Edit: I will have a friend (roomate) go back with me in the morning because I just don’t wanna be involved in anything legally since I’m not from here. And a lot of things already happened to me this week so it’s really overwhelming. So I’m really scared to get in trouble and just really anxious right now and in a panic I think I would feel better if I actually went and paid for the things because I have the money to.
(Everything is translated for me because my English isn’t good mother language is French so sorry if some of my replies in the section that aren’t don’t make since)

I was genuinely excited. After months of rejection emails, unanswered applications, and interviews that went nowhere, it finally felt like things were turning around. Well, something happened yesterday, and I'm honestly not sure what to do. During my final interview, the hiring manager offered me a salary of $58,000 a year. We discussed it pretty clearly, and she even mentioned that the position would come with health insurance and two weeks of paid vacation. I accepted verbally and was told HR would send the official paperwork. Yesterday, I finally received the employment contract. Except the salary listed was $49,000.

At first, I genuinely thought it was a mistake. That's a $9,000 difference from what we'd discussed. I emailed the hiring manager asking whether there had been an error in the contract. She responded a few hours later. Apparently, after reviewing their budget, the company decided they couldn't offer the original salary anymore. She said the new amount was still competitive for the position and hoped I would understand.

I was honestly speechless. What bothers me is that nobody mentioned this change before sending the contract. If I hadn't carefully read everything, I could've signed an agreement for significantly less money than I thought I was getting. I explained that I'd accepted the position based on the original salary. Her response was that the verbal offer wasn't final and that the written contract reflected what the company could currently afford. She also mentioned that they had other candidates interested in the position.

I don't know whether that was supposed to pressure me, but it definitely felt that way. Here's my problem. I've been unemployed for almost four months. My savings are getting low, and I genuinely can't afford another three or four months of job searching. The $49,000 salary would still cover my expenses, but it's considerably less than what I expected. Part of me wants to accept it, start working, and continue looking for something better. But another part of me feels like accepting this would mean ignoring a pretty serious red flag before I've even started.

I was so happy when I got the offer. I told my family, celebrated with friends, and finally felt like I could relax. Now I'm back to feeling anxious about my future. Has anyone experienced a company lowering the salary after making a verbal offer? Would you accept the position because you need the income, or would you walk away because of how they handled this?

I genuinely don't know what to do.

Am I fat?

First of all, thank you to everyone who commented on my original post. I read pretty much every response, and a lot of you encouraged me to stand my ground. Unfortunately, things didn't go the way I hoped. I spoke to my manager again yesterday and explained that my vacation had been approved almost two months ago. I reminded him that I'd already spent around $600 on flights and accommodation that I couldn't get refunded. I also explained that I hadn't seen my family in months and that this trip was really important to me.

His response was basically that he understood my frustration, but the situation hadn't changed. Apparently, the coworker who called in sick won't be returning anytime soon, and they haven't been able to find anyone to cover those shifts. I asked if there was any possibility of working extra hours when I returned or finding someone from another location to cover for me. He said they'd already considered their options and that they needed me there. Then I asked what would happen if I went on my trip anyway.

He didn't directly say I'd be fired, but he made it very clear that missing my scheduled shifts could result in disciplinary action. That was the moment I realized I wasn't going to win this. I know a lot of people told me to go anyway, but I genuinely can't afford to lose my job right now. I have rent, bills, and other expenses, and I don't have enough savings to risk being unemployed. So I told him I'd come in. I contacted the airline and the accommodation to see if there was anything they could do, but so far, I haven't been able to recover the money.

The worst part was having to call my family and tell them I wasn't coming anymore. My mom was really disappointed, although she tried not to make me feel worse about it. I'm honestly exhausted. I've covered so many shifts for other people, stayed late when they needed help, and rarely complained about anything. But the one time I needed my employer to respect something they'd already agreed to, suddenly none of that mattered. I'm going to work next week because I need the paycheck, but I've already started looking for another job. I don't think I can keep working somewhere that expects complete flexibility from employees while offering none in return. I guess this isn't the update anyone wanted, but it's what happened.

Thanks again to everyone who gave me advice. I really appreciate it.

TL;DR: I tried speaking to my manager again, but he refused to reinstate my approved vacation and warned me about disciplinary action if I didn't show up. I can't afford to lose my job, so I'm canceling my trip, losing around $600, and going to work. I've started looking for another job.

i need advice.. what would you do?
it is freaking me out and i have never voted on my own. i dont have freedom. 5 years i’ve been registered and they even stole my ballot for presidential election.

(edit)
Last voted in CA and they allowed it, now in MI not sure if they will let it happen but this is what my grandma sent me.

I (33F) recently saw texts exchanges from my bf (33M) & his co worker & i dont know what to make of it. Is he trying to say he doesn't want to be in a relationship with me because he still wants to see other people? Or is it just guy talk?

I (18F) met this guy (23M) on Tinder about three weeks ago. We've been on four dates, and honestly, I thought things were going really well. He's been super sweet, always texting me good morning, planning dates, and telling me he wants something serious. Yesterday, one of his friends randomly followed me on Instagram. A few minutes later, he sent me a DM asking if I was still seeing Ryan. I said yes, and he told me something I genuinely wasn't expecting. Apparently, Ryan and his friends made a bet about how quickly he could get me to fall for him. His friend even said Ryan had been sharing screenshots of our private conversations in their group chat.

At first, I thought he was just trying to cause drama, but then he sent me details about things I'd only ever told Ryan. When I confronted Ryan, he admitted there was a bet but claimed it started as a joke and that his feelings for me are real now. I feel so embarrassed because I actually started liking him. Part of me wants to believe he's being genuine, but another part feels like everything between us was fake.

Would you give him a chance to explain or just block him?