Bogleheads.org

smitty1515

We do not factor SS into the FI equation because we plan to be FI in our mid to late 40s. Of course, there are many years between hitting FI and traditional retirement when one begins to take SS distributions. Additionally, SS is predicated on many factors I don't know the answer so for the sake of ...

smitty1515

I purchased a late 2018 MacBook Air recently w the following specs:

Intel i5
16 gb ram
512 gb SSD
13” Retina display

Very happy w the purchase at $1199.

smitty1515

I’m using an SE and have been for 3 years. I just had a new battery put in at the Apple store for $55 which has made keeping it much easier.

The key will be continuing to have access to updates in the future.

smitty1515

Chunkachange wrote: ↑
Fri Sep 06, 2019 9:20 pm

mortfree wrote: ↑
Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:43 pm
15-year, 0 points is at 2.875 where I have a mortgage (30y at 3.875, 2y into the mortgage)
Trying to reconcile your username with your post, I can only assume you divorced a man named Mort.

smitty1515

Disney

Chick Fil A

smitty1515

Amazing that 5M isn't what it used to be. And maybe safaris are meant for people with more money anyway. Thanks for the responses, and have a nice day. Don’t take your situation for granted. You are top of world population re wealth. Take the trip if it’s an experience you and your spouse value and...

smitty1515

We just did this on a home we bought new in 2015. The 75% rule was in reference to removal of PMI based on current value. So....we paid $450 for an appraisal which came in at $406k w balance of $305k which removed PMI.

smitty1515

I’m in the boat of buying (with cash) 3-5 yr old vehicles w around 30,000 miles. We now have a 3 and 10 year old vehicles. My question for you all is do you follow the recommendations for maintenance? Oil changes and tire rotation are a no brainer. I’m talking about spark plugs, transmission flush,...

smitty1515

I’m in the boat of buying (with cash) 3-5 yr old vehicles w around 30,000 miles. We now have a 3 and 10 year old vehicles. My question for you all is do you follow the recommendations for maintenance? Oil changes and tire rotation are a no brainer. I’m talking about spark plugs, transmission flush,...

smitty1515

I’m in the boat of buying (with cash) 3-5 yr old vehicles w around 30,000 miles. We now have a 3 and 10 year old vehicles. My question for you all is do you follow the recommendations for maintenance? Oil changes and tire rotation are a no brainer. I’m talking about spark plugs, transmission flush, ...

smitty1515

Yes, my wife and I got “financially naked” before getting too serious. I couldn’t imagine not doing so as financial disagreements and beliefs can ruin a marriage.

smitty1515

1.) 25 x annual expenses
2.) paid off mortgage
3.) giving 10% plus of my income per yr
4.) giving my time to meeting others and giving hope to the financially illiterate
5.) the ability to choose my pursuits based on interest and fulfillment and not pay

smitty1515

Sjt,

Thank you for the well constructed response. You’ve given me some things to think about in how I analyze our plan and future. Again, thank you.

smitty1515

Although I have never invested in any real estate myself, I would encourage you to try it because of the entire tone of your post. I think one can become financially independent without real estate investments, but it seems you are willing to try it out, so I recommend that you do so. You’re one of...

smitty1515

Thank you for the input Silverado. We’ve experienced 3-5% annual raises during this time. We made some questionable decisions in our mid 20s but have a solid foundation to build upon now.

Again, thanks for the input.

smitty1515

Thank you for the link. That’s not a site I’d heard of and there appears to be excellent content.

smitty1515

I make this post for guidance and appreciate anyone who takes time to read/provide feedback. I've done more reading than posting over the years and value these opinions because most are pursuing or have obtained financial independence. Our situation: Monthly expenses: $5,700/mo Monthly income: (afte...

smitty1515

WhiteMaxima wrote: ↑
Wed Jan 02, 2019 1:54 pm
Any BH with 100/0 AA? What's your return in 2018?

-11%

smitty1515

We have tested and our readings were 4.5 and 4.8 which is slightly elevated (goal is < 4). We live in MN where radon is a concern. I'm not sure how much of a farce I think the industry is but the fact of the matter is I will incur the cost to mitigate if I rent out or sell this home so why not take ...

smitty1515

35/36 1 kid

42% gross (includes employer contribution)

smitty1515

https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/15/spor ... -lies.html

My advice - contact the university and finish your degree the way you intended and legitimately claim your paper.

smitty1515

Animal kingdom
Safari
Avatar flight of passage
Expedition Everest

Magic kingdom
Space mountain
Thunder mountain
7 dwarfs Mine Train

Epcot
Soarin
Test track
Spaceship earth

smitty1515

The additional piece of info I'd like to know is an estimate of how much in income (combined income for couples) plus gifts (inheritance) had the person earned over their lifetime when they reached 500k in savings. A couple who had reached 500k at 30 but had cumulatively earned and/or inherited $5 ...

smitty1515

Wife 35, Me 36. Coincidentally, it just happened last weekend nearly 10 years after starting career. We are saving 50% of our after tax income and plan to cross the $1M NW in 5 years. Of course market fluctuations could alter this but we can only control factors such as savings rate, investing in lo...

smitty1515

Has anyone ever purchased off Gazelle or like sites? I was recently having some issues with our 13" mid 2012 MacBook Pro however doubling up the RAM and putting in a new battery has significantly improved the performance of the machine. I did both of these things for less than $100 but before hand w...

smitty1515

Happy YT TV customer here. We've had very few issues and when we have their customer service is on point. During a recent World Cup match YT TV was down for a short period of time. Within 24 hours of the outage I got an email apologizing and comping me 1 free week of YT TV. The only two streaming TV...

smitty1515

^^^
That would be cash on cash return

smitty1515

1. The Bible and related study
2. Marriage topics
3. Parenting topics
4. Real estate investing

smitty1515

It's a sign of wisdom. Roll the way you were created and just go with it. I've been slowly graying for the last 10 years and I'm 36. I figure by the time I'm in my mid 40s it'll really show.

smitty1515

How do their prices compare to Aldi produce prices? I’ve often felt Aldi ascribes to a similar model although I haven’t validated the theory yet.

smitty1515

The Ramsey plan helped us create the plan to pay off 50k in non-mortgage debt (using the debt snowball method) in 13 months. Before I ever heard of DR, I unknowingly used the snowball method to pay off my small credit card bills of a few hundred dollars that were merely a nuisance. But once I got t...

smitty1515

At my church the DR Financial Peace is heavily promoted. I have never attended, didn’t want to spend the $100 for class materials. Anyhow people on this forum would be horrified to hear many of the stories of how badly people handle their money. I would totally agree DR gets many folks going the ri...

smitty1515

We buy a few Sams club rotisserie chickens per week and shred them up for salads, tacos, etc. I've not seen any stripes or had "odd" tastes.

smitty1515

We budget every month.

I’m a Ramsey disciple who follows his budget and anti debt advice but deviates to BHs for investment advice. I consider this hybrid to be pretty stellar.

smitty1515

160k for a box with wheels?! If I was you I’d take it to the MB dealership and see what they have to say. The depreciation seems insane. Best of luck.

smitty1515

Well, if he is of sound mind and wants to give you money, so be it. He can do what he wants with his money. However, if he is simply trying to transfer assets to get Medicaid to pay for LTC it gets a lot more complicated. For one, a medicaid paid facility and room can be subpar to one that you can ...

smitty1515

You could sell on giftcardgranny.com. I have purchased cards on there in the past and it’s been reputable in my experience.

smitty1515

nordsteve wrote: ↑
Sat Feb 17, 2018 10:41 pm
If you’re looking at Grand View then also check out Maddens.

MN lifer here and this thread has many great suggestions.

Agree, I’d add Craguns to the list too!

smitty1515

Grand view lodge in Nisswa is awesome. There are many included amenities and Gull Lake is a fun place.

We’ve also done Breezy Point on Pelican Lake but had more fun at GVL.

smitty1515

Avid runner here. Live in MN and I run 12 mo a year. My cut off is ~ -10 deg windchill to use a treadmill. I ran this morning at -5 deg windchill with the following gear. Safety - first of all you need lights if you run prior to dawn or after sundown. I wear a headlamp, wrist lights, and reflective ...

smitty1515

Good to read this because I also am a DR fan. I facilitate FPU at church however when it comes to investing I follow Bogleheads approach of using low cost mutual funds. I deviate from Bogleheads approach and take the Dave Ramsey 100% equity AA so I guess you could call me a true hybrid. I'm very pro...

smitty1515

51%

Method used is gross pay subtracting Federal, State, and FICA tax.

smitty1515

$3-4K per year.

smitty1515

Not true for all but here’s why I’m a proponent of paying cash for vehicles.

The simple reason is to prevent overspending. Of course financing at 0% on paper is the right move however how many thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars are consumers adding to their purchase by not paying cash?

smitty1515

The deduction is not for MN 529 only. Here’s info on the law.

http://www.dorvalchorne.com/blog/new-mi ... tributions

smitty1515

I think it is reasonable and should be cheap if you go to an INDEPENDENT agent to shop various companies for a good TERM insurance with a well-rated company for 20-30 years. It is possible but unlikely that your affiliated company is a good price. Check term4sale.com for a quick check on what is av...

smitty1515

I must be transparent that my wife and I sat down with a financial adviser. I did not go out looking for one but know someone at church who left a corporate job to enter into the industry for a faith based financial organization based out of the upper midwest. About a month ago he asked if we would ...

smitty1515

2011 Equinox owner here. Have 100k miles. Overall, very little issues other than routine items to be expected. My folks have a CRV and the interior and comfort of the Equinox is better. The CRV is better for driving and likely more reliable. I almost purchased a 2017 Equinox a few months ago because...

smitty1515

I did a pork butt today on my green egg. 275 for 8 hrs. Wrapped it at 160 and pulled at 200. Wrapped it in towels and put it in a cooler to soak the juices. Turned out awesome!

smitty1515

Considered one but was discouraged by the CVT. I guess I am old school. CVTs work fine in snowmobiles and ATVs but I still prefer gears in cars. Ended up with a Chevy Equinox in same price range. 2017 or 2018? We have a 2011 Equinox 2 LT approaching 100k miles. Almost traded it in and got a 17 a fe...

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