@bmxmom5: No amount of budgeting. No amount of “maybe next time.” No amount of cutting corners can outsmart the way this economy is drowning parents. Groceries cost more. Gas costs more. And every time we think we’re catching up, something else hits. We’re not lazy. We’re exhausted — from constantly trying to make “enough” feel like enough. We skip lunches so our kids can have snacks for school. We say “maybe next time” when they ask for something small, pretending it doesn’t break our hearts. We smile through the stress so they never see how heavy it really is. People love to say, “Just budget better.” But we’ve already stretched every dollar until it screams. We’ve turned empty pantries into dinners and worry into quiet strength. Parents aren’t failing. The system is. Because no one should have to work this hard just to barely make it. And yet, here we are — still showing up, still finding a way, still pretending we’re not gasping for air… while we do everything we can to keep our kids above water. #fblifestyle
