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takeshi

For those of you that have wrestled with the same decision, I'd like to hear your thoughts. Haven't really had to decide like this. For our home theater room a soundbar was a nonstarter given that the best audio quality was a must. However, for the bedroom where space was at a premium and the other...

takeshi

Seems odd to me but maybe I'm missing something. Can someone shed some light on this? What are you expecting? If you don't understand the tools your expectations may be off. What amount of fluctuation are you seeing? Scores will vary to a degree with normal activity. You might want to consider the ...

takeshi

On that note, which car rental company do you prefer? Silvercar though their locations are limited. Used to use Hertz at other locations but giving National a shot. Enterprise is at the bottom of my list. Unfortunately, they seem to be what insurance companies prefer. How does Avis stay in business...

takeshi

Even for the non-obvious impact, I'd say it falls under the same sort of consideration that Pajamas stated neared the beginning of this thread. Does the OP foresee doing anything that will require credit assessment in the 2 years that this hard pull will remain on the credit report? How safe does th...

takeshi

We only use really use ours for sous vide cooking and storing roasted coffee beans in mason jars in the freezer. The coffee beans are purchased in 5lb bags and would otherwise quickly stale. About once a year we get a brisket from my parents and we break it up, vacuum seal it and freeze what we don'...

takeshi

Is it worth using? Was the time estimate they provided correct? Or is this more of a novelty? You do it once, and then feel guilty you blew the money. Worth, novelty and all that is subjective. I've used a number of different delivery services at times when we don't feel like leaving the house but ...

takeshi

You should really get quotes from several companies since prices can vary greatly. +1 Asking for recommendations online is the wrong way to go about this. It's not just a matter of the system or specific components but all the specifics details of the home evaluated by someone knowledgeable and exp...

takeshi

Any recommendations on dash cams you have used? Mobius Action Cameras have worked well for us. However, I'd highly recommend using resources such as Dashcam Talk for up to date information on current offerings as we selected these camera several years ago. I'd probably be looking at a 2 channel set...

takeshi

The second item is regarding window tint for the car (2018 Honda Accord). I want to get some recommendations on the best places to get this done, what materials to use, and how much to expect for cost - and if it's even worth it. Tint with high heat rejection (not the same thing as dark) is definit...

takeshi

Exactly what causes a spring mattress to wear out? In my engineering opinion, the springs would not be a wear component of the mattress. As long as a steel spring is not stressed to fatigue or yield, and it does not rust, it has an infinite lifetime. No idea on your question but Vispring mattresses...

takeshi

Credit unions can also be a good place to look if the person qualifies for membership at one with more lax approval criteria. I'd also suggest Discover for someone with a thin/new but clean (no late payments, chargeoffs, etc) credit profiles. Be aware that many secured cards still require credit app...

takeshi

It has been years since we went but I remember really liking the Delmonico Grill in Rapid City. We liked it enough to dine twice while spending about a week in the area. It is a bit out of the way but we also really liked the Wild Horse Sanctuary though we took a smaller, private tour versus the bus.

takeshi

Definitely check with your rental company though, as stated above, most will bill you much later after the toll charge is processed and will tack on a hefty fee. That's one reason I prefer using Silvercar wherever they are available. They only bill for actual toll charges.

takeshi

ugaDAWGS09 wrote: ↑Tue May 15, 2018 6:10 pm I was hoping the RX would get closer to 24-25 mpg.

That's about what I get with our 2015 450h. However, I have a lead foot. The better half tends to get better fuel economy.

takeshi

Definitely do not use a card carrying a balance transfer at a 0% promo rate for purchases unless you also have 0% on purchases. You lose your grace period when you are carrying a balance so purchases immediately begin to accrue interest. In other words, you can't avoid paying interest on new purchas...

takeshi

Today I was shocked to discover that my credit score dropped from 820 last month to 780 this month. If it's a FICO 8 then you're still well above the point where best terms are generally offered. That said, like someone posted above, ~20 points or less is the threshold I'd normally suggest as treat...

takeshi

TheBogleWay wrote: ↑Sun May 06, 2018 2:38 am So, for cash-back cards, and a person who has an annual CC spending of about $15,000, what gets you the most cash back?

What are your major spend categories for this $15K? If most of it is noncategory then definitely get a 2% card.

takeshi

Is the damage done to my credit score worth the savings on ATM fees? Hard pulls have a small impact. Some may see a bigger impact from hard pulls but such people have much bigger issues (derogs, high revovlving utilization, young/thin credit profile, etc) to worry over with their credit than a hard...

takeshi

The card is only part of the equation. One's credit is another and very important part of the equation. Card A may approve person X with a high limit and person Y with a low limit or even denial. I'm not sure your credit is quite what you state for reasons covered below but I may be misinterpreting ...

takeshi

I've been monitoring my credit score the past several years using Credit Karma. The other day I was notified that my Equifax and Transunion scores dropped about 40+ points, putting me at "Fair" and "Good." Be very careful using Credit Karma's scores and factors. Credit Karma is ...

takeshi

Does anyone use Outlook on ALL their Apple devices instead of the Apple software? Have you had any issues/problems getting the devices to "sync" using Outlook? I use Outlook on my Macs but I don't use Outlook on my iPhone. I don't care for Apple's apps in OSX but I came from Windows and w...

takeshi

Don't really post often but came across this thread and really wanted to point out how snobby it seems to endorse a thousand dollar vacuum when OP is looking for something in the $100-200 range. Buy the Toyota Camry but your vacuum better be a Bugatti. I'm guessing it's more of a failure to fully r...

takeshi

protagonist wrote: ↑Thu Dec 24, 2015 10:11 pm Which is better and why?

6 one way, a half dozen the other in my experience. I've also heard drivers prefer Lyft and Lyft was first to allow tipping so I tend to use them. Lyft also tends to send me promos for discounts.

takeshi

IMO Dyson is the Bose of vacuums. Popular opinion seems to be that they're the choice. They do perform fairly well though not quite as well as they should for their price point, again, IMO. Not sure the analogy really carries with the rest of my post but our Dyson had all sorts of flimsy parts break...

takeshi

Don't load it up with options.

takeshi

Need a phone that works with both GSM and CDMA and my budget is between $200 - $250(new or used phone is fine). GSM vs CDMA is a really old way of viewing cell phone tech. You want to consider much more than just GSM & CDMA. A number of carriers aren't running their primary networks on GSM or C...

takeshi

My insurance company (GEICO) seems more responsive than theirs - should I try to go through the other party's insurance, or use mine? That's really your call to make though I'd recommend using your own. I was recently in an accident and decided to file through my own company since they are responsi...

takeshi

We weren't shopping for a 911 but we would have included Carmax in our shopping for a recent (at the time) Boxster. They just didn't have any -- even when searching throughout the country. Even if they did, we wanted specific color combos and options.

takeshi

wrongfunds wrote: ↑Mon Mar 26, 2018 11:27 am what kind of thingyjammies GE put in there

fourwheelcycle wrote: ↑Mon Mar 26, 2018 11:33 am My father put me through college with his income from GE, so we have all GE appliances.

GE microwaves & appliances haven't been made by GE for a while now.

http://www.geappliances.com/our-company/

In 2016, Haier Group acquired GE Appliances

takeshi

What is the best way to conduct a job search these days? The specifics and technologies involved have changed to some degree but it's still all about networking. LinkedIn was mentioned above and it can be a very useful networking tool but don't underestimate all the old school methods of networking...

takeshi

I'm not sure if they would see the inquiry for the other card and use that to reject you on the 2nd. Inquiries are not what Chase counts for 5/24 but just to clarify you can't use the apporama approach to try to have creditors miss inquiries these days, Inquiries are not reported items. When a cred...

takeshi

Wondering though, would it impact my credit score negatively (in the long term)? I pay off my balances as soon as they are due, usually using about $1000 of credit on the newest credit card. I'm not even sure of my total credit line but believe it's around 50k. My FICO score is low 800s. I'm not ma...

takeshi

Is this how all smart phones work? I find it hard to believe that our phones can do very impressive things but can't even predict my commonly typed words. There's a lot of variation among smartphones. Are you sure that the keyboard you're using actually learns based on your specific word usage? So ...

takeshi

Cheapest way to get spare car keys What is the best option? Cheapest or easiest? Cheapest is probably ebay or a cheap local locksmith (if one can make a key for the vehicle and deal with the chip/programming issue) but those are also going to be potentially more risky. Dealer will be safest but def...

takeshi

dm200 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:53 am While the best action (new or used) is to purchase a very reliable and highly rated vehicle, what is you have one that is, for example, on Consumer Reports "cars to avoid" list?

Learn for next time. Though I don't really put too much into CR's ratings.

takeshi

Now that the 1st place has come back with an estimate, I can’t help but think that it’s a lot to spend on a kitchen considering the price of the house. As always, appreciate BH’s thoughts and comments. It's really your call to make based on your priorities. If trimming the budget trumps all else th...

takeshi

Love to hear about your luggage favorites or thoughts on how you would travel light, plus any personal recommendations you may have including for the persoanal item. We don't really travel light and you don't mention budget so what works for us may not be relevant to you. We prefer having lifetime ...

takeshi

People are going to tend to recommend what they use. IIRC, a NIH study indicated that there was a slight edge to Oral-B's head movements but on a practical level any electric toothbrush will probably offer some gains over manual brushing, especially if the brush is designed to ensure that the users ...

takeshi

TravelGeek wrote: ↑Tue Mar 06, 2018 8:11 pm It really depends on your usage pattern.

This. My wife travels with an iPad but she also mostly uses an iPad at home. I travel with a MacBook Air but I mostly use a MacBook Pro at home.

takeshi

Is cashback more generous in the USA, making it a better choice over there? It can be. 2% cards are easy to find. There are cards that offer 5% but the spend categories may change and there are caps. Not sure how credit is assessed on your side of the pond but revolving utilization (balance(s)/limi...

takeshi

I was wondering if there is any benefit in getting it done at Honda vs going for the cheaper option. Can't speak about any benefit with Honda. I use our dealers while under warranty because they provide service loaners and they have helped in getting out of warranty goodwill service -- and also so ...

takeshi

It was probably a couple of years ago but I used SportRX to replace the lenses in my Juliets and thought they did a great job. I think they actually use Oakley lenses and not aftermarket.

takeshi

Now the question is, do we keep our Amex Blue Cash Preferred card? Not sure it's worth it anymore. I only kept mine because it's backdated and reports as a 19 year old account. Also downgraded to the Blue Cash Everyday to drop the annual fee. Amex's card is capped at $6k in the groceries though - s...

takeshi

I'm also open to any other suggestions people may have for minimizing the effect of a speeding ticket. A skilled and experienced traffic attorney is my preferred solution. Haven't needed one in a long time but the one I used was very effective. Ask others in your area if you want to go that route.

takeshi

For me, citi double cash back and cards like it don't really help that much. You have to spend like $12k to get back a couple hundred dollars. Cash back cards are generally going to provide less potential rewards but travel rewards cards are going to require more research and legwork on your part i...

takeshi

Credit unions are not banks -- they're credit unions. They can pay more interest but you really have to do a specific comparison. It's really up to you to find credit unions that you qualify to join as that will automatically narrow down the options for you. I do have credit cards from credit unions...

takeshi

Pcarfan911 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 27, 2017 1:33 pm Would you do it?

I'm the wrong person to ask, being a Porsche owner. However, I wouldn't buy a 911. As one that prefer mid engined vehicles we have a 981. Regardless, it doesn't matter what I or others would do. It's up to you to sort out based on your situation, priorities, etc.

takeshi

Worth is always highly subjective and it's really your call make based on your preferences and priorities. It's rare that I don't check a bag when flying. My wife and I aren't charged for our first checked bags and it's rare that it has been a hassle for us. We also have priority boarding but hate p...

takeshi

OP's questions include a lot of matters of preference so asking others with differing preferences may not help the OP. I use Mint but I also maintain an Excel spreadsheet that started as a checking account register but now also tracks credit card accounts as well and provides some crude budgeting ca...

takeshi

Get any used vehicle inspected regardless of whether or not flooding is a concern. A good mechanic is an option but there are inspection services that know to look for this and may other things with used vehicles. A good inspector will definitely find this sort of thing even in the seller has attemp...

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