Trendy chic cheap tote bags

Hi all,
I got so much great assistance from this board so I wanted to give back to the community. I (34F) travelled to Japan solo in May with a week on the ground (9 days including travel) from Australia, so no jet lag. I packed in a lot - I have a family with young kids at home and this was a once in a lifetime opportunity so wanted to make the most of it. For those not travelling solo the itinerary is likely less realistic, but worked great for me. I spent approximately 400,000yen for the 7 days including flights and accommodation, and approximately 100,000 of that was on souvenirs and gifts. I walked at least 30,000 steps each day (with the exception of day 1 which was around 25k + a 17km bike ride).
I tried posting to JapanTravel first but it keeps getting rejected by bots!
Day 1 - Arrive 5:30am Haneda, Tokyo (Fri)

• Flew into T1, but arrived a little early and had zero lines through immigration etc so decided to travel by free shuttle bus to T3 to pick up a Welcome Suica. This ended up being so worth it and making life easy.
• Train to Higashi-Ginza, drop off bags. Explore Tsukiji. I recommend Tsukiji Uogashi building for food rather than the markets themselves, significantly cheaper, you can take your meal to the rooftop.
• Coffee from Turret Coffee - a standout for coffee (latte) lovers).
• eBike tour by Compass bikes - I am not a huge fan of tours but this was great way to see a lot in a few hours and I really loved Fukagawa Fudou-dō temple which had a walkway inside that felt like it was designed by TeamLabs (no photos allowed unfortunately)
• Back to Higashi-Ginza, picked up my bags and went to check in to my hotel, Dormy Inn Ueno, which was perfectly located (I loved staying in this area).
• On to the Sumo Tournament for which I had purchased tickets through buysumotickets. I think my whole section had as they were all foreigners, haha! I loved this, a really different experience.
• Explored Ameyokocho before calling it a night.

Day 2 - Tokyo (Sat)

• Up bright and early at 3am. Went to the sento, still couldn't sleep after so took the first train of the day to Asakusa. Explored Senso-ji without crowds. Back to Ueno station where I purchased tickets for the shinkansen the next day. It looks like the line gets busy so this was a good idea to do early.
• Explored Ueno park, Nippori, Ueno by foot.
• Back to hotel to get ready for the day, and out around 8:30am.
• Train to Yoyohi where I got a coffee at Dimlight Espresso then walked through Yoyogi park/Meiji shrine area towards Takeshita St. By now it was around 10:30am and most shops online looked like they didn't open until 11am but most did seem open. I bought some socks at Tabio and then a Harajuku special crepe from Godiva on Meiji-Dori Ave (so good!).
• Walked up Cat St which I loved and was much less busy than the rest of Harajuku and Shibuya. Got some sweets from Number Sugar. On to Shibuya via Miyashita Park. Shopped throughout Shibuya, but it honestly wasn't my favourite as there was just so much choice and so many people. It didn't feel unique to me (ie could have been in any country).
• Train to Akihabara, which was also very busy but felt more unique. I loved Yellow Submarine where I got some board games that are made in Japan but had English instructions, and did some other light shopping for my boys.
• Back to my hotel to rest and eat some gyoza I got on my way from the train station, before heading out for a 7pm localised tour of Shinjuku. Again this was good, but I think limiting doing tours works best for me as I can't take the slow pace, haha!!

Day 3 - Matsumoto, Kiso, Tsumago

• I took the shinkansen to Nagano in gran class which was truly amazing and worth the additional cost. I had the carriage to myself so a personal attendant, meal, slippers included and comfy reclining chair. Then took a train from Nagano to Matsumoto.
• Explored Matsumoto Castle then did a tour at Ishii miso (this was OK, but a bit more of an explanation rather than tour) and visited the Art Museum (this was good for a quick visit even for someone with passing art interest).
• On to Kiso for lunch and to explore, loved the foot bath. Train to Nagiso, where I walked the Nakasendo to my minshuku in Tsumago, Daikichi. Tsumago was just lovely, the people living there are just a wonderful community. Daikichi was incredible. Had a wonderful dinner and breakfast and highly recommend this sort of accommodation.

Day 4 - Tsumago, Magome, Osaka

• Left at 7.30am after breakfast as the weather was not great and more rain was planned as the day progressed. Loved the tea house on the way to Magome. Got in to Magome around 10am, grabbed a coffee from Hillbilly coffee and walked to Chuodo Magome to get a bus as it was a better schedule than the bus from Magome to Nakatsugawa. I don't recommend this as it was a roadhouse with only locals and felt a bit awkward haha. But, it all worked well and was actually a really comfortable trip to Nagoya.
• I decided to take the slower Kintetsu Ltd Express from Nagoya to Osaka-Namba, as it was direct, and I could book a premium seat again which was a great place to rest on a rainy day. The premium seat on the Hinotori was incredible comfy (perhaps more so than the shinkansen?) and had a seat warmer function.
• Explored Kuromon market, Sennichimae Doguyasuji for kitchenware, Ota St, DenDen Town, Dotonbori. Took two trains to my hotel in Kyoto, Hotel Aru. Again this was a fab hotel in a really great location, and the room was much nicer and newer than the Dormy Inn (although no sento).
• Did some washing and crashed.

Day 5 - Kyoto in the rain

• There was a Typhoon in the Philippines today which brought with it significant rain. I had originally planned Nara but with flooding and rain inundation warnings thought I would stick close to my hotel instead.
• Walked to Sentido for a coffee, then on to Kyoto Gyoen National Garden and the Kyoto Imperial Palace. This wasn't in my original itinerary but I really enjoyed it and the audio guide was really well done (and all free!). Another coffee in School Bus Coffee Stop.
• Spent the rest of the day exploring the undercover shopping streets, department stores, Nishiki markets. Loved the Daimaru basement food court, the staff here were especially polite with every single one bowing and greeting me as I walked past.
• Back to my hotel to dry off my feet after they had been wet for the past 14 hrs. The rain had finally eased off so I then headed out at night to explore Yasaka shrine and Gion. I saw a Maiko (who unfortunately looked quite distressed, clearly still getting harassed by tourists!).

Day 6 - Kyoto

• Today I made up for lost time and fit in a LOT. More than I would like realistically, I would have loved more time in Uji and Nara, I would definitely like to spend more time in that region if/when I return to Japan.
• Train to Fushimi Inari, at 5:30am it was still quiet, at 6:30am it was already getting busy. I made the call at the halfway lookout point that I could probably squeeze Nara in if I left then, and tbh Fushimi Inari wasn't a standout for me.
• Grabbed some breakfast at the konbini while I waited for a train to Nara. I loved Nara. Not so much the deer, or Todai-ji (both were good) but the forest beyond and places like Todaiji Nigatsudo, Kasuga Taisha. I loved taking paths where there were no other tourists.
• On to Uji - bought several bags of matcha and sencha, some matcha treats, explored Byodo-in and had a matcha parfait at Tsuen overlooking the river. I would have loved to stay here longer but had a tour booking for 2pm on the other side of Kyoto (but an easy trip due to being on the same line)
• 2pm tour at Matsui sake, a tiny sake house in Kyoto. The tour was great and I loved their anime branding and innovative tasting system.
• The weather today was SO amazing and I really loved this area (Sakyo ward) so hired a bike from emusica edmachiyanagi and travelled north along Kamo River, exploring some temples along the way, having something to eat by the river. Rode to Circus Coffee which had the most lovely staff and I loved the branding. Explored some shopping streets, then on to Philosophers Path and returned the bike around 7:30pm.
• Got a massage at ボディケアボディ 三条河原町店 which was so cheap and so good. Had a 40 min wait so I went to Donki and bought a suitcase for all my extra shopping (had travelled carry-on only). After my massage I packed and crashed.

Day 7 - Kyoto, Inuyama

• Got up and took the train to Kiyomizu (could have walked but my legs were sore!), then walked up to Kiyomizu-dera. I wasn't sure if I would like it as I was disappointed with Fushimi Inari but it was simply spectacular.
• Explored Higashiyama then enjoyed a zen meditation session at Ryosoku-in. This was a great experience!
• Back to my hotel to change and check out then lunch at Roan Kikunoi, my Michelin restaurant (**) for the trip and a wonderful meal and experience.
• Went and grabbed my bags from the hotel, taxi to train station, shinkansen to Nagoya and train to Inuyama.
• Inuyama was a gorgeous little town. Nagoya has a lot less foreign visitors, and there were few signs, train announcements etc in English. I actually didn't see a non-Asian person my whole time in Nagoya (including in the airport the next day). The castle here was gorgeous and I loved the town, a great slower pace to end my trip.

Day 8 - Chubu airport

• There is a train without changes to chubu airport from Inuyama. Unfortunately, I had miscalculated my remaining yen so was 200 yen short for the limited express, so had to take the commuter which meant standing for 1 hr in a crowded train. The ltd express would have been better but I didn't want to get out 10,000 yen just for the train and I wasn't sure whether I could use card at the airport for fare adjustment (I could have, it turned out).
• The airport was super clean and easy and not too busy. I had used points to fly SQ business which was a luxurious end to a truly incredible trip.

Feel free to reach out with any questions!

Has anyone had success booking the cheaper local rate airfare Guam to Saipan?
According to United (after CNMI petitioned them) they were going to start offering a lower fare between Guam and Saipan.
If I search Guam to Saipan cheap flight it takes me to a separate United booking page that shows basic economy fares starting at $300. It includes no extras tho. No checked bags, no seat selection, etc. They have another rate at $400 for basic economy with checked bags and seat selection.
I just tried booking one of these flights but every time I try to checkout and pay it bumps my cart total up to $580 "due to my billing address." Seems like a massive bait and switch. My billing address is Merizo, GU (btw).
Were these local fare rates just for CNMI residents? Has anyone else successfully booked one of these local rate flights to Saipan?

We built a lovely suite, had a ltr deal meth and himself so went to str… in our first year I have learned;
Most people are respectful and kind
Gift baskets rarely get mentioned in reviews
Someone can ding a star for value in spite of excess amenities and discounts ergo value is subjective
Have 3 sets of all linens/towels in sealed bags or totes for quick change over
Always tweak rules and guides as experience grows and know a large percentage won’t read them - if it’s in writing you are covered
Ask via message as to how their first night was and if there’s anything you can do to make them more comfortable the morning after arrival. Written assurances to “all is perfect” goes far with review assurance.
Would LOVE to read your host wisdom!

Does anyone know how many bags we can bring and how heavy they can be?
Also, can we bring totes instead of luggage?

My current tote (Lacoste) has been causing me shoulder pain and I’m looking for some recommendations for new bags!
Preferably lightweight and straps that won’t dig into my shoulder. I’d need enough space to carry a 14 inch laptop and a notebook and little things like that. It’s a bonus if it’s aesthetically pretty (ex. I’m not too fond of the longchamp le pliage)
My budget is max around $350 CAD (before tax) but if I’m really in love with one of your recommendations I’m willing to consider so don’t hesitate in suggesting some that are pricier!

Any help dating this bag/tag? Any info is much appreciated!
It looks like March 2014 but never seen this specific Filson tag before so curious if anyone has any more info.
Bought a zippered tote when Sam’s Club had them last year. Quickly became my daily bag and my only regret is that I didn’t buy two.
Saw this one on eBay last week described as new with tags (though as pics show, it doesn’t have tags and seems to have gotten some use considering the scuffs/black marks). Either way, picked it up for about $160 so I’m pretty pleased.

Rare Beauty Puffy Tote Bag is back in stock on the Rare Beauty website!

If you hate the unpolished titanium texture of the handle of existing ultralight titanium spoons, I found a fully polished one from Paria Outdoor Products for $12.99.
^^ That was going to be my post but I didn't want to break the rule about low effort posting so here's my full review!
I have been looking for a durable, pleasant to use ultralight spoon for my EDC, eating lunch at work, day hikes, and camping. I like normal stainless steel silverware from home, and plastic takeout silverware. I hate bamboo, unpolished titanium, and that plastic that most ultralight spoons are made out of. I wanted to buy a dedicated spoon because I generally try to avoid using plastic, and my roommates get mad when I take our limited home silverware on adventures. I say all this to say I'm not your typical ultralight head, I just try to keep the weight of my EDC down. But I don't think that matters in this case.
I bought the Paria Titanium Long Polished Spoon ($12.99 USD) and I wanted to share its existence with you all, as it's rarely mentioned here despite many of you sharing my feelings about that horrible titanium texture!
Link to product: https://www.pariaoutdoorproducts.com/products/ultalight-backpacking-titanium-spoon
Unlike the Toaks, which I absolutely hate to hold, this one is polished all over. That's the only difference. They are basically identical otherwise. I actually think they are made using the same design and I don't have a small enough scale to check but as far as I can tell they are almost the same weight (according to the manufacturer, Toaks: 0.65 oz, Paria: 0.6 oz).
I just really wanted to share this because people complain about the issue of textured spoons so often! This item has been around for years and years under a variety of brands but currently only Paria makes it.
There is a discussion of the history of these spoons in the comments section of this SectionHiker blog. It looks like one company makes all of these, somewhat validated by this short review on backpackinglight. Some reasons people like long handled spoons: cleaner hands, less weird condensation from food bags (and as I found out today, Chinese takeout containers), if you cook with long utensils you don't burn your hands as much.
Locations tested: My house. My car. My home stove. The local library. A coffeeshop. I think I'm in love. I have gotten it out of my backpack to eat ice cream with. I also tested it by sitting it in boiling water to see if it would get too hot to the touch (it didn't) and made rice pudding with this as my only cooking utensil and it was fine.
Images: https://imgur.com/a/CHNfBQu
Pros:

• NO HORRIBLE UNPOLISHED TITANIUM TEXTURE
• Mouthfeel is great
• Durability (not too bendy, identical to the Toaks)
• Can eat soup with it
• Tiny bit lighter (0.5 oz)
• Free shipping

Let's talk about the "sharp edges" discourse. If you read reviews of the Toaks spoon, people have complained that it cuts their hands or mouths. They get made fun of. Personally I think it's possible that a very cheap, unpolished metal product probably doesn't have super careful quality control and I suspect some people genuinely do get sharp edged spoons. I can't make promises that every Paria polished spoon will be like this, but mine was very pleasant to hold and had very smooth edges.
Cons:

• Not as easy to clean as stainless (takes water sometimes where you would be able to lick clean a stainless steel spoon).
• If you leave it on a hot pan or cooking surface for long enough it will get too hot to comfortably touch, but it was useful enough for my needs (cooking on my stove at home to try it out, eating hot/recently boiled foods).
• I really wish there were tiny little stuff sacks that came with these, I plan to sew one for myself for this to keep it clean in my backpack.
• Two dollars more expensive than unpolished options

Limitations: this has not been trail tested but I really don't think it needs to be, since it's basically identical to an existing product.
I have no affiliation to the brand.
TLDR: Paria makes a long spoon like the Toaks but POLISHED which is amazing. It's $12.99. Wanted you to know.
PS: If you're curious about the history of spoons and utensil engineering, check out this podcast about it.

I posted this in the main CPTSD sub but I don’t expect to get much support since I’ve mentioned how whiteness affects this situation. I don’t need advice, I really only want to share how frustrating this is with people who might understand a little better.
TL;DR: This volunteer situation was supposed to help me feel like the world has some hope. Like I am not the only one that recognizes the unfairness of our systems. To feel part of a community. But it’s only bringing up fears and anxieties that I haven’t felt in years since escaping from my abusive family. It’s also bringing up the feelings I have about feeling alienated from my culture and other people like me, yet also am rejected by the white society at large. I again feel rejected and chased out of my community. And maybe I don’t have the right to feel that way because that has literally happened to G, and allegedly the others.
My city has an issue with homelessness, as does every major city in the U.S. One large population of the homeless here are migrants and refugees. I used to be homeless myself and have since gotten out of that situation, I have a lot of sympathy for people who struggle with housing. I’ve been wanting to volunteer in my community, but with having a few medical conditions including PTSD and a neurological condition, I have very little energy to volunteer after work during the week and on the weekends I really need to rest and recuperate energy for getting back to work on Monday. I know not everyone can understand how terrible fatigue is but it really does affect the quality of my life and relationships sometimes. Anyway, I’ve been feeling guilty about not contributing that much to the solutions of these social problems surrounding us, so I wanted to do something actionable. I got in touch with a local housing organization that gets migrants and refugees temporary housing in the local community while they do the paperwork of helping the migrants get on the path to citizenship and stable housing. I volunteered to take in this older man who is pretty much guaranteed to be killed if he ever returns to his home country, and he has the scars to prove it. I figured, this won’t take up much of my time, and I have so much for a single person that I can afford to share a little bit.
He moved in last Wednesday. Let’s call him G. He sleeps on an air mattress in the living room of my one bedroom apartment. He’s mostly fine, although he has complained about my Spanish not being perfect and it took everything in me to not say “Out of all the fluent Spanish speakers in this city none of them want you in their home.” I did remind him that I’m doing my best to help him and he conceded. He is an old man who doesn’t understand technology so sometimes I have to explain to him that people/technology/things aren’t consciously trying to harm him, he just is unfamiliar with our way of life here. I have a lot of sympathy for him and I get how scary it must be having traveled all this way for asylum just to maybe be sent back to certain death.
He told me about his “family.” They’re not really his family, he just traveled up here with them from his home country, although they are from another country so I’m not sure how they got to know each other. The “son” (“B”) got very mad at G one day because one of the housing organizers bought G a new SIM card which gave him a new number and as a result B’s calls and texts weren’t going through to G and B said G was trying to abandon him now that he’s gotten new housing (my apartment). The housing organizers had to mediate between the two to get B to understand G just had a new number because the old phone was locked, I’m pretty sure because B had stolen it and claimed to have bought it for G. The rest of the family members are B’s wife “J”, their 10 year old son, their toddler daughter, and a 21 year old woman “D” who they initially presented to me as their daughter when in fact she is just someone they met at a refugee camp in another state, plus her toddler daughter.
My apartment has a pool, which G was super excited about. I took him to the store and bought him a pair of $15 swim trunks, no big deal. The next day, he asks me if his family can come for dinner and the pool. I said sure, and he told me “the only thing is that J doesn’t have a swimsuit” but that the kids all did. I felt like everyone has the right to have a fun pool day and take a break from the stress of their lives, so I said no problem and told them to meet me and G at Walmart the next day.
We meet at Walmart the next day, and it turns out that none of the adults have swimsuits. I grit my teeth and say okay, you guys can shop for one too. B doesn’t find anything in his size, and begrudgingly I agree to take him to Target after Walmart. J finds a swimsuit but has a religious belief against showing her legs, so I had to buy her shorts too which I think still shows your legs but whatever. D tries on every fucking one piece they have, we spend a long time waiting for her to try them all on, and she decides that they’re all too small or too big. She kept trying sizes XS and M and I said to just try a S. But she doesn’t like any of the ones they have in her size! Oh my god!!! Then they tell me that none of them have towels, so idk what they were expecting to do after the pool??? So then I fucking buy them towels too and all together everything costs $95, and we’re not even done. D wants to go to Target with me and B. So we go to Target and they both take forever trying on clothes which I just think is a little inconsiderate when it’s not your money you’re spending. B wants to buy not just swim trunks but also a tank top and sunglasses. D tried on every single swimsuit just to get the most boring basic black one piece AND it costs $40! Then they had the nerve to imply that I wasn’t buying enough bagged salad for them to all share. We’re cooking rice, potatoes, and chicken, do we really need two bags of salad for 4 adults? When we got to the cash register I really didn’t want to pay more than $150 so when the total got up to $148 I told B that I didn’t want to buy his sunglasses and he said that it’s okay, he’ll buy them. D, I think she genuinely thinks I don’t understand a lick of Spanish because she told him “I don’t think she has the money to pay for them.” BITCH DO YOU HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR THEM? OR YOUR $40 SWIMSUIT??? I didn’t want to cause a stink at the cash register in front of this old white lady who was already judging us for speaking Spanish to one another, so I just ignored her comment and paid for everything.
We cook (by that I mean me and G, his “family” did not contribute anything) dinner and go to the pool. D complains that we didn’t cook enough rice for everyone. Which wasn’t true, everyone got just enough and was full. I told them I wasn’t going to get in the pool because I had to get ready to go to a party later that evening and I still had to shower, shave, and do my makeup. D looks down at my chipped nail polish and goes “And you have to paint your nails too.” Why does this woman who has nothing feel the need to police my womanhood????? She also made comments about how she couldn’t wear a two piece because it wasn’t godly. You’re a 21 year old single mother, I don’t think you care about what’s godly tbh!!!
Anyway, G comes home yesterday and tells me that one of the housing organizers has blocked his number and that she lied to him about his lawyer’s progress on his case for asylum. At this point I don’t trust G to be a reliable narrator so I don’t know how much of that is true, and after calling my main contact at the organization she doesn’t think that’s how things played out either, but G won’t return her calls today so we’re not sure what’s going on. He also told me that B and J got scammed out of $800. J was looking for someone to write her a letter claiming she worked for them in order to be approved for an apartment. She had asked me but I’ve heard apartments have gotten wise to this issue and so I declined because I don’t need any legal trouble myself. And honestly it sounds like she has been working harder to find someone to write this letter than she ever did to actually find work. B has a job but he’s paid under the table so his company doesn’t want to admit to employing him. Apparently they approached some lady on the street about it and she said she’d write them one for $800. They got the money somehow and paid her, only for the apartment manager to tell them the letter was fraudulent and couldn’t be accepted. Now I’m just wondering how the hell they had $800 but I paid almost $300 for their “family” to have a couple hours at the pool? I don’t even have $800! I actually have much, much less than that until I get paid on Friday.
**I KNOW this is my fault, I KNOW I should have said no and set some boundaries. ** But with hearing how abusive B was to G over the phone situation, I felt it was unsafe to deny him anything lest he get violent. I don’t truly know if he is violent. G, I never feel afraid of. But this guy B just moves and talks like one of those people who are ready to get physical over any perceived slight. I was severely physically abused for 20 years so I am very averse to anything that even suggests that might trigger someone to hit me. D has been really disrespectful and additionally has made comments about my Spanish not being the best and how “us women should act”, when again, no one else is volunteering to take her to the fucking pool let alone provide housing.
Now B and his family are going to be kicked out of their hotel this weekend because my city’s anti-homeless program is just a ploy to get democrats to vote for the incumbent mayor. They don’t actually deliver on promises of stable housing and paths to citizenship, and here I am picking up the tab. G is worried sick about them, and at first I reluctantly agreed to him that they could stay with me in my 1 bedroom apartment. But realistically idk how long it would be for them to find stable housing, if ever. And I get the feeling they’re the kind of people who are content with having just their most basic needs met and aren’t motivated to seek more for their selves, so of course they’d be fine staying with me while I buy all their food and they use my electricity.
I talked with my main contact at the housing organization and we agreed that I would tell G I can’t host his “family” today. I’m so nervous of confrontation, especially when it means I have to disappoint somebody. I can understand why they would feel scared, their only other option is to sleep on the street. I really don’t care for the adults in this situation, but I don’t believe the kids deserve to be on the street. I’m not sure what will happen with them, but I am hoping CPS would at least take care of getting the kids into foster housing.
I am so utterly disappointed with both them and myself. Them, because I have consistently found that people who have also endured a lot of trauma (homeless or not, migrant or not, whatever) are usually the first to screw me over, take advantage of my kindness, lie, cheat, and steal. Things haven’t gotten that bad with them yet but I’m mad at myself for even letting things get this far. And I’m upset with myself because I know so many people, my own family included, who would make fun of me for being kind enough to want to help others avoid sleeping rough. So many people who would just point to this story and say this is all the more reason not to help anybody, that I’m an idiot for ever thinking someone else was worthy of dignity and grace. I know they’re wrong, I still don’t feel I am wrong for wanting to host G while he seeks asylum. But god damn it I have yet again been taken advantage of by people with a sob story. Tbh I don’t even know what qualifies B and his family as refugees. I know G’s story and it’s heartbreaking, but with how shitty B is I can’t help but think he must have been involved in something fucked up and that’s why there’s a price on his head. I don’t want to blame a victim, but his attitude and ungratefulness really makes it hard to have sympathy. Apparently he has also been threatening to leave his wife and children for a woman in another state who he’s never met, so I just don’t believe he is an innocent worthy of protecting. And I feel disgusted for myself for even admitting to feeling that way.
EDIT: I had an hour long conversation with G about how they took advantage of my kindness. He was very embarrassed and apologetic. He said he recognized I was acting weird after we went shopping on Saturday but didn’t think to ask what was wrong, and I told him I needed a few days to organize my thoughts about the situation anyway so I probably would have told him I was fine that day. He insists on paying me back all the money I spent on them, and I really don’t want him to as he needs to save money to pay for his phone and groceries (I buy him food but he still prefers to do his own shopping). I also told him it wasn’t cool for him to use the food I buy him to make food for that family, especially when they seem to not be appreciative. According to the housing organization, they are supposed to get their food at the food banks like everyone else in their program. I’m just going to let him give me cash and put it aside to buy him stuff later. I need to take him to Warby Parker for a cheap eye exam next month so if he does somehow recoup all the money, I’ll just put it towards that. He’s planning on having a conversation tomorrow with B and J, and the he wants to permanently cut ties with D as her behavior has really embarrassed him and he feels she’s a threat to his housing safety. The “family” has apparently been approved for an apartment this weekend so I won’t be needing to take them in. However, and this really doesn’t concern me I just thought it’s interesting, these housing programs have policies of keeping IMMEDIATE family members together but not “found family” because it’s too common for people to manipulate others and then steal from them. So if it is found out by the apartment that D is not really their daughter, they will be evicted. I’m annoyed that I’ve gotten myself caught up in this, but at least it sounds like G won’t make D’s problems my issue any longer.

I had this discussion with my boyfriend when i expressed my desire to own a replica because, as the name suggests, they are almost indistinguishable from the real ones and you can save a lot of money since authentic bags are quite expensive ($$$) He then proceeded to tell me that, if I owned a fake bag, I would notice all the minor details leading me to keep craving the original one and i would just end up buying both, expending even more than I was planning to. He argued that I should save to buy the real deal since good replicas are also not that cheap. I never owned a replica or a real designer bag before and wanted to ask to those who have: is owning replicas less satisfying than owning the real thing? And do you still want the original one even after getting the replica?
Thanks in advance!