do i really have to pay extra for spirit seats?

We’re flying out as a family of six—three of them are my own DIY projects (my kids). The flight’s only 2.5 hours, so I figured, why pay extra for seats? But now I’m worried we’ll end up scattered all over the plane. The cheapest seats are $20 each, which means another $120 on top of what I already paid for tickets. Honestly, I feel like I’m being nickel-and-dimed. Didn’t I already pay for a seat? Why do I have to pay again just to sit together? To make things worse, I haven’t flown since before COVID, and everything seems to have changed. I’m already stressed—my father-in-law is sick, and this trip is so my youngest can finally meet him. I just wanted some advice, not a lecture. Has anyone else dealt with this on Spirit? Did you risk it and end up sitting together, or did they split you up? I’d love to hear if anyone’s found a way around these extra fees, or if I’m just stuck paying up. And seriously, does anyone else feel like flying has become a game of ‘how many extra charges can we sneak in?’ #SpiritAirlines #FamilyTravel #TravelTips #AirlineFees #TravelStories #Travel