My husband and I paid for our own college degrees. We told our 3 kids they have to do the same.

Tech Insider : Business
Rebecca Hastings and he family in a college form room
The author (left) and her husband told their kids they had to pay for college themselves.

Courtesy of Rebecca Hastings

I live in a 200-square-foot camper on my parents' property. Instead of paying rent, I cook them dinner every night.

Tech Insider : Business
Three people sitting around a table, eating food, with a field in the background.
Instead of rent, I pay my parents by cooking meals.

Lexi Inks

My 15-year-old daughter wants a summer job. I want her to enjoy being a kid.

Tech Insider : Business
A teen does a cartwheel in a sprinkler.
The author says her daughter (not shown) is eager to grow up, but she wants her to have one more carefree summer.

Chris Clor/Getty Images

I'm raising my child to be independent. I pay her $2.70 a week for chores, and she has her own debit card.

Tech Insider : Business
Mom and daughter
The author started paying her daughter for chores when she was 5.

Courtesy of the author

I underestimated the mental and emotional labor of being a parent. This job doesn't have any downtime.

Tech Insider : Business
Rear view of a mother hugging her son.
The author (not pictured) says she thought motherhood would be a 'second shift.'

Elizabethsalleebauer/Getty Images/RooM RF

Moving close to my mom has helped with parenting and caregiving. My older kids can ride their bikes to her place whenever someone needs something.

Tech Insider : Business, Sports
The author's mother poses on her front porch.
The author said that living close to her mom has made both parenting and helping her mom easier.

Courtesy of Alexandra Frost.

I'm not worried about AI taking my job. Guests and clients still want a real person to make them feel special.

Tech Insider : Business, Technology
The author poses with empanadas he made for an event he hosted.
The author, posing with empanadas he made for an event he hosted, said that AI doesn't have the human touch his job requires.

Courtesy of Emillio Mesa.

My grandma is 91 and has had the same friends for 60 years. Here are 3 things she taught me.

Tech Insider : Business
Woman and grandma
The author gets life advice from her grandma.

Courtesy of the author

I quit my full-time job at 26. Now I work remotely 10 to 20 hours a week while traveling with my partner.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author poses in front of a colorful piece of furniture.
After feeling burned out, the author said she quit her job at 21. Now, she spends her days focused on joy, not work.

Courtesy of Catherine Work.

I took my 8-year-old to the Miami Grand Prix. We enjoyed all the events, but the heat was unbearable.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business, Sports
Mom and son
The author took her son to the F1 races.

Courtesy of the author

Subscribe to Essay