‘I’m So in Debt That I’m Afraid to Date’

I’m 27 and finished college a few years ago with about $40,000 in student loans. I got a job at Starbucks because I wanted to go to graduate school, and the company has a partnership program with a state university that helps pay for tuition. I’m working about 30 hours a week, taking online classes on the side, earning credits toward a master’s degree in social work. I’m on track to finish next year.

I’ve never been in a serious relationship, and right now it’s hard to even consider dating because I can’t afford it. I still owe about $30,000 (I stopped paying during the student-loan freeze), which is practically my annual take-home pay. It feels unfair to subject anyone to my lifestyle, which is extremely cheap. And now that loan payments are starting up again, I don’t have the resources to go to bars or restaurants. Dating me probably would not be fun. Who would want to date someone with so much debt? How do I find someone who’s okay with my situation and not be a burden to them?

A woman in a Tennessee jail gave birth alone in a cell this past weekend after staff reportedly denied her plea to be taken to a hospital. What the EPA’s recent removal of wetlands protections means for the climate. Speaking of, here’s how you can help those affected by Hurricane Idalia. The storm was an act of nature — one made worse by human-driven climate change — but the universe (or karma, if you prefer) may have had a hand in this particular bit of destruction. Now, from the serious to the silly: What if we told you a man was pulled over for driving with a massive bull named Howdy Doody riding shotgun? Movie tickets are expensive nowadays, but nothing compared to what people paid to attend the Eras Tour, so this is good news for Swifties. We’re not crying over this good dog that decided to live in a nursing home, you are. We’re off tomorrow and Monday for Labor Day, so we’ll see you Tuesday. Until then, thank a union organizer ✊

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