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A successful gift strategy I've used with my son(now 16) for years is to give him things that will encourage us to spend time together. For example, one year I got him camping gear for our yearly trips together, it really got him excited for our first trip that spring. Another year an RC truck(Traxx...

I'm in the same boat as you, I'm a telecommuter and put about 4k per year on my vehicle. My service manual recommends once per year or every 10k with synthetic, bumping that up to once every 6 months or 5k if you have frequent short trips. A fair amount of my trips are short, so I stick with their r...

Another vote for the OtterBox Defender, if available for your phone. I've had one of these on every iPhone I've owned for the last 8 years and never had so much as a scratch on them under the case. I've dropped or accidentally thrown my phones many times in these and wouldn't own a phone without one...

ETA: Looks like someone posted while I was writing this that is using the same setup, two votes for the easy way :happy My mailbox was installed with something similar to this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Simpson-Strong-Tie-12-Gauge-Black-Powder-Coated-E-Z-Spike-FPBS44/100655352. The one I have does...

First kid was about 6500, second kid was 6200 as they gave me a family discount. I shopped around some, and prices didn't vary all that much around here. Might be dependent on location. I will say that the orthodontist we chose has been wonderful and I'm glad I didn't shop by price alone. FWIW one w...

Have you considered adding a pellet stove if burning wood isn't an attractive option? It does require some work and delivery/storage/moving of pellets, but electricity usage to run it should be minimal. You can get a model with a thermostat that would allow you to regulate temperature pretty well. Y...

Medical expenses for me(hospital visit), two sets of braces(discount if paid in full up front) for my children.

I visit Burlington pretty frequently for work and the farmhouse(http://www.farmhousetg.com/) is a place that I always stop at. They have a great selection of beers on tap, and the food is good too, although a bit pricey. If you're looking for a great sandwich shop, check out Martones over in Essex.

I had to put a 4' cheater pipe on my lug wrench to loosen them after I had new tires installed. I'd avoid wherever you had the install done. 80 foot pounds is about average for max torque on lug nuts. This requires only about 9 inches of lug wrench for an average person. Putting lug nuts on with a ...

Severe over tightening of the lug nuts can cause this over time. Those lug nuts should be tightened to a manufacturer specified range of ft lbs. Many mechanics put an impact gun on them and crank the snot out of them. Sometimes this can be 1.5x, 2x or more of the requirements. I've seen professiona...

We already had Netflix and Amazon Prime channels, so with Sling we get most of what we want. Sling is a good interface, feels like a modern interpretation of the cable box. Sometimes the interface is a bit slow. They do their own ad insertion on some networks which can be annoying (playing the same...

The last couple years Mobil has been doing a rebate offer in the spring..$12 back for each of (max 2) 5 quart jugs. Basically 50% off. I use 0w-20 Mobil 1 in my Toyota 5.7L and will be looking for the rebate again this year.. This is exactly what I do, they've been pretty consistent the last few ye...

Max, 39

I'll be 39 next week, currently have: 416k in 401k(This would be much more, but I'm still recovering from a divorce) 13k in Roth 10k in HSA 63k in Taxable Savings each year: 18k in 401k plus ~10k employer match 5500 in Roth 6750 in HSA 2400 in 529s 17k in Taxable So total for me is about 50k plus my...

Started in 2015, currently have ~10k, all invested in FSTMX. This is the first year I've maxed it out, and it's all thanks to this forum where I learned what an amazing account it is. I'll continue to max it out every year unless unforeseen circumstances pop up, and I'll continue to save receipts an...

@masterakeph, good point about TouchID after washing hands or taking a shower. Current owners, what case and screen protector did you select? I usually don’t spring for the insurance, but those screen repair prices are scary. I've always used Otterbox Defender. Tough as nails. I have one on my iPho...

Just wanted to say loud and proud that I finally cut the cord from cable yesterday! I now only get internet from Spectrum and we have youtube TV (I had to have access to ESPN) for our channels along with hulu and netflix. It feels great to return all of the equipment to Spectrum. It was funny becau...

I just went through this same decision process with my old truck that I used for around the house chores. Still ran well, but was rusty and had some issues. I decided to take the loss and just donate it instead of dealing with the sale, might have cost me 1000-1500 to do so, but to me it wasn't wort...

3% - In emergency funds, in a savings account.

How about one of these?

https://www.amazon.com/Oatey-34044-Acce ... B005SRVJ0U

Not sure if this is approved for a garage ceiling since it isn't airtight, but I've used these in many places that I've updated plumbing so I can get back in if need be.

I've had a series 1 watch for about 15 months now and I've had no damage or issues with it. I wear it while chopping firewood, painting, working on cars etc, so it's certainly not babied. I did buy a bumper style case for it that I think really cuts down on how many things I knock it into. If/when i...

I have a Bosch 18v cordless hammerdrill that I bought along with an impact driver and can't say enough good things about it. I upgraded from a Milwaukee set that I also loved, but couldn't find batteries for a reasonable price anymore. The Bosch in my opinion just feels better in your hand and the b...

Another vote for Safelite, I've had them replace windshields both out of pocket and through my insurance in the past with great results and zero inconvenience. As far as replace vs repair, one thing to consider is that with an area that large, you may try a repair and then end up replacing down the ...

I bought a new Toyota Highlander last year that came with 2 years of free maintenance(upped to 3 because of some issues with the purchase process). Because of this, it's the first vehicle I've taken to the dealership for service. Working from home, my visits are time based instead of mileage, so my ...

Dottie57 wrote:
What a great 2 in 1 idea. Car and office. Thanks!

You're very welcome Dottie!

I work from home and need to stay connected when the power goes out. For short durations I don't bother getting my generator out. Instead I rely on a portable jump starter/power station which I already have for use when camping or jumping a car if noone else is home. To do this I have my cable modem...