I think I should buy a used car report and look for the best car for your money. (most reliable!) That should be top on your list because I assume you won't have much cash to fix it up if there were something to go wrong and to buy a used car quickly can be bad sometimes. Please look into other cars than the pontiac grand am!!! I have one, bought it used. My previous car was stolen and I didn't have much time to research another car. I bought my grand am, from a dealership, and it has been terrible!!! (if you think 150 is bad, i would sink THOUSANDS into this car in a year!!!) I just had so many problems with the car. They are cheaper for a reason! When we look for a new to us used car we do alot of research first. First, we decide what type of car we need and then we research to find the safest and most reliable car for our money. I know you may feel that the way your car looks is important but I would rather have settled for a nice, not so stylish car that runs than one that is stylish that is a pos. If you still want that specific car I would visit an auction. I may consider buying from a private owner but I would quiz that person to death trying to figure out why they were selling. I think both are really risky, however auctions are usually cheaper.

Krystal, i lived for 7 years with stepkids who have serious mental health disorders,. My SS has PTSD, and my SD has clinical depression (probably BP), OCD and anorexia. The biomom also has depression, and her father was a serial pedophile who sexually abused all of his kids. I have long suspected that the biomom abused both the stepkids. My SD was always moody and prone to lying, but after her 16th birthday, her behaviour got more extreme until she was completely out of control. Our lives were an absolute living hell for the last two years that we all lived together. My SD lied and stole compulsively. She destroyed all the food in the house before we got home to make dinner. We had to keep all the bedroom doors and the pantry locked. Looking back, I really can't believe how we lived or how much we endured. My marriage did not survive this situation. I wish that I had better news for you. However, my husband could not accept how sick his kids are, and how much intense treatment they need. The situation finally melted down into constant screaming fights as our possessions were disappearing and it became impossible to feed the family. He moved out with them almost a year ago and I now live alone with my daughter. He comes by frequently for a visit but I know that he also needs a break. We get together for dinner or a weekend away on our own. You can be sure that SD will call over dinner to grab a little attention witih an urgent request or need. It never stops. My only advice Krystal is to take whatever steps to can to carve out a safe and calm space for yourself and your children. It is not wrong for you to insist that you live separately from this girl and her mental illness. Even people who work in mental institutions get a break at the end of the day. It is too much for anyone to take 24/7 indefinitely. I strongly recommend that you and your husband go to see a psychiatrist together and have a frank discussion about putting a realistic plan in place to transition this girl to independent living, and you all to a healthier lifestyle.

I love the "WRITE A LETTER!!!!" crusaders! LOL Postal employees? (jk) What so many don't understand is that writing letters to these places is more often playing INTO their hands. Radicals love getting letters, especially religious zealots. Then they know they're "getting to these 'sinners'". They usually take it as a trophy, give a hallelujah and are encouraged to do more. I choose to not support that and have the additional benefit of not spending my money with the post office needlessly. Having been involved in politics as much as I have I know that in politics, your vote is one voice. Sending letters to certain politicians is no more than an encouragement for them to do the opposite. People similarly vote in retail with their dollars (or pesos, rubles, krone, etc). That's why it's so curious to see people "taking action", by protesting or picketing at the big W store or something while their spouses are inside shopping there! And most of the picketers have many "big W" receipts in their pockets as time goes on. Doing something is better than doing nothing IMO. There's places I avoid for various reasons. Of course my few shekels won't cause them to close their doors but some of us do things because it's the right thing for us to do. We don't feel we have to shut down those places with which we disagree or kill off those with whom we disagree but we still do what we feel is right for us. I don't expect people to understand this especially when they have a policy that is different. And admittedly I have certain quirks about retail. I just have a thing I won't pay above a certain amount for certain items. It' my own little protest and again won't change retail but I support those with whom I agree on it. I have a problem with places that charge for condiments for instance. They're little things, I know but still I have problems with supporting it. And occasionally I'll violate the desire if circumstances warrant. I just don't get too radical about things like that. There's other times and places for strong feelings and stronger actions. And an old cripple needs to pick battles at times. As for Chik fil a, there's only one or two even remotely in the area. So for me it's a moot point. I certainly wouldn't drive a distance to go to a fast food joint in which I have no interest for a number of reasons. If I'm going to go for junk food I'd at least want to try something I haven't tried before or at least have a reason to want to try it and it doesn't sound like they're really much different than the other run-of-the-mill processed pseudo-food providers. No motivation for me to go there. Am I the only one who thinks that junk food is an inappropriate use of the term "awesome"??? :)

The bottom line is that there will always be both predators and prey in all living things. If we use good sense we do what we can to not become prey. There is healthy fear and unhealthy fear. Believing that crime lurks around every corner that mass media and social media promotes is unhealthy fear. This would include the nonsense that all men are potential rapists, women are approaching strangers in stores and malls to lure them into human trafficking, any stranger who smiles or speaks to you is a threat etc. That unhealthy fear will eventually make one prey. The relatively few true predators out there will always be able to pick the weak out of the herd. Unhealthy fear is weakness. Healthy fear is knowing that there are some bad people and things in the world. Healthy fear is being aware of your surroundings. It is locking your doors and taking normal precautions. Healthy fear is Not because you expect to become a victim but because you are realistic enough to understand that bad things happen. Healthy fear is taking preventative measures but never allowing fear to paralyze you from enjoying life. I part company with Elmer when it comes to dives versus nice establishments. The restaurant //hospitality trade has always been rife with corruption on many levels and it is not just the customers. From back door street drug dealing by cooks and local "thugs" in the local dives to women, kink, designer drugs and other services etc. in high end establishments often frequented by the wealthy many of who are politicians or the owners of the high end places themselves. Raye Smith made a lot of good points. The examples cited in the OP were annoying behaviors but nothing criminal. Paranoia is not healthy fear and I think Kath realizes that herself. She just needs to work on getting past that and devise a system to help her DD gain the skills of surviving the life of a young adult. The world is no less safe than it ever was. But for some reason we have become a fear drive society. We tend to divide people by gender, sex and race making shard human issues and threats more difficult to solve. On the other hand we blend criminal statistics into one big ball of fear without dividing them properly into their sub groups so we can view them in clear perspective and determine where and if the real threats are to ourselves. New age feminists refuse to acknowledge that a young women having a consensual 3 way with guys in front of their friends is not in a good position to say no to the 4th guy. Being drunk doesn't absolve one of responsibility no matter if you are a man or a woman. If you want respect as an equal then act and take responsibility as an equal. Only Kath's DD can make the decision to stay or leave her job. But if she does stay it can be a positive opportunity for her to learn how to deal with people and become mentally tougher which is a good life lesson for all to have.