Search found 2312 matches

by fposte
Tue Jan 23, 2024 10:36 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: strange 457b question
Replies: 5
Views: 970

Re: strange 457b question

Commiserations. My university’s payroll messed up deductions in a similar case. 457bs aren’t covered by EBSA so they had no obligation to make up the lost space to me and basically shrugged.

And two years into retirement now it doesn’t make the slightest difference to me. So I’m not sure what your specific question is, but I’d say contribute through April and think about how great retirement would be, and let the annoyance go.
by fposte
Sun Dec 10, 2023 5:41 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Suggest me comedy movies to watch as family in Amazon Prime
Replies: 21
Views: 3159

Re: Suggest me comedy movies to watch as family in Amazon Prime

Nate Bargatze is a comedian popular with families, as he works clean and is hilarious; he has at least two Netflix specials.
by fposte
Sun Dec 10, 2023 3:25 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: When to move to a continuing care retirement community (CCRC)
Replies: 101
Views: 16529

Re: When to move to a continuing care retirement community (CCRC)

Ret2018 wrote: Sun Dec 10, 2023 12:21 pm
fposte wrote: Tue Dec 05, 2023 3:01 pm
I’m 61, and I just put down the $1500 deposit to get on the ”standard” waitlist for a secular nonprofit CCRC about three miles from me.
Do you mind sharing name of the secular nonprofit CCRC? Sounds like something we've been looking for.
It's a single location, not a chain, and it's in the non-urban midwest so guessing it's not something you'd relocate for. But the Kendal homes mentioned elsewhere are secular nonprofits (they're run on Quaker principles, but not technically Quaker) and are excellent, and have multiple locations that are likelier to be worth relocating to.
by fposte
Fri Dec 08, 2023 2:02 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are some uncommon luxury goods/services?
Replies: 69
Views: 8026

Re: What are some uncommon luxury goods/services?

Personal trainer. I am not among the hench, but my physical therapist turned personal trainer has been keeping my complicated body up and doing.
by fposte
Fri Dec 08, 2023 11:26 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Whose is Self Insuring for Long Term Care (LTC)? I'd Like To Hear Your Plan
Replies: 202
Views: 21131

Re: Whose is Self Insuring for Long Term Care (LTC)? I'd Like To Hear Your Plan

A timely WaPo piece for this thread. It’s one of the most critical questions facing aging Americans: Where to live as you get older, and may require more care? Many might imagine living in a nursing home. But an analysis of census data by The Washington Post found less than 10 percent of 85-year-olds live in such a facility. The analysis showed roughly half of the 5.9 million Americans age 85 and older are living with family, including spouses and adult children, while more than 40 percent live alone, including in independent living or assisted-living facilities. A quarter live in multigenerational households, with people of two or more generations under the same roof, and about 8 percent live in nursing homes or memory care facilities. Th...
by fposte
Thu Dec 07, 2023 3:05 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: When to move to a continuing care retirement community (CCRC)
Replies: 101
Views: 16529

Re: When to move to a continuing care retirement community (CCRC)

Nice post, fposte. My position is similar to yours, and I do see your points. What makes CCRCs less appealing to me is the need to enter them while still capable of independent living. There's a seemingly nice CCRC in my area, with another under construction, but neither has garages. I wouldn't like my car to be exposed both to theft (of its catalytic converter, e.g.) and to the elements. Also, there's no restaurant I'd want to eat at every day. Would a CCRC serve wine at dinner? Further, a unit large enough for my exercise equipment and the large L-shaped computer desk where I spend most of my time would be expensive. And would there be a nice view? Would the TVs of my hard-of-hearing neighbors be as ear-splitting as my mother's was? Woul...
by fposte
Thu Dec 07, 2023 12:11 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Whose is Self Insuring for Long Term Care (LTC)? I'd Like To Hear Your Plan
Replies: 202
Views: 21131

Re: Whose is Self Insuring for Long Term Care (LTC)? I'd Like To Hear Your Plan

I'm just intrigued by all the teeth-gnashing about insuring for our drawn-out demise in some institutional cell somewhere. It seems like buying insurance to cover the cost of a long cruise on the Titanic, except the quarters won't be as nice. All the angst about paying for it and/or the misery of family who get stuck with caring for you. I know all about that -- been there and done that. I'm not saying we should do nothing and make no plans. It's just that it's all so tragically ironic. Dr. Ezekiel: My Osler-inspired philosophy is this: At 75 and beyond, I will need a good reason to even visit the doctor and take any medical test or treatment, no matter how routine and painless. And that good reason is not “It will prolong your life.” I wi...
by fposte
Thu Dec 07, 2023 11:38 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: When to move to a continuing care retirement community (CCRC)
Replies: 101
Views: 16529

Re: When to move to a continuing care retirement community (CCRC)

I don't understand the rationale of CCRC. Why pay a fortune upfront when you can just choose any other facility and keep your money. There are places that have both independent and assisted living, where one could migrate to more care as needed. Or easily move to a different facility for any reason. For me, it’s because I’m single with no kids in an area with limited options. The more frail I get, the fewer options I have, the harder it will be for me to manage them, and the greater the risk of not getting the one I want. And I have enough money, barring something significant happening in the intervening years, to be able to choose this without restricting other life enjoyments, and nobody’s expecting my inheritance, so I don’t care if the...
by fposte
Wed Dec 06, 2023 7:21 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Whose is Self Insuring for Long Term Care (LTC)? I'd Like To Hear Your Plan
Replies: 202
Views: 21131

Re: Whose is Self Insuring for Long Term Care (LTC)? I'd Like To Hear Your Plan

Is there a big pit someplace where they are dumping all the "average Joes" in need of care when they are older? I can see how Bogleheads could afford some of these costs, but what in the world are all the non-Bogleheads doing when faced with these prices? Scary stuff. It is currently Medicaid (not Medicare). The problems: * it leaves the remaining spouse close to impoverished. * not sure if the space for Medicaid patients will keep up with the number of folks requiring it. * the family has to hopefully step up and help until the person qualifies for a nursing home * how the collective WE pay for all those that cannot afford to pay themselves. Also you may have little choice of where you go, because a Medicaid bed may not open up ...
by fposte
Tue Dec 05, 2023 3:01 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: When to move to a continuing care retirement community (CCRC)
Replies: 101
Views: 16529

Re: When to move to a continuing care retirement community (CCRC)

Kendal.org is not-for-profit organization of communities, programs and services that advocate for and empower older adults to achieve their full potential. They have just opened "Enso Village: Zen-Inspired Senior Living" in Northern California. They have about a dozen other communities across the US. https://enso.kendal.org/ My dad was in Kendal at Oberlin. Great place, great staff policies, too. If I were closer, that’s where I’d go. But I like the community I’m in and that’s where I have ties. I’m 61, and I just put down the $1500 deposit to get on the ”standard” waitlist for a secular nonprofit CCRC about three miles from me. I anticipate shelling out the $20k to move onto the “platinum” waitlist in about 5-8 years, which is w...
by fposte
Wed Nov 29, 2023 10:22 am
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Boglehead Keeps Logging Out
Replies: 81
Views: 15719

Re: Boglehead Keeps Logging Out

WoodSpinner wrote: Wed Nov 15, 2023 10:43 am
fposte wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2023 11:51 am
WoodSpinner wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2023 11:02 am I am still seeing this behavior in my iPad with Safari.

Are there any debugging steps I can help with?

iOS 16.7.2 …
I’ve found this true on iOS Safari for phone and iPad for years over several devices and versions. I posted a thread on it and it just seems to be an iOS thing.
This behavior is relatively new for me and has been going on for a few months…
I’ve found a peculiar workaround. If I have a notification and don’t mark the thread as read, I don’t get logged out. Good reason to bookmark a pleasant long-simmering thread.
by fposte
Tue Nov 28, 2023 9:29 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Slightly confused on what I owe from furnace maintenance visit and if I was scammed?
Replies: 77
Views: 8447

Re: Slightly confused on what I owe from furnace maintenance visit and if I was scammed?

I figure my annual servicing is buying me some existing customer cred if I need the repair folks quickly.

It also caught a cracked heat exchanger a couple of years ago. I have CO detectors and they never tripped, so at least that was good, but it was a couple of cold days before they found a warehouse that still had the right part for my 10 year old furnace. But I was glad I had the servicing done, that’s for sure.
by fposte
Tue Nov 28, 2023 9:09 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you know anyone who was able to recover their funds after a scam and how?
Replies: 36
Views: 4132

Re: Do you know anyone who was able to recover their funds after a scam and how?

For educational purposes, I'm trying to understand what happened (not necessarily from just this situation but the wider scams). From what I can gather, someone befriended them on Facebook. They started chatting, getting the appearance of being "close" and asked for money for various reasons? Never met in person I gather? Are the reasons typically to have money to travel to see the victim? To get them out of some sort of bad situation? To women, the scammers are usually men serving their country in some distant part of the globe. They chat for a while, maybe he even sends her some money or gifts, before he runs into a problem that keeps him from being able to access his money. Sometimes he needs it for his sick or injured child. ...
by fposte
Wed Nov 22, 2023 5:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: The Hedonic Treadmill, Spreadsheets and Jet Skis
Replies: 177
Views: 18494

Re: The Hedonic Treadmill, Spreadsheets and Jet Skis

The hedonic treadmill doesn’t accurately describe my changes in enjoyment. While it’s true I don’t necessarily get more joy from traveling than I used to, I enjoy it more often, and there’s a definite additional joy in having the ability to afford heading out more often. But my joy units haven’t necessarily succumbed to overall inflation; I still get great amounts of pleasure from bottled Frappuccinos and nice supermarket cheese, for instance.

(Plus I love my spreadsheets.)
by fposte
Tue Nov 21, 2023 9:07 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Guided Meditation - apps?
Replies: 11
Views: 1639

Re: Guided Meditation - apps?

I like Calm’s app. I do the Daily Calm. You can try some on YouTube and see how you like those.
by fposte
Fri Nov 17, 2023 10:32 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Those of you that retired early (pre-SS/RMD) - what were your expenses like first 5-10 yrs?
Replies: 26
Views: 4029

Re: Those of you that retired early (pre-SS/RMD) - what were your expenses like first 5-10 yrs?

Only two years in, but my expenses are roughly the same. It’s just that the portion that used to go to tax-advantaged saving now goes to travel and entertainment.
by fposte
Wed Nov 15, 2023 10:32 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Are you satisfied with your past/current Roth conversions ? Why, or why not, or simply no look-back?
Replies: 37
Views: 3995

Re: Are you satisfied with your past/current Roth conversions ? Why, or why not, or simply no look-back?

We have done several annual Roth conversions since retirement after significant research/studies primarily from BHs. We think we're satisfied with our decisions, and I'd like to poll how other BHs think (or not ...) about their past decisions to Roth convert part/all of their tax-deferred portfolio. 1. Why (briefly) did you decide to Roth convert ? 2. Do you invest in the same way (e.g. one-fund portfolio) or use different asset allocation for different accounts? 3. Which, if any, tool(s) do you use to analyze your Roth conversion decisions ? 4. How long have you been doing it ? 5. Are you satisfied with your decisions ? Why, or why not, or simply don't care ? I did in-plan Roth rollovers, but the end was the same. 1. I had a pension comin...
by fposte
Mon Nov 13, 2023 11:55 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Challenges of Large Tax Deferred Retirement Accounts Balance
Replies: 66
Views: 8612

Re: Challenges of Large Tax Deferred Retirement Accounts Balance

Is there a possibility to do in plan Roth rollovers in either account now? If you’re getting a pension you don’t have the usual post-retirement income dip that’s a particularly advantageous time for conversions, so it could be beneficial to do some now. If you’re still contributing, might it be beneficial to switch to Roth contributions?
by fposte
Mon Nov 13, 2023 11:51 am
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Boglehead Keeps Logging Out
Replies: 81
Views: 15719

Re: Boglehead Keeps Logging Out

WoodSpinner wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2023 11:02 am I am still seeing this behavior in my iPad with Safari.

Are there any debugging steps I can help with?

iOS 16.7.2 …
I’ve found this true on iOS Safari for phone and iPad for years over several devices and versions. I posted a thread on it and it just seems to be an iOS thing.
by fposte
Wed Nov 08, 2023 10:32 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Can I “upgrade” vintage on TIAA Traditional?
Replies: 69
Views: 6028

Re: Can I “upgrade” vintage on TIAA Traditi

I just did a successful rebucketing via the website. I waited a few days past 120 (just to remove any possible ambiguity about having waited long enough) and then spread the xfer from the TIAA MM fund into two transactions over successive days; the first was for the minimum $1K and second was for the rest. I wanted to be sure that the $1K transfer indeed moved into the "new money" 6% rate in a GSRA before moving the rest. Both xfers worked without a hitch. It's refreshing to be earning 6% instead of about 4%. Even if the 6% vintage rate comes down a bit starting March 1st, I'm betting that it will still be markedly above 4% for a long while. That’s good to hear. Was it all pretax? I’ve moved all mine out to the MM and my concern ...
by fposte
Wed Nov 08, 2023 9:57 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Can I “upgrade” vintage on TIAA Traditional?
Replies: 69
Views: 6028

Re: Can I “upgrade” vintage on TIAA Traditi

I just did a successful rebucketing via the website. I waited a few days past 120 (just to remove any possible ambiguity about having waited long enough) and then spread the xfer from the TIAA MM fund into two transactions over successive days; the first was for the minimum $1K and second was for the rest. I wanted to be sure that the $1K transfer indeed moved into the "new money" 6% rate in a GSRA before moving the rest. Both xfers worked without a hitch. It's refreshing to be earning 6% instead of about 4%. Even if the 6% vintage rate comes down a bit starting March 1st, I'm betting that it will still be markedly above 4% for a long while. That’s good to hear. Was it all pretax? I’ve moved all mine out to the MM and my concern ...
by fposte
Sun Nov 05, 2023 8:18 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Holy FUNGUS GNAT flies
Replies: 46
Views: 5614

Re: Holy drain flies

I’m no entomologist, but they look a bit gnatty to me. Do you have any plants in the basement?
by fposte
Sun Nov 05, 2023 9:36 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Space Heaters?
Replies: 62
Views: 5257

Re: Space Heaters?

I have an oil-filled one, which I like, and when my furnace had to be out of commission waiting for a part last December the technician recommended the ceramic towers as also being safe and effective. (I don’t have pets or kids so I don’t know if the recommendation would have been different in those cases.)
by fposte
Fri Nov 03, 2023 9:33 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Quick Internet Puzzle Games (1 to 5 min) - What Do You Play?
Replies: 22
Views: 2916

Re: Quick Internet Puzzle Games (1 to 5 min) - What Do You Play?

My morning game routine is overlong but I enjoy it.
Wordle
Worldle
Statele
Globle
Dordle
Quordle
Quordle Sequence (my favorite)
Blossom (similar to NYT’s Spelling Bee but a bigger word bank)
I really liked the NYT’s discontinued Digits game and somebody has carried it on here
Connections
Sudoku on a separate app
Killer Sudoku, same
by fposte
Tue Oct 31, 2023 7:57 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Chase/Amazon Card Security In Question
Replies: 14
Views: 1791

Re: Chase/Amazon Card Security In Question

I had a fraud issue with the Chase Amazon card. All of the fraudulent charges were from Amazon. I reported the fraud twice and each time there were new fraudulent charges with 15 minutes of my updating the number on Amazon. Chase said that since the fraudsters had access to the wallet they’d get every update, and they claimed there was no way of stopping that. I wonder if asking for a token reset would have made a difference.

At any rate, it meant the card was functionally unusable, so I closed it out and got the Amazon store card from Synchrony instead.
by fposte
Thu Oct 26, 2023 8:10 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How can I check if Uber is available in a small town?
Replies: 18
Views: 2372

Re: How can I check if Uber is available in a small town?

SpaghettiLegs wrote: Wed Oct 25, 2023 6:01 pm You can also schedule Uber pickups, so just schedule one in advance in small town (assuming going back to Atlanta) and odds are a driver would come from Atlanta or nearby to pick you up. When you schedule a pickup, you’ll ultimately get a driver name well in advance.
Uber practices reportedly differ by market; in my experience I got the driver name about 15 minutes before pickup. Uber drivers also report that they will sometimes cancel on a reservation if it’s out of their way and Uber can’t get them a fare going that way.
by fposte
Sat Oct 21, 2023 10:22 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Can I “upgrade” vintage on TIAA Traditional?
Replies: 69
Views: 6028

Re: Can I “upgrade” vintage on TIAA Traditional?

Another possibility is opening a TIAA After-Tax Retirement Account (ATRA) and moving money from your GSRA into the ATRA to reset immediately to the current 5.75% vintage. That’s what I’m doing with my RMDs. Of course taxes are due on the RMDs. And the funds in the ATRA are subject to withdrawal restrictions, unlike the funds in your GSRA. (I have no problem with the restrictions, and I don’t plan to annuitize.) Hmm, I didn’t know about this, and I’m having a hard time finding info on the TIAA website. I’ve got a while before I hit RMD age, so I’m assuming I’d either have to pay the tax on the pretax chunk (not optimal right now) or just move the Roth portion. Is that right? TIAA does not push or publicize ATRA, which is available only to c...
by fposte
Thu Oct 19, 2023 12:04 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Can I “upgrade” vintage on TIAA Traditional?
Replies: 69
Views: 6028

Re: Can I “upgrade” vintage on TIAA Traditional?

Another possibility is opening a TIAA After-Tax Retirement Account (ATRA) and moving money from your GSRA into the ATRA to reset immediately to the current 5.75% vintage. That’s what I’m doing with my RMDs. Of course taxes are due on the RMDs. And the funds in the ATRA are subject to withdrawal restrictions, unlike the funds in your GSRA. (I have no problem with the restrictions, and I don’t plan to annuitize.) Hmm, I didn’t know about this, and I’m having a hard time finding info on the TIAA website. I’ve got a while before I hit RMD age, so I’m assuming I’d either have to pay the tax on the pretax chunk (not optimal right now) or just move the Roth portion. Is that right? Anyway, I called TIAA this morning, and the rep seemed very famili...
by fposte
Wed Oct 18, 2023 5:43 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Can I “upgrade” vintage on TIAA Traditional?
Replies: 69
Views: 6028

Re: Can I “upgrade” vintage on TIAA Traditional?

I see people alluding to pulling funds out of TIAA Traditional and putting them back in at the current higher vintage. But since it’s TIAA, I’m wary that what works for one contract won’t for another. I’d love to get more info and info on obstacles or requirements for the process. I’m retired, and I have about 200k in a TIAA Traditional GSRA 403b, half pretax and half in Roth. That’s about 10% of my portfolio on top of a COLA’d pension, so it’s not a life or death matter. The bulk is at guaranteed 3% with .666 above that. Can I move that out to a money market and move it back at X days to get the higher vintage for all of it? It doesn’t seem like it’ll change that 3% guaranteed rate so the only downside would seem to be the admin. Has anyb...
by fposte
Wed Oct 18, 2023 3:16 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Can I “upgrade” vintage on TIAA Traditional?
Replies: 69
Views: 6028

Can I “upgrade” vintage on TIAA Traditional?

I see people alluding to pulling funds out of TIAA Traditional and putting them back in at the current higher vintage. But since it’s TIAA, I’m wary that what works for one contract won’t for another. I’d love to get more info and info on obstacles or requirements for the process. I’m retired, and I have about 200k in a TIAA Traditional GSRA 403b, half pretax and half in Roth. That’s about 10% of my portfolio on top of a COLA’d pension, so it’s not a life or death matter. The bulk is at guaranteed 3% with .666 above that. Can I move that out to a money market and move it back at X days to get the higher vintage for all of it? It doesn’t seem like it’ll change that 3% guaranteed rate so the only downside would seem to be the admin. Has anybo...
by fposte
Wed Oct 18, 2023 1:57 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Where can you get the most detailed credit report of yourself?
Replies: 19
Views: 2172

Re: Where can you get the most detailed credit report of yourself?

Experian will show me my credit score when I login to my account. They'll show you a lot more if you purchase their services, but I don't need to do that. You also don't need to signup for their credit lock service. Ignore all the scary marketing hype about that. The credit is frozen. Done. I'm signed up for Experian's Security freeze service (as that one is free). I'm not sure what you mean " The credit is frozen. Done. ". How is the credit frozen? Without doing anything? I believe LadyGeek is talking about Experian’s paid CreditLock service and differentiating it from the free credit freeze. If you freeze your credit for free, you don’t seem to get any additional protection from the paid service, so freezing the credit suffices.
by fposte
Fri Oct 13, 2023 4:29 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Is a prenuptial agreement suggested in Washington state
Replies: 52
Views: 5201

Re: Is a prenuptial agreement suggested in Washington state

Different state and different rules but before I got married, my parents had my fiancé sign a prenup between her and them for exactly the same reasons. I didn't sign a prenup with my fiancé before we were married. I wonder if that would have stood up if challenged. She wasn’t marrying them. Why wouldn't it? It is their estate and my spouse just signed away any right to it with any inherited proceeds going to me or if I'm deceased, directly to our children. It was actually a very simple one page document created by a lawyer schooled in such documents. Not a lawyer, but usually prenups seem to require independent representation for both parties involved, and wouldn’t she have to be getting some consideration in exchange? But then it seems li...
by fposte
Fri Oct 13, 2023 10:14 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Is a prenuptial agreement suggested in Washington state
Replies: 52
Views: 5201

Re: Is a prenuptial agreement suggested in Washington state

Our son is getting married next year. We're wondering, if he stands to inherit a comfortable estate when we pass (we're 71 and 68) if we should suggest a prenuptial agreement. Different state and different rules but before I got married, my parents had my fiancé sign a prenup between her and them for exactly the same reasons. I didn't sign a prenup with my fiancé before we were married. I wonder if that would have stood up if challenged. She wasn’t marrying them. Why wouldn't it? It is their estate and my spouse just signed away any right to it with any inherited proceeds going to me or if I'm deceased, directly to our children. It was actually a very simple one page document created by a lawyer schooled in such documents. Not a lawyer, bu...
by fposte
Thu Oct 12, 2023 7:40 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Is a prenuptial agreement suggested in Washington state
Replies: 52
Views: 5201

Re: Is a prenuptial agreement suggested in Washington state

lthenderson wrote: Thu Oct 12, 2023 5:15 pm
capran wrote: Thu Oct 12, 2023 10:44 am Our son is getting married next year. We're wondering, if he stands to inherit a comfortable estate when we pass (we're 71 and 68) if we should suggest a prenuptial agreement.
Different state and different rules but before I got married, my parents had my fiancé sign a prenup between her and them for exactly the same reasons. I didn't sign a prenup with my fiancé before we were married.
I wonder if that would have stood up if challenged. She wasn’t marrying them.
by fposte
Tue Oct 03, 2023 2:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How much do you spend a month on food?
Replies: 334
Views: 29209

Re: How much do you spend a month on food?

It’s a lot more than I spend, but that’s not the point. Can you afford it? Do you enjoy it? Are you still able to eat healthily even when eating out? Are you saving for retirement and college the way you want with this expenditure? There are people who’d rather eat out at a nice restaurant a couple of times a week than travel. I buy shares in a flower CSA every summer, which isn’t cheap, so I’m probably a big outlier on how much I spend on flowers annually. But that’s okay within my budget, and I get commensurate enjoyment from them. If eating out is like that for you, you don’t need to change it up just because of where you are on the Boglehead bell curve. Only you know if it’s worth it to you or if it’s a creep that you want to cut back on.
by fposte
Fri Sep 29, 2023 6:29 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Please help me shop for curtains
Replies: 22
Views: 2237

Re: Please help me shop for curtains

tooluser wrote: Fri Sep 29, 2023 5:32 pm At last, good 'ol Walmart. This is the type of curtain rod I am talking about:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-He ... e/16879594

And yet if I back up a level from that page, they don't appear to sell any panels to put on them.
Your link doesn’t work, but if I’m guessing the curtain rods correctly, you can use pretty much any curtains with tab tops, tie tops, or rod pockets; nothing special should be required.
by fposte
Thu Sep 28, 2023 7:01 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Which state has jurisdiction?
Replies: 13
Views: 1332

Re: Which state has jurisdiction?

meadowrue wrote: Thu Sep 28, 2023 6:33 pm
DoubleComma wrote: Thu Sep 28, 2023 6:30 pm Does your state have a Labor Board or Department of Labor?

California’s labor board is really active and gets results quickly. Companies didn’t want government agency poking around. States have a lot of authority.
Yes, but would our state DOL protect DH’s rights as a tax paying citizen even if the “employer” is out of state? We don’t know where to turn first but maybe our state DOL can offer guidance.
I don’t think independent contractors, if they’re correctly classified, fall within the remit of the DOL.
by fposte
Wed Sep 27, 2023 9:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Bacontarian Child [likes bacon]
Replies: 15
Views: 2293

Re: Bacontarian Child

Throw in pasta and you’ve got much of my diet. She’ll get plenty of calories without overstuffing her with veg, which are pretty low value calorically anyway. A bean and bacon stew with rice sounds scrumptious. You can melt cheese over most veg, including zhuzhing up frozen veg with a quick cheese-melting nuke. Omelets and frittatas are a great base for whatever veg are lying around, and if the crust is an issue you can make crustless quiche and still get that make-ahead advantage.

At ten, she might be ready to contribute to this. Maybe she could be in charge of finding some recipes if you give her some guidelines.
by fposte
Mon Sep 25, 2023 10:56 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: What delayed gratification choices have you made lately?
Replies: 129
Views: 13319

Re: What delayed gratification choices have you made lately?

If I delay something I want, it’s for a specific reason that makes that thing less gratifying at the moment anyway. And there are purchases and plans where I enjoy the runup and the mulling, so making a choice faster would take some of the fun out of it for me. Other than that, I don’t prioritize delaying gratification for its own sake. I don’t feel like I’m a better person for bringing myself joy tomorrow rather than today.
by fposte
Sat Sep 23, 2023 9:15 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Full solar ECLIPSE April 2024!
Replies: 80
Views: 9389

Re: Full solar ECLIPSE April 2024!

I’m booked for two days in Bloomington, IN. It’s a nice place for a visit eclipse or no, and I remember all the traffic tales of woe from 2017 (I didn’t see totality then so really wanted to catch it this time). Got my over-the-glasses eclipse glasses and am crossing my fingers for good weather.
by fposte
Thu Sep 14, 2023 11:51 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Purchase home across street to move into later?
Replies: 33
Views: 3745

Re: Purchase home across street to move into later?

I’m looking for some advice on how to evaluate a possible second home purchase. My wife and I have lived in a 100 year old two story house in an established neighborhood of a midwestern city for 35 years. We like our house and love the neighborhood, but now that we are in our early 70’s we worry that we’ll soon be unable to navigate the stairs for upstairs bedrooms and downstairs laundry. At some point we’ll need to move to a single level residence. The only single level bungalow in the neighborhood is directly across the street and just went up for sale. I’m thinking why not buy this house and rent it out until we want to move in ourselves? We can afford to pay cash so it would essentially be replacing a portion of our bond fund money wit...
by fposte
Sat Sep 09, 2023 9:52 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Repeated Credit Card Fraud from Uber Despite Multiple Replacements - Seeking Advice
Replies: 36
Views: 7651

Re: Repeated Credit Card Fraud from Uber Despite Multiple Replacements - Seeking Advice

I had the same thing happen at Amazon with the Amazon card. The CS reps were clueless and one Chase fraud team member was a doofus, but another explained to me about the updating of the digital wallet, which at least at that time there was no way to turn off, so there was no way for me to have this brand card at Amazon without continued fraud. I switched to the Synchrony brand Amazon store card and it’s been fine, as have my secondary cards on Amazon.

I don’t know that I’d blame BOA particularly for this. It seems to be an industry practice and yet one that reps are ill-informed about. But if they can’t turn off the updater/wallet the solution would indeed be to get a card from a different issuer. Just don’t assume it couldn’t happen there.
by fposte
Tue Sep 05, 2023 10:54 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Criteria for decluttering
Replies: 43
Views: 4143

Re: Criteria for decluttering

Maybe I can phrase my question in another way. For those who've had loved ones pass on, or important relationships you treasure that aren't there anymore, what material things have you held on to, or wish you held on to? Or conversely, what items did you hold on to that you shouldn't have? I get very attached to physical things, to the point of some mild hoarding in my youth. One thing that’s helped for me is to reframe regret as a survivable part of the process rather than something to be avoided at all costs. If I’m happy I divested myself of 19 items and feel a pang about the 20th, that’s a heck of a batting average. And the pangs so far have always faded eventually, so I can think wistfully about not having something but also know it r...
by fposte
Tue Sep 05, 2023 9:24 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any tips about owning a bunny?
Replies: 106
Views: 8779

Re: Any tips about owning a bunny?

gavinsiu wrote: Mon Sep 04, 2023 8:44 pm Thanks,

I think I am thinking of adopting one from a Shelter. They have one that's been neutered and is house trained and vaccinated. Any cons to this approach?

On another note, what items will I need to buy. For example, for cats, you would need a carrier and a Literbox.
The House Rabbit Society material will set you up there—it really will save you trouble down the line to look at it.
by fposte
Mon Sep 04, 2023 2:47 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any tips about owning a bunny?
Replies: 106
Views: 8779

Re: Any tips about owning a bunny?

Find your local House Rabbit Society. They are a fount of information. Here’s their page for people new to bunnies. It is common for house buns to have some roaming room. They’re most active at dawn and dusk so that’s when they’ll benefit most from having room to ramble, so they may have a combination of confined hours and excursion hours. Some bunnies are inclined to chew and you’ll probably want to keep an eye on a new rabbit to see if they have a taste for cabled and cords or other popular rabbit magnets. They are also very individual with strong personalities, so look for one that fits the family, not just the fluffiest looking one. My rabbit-loving relatives have had rabbits inside for thirty years and their house smells less than my f...
by fposte
Sun Sep 03, 2023 9:57 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone else feel guilty retiring early???
Replies: 86
Views: 9519

Re: Anyone else feel guilty retiring early???

One of the main reasons I retired was because junior colleagues were now in a position to bring more to the job than I could. Glad they’re getting the chance.
by fposte
Tue Aug 29, 2023 4:34 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Athletic Trainer vs Physiotherapist
Replies: 7
Views: 955

Re: Athletic Trainer vs Physiotherapist

The superb PT I worked with through insurance has a training business on the side for invited clients, so I’m working with him private pay now. It’s the best of both worlds.

He is also somewhat cynical about the caliber of PTs in general, and he has suggested a few different things if I need to hunt for one. First, find one who works with you one on one the whole time, rather than leaving you to to exercises under tech (or no) supervision. He also suggests that better results are likelier from PTs with advanced credentials such as OCS certification or a fellowship with the AAOMPT.
by fposte
Mon Aug 28, 2023 11:35 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Exotic Cruise recommendations
Replies: 52
Views: 4285

Re: Exotic Cruise recommendations

ScubaHogg wrote: Mon Aug 28, 2023 11:08 am
Um, I don't need to. It's simple math. If no cruises come in people providing goods and services to cruises get less revenue.
Right, but revenue doesn’t always compensate for costs and impacts. See articles like this one. Hosting the Olympics is a great example of how a city can bring in money but still end up in debt.
by fposte
Mon Aug 28, 2023 11:27 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: cute small towns
Replies: 100
Views: 13429

Re: cute small towns

Why are similar-sized places in the USA called small towns that would be villages in eg the UK? Examples? (so we have an idea of the sizes you're thinking of) In the US, the legal classification of places (cities, towns, villages, etc.) is done by the individual states, not by the federal government. Different states have different laws for this. Different people may accordingly have different informal perspectives, depending on where they grew up or have lived a for long time. I'll give just two examples that I'm familiar with. In Ohio, all incorporated municipalities are either "cities" or "villages." A city has a population greater than 5,000. A village has a smaller population. If a village's population grows to mor...
by fposte
Sun Aug 27, 2023 9:08 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Move or renovate ugly but functional house in great location?
Replies: 73
Views: 9605

Re: Move or renovate ugly but functional house in great location?

What if you do a little window shopping for other houses? No commitment, just see what a house with the craftsmanship you want and the neighborhood you like looks like and sells for. It may make you appreciate the house you have, or it may make you realize that moving to get what you want is actually a possibility.