I became a single mom and needed to rent a house in one of the most expensive zip codes in the US. My parents moved in to help.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
Vanessa Gordon and family sitting a couch in the living room
Vanessa Gordon lives under one roof with her multigenerational family in East Hampton, an expensive neighborhood in New York.

Jeremy Garretson for BI

This essay is part of The New American Home, a series that examines multigenerational houses.

I became friends with a woman 40 years older than me. She taught me how to live.

Tech Insider : Business
Women at kitchen making tea

Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty Images

I didn't think I was the type of person who would fall for a scam. A $15,000 charge on my credit card proves otherwise.

Tech Insider : Business
Two people touch smartphones to initiate a payment.
The author (not pictured) thought she was donating $20 to a worthy cause while walking her dog in a park. Later, she saw that the charges totaled $15,000 instead.

ZeynepKaya/Getty Images

I hyphenated my last name when I got married. I regretted it for 25 years, so I'm finally letting go of the hyphen.

Tech Insider : Business
Susan Teresa and her husband in the car
The author (left) hyphenated her last name when she married her husband (right).

Courtesy of Susan Teresa

Playing 'sunburned girl' on The Pitt was a career break for me. I couldn't believe how kind everyone on set was.

Tech Insider : Business
Jenna Moloney on The Pitt
Jenna Moloney played "Sunburned Girl" on The Pitt.

Courtesy of Jenna Moloney

I'm turning 40, and people keep asking why I don't have children. I have a lot of reasons.

Tech Insider : Business
The author poses on a vista overlooking a city.
Victoria Peel Yates

Courtesy of Victoria Peel Yates.

I quit my six-figure job in New York City and now make less than $1,000 a month. I regret nothing.

Tech Insider : Business
Cornelia Holzbauer in front of machu picchu
The author quit her six-figure job.

Courtesy of Cornelia Holzbauer

My siblings and I live all over the world, but we connect every week on a video call. Our parents taught us the value of family.

Tech Insider : Business
Ariba Mobin and her siblings sitting in an airport
The author and her siblings connect weekly.

Courtesy of Ariba Mobin

I stopped spending $2,000 a year at the nail salon. A $10 press-on find helps me still feel put together.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
Woman showing off nails

Courtesy of t the author

I'm a professional declutterer. Even I struggle to let go of books.

Tech Insider : Business
Book clutter

© eleonora galli/Getty Images

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