Search found 101 matches
- Thu Nov 25, 2021 12:41 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Most Useful Purchases in Your 50s
- Replies: 142
- Views: 22794
Re: Most Useful Purchases in Your 50s
For me the most valuable thing was new devices and apps. This is a lesson learned from my mom’s experiences. She’s in her 80s now and the ONLY one if her friends who was able to download the tickets to the play they wanted to see which had No paper ticket option. She’s the only one comfortable with the maps feature and texting. This is because she wasn’t like them who insisted their flip phone was “ just fine” til it died and then it was just too hard to learn how to use a smart phone. She learned over years with each new device… a little at a time.
- Thu Nov 25, 2021 12:31 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Leaving Estate to Children in case of death: How do High Net Worth individuals do it?
- Replies: 33
- Views: 5952
Re: Leaving Estate to Children in case of death: How do High Net Worth individuals do it?
Our kids are grown now but we did the trust thing where they could get different amounts at different ages. One thing we felt was important was to set it up so that if this happened while the kids were younger, we’d leave a nice chunk of change ( about 15 percent of the 8 figure estate to the guardian who was my best friend since I was 10 and whom I talk to every day….every day…for decades. She and her husband ( the kindest person I’ve ever met) have one child and a small house. She agreed to adopt the kids if they wanted that and If something happened to us we wanted them to be able to immediately move to a bigger place. We also wanted certain things for our kids….summer camps etc… that she might not have been able to afford and that would...
- Mon Apr 12, 2021 10:06 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: High spenders what do you spend on?
- Replies: 257
- Views: 32868
Re: High spenders what do you spend on?
Do any high-spenders here utilize Netjets products? Particularly the jet card. Just out of curiosity... I'm not in the ballpark yet to be able to comfortably afford that type of product but it would be an intriguing idea if my NW ever hits somewhere around $5 million or so. I'd love to be able to skip the airport headaches, connections, horrible domestic business-class seats, and frustrating airline policies. 5 million isn’t nearly enough for that IMO. We are worth twice that but first class is what we consider appropriate. We spend most on 1) Vacation rental for 10 weeks in winter in warm climate. 6 weeks in summer in our city. Our suburban home is relatively modest ( under 500k but is comfy and we like it) 2) Food. Expensive restaurants....
- Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:57 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: High spenders what do you spend on?
- Replies: 257
- Views: 32868
Re: High spenders what do you spend on?
Do any high-spenders here utilize Netjets products? Particularly the jet card. Just out of curiosity... I'm not in the ballpark yet to be able to comfortably afford that type of product but it would be an intriguing idea if my NW ever hits somewhere around $5 million or so. I'd love to be able to skip the airport headaches, connections, horrible domestic business-class seats, and frustrating airline policies. 5 million isn’t nearly enough for that IMO. We are worth twice that but first class is what we consider appropriate. We spend most on 1) Vacation rental for 10 weeks in winter in warm climate. 6 weeks in summer in our city. Our suburban home is relatively modest ( under 500k but is comfy and we like it) 2) Food. Expensive restaurants....
- Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:28 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?
- Replies: 461
- Views: 69269
Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?
Six weeks in Palm Desert this year. We avoided the worst of the Midwest winter while working remotely. We literally got off the plane ( which wasn’t exactly a fun experience....double masked...no eating or drinking....) and said “ why have we never done this before.” Daily walks, sitting at the pool at the house...beautiful meals out of doors ( after a two week- very pleasant when you have a backyard oasis - self quarantine.
- Sat Oct 20, 2018 1:14 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Where would you go for financial guidance if you win the Megamillions?
- Replies: 187
- Views: 21986
Re: Where would you go for financial guidance if you win the Megamillions?
“This whole idea that one has to be anonymous and disappear like a mob informant in an era when people with enormous wealth are everywhere is rather amusing. “
So true. When I inherited millions the advice here and other places was “Don’t tell anyone” but we were previously always the “poor” ones here with only 2 million. I know so so many people with lots of money. At work many of my bosses are worth 8- 30 million. No one wold think twice or have any overwhelming interest in me catching up on the low end with them. Many people in my town are worth much much more than us.
So true. When I inherited millions the advice here and other places was “Don’t tell anyone” but we were previously always the “poor” ones here with only 2 million. I know so so many people with lots of money. At work many of my bosses are worth 8- 30 million. No one wold think twice or have any overwhelming interest in me catching up on the low end with them. Many people in my town are worth much much more than us.
- Wed Oct 17, 2018 7:44 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Where would you go for financial guidance if you win the Megamillions?
- Replies: 187
- Views: 21986
Re: Where would you go for financial guidance if you win the Megamillions?
I'm an attorney with a commercial law firm and one of my partners regularly represents lottery winners. He sets up the trusts and estates and other things and then directs them to a handful of financial planners who he gets no referrals or incentives from because he feels that is importan and who do so on a straight fee. No money management.
But his first piece of advice to them is always the same: Winning a large amount of money in the lottery causes a lot of problems and headaches. Do not tell anyone who has not won a large amount of money in the lottery that winning the lottery causes a lot of problems and headaches.
But his first piece of advice to them is always the same: Winning a large amount of money in the lottery causes a lot of problems and headaches. Do not tell anyone who has not won a large amount of money in the lottery that winning the lottery causes a lot of problems and headaches.
- Wed Oct 17, 2018 1:35 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Best way to complain about Hertz bait-and-switch?
- Replies: 58
- Views: 12130
Re: Best way to complain about Hertz bait-and-switch?
Twitter is one of the best ways to reach a company with a complaint. I find I get responses most of the time. Probabky 80 percent. It works best though if you have a number of followers. If you don't but you have a an teen/ adult kid who does that can work too. If not I'd try it yourself
- Sun Sep 02, 2018 8:44 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: How's our family portfolio and am I crazy for considering a huge pay cut?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 1931
Re: How's our family portfolio and am I crazy for considering a huge pay cut?
Your wife knows that she can get a job that will onky require work during school hours, not require work on school holidays ( ones that most jobs don’t have off...Columbus Day etc..) and other days where no school Spring break. Winter break All summer??? How about when a kid is sick?BR_Preston wrote: ↑Sun Sep 02, 2018 10:50 amChild care will be $0 as wife will go back to work when youngest starts kindergarten in a few years. Both kids will be in public schools so cost there will be $0 also.PFInterest wrote: ↑Sun Sep 02, 2018 9:38 am how much will child care be?
i would pay back family asap but thats me.
can you go part time where you are instead?
- Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:53 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Did you celebrate when you finally hit $1m?
- Replies: 282
- Views: 40126
Re: Did you celebrate when you finally hit $1m?
Comments like this make me realize what a bubble we live in. Most of our relatives, many co-workers and close friends have net worth similiar to or greater than us and we have passed the million mark many times over. It comes up from time to time and there’s no issue with it because so many we know are in the same boat. But we sometimes lose sight of how unusual it is generally.Camarillo Brillo wrote: ↑Thu Aug 23, 2018 1:59 pm
As an aside, we have never mentioned our net worth to anyone we know, since nothing positive could come from that.
- Thu Aug 23, 2018 8:44 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Varying college costs across kids in the same family
- Replies: 92
- Views: 6534
Re: Varying college costs across kids in the same family
We are in this situation and we had no desire to incentivize our kids to spend less than exactly what they wanted for the school that they wanted. For us, who are fortunate enough to have plenty, education was the number one thing we wanted to spend money on, after our retirement. We economized and lived below our means for almost all of their childhoods for this purpose and saved and saved in the 529. One kid went to an elite private and the other had no desire for that given her major ( nursing) and spent less at a state school.
- Wed Jun 13, 2018 11:55 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: How do you celebrate (potty trained kid) milestone with your spouse?
- Replies: 93
- Views: 7535
Re: How do you celebrate (potty trained kid) milestone with your spouse?
Celebrate? Since Daughter potty trained the week before we went to Disney my reaction was OMG...NO! I knew I'd have to hussle her to a bathroom any time she had to go. Our first day there I made her wear a pull up " just in case." A,d when I was standing with her in a long long women's bathroom line I was like " it's ok honey you can just use the pull up" And my kid looked at me like I was insane and said "What? No way!"
- Sun Jun 10, 2018 2:37 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Gift to Son and Effect on Gift Tax
- Replies: 35
- Views: 4014
Re: Gift to Son and Effect on Gift Tax
No need to fill anything really. Just give his fiancé the car and pay off the loans.
- Wed Jan 24, 2018 10:29 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Still using a 5 year old iphone 5. Who's with me? No new phones!!!
- Replies: 151
- Views: 15205
Re: Still using a 5 year old iphone 5. Who's with me? No new phones!!!
Lol. If it were up to me I’d probably still be using my iPhone 4 ( first smart phone). But I don’t pay for my phone. My employer does and we are onky allowed to have Apple and given new one every 2 years.
- Tue Jan 23, 2018 10:52 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Working in the real world
- Replies: 118
- Views: 13208
Re: Working in the real world
Some of us just get lucky. I've worked part time about 20 hours a week for years and make over $ 100,000. I'm a lawyer and very few lawyers can make part time work, work, but I was in the right time and place. Before I had kids I became a good writer/ researcher. Now all I do is appellate work which has long deadlines....little interaction with clients ( so few emergency demands) ....easy to manage work load. There's little corporate bs because the deadlines and evaluations are set by a third party( a court) so no office politics or bogus projects that get pulled on a whim like I see my friends who work for corporations facing. This was luck pure and simple. I went to law school because I didn't know what else to do. I did appellate work be...
- Mon Jan 22, 2018 3:11 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Discussing a 529 with your kids
- Replies: 79
- Views: 7463
Re: Discussing a 529 with your kids
My nephew attended an Ivy at full pay much to the disdain of my FIL who didn't know why he couldn't have gone to a lower tier school with merit. He would bug the kid who was a English major with "An Ivy only matters if you want to go into investment banking. I assume an English major doesn't want to go into investment banking."
Well my nephew didn't want to be an investment banker. But he did want to do another profession where apparently an Ivy League degree is a job requirement: Television comedy writer. He's worked on three shows and every one of his co-workers attended an Ivy League School.
My FIl's "joke" now is 'Ok I guess you have to attend Yale to be a comedy writer, who knew?"
Well my nephew didn't want to be an investment banker. But he did want to do another profession where apparently an Ivy League degree is a job requirement: Television comedy writer. He's worked on three shows and every one of his co-workers attended an Ivy League School.
My FIl's "joke" now is 'Ok I guess you have to attend Yale to be a comedy writer, who knew?"
- Sun Jan 21, 2018 8:16 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Discussing a 529 with your kids
- Replies: 79
- Views: 7463
Re: Discussing a 529 with your kids
We saved our money ( relatively high salaries) and lbym for 2 reasons:
1) retirement
2) education
When our kids were in high school we told them they could go to whatever college they wanted. No loans necessary. And my daughter said “Oh so that’s why we almost never go on vacation and our house is smaller than all my friends’ houses.”
Yep.
Oh and I have an engineer and a nurse by their strong desire so no issue with practical majors.
1) retirement
2) education
When our kids were in high school we told them they could go to whatever college they wanted. No loans necessary. And my daughter said “Oh so that’s why we almost never go on vacation and our house is smaller than all my friends’ houses.”
Yep.
Oh and I have an engineer and a nurse by their strong desire so no issue with practical majors.
- Fri Jan 19, 2018 10:39 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Have you or anyone you know actually used umbrella coverage?
- Replies: 34
- Views: 5182
Re: Have you or anyone you know actually used umbrella coverage?
Well I’m an attorney who does a fair amount of policyholder work. Most of my work involves business policies. But my firm also represents a lot of medium sized entrepreneurial businesses and when one of the individuals has a personal claim involving their umnrella policy I’m brought on board to make sure the insurer lives up to its obligations. Obviously it doesn’t come up a great deal...probaky see it 3-4 times a year but when it does my clients sure are happy to have umbrella coverage.
- Thu Jan 11, 2018 5:44 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: A half year at full pay or a full year at half pay?
- Replies: 49
- Views: 6079
Re: A half year off at full pay or a full year off at half pay?
Have you really thought about the effect a change of schools would have on your kids? And then the fact that they’d come back and have to start over once again? No school is good enough for doing that to my kid to be an incentive. Of course some children face school changes becuae of their parents jobs. But that’s a bug not a feature for most children. Only very resilient kids with personalities that give them social ease thrive under those circumstances though many can certainly endure it ok.
- Wed Jan 03, 2018 11:59 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Recommend me a backpack for business use
- Replies: 21
- Views: 3027
Re: Recommend me a backpack for business use
A lot of our clients are in branding / marketing businesses and the Tumi backpack would be one of the few ( other than high fashion lines) that we’d feel comfortable carrying in to a client meeting.
- Mon Jan 01, 2018 8:36 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Keeping a checkbook register
- Replies: 135
- Views: 15214
Re: Keeping a checkbook register
Don’t keep a checkbook. I pay my bills on the day they come in via online bill paying ( not auto pay). I write 2 checks a year for real estate tax. EVERYTHING else is via electronic payment or I make a check request online from Chase. The money is withdrawn from my account immediately and a check sent to the few people who need paper checks: gutter cleaner, plow guy. If for any reason a check isn’t cashed in 90 Days Chase voids the check amd puts it back in my account.
I keep no spreadsheets. 99 percent of our expenses are via credit card and it’s all tracked via category there. That’s enough for me.
I keep no spreadsheets. 99 percent of our expenses are via credit card and it’s all tracked via category there. That’s enough for me.
- Mon Jan 01, 2018 2:03 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Are you generous? If so, why?
- Replies: 7
- Views: 1542
Re: Are you generous? If so, why?
I used to consider myself a fair tipper ( 20%) and someone who gave an adequate amount to charity (about 10k per year on a 180k family income)
Then I received an unexpected windfall inheritance from my aunt who was a notoriously bad tipper and never gave a thing to charity. I now feel like I need to be more generous because I was so fortunate. I tip around 25-30% and have double-tripled our charitable donations.
Then I received an unexpected windfall inheritance from my aunt who was a notoriously bad tipper and never gave a thing to charity. I now feel like I need to be more generous because I was so fortunate. I tip around 25-30% and have double-tripled our charitable donations.
- Mon Jan 01, 2018 8:21 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Long Term House—Any Regrets on things you didn’t do?
- Replies: 48
- Views: 8216
Re: Long Term House—Any Regrets on things you didn’t do?
Things we added that I realized were a "must have" after living here:
1) Big Mudroom with bench and lots of storage. Direct entry from garage.
2) Don't have room for a 3 car garage but a parking pad next to the driveway has been a huge plus
3) Remodel of kitchen with mostly deep drawers
Biggest thing we like about our house: non -open floor plan. Yeah I know most people love these but I don't want my guests sitting in the den or living room with a Birdseye view of my dirty pots and pans when I entertain. We liked that someone could watch tv in the den without everyone on the first fooor hearing it unlike at a lot of our friends open floor plan houses.
1) Big Mudroom with bench and lots of storage. Direct entry from garage.
2) Don't have room for a 3 car garage but a parking pad next to the driveway has been a huge plus
3) Remodel of kitchen with mostly deep drawers
Biggest thing we like about our house: non -open floor plan. Yeah I know most people love these but I don't want my guests sitting in the den or living room with a Birdseye view of my dirty pots and pans when I entertain. We liked that someone could watch tv in the den without everyone on the first fooor hearing it unlike at a lot of our friends open floor plan houses.
- Mon Jan 01, 2018 12:30 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Checked bag to HI, worth cost and trouble?
- Replies: 36
- Views: 3553
Re: Checked bag to HI, worth cost and trouble?
pay the $ for luggage, otherwise you'll just waste time at wallyworld trying on clothes and buying shampoo. +1 I would never travel (which I despise in the first place) anywhere.....and I mean anywhere...for >5 days without enough "STUFF". DW says "just wash a few clothes in the sink it the bathroom at night"......ain't noway that's gonna happen...never. If DW's gonna drag my sorry ash on some extended trip to some gosh foresaken place............I gonna bring my "STUFF".........and plenty of it :sharebeer Pay the $75.00..... :beer +1. Except substitute DH. He’s the one who likes to travel. Of course I’ll only go business/ first so don’t have to pay fir the bag. Lol. If I’m gonna leave home it better be a grea...
- Sun Dec 31, 2017 10:40 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]
- Replies: 5973
- Views: 689709
Re: Netflix, Your Current Favorite Show
I think I'm the last person on earth that cannot get into all these TV shows. Netflix used to be movies, but its getting harder and harder to find actual movies. Just more and more TV shows. I cannot watch these because there is no closure. I tried breaking bad and walking dead at the recommendation of friends but couldn't get through a single season. I hate watching a movie 10 minutes at a time and taking a few weeks to watch a single movie. I did try Black Mirror recently and liked the fact that every episode is a new movie. I feel the exact opposite. For me the long-form storytelling of current television, with its ability to engage in character development few movies, if any, really can, is one of the most fascinating things to happen ...
- Wed Dec 20, 2017 8:18 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Any last minute shopping ideas for a spouse?
- Replies: 22
- Views: 2963
Re: Any last minute shopping ideas for a spouse?
I would be careful about the Vera Bradley. I bought it for years, but the last year or so they changed the straps and interfacing. The interfacing at least in the products I bought (and returned) is now a hard plastic and in more places that the old interfacing. So it makes the straps uncomfortable, the small pockets difficult to get stuff into. It also deforms permanently in the strap according to numerous reviews. They added a different type of strap as well, but it is kind of a thick grosgrain and doesn't go with the bags the way the old one of the same bag fabric used to. This is disappointing, and I was about to post asking if people had found substitutes. I am not a fan of their wilder patterns, but the washable comfy quilted bags we...
- Tue Dec 19, 2017 7:12 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: opinions requested on student college decision / financial related
- Replies: 87
- Views: 7223
Re: opinions requested on student college decision / financial related
[Disclaimer: I attended private colleges as a scholarship student, but I am employed (not as a nursing instructor) at a state school with a great nursing program. ] $0.02: First, congratulations to your daughter. This is a good problem to be having, and one that's the result in part of her hard work. She should be proud! And she's not going to be in debt, no matter what, so she'll be launched well. Second, a couple of things you might want to consider: how set is she on nursing as a career? What might catch her eye during her general education studies? What if she changes her mind because she falls in love with economics, or biology? Which college gives her more flexibility? If she attends the state school, will she be admitted into the nu...
- Tue Dec 19, 2017 11:21 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: opinions requested on student college decision / financial related
- Replies: 87
- Views: 7223
Re: opinions requested on student college decision / financial related
“HOWEVER, why aspire to become RN or PA unless the person believes that one is not capable of being a P herself? And if so, why the lack of confidence? It makes no sense to have that as a career path IF THE PERSON HAS THE TALENTS (being top of the school proves that) and THE PARENTS HAVE THE MONEY TO AFFORD MEDICAL SCHOOL. The people who follow nursing and aspire to become RN/PA do not have the luxury of either. “ False. My daughter is at one of the top schools in this country and we have plenty to pay for medical school. That’s not what she wants. Have you or your spouse had a baby and interacted with the nurse? Did it not occur to you that the nurse might not want to be the doctor that comes in for the short time of delivery but rather ac...
- Tue Dec 19, 2017 9:05 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: opinions requested on student college decision / financial related
- Replies: 87
- Views: 7223
Re: opinions requested on student college decision / financial related
Is the state school direct admit to nursing? If not and the privates are, I'd do the privates. And vice versa.
What are the clinicials like? If one of the schools requires significant travel for clinical I'd avoid them.
As for the poster who asked about why not a doctor, those professions are often entirely different. Many nursing jobs require entirely different skills than being a physician. As the mother of a future nurse ( full pay OOS top public) who desires the hands on patient care and advocacy that is a huge part of many areas of nursing, I have to say that you should learn more about what nurses do.
What are the clinicials like? If one of the schools requires significant travel for clinical I'd avoid them.
As for the poster who asked about why not a doctor, those professions are often entirely different. Many nursing jobs require entirely different skills than being a physician. As the mother of a future nurse ( full pay OOS top public) who desires the hands on patient care and advocacy that is a huge part of many areas of nursing, I have to say that you should learn more about what nurses do.
- Sun Dec 17, 2017 9:02 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Buying a new sofa with two young kids?
- Replies: 36
- Views: 5007
Re: Buying a new sofa with two young kids?
We bought a leather couch when my daughter was a baby. It survived everything. We had a no eating outside the kitchen rule but like someone said, kids get sick, non food stuff gets spilled ( glitter from inside a card, paint rubbed off an art project that appeared dry). The leather has stood up to it all. But it was ALOT more than 500-700 bucks. And that was 23 years ago.
- Sat Dec 16, 2017 8:50 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Save all this money, what do you splurge on?
- Replies: 193
- Views: 24200
Re: Save all this money, what do you splurge on?
Vow, where do these non-bogleheads and non-frugal people come from? To me a boglehead is someone who understands the need to start saving early in life, uses a 3 fund strategy and lives below their means. Those who have done so and accumulated wealth can certainly splurge on a few items from time to time. For us it's traveling first class. We still live below our means in a house worth < $500k on net worth of > 7 M. And the vacation is once a year or less. Also, we buy nice quality every day things, the "expensive " paper towels and toilet paper and tissues and garbage bags ( one bad experience with a ripped bag changed DH's habits) . When my crazy frugal brother in law and his wife visited she said the second morning they were h...
- Wed Dec 06, 2017 2:06 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Do people still use AAA?
- Replies: 306
- Views: 36748
Re: Do people still use AAA?
We stay at a hotel when we visit our daughter that gives a $50 night discount for AAA ( most hotels it only $10 or less). That itself covers the cost so it's a no brainer. We enjoy the magazine to and have used the service a few times which was very good.
- Tue Dec 05, 2017 12:38 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Lowering My Grocery Bill
- Replies: 110
- Views: 10713
Re: Lowering My Grocery Bill
Well if it makes you feel any better my bill is higher than your for 2 people about $575/month . That does not include eating out once a week.
But this is because we don’t care at all what we spend on food. That’s what we have money for . We buy whatever we want. Shop mostly at the local big chain, occasionally at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. Never shop sales or look at prices
So if we are here not doing anything to save money, you could probably pinch a little. We do buy mostly fish ( it’s very cheap at the local chain) and eat a lot of things like sweet potatoes and squash. We don’t drink at all at home ( just not into it).
Maybe you should keep receipts for a month and look at what your big expenses are.
But this is because we don’t care at all what we spend on food. That’s what we have money for . We buy whatever we want. Shop mostly at the local big chain, occasionally at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. Never shop sales or look at prices
So if we are here not doing anything to save money, you could probably pinch a little. We do buy mostly fish ( it’s very cheap at the local chain) and eat a lot of things like sweet potatoes and squash. We don’t drink at all at home ( just not into it).
Maybe you should keep receipts for a month and look at what your big expenses are.
- Fri Dec 01, 2017 5:29 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Price of haircut?
- Replies: 194
- Views: 19529
Re: Price of haircut?
All these posts remind me of when a few years ago, my partners( I'm an attorney) were doing a big case and we had a mock jury hired by our jury consultants. One of my partners was a good looking guy who looks like Jason Bateman, same great hair and he dressed beautifully and has expensive salon haircuts. The other guy who was an engineer before going to law school was pretty much the polar opposite. So we are observing the jury deliberate ( there's 2 way mirrors ) and they get into this long tangent argument about whether "the guy who does not look like Jason Bateman" is wearing " a bad hair piece" or " is just the kind of cheap schmuck who cuts his own hair". It was cringe inducing to stand next to him while w...
- Fri Dec 01, 2017 3:58 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: The College Bubble - investment opportunities after the collapse?
- Replies: 114
- Views: 12027
Re: The College Bubble - investment opportunities after the collapse?
I don’t see it. I have had two kids study things that they simply could not have on line because they engaged in hands on learning: electrical engineering and nursing. Moreover both were at top universities where they had the opportunity to make connections and engage in extra-circulars that enhanced their skill sets in the work force. And My nephew who was at a very non -elite university had the opportunity to work on a college newspaper while studying History. That ended up with him having experience and a connection ( his editor on the paper) that now has him employed by a major network sports division. These opportunities are wholly unavailable outside the traditional college environment. Many people are looking for more than pure educa...
- Thu Nov 30, 2017 10:31 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Price of haircut?
- Replies: 194
- Views: 19529
Re: Price of haircut?
$80 plus $20 tip. I’m a woman and only get it cut every 3-4 months. Bang Trims in between are free.
- Thu Nov 30, 2017 5:47 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: How Do You Stay Current With Music?
- Replies: 111
- Views: 8779
Re: How Do You Stay Current With Popular Music?
Current pop is inane, repetitive, derivative. Isn't that what every older generation says about the current music? Yes, but it's different this time :mrgreen: . Seriously, watch the video. Here are the top 10 songs this week. Contrary to the claim in that video that it’s very hard to find pop music is written not written by either Dr Luke or Max Martin exactly zero of these songs were. Thunder. Imagine Dragons. Havana (feat. Young Thug) Camila Cabello. ... Perfect. Ed Sheeran. Feel It Still. Portugal. The Man. ... Wolves. Selena Gomez & Marshmello. ... Échame La Culpa. Luis Fonsi & Demi Lovato. ... What Lovers Do (feat. SZA) ... Home. Machine Gun Kelly, X Ambassadors & Bebe Rexha And those writers were nowhere near this summers...
- Thu Nov 30, 2017 4:42 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: housing for in-laws
- Replies: 48
- Views: 5233
Re: housing for in-laws
I can't even stand to have houseguests for a night because I need my space so I'm very sympathetic to your feelings. Any arena near you with coach houses on the property? That would obviously be the best solution.others?
Build one of those tiny homes on the property of a new home?
Look for a ranch home with a split bedroom configuration and do a microwave/ fridge eating/ living area for them on their side ?
At the very least move to a home with a non-open floor plan. I hAte open floor plans.
Build one of those tiny homes on the property of a new home?
Look for a ranch home with a split bedroom configuration and do a microwave/ fridge eating/ living area for them on their side ?
At the very least move to a home with a non-open floor plan. I hAte open floor plans.
- Thu Nov 30, 2017 2:51 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: How Do You Stay Current With Music?
- Replies: 111
- Views: 8779
Re: How Do You Stay Current With Popular Music?
Current pop is inane, repetitive, derivative. Isn't that what every older generation says about the current music? Yes, but it's different this time :mrgreen: . Seriously, watch the video. Here are the top 10 songs this week. Contrary to the claim in that video that it’s very hard to find pop music is written not written by either Dr Luke or Max Martin exactly zero of these songs were. Thunder. Imagine Dragons. Havana (feat. Young Thug) Camila Cabello. ... Perfect. Ed Sheeran. Feel It Still. Portugal. The Man. ... Wolves. Selena Gomez & Marshmello. ... Échame La Culpa. Luis Fonsi & Demi Lovato. ... What Lovers Do (feat. SZA) ... Home. Machine Gun Kelly, X Ambassadors & Bebe Rexha And those writers were nowhere near this summers...
- Thu Nov 30, 2017 2:31 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: How Do You Stay Current With Music?
- Replies: 111
- Views: 8779
Re: How Do You Stay Current With Popular Music?
1. My kids. They got me into Imagine Dragons who I really love
2. Radio
3. The React channel on you tube. . Especially it’s “ Do Parents know modern Music?” ( they also have Do Parents Know Modern Slang?” That’s a really fun way to keep up)
2. Radio
3. The React channel on you tube. . Especially it’s “ Do Parents know modern Music?” ( they also have Do Parents Know Modern Slang?” That’s a really fun way to keep up)
- Tue Nov 28, 2017 7:34 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Luggage Update for Travel
- Replies: 73
- Views: 8052
Re: Luggage Update for Travel
I'm not a light packer. Don't want to be. Have never had a problem with checking luggage in many years of regular business travel. Also have never ever spent one minute doing laundry on vacation.
- Tue Nov 28, 2017 6:44 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Paying for news?
- Replies: 60
- Views: 5941
Re: Paying for news?
I know I'm an outlier but I pay for my news. I am. A voracious reader of news and subscribe to the WSJ, Washington Post, LA Times, and Ny Times. I feel each is a purchase well worth the price. The one newspaper I would subscribe to if reasonably priced but feel is just vastly overpriced is The Boston Globe.
- Sun Nov 26, 2017 3:08 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Help my kids pick a charitable cause
- Replies: 19
- Views: 1296
Re: Help my kids pick a charitable cause
No offense, but is it really teaching them to be generous if they are giving away your money? That said, I treat our kids as an advisory board for our Donor Advised Fund. They help choose the charities, set the spending policy, and keep an eye on the investments. I think it has been more helpful to teach them about investing than the charitable aspect, mostly because it isn't their money. +1 My kids enjoyed the advisory board status. We also allowed them to pick someone to be honored by the gift. A teacher, a coach etc... they liked that. I have to say that making someone spend a day doing some charitable act can often make one not feel very charitable. It's not " volunteering " if it's forced. I found the best hands on-ish activ...
- Sun Nov 26, 2017 1:55 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: The fallacy of spending money on "experiences" vs hard assets
- Replies: 336
- Views: 28615
Re: The fallacy of spending money on "experiences" vs hard assets
Imo, Good misconception on the original post. Try spending 3 weeks in italy or spain or thailand and see how your perspective of life changes. Your vacation or experience spending never returns a negative yeild, whereas some of your hard assets like stocks, real estate can crash and be pennies on the dollar invested. Wow. That assumes the experience itself was not so miserable that you wished you had never gone. Spending three weeks in prison I am sure would change my perspective in life as well. But I am not going to do it if I have a choice. Once I was too old to be drafted the chances that I would ever spend three weeks away from home went to zero. A trip like that would have such a hugely negative yield that there is no way I would eve...
- Sat Nov 25, 2017 10:19 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Furniture
- Replies: 22
- Views: 3409
Re: Furniture
I have wanted a high priced sofa after I spent some time at my best friends parents house. Their house is very small but her dad has excellent taste and a great " eye" ( he was a creative director at an ad agency). Everything they have is beautiful and practical. The first time I sat on their couch it was an almost out of body experience. Never ever have I sat on something so comfortable ( and beautiful) before or since. We saved for years and years to get one like it ( Roche Bobois). Until then had a very inexpensive one that was perfectly fine. Every day we are thrilled with our sofa ( it's been years) even though the price still seems crazy to other people. We've never regretted the purchase. I have a side table from target tha...
- Sat Nov 25, 2017 12:54 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Should I keep the new iPad I bought or return it?
- Replies: 51
- Views: 5956
Re: Should I keep the new iPad I bought or return it?
My philosophy on returns is, the sooner the better. You wait around delaying your decision, and then you commit in your mind to returning it and can't find the receipt. Although stores nowadays are pretty good on returns, I always feel better if the device looks as if it hasn't been used much. Sometimes there are fine-print rules about restocking charges, and store credits versus refunds, and so forth. Target, where the OP purchased is really great about returns. You don’t even need a receipt if you paid with a CC. They can use your cc to look up the receipt instantly. If you used a Target cc which gives you an instant 5 percent off ( no fuss no muss) you have an extended time to return even electronics. Look up their policy though so you ...
- Sat Nov 25, 2017 11:35 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: The fallacy of spending money on "experiences" vs hard assets
- Replies: 336
- Views: 28615
Re: The fallacy of spending money on "experiences" vs hard assets
I think the OP is correct that there has been an upsurge in the last 5 years or so of media which lauds experiences over things. A search of the nexis data base that I have access to confirms this. As the OP said much of this is based on travel " experiences". There is a failure in these articles to recognize that there is likely a decided minority of people who dislike travel and for whom other " experiences " don't give them much long lasting pleasure. I am more of a "things " person. My Parents were all about experiences, we traveled a lot and they couldn't understand why I disliked it so much. Some of it may be related to being a homebody. When I'm away I have a constant low level thought about how much I c...
- Sat Nov 25, 2017 11:05 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Should I keep the new iPad I bought or return it?
- Replies: 51
- Views: 5956
Re: Should I keep the new iPad I bought or return it?
I literally use my iPad every day for hours. As to why one needs it AND a laptop ... well I don't want to lie in bed and read a book with my laptop or read the newspaper on it while I'm sipping coffee At the table Or as I'm doing now surfing the web on the couch. I want something I can hold in my hand that's about the size of a paper equivalent. I find a phone too small to really enjoy reading or watching on. I love my iPad. Love love love.
- Wed Nov 22, 2017 7:48 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Christmas gifts for lots of kids (experiences or stock)?
- Replies: 36
- Views: 3938
Re: Christmas gifts for lots of kids (experiences or stock)?
Kids like stuff! My gifting strategy for both kids and adults is to buy them something somewhat expensive for what the item is that is high quality. My neices have loved their Magna -tiles and Melissa and Doug Wooden Foods play sets. These are both high priced fir the type of item you are getting but these tend to be used for years. My kids got them when they were young and used them for years and years. For adults these gifts have included : thermapens, tumi travel kits, Shhhhhower brand shhhhower caps. As my cousin who has plenty of money said. "I'd never buy myself that expensive a shower cap, but I have to tell you esch time I use it I'm so happy to have it. " That's what I try to do. Get people things they like but would hesi...
- Wed Nov 22, 2017 7:28 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Making collegebound Kid Financially Savvy Questions..
- Replies: 54
- Views: 5250
Re: Making collegebound Kid Financially Savvy Questions..
I found the best way to make my kids financially savvy was to talk a lot about what we did. We got them both credit cards ( our account, they were authorized user) in high school. They were responsible for paying the bills and we taught them that not paying in full isnt even an option. We also set then up with daily text messages with account balances. It's a daily reminder of what you are spending. Our kids worked very little in college. A part time job? Not for my double engineering major kid who graduated in 4 years with excellent grades and now makes 6 figures right out of college ( consulting not engineering). She's completely financially independent. Saving a good deal in 401k and other accounts. She only had one summer where she coul...