Search found 302 matches
- Sat Jan 27, 2024 5:32 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Selling house after 33 year; realtor distrust
- Replies: 86
- Views: 9942
Re: Selling house after 33 year; realtor distrust
Realtor commissions are a hard pill to swallow. I've been involved in one FSBO transaction and several Realtor transactions. I did much more second guessing with the FSBO transaction. I have had the good fortune of hiring Realtors who served me well. Each one I worked with was responsive, hustled, and provided ample assistance and assurances throughout the process. Best of luck with your due diligence and hiring a Realtor you are happy with. It sounds like the close family member who is a real estate lawyer is added pressure as opposed to helpful. That is an entirely different and personal situation to navigate, and I wish you the best there as well.
- Wed Jan 17, 2024 7:12 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Experience with Frontier Airlines
- Replies: 42
- Views: 4445
Re: Experience with Frontier Airlines
Frontier is great because you don't subsidize everyone else's over packing. I travel with a personal item for no extra charge. My personal item is a backpack. I always measure it pre flight to ensure it is within Frontier's parameters. Occasionally, as you're boarding, the gate agent will make everyone shove their personal items in a bin to prevent shenanigans. When I flew with my ex we each took a personal item and shared a checked suitcase. I recommend buying a luggage scale.
Another nice thing about Frontier is that they let you put personal items in the overhead bins whereas other airlines make me shove my backpack under the seat in front of me.
Another nice thing about Frontier is that they let you put personal items in the overhead bins whereas other airlines make me shove my backpack under the seat in front of me.
- Thu Jan 11, 2024 6:34 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Guest sleeping options
- Replies: 39
- Views: 5694
Re: Guest sleeping options
I have guests sleep in my room, and I use my camping mattress.
- Tue Dec 26, 2023 8:13 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Anything special to see in Denver?
- Replies: 33
- Views: 3949
Re: Anything special to see in Denver?
I echo some of the other commenters to skip Denver. It has the trappings of a big city, but nothing you can't find in other big cities.
As another commenter mentioned - RMNP has two-tier timed entry. Bear Lake is the highlight of the park. It is a one of a kind place, but you can cover it in a day. You can simply walk the loops around Bear and Nymph Lakes or you can tackle a 7-10 mile moderate difficulty hike. If you cannot access the Bear Lake area then you'd be better off exploring Colorado's western slope instead of RMNP.
As another commenter mentioned - RMNP has two-tier timed entry. Bear Lake is the highlight of the park. It is a one of a kind place, but you can cover it in a day. You can simply walk the loops around Bear and Nymph Lakes or you can tackle a 7-10 mile moderate difficulty hike. If you cannot access the Bear Lake area then you'd be better off exploring Colorado's western slope instead of RMNP.
- Sat Aug 26, 2023 10:52 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Mayo Clinic Question
- Replies: 40
- Views: 6789
Re: Mayo Clinic Question
Perhaps this story is the exception, but here goes. My ex had an absolutely devastating experience at Mayo. She had been dealing with chronic pain for years. After much troubleshooting and dealing with practitioners from myriad disciplines, she was very excited and hopeful to experience Mayo's promise of integrated care where the specialists worked with and collaborated with each other and the generalists. I'm not sure if the promise is explicit but this is the level of service she was led to expect. I had an image in my mind of the doctors huddling together and game planning for her. The Scottsdale location was convenient as we lived in Tempe at the time. Lo and behold, visiting her general doc and specialist was akin to visiting to any tw...
- Sun Jul 23, 2023 11:48 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Home gym suggestions: cardio and weights?
- Replies: 70
- Views: 5893
Re: Home gym suggestions: cardio and weights?
I love my home gym! I feel like a pull up bar/power tower is essential, and it was the first piece of equipment I had. Pre-divorce, I mounted a bar to the basement ceiling with pipes and threaded elbows. Maybe you can mount a bar somewhere else in your house and run up there to crank out your pull ups? My current setup is in the second bedroom of my apartment. The ceiling is tall enough for a power tower, and I mounted my my pull up bar vertically where I utilize it for resistance bands. I also have a bench, an olympic barbell set, an EZ bar, adjustable dumbbells, and an aerobic step. My dumbbells are the kind you screw plates onto. I have three sets of these dumbbells which makes it less of a pain. For cardio I use a spin bike in my apartm...
- Mon Jul 17, 2023 10:58 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Should I rent an office instead of using home office
- Replies: 36
- Views: 3085
Re: Should I rent an office instead of using home office
Sounds like you're curious, so I recommend trying it. If you shop around you might be able to find an office for more lenient lease terms.
- Tue Jun 13, 2023 10:04 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Is Your Hot Water Recirculating Pump Worth It?
- Replies: 49
- Views: 3466
Re: Is Your Hot Water Recirculating Pump Worth It?
I've installed a couple of these:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Watts-Hot-W ... /100426993
It's always a happy surprise when I visit my parents and the hot water comes on instantly. Then I realize, "Hey that's MY handiwork!"
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Watts-Hot-W ... /100426993
It's always a happy surprise when I visit my parents and the hot water comes on instantly. Then I realize, "Hey that's MY handiwork!"
- Sat Jun 10, 2023 2:51 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Condo HOA Requirements
- Replies: 13
- Views: 1926
Re: Condo HOA Requirements
It's unfortunate things got confrontational. In the end it does sound like the president is offering transparency and your reserve fund is healthy. These are two good signs.
- Wed Jun 07, 2023 6:06 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Should I appeal property tax?
- Replies: 48
- Views: 4892
Re: Should I appeal property tax?
At the very least, you can do a minimal effort appeal. Just cite some recently sold homes near you or quote the Zestimate. I did this once and was successful. I don't see how the appeal will negatively affect resale. I applaud you for wanting to contribute to schools. However, you can also do this as charitable contributions.
- Sun Jun 04, 2023 6:55 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Career Change - Architecture or Construction Management
- Replies: 32
- Views: 2963
Re: Career Change - Architecture or Construction Management
Very exciting! What are your goals if you pursue construction management? With your professional experience and four home remodels under your belt somebody will be happy to take a chance on you - no degree required. Many people in construction still frown upon education and will be inspired by your self made background. However, If you want to run massive projects for huge companies then you'll probably need a degree. Word of warning is that the massive companies may start you out doing mind numbing paperwork 60+ hours/week. Also note that the "smaller" jobs can become quite large and very interesting and complex.
- Mon May 08, 2023 7:49 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Relationship ended: Buy her out or sell the property?
- Replies: 82
- Views: 10697
Re: Relationship ended: Buy her out or sell the property?
Consider your partner's contribution to housekeeping, yardwork, maintenance, improvements, beautification, and hiring contractors. Consider your partner's contribution to monthly expenses like utilities, HOA (if applicable), and property taxes. Perhaps there are expenses, chores, and talents I am forgetting. Do you want to assume 100% of these burdens? How much (if anything) you can save by moving or downsizing? I wish you the best going forward.
- Fri May 05, 2023 11:21 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Can I afford to move?
- Replies: 39
- Views: 3698
Re: Can I afford to move?
Many places will offer increased social opportunities without such a huge COL jump. Friendships are strange. Your Bay area friends may be perfect for occasional visits but not weekly hangouts. Maybe they'll marry and have kids and drift apart.
Let's also talk about dating: I'm not sure of your sex/orientation, but if you're a straight man moving to the Bay area then you can bank some of that dating budget for the next 30 years or so: https://www.states101.com/gender-ratios ... sco-county
Let's also talk about dating: I'm not sure of your sex/orientation, but if you're a straight man moving to the Bay area then you can bank some of that dating budget for the next 30 years or so: https://www.states101.com/gender-ratios ... sco-county
- Fri Apr 28, 2023 1:32 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Our realtor is firing us
- Replies: 224
- Views: 30690
Re: Our realtor is firing us
Good riddance. This person seems like a terrible Realtor and a bad friend. From what I gather, she failed to set expectations by saying she "liked" looking at houses. Then (I presume) she did not attempt to dissuade you from writing an offer significantly above asking price. And what about the first offer you backed out of? Perhaps the due diligence was something a competent Realtor would have observed before you wrote an offer. I can't help but wonder if you left something on the table when you sold your house. Thank goodness you have an opportunity to find better representation for your next huge purchase. Regarding the contract, I agree w/ those who suggest terminating the contract and moving on. If I were in your shoes and the...
- Sat Mar 04, 2023 1:33 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Bucket List: Travel to Top 10 Sunsets
- Replies: 58
- Views: 4912
Re: Bucket List: Travel to Top 10 Sunsets
I've seen sunsets from many beautiful places. However, some of the prettiest were right in the middle of Phoenix. The desert colors, dust, and pollution come together dramatically and beautifully that time of day.
- Tue Feb 28, 2023 10:04 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Do you enjoy non-algorithmic music? App recommendations?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 1709
Do you enjoy non-algorithmic music? App recommendations?
On Saturday, I re-discovered the joy of FM music when I streamed from the local jazz station. Yes, I know that's not technically not "FM", but hopefully you get my gist. When I downloaded the jazz station's app, I also found an app called Jazz Radio which has 57 unique jazz channels! It is multitudes more enjoyable than streaming jazz on YouTube Music.
Do you have a favorite non-algorithmic streaming app? What makes it great? Is there an option to listen without ads?
Do you have a favorite non-algorithmic streaming app? What makes it great? Is there an option to listen without ads?
- Thu Feb 16, 2023 10:41 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: camera for Grand Canyon raft trip
- Replies: 84
- Views: 7214
Re: camera for Grand Canyon raft trip
You all are putting me to shame. I took a few disposable waterproof cameras!
- Sat Jan 28, 2023 6:02 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Which Southwest USA Trip Should I do?
- Replies: 27
- Views: 2790
- Sat Jan 28, 2023 6:00 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Which Southwest USA Trip Should I do?
- Replies: 27
- Views: 2790
Re: Which Southwest USA Trip Should I do?
I am familiar with most of the places on both of your itineraries. In several of the days I feel like you're overly ambitious but both itineraries seem doable for the most part. I'll just offer a couple suggestions to trim so you can have more time in what I think are preferred locations.
Itinerary 1: Spend the night in Flagstaff or the GC rather than Sedona. Although beautiful, Sedona does not warrant so much time at the expense of your other destinations. I do recommend taking the scenic route through Jerome on your way to Sedona.
Itinerary 2: You said you are city slickers. Therefore, you won't miss much by skipping downtown Denver.
Itinerary 1: Spend the night in Flagstaff or the GC rather than Sedona. Although beautiful, Sedona does not warrant so much time at the expense of your other destinations. I do recommend taking the scenic route through Jerome on your way to Sedona.
Itinerary 2: You said you are city slickers. Therefore, you won't miss much by skipping downtown Denver.
- Sat Jan 28, 2023 9:29 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: 27 inch or 32 inch monitors
- Replies: 54
- Views: 3448
Re: 27 inch or 32 inch monitors
I do AutoCAD work. I use a 27" monitor oriented vertically and a 35" curved monitor. This is a great setup for me.
- Mon Oct 10, 2022 1:43 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: 2 days in London-best museums/restaurants/pubs
- Replies: 35
- Views: 2689
Re: 2 days in London-best museums/restaurants/pubs
London is amazing. I'd spend a lot of time walking around and soaking up all the humanity.
- Tue Jul 19, 2022 9:42 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Where to buy grocery bags from?
- Replies: 83
- Views: 8650
Re: Where to buy grocery bags from?
My city also has a plastic bag ban. Grocers are required to charge $0.10 for paper bags. I buy the paper bags and reuse them. They last a long time and I still have some from before the new law went into effect. I think it's a better value than buying reusable bags for $1 that you have to wash and eventually wear out. Stores like Sprouts, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods have better paper bags than the large grocery chains.
I do like the box idea that some commenters use.
I do like the box idea that some commenters use.
- Tue Jul 12, 2022 6:13 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Best roadside assistance?
- Replies: 49
- Views: 6909
Re: Best roadside assistance?
I do not have roadside assistance. I have had two breakdowns in 10-15 years. Each time I called a tow truck company and they towed the car to my mechanic. Each tow cost less than one year of AAA membership.
- Tue Jun 28, 2022 9:26 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Managing honey-do lists and other lists
- Replies: 53
- Views: 5728
Re: Managing honey-do lists and other lists
Weekly marriage meetings worked great for keeping us on the same page. I learned about it on the Art of Manliness podcast. Each meeting is formatted into four parts: 1) appreciation, 2) chores (including to-dos/finances), 3) Plan for good times (dreaming), and 4) problems and challenges. We made sure to end with more appreciation to go out on a high note.
Here's a link with a write up. The podcast is at the bottom of the article.
https://www.artofmanliness.com/people/f ... e-meeting/
Here's a link with a write up. The podcast is at the bottom of the article.
https://www.artofmanliness.com/people/f ... e-meeting/
- Wed Jun 08, 2022 10:18 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: 6 gallon bucket of golf balls
- Replies: 31
- Views: 3027
Re: 6 gallon bucket of golf balls
My MIL collected stray golf balls as well. She painted them red and green and made some cool Christmas crafts.
- Tue May 31, 2022 6:16 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Buying a house back 2 years later
- Replies: 46
- Views: 6573
Re: Buying a house back 2 years later
I just want to congratulate you. From what I gather, you sold the house in question two years ago. Then you bought and sold a lemon of a custom build that galawdawg mentioned. Now you're in a position to re-buy this house in today's market with CASH! Wow. I have a hard replacing shirts that quickly.
- Thu May 19, 2022 1:53 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Critique my summer Hawaii vacation plan (plus camera?).
- Replies: 51
- Views: 5283
Re: Critique my summer Hawaii vacation plan (plus camera?).
#11 Road to Hana - My wife and I drove to the Garden of Eden which is 1/3 of the way to Hana. She did the entire drive to Hana on a previous trip and said the road begins to feel tedious after a while. I understood what she meant and was happy to turn back after visiting the garden. I highly recommend the Garden of Eden. It offers beautiful views and whimsical delights for the kids. Heck, being there made me feel like a kid!
- Mon May 16, 2022 9:07 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Credit or debit card for a teen at camp, what is easiest?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 1893
Re: Credit or debit card for a teen at camp, what is easiest?
My parents gifted me a Visa GC for my most recent birthday. It was declined when I attempted to use it. I called the number on the back of the card and they said the card was voided due to suspected fraudulent activity. Maybe because I live in a different state than my parents? Visa replaced my card and acted like they were doing me a favor by waiving the replacement fee.
Due to my experience I would avoid the Visa GC.
Due to my experience I would avoid the Visa GC.
- Thu Apr 21, 2022 8:55 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Tools to keep vs sell?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 2206
Re: Tools to keep vs sell?
Giving up tools is hard. I only do it when I move. In my most recent move I pared my collection down to what I could fit in a tool bag + toolbox. The only power tool I kept was the drill/screwdriver. I've occasionally replaced tools left behind because it's hard to predict the future. Overall the good feeling I get from having fewer things and more space far outweighs my slight disgruntlement at having to "re-buy" a tool.
- Mon Apr 11, 2022 4:50 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Kitchen Oven Dilemma
- Replies: 27
- Views: 2141
Re: Kitchen Oven Dilemma
Do you mean the stovetop glass? If so, then you can call appliance stores to see if you can get a replacement glass top.
- Tue Mar 15, 2022 9:56 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Denver vs Cincinnati
- Replies: 160
- Views: 13019
Re: Denver vs Cincinnati
I live north of Denver. I enjoy the weather. Summers are hot but still pleasant. Winter brings a unique sort of beauty. Day to day, Colorado is a fantastic place. That said, I will point out a couple of my frustrations about the area: -People rave about recreation opportunities, but traffic and crowds are a deterrence. I no longer visit Rocky Mountain National Park due to crowds. They do timed entry so I don't have the option to go on a whim. -Camping is difficult due to the crowds. If I leave work early on a Friday I don't even bother looking for a site until I'm more than three hours out. -It feels isolated. In Cincinnati, you can drive south to escape the cold for a weekend. However, everything within an 8 hour drive from Denver is still...
- Mon Mar 14, 2022 6:03 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Any Reason to Keep Backup Smartphone?
- Replies: 42
- Views: 3315
Re: Any Reason to Keep Backup Smartphone?
Like what? I'm curious.shunkman wrote: ↑Mon Mar 14, 2022 5:51 pmNot true. There are many apps that allow the GPS to function without wifi or cell phone data.JBTX wrote: ↑Mon Mar 14, 2022 5:38 pmGPS doesn’t work unless you have wifi or data.runner3081 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 14, 2022 5:24 pm I use an old phone as a dedicated GPS. No data or plan needed.
- Mon Mar 14, 2022 8:54 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Airbnb vs. Hotel
- Replies: 90
- Views: 9824
Re: Airbnb vs. Hotel
It's location and trip length dependent. Locations where we prefer Airbnb/VRBO: Myrtle beach because hotel options are limited and not that great. Hawaii because hotels are resorts, and I'm not a fan of resorts. Pros and cons: Most of the cons are minor while the handful of pros carry a lot of weight especially during longer stays. CONS to Airbnbs: -Booking is time consuming due to vetting hosts and choosing the best location. -Not great for shorter because fees make the cost too high for one or two nights. -Towels smell mildewy. -Weak toilets and wonky shower heads. -Coffee: Something to pack and plan for that you don't need to consider when booking a hotel. -One of our Airbnbs was adjacent to a unit with a barking dog. Our host was respon...
- Tue Mar 08, 2022 2:12 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Arizona National Park Vacation in Summer
- Replies: 62
- Views: 5375
Re: Arizona National Park Vacation in Summer
If at first you don't succeed....livesoft wrote: ↑Tue Mar 08, 2022 11:44 amWell, at least I did not need to be rescued https://ktar.com/story/4934013/new-york ... -in-a-row/ TWICE!FeesR-BullNotBullish wrote: ↑Fri Mar 04, 2022 10:33 amYou're nuts! I love Humphreys, but it's a rigorous hike with the danger of possible hail storms. You must have summited quite a few mountains to refer to Humphreys as "popping up"!
Wow, thank you for sharing.
- Fri Mar 04, 2022 10:33 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Arizona National Park Vacation in Summer
- Replies: 62
- Views: 5375
Re: Arizona National Park Vacation in Summer
You're nuts! I love Humphreys, but it's a rigorous hike with the danger of possible hail storms. You must have summited quite a few mountains to refer to Humphreys as "popping up"!
- Fri Mar 04, 2022 10:21 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Arizona National Park Vacation in Summer
- Replies: 62
- Views: 5375
Re: Arizona National Park Vacation in Summer
You're wise to prepare, but no need to worry about heat and elevation. Wear a hat and sunscreen and aim do your activity in the morning. If you find yourself out in the middle of the afternoon, the novelty of the experience can make the heat bearable. Regarding elevation, your body will let you know when to let up if you feel winded. Do you drink? The alcohol hits you harder, so it's best to have fewer drinks. It's a personal choice, but I prefer hotels/motels/motor lodges over AirBnB and VRBO due to increased flexibility and ease of booking. Good places to eat are hard to come by in Sedona. So many restaurants are overpriced for what you get. Search for an unassuming restaurant in a strip mall. Consider a night in Flagstaff. I know it's ni...
- Mon Feb 21, 2022 8:58 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: How do YOU cook your steak?
- Replies: 149
- Views: 15768
Re: How do YOU cook your steak?
I prefer ribeyes. . . a few minutes on each side and then I start cutting into it to check for doneness . Oof. Why not just buy an inexpensive digital food thermometer to avoid this sacrilege? Or learn how to judge doneness by feel , using your palm as a "cheat sheet", and completely eliminate the need to pierce the meat at all. Know what? I'm going to challenge myself to become more of an intuitive cook. I already realize a thermometer is preferable to cutting (see above). Now I'll try this method using the thermometer as a backup until I no longer need it. Before long I'll be cooking by sight! I remember an experience at a nice seafood restaurant in Hawaii. On my way to the restroom, I caught a glimpse of the grill with at leas...
- Mon Feb 21, 2022 8:39 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: How do YOU cook your steak?
- Replies: 149
- Views: 15768
Re: How do YOU cook your steak?
It honestly never occurred to me. I use the thermometer for things I cook inside but never thought to take it outside the house. This actually will make things even easier as I no longer need to bring fork and knife to the grill.Erwin007 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 20, 2022 10:55 pmOof. Why not just buy an inexpensive digital food thermometer to avoid this sacrilege?FeesR-BullNotBullish wrote: ↑Sun Feb 20, 2022 9:15 pm I prefer ribeyes. . . a few minutes on each side and then I start cutting into it to check for doneness.
- Sun Feb 20, 2022 9:15 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: How do YOU cook your steak?
- Replies: 149
- Views: 15768
Re: How do YOU cook your steak?
I prefer ribeyes. I put some kosher salt on the steak and throw it on my cheap gas grill when the inaccurate thermometer hits 350-450. I give it a few minutes on each side and then I start cutting into it to check for doneness. I like medium rare.
That said, the best steak I had was at a friend's house who did the sous vide thing. But honestly, my method makes great steak and it's so. darn. easy.
That said, the best steak I had was at a friend's house who did the sous vide thing. But honestly, my method makes great steak and it's so. darn. easy.
- Fri Jan 07, 2022 5:54 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Started consulting … getting stiffed by previous employer
- Replies: 28
- Views: 3964
Re: Started consulting … getting stiffed by previous employer
Unfortunately this is a hazard of contracting. I think we learn how to prevent these lags from happening or we just don't work for slow paying clients. But it is a learning process. You did well to have signed agreements in place. You did right to stop working. Perhaps you could have stopped work a month or two sooner, but there's nothing you can do about that now. I've had to stop work a couple times as well. I got paid pretty quickly after because my customer didn't want to stall the project. Going forward, you can either wait out their process, look into legal action, or let it go. I totally get that it burns especially after having served them for so long. I wish you luck finding peace with this issue.
- Mon Jan 03, 2022 11:19 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Bogleheads-like forum for health care?
- Replies: 8
- Views: 1315
Re: Bogleheads-like forum for health care?
This forum is a good starting place if your questions are about the consumer experience and not the patient experience. If you are concerned whether a specific question is within the guidelines, message the mods prior to posting.
- Fri Nov 19, 2021 10:50 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Homes with no printer - minimalism
- Replies: 141
- Views: 11420
Re: Homes with no printer - minimalism
It wasn't until I ditched the printer that I realized how rarely I truly needed it. Record keeping: I do much less of it now. I used to cling to so many physical papers that I didn't need! Most of the record-keeping I still do is now digital. Tax documents, bank records and receipts are on my computer and in the cloud. Product manuals and medical info are online. Most important business transactions can be accessed without a physical record.
Yes there are rare instances where I wished I had that physical document but it's a small price to pay for simplifying.
Yes there are rare instances where I wished I had that physical document but it's a small price to pay for simplifying.
- Thu Nov 18, 2021 2:39 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Gift idea for relative after knee surgery?
- Replies: 27
- Views: 2784
Re: Gift idea for relative after knee surgery?
Services can be nice. These will require coordination with her. Some ideas:
- Have a stylist come to her home.
- Have a restaurant meal delivered.
- Prepare and deliver a home cooked meal (if feasible)
- Hire a house cleaner or landscaper for her
- Tue Nov 16, 2021 11:10 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Products that last forever
- Replies: 288
- Views: 29979
Re: Products that last forever
Kirby vacuum. Unfortunately my wife and cleaning girl complain about its heft. I finally caved and ordered a plastic Shark vacuum an hour ago. It's a melancholy feeling to replace such a durable product with one that's easier to use.
- Thu Nov 04, 2021 3:12 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Help me plan an April vacation
- Replies: 25
- Views: 1658
Re: Help me plan an April vacation
I have an affinity for Northern New Mexico. There is ample scenery and hiking within 1 to 2 hours of the Albuquerque Airport. There are few enough people which makes it easier to find uncrowded natural areas. The nature there isn't as dramatic as Yosemite and RMNP but still very beautiful. Arizona is also a good option. However it can take longer to get to the less crowded nature/hiking spots. Colorado is obviously beautiful, but I hesitate to recommend even with great weather because everything feels so crowded unless you get west of the Rockies. Any recommendations specifically in Arizona? We could fly to Phoenix. I'd kind of like to visit Sedona, but it is a pricier option than we're looking for. I usually defaulted to Flagstaff when I ...
- Thu Nov 04, 2021 1:00 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Help me plan an April vacation
- Replies: 25
- Views: 1658
Re: Help me plan an April vacation
I have an affinity for Northern New Mexico. There is ample scenery and hiking within 1 to 2 hours of the Albuquerque Airport. There are few enough people which makes it easier to find uncrowded natural areas. The nature there isn't as dramatic as Yosemite and RMNP but still very beautiful.
Arizona is also a good option. However it can take longer to get to the less crowded nature/hiking spots.
Colorado is obviously beautiful, but I hesitate to recommend even with great weather because everything feels so crowded unless you get west of the Rockies.
Arizona is also a good option. However it can take longer to get to the less crowded nature/hiking spots.
Colorado is obviously beautiful, but I hesitate to recommend even with great weather because everything feels so crowded unless you get west of the Rockies.
- Fri Oct 22, 2021 6:39 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Less common one-person S-corp deductions
- Replies: 68
- Views: 4843
Re: Less common one-person S-corp deductions
Laundry! You need to buy (and expense) some swag with your company logo. Then you can deduct a few bucks per week or month for laundry expenses. I forget the exact allowance.
- Tue Sep 07, 2021 3:44 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Bedbugs at hotel. How would you handle?
- Replies: 60
- Views: 7175
Re: Bedbugs at hotel. How would you handle?
My gf was pretty upset and wanted the room to be comped. Just FYI, if you book a hotel through a third party like Expedia then that makes it extremely difficult for a hotel do do something like give you a complementary night because there was a problem. Perhaps, but it can be done. My wife and I had an issue where there was a water leak from the room above in the middle of the night. The hotel moved us to an available room and volunteered to comp our one night stay. We received a call from the booking company the next day to confirm. Our place was not high end either. OP - Yes I think it's fair to use the video as leverage for a refund. At this point I'd push for a full refund due to the way they jerked your girlfriend around. Or just post...
- Fri Sep 03, 2021 11:56 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: HVAC Hard Start "Upgrade"??
- Replies: 11
- Views: 1552
Re: HVAC Hard Start "Upgrade"??
If I recall, I had a hard start unit installed in an old house when my air conditioner went out. It was a band aid patch at the discretion of my warranty company. I would not install a hard start unit in a working air conditioner. It's a potentially good investment if your a/c fails and it buys you a few months to shop around for a new unit as opposed to making that big decision under duress.
- Fri Jul 09, 2021 11:14 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Should you tip when picking up takeout food?
- Replies: 290
- Views: 50570
Re: Should you tip when picking up takeout food?
Prior to the pandemic I tipped anywhere from a couple bucks to 10% on takeout. When i finally picked up restaurant food for the first time during the pandemic, I think I tipped 50%. It was just devastating for that industry. Now, I'll tip around 25-33% percent unless the self checkout thing offers 20% max (Yes I know I can do custom, but it's easier to tap and go). I wish we didn't have to play this "tipping game", but the reality is that I have the luxury to enjoy restaurant food while many restaurant employees are one bad break away from severe hardship.