Bogleheads.org

In some way or another you will be costing your parents money whether it be utilities, rent, etc. Is that really the right course just to better your income at your age especially with retired parents? Think about the undue hardship on them and be independent. It is not like you are suffering and w...

I suggest simple things like marriage counseling, church counseling or a self-help course from landmark education. I have seen all three save a marriage. Why in the name of God would she want to save this marriage? The man is bringing her down. Without him changing how could this be salvaged? I gue...

Thanks for the input. Is two months security deposit standard? I think that is what the owner of the house is asking, but I can confirm. Not in my experience. It is either a flat number ($500 or $750 or something in that range) or 1 month's rent. The owner may be asking for last month's and a depos...

*What the heck do people do to their blinds? I honestly cannot figure this out, we've had the same blinds in our house for 10 years, yet I have one-year renters that manage to destroy theirs. I had to laugh at this. I did just a walk-through of a rental I own. When we notified the renters of the wa...

I think you have to pay very close attention to the particular house if you are downsizing. You have to think about everything - even something as small as not having a coat closet can drive you batty if you are in a climate with a definite winter. It is easier to downsize if you can get rid of bed...

I am in the process of selling a bigger home and purchasing a smaller home. I'm single and grew tired of the upkeep of a four-bedroom horse property. I was always doing a lot of "ranch chores" and not spending much time with friends and family. Once these transactions are complete, my mort...

I find it funny that people are making fun of him for moving toward a lower-carb diet and not getting to make bread in his thrift store-purchased bread machine. He's already posted on how much money he's saved from making his own bread and he's already posted on how he saves money on buying quality...

In my area, we went from over 4,000 properties on the MLS, to about 400 now. 400 homes represents roughly a one month supply. There are still thousands of homes in the shadow inventory. Not sure when they'll get released.

I'd never read or heard of MMM before, but I enjoyed the read. I think too many here are missing the forest for the trees (or the moustache for the hairs?). So many people on this planet (particularly in the U.S., it seems) are, indeed, on a crushing, mind-numbing, auto-pilot. Working a job they di...

I think the situations are different if you are married or not, where you are at with life, and how much shared history you have with the other person. If one member of an unmarried mid-life couple that hasn't been together for very long received an inheritance, than, no, I don't think it should aut...

bayview wrote:ING charged my husband $150 when he rolled over his 401k to an IRA.

ING did not charge me to close four online savings accounts. I'm moving most everything to Vanguard.

For a relationship that is forming in one's midlife, the concept of "your" and "our" money is different. There is no shared history. I think that having "the talk" with this man is good step. I was dating a fellow last year and he wanted to become more serious (live tog...

Wow. Just keep it simple. One 12 or 15 inch cast iron pan will set you back $15 on sale, cover 100% of your pan cooking needs, and last your (and your kids) entire lifetime. Not sure where the debate comes in. I'm using my grandmother's cast iron pan. I seasoned it with flax seed oil and it's basic...

I used to use non-stick pots and pans, but decided to go with stainless steel and cast iron to reduce my exposure to the plastics and chemicals used in many non-stick surfaces. I've read about ceramic surfaces that are now coming out as non-stick, but don't know enough about them to try them.

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This is NOT the set that I bought at Walmart. This set includes more pieces and has glass lids. My set was smaller with stainless lids and my is fully clad. Looks as though Walmart is selling a cheaper version now. Hmmm. Walmart still has the same quality Tri-Ply sets, the link posted just wasn't o...

Looks like only the base is Tri-Ply on those. Look for the fully clad versions. This is NOT the set that I bought at Walmart. This set includes more pieces and has glass lids. My set was smaller with stainless lids and my is fully clad. Looks as though Walmart is selling a cheaper version now. Hmmm.

I bought a set of the Walmart "All Clad" knock-offs tri-ply some years ago. The set still looks like new. I put the pots and pans into the dishwasher with no ill effects. I paid $99 for the set. Is this a similar set to what you bought ? I read online there are 2 different lines of the tr...

I bought a set of the Walmart "All Clad" knock-offs tri-ply some years ago. The set still looks like new. I put the pots and pans into the dishwasher with no ill effects. I paid $99 for the set.

As someone who has a $5,000 carbon fiber bike, buy the bike! Components can be upgraded over time, but if they are high-end, they should last a long time as well. I'm not a high-end cyclist, but can really tell the difference in comfort with the carbon fiber on the longer rides. BTW, I didn't just g...

My sister is getting to the point where she can elect cataract surgery. Her doctor said there is a third option, which are the type of lens where they are distance focus in the middle of the lens and reading focus around the edges of the lens. I forget what they are called. MIght be something to loo...

With my severe ADD, I don't budget very well. I tried for years to use Quicken, spreadsheets, all kinds of categories, Mint.com, and even the envelope method. I couldn't keep any of it going or I would just plain forget. Although I felt like a complete loser about budgeting during this time :oops: ,...

Would it be terribly wrong to give the doctor a lump sum in cash, teacher a lump sum in cash and buy the job hopper a lifetime annuity for the same amount as the lump sum the other 2 received? I'm a POA on my dad's estate. He is going to give equal amounts to each of his offspring. Two of the offsp...

Speaking from experience, being divorced "a few years" is not long enough to you to heal AND get to know someone well enough to entertain cohabitation and/or another marriage. It's my understanding that it takes two years or longer, just to get to know someone well enough to judge whether ...

I just "fired" a Realtor because he refused to write an offer on a property I liked, saying that my bid would be too low. I fumed about it overnight and the next morning, called someone else to write the offer for me. I'm now in a counter-offer with the seller as they liked my offer the b...

I just "fired" a Realtor because he refused to write an offer on a property I liked, saying that my bid would be too low. I fumed about it overnight and the next morning, called someone else to write the offer for me. I'm now in a counter-offer with the seller as they liked my offer the be...

I'm probably in the best position for being someone who can "account" for a future inheritance. I run all my parents' investments, and have helped them set up their trust and beneficiary settings on their accounts. I also do their taxes for them every year. I know exactly how much there i...

Also a Starwood cardholder and just got the same offer, so maybe that's the database for this mailing (love the Starwood card). Will likely pull the trigger. Not sure if this was mentioned, but no foreign transaction fees with this card, which is a nice benefit. In terms fo the companion ticket, I ...

If purchasing house shortly, be aware that new credit card will adversely effect your credit score, and perhaps your ability to take out a mortgage / the mortgage rate. Hopefully not an issue in the AmEx Platinum bracket, but something to be aware of before taking out new credit. I'm paying cash fo...

If you don't absolutely need the benefits from the card right now, I wouldn't sign up. A few months back they had a very small window of opportunity for a 100k points sign up bonus; a friend got it, I did not (didn't apply, didn't hear about it in time). My buddy loves the card, btw. The $200 credi...

Thanks JamesSFO, I used to be on Flyertalk back when I did travel a lot on business, but forgot what a good resource it is for these types of questions.

I've just received an offer for this credit card. I had an AMEX Starwoods card for some years, but no AMEX card at this time. The annual fee is $450. This includes some nice travel perks and companion ticket for any business/first class ticket purchased as well as a $200 refund for travel-related ex...

I'm choosing to downsize and live in a smaller place prior to retirement. This will allow me to live without a mortgage and have more time to get out and about, whereas now, I have a mortgage and limited time with all of the house and yard chores. I am also choosing to downsize and simplify my belon...

I am expecting that he may not like the appraised value as the land is quite valuable, so we will probably have to have several appraisals and use the average. Of course, my brother may decide he does not want the land, in which case we would just sell everything and divide equally. For the second ...

We have a family second home that four siblings will inherit when our last parent passes. We decided that dividing a home between four siblings would be problematic and likely create conflict, so here's what we arranged: - One of the siblings was selected to inherit the property. This sibling is ver...

"Deadlifting" is just picking something heavy up off the ground. "Cleaning and pressing" is just picking something heavy up off the ground, getting it to your shoulders, and then putting it overhead. Years ago, especially on farms, these sorts of activities were called "cho...

- Read "The Happiness Advantage" by Shaun Achor. - Get rolfed by a certified rolfer and do the prescribed homework. - Read Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth" and give it your best shot. - Learn how to quiet your mind and how to meditate. - Yoga if you can learn from a good practioner ...

I've been cutting and tinting my long hair for years and am quite surprised at the salon prices being discussed. It sounds as though these hair services could add up to thousands per year, not to mention the costs of nails and makeup. From a Boglehead perspective, these types of costs negatively imp...

The new carrier Republic Wireless might be something for you to look into. They charge $19/month. You have to purchase their phone, because it transfers calls seamlessly between wifi and cellular. I can't speak for the GPS, but worth looking into.

I've had to live a very frugal lifestyle for most of my adult life, mostly due to not getting serious about a career until I was 30 and working in lesser paid industries (hospitality and teaching). I also chose to live where I wanted to live and found work there, rather than following a job, which c...

If you and your family likes to camp, you can rent an RV and get the France Passion card and stay free at many different farms, vineries, parks, and the like. RV = $$, camping spot = free, so it might work for your budget. You'll need a self-contained RV for this as these are unimproved campsites.

I'm calculating this differently. I'm using the cost to purchase a two-bedroom place versus a one-bedroom place. The cost difference is roughly $30,000 for an extra bedroom. That buys a lot of hotel rooms and I don't have an empty room sitting there un-used or poorly used because I have a bed in it...

What always puzzles me with these minimalist articles is that they just don't make practical sense. Think about it that way - whenever this guy travels, he has to stay in a hotel (not too many hostels in US), he has to rent skis, he has to rent bicycle, he has to rent camping equipment, and so on. ...

I never saw the connection between the Boglehead philsophy and frugality. I really believe that investing wisely and not accumulating debt enables us to live a more luxurious lifestyle. Living in a 800 sq. ft apartment to me has absolutely nothing to do with this forum. Luxury means different thing...

When I lived in Europe, I remember a French person telling me that Americans will take $200 and buy 10 cheap $20 sweaters, which will not fit well and will all look terrible after one or two washings (think Walmart), while a European will buy one quality $200 sweater and wear it for many years (thin...

I just read a great book titled, "Younger Next Year, For Women," that well explains the reasons behind and benefits of both cardio and strength training to keep oneself "young." There is a "Younger Next Year" book for men as well. I found the book to be very informative...

+1 on the Mellita coffee filter holder - have been using mine for perhaps 2 decades now! - you can make the coffee as strong or as wimpy as you like + cleanup is easy - costco sells #4 filters in bulk which are perfect You can buy or sew reusable filters out of muslin or cotton fabric. Saves money ...

Females often carry some of this stuff in a PURSE which is not firmly attached to one's person. Can we agree that this is the source of the problem? My mom used to carry a big purse with all kinds of stuff in it. She actually walked tilted, trying to hold it up on her shoulder. Today, I see all kin...

I just want to commend Munchen Man for his fantastic weight loss. Doing this using prepared foods is outstanding, given that prepared foods can sometimes be the culprit to obesity. You are a great role model!

I teach at a small nursing and allied health college. 97% of our RN graduates find nursing jobs within six months of graduating and this is in an area still badly stricken by the recession. Our graduation rates are similar. I find the nursing students to be a highly-motivated and intelligent lot. Ma...