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Andyrunner

Personally, We try to limit the Ipad for our daughter as much as possible. Now for ideas, just do whatever sounds crazy, set up a tent in your living room, let the imagination go! Bring in a kiddie slide! Ride a bike. Let them play in the sink. kid projects, google or pintrest ideas, make sure you h...

Andyrunner

Do people really change their oil that much?

I bought my Toro from the previous owner, he used it for 3-4 years, I have had it for 8 years. I have changed the oil maybe twice? Runs like a champ.

Andyrunner

It went great! With the exception of the extra travel time between parks and a big annoying issue with the rental car seats, everything went really well. Temps were in there 80s and sunny every day were were there. First hike we did was to hurricane ridge, older one did about half the hike, we broug...

Andyrunner

My wife and I left State Farm two years ago. Between home and auto we saved 1000. We used a local independent agent who shopped around. Olny reason why we kept staying with State Farm was because her uncle worked there and her paranoid mom was afraid of some unknown insurance companies. The 1000 sav...

Andyrunner

Some good bargains can be had from BikesDirect.com. My local shop is kind of a dealer for them, and I purchased a nice road bike from them for around $500 (Gravity). Its an AL frame with carbon fiber forks and front and rear disk breaks. Comparing notes with a co-worker he paid about 1500 for a sim...

Andyrunner

There is very little profit margin in new bike sales at brick and mortar stores (so I'm told). Labor and accessory sales is reportedly where they make their money. Four I have heard the same. Maybe a few hundred dollars profit on a 3-5k bike. Guy I know started a mobile bike shop. Converted a Ford ...

Andyrunner

I have also seen a couple mentions here and online for Nashbar brand bikes. Any additional comments on those? I have two bikesdirect bikes. Love them, much cheaper then the bike shop and are solid bikes. They are made in the same factories as most name brands. There is some work involved to put it ...

Andyrunner

I wouldn't. A lot can happen over the next 15 years. That money may not be there. Personal example: my grandparents said to my dad thatthey will pay For my brothers and my college. he kept contributing to my and my brothers 529s anyway. Both grandparents passed before we went to college and my uncle...

Andyrunner

Thanks all for the input. I guess my wife and I were thinking that if its summer in Minnesota, its at least spring everywhere else! At least we prepared and bought two new rain coats! My wife and I are pretty tough hikers, before kids our vacations were 10-12 mile day hikes at rocky mtn national par...

Andyrunner

It looks like Ohanapecosh visitor center is about 40 min closer than paradise. Is this one worth stopping at? I'm expecting to get a max of 3 miles out of my older one. Little one will be on a backpack that I hope I can get through an airport.

Andyrunner

Family and I will be taking a trip next week. Home bases will be in Port Angles and Packwood. I was able to book two different VRBOs in these areas. We will spend 2-3 days in each park. Does anyone have any advice on hikes/family outings/etc.? Our kids are 3 and 10 months. So our hiking will be very...

Andyrunner

As others said, there is a big difference between price and quality. I prefer Lands End and Charles Thyrwitt shirts. Great price, high quality, last forever. As far as dress shoes, I can't imagine spending $300 on shoes but I have heard EAllens are the best. I still buy $90 shoes on clearance for 40...

Andyrunner

Depends on the job and the vulgarity. Is it a boy going into a blue collar job? Or is it a girl who will be driving the beer cart at a golf course and will see catcalling and be hit on? Id be ok with the swearing and general bluecollar stuff. Id respond with, its not how i speak but i can tollerate ...

Andyrunner

Do you have any local suit stores around? My neighbor owns one and I find his $300 suits perfect. He will charge about $50 for tailoring and it fits me sharp. Nice part is he can special order sizes too. I'm a 36 short, so its a bit challenging to find my size. Last suit I bought from him was a slim...

Andyrunner

Know any friends with kids in college?

Having a college kid might motivate your son a bit more, the college kid will advise how he/she learned. Plus I bet the college kid is about half the price of a teacher.

Andyrunner

Thanks for the good info. I'm going to take a look at menards tonight and see what they have. I have heard lots of terrible things about LL from other people so I'm going to avoid them. I guess if the product is poor, they run away and do everything possible to avoid a refund. Good info on the dents...

Andyrunner

Thanks for the input. Follow up question, is everything Lumber Liquidators sell is cheap quality? Stuff I'm looking at is $3.19 a square foot!

I might swing by HD today to see if I can find something close to what they have.

Andyrunner

In the process of a basement finish and for the extra bedroom I'm looking at using it as a workout room. Passed on the option of rubber flooring and going to make it a hardwood floor. Everything I read is for a basement floor go with laminate or LV. Sounds like LV is everything laminate is, but bett...

Andyrunner

I worked for IBM from 2001-2015. Fortunate enough to buy up a lot of shares during most of that run, as it was basically a steady increase in stock price from roughly '01 through '12 primarily under the Palmisano regime. Fundamentally, they had a very good business model - heavy in on long term sit...

Andyrunner

Agreed with others. HDHP premiums are always lower than the traditional plan. I'd double check that. I didnt see a OOP max for the traditional, how does that compare to the HDHP. Also with having two kids under the age of 5, I would factor in at least one ER visit a year. If both kids are boys, fact...

Andyrunner

Make sure your sporting some good quality bike bibs or shorts. I have some Desoto 400 mile bibs.

Andyrunner

I'll give the advice my boss in college told me with starting my first job:

Buy a pool table and put a piece of ply-board to put over it. Now not only do you have a big dining room table, but you also have entertainment for after dinner!

Andyrunner

I'm actually surprised there are batts in there already!

I am finishing my basement and filled mine with batts, more so for a sound barrier.

I vote for leave them or upgrade them.

Andyrunner

20 is reasonable, infants are expensive.

My co-workers did it for my wife and I. I also started the job 1 month before she was born. They gave us around $300 and with diapers, formula, clothes and other stuff, it went fast.

Andyrunner

You need an led compatible dimmer switch. The old ones don't work with leds. Be ready they are around 20-25 dollars.

Andyrunner

We have a cleaning lady that comes every other week. She spends ~4 hours cleaning our house and we pay her $80, which I'm told is a bargain. We also live in the midwest. Also I question, if they is basically self-employed, aren't they the one who determines what they charge? If you like them and tru...

Andyrunner

I have not been in a commission sales position but I have done enough RFP's to learn that most sales guys oversell the products. It seems like it is pretty standard in the sales world. They also rarely understand the technical side of it, if they do understand the technical side, it reals them in a ...

Andyrunner

I have it good, really good. My employer allows PTO to accumulate over the years to a max of 1.5 years worth.[...] I doubt that you have it "really good", unless you are saying that you can accumulate over 78 weeks of PTO! There should be many employers out there who permit rollovers. You...

Andyrunner

I have it good, really good. My employer allows PTO to accumulate over the years to a max of 1.5 years worth. They let you cash any of it out at the end of each year if you want cash rather than time off, and when you leave or retire, they pay it all out. I'm actually shocked they keep doing this, t...

Andyrunner

Yes, move to the midwest where property taxes for a 350k house are about $3k and just ignore the cost of property taxes when house hunting.

I don't see any other logical approach unless you want to get into the details. I'd just avoid the neighborhoods that have crime/school issues.

Andyrunner

Things I noticed when debating this 4 years ago. 1)Builders usually just have a 1 year (legally required) warranty on the home. So if anything goes wrong after 1 year, your on the on the hook. 2) Premium in buying something new rather than used 3) Unless stated in the building process, builders will...

Andyrunner

Why not put just invest a little each month, so over 3-5 years you'll be invested. That way you might catch the correction during this time but also have enough to put in during the correction! Dollar Cost Averaging. As far as equity in a home, your young and single, chances are you will move to a n...

Andyrunner

I'm putting in a workout/gym room and am going to put this down: http://www.rubberflooringinc.com/rubber-roll/index.html?slc=7391&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=s_pcrid_142710152795_pkw__pmt__pdv_c_pprd_7391&gclid=CPCfp6Db09ICFRO1wAodRcEK...

Andyrunner

I enjoy it, but I am on auto-drive and enjoy watching. Once a month i put all of my investments in a spreadsheet to see how much they have grown/dropped. Since getting my first job in 2007, after years of stagnation/drop its actually exciting to see my investments actually start to return something ...

Andyrunner

We only have a cleaner (well worth it), but we have some friends who have a cleaner who I guess asked if they wanted her to do laundry and a few other things. I believe the lady comes once a week or so and does a number of tasks. To me, I think a challenge is teaching the kids that not everyone can ...

Andyrunner

As I dig a little deeper, my addiction is to feeling needed, to having a purpose for existing on this earth, for having my expertise acknowledged and appreciated. If your financially set and enjoy doing what you do, why not use your skills (if possible) for some charity work, donate your expertise ...

Andyrunner

Thanks, I figured that would be the best bet just wasn't sure.

Andyrunner

I'm starting my tax returns and working on the info. Last year my wife moved from one position within our company to another. As a result she received two different W-2's. Our parent company acts as the paying agent for its subsidiaries. Both W-2's have the same name and EIN, but at the bottom says:...

Andyrunner

As a father of a 5m and 3yr old I say go with option 3. My wife went to 4 days a week with our first child and then moved back to a 5 day work week with our second child, moving into a position where she wouldn't have to work nights and weekends, downside is instead of getting off at 3:30, she gets ...

Andyrunner

1A means a MEC was offered by the employer to "FULL TIME" employees only and the OP said that he did not work full time in 2016. Please confirm the above, OP. If you are still confused, I suggest that you get tax professional help in person. In my experience there is a difference between ...

Andyrunner

I apologize for my statement earlier, I thought you enrolled in your employers medical coverage for 2016 but you weren't eligible in 2015 because you were in a waiting period. 1A means they offered ACA eligible coverage to you 2G means you did not enroll. If you did enroll box 15 would have been fil...

Andyrunner

Income is income.

I'm assuming her realtor is thinking she will be able to write off the closing costs on the place she would be buying. I wouldn't spend a few hundred thousand to save a few hundred on taxes.

Andyrunner

Your employer should be sending you a 1095-C showing your health care cost for 2016.

Andyrunner

2 months expenses in checking 6 months expenses in savings 6 months expenses and growing in non-retirement S&P500 mutual fund. I have it auto set to add $500/month into the mutual fund, my thoughts are if the market crashes and it drops 50% I will still have 11-12 months of expenses to use. My w...

Andyrunner

For the bike trainer, look at the fluid ones. They are less noisy. Kurt Kenetic is a great brand. For TV since all trainers gets noisy, I'd get cheap bluetooth transmitter and bluetooth headphones, you can get them for about $30 together. Also Id suggest a pull board over a door bar. Allows you do d...

Andyrunner

I've read somewhere that Toyota Tacoma's are the best in this case. The materials used to produce, their long life and fuel efficiency make them the best eco-friendly vehicle, even better than say a Prius (because those lithium batteries are terrible for the environment). Of course this is a few ye...

Andyrunner

I've read somewhere that Toyota Tacoma's are the best in this case. The materials used to produce, their long life and fuel efficiency make them the best eco-friendly vehicle, even better than say a Prius (because those lithium batteries are terrible for the environment). Of course this is a few yea...

Andyrunner

What is his medical coverage like? Is he under a subsidized medical plan on the public exchanges? Please explain what you are getting at ? He is considered a (grad) student, and gets his health coverage directly from the school - He is 26, and just recently did the required swap from our family cov...

Andyrunner

Single guy living alone? I say 5k to the debts and 5k go have fun. Vacation, toy or something. life is short.

Andyrunner

What is his medical coverage like? Is he under a subsidized medical plan on the public exchanges?

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