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Finding Ways to Manage Affordability; Indie Wrestlers Dream Big in Lodi

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Liam Chavez, 28, poses with his Greek tortoise, Erasmo, at his home in Oakland on Feb. 13, 2026. Chavez has used buy now, pay later services to cover larger purchases while working to pay down credit card debt. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)

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From Financial Freefall to Stability. How One Man Found a Way to Stay in the Bay Area

The cost of living in California has only increased in the last year. And between housing, food, utilities and gas, many of us have been forced to get creative with our budgets in order to continue living here. Vanessa Rancaño has this profile of a man in the Bay Area whose decision to stay in California –despite his financial hardships– is also a matter of safety.  

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