animals, or the car.
Investment contribution - $0
Debt payments - $354.15 I am pursuing PSLF and will be eligible in August 2027.
Donations (please specify if monthly or annual) – Roughly $300-400 annually to various causes.
Electric - $75 split 50/50 with Smol. Usually less than $50 in summer.
Gas – $175 in winter split 50/50 with Smol. Less than $50 in summer.
WateSewer – $112, I pay.
Trash - $132.51 every 3 months, I pay.
Internet - $80/mo, split 50/50 with Smol.
Cellphone - $55 my contribution to family plan with parents and brother.
Subscriptions - HBO $14.99, Spotify $9.99 and Apple TV $9.99. I pay all of these. $6 to Patreon.
Gym membership - $75 for climbing gym.
Pet expenses - $350 for two dogs and AssCat. Smol covers expenses for NiceCat.
Car insurance - $522 twice a year, I pay. I purchased and paid off the car. We share one vehicle.
Professional License Exams - I'll probably pay roughly $1200 this year.
Paid hobbies - $180/mo for weekly guitar lessons, $30 1-2 times per month for voice lessons. Ad hoc expenses come up related to climbing/camping/skiing. Lots of gas for the car.
Doctor - $50. I put this in a sinking fund for copays and tests as they come up.
Other – Approx. $300/mo goes into various sinking funds
DAY 1
7:45: Startled awake by Smol gently coaxing me into life. It’s the weekend and we are going to the resort to cross-country ski today, so I should have been up earlier. I spent half the night awake because AssCat slept on my legs and he’s a mighty, pint-sized furnace (he was, after all, born and delivered to us straight from hell) that bakes my entire body. I pour myself downstairs. Coffee is ready and Smol is slicing thick pieces of the bread I made last night while frying up some eggs. He serves my plate with a forehead kiss.
8:30: Take both dogs for a walk. Only one dog is coming to skijor, as our youngest doesn’t take kindly to being charged by unruly, off-leash dogs while pulling. An inevitability at the resort. We did a family skijor adventure yesterday, but I still feel like a bad mom leaving him home.
10:00: Make it to the cross-country lodge. We have free passes thanks to a friend that works there, but I need to buy a dog pass ($5). Dog gets all the compliments for being the most beautiful member of the family. We head out to the trails and go our separate ways, Smol on his classic skis and me on skate skis with the dog. It’s fucken wimdy, but the dog loves it and I love dog. He is very adorable in his blue racerback harness with his dog pass flapping in the wind.
1:45: All three of us are beat, but happy.
2:30: Make it home and the power goes out. I get cleaned up and comfy, make some tea, putz on my guitar, and read a graphic novel with NiceCat on my lap.
5:00: After a family dog walk, we make a frozen pizza topped with Field Roast veggie sausage. Then it’s off to the movies for a rare date night. It’s a bit of a drive and I’m afraid I’ll fall asleep on the way.
7:15: Smol buys the tickets and I purchase the snacks and drinks ($29). Smol tells me he doesn’t want popcorn, but I know he’s lying so I buy a medium. He starts eating it 3 previews in.
11:00: Take some Tylenol and fall into bed. I didn’t drink enough water while skiing and my head is pounding. Tomorrow will be better.
DAY 2
6:30: Tomorrow is not better! I wake up to two alarms, mine and Smol’s. I’m immediately confused and ask him why he’s getting up at 5:30. He tells me it’s 6:30. I’m an idiot. I didn’t move my clock forward. My carpool arrives at 6:30. I launch out of bed, get dressed, brush my teeth, and splash cold water on my face in 5 minutes. Fortunately, my carpool shows 5 minutes late. Unfortunately, I did not have time to make coffee, breakfast, or lunch.
7:45: Stop at the donut shop by the office for a large coffee and a donut. My coworker pays (he forgot his breakfast and wallet a few weeks back and I covered him). We get to the office and realize we forgot our key fobs. Coworker taps on our Staff Officer’s window for building access.
8:30: Standing staff group meeting. Travel budget is nonexistent this year. Guess I won’t be attending the big agency conference for my job series this summer. Rats.
12:00: The Employee Association snack cabinet recently returned after a four-year hiatus. It’s saving me today. I put cash in the jar for a handful of snacks that will serve as my lunch and emotional support ($3). I’m having a stressful day and I sense I’m on the verge of either making it everyone’s problem or crying. Maybe both.
2:00: Smol is picking meals and grocery shopping and asks if I have any requests. I add Greek yogurt, tofu, kale, bell pepper, avocado, and apples to his list. This gets added to the ledger of items we will split at the end of the month. He spends about $120 total.
6:00: Greeted at home by two happy huskies, two indifferent cats, and a package. It’s my new two-dog tug rope for skijoring. It’s pretty! Smol is already cooking spiced lentils for dinner, and he insists I bear witness to the many deals he secured on groceries (bounty of berries, a fridge full of sparkling water, raisins that he wants me to pack in my lunches). I take the dogs on their long evening walk and decompress.
8:00: After dinner with Smol I head to the gym to climb and lift. It’s snowing and windy.
10:15: Home again. I have my nightcap ice cream and turn in. Smol left a sticky note on my clock reminding me to spring it forward, so I finally get that updated.
DAY 3
7:45: Logging on later than I planned. Like my car clock I shall remain on Standard Time. It’s a work from home day and I absolutely need to get my project signature ready. It’s snowing a bit again.
9:00: I’m hungry for breakfast. I waggle the veggie sausage links at Smol and ask if he wants some in the scramble (yes). I make us both eggs and load up my plate with them and some berries and toast.
10:30: AutoCAD crashes. I will never know peace. I take a deep breath and remind myself in a few months time it will be field season, I will be in the woods and my biggest concerns will be armed, drunk people breaking into my project sites and running through the trees naked.
12:30: Smol slips me a piece of paper with the sum of money I need to add to our joint checking account for the back tax bills on our house (title company screwed up our paperwork, assessor couldn’t move forward until corrected, we didn’t know about any of this until we were CC’d on the FINAL NOTICE to the title company, we owe two years of back taxes as a result). I move my contribution of $1,823.95 over from my savings account. This is our second installment. We have one more (thankfully much smaller) payment in July.
1:00: I’ve been so locked into work I didn’t even take the dogs for their morning exercise. We all take a break to go skijoring on some trails off the neighborhood. Since we didn’t get out early the snow is soft and the pups are getting a workout. We move slowly but at least they will be tired.
2:00: Make a sandwich and get right back to the grind. NiceCat snuggles in my lap and purrs. Guitar teacher texts me that he’s sick and can’t make our lesson tonight. Shoot. We will plan a make-up session.
4:15: Tea and snack time. I mix up some Greek yogurt with maple syrup, berries, and some cereal for crunch. Offer the cats drugs.
4:30: There is a sudden flurry of avalanche blasting and my older dog panics. I dose him with Sileo gel. Poor guy, I thought we were done with that for a while.
5:45: Log off and curl up on the couch to read a book and decompress.
6:15: The dogs haven’t been able to hang out in the backyard since the snow reached fence height and I feel bad about it. Now that it’s getting soft, we go out with them and dig a perimeter along the fence so they can hang untethered in their snowy domain.
7:15: Smol heats up leftovers and to my great delight drenches several pieces of sourdough toast in butter as a side. We snuggle up on the couch to watch the last episode of House of Ninjas. If this show doesn’t get renewed for a second season I will perish.
8:45: At the gym to lift. Before leaving home Smol says that he prepared a protein dense meal and he “expects mass!!!”
10:15: Get the coffee pot ready and prep my breakfast/lunch/snacks to-go for my office day tomorrow. Read in bed until I’m tired enough to sleep.
DAY 4
5:30: It is Wednesday, my dudes.
7:45: At my office digging into work and my breakfast (Greek yogurt, honey, berries, and cereal). My 3-year-old nephew texts me “Rustshjttchtyygghjbkjjkk. Drystone. Yet the u the Hugh.” Big if true.
9:30: Large staff group meeting with folks from our District offices. Spring is right around the corner and with it comes our busy season. Topics range far and wide, from big picture budget to toilet pumping, hazard trees, and campground host cleanliness (or lack thereof). There are snacks.
12:15: Meeting continues into the afternoon with topics that don’t involve me. I escape to eat my veggie sandwich and apple, then scuttle around collecting signatures on my project package.
3:00: One of my climbing partners wants to rope up tonight. It’s Smol’s weekly game night, so I say yes.
4:50: Log off. There’s usually a big after work happy hour on days that the District staff come into the Supervisor’s office for meetings, but the carpool is collectively too tired to attend. We do, however, stop for a snack at the gas station. I get chips and a vitamin water ($6.29).
6:00: Same old stuff. Walk the dogs, eat leftovers and ice cream.
8:00: Meet my friend at the gym to climb.
10:30: I think I’m asleep before my head even hits the pillow.
DAY 5
9:20: Nothing much to report so far today. It’s been a quiet work from home morning while I wait for signed documents and play catch up on minor tasks.
9:45: Eat scrambled eggs and toast saturated in butter while I work. I do not fear death.
11:30: I’ve been mentoring an interpretive ranger on signage design and he’s having issues preparing his file for print. He packages the InDesign file and sends it to me for troubleshooting. I fix it immediately. I wish I could say it’s because I’m a genius, but I really have no idea why it worked for me and not for him.
1:00: Smol asks if I want cheese Pizza Rolls. Yes.
2:00: We take a long, relaxing family walk. I aspired to skijor in a lovely meadow up the pass today, but my legs are sore.
3:45: I discover I missed an email about a partner agency meeting from 9-12 this morning. I need to talk to them about a water tank they owe us at one of our campgrounds. Dammit.
4:30: Run out to drop off a package at the post office ($4.08), grab a few items from CVS ($36.29), and the grocery store ($25). We have friends visiting from overseas starting tomorrow and I want the house stocked and comfy.
5:45: I sure was hoping to get my package back with the Forest Supervisor’s signature before calling it quits today. Really counting on it for tomorrow’s submission.
7:30: The evening is a flurry of activity: cleaning the house, doing laundry, and moving cat stuff around to prepare for our incoming guests. I fix up the dogs’ dinner while Smol manages ours: bbq tofu sliders and french fries, which we weirdly had last time I wrote an MD.
8:45: Lift. Catch up on my favorite Webtoons between sets.
10:30: Bed.
DAY 6
5:55: I typically schedule my office days to avoid Fridays, but not this week. I’ll be driving straight from the office to the city to pick my pals up from the train station today! I’m driving solo so I sleep in a bit. I hate getting up early.
8:15: Make it to the office. Still no signed docs. My best friend texts me about a dream date our spirits took to the movies last night.
9:00: Greek yogurt with maple, berry, and granola for breakfast. I stare at my project wall. I have a chart of sticky notes with project titles organized under headers titled “In the Woods,” “Decked,” and “In the Chipper.” After weeks of being singularly focused on today’s deadline, it’s time to move some new sticky notes into The Chipper, including a big project due one month from today. But I don’t wanna. I’m so burned out from weeks of stress and it’s Friday. I choose to be irresponsible and pick a small, fun task with zero urgency: illustrations I was asked to make for the Employee Association.
10:30: Smol sends the morning photo dump of all my honeys. He knows I miss them on office days.
12:00: Lunch is leftover bbq tofu sliders. I will be eating with my friends in the city for dinner. We hardly ever eat out (due to cost and a dearth of quality options), so I’m eager to enjoy some town tasties later!
1:15: I have been on this unit nearly 5 years and I just learned we have an office gym??!
2:00: Decide to start some shit with the water tank issue.
5:15: Logging off and heading to the city! It’s about a 50-minute drive to the train station.
6:15: United with my pals and extremely excited about it! We drive around the city while I point out sights before stopping for dinner. My friends insist on paying. We eat slowly and catch up for almost two hours before heading back up the mountain.
9:30ish: Back home with Smol and the critters. My friends settle in, and we stay up a bit late chatting.
DAY 7
8:30: Apparently I was zonked. I’m the last one up and to the coffee pot. My friends are busy doing a little bit of work, but we enjoy a slow morning together chatting and snacking while they manage their business. I start marinating tofu for dinner and walk the dogs with Smol.
11:00: We all head out to enjoy some nature and see the sights.
12:00: Arrive at one of the local breweries for drinks and pizza. Smol orders our pizza while I buy everyone a round ($39.42).
1:30: More nature time. Our friends don’t have the best footwear for snow, but we make the best of it.
3:00: Swing by the grocery store to buy a few items for dinner. I battle my companions at the card reader, but they win.
5:00: We all go to a nearby paved (and plowed) trail system to walk the dogs. The pups frolic through the snow while we talk and enjoy the mountain views.
6:00: I cook one of my favorite tofu bowl recipes. Dinner is a long and leisurely affair, followed by denning down in the living room to watch a movie.
9:45: We all turn in a bit early to rest up. Tomorrow will be a full day at the cross-country ski lodge!
TOTAL SPENT: $1,972.03
Entertainment $34
Snacks/Groceries $34.29 (+ 120 spent by Smol to be divided at end of month)
Miscellaneous $40.37
Drinks/restaurants $39.42
Taxes $1,823.95
Reflection:
This week was such a treat! The visit with our friends continued beyond this diary and I picked up a few more meal and drink tabs. I typically only set aside $50-60 for eating out a month, and we only go to the movies maybe once or twice a year. This isn’t virtuous; we just can’t afford to go out. I kept thinking how nice it felt to loosen up, and I hope someday going out can be a more regular part of our budget.

UPDATE 03/22/2024: I have officially declined Geico's offer. Thank you so much for all of the feedback that you all gave me both here and on the Discord. I truly hope that each and every one of you is able to find a better place to work that is more appreciative of the value and the skills that each one of you have.
For reference this is the semi-redacted version of what I sent to the recruiter and submitted as my comment to explain why I declined:

Thank you for taking the time to consider me for this position. Please extend my heartfelt thanks to all of the employees who took time out of their busy days to evaluate me and participate in this process.
That having been said, I have chosen not to accept this offer as further research into the tech org of Geico revealed a lot of disturbing facts. Chief among them is the news that has been circulating in recent months that Geico has decided to adopt a stack ranking system for measuring employee performance and that Engineers are apparently being ranked using metrics that rely upon commit and pull request related statistics. It is a proven fact that stack ranking systems negatively impact collaboration as they promote hyper-individualistic behaviors at the expense of one's teammates, co-workers and the organization as a whole. I cannot and will not knowingly sign up to be part of such a system.
I only discovered this while asking Geico employees who congregate on various locations of the internet for more detailed health benefit information that you all declined to directly give me when I asked. At the time I was annoyed that I had to ask around for this information, but knowing what I know now, I am exceptionally grateful that this chain of events played out in such a way that I was able to learn of these things prior to possibly accepting this offer.
In addition, I have accepted an offer with a competing prospect as of this morning.

ORIGINAL POST:
Okay fellow GEICO redditors (sorry this account is a throwaway, hence the lack of any credibility), I got a problem and I need some assistance.
Long story short: GEICO has sent me an offer for a Software Engineer position. In any event, beyond the offer itself they offered very minimal information on their benefits, which happen to be very important to my wife and myself. Prior to accepting any job, her and I go through and verify coverage levels and network statuses for all medications and doctors / dentists.
Geico gave me a very basic informational packet and due to that I know they use CIGNA for their Health Insurance and Vision Insurance. I know their prescription coverage goes through CVS Caremark and uses their "Low Cost formulary" (though I assume this is a Geico specific formulary as I can't find any direct info about it online). They use EyeMed for insurance. They have a 6% 401k match.
I pushed the internal recruiter for more info and they gave me a basic per paycheck pricing list for the benefits. I was also able to find a list of Dentists and Doctors in the Cigna network using the Cigna website. However I still don't have:

• What are the differences between the different tiers of CIGNA insurance? Namely the Cigna Open Access In-Network (OA-IN), Cigna Open Access In-and Out-of-Network (OA-IN&OUT) and the Cigna Open Access High Deductible Health Plan (OA-HDHP).
• Where we live, none of the HMO options apply. I assume the first two differ based on whether or not you want out of network providers covered. Beyond that and what it costs per check, I have nothing.
• I want to know what individual and family deductibles and out of pocket max values are. I want to know what the co-pays are. I want to know what is covered and what is not.
• What drugs are covered? What are the tiers? Can anybody send me the formulary?

It's deeply concerning that they seemingly don't want to share this information. Based on the posts I've already read from this subreddit, the health and prescription coverage isn't that great, but it's kind of insane that I've having to come here and ask these questions at all. When I pressed the recruiter for more info initially, they sent me the premium costs per pay period and essentially implied that this was the best they could do.
Any and all help you all can provide would be most appreciated. Also if you have any opinions on reasons why and why I shouldn't accept this offer, feel free to share them.
Sincerest Regards,
Soon-to-be-maybe fellow Geico co-worker

Important financial decision
Please don't cream me on here for my awful financial decisions. I feel like I'm constantly in survival mode being a single mom with little support. When I got divorced, we agreed to sell our home to pay off the 40k credit debt we were in. At the time, I was a full time SAHM and had been for 5 years. My Bachelor's degree in SW didn't offer enough salary to cover two babies daycare expenses. I also couldn't afford to stay in Massachusetts with no income. I didn't have family that would take us in, so I moved to Virginia as I had some distant family there with my 5 and 2 year old babies. I moved in with a cousin who was looking to get out of his roommates house and went on public assistance short term. My rent was $600 for a 2bd townhouse and my portion was half.
Within one year, I finished my online masters program, secured a FT job, got off Publc assistance, finalized my divorce and child support and bought an affordable home in 2016. I ended up renting the home instead and moved back to Massachusetts for my dream job at a college until COVID. During this time, I fell into a big depression completely in a freeze state. My renters couldn't pay rent so I had to give up my rental in Massachusetts to save my home. My children and I were separated for the first time ever, for a total of one year. I was homeless- living in a room for rent in some random girls apartment.
When my VA tenants vacated my property (they did so willingly even though they had rights), I moved me and my kids back to our home where we lived for another year surviving on stimulus checks and unemployment. They were at home remotely in school for the entire year. The economy didn't return in Virginia at the speed other states were and I panicked bc money was running out. Things were still closed, nobody was hiring, the pandemic was still in full force but the unemployment and stimulus was ending altogether. During COVID I accumulated 20k in credit card debt. So I made the decision to sell my house at the height of the market. I moved back to MA as the economy came back sooner and within one week, I landed a remote job paying 55k in 2021.
I've been here since. I've lived in the same apartment for the past 3 years and today, my salary is 70k in a hybrid role. I received the news that my landlord is not renewing our lease for noise complaints (we are on the 2nd floor). We are in a 1,100 Sq feet 3 bedroom 1Ba with in unit laundry for $2200. We are facing an $800 increase, for the same luxury in today's rental market.
Now, let me preface that I spent several thousand to move to MA which lived on a credit card, after I had just paid it off. And, right before covid in 2019, my fully paid off car, died on me, and so I had accumulated a $300 lease car payment. I had the option to buy the car but I drove back and forth from MA to VA so much that I drove nearly 70k miles on 3 years. I was also living with someone at the time who was in a custody battle and who didn't own a vehicle so I upgraded to a vehicle that would accommodate an entire family of 6. Yes mistake #589. Now my car payment, insurance and one weekly fill costs me a total of $1100-1200/month depending on how far I travel.
I have attempted to give the car back and can't do so without destroying my credit. Also I tried to downsize but bc I have negative equity in the car, they won't let me walk away with anything under $520 payment for a much older car with triple the miles and double my interest rate (I pay Honda $612/mo on a $27,000 loan @ 3% interest). Now this car expense is not something I had in VA.
Since my partner leaving about a year and a half ago, I have struggled to maintain my expenses and wound up in once again $20k of credit card debt. $5,000 of it was a loan to a bf who took off. Yes, mistake #913. But most of it is the utilities cost during winter months, inflation of food, two vacations, the kids sports, clothes, cvs trips for medicine, toiletries. My self care indulgences consist of my nails and toes done once per month at $100, my skincare $30/month bc I'm a consultant and I get a huge discount, my hair averages at $20/month color, cuts, blow dry. Most people pay this every 12 weeks- I am friends with a salon owner and I pay 50% off on all services. Dinner and drinks with my girl friends $150/month. And Waxing services at $50/month that's for a Brazilian, lip, eyebrows- again cheap because I'm friends with an aesthetician who gives me 50% off. I also pay $75 for the boys haircuts once a month. For those of who you don't live up north, yes, prices for these things here are astronimcal. I can't leave a market basket without spending $250 which will last me for 10-14 days.
Anyway, the point is, I'm in a crappy financial situation as usual. I have no 401k, I can not save for retirement. I have pony $2500 in savings and I'm in $20k of cc debt again. My credit score is "good" at a 705. I have $80k in borrowing power and I'm below 30% credit card utilization but my minimums are about $500/month! Other bills: rent ($2200) utilities($300), internet($105) and TV subscriptions ($20), car payment+insurance+gas ($1100), food ($700) including one take out dinner per week, Self care ($425) and fun ($100). This doesn't include sports, car maintenance, if I have an emergency, medical co-pays, etc. I literally can't sustain my life. I'm really frustrated that I worked so hard for 20 years to get where I am and there's kids coming out of college earning $100k year. I also have no savings for the boys college.
I say all of this to say, with the rent increases, plus my current mistakes, I'm looking to either move AGAIN to a place in the US that isn't $3,000/month OR downsize to a 2bedroom apartment for a slight increase of $200/month just to stay in the same school district. I will say that my boys are not happy about the latter even though they love their schools. They are 12 and 9 and appreciate having their own rooms. They also look forward to not living in an apartment anymore as they have been walking pm eggshells the last 3 years. And like many kids, they are craving outdoor space which we also don't have and will not have in our neighborhood.
I am very cautious about moving them to a neighboring MA town that might be slightly inexpensive (meaning the same costs as I'm incurring now) bc any move outside of their school will still impact then just as much as a move anywhere else. They've lived down south before. The reason why we keep coming back to MA is because their grandmother and cousins are here from dads side and that's the only real connection they have left from that side. Otherwise dad, comes around when he feels like it. It's really hard to be a single mom all on my own. I dreaded it years ago but now my kids are pretty well mannered and self sufficient.
Doing the same thing over and over again is insanity. I'm torn and don't know how to get out of this. I also want to mindful of my "poor" mentality. My brain is trained "pull back, move somewhere cheaper" versus, work harder abundance is everywhere. I really don't want my kids to be latchkeykids and I really don't have the Capacity to work another job. I already work FT, have an inconsistent side gig that brings in about $1,500 in revenue a year and I coach soccer all year around. And I'm one person. And I'd like to spend time with my kids.
I am so depressed. I know it's part economy, part bad choices, part my career path is sh&%%%t and I'm underpaid and under valued. I JUST started this new job in January and it's the most money I've ever made. My title is Business Development and Operations. Yes, I do think I'm compensated well minus $5k or so.
With child support, my gross income is $87,000 and I bring home after tax and benefits $5,700/month. And yet somehow I'm still in $20k debt and continue to use the cards. I feel like a total failure. And at the same time I also reject paying $3,000 for an apt in the suburbs of MA!! Like are you kidding me!?
I'm really looking for sound advice. I've looked 40 min south to Providence- prices with decent schools are the same as they are here. Proces in the dumps are $1800 and the public schools are ROUGH, overcrowded and lack IEP services.
I have 3.5 years before my car is paid off! I know that even if I downsized this year, that I know I'll eventually get pushed out of this neighborhood. Maybe now next year but the year after so my thought is, if I'm going to move the kids eventually and culture shock them again, it's best to do that now than wait. But I also wonder if "running" away is mistake # 751. I've been researching north carolina and there are some jobs there but there is townhouses 3bd 2bath 1500 Sq ft home for 1700. It's wild. I'm nearly positive I won't be able to keep my job though. So if I lose it, and restart somewhere new, I most likely won't get paid as much which leaves me in the same screwed situation.
Somebody, please share thoughts. And don't be mean and tell me I'm a mistake and stop making mistakes. My moves have been intentional and sometimes stupid but i deserve to take care of myself, to have fun and to drive a reliable vehicle. Just be nice but also please what are your thoughts? Should I stay or should I go?

Hi, my wife works at CVS and she has an account with Vanguard. 💸💼 To be honest, the funds available are quite limited. 🧐 When I checked the prospects of the funds, there was a serious lack of information. 😕 And guess what? In two years, there have been no dividends or capital gains accrued. 😱 Is this normal for a 401k? 🤔 #InvestmentConfusion #WhatsGoingOnVanguard

So I called Vanguard a few weeks back asking why I haven't been getting my match for my 401k (I've been with CVS for over 2 years), and they're now telling me I don't get a match because my store is part of a union. Do unions have an alternative to that match, like a pension of some sort perhaps, or should I call union to work something out? It's quite the bummer that I could've gotten more than double what I have right now in my retirement fund. :/

I'm from the rural Midwest, the Rust Belt. I spent the 90s and early 2000s (my 20s and 30s) chasing one factory/foundry job after another, just to see them close up or undergo massive layoffs with no hope of returning. Supplementing in between with whatever I could find: gas stations, restaurants, bars, laborer, etc: you name it I've done it. After years of good jobs leaving my area I finally applied to the VA and got a janitorial position at a VA hospital in 2009. I've been there 15 years and eventually worked my way to a medical logistics job. It's the steadiest, most secure job I've ever had, and the highest paying. There's a good chance you live really close to a federal service that might be hiring. They are in all 50 states and there are hundreds of different jobs across dozens of agencies and services, in cities big and small. If you're unemployed or under-employed please consider visiting the website for federal job postings at usajobs.gov. There are thousands of jobs, all over the country, with services seeking a wide range of skills and experience. So many federal services are seeking employees. There are tons of jobs (like food service, laborers, janitorial positions and others) that require little experience. And they generally pay better than private sector jobs, depending on location. If you have any sort of college degree or technical certification that isn't cutting it in the private sector you should definitely consider federal service. The benefits are pretty good, too. Paid Annual Leave (vacation time accrued every pay period) with carry over, paid sick leave, decent parental leave, they have a union, TSP matching up to 5% (a 401k-like retirement program), paid holidays, shift differentials, remote working or compressed schedules might be available, medical and life insurance, COLA adjustments most years, a standardized payscale that increases with seniority, annual performance bonuses in most jobs, some opportunities for education reimbursement for high demand jobs, and internal learning opportunities available to all federal employees to help propel your career to the next step or a better paying position. Not to mention, these jobs put you in close proximity to know about better jobs as they come available through internal job postings that usually get listed before posting to the public. If you're a veteran or disabled you might even be able to receive a hiring preference. And once you're in it is nearly impossible to get fired unless you do something highly unethical or ridiculously dangerous. The application process is pretty streamlined and you can upload or create multiple resumes/CVs to tailor them to the job(s) your applying for. I'm not gonna say that every day has been rainbows and unicorns, no job is like that. But it changed my life, gave me a security and benefits that I wasted nearly 20 years chasing. I only wish I had known about it sooner in life.
TLDR, if you need a job or a better job go to usajobs.gov and see what might interest you based on your education or experience.

For my Roth IRA I’m adding 250 every 2 weeks that’s what I can afford after bills and putting money aside for my HYSA my position are
-FSKAX -FXAIX -FSPGX -SCHD
I just wanted to make sure I’m on the right path and don’t wanna regret my decisions on my positions later on should I add anything or remove anything? I was thinking to add a foreign market one but not sure ik I should have to many (I’m learned this all by myself through researching can’t ask my parents for help or anything bc neither have any)
FOR MY 401k I just started this job and I’m still in school so this is only a 2 year thing until I graduate then go into my career
I work in a CVS wearhouse and I think they match up to 5% only after you’ve been there for a year and when signing up for it they have an option to automatically increase the amount by 1% being added to the 401k every year
My question is what should I do what % should I and what should I do about the matching since it’s only after you’ve been there a year

Started contributing to my 401k ab 4 months ago. I was doing 3% Roth and 2% traditional, but recently increased to 5% for both. My annual incentive and Roth annual incentive are both at 1%.
My question is does CVS match 5% on the traditional, Roth, or both ?
And also wth is the "annual incentive" ? I thought it meant it would increase my set contribution X% per year, but i got mail from vanguard ab the % changes I made. It has trad, Roth, trad incentive, and Roth incentive totaled in a "Requested Deduction" list at 12%. So am I vesting 10 %or 12% rn ??

Hey, I just started at CVS and work in the front and was wondering when the 401k transitions show up after they take it out of you check for the first time? I have the app but it never changes

Hello… so I’m currently homeless, I’m staying at hotels but I’m at the end of my moneys, and I have no family in the area, shelters are full, loans won’t accept me. It’s me and my son, and I have a decent amount in my 401k from cvs , and I requested to pull it , but it’s asking for documentation for the new home I’m trying to purchase, but I haven’t heard from them To see if I’m accepted and I just want to know if there’s any way around it.. if so can someone please pm me, it’s raining out here and idk what to do at this point jus please help me please

ive been having trouble coming to a decision about shaving a day off my schedule at a wifi call center. i work 5 days a week, m-f 8am to 5pm, i get an hour for lunch, and the place is near home. i acknowledge that its pretty good, especially since its hard to come by a nice schedule like that these days. but, i cant lie, i hate the work. every time i get a call and have to troubleshoot or sell our equipment, regardless of the commission that i dont care about to begin with, i dread it. The split second i get to prep for each phone call, i spend dreading having to talk to these people. im not a very tech savvy person so i also feel like a total idiot when they ask my anything having to do with anything off the usual script. im also bilingual, one of their only agents that are might i add, and even so, i dont use wifi lingo in my daily conversations so it complicates those calls just that much more. im just not someone that's totally suited to help people with tech issues.
however, im not stupid and i know that most people hate their jobs, but ive been at a job that i loved, or at least liked (that i unfortunately had to leave bc of the pay) and i want to go back to being able to feel that way. especially since, as a job, ill be spending most of my time there.
anyways, my dilemma is: should i suck it up and stick it out for the 401k + other benefits, or should i give myself some grace and time to live and work monday - thursday, making me part time?
i will also add that im looking into other jobs, mostly cvs. cvs since its a little closer than my call center and offers the same amount i earn here ($15/hr), and working full time there instead could potentially allow me some more flexibility with my schedule with all the benefits included. i also, most importantly, dont think id mind the work since my last job was a relatively quiet retail job in a mall outlet, and this cvs is located in my small quiet town. i havent heard anything back though, so nothing is set in stone, ofc.
im hoping this community understands where im coming from, and i trust that ill get a good answer. thank you to anyone who comments!

Section One: Assets and Debt

Retirement Balance: $2.5M. About $200k is in 401k, $1.5M in my investment firm fund, and most of the rest is in a Vanguard mutual fund.
Equity: $0 - we rent
Savings account balance: $42k
Checking account balance: $41k
Credit card debt: $11k balance for this month between me and my husband, that's pretty typical. I always pay the full balance each month.
Other debt: $0. My husband and I are very very fortunate to have had our college degrees paid for by our parents.

Section Two: Income

Income Progression: I started my job in finance 4 years ago, with a starting salary of $350k. My compensation has ramped up exponentially since then (now $500k salary + $1.5M bonus), way faster than I expected. I'm very grateful, and worked really hard to get to where I am, but I also have a hard time wrapping my head around it. This is a throwaway account because I feel uncomfortable with my income.
Before this job, I was in graduate school. I did a PhD for 8 years where I was paid $35k per year living in NYC. I was used to skimping, living in a tiny apartment, having zero extra money for anything, let alone saving. So all my savings really started 4 years ago.
My husband and I have been together for 12 years, and while he has had a good job since college ($55k salary -> now $155k), he wasn't saving much more than maxing out his 401k every year.
Main Job Monthly Take Home:
Me: $38,460 total: $17,320 take home after taxes ($18,448), 401k contribution ($2,700). My company also covers my insurance.
Husband: $6,400 take home
Other Income
I get an annual bonus. Last year's was $1.5M: $800k was in my investment firm fund and the rest was cash. I put almost all of it towards retirement savings (Vanguard), but used some for a babymoon ($10k) and padded our savings account.

Section Three: Expenses

My husband and I combine all our finances, so this is everything for both of us.
Rent: $4800 for a 2 bedroom in Brooklyn.
Investment/Savings contribution: Whatever is left over at the end of the month, usually ~$8k. We are currently saving for a down payment, though the real estate market is so crazy in NYC that it's hard to envision when we will actually be able to buy something we would want to stay in.
Donations: $1000/month typically (goal is >$10k per year).
Electric: $110/month
Wifi/Cable/Landline: $100/month
Cellphone: $100/month
Subscriptions: Amazon ($140/yr), Nuuly ($90/month), NYTimes ($12/month), New Yorker ($140/year), HBO/Apple+/Netflix $30/mo, Chess.com ($6/mo)
Pet expenses: $100/mo dog food
Car payment / insurance: $1200/mo

Diary

Day 1: Sunday
7:30am: My 8 week old baby woke up "late" today after a solid 3 hours of sleep. We didn't have our night nanny last night, but I'm feeling pretty good despite waking a few times last night. My husband always offers to help at night, but since I'm breastfeeding, there's only so much he can do. I go into the nursery, feed my baby and get a good cuddle session in. Baby is in a good mood this morning. We hang out while husband gets himself ready and he takes baby and dog for a walk while I go back to sleep.
9:30am: Wake up, baby is hungry again so I go feed him and relieve my husband. We make coffee, hang out and watch a movie while baby snoozes.
12:30pm: Feed baby again and entertain him for an hour until he goes back to sleep. We typically read books, use the bouncer, chill on the play mat and do tummy time (he's not a fan of tummy time at the moment).
2pm: We don't have much food in the house, so I order groceries ($120). We make lunch (frozen pizza) and then go for another walk.
3pm: I go for a run. I used to run marathons pre-pregnancy, but during pregnancy stopped running after my first trimester. This is my 3rd run since delivering and it goes pretty well. Slow and steady, but it feels great to be moving again.
4pm: Feed baby, play with baby and enjoy the cuddles as he contact naps.
7pm: The night nanny arrives. She takes baby, who has been feeding on and off since 4pm, and I cook dinner. I usually clean up the house a bit, start some laundry, but since husband is home today, we got that done during earlier in the day.
8pm: Husband and I relax and watch TV (the Curse currently).
10:30pm: I get ready for bed and pump right before. I set out the bottle for the night nanny to use.
2:30am: Wake up and pump
Total: $120
Day 2: Monday
6:30am: Night nanny lets me know that baby is up and ready to eat! I didn't have anymore milk pumped, so I get up to breastfeed.
7am: Night nanny departs. Husband takes baby and dog for a walk and I get ready for the day.
8am: Me and baby are chilling, reading books and bouncing in the bouncer. He falls asleep around 9am and I hold him while he naps.
10am: I put baby down and fix myself coffee and breakfast (toast and an egg). I check the news related to my job and my work email because I'm addicted to work and feeling left out, but resist the urge respond to emails or chime in. I love my baby, but I'm looking forward to going back to work more than I expected. I miss the mental stimulation.
11am: Baby is up. He eats and then we go for a walk with the dog. It's nice to get some fresh air.
12pm: Baby is napping, I straighten up and clean quietly (dusting, wiping down surfaces, scrubbing baseboards, ect). My house is pretty clean. Dog walker arrives and walks my dog, which is a huge help as he's definitely been feeling left out with the baby around ($20).
1pm: Feed the baby, entertain him until he naps again. He wakes up if I try to put him down, so I stay holding him on the couch. I've been playing a lot of chess while on leave, as it's easy to do one handed and can easily be picked up or put down as needed.
4pm: Baby is hungry and also very fussy. We spend a lot of time pacing around the apartment.
7pm: Night nanny arrives and takes over so I can make dinner. After that, I decompress with a beer and work on putting my maternity photos into an album.
11pm: I pump and then go to bed. Husband arrives home after working late around this time.
2:30am: Wake up and pump.
Total: $20
Day 3: Tuesday
7am: Nanny departs, I get up and feed baby. Husband takes him and dog on a walk.
8am: Day proceeds basically the same as yesterday, except that today he's 2 months old! So we also take some fun pictures together with cute signs I got off etsy. He's become very smiley so they turn out super cute.
12pm: Dog walker arrives ($20).
7pm: Nanny arrives, I cook dinner and chat with her after baby falls asleep. Husband is working late again today, so he's not around for dinner.
9pm: I order an album of the maternity photos, hope it turns out well as it was pricier than I expected (though cheaper than some of the other sites) ($145).
11pm: Pump and go to bed.
2:30am: Pump
Total: $165
Day 4: Wednesday
7am: Nanny departs, I feed baby and husband takes him for a walk. I go back to sleep for an hour.
8am: Baby and I are hanging out, doing our typical thing.
10am: My mom comes over (SUCH a blessing to have her living nearby) and holds baby while I get ready for the day and then feed him again.
11am: We go on an adventure today to a museum! This is our first real outing with baby and his first time on the subway ($2.90), so he's a real New Yorker now. I pay for the tickets ($50) and my mom and I check out some art and special exhibits, while baby sleeps peacefully in his stroller the entire time.
1:30pm: We go into the museum restaurant for lunch. I give baby a bottle and he's so cute and smiley the whole time. I eat a huge cheeseburger and it's heavenly. Since I got the museum tickets, my mom picks up the tab for lunch. We head home on the subway ($2.90). Dog walker came while we were out ($20).
4pm: Mom sticks around and helps with baby, so after feeding him I go for another run - it's heavenly even in the rain.
7pm: Night nanny arrives. I order dinner for me and my husband tonight (Thai food, $49), then start my usual nighttime routine.
11pm: Pump and go to bed
2:30am: Pump
Total: $73.80
Day 5: Thursday
7am: Nanny departs. I feed baby and baby goes back to sleep! I crawl back in bed too.
8:30am: Baby wakes up again and husband takes him and the dog for a walk. I go to CVS and pick up some birth control ($0, thanks insurance), toilet paper and diapers ($52).
9am: Typical day with baby again! It's great, but also every day feels very much the same. Dog walker comes mid day ($20)
6pm: My mom comes over because husband and I are going out tonight to a Rangers game. I pump, give her baby (she watches him until the nanny comes at 7pm), and head out.
7pm: The hockey game is great. We have great seats (tickets $700) and it feels nice to be out and about. I order chicken tenders and fries and a huge beer ($50) and husband does the same + more beer ($70) and we have a great time.
10:30pm: We make it home, I pump and then go to bed.
2:30am: Wake up and pump
Total: $892
Day 6: Friday
7am: Nanny departs and I pay her for the week ($1800). We have our night nanny's help 5 days per week, which feels like the right amount. I'm glad to have 2 days to be on my own so I feel like I know how to handle nights as well. But we only have a few weeks left with her and I'll be very sad to see her go!
8am: Typical day with baby begins. He's in a great mood today and does lots of coo'ing back and forth with me, which is so fun and sweet.
1pm: My mom comes over to hang out and play with baby, giving me some time to shower and cook us a nice lunch (lemon ricotta pasta), and do a postnatal core workout video (free on youtube).
7pm: I start getting ready for another date night while my mom babysits (I'm so so lucky, I know). Husband got us tickets to a show (contemporary dance, $100 for 2 tickets) as a Christmas gift for me. I get us drinks ($22) and we watch the performance. I love it, and though it's not what he would typically choose, my husband enjoys it too.
11pm: Back at home. My mom leaves and baby is still sleeping, so I go to bed.
Total: $1922
Day 7: Saturday
1:30am: Baby wakes, I feed him. He falls right back asleep.
2:30am: Wake up, feed baby. Rock him for 30 minutes until he goes to sleep.
6:30am: Baby is up, I feed him. He's wide awake so we go make coffee and play on his play mat.
8am: Baby eats again, but is still awake. Me and husband take baby and dog on a nice walk and pick up some pastries ($9).
9am: Baby fell asleep in his stroller, so we leave him in there when we get back home (huge benefit of having a bassinet stroller). I make more coffee and do a postnatal yoga video (free on youtube).
10am: Feed baby, play with baby. Husband is here too so we take turns entertaining him and holding him while we try to get him to sleep for his nap.
12pm: All 4 of us go for another walk and pick up lunch (bahn mi's, $40).
1pm: Feed baby, read some books together, and he back napping again shortly.
4pm: Husband went out to the grocery store ($150) while I feed and play with baby.
7pm: I make us a big pot of chicken tortilla soup and it's delicious.
8pm: Baby has been feeding off and on since 6pm and finally starts to settle down. We put him in his crib, but he wakes up again at 8:30. Husband rocks him for 30 minutes, but baby is not happy. I go in and feed him again. He finally falls asleep around 9:30 and stays that way when we put him in the crib.
10pm: I go to bed.
3:30am: Baby wakes and I feed him. That was a solid 6 hour stretch of sleep for him and I'm thrilled!
Total: $199
Weekly total: $3396
Food + Drink: $368
Fun / Entertainment: $942
Home + Health: $197
Clothes + Beauty: $0
Transport: $11.60 for me this week (2 round trips). Husband takes the subway to work 3 days per week, which is another $17.40.
Other: $1860

Reflection

My spending is so different on maternity leave than it was pre-pregnancy or in the months leading up to delivery. I used to spend tons of money on clothes, beauty products, accessories, ect, but completely stopped during pregnancy and postpartum. My body has been changing so much and fast, it doesn't seem worth it. The only thing I've done is rent clothes from nuuly, which is helpful as my size keep changing. I can't wait to fit into my old clothes, but I know some things will likely never fit again and I'll have to change up my wardrobe somewhat.
I was surprised how little we spent on food this week, but I don't have a huge appetite postpartum, cook pretty cheap stuff at home and my husband gets meals at work for free.
The biggest expensive obviously is the night nanny. It's very expensive and a total luxury, but to me it's worth every penny. Feeling more rested has made me much happier than I would have been otherwise, and lets me get as much enjoyment as possible out of my short time on maternity leave (12 weeks). I also don't think I could have kept breastfeeding without her - she was a huge help and supportive when I was struggling in the beginning.
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Does CVS have a ROTH 401 k along with the 401k? And is there a limit contribution relative to income.

Aight so here it is:
An awful company that no one should support (kinda like a CVS but worse) gave me a job with a sign on bonus. The contract was vague at best saying "if I leave for any reason" I had to pay it back, I assumed that meant quitting, that was a poor choice, but I was in desperate need of a job and money and it was 75,000 so I took it.
Unfortunately as I worked there my car kinda, maybe, sort of...exploded. so I had to get a new one and pay that off and I put this money into an IRA and my 401k and a ton of it was taken in taxes. I was pretty confident I could maintain the job for the 2 years the contract said. I was left with very little by the end of the first year due to the car and wanting to put what I can into retirement accounts, and then also having a rather expensive ER visit without insurance. But I still had a good chunk of it aside and was like "okay I can build this back up"
Except they fired me for leaving a place unarmed. Not unlocked, not open, just forgetting to put some numbers in a keypad. Having ADHD I went and made a list of tasks to avoid this from happening again but 7 months later I was fired.
I was under constant stress given my mental health and the fact that one of the managers hated me so much they moved me away from that store. She purposely pushed me out by being cold, harsh, and talking shit about me when I wasn't there and doing unnecessarily highly scrutinized checks on all of my work to report any little detail she could. On top of that my District manager also hated me cuz I wouldn't let her walk all over me or the other coworkers and was rather blunt and honest about the horrible work conditions. But I have little evidence to bring any of this up to a lawyer and I feel that it would be a losing battle seeking one out. I don't feel I have a good case.
So now here I am, being emailed for months saying i have to make payments or else theyll send the 69,000 debt to collections. I have not paid anything, they have not sent it to collections.
I've never been in a situation lile this. I've never had such immense debt. I have a 796 credit score and pay things in full on time always. But if this goes to collections I am not sure how it will affect my credit but I may be able to settle with them for a lower amount than the total according to some of my friends. Although I'm not sure how true that is.
What woukd you do in this situation?
Edit: https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/11/business/walgreens-pharmacists-signing-bonus/index.html
This was a well documented bonus that they did, it's right here, why people would think I'm lying about this I have no idea.
Edit 2: I'm aware the collections agency can sue, I'm not here to discuss that, I wouldn't let it get that far I'm wondering exactly what I stated. Is it better to pay the face value to the company and maintain my 796 or let it go to an agency and try to work out a payment with them and would that payment be less than 69K as others have suggested despite fucking my credit temporarily