You guys asked for more diaries with kids… so here we go! I’m 36 living in London with husband and 2 kids (8 month old and 3.5 year old), and am a Sales Director, but currently on maternity leave. This diary was written while in lockdown, so this diary might seem a bit lame, but it’s because the burnout is strong, and there isn’t much we are able to do! To get a glimpse of “normal pre-covid” life here is my dairy from March of last year HERE
Assets and Debt - This is in a mix of USD and GBP because I’m an expat living in London:
US Investments (401/Roth) - $175,000
US Checking- $3600
US Stock fund - $9500
UK Checking - £3,800
UK Savings - £66,800
UK Pension - £20,000
I don’t have any debt beyond credit card which I pay in full each month.
I went to a state school out of state, but my parents paid so didn’t have any loans.
Income: £63,300 base salary, and OTE is closer to £90K - Because I’m on maternity leave for the first part of this year I forecast that my annual salary will be closer to £80K. 2020 I ended up at £91,500 pre tax.
Take home pay: Normally £3400 monthly (base) - but I’m currently on maternity leave and get around £600 a month until I go back in April. I still get paid out 100% on my quarterly bonus, which actually has been a blessing in disguise as Covid hit our industry hard.
Rental properties - $56,000 profit annually
Husbands Salary £90k
Expenses:
Daycare: Currently £0. My daughter goes to nursery in the morning (15 hours Government funded) and my son will start daycare 3x a week in April once I go back to work. (3 days will run around £1050 a month). I’m planning to send my daughter to full time nursery in February, which will be around £600 a month.
Rent: I pay £650, but the total monthly rent is £2150 (husband covers the rest - he also covers the remaining mortgage on rental properties that have one)
Utilities and Internet is covered by my husband
Gym (Taken directly from my paycheck with so not included here, but I pay £150 a month and currently on pause due to the lockdown.)
Transportation: I used to budget £130 a month for the tube… now it’s £0.
Monthly Subscriptions:
HayU - Reality TV subscription service £5 - Worth it’s weight in gold during lockdown so we can watch Below Decks, Top Chef and Project Runway!
Sitters.co.uk membership - £5.00 (which, I think I’ve used once since March, but I want to have in case of emergency and we need childcare)
Ocado Delivery - £4
Netflix - Husband pays
NYTimes, New Yorker & The Cut - £5
Daughters ballet class is £50 - we pay even though it is on zoom only, but she can do as many classes as we want a month. Probably going to cancel before February because she hates Zoom and misses her friends - we’ll re-up when things open up again.
Amazon Subscribe and Save £25 - Monthly delivery of diapers and wipes
Cell phone - £15
Cleaner - £80 (she comes 2x a month)
Annual Fees
Amazon Prime - £99 paid annually
Chase Credit Card - $100 paid annually
Two Together Travel Card - £30 hasn’t gotten much use this year, but has at least paid for itself. (Gives my husband and I 30% off all train tickets where we travel together)
ArtFund Couples Card- £79 which we’ve used once this year - I’m considering it a donation this year, it allows for discounts at different museums and helps with their funding.
Zoo Season Pass - £198 we bought this in August and went fairly often while the zoo was open (2x a month) unfortunately the zoo was closed all of November and since mid December.
Donations: I don’t have any standing contributions, I am more likely to donate ad hoc, especially if it is in support of a friend. We contribute to fundraising for my daughters school, I’ve given about £500 this school year so far.
Family Help
Currently, nothing beyond sending gifts for Christmas and birthdays. I lived at home with my mom for about 2 years from the ages of 22-24, I found this arrangement to be very typical of people who grew up in my hometown which is a VHCOL city.
Career Progression: You can check it out here
My first job (beyond babysitting) was working at an ice-cream/soda shop when I was 17. It was an awesome first job, I learned a lot about running a small business and diversifying inventory (the owner also sold gag gifts and collectables to offset the low ice-cream sales in the winter).
Money Diary
Day 1 - Sunday:
11:00 After everyone is showered, fed and the adults are caffeinated we head out to take a walk down to a large playground bit further from our house. There is a short line to get in, but once inside there is the perfect amount of people, and enough space to sit down while socially distancing.
1:30 We bribe our daughter out of the playground by promising her some french fries, we grab lunch (2 sandwiches to split and an order of fries and an orange juice) £10.50
5:00 A few friends have shared links to donate food to the National Guard as they work on Inauguration day, I donate $25 or £18.40
6:15 Kids have dinner, a few episodes of Peppa Pig (side note, I’d like to acknowledge my love for Peppa’s playgroup teacher, Madame Gazelle. I love the nuggets of backstory they give her… she was in a pop band, had a lost love, etc), and bedtime routine (bath, stories).
8:15 I place an order for Pasta Evangelists pasta delivery - I’ve seen ads for months and months and finally pulled the trigger because they are including an Aperol Spritz set and charcuterie with your first order and deeply miss traveling, so at least I can pretend I’m on holiday. £14.50 billed now, but will arrive next week.
Total: £28.90
Day 2 - Monday
6:15 - Baby is up and needs a diaper change and bottle, he’s happy to chill in bed with us for about an hour until our daughter wakes up. Get her breakfast sorted and get her ready for nursery.
9:00 - Husband leaves to drop my daughter off at nursery, returns with coffee. We get takeaway coffee pretty often to support our local coffee shop. My husband pays today. We are very lucky in that most schools in the UK are closed and will be closed until Easter, but our nursery has decided to remain open. I’m so happy because she needs the socialisation and loves going and playing with her friends.
10:00 Morning of house chores, cleaning kitchen, folding laundry, vacuuming, making bottles and making beds. I shower and throw on some leggings with a fun palm print. It is blue Monday after all! My morning routine just consists of moisturiser at the moment.
11:45 - Pick up my daughter from nursery and feed the kids lunch. I’m not much of a chef, my meals are very simple and I won’t bore you with too many food descriptions in this diary, but to give you an idea, my son has mashed banana and blueberries, and my daughter has some chicken bites, banana, blueberry and yogurt, and some cherry tomatoes.
4:15 Long afternoon where I didn’t do anything but run after the kids. Attempted to do some scooter practice outside but didn’t get very far. Daughter has a Zoom ballet class, afterwards I hide in the kitchen and eat some chocolate easter eggs. Some days I feel like I have accomplished nothing, and today is one of them.
10:30 Head to bed - after watching The September Issue I found out Grace Coddington has a autobiography, so I get started on that. I’ve been reading a lot of memoirs and autobiographies recently, so up for any recommendations!
Day 3 - Tuesday
7:15 My husband gets the baby from his room and I feed him a bottle. We are lucky that he is (mostly) sleeping through the night. We get my daughter ready for nursery and husband drops her off. He picks me up a coffee on his way home.
9:30 I walk over to a friend’s house to drop off some baby clothes, (socially distanced, I just drop them off) her little boy is a few months younger than mine. I wish we were able to get together more as I’m finding this maternity leave to be rough. It’s really hard to not have the same activities and meet ups with friends to look forward to. I did a baby music class for a while (£60 for a term of 8 weeks, just an FYI) when it was possible to attend, but it was hard to connect with other moms when we all must wear masks, keep far apart, were told not to have conversations with each other, and can’t go to get a coffee or lunch after the class.
10:15 Baby fell asleep on the walk home, so while he sleeps I do an Amazon order for some random stuff we need that has been sitting in my cart for a while, (Ponytail holders and hair clips for my daughter, glue (super and Elmers), packing tape, Sudocream, placemats for the kids, Carter’s zippered sleepsuits in a bigger size, and some Valentines Day decorations). £67.28
3:00 - This afternoon we went to the playground and I picked up a book (Rodham by Curtis Sittenfield) from our local library which is still open for pick up. They’ve waived hold fees and late fees during the pandemic which has been really nice.
6:00 - Our grocery delivery arrives - it’s your basic milk, eggs, bread, and enough fruits, veggies, snacks, and household items (paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning supplies) to hopefully last another 10 days which was the soonest I could get another delivery in. £123.09
7:35 My kids are asleep and I give my mom a quick call - we discuss local news in my hometown and tomorrow’s inauguration. I’m excited, but also a little worried about how things could go. We talk about her hopefully being able to come out for half term in May, by then she should be vaccinated and our lockdown should be over.
10:30 Go back and forth between reading Grace and Rodham. Finally fall asleep at 12:30 even though I’m exhausted.
Total £190.40
Day 4 - Wednesday
10:00 Happy Inauguration Day! Sit down and begin my son’s daycare application, and get in touch with my HR team to let them know and also schedule a Keep In Touch day for later in February.
1:30 I picked my daughter up from nursery, made turkey sandwiches for everyone (baby gets some pureed fruit) and did an online workout class at 12:30. £6 for the class as it is a separate payment from my paused membership.
3:00 We (the whole family) go out in the rain for a scooter jaunt. We are home within an hour as it is rainy and not that nice out and flip on CNN to watch inauguration coverage. Around 5:00 my husband goes on a run and I put together dinner for the kids and put them to bed.
8:00 Sit down to eat some coconut shrimp stir fry and watch the rest of the ceremony that we taped. After dinner I start another grocery delivery and look at pinterest for recipe inspiration. The total comes to £86.70 but won’t arrive and I won’t be charged until next Thursday.
10:00 Head to bed and continue reading a few chapters of Grace. Living vicariously through her jet set life as we have been stagnant for so long.
Total: £6
Day 5 - Thursday
6:15 Baby is up and I bring him back to our bed and feed him a bottle. I fell asleep again between 7:00-8:20 and had three intense dreams back to back. I wake up super exhausted. Help get my daughter ready for nursery.
11:45 Go to pick up my daughter and stop by the post office to drop off an eBay sale. I also buy some stamps to send letters to the US, and some popcorn £29.40 Stop by the grocery store as well to pick up a few things; blueberries, tortilla wraps, orange juice and a pastry £5.25
3:00 Still feeling very blah. My son ended up taking a 90 minute nap (!!) so I tried to lay down but couldn’t fall asleep. My daughter doesn’t want to go to the playground, just play inside, which is fine. I think she is over the cold weather too. Feeling very “covid mole” as another poster described herself the other day.
5:00 We head out for a walk, it was actually really good to get outside and get some fresh air. Come home and feed the kids dinner, do bedtime routine (bath, milk, stories) and feel much better. After we have dinner My husband watches a documentary on The Comedy Store, and I tool around a bit on ancestry.com.
Total: £34.75
Day 6 - Friday
8:00 Same morning routine, the sun is out this morning so that helps put me in a good mood.
10:00 Online workout, this time I do a free one on YouTube while the baby has his morning nap.
12:00 Pick up my daughter, on our return home we have two packages, our Cook Food delivery (£42.00 paid in advance) and a bottle of champagne from my husband’s company as a thank you.
1:30 Both kids are napping, my husband is out for a run, and I read a bit more of Rodham, I like Curtis Sittenfield a lot, really enjoyed American Wife which was based on Laura Bush, but somehow Rodham feels more invasive?
3:00 The sun is still out so we head down to the playground. My daughter currently only doing a half day at nursery because I wanted to be able to do things with her in the afternoon while I was on maternity leave. But due to Covid and everything being shut (museums, play spaces, playgroups, classes) I’m going to have her go full time earlier than we had planned. We stop by Gail’s bakery on the way home and get a Rose & Pistachio cake and a scone to all share £6
7:45 Kids are in bed and husband has been craving Thai food, so he goes out to pick up our order and buys some beers at the bottle shop (he pays, but this is £28). While he’s out I watch some millennial money videos.
8:30 Have dinner and watch King of Staten Island, which I was pleasantly surprised by. It was much more emotional than I thought it would be, I really enjoyed it. Love Marisa Tomei!
Total £6
Day 7 -Saturday
11:45 Even though it is really cold out, the sun is trying to come out, so we decide to walk to a park a bit further away. Head over and go to the playground. We were planning to stop for French Fries at 5 Guys on the way home, but because my daughter has an epic meltdown, (the trifecta of being cold, hungry and not taking a nap) so we don’t stop.
5:00 I add a few things to my Amazon cart, a splat mat to put under the high chair, and some workbooks to practice writing letters for my daughter. I probably won’t order until later next week, I’d like to have a few more items in there and nothing is a “must have”. We are out of milk so husband makes a quick trip, picks up milk and a bottle of wine (£9.30 but he pays)
8:00 Kids are in bed, dinner is in the oven, wine is being chilled… it really seems like a Sunday so happy to have another low key day tomorrow.
Total £0
Weekly Total: £266.05
Food & Drink: £159.34
Shopping: £67.48
Home & Health: £6
Other: £47.80
Reflections: This is a fairly typical week for our family. I’m not too surprised by the amount for the food section, because rather than a weekly shop we’ve had to push it to once every 10 days due to delivery demands. As I am now getting paid SMP rather than a full paycheck I’m trying to be really conscious of my spending and try to delay purchases that aren’t must haves, at least for the next few months. With the pound rallying against the dollar, (it’s currently $1.36 to £1) I’m going to take advantage and transfer money to my US accounts and really bulk up my savings.

Thanks for all the awards! And shout out to u/davidc535 who mapped a lot of these on Google maps. Also, this ran on too long, more places in the comments.

Alcohol

Symphonia - Gin from Dungannon from u/missymissyD
Boatyard Distillery - More local gin, this time from Fermanagh
SWIG Hip Flasks - We offer personalised hip flasks From u/DavidofSWIG
Hillstown Brewery and Heaney Brewery u/big_mac31
Boundary Brewing - For delicious beer u/radio_wolf)
The Still House Moira - they make their own vodka u/fjleish

Art

Dustie Roo sell prints of floral arrangements that are really beautiful (From u/hm8g10)
Noop designs have some really great Northern Irish themed prints (From u/hm8g10)
Camlake Canvas - Fermanagh based artist with some amazing stuff. Also takes commission - painted our doggo and it was brilliant.
Aly Harte also does prints and paintings (From u/hm8g10)
I love Doghouse Gallery in Comber and Kingfisher Gallery in Killyleagh for local art, prints, jewellery, decorations etc. (From u/isotala)
John Robinson Art - Belfast. He does the art on Boundary Brewing cans, based in Belfast. (From u/TunaFish88)
Le Petit Pois Gallery abstract paintings and prints (From u/redditor930530)
A Work of Heart bespoke and personalised prints based in Tandragee (From u/redditor930530)
Armagh Damsons - Does commissions of your favourite landscape, cityscape, your home, your pet, whatever really. From u/tartanbornandred
Horner Gallery - Castledawson, @ liamhornerart (instagram) and has a gallery in Castledawson, has lots of original landscape paintings and prints- also does Seamus Heaney themed work. From u/Carbsandmayo
Studio Cole is a Scottish artist living locally and makes custom abstract paintings and prints. (From u/TheTyphoonteabag)
Terry Bradley Art galleries - Belfast and Bangor. Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) One of Ireland's best known artists, recognised worldwide. (From u/SCOdoubleT16)
Kaela Elliot Gifts - Derry. Derry based, hand designed cards, prints, mugs. Takes custom orders. (From u/pettydavis)
Born and Bred (from u/oldfilmjanitor) - This site actually looks amazing. Based in Belfast they've a pile of really great gifts, all sourced from local artists and designers.
little heart -Belfast. Personalised paintings, greetings cards /tree decorations, &some cute gifts on the website. Has some Harry Potter things, Disney ornaments, and teddy’s she sells in her store in queens arcade. Always get compliments when I buy people a gift from there. u/Mearbhail

Bath / Body / Candle Gifts

Mermaid Cove - Richmond Centre, Derry. (bath, body and home products...bath bombs, soaps, wax melts, all cruelty free & vegan, owner is an absolutely lovely woman!)
Hex Bomb - Belfast. (Another Northern Irish bath bomb company, though I believe are Belfast based)
Bubba's Meltys (And a wax melt company)
The Scented Scullery - Lurgan is fantastic. From u/RiverPondlife
Serenity Beauty - Maybe not local crafts but let's face it,the beauty industry is dying here and I know for a fact the owner of this place goes above and beyond for her clients. She has her own skin care range if you're thinking of gifts for the missus. From u/RiverPondlife
Plumpy Balms - Plumpy is a beautiful little Vegan brand with the greatest lip balms. Check out their Lemon Pop - it's a miracle cold sore treatment. They also do tinted lip balms and face and body balms too. (From u/eimcca80)
Sweet Scentsations - Derry and Belfast. They sell hand made wax melts.
Bearded Candle Makers - Belfast. Candle from Bearded Candle Makers just arrived, not only is the packaging really nicely done (including a handwritten note on a postcard), the candle smells unreal. Highly recommend. (From u/Crimsai and u/hm8g10)
Legenderry Candle Co. - Derry. Handmade soya wax melts, candles and other scented products (car air fresheners, reed diffusers, etc.) (From u/djfrfc)
Belfast Beard Company - Been using their stuff for years, the lads running it are all great. From u/Wind_Yer_Neck_In
Plumpy Balms - Beautiful little Vegan brand with the greatest lip balms. Check out their Lemon Pop - it's a miracle cold sore treatment. They also do tinted lip balms and face and body balms too. u/eimcca80

Book Shops

No Alibis probably best known local book shop.
Books Papers Scissors also in Belfast
Little Acorns Bookstore in Derry (girl who runs this place seems like a legend!)
Bookends in Bangor
Bridge Books in Dromore
The Secret Bookshop - in Carrick. It’s a lovely wee place that’s just opened this year and can order the books in for you if they don’t have it in stock. From u/kittenmish
(Comic stores in 'Games / Nerdy stuff / Models category)
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Clothing / Accessories

Bog Man Beanie from u/Sprongle18
O'Neills from u/only-shallow
Bleu Bird Apparel is a great local clothing line too, has some nice stuff, own a t shirt and a hoodie from them. (From u/MarinaGranovskaia)
Kooky Sheep Designs. Make bespoke croqueted items on request. Link is Instagram but theres also a link to their etsy in their bio. I think you can find one you like on Insta & ask for it to be made for your size. Or just make something up. (From u/GrandWakandaPanda)
Little Design Co. For prints and customised clothes I recommend (From u/Sufficient_Slip)
Daze and Duke - Derry. Handmade, bespoke swimwear and festival wear (From u/djfrfc)
Wildflower Fabric - Co. Antrim. Online shop based in Antrim, sells fabric for those who like sewing and making their own clothes and bits and bobs. (From u/pinkadon)
Moi Botique - Bangor. Lovely clothing shop ( u/lynnytintin)
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Cooking / Food

Harland Homesyle - Etsy store from u/PM-me-Gophers &his wife, selling handcrafted herbs &spices. Perfect smaller gifts for friends / stocking fillers. Update: Now with expanded range, including two Christmas specific offerings (Winter Spice and a Mulled Wine Mix).
https://www.rockadoodledo.com/products/ - Redditor u/rockadoodledobelfast sells some amazing hot sauces online and at St. George's Market. Started out years ago by giving away samples to 50 redditors for feedback!
Erne Larder Preserves - Fermanagh. For delicious jams& chutneys (From u/fermango)
Layer Cake - Lisburn. does great cupcakes. It was the one place that made me actually venture to Lisburn when I’d be back home for a visit) (From u/ambivert1902)
Mike’s Fancy Cheeses - Belfast. Locally sourced and produced. Has a wee shop in Belfast and also does deliveries including breads etc. Great idea for social distancing Xmas pressie (From u/RedLouStar)
Ebron's Enterprise - Portadown. (family run bakery - flipping delicious and Christmas range coming out soon!) (From u/redditor930530)
HollieBerrie cakes and treat boxes (From u/redditor930530)
Lily Pink Bakery incredible cakes and currently doing treat boxes too! (From u/redditor930530)
Nearynógs do all things chocolate, based in Newry but have stockists all over. (From u/Louthgirl)
Enrich & Endure make gorgeous linen aprons and have also started making face coverings. Online shop but you've probably seen their aprons in your favourite café (From u/Louthgirl)
387 Ormeau Road (that's the cafe name & address) does great food and it's all vegan friendly. Brownies, cake slices, hot food, independent soft drinks and coffee blends, and groceries. They even post what they have available on their FB page, with the ability to reserve items u/Irockz
The Nutmeg - lovely health food store on Lombard Street in Belfast. Stocks all sorts of healthy, organic, &vegan things, from supplements to frozen food to crisps to chocolate to homemade sandwiches and sausage rolls.
LocalBoxNI.com - Deliver all kinds of local food - nice cheeses, breads, meats, hampers etc. They're delivering food right up to Christmas Eve and are run by reddit u/justin344.
MooToYou - Deliver to Belfast area and surrounding, food is sourced from local suppliers. From u/mlmxp
Two Sisters - Belfast. Independent Belfast based food shop, also selling arts & crafts and good coffee. Highly recommended! (From u/chrissedoff55)
Madame Macs - Redditor u/PsychopathicMunchkin makes incredibly good French macarons. Definitely worth a wee purchase! (me)
graze2u - Derry. Grazing platters & artisan foods, delivered in and around Derry.
Burren Balsamics Armagh - really good flavoured balsamic vinegar, I like the Armagh Apple
Ristretto Coffee Roasters Banbridge - really high quality coffee
Hannan Meats Moira - for the turkey. Can be ordered in advance (this &2above from u/fjleish)
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Crafts / Pottery

Ceramics By Rachel - By redditor u/Sufficient_Slip. For animal sculpture &functional ceramic crafts checkout out Ceramics By Rachel. I also do commissions if there is something you would want personalised you can get in touch through my insta:@ceramicsbyrach
Mud Ireland - I also highly recommend Josh for excellent handmade dinnerware (From u/Sufficient_Slip)
Claire Kennedy Maker - Claire makes pit fired vases and colourful mugs (From u/Sufficient_Slip)
Gilmartins Craft Shop Some gorgeous pieces here for those that like ornaments. They also have a sale section for the penny pinchers like me, with some lovely items. (From u/fermango)
Belleek Pottery Obviously a bigger, more well known company but again they have some gorgeous pieces for the ornament lover at Christmas (From u/fermango)
Omagh Craft Collective - Always get loads of great Christmas gifts here (From u/mike00035)
Good Craic gifts - Gift shop in Rostrevor (From u/shelamps)
Cupán Tanya - Warrenpoint. Irish language painted mugs.
The Designerie - Bushmills. It's good for gifts and crafts by local creators (From u/John-DiscipleOfOwen)
Natasha Swan Ceramics - She makes gorgeous ceramics and also does pottery workshops. (From u/laoiseeeeehm)
Zara ceramics for mugs that can be personalised (From u/hm8g10)
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Environmentally Friendly Gifts

UseLess Shop (Society Street in Derry....environmentally friendly shop, sells reusable items, restock of grains/pasta)
Whiskey Woodcraft for handmade gifts from Irish whiskey barrels (Personal note - this is class). From u/fermango
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Games / Nerdy stuff / Models

Replay Games in Bangor from u/mangokid555
Angry Cherry (Foyle Street, Derry....comics/geeky shop, also sell the likes of Nemises Now/Alchemy England)
Modeller's Corner - Enniskillen. From u/Scrabo - Radio Controlled Cars/Aircraft, Plastic Model Kits (Airfix etc), Model Railway, Collectors Models, Terrain and Paint, Board Games and puzzles. Small family run business.
Coffee and Heroes - Belfast, Smithfield Market. Huge range of comics & comic related goodness. If they don't have it they can usually source it quite quickly for you, well worth a visit :) From u/CaptainGurrash
Comic Book Guys - Belfast. Great comic book shop in Belfast. Great selection of comics, gifts, tshirts etc. Would be a great addition to the games/nerdy stuff category. From u/DogLor
Football Fortunes - Football management tabletop and computer game you can play with friends and family, created by u/Creative-Ad3337
On Table Top - Coleraine. Table top based company in Coleraine that does miniatures etc. (From u/Old_Gregg97)
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Homeware / Textiles / Gardening / DIY

Home, Field and Stream - Enniskillen. Houseware (denby, small appliances etc) fishing gear, barbacues, christmass trees and decorations
Vintage & Value - Lurgan. Very cute homeware and decor based in Lurgan (From u/redditor930530)
Moore Horticulture Equipment - Saintfield. Wee family business for lawnmower equipment and stuff (From u/sam54678)
Maven- Belfast. Homeware and textiles. (From u/pixeljunky)
Coffee x Cactus (plants) (From u/pixeljunky)
Lisannagh Designs - Carrick. Custom made wall hangings. Custom/bespoke Macrame Wall Hangings are available of all sizes. (From u/steste)
The Online Lighting Store - Belfast. Belfast based store, mainly online u/namcknight)
Claire Newell Ceramics - makes homeware with "dot" designs that are really lovely u/OkRecommendation85
Castle Locksmiths - North Belfast. Deal in all things keys &locks (shocking, I know...), hardware tools, paints and painting, lights, gardening & tools and general DIY consumables. u/Okio
Bann Valley Wild Flowers - Local business selling wild flower seeeds for anyoen interested in gardening gifts. ( u/big_mac31)
Hillstown Farm Shop - u/big_mac31
NI Climbing Frames - Gilford.My family business. All kinds of woodwork (personalised sheds/outbuildings to playhouses to decking to climbing frames). Also timber & hardware for keen DIYers. Quality, experienced joiners. u/radio_wolf
Mid Century Fox - If you would like some vintage homewares,look no further than here.
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Kids Toys / Accessories / General Children Stuff

Kings- Keady. From u/missymissyD (I can vouch for this one as well, they've some great stuff)
David Rogers Toymaster - Banbridge / Portadown From u/missymissyD
MK Toys - Belmont Road, Belfast. Purveyors of toys and games for adults and kids. (From u/narchy)
Little Dainties - My sister makes girls bows and such, just incase anyone would be interested (From u/inheartscon)
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Jewellery / Piercings and Body Jewellery

Painted Earth - Newcastle. (from u/oldfilmjanitor)
BBlane Designs Belfast based jewellery designer. (From u/isotala)
Le Cheile - Lurgan. They are an online Jewelry shop that also sells out of StudioTwenty in Lurgan if you want great quality, hand made Jewelry (From u/Mahatma-Shandy)
Claire Elizabeth Bespoke Jewellery - A local jewellery maker who does fantastic stuff (from u/darwinsbarnacle01)
Greenwood and Co - make beautiful handmade jewellery and sell other gift items (From u/princess_mothership)
SimplyN handmade jewelry! (From u/redditor930530)
Megan Made This - Megan does beautiful vases and jewellery (From u/Sufficient_Slip)
Vivid Clay is a jeweller. Her Etsy shop is linked but I think Born & Bred are a stockist. (From u/Louthgirl)
Pic & Mix - Belfast. Do gift vouchers for those unsure what size is needed. Shop is currently open for jewellery, but piercing gift cards are still available for use after Lockdown (From u/Dragon-Tea)
Titanic Sea Glass - Carrick. Makes cracking jewellery and sun catchers. From u/kittenmish
Claudia maxwell - Makes funky personalised jewellery with lazer cut colourful plastic . I’m obsessed with her stuff and last year everyone got earring with their name. (From u/amy0120)
earrings by Courtney - Handmade earrings for £1.50! (From u/amy0120)
love from Kirst hand poured resin earrings, ashtrays and even pet tags!!! (From u/amy0120)
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Miscellaneous Gifts

Free From Fog - Omagh. Sell glasses that specifically don't fog up when you're wearing masks. Handy for the normal people but apparently a game changers for doctors / nurses / dentists etc.
Jackson’s sell everything & have a shop in Moira. Have a clothes shop /health/hardware, sections, a kitchen & homeward section. If you can think of something they don’t have they’ll go out of their way to order it in. (From u/princess_mothership)
Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil (I wasn't going to add this but their website was compelling, so here they are!) (From u/flyfairy19)
Grosvenor Tropicals (Lisburn) and Exotic Aquatics (Belfast) for anything aquarium related (From u/minus_8)
Suki Tea (Belfast) and Boden Park Coffee (Belfast) for my fellow hot beverage loving hipsters. (From u/minus_8)
Connect the Dots Design does stationery. Lots of Irish Christmas cards if that's what you're into. (From u/Louthgirl)
Fidela coffee roasters - Coleraine. (From u/gruffabro)
Made by Mog - Sells Macrame gifts - for home and keyrings etc. (From u/pinkadon)
Crafty Fox - Killinchy. From u/javarouleur
The Nest - Broughshane. From u/javarouleur
Love Creative Therapy - St. George's Market and online sellers. Handbags, Clutch Bags, Purses, Craft Accessories, Wallets, Fabric pots etc.
The Buttermarket and Fermanagh Cottage Industries also have great gifts that support local people. (From u/fermango)
Christmas Card Bundles - Belfast, from u/megacky's wife.
Wrapped UP - Belfast, A shop in castle court called 'Wrapped up' is also great. I think it's all by different local artists etc. (From u/darwinsbarnacle01 )
This Person from NI makes good pins for stocking fillers (From u/izacmac)
Barn Owl Boutique - Saintfield. If you’re in Saintfield the Barn Owl Boutique is lovely for gift ideas. (From u/princess_mothership)
The Hanging Knot - Portadown. Is an Insta/Etsy business who does macrame and weaving based in Portadown (From u/redditor930530)
Loganberry Lane Wreaths - For beautiful door wreaths! (From u/Chandrasnamaste)

Music / Musical Instruments / Accessories

Cool Discs - Derry for CD's / Vinyl (mostly vinyl cause who the fuck buys CD's anymore) (From u/CMadden1)
Voodoo Soup - Across from Smithfield Market. Does a mad variety of CDs & Vinyl for good prices (£3 a pop for almost every CD (From u/Irockz)
Matchetts - Belfast. Well known local instrument store. (From u/made-in-china-)
​

Pets

woofternoon tea companyin dundonald, they do the best dog treats and gift boxes! (From u/Heyimmaegen)
​

Photography

PhotomonkeyNI - Personalised photo gifts, custom framing, photo printing, t-shirts, photo canvas Any thing image orientated. Even does cine and video to DVD (From u/HarrysDa)
​

Sports Wear

Topping Leisure - Comber. Always recommend. Website not great, but the kind of place you visit. Only shop here(and maybe all of Ireland) which will custom fit, heat molded ski boots. From u/SomewhatIrishfellow
Galibier - Craigavon. Pretty niche but Galibier sells premium cycling clothes. I was gifted one of their coats and it's by far the best one I have. (From u/rocketship92)
​
See the rest of the list here.

1. 1 Info on how to tell the age of your carhartt
   
2. 2 Is my carhartt a counterfeit or fake?
   
3. 3 Can I sell my jacket here (covers sale posts in general)
   
4. 4 Why can't I post?
   
5. 5 Do the mods work for carhartt?
   
6. 6 Is the sub for the classic line or WIP
   
7. 7 Has the quality of carhartt dropped since it stopped being made in america?
   
8. 8 How old/what is the name of this product.
   
9. 9 My carhartt is super stiff, how do I make it feel softer and more worn in?
   
10. 10 Is this product warm enough/too warm?
    
11. 11 Will this item fit me?
    
12. 12 Whats the hole at the top of my overalls/bibs for ?
    
13. 13 Why was this carhartt product discontinued ?
    
14. 14 Where is the best place to buy carhartt?
    
15. 15 Vintage carhartt buying and selling guide.
    
16. 16 Info on womens workwear and sizing.
    
17. 17 what is the Carhartt jacket from the movie interstellar?
    
18. 18 Offical Carhartt FAQ
    

. .

1. 1 Info on how to tell the age of your carhartt

Best info to find the age of your carhartt Here its the best timeline I could find for the logo with a bonus timeline for products/features. It and the individual product histories below are direct from the Carhartt archive.
Chore coat history Here
Detroit jacket history Here
Double front pants history Here
K87 t shirt history Here
Date Code
Some tags have a 3 or 4 digit date code on them. First one or two are month, last 2 year. We are trying to figure out exactly when it started and the finer details but here are some examples of different ages and styles. It seems around 2000 the code became always four digits while older versions might drop the 0 for the month. The examples below show the change from the 1998 to 2001 version.
Top left 10/16
Top left 02/05
Top middle 03/01
Bottom left 5/98
Top middle 9/89
Top middle 3/85 (we have limited examples pre 1987)
WIP top right 07/04
There are many variations and the tag is usually the first thing to wear out so this isn't always an option. I can't find anything offical on it so we are still working out the kinks. You might have to make an educated guess here
The info above is the best I could find. If that does not help you feel free to make a post. Include pics, make sure to include the tag in a pic as clearly as possible. Pics of the pocket placement and lining also help.
All credit to the carhartt archive. They did most of the work and it is great that someone is putting the time into preserving the history of this iconic brand. Dave J. Moore the resident historian for carhartt also has a blog on the carhartt site full of more info in the discovehistory tab. If you are interested click Here
He also has a lot of interesting factoids on Twitter @ArchiveDave like when carhartt made cars. Seems inactive now but lots of great info between it all. Its like a little highlight reel. I hope to see more public stuff from them in any form. They are clear about confirmed info and best guesses. They have access to a treasure trove of information sources from carhartt directly while we are stuck with what scant info we can piece together online and personal experience. I have only ever seen one possible mistake in all the stuff I have seen from them and it was more a formatting error than bad info.
u/statusremoved had the idea of using the way back machine to track fairly recent products. It goes back to 1996 but I'm unfamiliar with it and need to put more time into it. This could be a great resource if you have more knowledge than me with it.
I wish I had more info, but this is most of the concrete info I have. One day I would like to have histories for all the major products in a similar format as the links above but It seems unlikely unless the archive has more I have yet to find. I have tried to contact carhartt but every option I can find is geared toward customer service and has not helped. Behind the scenes we are making good progress on a better timeline. One that includes as many major changes that might help with dating.. (secondary indicators like take tag/label placement and styles, secondary tags, and features that are less likely to wear with age) u/carharttmichael has been a huge help with this . We have to get the pics together and get someone to do the graphic work and try and polish the info as best we can. Dates are still a little hazy on some versions. We will put it out as soon as possible and make it an open community project where we all work together to get the best info. If you have better info than us or we got something wrong then please let us know. We need your help to make this work.

1. 2 Is my carhartt a counterfeit or fake?
   As best we can tell probably not. It does not seem that common, I don't even have any specific examples. Most big brands have a guide to tell if your product is authentic with a direct comparison to fakes. Carhartt doesn't have anything like that on their site so I don't think they consider it much of a problem with most of their products either. With that said I have heard of fake beanies and a few bad things here and there about amazon. So like with pretty much any product that is fairly easy to counterfeit, if the price is too good or it seems goofy and the seller is shady then be wary. With vintage be wary of seller claims too. Items are often dated decades before they were actually made, most often in favor of the seller. There are a few replicas of classics that carhartt made for anniversaries that could also be conveniently mislabeled as well. I have seen people trade tags on other vintage items but not carhartt specifically. So even tho its not a huge problem from what I have seen, if you want to avoid the hassle buy from carhartt directly.
   

There is a large inconsistency in carhartt tags, fonts, logo, country of manufacture, and the amount of detail and polish from product to product especially over the long time span they have been in business. A tag sometimes looks a little goofy or lightweight, a logo sometimes seems like its sewn on loose. So if your item just has a goofy little detail that seems off, I wouldn't worry. You can make a post asking but make sure to include a pic of the tag and interior. If you know of any specific examples of fakes or have anything to add reply below.
The only thing even close is some replica stuff for the j001 and rnj001 related to the movie interstellar that featured the jacket in the movie. If they are marked as replicas I don't consider them fakes but someone shady might try to pass them off as real. Here is an example https://www.slimfitjackets.com/matthew-mcconaughey-Interstellar-jacket

1. 3 Can I sell my jacket here

Sure, if you got the wrong size or w/e feel free to make a post. If you are a vintage seller from depop or eBay or something, feel free to post here. Within limitations of course, try to keep it to one or 2 a week tops. If you just happen to have a ton of unique items and thats not enough. I might make an exception but try to group em together or something . Retail sellers can post a sale, deal, or w/e twice a month. If you don't fit into any of these and are still unsure go by retail rules or message me. To the custom guys who do stuff like take vintage items and tye dye them or alter them, same rules as vintage sellers.(even if it does not include vintage items)
On a side note if you want to alter a vintage item to sell it, it hurts my soul sometimes to see an item older than me that was in great condition tarnished for lack of a better word. To each their own tho. Just keep in mind if its in good condition then it can probably already get a good price. Items with a little wear or stains are pretty common and usually much cheaper and might be unnoticeable depending on how you alter it. There is a limited amount of good quality vintage items, and that gets worse with time.

1. 4 Why can't I post?

Either your karma is too low because this is a new account or the automod does not like the link you are posting. If neither is the case for you, message me. I will do my best to help.

1. 5 Do the mods work for carhartt?

No, carhartt has never even offered me a beanie to shill for them. Kind of insulting but I'm at peace with it.

1. 6 Is the sub for the classic line or WIP

Both. Old, new, workwear, even pet clothes are welcome.

1. 7 Has the quality of carhartt dropped since it stopped being made in america?

It comes up every once and a while in the sub. I think its an interesting discussion. Carhartt isn't perfect, no company or person is. Seems like people tend to attribute every flaw or design change they don't like to this. Which might be true, but after 100 years in business and going international you have to expect some issues. Of all the issues I have heard of in my 7 years here I have never seen any that involved a negative interaction with customer service. They go above and beyond in a lot of cases. One old example was a post complaining about a jacket with mesh lining wearing out in 2 years. In the post it mentions carhartt sent them an upgraded j140 as a replacement. The post and comments focused on the quality drop (comments actually had good examples) No one even mentioned she had picked the cheapest lining option, kinda like a lightweight jersey mesh. Then expected it to be as durable as the warmer and thicker options. I don't think anyone commented on how carhartt did great fixing it even tho the customer had unrealistic expectations. I own a good bit of vintage carhartt from as far back as the 60'S, most holding up very well. We can't know if the new stuff will last as well for another 30 years. Older is not always better, I prefer the modern sherpa. Has a smoother feel in my opinion and seems more breathable. The duck fabric seems pretty consistent. Overall I have not seen a noticeable drop in quality in either the materials or quality control. I have seen multiple people complain about the same issues tho. Bib zippers, modern pants and shirts wearing out fast, and cuff durability.I love the look of vintage items but the modern versions usually have been improved with new features and upgrades. They were oddly picky about what they gave inside pockets in the old days , and the front pockets aren't nearly as ergonomic. Some features like insulated pockets they use at random. free to post your opinion below, specific examples especially. If you do think the quality has dropped try to include in what way(ex=cheaper materials) and about when you think the quality started to drop.
The stuff made in Mexico is generally considered well done too, like second best to usa. I personally only notice if its a really weird country I haven't seen yet. They are everywhere now.

1. 8 How old/what is the name of this product.

Post pics with tag and the interior if possible. The inside lining and pocket placement can help with the age. Any strange features like elastic loops in the pocket is also worth noting. Colors can be tricky due to how its photographed , odd rare color variations i assume are dying errors at the factory sold as factory seconds, and natural wear over time. So if you have an item with an odd color variation it could be a lot of things. Sometimes I see versions with different color collars and such too, not sure if its a factory seconds thing or what, but I always look for them.

1. 9 My carhartt is super stiff, how do i make it feel softer and more worn in?

Carhartt offers many options of its duck fabric. Some are much stiffer than others yet look very similar. Here is a guide and Here is carhartts offical up to date list.The sandstone duck is very soft and my personal favorite but it has a slightly faded look to it. Washed duck is a step down in softness but keeps the clean bright look. Some of the stiffer options can pretty much stand on their own so maybe find a local seller and get a feel in person before choosing. If it is too late and you already bought it, I have seen all sorts of advice like washing it a few times with a cup of vinegar. I have not tried any so I can't be much help with it. Washing and wearing it normally soften it up pretty well. Just washing it a couple times in a row will jump start the wearing process. Keep in mind the color will likely fade too. In less time than you think you won't even notice even without forcing it. It is more like the jacket breaks you in.

1. 10 Is this product warm enough/too warm?

A lot of this is your preference so there is no right answer. Here are a couple guides on shell and lining options. Gemplers shell and lining guide and Super casual's lining guide . The main things to keep in mind are what kind of temps will you need it for and how long Will you be outside in it. Your abilities with layering and personal resistance to the cold matter too. A Florida raised person with no idea about layering vs a northern Canadian might have the Florida person preferring a warmer option than the Canadian. If a jacket is too warm you might wear it less, or if it makes you sweat then depending on the materials can actually make you colder. Budget can also be a factor, warmer usually means more expensive. The j133 was considered the warmest mainline jacket the last time i checked. It combines the warmest shell and lining options. Most of us won't need anything that warm . You won't have to sacrifice style to be warm. I recommend picking a style of jacket (ex= detroit) then pick the Shell and lining options that best suit your needs. If you would like some input or opinions from people or questions feel free to post.

1. 11 Will this item fit me?

This can be simple, if you have an idea of your measurements. The carhartt site lists all its major measurements. It also has a fit guide on most products where people who bought it report back with if it fit how expected or too big or small. To figure out your own measurements without actually taking measurements then look up the measurements for something you already own. Account for extra room for layering if necessary. I always recommend finding a local retail spot to try stuff on even if you are going to purchase online. Shrinkage has never been a major issue with any of the duck products i own so i wouldn't expect it to effect sizing either way. if you want to be sure you can get washed duck. If you are trying to figure out sizing on a vintage item and the tag is missing, measurements are all you can go on.

1. 12 Whats the hole at the top of my overalls/bibs for?

A pocket watch chain. It gets more use as a pen holder these days.

1. 13 Why did carhartt discontinue this product

They probably didn't. Sometimes when they alter an item they "discontinue" it and bring it back soon after. Usually within a year. Sometimes they change the model number at the same time, sometimes not. Sometimes they take away some options and consolidate. Sometimes they change stuff around and don't go through the process. Its confusing and I don't understand it. If you do let me know. I do know you shouldn't worry. Even if it was really discontinued(its not) or you prefer the old option then you usually have a pretty decent amount of time to still get the old version from secondary retailers like Amazon, sierra, and dungarees. Sometimes years, depending on size. You always have the vintage option too. Same with local retail to a lesser degree. All that said I am pretty good with specific tweaks on fairly modern stuff from helping people with similar issues on the sub in the past so I might be able to help you with questions. If not someone else might be able to. So feel free to post if this doesn't help you, tagging me will make it more likely I see it if no one else can help you. If this is about the recent changes to the detroit, your not alone. A lot of people don't like the changes. Let carhartt know your feedback directly, they are usually pretty good about it. They probably made the changes based on feedback so let them know. Buy the old ones while you still can at a decent price.

1. 14 Where is the best place to buy carhartt?

For the newest stuff with all the fancy features buy from carhartt directly at www.carhartt.com
For stuff that is discounted but maybe a couple years old and still new try www.sierratradingpost.com www.dungarees.com www.supercasuals.com tractor supply and amazon. If the item says factory seconds it is slightly defective , in my experience usually unnoticeable.
For vintage ebay, depop, and mercari. Take your time and feel free to make posts here asking questions if needed. Some sellers sell at outrageously inflated prices to take advantage of newer buyers. Shop around and check prices on old sales of similar items. Just because items look so good 200$ seems reasonable, that doesn't mean you have to pay that much.
Canada https://www.marks.com/en/brands/carhartt.html or Amazon (check your own prices, I only know they ship there)
International- I have no idea. If you can get Amazon carhartt sells directly from there
For WIP I asked our resident WIP expert. Here is the advice from u/barnabyrowland
"Speaking for buying in the UK - the main site is by far the best choice in terms of range/stock levels and they have free delivery and returns with postage included.
Big sellers such as Size, ASOS and John Lewis also have relatively smaller collections and it's often not the really nice WIP stuff but their end of season sales can be pretty good.
As for more niche sellers like End and Mr Porter tend not to offer free delivery or returns online but can have a more interesting collection/sale than bigger retailers. However I often find if something goes on sale on a third party website it will go on the main website. It's definitely important to have a good returns policy as WIP can fit inconsistently especially between relaxed and regular cuts."
If you have other sites to recommend reply below.

1. 15 Vintage Carhartt buying or selling guide

This guide will focus on online listings but the information works for real world. Local vintage shops usually are more expensive but can have very nice collections.Full disclosure I don't resell carhartt, im just a collector. I have considered reselling to fund my carhartt addiction and just get access to more rare and unique examples for researching the age guide. It's tempting since i have an eye for it but i would want to keep everything at a reasonable and sustainable price so i probably wouldn't make much profit. Most of my collection was cherry picked from good deals I got from constantly searching for the weird stuff. I actually wear a lot of stuff from the 80`s so I have to keep little stockpiles in diffrent sizes incase I ruin one or get really fat or skinny and they are harder to get in the future. Which all logic assumes they will be, the real questions are how much harder to get and how soon. I have been watching the sites listed below pretty consistently for about 10 years(ebay mainly, most are newer.) with a good chunk of that time spent helping people in the sub find and identify countless items so I have an ok idea of the market. It is limited to my tastes and experiences tho so for WIP for example I am lacking.
Here are the main factors that effect the price.

1. Where the item is listed. Places focused on vintage or current fashion trends like depop will charge considerably more than somewhere like ebay generally. For rarer items or sizes there might not be any other options. Don't expect to list common items for instant profit.
   
2. Major wear, stains, rips, customization(patches or company info), or fraying at cuffs, bottom, or inside lining in armpit area. This can have a huge impact on some items or lead to great deals. Some people don't mind or prefer the "distressed" look. Sub par condition is often labeled distressed. This is your preference.
   
3. Size. The more common sizes sell easier but the rare stuff can sell higher. Rare is small, above XXL, tall, and to a lesser degree med.
   
4. How common the item is. The upside of some items remaining popular for over 50 years is there will be plenty of used items as well as lots of demand. If it is rare and popular or appeals to more modern fashion markets well it could be worth a lot. It could also be a common item in good condition and 30 years old and sell slow at 50$.
   
5. Does it appeal to modern hipsters? If so they are generally more likely to spend more than the normal workwear or vintage fan base.
   
6. Age. Use the guide at the top. If it was a graph it would be U shaped for price. It has a high point when new then drops when it hits resale then eventually works its way back up. Basically current year costs a premium, it gets cheaper after a few years even if new. Then depending on demand usually goes to at least a little under new price. Unless a funky color, size, or style. If you were just a casual buyer looking for a jacket on ebay you might not care the jacket is almost 30 years old only than its 40 bucks cheaper than a new one. A nice jacket will always have a baseline price.
   
7. The sellers ability to take good pics and list good info If the pic or description suck then less people will consider the listing. You can find great deals because items were mislabeled or the pics were terrible. If you are listing something give a clear tag pic, front view, lining and inside pockets, and any secondary tags. Be as descriptive as possible in the title and description. Try to get your age as close as possible. Highlight the features that make it good but also make sure to clearly list and have pics of defects.
   
8. Overall demand for the item. A detroit is always going to sell nice but unless its a rare size don't expect insane prices. Certain features are always high demand. The red nylon lining in jackets, rare lining patterns, unique undocumented variations(please share here), older logos, and pop culture references to name a few that will increase demand and price.
   
9. Your overall reputation or the buyers trust in you as a seller Ebay has it pretty streamlined with a built in feedback reputation score and buyer protection from PayPal. The other sites usually offer similar features. If you try to hide defects with bad pics or vague descriptions or your house looks scummy in the background. People will assume you are scummy and no one wants used clothes from a scummy person. I still hold grudges on scummy sellers I bought from years ago and avoid to this day. People are willing to pay more if they are confident they are getting the product that is listed.
   
10. How fast you want it to sell. Ebay has the most buyers so I would assume the fastest turn around. Buy it now usually gets a little more money than auction in general. If its a rarer or more hipster market friendly(sorry hipsters, no disrespect i just don't know a better term) item and you don't mind possibly sitting on it a couple months depop or etsy might get a higher price.
    

Where are the best places to buy and sell vintage?
Here are some options I know of with break downs
Depop - I only use this site for research or when I have absolutely no other option. One of the best options for wip. Very expensive. Usually better quality sellers as far as pics and info tho. Some very nice unique options here tho. Can often be the final option to buy a rare item in your size because the price is so high it is the only thing else. If money is no problem, you will love it as a buyer. As a seller if you have a good eye for what that kind of market likes I would assume it is a license to print money. Volume is ok.
Mercari - not super familiar with it but I find old posts there sometimes with good info. Seems to be somewhere between ebay and depOK. Volume is less than depop but respectable.
Etsy - price range more like depop. Some rare stuff but not as good as depop. OK with wip. Volume is all over the place and what you find is very inconsistent
Grained- good archive of old listings with great pics and infobut I have never ubought from them. The selections are inconsistent but diverse. I love them as idea or a kind of museum in a way but their price range is mostly too much for me. Another place you will often find as a final option.
Ebay - this is one of the better options to find deals. It was much easier in the past. Now you have to compete with professional resellers from the sites above much more frequently. Good for sellers tho, they will snipe most really good deals or raise up the price to a more reasonable level trying. Volume is the best I can think of.
Everywhere else- thrift stores, goodwill, Craigslist, amazon and retail sites like sierra can have pretty old stock sometimes. Most of the stuff on there is a couple years old at least. Buying and selling locally depends greatly on where you live. North eastern rural areas might have some great deals on Craigslist but a large city would be ideal for selling locally. If there is a demand in your area buying online and selling locally might be a viable way to make good money.
The 80's to 2010's time period has great availability and pricing. Most good deals fall into this. Most sales in general from my experience is 90s to mid 2010s. 70's isn't super rare but it is a sharp drop off and finding deals is rare. Reasonable price for ok condition isn't impossible. 60's a lot of great weird stuff like surfer related stuff. In the normal places listed above its not really common but I see it a round a lil. 50`s and before is a rare treat, especially in good condition. This is where I think it starts to go into "it belongs in a museum" territory. The price alone would make me uncomfortable to go outside in it. If you want a general price range there isn't one. Research how similar items sold. If you buy or sell any really old or weird stuff please post pics in this sub.
If you are interested in collecting WIP be ready for heart break. They make one off items that can be nearly impossible to find in any size. Compared to classic where an item could have 50 years of popularity and used listings this can be very hard. The numbers can be extremely limited so the higher prices are reasonable here. I consider myself a classic collector mostly but my list of carhartt stuff I would instantly buy for anything but an insane price is mostly wip. The list stacks up and its really hard to check anything off the list without at least 250$ to even get started. If I want something in classic even rare it feels like a matter of time, with WIP you just hope and keep looking. I won't even look at some stuff if I know its impossible to get.
I might have missed some obvious ones will add later if needed. Lots of smaller places some with local vintage shops sell online with nice selections. Now that I have given you the options I want to tell you how I feel as a long time carhartt collector about the professional resellers who buy vintage carhartt to resell it at huge mark up. In the last few years the amount of times I have had an item has been sniped out from under me and then reposted right after on somewhere like depop at over twice the price is mind numbing. If you are new to this experience you will soon come to learn. I have even seen posts on this sub sniped when people posted links for info. I used to give in and just pay what ever price and consider it a finders fee or tax on being too impatient to wait for a reasonable listing. It wore me down tho as it has gotten more and more common. Its not just rare items either. Some people do this for a living and scan listings like a job. If the price on an auction is low for a common item they will at least drive the price up to a baseline price. Those higher prices can also take advantage of a newer more casual buyers lack of information. Its sad to me that vintage Carhartt is getting harder for the working class to get. These sellers are not bad people for trying to make money, I just choose not to support them. I think of it kind of like ps5 scalpers. I'm tempted and I have the money but I don't wanna do it. If you do tho that is completely up to you so I gave you the options. Even use this guide to become one. No judgment. its not easy. A few have very good eye for rare stuff and take such good pics I have used them often in research related to the age guide and helping people with questions in the sub. It might come off as harsh or nit picky but I have seen the entire market change in the last few years. Deals are becoming very rare and reasonable prices are becoming unreasonable. I love to see more people interested but hope the prices stay reasonable enough for new people and casual fans to dip their toes in without getting a loan. At the same time I respect the hustle and understand people have bills to pay. Sometimes the item is rare enough to warrant 300$ or more .There is a limited amount of vintage carhartt especially in good condition. They will only get rarer with time. Right now someone is pouring bleach on a 30 year old jacket to sell for 200 bucks on etsy that one of us could have passed on to our grand kids. Who would have probably then sold it on ebay after.
This is a first draft of the buyers guide will update as I think of more.

1. 16 Info for women's workwear and sizing.

I know very little about women's carhartt compared to men's. I saw a post in bluecollarwomen with a petition from a woman with on the job experience with the female and male workwear. I took the opportunity to ask some questions and here are the replies edited only in format from u/mandalynnkaye and link to original post with petition that details issues she has with the women's workwear. If you have similar concerns let carhartt know. They are pretty good about feedback. original post with petition
Q: What are the downsides if any of women wearing men's products?
"So the downsides to wearing men’s clothing versus woman depends on each type of clothing. With the pants, I have a hard time finding pants that are comfortable around my waist line. Men have thinner waists due to not having hips which makes it very difficult to finding comfortable pants, they just aren’t really cut to handle women figure. The plus side to men’s pants is that you can actually find a good leg length. With women’s, you mostly just get short, regular, or long and since I sit in between regular and long, I usually end up with high water pants when I buy the regulars in women’s. Shirts in men’s are wonderful in length because I have a longer torso than most (women don’t get the choice of talls). The downside though is the bust area. Woman with a bust size larger than a full B typically need to get a size larger or more and by the time the right size is found for the bust size, the shirt can turn into a dress. With bibs, and this is one to affect me most recent a job site, the cuts have a lot of set backs. When I was looking at the same pair of bibs pattern wise, there were major variations that I was very upset with. I ended up having to buy the men’s because the durability is unfortunately far superior. Having worn them for a month straight doing outdoor work at a solar job, the men’s bibs have a very low cut crotch which really makes it difficult to walk normally in. I was waddling quite a bit. The area of the hips and lower abdomen area is built for guys build so I could not wear anything other than leggings and skinny jeans under my bibs in order for me to be able to zip up the bibs. It made it harder for me to move around the job site as easily because of the restrictions of the clothing. "
Q:What is the sizing conversion?(ex large in women is med in men)
"Size conversions can be a little difficult because we aren’t all built exactly the same. For a women wearing a large in women’s, I would suggest sizing down shirt wise in men’s unless the bust is anything over a size B. Than I would go with the same size. For jeans, I wore a size 8 in some women’s clothing and a 10 in others when I started the trades and was wearing size 32s in men’s. The inseam really depending of the height of the person. Bibs, for the first time is really something to try on in the stores first in my opinion but with mine, i sized up in the waist to a 34 and downsized in the inseam from a 32 to a 28 and they are still a bit too long. "
Q:Is there any major diffrence in cut or fit ?( i know you have more tight fit options in general i mean more like shirts or jackets having extra chest room) We get some guys interested in getting female styles or colors, what advice would you give them?
"For guys interested in female clothing, I would definitely go a size up on any top. I’m honestly not sure why any guy would want to wear women’s construction pants because we literally get a minimum of 50% less pocket area and amount but I would look up a generic pant size chart and go from there. The nice thing is when a men’s says 32, it’s a 32 waist but in women’s, this mean you could be in a 8/10/12 in every different brand which is super frustrating when it comes to online ordering. Bibs for women aren’t really that great and once again lack hammer loops, pocket space, durability, but if that is what they want, I would definitely stick to a size chart and have them try them on because one brand size will again be different than another. "
Q: how would you sum up your issues with the women's workwear for someone unfamiliar
"Honestly, I would rather give up the style and color flexibility for more durable, weathering, material with loads of workable pockets. Most pockets for women have about 4” of depth and trying to stick a tool or even a phone in a 4” pocket isn’t even possible. Also, the men’s clothing in most construction lead clothing lines is by far more vast than the female line of that same company. It’s something most guys don’t think about because let’s be honest, if it’s not bothering you, why look into it, but more women are entering trade programs and as such need more availability and durability to their clothing.
Another thing that drives me crazy is that even with the lack of options and features, we are still expected to pay the same amount if not more. Safety vests for men can be found for 8-12 dollars but women’s vest can be anywhere from 30-50 dollars. As a woman starting out in the trade, that’s a huge barrier to cross.
Any other questions, let me know! Also, the bluecollar women’s Reddit page is very helpful for questions too.
I have a lot of respect for you taking the time to ask and really understand the issues that women face in the clothing lines. Thank you for having such an open mind and I found none of your questions stupid."
This is your humble narrator again and she was kind enough to answer my questions and even pretend none of them were silly. I think its all pretty interesting so share your experiences below or tell carhartt directly.
17.17 What is the Carhartt jacket from the movie interstellar?
The RNJ001 washed duck detroit jacket is claimed in some articles. Normal detroit J001 on Wikipedia. No confirmation from any source that worked on the movie.
I'm not an expert on the movie but we get a couple posts about this a week and its one of the most popular classic carhartt products aside from this so I researched it. I got this answer from a few articles and it is the closest version in new out of the box form. Here is the best article on it, it also lists the other 2 jackets in the movie that no one cares about. The rnj001 is just the washed duck version of the normal detroit j001. Washed duck is just pre washed and faded. It has that faded look from the movie. That is the only difference between this and the normal detroit with the standard duck. Which is fresh and sharper looking bright brown and unfaded.The sandstone version is somewhere between the two with an artifical aging process similar too but not as worn as washed duck. Both are made softer and less firm in the process. All three are the same color with varying levels of fade from the artificial wear process. Natural wear has the same effects over time so a naturally worn vintage version of any of the 3 will be hard to tell apart. So you can debate the RNJ001 is the one true version but the only diffrence is the wear process on the duck shell. Which makes little to no diffrence since they are just simulating the natural wear process used clothes experience by definition. Of the processes including natural wear all will fade them and it will lose the sharp carhartt brown look in a couple washes. So you can easily wash it a couple times and give the process a head start for the faded look. Any worn in faded looking detroit that wasn't made in the last couple years is basically this jacket. The modern version(on-sale now at main site) has some changes. No snaps at waist and they added a dove tail in the back to add a little length. Some sizes like small can be very annoying to find. If you just want a jacket that is basically the same as the one in the movie at a decent price like 50-60$ in good condition then that isn't that hard to do. The RNJ001 price is usually more expensive due to intrest from interstellar fans or who just saw the jacket in the movie and wanted it. The price increase bleeds over a little to the j001 and sandstone versions .Unless you have a weird size or get really picky about the details price should be pretty reasonable. If anyone claims to know more details like it has to be made in Mexico, unless they can cite sources or something to base it on I just write it off as speculation. There are some "replicas" which are just clearly marked fakes for this specific version but most are obviously fake like This one. . It does not take an expert to tell the diffrence. This isn't that uncommon for movie stuff, its the only example of counterfeit workwear I have seen.
Here is a link to the Carhartt site FAQ
I think that covers everything, I will edit to add more if needed.
The sub also needs mods so message me if you are interested.

Section One: Assets and Debt
Retirement Balance: $35,000 in a SEP IRA through my employer. They match 2% if I contribute at least 4%. I currently contribute 8%.
$21,000 in my husband’s Roth IRA. He’s a PhD student and the university doesn’t let him contribute to a retirement account pre-tax, so we’ve been maxing a Roth for him each of the last few years. We haven’t yet put in the full amount for this year but have it set aside in our savings.
Savings account balance: About $42,000 spread across a couple of accounts.
Checking account balance: Around $4000.
Investments: About $15,000 in CDs which will be part of a down payment at some point.
About $20,000 in a mutual fund; my parents threw I think $1000 into this when I was very young and have just let it sit and grow since then. This will also probably go towards a down payment.
HSA: $1200. I was able to contribute to an HSA when I was on health insurance through my employer; I’m now on my husband’s health insurance because he has a great and inexpensive plan through the university, but I can’t contribute to this account anymore.
Credit card debt (and how you accumulated it): None, we pay off our credit cards in full each month.
Student loan debt (for what degree): None for me; I received a merit-based scholarship that covered one year of undergrad and my parents graciously covered the rest along with living expenses. My husband’s parents paid for his undergrad degree. Tuition is waived for his PhD program, so no debt from that.
Section Two: Income
Income Progression: I’ve worked at the same company since I graduated college (over 6 years now). I started in an entry-level role in 2014 with a $29,000 salary. After about a year, I got promoted to the role I’m in now and also received a raise to $36,000. In 2018, I asked for a raise and got bumped up to $43,000. I’ve also received a small cost of living raise every year, which brings me to where I am now at about $45,000. (All of these numbers are salary only, not including bonuses; I did receive significant bonuses every year, and the amounts have increased year-over-year--I just don’t remember how much I received each year.)
Main Job:
Me: Last year I made $62,000 pre-tax. As mentioned, my salary is about $45,000, and I expect to get in the neighborhood of $17k in bonuses this year, possibly more. I take home $2725/month after taxes and 8% retirement contribution.
Husband: He makes $29,000 pre-tax as a PhD student. He takes home $2081 per month after taxes and both of our health insurance (I don’t remember what the monthly premium is).
Side Gig:
I’ve picked up a side job this year helping students prepare their personal statements/essays for their college applications, and I expect to make between $4000-$5000 from that total for the year. The amount I make per month varies, and I have to estimate my own taxes, so I set aside money for that from each weekly paycheck.
Section Three: Expenses
Rent: $1115 (includes $25/month fee for having a cat). We have a 2 bed/1 bath apartment in the suburbs of a MCOL city, and heat and water are included in our rent.
Renter’s insurance: $21.25
Investment contribution: $500/month towards my husband’s Roth IRA
Donations: $478/month in recurring donations. About half of that goes to our church and the rest is split among a variety of other charities/organizations. We also usually set aside another $50-$75/month for anything extra that comes up that we want to give to; lately this has included things like Fair Fight and the runoffs in Georgia, our local tenant resource center, and our local food pantry.
Electric: Anywhere from $40-$100 depending on the time of year; right now it’s about $50.
Wifi: $70
Cellphones: $175 (includes service, leases for both our phones, and insurance for both phones)
Subscriptions: Spotify Premium Duo for $13.70, Disney Plus for $7, we use my husband’s parents’ Netflix, Hulu is free with our phone plan, and we’re on my parents’ Amazon Prime account.
Pet expenses: We don’t budget a set amount monthly specifically for our cat, but her prescription food costs about $35 every six weeks, and we also always keep a few hundred dollars earmarked for occasional vet expenses.
Car insurance: $78.16/month (total for 2 cars)
Car registration: $226/year so we budget $19/month (total for 2 cars)
School fees: This varies and is paid on a semester basis, but we budget about $100/month for fees for my husband’s grad program. He doesn’t have to pay tuition but he does have to pay these fees (I’ll take it).
Costco membership: $60/year so essentially $5/month
Gas: $75, but this is hard to estimate
Groceries: We’re budgeting about $350 right now--a little more than in the before times but our entertainment budget is a little less to compensate.
Entertainment: $200 (see above)--in normal times this would include going out to eat, going to concerts or sporting events, etc. Now it’s pretty much just takeout.
Allowance/personal spending money: $100 each for my husband and me, which rolls over to the next month if we don’t use all of it.
This is getting long but we also budget on a monthly basis for personal care, household items, and alcohol, and for many other things on a medium-to-long-term basis in sinking funds. We use a zero-based budget, so every dollar we bring in gets allocated somewhere.
Section 4: Money Attitudes
Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If so, how did you pay for it?: Yes, both of my parents have master’s degrees, and I was a very good student growing up, so it was always a given that I would pursue higher education. I have a BA and double-majored in communications and writing. I’ve covered above in the student debt section how my degree was paid for; I’m very blessed to have had my parents provide for me in this way, and I realize it has given me a huge leg up as far as savings and financial stability goes.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have around money? Did your parents educate you on finances?: We didn’t have a ton of conversations around money, but my parents are (as far as I can tell) very responsible with money and live well within their means, so I think I’ve learned from their example more so than from explicit instruction. We lived pretty frugally growing up, and it’s clear to me now that my parents could have had a newebigger house, nicer car, better vacations, etc, but chose not to so that they could follow through on their commitment to paying for a degree, a car, and a wedding for each of their children (which, again, has given me an enormous financial advantage in my adult life). I did have an allowance growing up and was always taught to put at least 10% toward giving, 10% to savings, and then I could do what I wanted with the rest of it, which I think was a great mindset to have from an early age.
What was your first job and why did you get it?: Maybe working the cash snack bar at our neighborhood pool when I was in middle school? I also babysat from a fairly young age. I worked a couple of other random and short-lived part-time jobs during high school and college but didn’t make much money from them and didn’t need them for my living expenses since my parents were fully supporting me.
Did you worry about money growing up?: I never worried about money growing up. If my parents had financial hardships during my childhood, they never let it show.
Do you worry about money now?: I used to worry about money a lot for the first several years of my marriage. I knew we had a good amount of money saved, but we didn’t have that money earmarked for particular things (emergency fund, travel, car maintenance, medical expenses, etc), so whenever a big expense came up, I got incredibly anxious because I didn’t really know where that money was coming from or whether this expense was leaving us vulnerable in another area. Switching to a zero-based budget and having designated savings funds for all major expenses (both recurring and unpredictable) has created an enormous amount of freedom for me with money. I don’t freak out anymore when we go to spend $1500 on plane tickets for a trip (hypothetical right now, of course) because I can see the money we have set aside in our travel fund for that exact purpose, and I know that spending that money isn’t affecting our ability to deal with an emergency because we have a separate emergency fund for that. All that to say, I don’t experience much anxiety about money anymore and I credit our budgeting system for that in a big way.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?: I would consider myself financially responsible for myself once I got married, which was a few months after graduating from college. If my husband and I were to fall on hard times, both of our families would have the resources and the willingness to help us out to some extent.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
As mentioned above, my parents opened a mutual fund for me when I was very young with I think $1000 in it, but nothing has been added to that since. I have no idea about future inheritances or anything like that.
Note: the week I documented for this diary occurred in early December--a couple of weeks earlier than the date I’m posting this. Also, masks are a given anytime we leave the apartment.
​
Day 1: Thursday
7:00am: My alarm goes off; my husband (H) and I alternate snoozing each of our alarms for the next 40 minutes, which is a loud and frequent morning ritual that leads to no additional actual sleep but at least lets us stay in bed longer.
7:40am: I remember that I start work at 8 today instead of 9 (like most days), so I jump out of bed, take a quick shower, and get dressed. H’s brother calls so he is chatting with him on the phone while I get ready.
8:00am: I sign in to work; it looks like it will be another slow day (typical for this time of year), so I need to motivate myself to work ahead on some things. Instead, I check my personal email and read the news.
8:30am: For breakfast, I make a toasted whole wheat English muffin with butter and honey, grab a handful of grapes, and make a Nespresso. I eat at my desk while I semi-work and listen to podcasts (this morning, it’s Brene Brown’s Unlocking Us and the 5-minute NPR News Now). H leaves to go into work for a few hours; there are certain things he can’t do from home, but since the pandemic, everyone in his workplace can only work in-person (masked and distanced) during an assigned shift time in order to reduce the volume of people there, so he splits his workdays between the university and our home office (which we share). Thankfully, there’s never more than a handful of people there at the same time as him and his colleagues are conscientious about following COVID protocols, so we feel pretty comfortable with him going in.
11:15am: Hungry again; I snack on Moon Cheese, which are these crunchy cheese bites that we got from Costco a month or so ago. I don’t really like them. I take a break from my computer to make the bed and tidy up our bedroom a little.
12:00pm: Lunch break--I spend the first half hour putting on makeup since I have some video calls this afternoon and evening. Pre-COVID, I considered makeup a hobby and would wear it even if I didn’t have anywhere to go or anyone to see, but a lot of the joy has been sucked out of it for me. Now, I usually just wear the bare minimum to look “presentable” on Zoom. I’m trying to have more fun with it again, though, so today I use a multichrome eyeshadow from indie brand Clionadh Cosmetics that I haven’t touched in months. Once I’m done, I have a quick lunch of a sandwich and chips before my meeting.
1:00pm: I log onto my weekly team meeting for work; H gets home partway through and brings me my Panera coffee order that he picked up on the way home. We both have a free trial of Panera’s coffee subscription right now and are taking full advantage!
4:00pm: Done with work! H has an important meeting now, so I get out of the office to give him some privacy. I start prepping chicken enchiladas for dinner.
5:30pm: The meeting went great! We eat the enchiladas and end up with a ton of leftovers. I put the food away and knock out a few dishes.
6:00pm: We get on Zoom for our weekly church small group meeting. There was a time when we felt comfortable meeting outdoors and distanced, but at this point, we’re on Zoom for the foreseeable future. Not to mention it’s cold here now.
7:30pm: Small group is done! I get an automated email from my side job letting me know that a second draft of an essay I previously worked on is available for me to edit, so I grab my computer and work on that for a little while.
8:30pm: H runs to the store for two bottles of Liquid Plumr for our shower drain (the glamour!) and red wine ($28.45). Fun fact about Wisconsin: you can’t buy alcohol from a store (anywhere that’s not a restaurant/bar) after 9pm, so he gets the wine purchase in just in time. I finish the dishes while he’s gone.
9:00pm: We put one of those 4K fireplace YouTube videos on the TV, turn on the Christmas lights, and each have a glass of wine while chatting and looking through old photos on H’s phone. H also makes some pizza rolls as a snack and I eat a couple.
11:30pm: I get ready for bed and after watching TikToks together in bed for a little while, we go to sleep.
Total: $28.45
Day 2: Friday
8:00am: Snooze my alarm for an hour before finally getting up. I am really moving slow in the mornings these days. H left to go into work around 6:30, so I have the apartment to myself for a while. I tidy up a few things around the house and spend a little while reading on the couch; the cat joins me.
9:00am: I make a Nespresso and sign on to work. I work on some tasks and send emails while listening to NPR News Now and NY Times The Daily podcasts.
10:00am: For breakfast, I have an egg over easy on toast and some grapes, again eating while I work. I spend some time reading COVID news and looking at our county’s data dashboard; our county, and Wisconsin overall, have actually been consistently trending down lately as far as cases go, which is surprising. Our plans for Christmas are still up in the air; we have been hoping and planning to visit our immediate families since we haven’t seen them in a year, but I’m still worried about the risk involved even if we are as careful as possible (quarantining beforehand, getting tested, driving instead of flying, etc). We’re putting off making a decision as long as we can.
11:30am: Our small group is “adopting” (buying Christmas gifts for) a family from a local school our church partners with, and I’ve been tasked with helping organize this, so I create a sign-up list in a Google spreadsheet to share with our group so we can keep track of what items have been purchased. I also start filling out my self-evaluation for my semi-annual review at work, which is next week. There’s twice as many questions on this evaluation compared to ones from past years (why??), so good thing I’m getting a head start.
12:15pm: I snack on Moon Cheese to tide me over until my late lunch today, but I’m still hungry afterward and craving something sweet, so I have a handful of cookies and cream popcorn that I bought a couple weeks ago to support a friend’s kid’s fundraiser (twist my arm, right).
1:00pm: Break time--I do a 20 minute full body HIIT workout from a MadFit YouTube video that really kicks my ass (my upper body and core strength is pretty dismal...I’m working on it). I shower, change, and for lunch I have leftover pesto and tomato pasta and half of an apple. We stan Honeycrisp in this household.
2:00pm: Back to work. H gets home and brings in a few packages from the mail area downstairs (one of them is a Christmas gift for him with very obviously branded packaging...oops). The other is a couple of books I ordered from Bookshop when they were having their Black Friday weekend free shipping promotion: Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch, which is about how the internet is changing the English language, and Dune by Frank Herbert, which I can’t believe I’ve never read but definitely want to before the movie comes out next year!
3:30pm: I knock out some tasks for work and then take a break to carry our overflowing laundry basket downstairs to the basement laundry room and start two loads. I pay using our prepaid card that we reloaded a few weeks ago, so there’s no actual cost today. As a side note, I will greatly prioritize in-unit laundry wherever we live next. I really hate lugging a heavy laundry basket up and down multiple flights of stairs (and it’s always heavy because we put it off because we hate doing it so much. Vicious cycle.)
4:00pm: Time to switch the laundry over. On my way back upstairs I check our mailbox and see that we got a letter from our bank letting us know that an instance of fraud we had reported a few months ago had been verified and the temporary credit they had applied to our account is now permanent. So that’s a relief! Thankfully there was not much money in the account to begin with (it’s one that we use for travel because there are no foreign transaction fees and they refund us any ATM fees), but this is the second time this year we’ve had an issue with fraud (different accounts and banks each time).
5:00pm: Done with work; H brings up the laundry and we fold it together. H isn’t hungry yet but I am, so for dinner, I heat up some leftover ham and potato soup (made with leftover ham from Thanksgiving...it’s leftovers all the way down!) and make a boring salad--spring mix with diced tomato and Caesar dressing.
6:00pm: We head to Costco together, stopping first to get gas for H’s car ($22.29). We only have a few things on our Costco list but end up coming home with ginger beer, sparkling water, toilet paper, paper towels, two bottles of wine, prosciutto, pains au chocolat, a Ghirardelli chocolate assortment, cinnamon cranberry goat cheese, tikka masala sauce, sundried tomatoes, and olive oil ($127.98). Several impulse buys in there for sure, but we allow ourselves some of those since we only go to Costco once a month. I was amazed that they had both TP and paper towels in stock at the same time so we couldn’t pass that up--we were getting low on both anyway.
7:00pm: Back home, we unload the groceries and put everything away. I microwave and eat one of the pains au chocolat--these were a good purchase. I pour a glass of wine, H has a beer, and we repeat the same scene as last night: fire on the TV, Christmas lights on, chatting about life and the future--these are our favorite types of nights together. Since H didn’t eat dinner and I’m still hungry too, we pull together a makeshift charcuterie plate with what we have around the house and it actually turns out pretty well! Salami, prosciutto, the cranberry cinnamon goat cheese we just bought, Boursin cheese, and crackers.
9:30pm: H mentions this game he saw someone playing on Twitch called Late Shift, which is less like a video game and more like a choose-your-own-adventure movie. We decide to download it and try it out ($13.70) and H makes Moscow mules for us to drink while we play. It’s an interesting concept but falls a little flat for us in its execution; a lot of times, you’re given two options and you choose one, but the result you get still ends up being essentially the same as if you chose the other option, so it doesn’t really feel like the choices matter--which I would think is the whole point, right? We get bored of it after a while and decide to stop halfway through and maybe pick it up again another time.
11:30pm: We both get ready for bed, scroll TikTok for a little while, then fall asleep.
Total: $163.97
Day 3: Saturday
8:30am: Both of us wake up around the same time. It’s nice to get to sleep in together; often, H has to go into work on Saturday mornings, but not today! I put on a little makeup, then H makes us coffee and I drink mine while updating our budget spreadsheet with yesterday’s purchases.
10:00am: We join a Zoom call for a standing-invitation Saturday morning virtual brunch with a few friends and friends-of-friends. I warm up a pain au chocolat and slice up the other half of the apple from yesterday and eat as discreetly as possible while we all chat.
11:15am: I say goodbye to everybody and head out to my haircut and color appointment; I haven’t been since June, so it’s definitely needed. My hairdresser and I chat about COVID and the holidays. With tip, my total is $165 (I actually mean to tip a little more but do my mental math wrong--ugh).
1:30pm: I get home from the salon and am surprised to find that the Zoom brunch hangout is still ongoing, so I pop in again to say hi. I’m super hungry, so I heat up leftover enchiladas for me and H for lunch. I feel weird about eating anything on camera really, but I definitely draw the line at eating enchiladas on camera, so I eat in the kitchen while H wraps up the Zoom call. I want something sweet so I grab a couple pieces of chocolate afterwards, too.
2:00pm: H goes in our office to play Minecraft with some friends for the rest of the afternoon. I check to see if there’s work available for my side job, but there’s nothing. It’s been the slowest week for essay volume that I can remember since I started this job, which means I definitely won’t get a paycheck for this week (I have to earn at least $100 to get paid by the end of the week; if I don’t hit $100, the amount rolls over to the next week). Having a side job like this that I can pick up and work on almost anytime is a double-edged sword in that it’s great to have that flexibility, but I also find myself feeling guilty if I have time to work and I choose to do something fun or relaxing with my free time instead.
2:30pm: I’m part of my church’s communications/social media team and I’m scheduled to put up a post today, so I spend a few minutes pulling that together on Instagram. Then I decide to check for essays one more time and I find there’s one available, so I grab it and work on that for a while. It’s a bit of a tricky one and takes me about twice as long as it should, so I finish feeling kind of frustrated.
4:00pm: I take care of a few things around the house, including unloading/reloading the dishwasher, cleaning the litterbox, and wrapping a couple of Christmas gifts. I have to put the cat in time-out because she keeps wanting to walk on the wrapping paper. I listen to an episode of the Around the NFL podcast while I work.
5:30pm: I make grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner for me and H, and we eat together. I have some chips as well and some more chocolate. Making great choices.
6:00pm: H cleans up from dinner and does the dishes while I start reading Dune. I’ve been really wanting a fantasy novel I can lose myself in like I did as a kid, and I hope this will provide that for me. However, I definitely don’t have the attention span for reading that I did when I was younger, so I end up putting the book away to scroll on my phone for a while.
8:00pm: H and I get on a Google Meet call with some friends to play Jackbox games. We play several from the newest party pack; they’re super fun and it goes really smoothly over the video call (hasn’t always been the case when we’ve tried this in the past).
10:30pm: We say goodnight to our friends and wrap up the call. H goes back to Minecraft for a little while, and I catch myself scrolling mindlessly through my phone again and decide to just put it away for the night. I often find myself getting frustrated and annoyed lately by how much I’m on my phone for no good reason, so I’ve been trying to put it completely away for a while when I feel that way. I put my phone on the charger, wash my face, and put on a sheet mask.
11:45pm: I don’t remember how we spend the rest of the evening, but we still end up staying up pretty late (for us). Oddly, I don’t feel tired at all, but once in bed I fall asleep immediately.
Total: $165
Day 4: Sunday
8:30am: We’re both awake; I must have slept really well because I feel more rested than I have in a while. H gets in the shower and I grab my phone to review my fantasy football lineup before the games this afternoon. My team got off to a strong start but has been on a losing streak the second half of the season; I’m no longer in the running for a playoff appearance, but it’s still fun week to week.
9:00am: H has to quickly stop by work so he leaves for a little while. I make coffee in the Chemex and drink it while reading Reddit and looking at emails. I also redeem our credit card cashback for the past month and update our budget spreadsheet (total from two cards is $87.96).
9:45: H is on his way home from work and calls to see if we want to get food along with our Panera coffee orders. That sounds good to me, so I place my order and get a breakfast sandwich: bacon, egg, and cheese on brioche, and hazelnut coffee with half and half. Since the coffee is free, my total with tip comes to $6.50. H’s is $5.26.
10:00am: I turn on the YouTube livestream of our church’s Sunday service; H gets home shortly after it starts with our Panera coffee and breakfast. My order is slightly wrong--ciabatta bread rather than brioche--which isn’t a huge deal at all but contributes to the ongoing experience that whenever we order takeout food, my order is almost always wrong and H’s never is. It’s kind of a running joke at this point because it’s happened so many times since COVID. We eat while watching the church livestream.
11:30am: After church, we turn on the pregame coverage for whatever NFL game is available in our area (it’s Lions-Bears), and I purchase a Christmas gift I’ve been considering for a while for a friend: a set of specialty cocktail bitters from Bittercube, which is based in WI. It comes out to $40.89 with shipping. I pick up an essay to edit and work on that for a little while with the game on in the background, occasionally checking my fantasy score (as expected, it’s not looking great).
1:30pm: For lunch, I make a salad with spring mix, prosciutto, dates, walnuts, goat cheese, and homemade cider date dressing. We switch to watching the Jaguars-Vikings game since H and I both have players in this game on our fantasy teams. I also grab another short essay to edit; I’m glad I’ve been able to pick up at least a few over the weekend.
3:00pm: I spend a while working on a cross-stitch project while watching the Packers-Eagles game. I grew up in a home where sports were always on TV on weekends/evenings, so there’s something comforting and familiar to me about having football on in the background even if I’m not always paying attention. Once I get bored of cross-stitching, I snack on some of the cookies and cream popcorn and watch the game while wasting time on my laptop. I read that Rudy Giuliani has COVID and can’t help but relish the schadenfreude a little.
5:00pm: I get an email from Target that something I had viewed was on sale; it’s the Anova sous vide we had been considering buying for H’s mom for Christmas. With the sale price, two additional 10% off promotions, and the tiny amount of Target Circle earnings on my account, it comes out to $84.01 all told. I purchase it for pickup at our local store; H will get it on his way back from work tomorrow.
6:00pm: Inspired by a TikTok recipe, I decide to pull out my Instant Pot and make creamy garlic parmesan chicken pasta. I have a glass of wine while I cook.
7:00pm: We eat in front of the TV while watching the start of the Sunday Night Football game. The pasta is delicious; I meant to make a veggie side to go with it but forgot. Carbs it is! I also warm up some leftover pumpkin crisp from Thanksgiving for dessert.
7:30pm: H cleans up from dinner, sweeps the kitchen, and takes out the trash. I spend the evening reading Dune and watching the rest of the game. When the game is over, H makes us whiskey sours and we watch TikToks and hang out for a while.
11:45pm: We finally make it to bed. I lay awake for a long time trying to imagine how I would even go about telling my mom we aren’t coming for Christmas if that’s what we decide. There’s no scenario in which that goes well.
Total: $136.66
Day 5: Monday
7:45am: I’m up, I’m up. No shower yet because I plan to work out at lunchtime. H has already made coffee and we hang out for a little while as we drink it.
9:00am: H leaves for work and I sign on to work. I actually have a decent amount to do today. For breakfast, I have some grapes and a warmed-up pain au chocolat.
10:30am: I’m browsing YouTube for something to put on in the background while I work and I see an SNL skit from this past weekend called “The Christmas Conversation” in my recommended feed. It’s exactly what I expect it to be and it both makes me laugh and want to cry--very relevant to my late-night imaginings yesterday.
12:30pm: One of my Christmas presents arrives: the first delivery of a Winc wine subscription. I don’t mind it not being a surprise; I specifically asked for this and I already knew H was getting it for me because he had to ask me to take the quiz about my wine preferences. I won’t open it until Christmas, though.
1:00pm: On my break, I do a 12-minute intense full body HIIT workout (another MadFit one), and the “intense” description in the title is accurate. That’s enough for me for one day, so I just pedal on our stationary bike for a few minutes to cool down before taking a shower. H gets home with our Panera coffees; I got iced coffee this time. I’m ravenously hungry from my workout, to the point of feeling a little faint, so I heat up pasta from last night for lunch, then end up grabbing some chips and a couple pieces of chocolate, too.
2:00pm: I try to buckle down and get some work done in the afternoon. At least what I have to do today is self-paced tasks rather than anything urgent or time-sensitive. I make some more progress on my self-evaluation and give some thought to what I want the next year at my job to look like. I have increasingly had opportunities to work with departments outside of support as my time at this company has gone on, and those opportunities tend to be the most gratifying parts of my job because I’m better able to use my skill set there and do work I enjoy. Ideally, I would eventually transition mostly or completely out of support and into some sort of role within the company where I can do more writing and editing (which is what I do a lot of in these side projects), but I don’t know if that will ever be a possibility.
5:00pm: For dinner after work, it’s leftovers again. I read Dune for a little while followed by sweeping the bathroom floor and vacuuming the rugs.
6:30pm: My mom wanted to catch up today so I give her a call. I have to reiterate to her that we are feeling hesitant about traveling for the holidays, but it’s clear she is not going to go down without a fight on this, and I can hear how upset she is. I try to be clear and firm about my concerns, but she’s my mom, so I also feel like I have to concede to her points wherever I can and not push things too hard. I get off the call feeling physically sick to my stomach.
7:15pm: H and I talk about Christmas and he is adamant that if we do go, my parents need to commit to at least a “soft” quarantine (no nonessential interactions/outings) for 10 days before we arrive because they are being pretty irresponsible in our view about who they see and what they do right now. Knowing what we do now about their own exposure, it’s becoming clear that they are almost certainly a bigger danger to us than we are to them. I text my mom and let her know about those ground rules (while still not committing to anything), and she seems open to that plan and asks some questions about what we are and aren’t comfortable with. I think she will do whatever she needs to for us to come, which we may be able to use to our advantage.
11:15pm: I feel totally drained from my conversation with my mom and my anxiety about the holidays, so I spend the rest of the evening vegging on the couch and watching Monday Night Football. I make a cup of peppermint tea and have a stroopwafel, and we eventually head to bed.
Total: $0
Day 6: Tuesday
5:30am: H had to leave for work really early today, which inevitably woke me up, and I think it threw the cat off too because while I try to go back to sleep, she spends the next couple of hours really leaning into her chaotic energy--tearing around the room at warp speed, jumping on the dresser, scratching the side of the bed and the walls. This used to be a common problem very early in the mornings but hasn’t happened in a while.
8:30am: The cat eventually chills tf out and I get maybe an hour more of sleep. I read news on my phone and respond to a few texts. I am feeling a little calmer today about holiday plans, but now H is texting me about how anxious he is feeling about everything. That’s the secret to marriage--just try not to both be freaking out at the same time. (Kinda joking, but kinda not?)
9:00am: I make a Nespresso and start work. For breakfast, I have an egg over easy on toast and some grapes. I feel so unfocused and unmotivated today, but I do submit my self-evaluation and make progress on some other tasks. I take a break to snuggle with my cat; I haven’t talked about her a lot in this diary but she’s my buddy and basically my shadow. She is super attached to me and her affection makes her wild antics worth it.
1:00pm: Aaaand as soon as I say something nice about her, she throws up on the bed. I clean it up and put the comforter and sheets in the laundry basket. I guess we’re doing laundry again. On my break, I edit a short essay revision and make boxed mac and cheese for lunch. H gets home with our Panera coffees and we split the mac and cheese.
5:00pm: I force myself to be reasonably productive throughout the afternoon. After work, I run out to do a few errands--I pick up a prescription from the Walgreens pharmacy drive-through ($2.68, I pay with my HSA), and I run into Target to get shampoo and conditioner for myself and a few things for H’s stocking ($55 even). Target is surprisingly deserted which is nice, and I’m able to get in and out quickly.
6:00pm: H did the laundry while I was gone, and we fold it together and remake the bed when I get home. I fill H’s stocking with the items I bought, which completes all of my gifts for him for this year.
7:00pm: We’re both tired of leftovers, so H suggests we make another charcuterie plate and have that for dinner. I have a small salad as well, and we eat while we watch...Tuesday Night Football? What a weird season. There’s a slim chance I could still win my fantasy game this week, so I’m somewhat invested in this game. I have a glass of wine.
10:00pm: I do not win my fantasy game. We get in bed at a reasonable hour but spend a while reading; I read a little of Well-Read Black Girl, which is a collection of essays that is my “nightstand” read at the moment, and a little of Dune. Lights out around 11.
Total: $57.68
Day 7: Wednesday
7:45am: Up and at ‘em. I shower, make coffee in the Chemex, blow-dry my hair, and read a little.
9:00am: H leaves for work, and I start work and make myself an English muffin with butter and honey and half of an apple for breakfast. I listen to an episode of The Daily podcast about the first doses of the COVID vaccine being administered in the UK. It’s hard to wrap my mind around the idea that we’ve finally reached this point, even though it’s still going to take a long time for things to feel anything like normal again for most people.
11:30am: I’m scheduled for another church social media post, and I fumble around in Illustrator for a while trying to get the image to look the way I want. I know there’s a ton of free basic courses/tutorials out there on how to use it, and I would probably get way more out of it and get less frustrated if I just went through one of those one weekend. H is pretty proficient in Illustrator, so he often helps me. I snack on some chips and the cat tries to as well.
1:00pm: The weather is mild today (upper 40s, sunny, and no wind), so I take a walk around the neighborhood on my lunch break and listen to The Ringer Fantasy Football Show. I have a sandwich and grapes for lunch when I get back.
2:00pm: H gets home with our Panera coffees right as I am getting back to work. He grabbed lunch out today, which cost $11.09. We both go online and book free COVID tests for next week, a few days before our tentative departure date for Christmas.
5:00pm: I have a steadily busy afternoon of work, but I get everything done. After work, I browse Etsy for a Christmas gift for a friend and land on a cute London-themed tea towel; we and our spouses were supposed to go to London together earlier this year and are hoping we can still make the trip happen next year. It’s coming from the UK, so shipping is expensive; the total comes out to $27.38. I don’t know if it will arrive before Christmas, but I don’t think I’ll see this friend to give it to her until after Christmas anyway.
6:00pm: Dinner is...you guessed it, leftovers. We finish off the enchiladas. Normally I would do a lot more cooking in a week, but I’ve just happened to make several meals lately that created a lot of leftovers.
8:00pm: Quiet evening at home. H has some work to do tonight from home; I read Dune and scroll Reddit for a while. I edit a short essay. H finishes wrapping my Christmas gifts and we hang out for a while.
11:00pm: We chat with some friends in a group text before eventually heading to bed.
Total: $38.47
At the end of each day please tally up your daily expenses. Then at the end of your diary please tally up all expenses in the following categories:
Food + Drink: $127.10
Fun / Entertainment: $13.70
Home + Health: $74.76
Clothes + Beauty: $165
Transport: $22.29
Other (all gifts): $187.38
Lastly, reflect on your diary! How do you feel about your spending? Was this a normal week for you? Has this inspired you to make changes or has it given you a “wow I’m doing pretty good” confidence boost? Is there anything you’re actively working on? No need to answer any or all these questions but just use this space to write any thoughts you have!
There are some outliers here as far as spending goes because of the gift purchases and the hair appointment which only comes around every 4-5 months, but beyond that, this was pretty normal weekly spending for us. Interestingly, I felt more self-conscious about sharing what I ate than about anything money-related--I tend to think of myself as a fairly healthy eater but I don't think that was the case this week!

​

What happens when it is all one big "efficient company?" An insane claim, by the way. There is no reason to think merging all those companies would lead to something efficient, unless you have the absolutely mindblowing belief that government agencies can run these private companies with more success. Can you imagine going to the DMV to ship a package? Can you imagine being told it will cost $500 to ship the package, and then realizing there is no competition available?

"Can you imagine allowing the government to be as corrupt as businesses are?!? (remember insulin?) That would be bad!"
Yeah no shit - that's why it's called "Policy and Regulation" you fucking ignoramus. The exact thing you're advocating against. "But competition means that consumers can go to company that has the lowest prices - meaning, the company that has the least amount of costs vs profit.
Would a regulated, subsidized, non-profit monopolistic business model not provide that for the cheapest physically possible, orrrrr.....?!?! BRUH

[Them] Even if your service starts off in the best way possible in every single way: you get some messiah like selfless person with 180iq to run the operation, and somehow, they manage to combine all these companies into single effective business, and all for minimal pay.

"Minimal pay" and "Adequate pay" are two totally different things. Raising the minimum wage won't raise the price of a burger unless the CEO's choose to take a profit/pay cut.

Let's just say you get that done. What happens after that person retires?!@?!??! What are the odds you can find another one, and another after that, and another after that, who are all incorruptible, greedless, perfect people?

This knuckle-dragger really can't wrap their head around prohibitive policy that cuts down on negative actions, nor the concept that changing the focus in society from "profit" to "purpose" would severely cut down on the average person's corruption. We live in a society that glorifies having more money than you can physically spend - and it purpetuates the people like you who see that as an excuse to exploit others just because you can.
​

Why on earth would it be better to have one person take on the management duties of all these companies?

Still can't wrap his head around anything other than social hierarchies.. "WhOs GoNnA bE tHe BoSs?!"
Unless you're asking how they would make it efficient - which of course anyone with half a brain cell would know 1 person managing absolutely everything would be basically impossible - thought it doesn't suprise me you jump to that conclusion with the content of the arguments... You break it up by region, district and subcategorize parts of the company for national, local, or other ranges. You prioritize parts of the business to go from manufactures to retailers, others for deliveries at home - all the "profits" going to adequately paying the employees, research to further streamline and automate the service (as well as help drive costs down further), and back into the economy through a UBI.
​

[Them] To be perfectly blunt, I must imagine, and I say this in the politest way possible, that you do not have the faintest clue what it takes to manage a business. It is well outside the scope of this post for me to teach you, but suffice to say it is not such an easy and laid back task, and I think it would be of immense value to your personal development to get some experience.

Imagine saying that to a person that manged 3 headshops across 2 states for several years, generating over a combined 250k every single year. The owner lived in Cali - I live in CT. I had to order new products based on what inventory we had left, profits we had the previous month and projected sales, I had to organize discounts and sales to move old product, manage the schedules and payroll to be sent out, work with the local authorities when it came to signage, zoning and other issues; I had to advertise for the business online (as part of my job description) and submit all of our cost/revenue/profit sheets for each store. I had to be on call whenever the store was open in order to approve discounts asked by my sales teams. If I missed emails - even if I wasn't working - I'd get screamed at - all for $14/hr plus a small percentage of commission on certain items. The kicker? They had stupid shady business practices. I'm talking they've been sued for wage garnishment multiple times, class action lawsuits, copyright infringement.
You see, they secretly owned the glass company that made 75% of their stock. They paid illegal immigrants roughly $10/hr (one of the owners flat out admitted this to me) to copy competitors items exactly. Producing a product that was literally a knock-off of the main retailer (the quality was shit too), but for a fraction of the price. Literally.
So a certain pipe would retail for say, $1,000. Well, it only cost them about $100 to make it at the end of the day - transportation cost them roughly $25 (depending on how many they ship at once), bringing that total to $125 to put it on our shelf. I sell that item for $1,000 - and make $50 commission (if i passed the sales amount required for the day - If we didn't make enough to cover store costs including my pay, I didn't make commission regardless of the item sold).
So for that entire process - the person who made it got roughly $50 for their labor - the materials cost roughly $50 - the concept for the good itself was stolen - I received roughly $64 for the sale (which is fucking insulting to the person who made it) - sales tax is paid by the customer - meaning that there's $811 left over for the owner to take as profit. AH yes - but he's the 20% of the equation - so he deserves the 80% of the profits - right?! That's how that works?!? That's his reward for the risk of paying workers the absolute minimum required by law (and sometimes lower than that), stealing copyrighted material, and exploiting labor - right?! That's what profits are for - legal battles!
I could go into more detail about more fucked-up shit that company did, but something tells me all of these "best self interest" practices are giving you business ideas because you have no comprehension on morality.

[Me] All this with the added focus that we need to make the resources we utilize as renewable as possible, and the jobs we perform as automated as possible.
[Them] And politicans will do a better job of that, if they are in control of every businesses decisions, in your mind? That seems to be the central point of your argument.

Look at him go trying to make me a communist - as again, the only industries I think the government should control are the ones vital to life. Housing, Education, Healthcare, Sustenance, (and at this point) distribution of goods and access to the internet. The internet goes hand-in-hand with education specifically. There should be free and easy access to a reputable educational source. Wikipedia leaves a lot to be desired - due to lack of funding and regulation.

[Them] That the Chosen People will come and lead the way to Efficient Businesses and Lack of Greed. It makes absolutely no sense and seems like a religious cult.

Literally your argument for capitalism - except you expect people whose sole motivator is profit to make the best decisions - where I want adequately educated people saying "No - fuck your profits, this secondary effect is too detrimental for it to be okay." Like you know - the active destruction of our ecosystems and people dying because they can't afford to pay for a drug that only costs $7 to produce.
​

[Me] Well for one, some people choose to live that way. Some people just prefer "off the grid" living.
[Them] Way to avoid the question. Do you suppose the people making less than $1 a day farming would be happy to take your resources, or would they reject them? Would they accept the contents of your wallet, your bank account, your cell phone, and your clothes and amenities and technological comforts? Your laptop and jewelry? I bet they would, regardless of their "preference for off grid living." A very yuppie thing to say in regards to people subsistence farming, by the way.

Jesus fucking christ this dude should be dead with how many times he's hit himself in the face with the point. Not to mention he's changing his stance on this issue AGAIN. Remember, this was the original question that I was answering:

How, exactly, do you "fix" the lives of the BILLIONS of people who scratch out a living subsistence farming?

So in the intial question - he frames subsistence farming as a bad thing - and now in his reply, he's going to turn right around and try and make me seem like the bad guy in the scenario for wanting to "fix the issues". Not to mention that me pointing out the nuance that some people literally choose to do this is apparently "Avoiding the question" even though I answered this ages ago with verticle farming.
Then he comes to this jewel:

Do you suppose the people making less than $1 a day farming would be happy to take your resources...I bet they would, regardless of their "preference for off grid living." A very yuppie thing to say in regards to people subsistence farming, by the way.

"Don't you think impoverished people would want the extra resources you have available?! You're such a yuppie for thinking that they wouldn't want to not be impoverished despite choosing to be self-sufficient outside of society because it creates impoverishment to the point of death!"
Like these fucking conservative thunder-cunts can't wrap their heads around the things they say. By his mentality - owners should distribute their resources to the lower classes because workers could use them to not be impoverished despite "choosing" the job they have. Seriously, what the fuck kind of example is this?! "How do you fix the lives of billions who SCRATCH OUT A LIVING subsistence farming?" "HOW DARE YOU LOOK DOWN ON THEM FOR BEING IN THAT POSITION!1!! THEY'RE CAPITALISTS!!!1!!1"
Bruh. You really need to think about the things you say before you say them.

[Me] If the world prioritized ensuring undeveloped countries had the infrastructure and ability to contribute to the world economy - the long term benefits
[Them] This is a statement that means nothing. "The world" is not an entity, unless you are specifically pushing for the creation of a one world government.

Is he really so stupid that he couldn't see this disclaimer:

Also - these sorts of things would have to be implemented worldwide.

AND that he can't wrap his head around the fact that producers in every single country in the world are contributing to the issues we're facing? Seriously. No dude - I'm only going to try and implement this in America - because the pollution from the rest of the world doesn't fucking matter. Dipshit.

[Me] With the focus on producing food wherever its needed (hydroponic facilities and proper farming techniques)
[Them] As we go further in the post your arrogance seems to grow as your thoughts flow more freely. I imagine it is largely coming from your professors, but it is not enviable. How much farming have you done, I wonder, to know exactly which techniques are 'proper' and which are not? You seem to have all the answers, and it all seems so simple. Where can I vote to, quote, "do things properly"? Who would want to do them improperly, after all!

Translation: "These damn universities are indoctrinating people to the left!1!!11!"
You're a truly stupid motherfucker if you can't ulitlize google to do some research on a few things before hand. Verticle farming is incredibly more efficient than other types of farming in several ways - and that's all capitalists care about right? Efficiency? Cost reductions? While it does have its downsides, Water efficiency is 100%, if the power is from sustainable sources the GHG are 20% of those of typical greehouses, and the yields are also more efficient. The only thing that needs to catch up is our power sources and the lighting tech - and it will be hands-down the most efficienct and best way to grow crops. Further improving our lighting tech will also increase the efficiency of our everyday lighting in society, and the power improvements will always better society when we stop dumping stupid amounts of pollution. Additionally, current improvements in automation will make it so that costs are incredibly minimal.
Imagine being so stupid that you just want to let the market innovate and dictate society - and not those actually aducated in their respective fields. Yes - a scientist should have the final say over production of resources - not a farmer that's only looking to maximize his profits. That's how we ended up in the dust bowl.
For as much as you tell me to think of examples in history to support your narrative - you sure do seem to ignore it.
​

[Me] coupled with focus on redistributing resources and wealth where it is needed,
[Them] I'm going to engage directly with your language for a moment. I, too, think redistributing wealth and resources where it is needed is a vital and ongoing function. However, I think it happens naturally in a free market,

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Look at him pivot again. Think back to his "underserving lotter winner" comment here, as well as the pareto principle. 20% of people generate 80% of the income. "The free market naturally redistributes income!" - currently in the worst state of wealth inequality in history due to the free market we currently have.
I swear - conservatives and capitalists suffer from the worst kinds of Dunning-Kruger effects.
​

[Them] and I think unnatural distribution of resources through politicians will simply result in cronyism and corruption, as we have now. Which politican are you so confident in to redistribute wealth and resources "where it is needed?" How can one person, or even a team of people, possibly know whether it is smarter to use a community's money to build a chemical plant to produce medicines or a new surgery wing on the hospital, or a new farm instead?

Simple. Education, you know - the thing you lack?
​

[Them] How will you determine which will have more benefit? Perhaps hours of public testimony? Consulting with other bureaucrats? Will you listen to the testimony of the hungry, and compare that to the testimony of those needing surgery? Will you compare them to those that lack medicine? How will you make this choice?

Imagine being so fucking stupid that you think society with capabilities to launch a fucking car into space - would have to choose between feeding the hungry and caring for the sick - because.... what? They both aren't a priority?
If healthcare was universal it would cost America less overall, anyone who says otherwise is a brainwashed knuckle-dragger. Don't even get me started on our educational system.

[Them] If it sounds impossibly complicated, it is. In reality, the politician and the bureaucrats are swayed by all the listed factors, and most often they will pick the solution that benefits them and their family and friends the most. Perhaps their brother owns the contracting company that will build the hospital, so they pick that option.

"Politicians are corrupt - businesses that charge hundreds of dollars for life saving medication and lie to the public in order to increase profits are not."

[Them] The alternative though, does not rely on the incorruptibility of a man, or even a group of men. The alternative relies simply on competition and market distribution of resources to those that provide the most goods and services to the public.

Here's another fallacy: the market decides the distribution of resources.. Please tell me more about how the market stages coups. And about how the "invisible hand of the market" creates artificial scarcities.

[Them] In a free market, any or all or none of those things could be built, depending on the decisions of individuals. Those individuals can take risks with their own personal lives, time, and savings, and because they are personally involved they have a strong motivator to be efficient and to please consumers.

LOLOLOL "a strong motivator to be efficient and please consumers!" HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Yes lobbying the government to have them lie about nutrition is about about "pleasing the consumer" - and planned obsolecense is also about "pleasing the consumer".
Stop pretending to have any sort of redeemable values.
​

[Them] Politicians have no such risk. By the time the project is even finished, they may be out of office, or have collected their greasy bribes and kickbacks all the same.

"Politicians have no risk because they can get away with sleazy practices just like the rich who I mentioned earlier avoid taxes becasue they can!"
HMMMM, it's almost as if we should address the problem of corruption - and not its symptoms. The source of this problem is societies incessant need to continue prioritizing profits over purpose.

[Them] Your hatred for business owners is replaced by a religious faith in politicians, which is entirely misplaced. It's nice to have something to believe in, but I plead with you, please, consider that you have fallen for a scheme even worse. What if I'm right? What if history backs me up, and every single time this has been tried, it's been a disaster?

"Please- please! Look at history and know (except modern day Europe - don't look there) that this never works! The US will stage a coup, impose sanctions, and cripple your economy before it ever gets off the ground! Besides, the politicians we have now are corrupt and are allowed to be because we don't have policies to restrict them - you can't just give them the power to choose - they'll abuse it and hurt me - the owner who deserves 80% of the profit despite doing less than 20% of the work!!"
Bruh - you put policies in place to stop the actions that enable corruption and greed.
"They're just going to get kickbacks from the businesses that only care about profits to try and sway their choices!! We should just give the power to the businesses that already prove they give no fucks about anything other than profits - and have even less restrictions!"
You aren't a knuckle-dragger, you're an elbow-dragger. Holy shit.
​

5/7
[Me] we need to stop holding countries at gunpoint and forcing them to sell us resources for pennies on the dollar.
[Them] Instead we'll just hold entire populations are gunpoint and tell them exactly how to live their lives, right? Which factories to open, which to close, which people can be successful, which cannot. How many farms to have, and how many chemical plants. How many factories, and how many schools. We will dictate every single aspect of their economy, and if any of them with enough money to make themselves heard or do something about it choose to argue, well, we will send the communist re-education squad over with some AKs to teach them to stop being greedy.

Again - this dude is having flashbacks of the cold war and can't handle his triggered fear.

[Me] And we can argue for days about whether we should focus our efforts "here" or around the world, yatta yatta.
[Them] I was really amazed reading through this, because at so many times you are so close to a real epiphany moment. Yatta yatta indeed. You don't think it a rather important point to have locked down, exactly where all these redistributed resources will be spent?

Imagine being so thick headed that you think the needs of the world will be constant and fixed, not fluid and everchanging. "The free market naturally distributes resources where they're needed!" Please tell me more about how Africa is super developed and advanced - and how companies are making efforts to invest in sustainably solving the problems that they are facing.

[Them] Do you imagine yourself part of some special educated club that can discuss these things while the plebes just go along for the ride? Who determines whether the billions of people who live on less than $2 a day are more worthy than you of some redistributed wealth? If it is you, why is that fair?

Why should 2,153 people be allowed to aquire more wealth than 4.6 BILLION people combined? I think that's a better question - you really think that's indicitive of the free market "naturally redistributing wealth"? If you do I got a bridge to sell you.

[Them] Why should you get any money? You have so much compared to them. Following your logic, should we not liquidate 90% of the wealth of the Western countries and redistribute it to the developing countries? It is of course, "better for the world," as you say.

Imagine not understanding what the difference between equality and equity is, and also not understanding what UBI is, and trying to preach to people about the viabilities of economic systems. And also purposefully twisting my comment which explicitly says:

[Me] If the world prioritized ensuring undeveloped countries had the infrastructure and ability to contribute to the world economy - the long term benefits after doing so would surpass the initial costs of enabling it.

Yet he hears "redistribution of weath" and again - ignorantly thinks of the USSR.

With the stories about universities locking down students, I know there are bound to be some really concerned students and parents. If stories about being unable to get grocery deliveries or post deliveries are even remotely true then this is concerning to those who have dietary requirements or require medication deliveries. I don't mean to sound fear-mongering or promote misinformation, this is just what I've been reading on other subreddits such as ukpolitics and unitedkingdom.
I have a longer post somewhere else but narrowed it down to the most basic and universally useful stuff here. While aimed towards students and those away from home, this info is relevant for everyone anyway. It's general information and things that people might not know about or might just forget about.
Hope this helps some people and this stuff is given to the right people to help take some stress away from these hard times. Including vulnerable students. I am no expert, just someone who finds researching about prepping to be a weirdly fun hobby and it's turned out to be useful quite a bit this year. This stuff has helped my family and I hope this helps you too.
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• For UK students who are looking to get some extra food items to keep in their flat/dorm, I put this Amazon list together to give you a few ideas. Make a list and send it to your family as well to ask for a few extra items such as baked beans, pasta, pasta sauces, etc. Most items on that list are relatively cheap and Amazon delivers them like standard Amazon items to your halls. That list I linked to has no delivery address attached and is purely for examples of what can be delivered through Amazon.
• Family can also send you other food boxes and items now so you can keep it aside ahead of any lockdowns you might face. Remember, you want pantry items not fresh food boxes! The Asda Mealtime Box, Aldi Food Parcel, and this Morrisons Food Box is all pantry but other boxes of theirs contain pantry items you can store too. These are not great for people with dietary requirements though and other ones do exist. If you need to isolate at home or in a place without private security then you can get other food boxes from Morrisons (they have gluten-free and vegan boxes) and many other places too.

If you're really worried and have no one who can help you, the Assistance subreddit is a good resource to keep on hand. We can forward you to potential sources of help, provide information and, for those in real need, provide additional help with essential items. Be prepared to provide a lot of information and proof if requesting assistance for food, medicine or anything else.
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• Make sure you have at least 30 days supply of prescription medication at any time. In the UK you can order medication online through licensed websites such as this which also includes free birth control.
• Non-prescription medication in the UK can also be bought online from online licensed pharmacies such as this one which is related to the website above. It's usually delivered with normal post when bought this way.
• Ensure you have a multivitamin and take it regularly too. This is good for general health regardless of your diet.

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• Cupboard foods can be stored anywhere it's dry, cool and dark. So you can keep additional foods in your bedroom or in other places too which might be appropriate. Under the bed, in drawers and with clothing can work. This is also good for storing drinks or snacks in general too.
• Bread is good for freezing and keeping frozen vegetables is useful no matter what. Makes for easy fried rice! Bread items also last longer in the fridge so keeping tortillas (for examples) in there is good no matter what.
• A lot of foods can be frozen. Look at the packaging for items which are heavily reduced and considering freezing it instead of eating on the day. I do this a lot when there's food I like which is marked down due to the expiration date. Bread and bakery items usually work well for this too!
• Keep some 'easy' foods around. This is good practice regardless of pandemic or not. If you're lacking energy or are sick then cooking is annoying or difficult at times so quick meals is good for mental health and for avoiding junk food.
• Those with dietary requirements should make sure they can meet their own needs and not need to rely on a university to provide them with gluten-free pasta, etc. This includes those with medically restricted diets and those with allergies too.
• Ladies ensure you have enough hygiene products to get through a lockdown period (literally!)

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• Do some research on how to keep fresh items longer. There are methods to keep vegetables and fruits in good condition for a few weeks. Citrus fruits and apples can last for a good 4 weeks when kept in the fridge for example. Leafy greens and carrots do better with a paper towel in the plastic bag, it keeps them fresh longer.

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• If your flatmates are also concerned about a potential lockdown then speak with them about ordering a grocery shop together so you can all get some extra items without all needing to spend £30+ each for a delivery. Plus tinned items are usually cheap but can be heavy to carry home so this helps your back long-term if you guys decide to make a weekly order even if a lockdown isn't a concern.

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Most importantly: Screw what everyone else thinks is essential. Get whatever items YOU consider essential for your physical, emotional and mental health. Does chocolate make your periods feel easier to cope with? Keep a small chocolate stash. Are fish finger sandwiches your comfort food? Make sure there's some in the freezer for when you need it.
This is the same for 'non-essential' items too. Ignore people who claim your hobby items are not essential, if it's essential for your health in some way then it IS essential. So make sure you have enough colouring books and pencils, PC care stuff, books, crafting stuff and whatever else makes you feel okay. These things are critical for mental health so don't dismiss it.
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There's bound to be a lot of missed information since there can be a lot to cover in regards to this topic. A lot of this is very personal though so don't treat any single advice like it's a religious text or something. I've tried to keep it a bit general so it's good information for general living outside of pandemic times too.
Please do comment any additional information you think people should know! Remember to forward relevant information to those who you know could benefit from this as well.