Search found 661 matches

by brianH
Sat Feb 12, 2022 9:02 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Multiple Remote gigs
Replies: 64
Views: 5803

Re: Multiple Remote gigs

I have never had a job explicitly mention in the contract that you can't work another job. That's interesting, because almost all of mine have mentioned that. Usually it takes the form of all other, 'outside' employment must be cleared through HR prior to doing it. I've never tried, but I'm sure doing some part-time work on the weekend that isn't 'professional' in nature would be fine, but anything remotely similar to or in a similar industry as the day job would not be approved. I've broken this rule before at previous jobs for some 1099 consulting work, but I was very regimented in only working outside what would be considered the normal work week. I wouldn't feel right crossing over into simultaneous jobs. If you're going to do that, ju...
by brianH
Sat Feb 05, 2022 11:57 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Amazon Prime membership increase to $139
Replies: 274
Views: 26840

Re: Amazon Prime membership increase to $139

I'm never thrilled about price increases, but as others said, this saves me something more valuable: time.

I don't like having to worry about collecting items to hit a free shipping threshold. When I need something, I click buy and it shows up 1-2 days later. Their prices are usually the same as retailers, especially for electronics.

I'm impressed with their shipping system. Their vans are faster and more reliable than the horrible USPS. Honestly, buying online elsewhere and dealing with UPS, FEDEX, or USPS is a noticable downgrade.
by brianH
Mon Jan 31, 2022 8:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Surviving Power Outage During Blizzard
Replies: 274
Views: 21276

Re: Surviving Power Outage During Blizzard

We have a vented propane fireplace with blower and remote start with battery back-up that will heat 750+ square feet easily. But as another poster mentioned, you need a power source (ours is electric) to run the blower. Without the blower, the heat output is diminished. I have a similar direct vent propane fireplace, and my emergency plan is to use portable, battery powered fans/leaf blower/reversed vacuum to blow the air through. You can usually open up the front screen and direct a fan at the bottom gap (where the controls are), and it will circulate out the top like the blower fan would. I have a bunch of Milwaukee M18 batteries to hack this for some time. I'll have plenty of time to 'tend' the fire blowing, as I'm stuck in the room wit...
by brianH
Sun Jan 23, 2022 11:53 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Ceiling fans
Replies: 35
Views: 3324

Re: Ceiling fans

I have a ceiling fan in the kitchen, and I find it quite useful at times. Using the oven on a hot day or just to keep air moving if you're bustling around cooking/cleaning.

Definitely fans in all bedrooms. I like sleeping with a breeze, and all the kids are the same. It lets you keep the AC a few degrees cooler, and reversing the rotation in the Winter does help somewhat with circulating the heat.
by brianH
Wed Jan 19, 2022 8:28 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Cleaning shingles (moss & mildew)
Replies: 37
Views: 4913

Re: Cleaning shingles (moss & mildew)

GAF (major shingle manufacturer) recommends bleach or copper sulfate in a low-powered sprayer: https://www.gaf.com/en-us/for-homeowner ... -your-roof

I use a hose-end sprayer with bleach for my roof and vinyl siding on the North side. Works great, low effort.
by brianH
Fri Jan 07, 2022 4:57 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Amazon's No Return Return Policy
Replies: 39
Views: 5820

Re: Amazon's No Return Return Policy

In the past, whatever was sold by Amazon directly and shipped from them was able to be returned. Now. 3rd party vendors, sold by other than Amazon and not shipped by Amazon have their own "non return" return policies. and Customers should double check what is bought directly from Amazon, but supplied by a vendor, even if it is "Prime", for the specific return policy. Very true. I refuse to buy anything on Amazon that isn't sold/shipped by Amazon themselves, unless it's something I don't really care about and low dollar value or it's listed by the actual manufacturer themselves. I suspect most of the complaints about counterfeit items and bad experiences are with these 3rd party sellers that people didn't notice before t...
by brianH
Thu Jan 06, 2022 8:10 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Sticker Shock: Replace HVAC Evaporator Coil
Replies: 16
Views: 2125

Re: Sticker Shock: Replace HVAC Evaporator Coil

Unfortunately, this is a good example of why parts-only warranties for HVAC equipment aren't worth much. The labor can easily run double or triple what the part costs (even what the marked-up cost is). Many HVAC companies use other tricks like considering the cost of refrigerant to be 'labor'. You'd think a company would want to stand behind their install (assuming this is the same company), but no, they're going to milk you for a large profit even on faulty gear. I would call the HVAC manufacturer and see if they can make some recommendations on who can do the repair, perhaps cheaper than who you're dealing with. It's worth asking them if they think the repair quote is fair; many manufacturers like Mitsubishi have 'preferred/diamond' progr...
by brianH
Thu Jan 06, 2022 10:28 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Amazon's No Return Return Policy
Replies: 39
Views: 5820

Re: Amazon's No Return Return Policy

The magic number with Amazon seems to be around $20. If the item is less than that amount, it is often auto-approved and no shipment back is necessary. I'm sure there's much more to it than that, however. Amazon's system (and if you actually talk to support) know exactly how much you order and your return patterns and $ amounts. I'm sure they have constantly evolving algorithms that figure all this out and look for abuse or fraud.

It makes sense for everyone involved to just issue a refund for low cost items. I have no doubt that if you go over some arbitrary threshold that gets flagged as abuse, it won't be so easy.
by brianH
Fri Dec 31, 2021 9:42 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Sugar Substitutes
Replies: 28
Views: 2701

Re: Sugar Substitutes

There's definitely a personal taste aspect to artificial sweeteners/substitutes. I personally like sucralose (aka Splenda, yellow pouch) the best, and I buy bulk, raw powder from Amazon. The vast majority of the powder in Splenda is filler (dextrose/maltodextrin), so when using raw powder, you only need the tiniest bit.

Stevia for me is nasty, with a harsh, bitter aftertaste. Not a big fan of aspartame/ACE-K (Equal, blue pouch) either, but saccharin (S&L, pink pouch) is okay. I like xylitol, especially where the very slight 'minty' flavor works, but heaven help you if you consume too much.
by brianH
Fri Dec 31, 2021 9:28 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is Sine Wave UPS Required for Dell 7010 SFF computer?
Replies: 19
Views: 1667

Re: Is Sine Wave UPS Required for Dell 7010 SFF computer?

Not the OP, but I don't understand the questioning of the need for UPSs. The two basic APC units I bought recently have been some of the best money I've spent. One for my main desktop and monitors, and one (smaller) for the networking equipment including FIOS ONT, router, switch, and WAP. Both will run their loads for about 45 minutes.

My power outages are often short (5-15 min), and the 45 minutes on UPS can carry me over to when it is restored. Even if it looks like it's going to be a longer one, I can close/save apps and send messages to my work teammates letting them know that I'll soon be offline. I consider it a must if you WFH.
by brianH
Wed Dec 29, 2021 1:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Report of leaked LastPass master passwords
Replies: 175
Views: 18943

Re: Report of leaked LastPass master passwords

talzara wrote: Wed Dec 29, 2021 12:22 pm
brianH wrote: Wed Dec 29, 2021 9:51 am This is not a threat model unique to LP or browser extensions. If I downloaded a compromised copy of KeePass (a Windows executable file), the same issue could arise. However, there are a few things working against that: KeePass doesn't auto-update like browser extension do (or it's not a default option), and Windows Firewall would catch a strange outbound network connection from KeePass, as it normally has no need to make network requests.
Windows Firewall allows outbound connections by default. Have you blocked them?
Yes, a good catch. I do typically go into Windows FW and add custom block rules for applications I've installed, especially something like a PW manager.
by brianH
Wed Dec 29, 2021 12:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Report of leaked LastPass master passwords
Replies: 175
Views: 18943

Re: Report of leaked LastPass master passwords

mouth wrote: Wed Dec 29, 2021 11:40 am EDIT: well dang it ... looks like a Challenge-Response method IS available ... time to research again.
EDIT2: I'm an idiot. I'm already using it, but I could have sworn it was still only storing and sending a static long string. In my defense I set it up a while ago.
There's also a plugin, written by KeePass' main author, that can use the OTP (HOTP) functionality in the higher-end YubiKeys (not the FIDO only ones.) https://keepass.info/plugins.html#otpkeyprov
by brianH
Wed Dec 29, 2021 9:51 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Report of leaked LastPass master passwords
Replies: 175
Views: 18943

Re: Report of leaked LastPass master passwords

A hacker doesn't have to crack the encryption; they just have to exploit a vulnerability in the extension, one of its dozens/hundreds of included JS libraries, or the browser itself. The browser is already able to communicate over the Internet, so a vulnerability could allow the hacker to 'trick' the extension into uploading your master password to a server they control. I'm interested in learning more about the weakest links. Say the password manager extension is the only extension one has installed. How would the hacker get access to it -- would it have to be by visiting the hacker's website? Also, say they do get someone's master password. Wouldn't they still need one's secret key and access to their email account to gain access to thei...
by brianH
Wed Dec 29, 2021 8:38 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Report of leaked LastPass master passwords
Replies: 175
Views: 18943

Re: Report of leaked LastPass master passwords

The whole idea of a password manager is a bad idea. And, having a browser extension makes it worse. And, the cloud, even more so. I disagree with your first statement, agree with the second, and I am mixed on the third. The problem with LP and other browser-extension-based PW managers is that the security of the browser extension (plugin) is always the weak link. Anyone that has ever developed browser extensions, or really anything related to JavaScript, knows how complex the dependency graph can be. All of the JS libraries one includes in their extension is a potential weak point. You also have all the potential security issues of the browser itself to contend with, since the extension is running inside of the browser. A hacker doesn't ha...
by brianH
Tue Dec 28, 2021 12:05 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Furnace Repair Part Gross Overcharge
Replies: 112
Views: 7735

Re: Furnace Repair Part Gross Overcharge

Service plans, or at least a yearly service/preventative maintenance checkup, are often required to maintain any warranties issued by the manufacturer, even if it's a parts-only warranty. Be sure to check your unit's warranty documentation fine print. Without a service plan under the company that actually installed the unit, the chances of you getting someone out to honor the warranty is also slim to none. I've gotten probably thousands of dollars (at these inflated HVAC prices) worth of under-warranty work on my heat pump. Luckily, the unit has a parts & labor warranty, because labor is often the biggest expense. Even though I'm a handy guy with a dislike of extended warranties, I consider the P&L warranty (and requisite service pl...
by brianH
Tue Dec 28, 2021 9:14 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Verizon FIOS Gigabit 2.0 - ONT
Replies: 9
Views: 3420

Re: Verizon FIOS Gigabit 2.0 - ONT

You need to connect a router directly to the ONT (over ethernet) and then put your switch on the LAN side of the router. You can use your own router (I have since I first got FIOS in 05), but if you have a 'triple play' or similar bundle with TV/phone, certain features won't work. I could never get the remote DVR scheduling (through the web) or caller ID on TV functionality working with the set-top-boxes, even with messing with open ports and DMZs. The Verizon router has some magic ports and things to enable this. I used the Verizon router downstream of my router (i.e. connected to the switch) to provide MOCA to the STBs, which worked fine. Now, I don't have FIOS phone or TV, so it's much simpler. I never had any issues with support using m...
by brianH
Mon Dec 27, 2021 7:58 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Glass chair mats
Replies: 8
Views: 1343

Re: Glass chair mats

I assume these can't be used with carpet? Or at least maybe a 1" thick carpet (maybe super-thin outdoor-style carpet is ok)?

I too am sick of chair mats on medium-shag carpet cracking. Honestly, at this point, I'll probably just install some decent LVP in the office and just use the rollerblade wheels I got for my Aeron chair without any kind of mat.
by brianH
Mon Dec 27, 2021 4:16 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Furnace Repair Part Gross Overcharge
Replies: 112
Views: 7735

Re: Furnace Repair Part Gross Overcharge

It seems like they've just found a way to increase the cost of the labor by hiding it in the part charge. That's exactly what they do, because otherwise people would look at the labor rates (like you, for instance) and insist that their time isn't worth $300/hr or whatever. As the old joke goes: A plumber is at a lawyer's house fixing the pipes... Plumber: That'll be $800 please. Homeowner: You were here 2 hours! That's $400 an hour, I don't even make that much as a lawyer! Plumber: I know. When I was a lawyer, I didn't make that much either. Always, always ask for an estimate to fix before they begin work. It's not going to help you if you need heat now, but at least you won't be surprised by the bill. HVAC trades have taken over car mech...
by brianH
Fri Dec 17, 2021 1:05 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Coworker shared he is earning $50k more than me annually
Replies: 184
Views: 26835

Re: Coworker shared he is earning $50k more than me annually

If you want to hunt for jobs just to figure out your worth, have fun. But, any quick Google/etc. will show what salaries are at different places. It doesn't require job hunting. If you're job hunting strictly to "find your worth", then maybe you don't like your current org all that much, which is fine. There's more to work than having the absolutely highest possible salary. When I run into those individuals, I say "fare thee well". The problem with looking at anonymous surveys/comments online is that you can't really map those exactly to yourself. An L7 at Google making a million a year might be a software engineer with 20 years of experience, but just because you have 20 YoE developing basic CRUD apps doesn't mean you ...
by brianH
Thu Dec 16, 2021 1:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Coworker shared he is earning $50k more than me annually
Replies: 184
Views: 26835

Re: Coworker shared he is earning $50k more than me annually

Are people not able to have adult conversations in the workplace? If people like their current job/boss, but feel underpaid, go talk to your boss about your expectations. If they jerk you around, then start job hunting. If you have a boss you can't have this conversation with, then maybe it's not a good situation to start with. There are at least two problems with this: How do you know what you're actually worth? OP is in tech/software, and salaries for these jobs have exploded in the last few years, and employers are positively desperate to fill roles right now. I just went through interviews with 3 companies, and all of them offered more (like 20-30% more) than what I was asking for. Turns out, I might have been undervaluing myself and/o...
by brianH
Fri Dec 03, 2021 8:04 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: which snow blower ?
Replies: 169
Views: 18646

Re: which snow blower ?

simplesimon wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 3:17 pm I never used one before and recently purchased a Toro Snowmaster 824 QXE for my 1000sqft driveway. Kind of looking forward to using it.
I love my Snowmaster.

Way, way faster and more effective at clearing down to the surface than 2-stage units. For my area (near Philly) 2-stages are absolute overkill. I love being back inside while my neighbors are still plodding along with those slow 2-stage units.
by brianH
Thu Dec 02, 2021 9:34 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Financial planning advice for first time father
Replies: 15
Views: 2038

Re: Financial planning advice for first time father

I have what probably is too little term life insurance (300K, though how much is enough if wife has reasonable earning potential, no family debt to be passed on, and about 250k of assets in place?) It's a personal question that has to be weighed against the cost of the policies, but I would recommend around 1MM for both you and your wife's policies. If you were to die, you need to think about it in terms of how much money your family would no longer have by losing your salary. 15 years of a 100K salary after taxes/expenses is right around a million in lost value. I have policies of that size for me and my wife, even though we have considerable (though not early retirement money) assets. The good news is that if you're healthy and early-30s...
by brianH
Mon Nov 29, 2021 7:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any Recent Experience Replacing Above-Ground Heating Oil Tank?
Replies: 19
Views: 1419

Re: Any Recent Experience Replacing Above-Ground Heating Oil Tank?

iceport wrote: Mon Nov 29, 2021 1:15 pm Yes, I read about that online somewhere. I just wonder if a tank replacement is considered sufficient to warrant bringing the downstream fuel line up to current code. I kinda hope not, but after experiencing the tank leak, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea, even if it's not absolutely required...
It most likely would be required. If you're doing the tank to prevent leaks, you might as well do the line as well. A leak in the line is just as bad as one in the tank, and depending on how it's cut in the concrete, might go undetected for longer.
by brianH
Sun Nov 28, 2021 8:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Computer science as a college major
Replies: 146
Views: 10308

Re: Computer science as a college major

c) Finances, time to complete degree, and post-graduate degrees? Is it common to finish in 4 yrs? On some of the schools/scholarships, I wonder if we'll be on the hook for an uncovered scholarship year of college (scholarships only seem to be 4 yrs). This could throw another up to $60k in expenses (pending school) Graduate school is not out of the question. Is it good to stay at the same school as undergrad if that is pursued? Is it worthwhile to pursue a masters? At least when I did it almost 20 years ago, a CS degree could be done in 4 years, but it was very tight. My school offered Winter sessions (an intense 3 week course of often 3-4 hours per day), and I took a course every Winter to be done in 4. For a Bachelors of Science degree, t...
by brianH
Sat Nov 27, 2021 1:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Computer science as a college major
Replies: 146
Views: 10308

Re: Computer science as a college major

CompSci was my major as well, and it has led to a good career. He can definitely start in the program, and he will find out pretty quickly if he likes it and is decent at it. At my school, I think less than 25% of kids that started with that major actually graduated with it. Many dropped after the first semester or two of 'weedout classes'.

If he has interest in the hardware side, computer engineering is also a fine choice. Both majors (at least at my school) had courses in common, but CompSci was focused on programming and algorithms and CompEng had more hardware classes. Either one will work for software jobs, but many hardware jobs would look for the engineering degree.
by brianH
Fri Nov 26, 2021 7:57 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Oddly Difficult to Find Items During the Pandemic
Replies: 572
Views: 75929

Re: Oddly Difficult to Find Items During the Pandemic

A local electrical supply store quoted me $350 for this circuit breaker : https://www.superbreakers.com/cutler-hammer-bq250250-quad-circuit-breaker It's unobtainium from any regular place online. Not regularly stocked or orderable from Home Depot/Lowe's. I suppose it's not the most common breaker type, but still. The point of that breaker is to add a circuit to a panel that doesn't have any space left (assuming load isn't an assuming). But at $350 a breaker, you can add a whole new subpanel and move a few loads there to get more space instead. I can't speak for CH, but I know Schneider (SquareD) had some serious COVID issues with their plants in Mexico and elsewhere. One could still get single 15A or 20A breakers, but any quads or tandems ...
by brianH
Wed Nov 24, 2021 8:41 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: 529 plan help for new parents!!!
Replies: 6
Views: 913

Re: 529 plan help for new parents!!!

The benefits to a PA 529 plan (vs. other states) is that the money doesn't count against you for state-based financial aid and the assets are protected from creditors and exempt from the inheritance tax.

The target-date PA plans are all made from Vanguard funds, and they have a 0.22% ER. Vanguard charges 0.14% directly for theirs. I just went with the PA plan, because I'm not going to worry about a 0.08% ER on relatively small balance account.
by brianH
Wed Nov 24, 2021 8:30 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Apply for new IT job or keep cruising at current job?
Replies: 43
Views: 5170

Re: Apply for new IT job or keep cruising at current job?

ThankYouJack wrote: Wed Nov 24, 2021 6:45 am Here's one example of a lower salary. I saw a data engineering opening at Fidelity that I feel qualified for so was a bit excited about it thinking the pay could be significantly more than my current comp. Then I went on Glassdoor and with "very high confidence" it said the average data engineer salary at fidelity is in the 80s with less than a $10k bonus.
That seems unlikely.

The best way to find out is to reach out to Fidelity's (or other company's) recruiter and start the discussion. Ask for the salary range for the position to 'make sure you're a fit'. I won't waste time with recruiters that won't give at least a broad salary range for the position. Why waste time in the interview process if the salary is way off?
by brianH
Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:03 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Am I making a big mistake by not chasing bigger tech salaries at my age?
Replies: 134
Views: 22447

Re: Am I making a big mistake by not chasing bigger tech salaries at my age?

Now is definitely a great time to be job shopping in tech, even if you aren't looking at the FAANGs. Most position are remote, and interviews are over Zoom. I put on a nice shirt, but leave my sweatpants on. It's easy to take an hour or two out of your day for a call and to run multiple interview cycles in parallel: I'm in the mix with 4 companies at the same time right now.

I would highly recommend anyone in tech to at least spend some time interviewing during this perfect storm. Companies are hungry, and the effort you need to put out for most of them is very low.
by brianH
Mon Nov 22, 2021 2:47 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should I retire, or do something new, in mid-30s?
Replies: 104
Views: 12502

Re: Should I retire, or do something new, in mid-30s?

Since a lot of people tuned in turned on and dropped out in the 60s and 70s, why not check with them how it worked for them long term. If you don’t know of any, stop by a homeless shelter or a tent camp. I apologize if I sound judgy, but seeing middle aged people begging is really hard. I'm going to wager that most of those individuals didn't 'drop out' with a portfolio balance that's more than most people will make in their entire life, and something like 10X what people retire with (granted, at typical retirement age.) OP, I'm with others that it just sounds like you need to take some time off and (probably) find another job. With your level of savings and expenses, you can find a job that fits you without worrying too much about pay or ...
by brianH
Sat Nov 20, 2021 5:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Sound Quality of Amazon MP3 vs Physical CD
Replies: 16
Views: 4564

Re: Sound Quality of Amazon MP3 vs Physical CD

I remember these discussions way back in the early 2000s when MP3s were starting to takeover the world of music. A audiophile magazine did a huge test where they used equipment (headphones, amps) that cost tens of thousands of dollars, and had some of the best 'golden ears' they could find to serve as judges. The result was, given a quality MP3 encoder (LAME back then), and VBR MP3s (LAME preset standard, VBR 190kbps target), nobody could tell the difference in double blind testing.

Not sure what bitrate Amazon uses, but if it's >200kbps (or 190 VBR), you'll never be able to tell.
by brianH
Thu Nov 18, 2021 8:29 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: how do you shop for residential energy supplier in PA?
Replies: 11
Views: 1097

Re: how do you shop for residential energy supplier in PA?

Though at the moment in my area nobody is cheaper than the default choice (PECO). There's no button to Switch back to PECO if you are using someone else, so I guess you may have to call them directly on the PECO number the web site provides if you are in a PECO service area and their price is the cheapest. PECO won't let you have a guaranteed rate for a year, though. They apparently change prices quarterly, with the next change in December. Same here, and unfortunately, my current contract with AEP ($0.0595/kWh) runs out in December - just in time for high electric use due to heat pumps. I wouldn't lock in a rate over what PECO (or your POCO) charges. Most of the time, even before pricing went crazy, the alternative suppliers were only 1/2...
by brianH
Tue Nov 16, 2021 11:09 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How to tell recruiter that base salary is not in line with market
Replies: 38
Views: 5346

Re: How to tell recruiter that base salary is not in line with market

That's a really optimistic statement. Got a ping by recruiter, asked for the range. The range was crazy low so I told them that my DRs make more. Do you really think that such response will make the company to bump up ranges by 50%? I bet there will be 'Hey let's reiterate our vision - making more than 60k annually doesn't bring extra happiness for people' internal talk and that's it :mrgreen: Companies are always going to want to pay as low as they can for employees, holding everything else constant. However, because companies compete for talent (in some industries/professions), many actually pay outside firms for aggregate compensation data to ensure they're in the ballpark. This data is typically low-quality and possibly outdated, so ha...
by brianH
Tue Nov 16, 2021 11:00 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: "If you're not getting a raise that keeps up with inflation, you're losing money YoY"
Replies: 86
Views: 9355

Re: "If you're not getting a raise that keeps up with inflation, you're losing money YoY"

To answer the question posed: no, I don't think it's 'fair' if an employer doesn't offer a raise that meets or exceeds the widely agreed upon inflation/COLA numbers. The Federal Government is bumping SS by 5.9% - why do retirees 'deserve' a 6% bump? They're not contributing to the SS program. If the government knows it created an inflation situation that results in people ending up worse with a non-adjusted payout, why would an employer be a different case? I don't have the ability to specify that I would prefer to be paid in a hypothetical, non-inflationary, stable currency. I was forced to choose USD, but I have no say over how much the currency is devalued. Not adjusting to the devaluation of the currency is clearly a game that is focuse...
by brianH
Mon Nov 15, 2021 2:40 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Is Software Development/ Programming Oversaturated?
Replies: 209
Views: 21511

Re: Is Software Development/ Programming Oversaturated?

Most senior developers don't work at top tech companies. They work at average tech companies. In my HCOL (but not very high cost) I see plenty of jobs with salary ranges from 90k-130k and very few above 150k. I imagine most have things like bonuses (20%) and maybe RSUs to get compensation closer to 200k but it isn't like the Silicon valley where people are pulling in 350k+. And of course the defintion of senior software developer can very a lot with title inflation. I'm not even including the outsized FAANG salaries, but 90-130 for a senior-level software engineer anywhere in the US that could be considered MCOL/HCOL is underpaying the market. I would expect that any engineers with talent would know they could easily make more, and the com...
by brianH
Mon Nov 15, 2021 1:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Is Software Development/ Programming Oversaturated?
Replies: 209
Views: 21511

Re: Is Software Development/ Programming Oversaturated?

sureshoe wrote: Mon Nov 15, 2021 10:22 am I know I've lost a few engineers (who I was not heart broken about), and they claim to be in that $150k range. I'm never going to pay someone that much unless they're a needle mover.
I'm curious what area of the country and field of work balks at paying senior-level software engineers $150k? After the last few years of growth, this is basically the floor for senior engineers in most urban areas and even most remote jobs.
by brianH
Sun Nov 14, 2021 5:55 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Pay raises for 2022
Replies: 421
Views: 63184

Re: Pay raises for 2022

edge wrote: Sat Nov 13, 2021 9:10 am I think many many employees (execs, managers, and staff) will leave for higher paying jobs after sub-inflation raises this cycle.
(Raises hand)

Given that SS is doing a 5.9% COLA for 2022, any raise of less than 6% this year is basically an insult. I think my work is targeting 3% and it has an effective date delay until Q2. Shameful, really, but gives me the motivation I need to start shopping other jobs.
by brianH
Wed Nov 10, 2021 2:32 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New Oil Tank - "Upright" v. Roth?
Replies: 27
Views: 3192

Re: New Oil Tank - "Upright" v. Roth?

Small Law Survivor wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 12:18 pm No natural gas where we live (very rural suburb of Boston). We are both ~ 70 years old, and I doubt we'll be living here at age 85.

No experience with heat pumps, or how our home's heating system would be retrofitted to accommodate heat pumps.
I definitely don't think I'd pay extra for the Roth, then. A steel tank indoors should last well beyond when you plan to move. If it was outside, that might be a different story.
by brianH
Wed Nov 10, 2021 11:38 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New Oil Tank - "Upright" v. Roth?
Replies: 27
Views: 3192

Re: New Oil Tank - "Upright" v. Roth?

The Roth tanks are definitely the best of the best, but I would question if it's worth $1500 more. Do you plan to stick with oil for 15+ years (the expected life of a steel tank)? Are you able to or likely able to convert to natural gas or heat pumps over that timeframe?

I use oil heat as a backup to a heat pump, but I expect to remove the oil furnace at some point. I will try to stay non-political, but there are forces at play that will likely make oil much more expensive/difficult in the next decade or so. I like oil, but I'm not betting on it being a viable option over the timeframe that would make investment in a long-life tank worthwhile.
by brianH
Tue Nov 09, 2021 7:22 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Did I get burned - furnace part
Replies: 37
Views: 3567

Re: Did I get burned - furnace part

The newer ECM blower motors are a huge scam. While they are more efficient and offer more control than the older PSC motors, they are far less reliable and OEM parts are obscenely expensive. Old PSC motors can usually be resurrected by changing out the capacitor, but even a replacement motor only runs $100-$200. The ECMs can be triple that or more.

One more thing where our quest for higher efficiency only plays out in the laboratory. Saving $50/year on electric with an ECM motor isn't worth it when it requires a $900 replacement in 7 years.
by brianH
Tue Nov 09, 2021 9:51 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to keep warm while working on the computer?
Replies: 125
Views: 11254

Re: How to keep warm while working on the computer?

To pile on, if you can smell gas/exhaust, no, you can't just buy some cheap CO meters on Amazon and call it a day. You need a technician to come out with a real CO meter that can measure small concentrations. While they're there, they can do a combustion analysis to ensure your furnace isn't spewing CO into the exhaust. Even for (properly) exhausted gases, there is a maximum PPM CO that is allowed.

You should have your (gas) furnace inspected and tuned every 2 years or so to catch this kind of stuff. If you write software, you can very likely afford to pay a professional to check this out.
by brianH
Thu Nov 04, 2021 12:10 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Mini Split use in cold weather
Replies: 36
Views: 9205

Re: Mini Split use in cold weather

I think the 85% being referenced is the heat pump's BTU output (of rated maximum) at that temperature. That's the other factor in heat pumps: they may still output heat at 5F, and do so with a COP well above 1, but a 12,000 BTU/h unit might only output 9,000 BTU/h at that temp. This is an obvious problem, since you need more BTUs when it gets cold rather than less, and if the unit is sized for warmer temps, it will not have enough output when it gets cold.
by brianH
Wed Nov 03, 2021 8:20 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Credit Score Drop
Replies: 33
Views: 2539

Re: Credit Score Drop

quantAndHold wrote: Wed Nov 03, 2021 7:49 pm So you’ll forgive me if I don’t believe that paying off the mortgage has much of a negative effect on the credit score.
Paying mine off earlier this year dropped my score from 840ish to low 800s, no other changes. It may recover over more time; who knows.

I do keep a good amount of cards with decent credit lines open, even though I don't use them much. It costs me zero to have $150K or so in credit available spread over 8 cards or so, and it helps with the debt/credit % hit when I run up a card for big purchases (though I always pay it immediately.)
by brianH
Wed Nov 03, 2021 7:30 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Sous Vide gadget or Air Fryer?
Replies: 53
Views: 4092

Re: Sous Vida gadget or Air Fryer?

Like others, we use our air fryer way more than I expected. Almost every day. It's excellent for reheating and for frozen junky foods like onion rings, tater tots, fries. We have a convection oven and a convection toaster oven, and neither can hold a candle to the air fryer.

Sous vide is a fun thing I've used a few times, especially for expensive, thick cuts of meat, but it's not convenient and you still need to sear to get any flavor. They're obviously popular in restaurants, because they can hold a steak for hours and it can get a quick sear right when it's ordered. Little to no applicability to feeding a family meal.
by brianH
Tue Nov 02, 2021 2:43 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Herman Miller Aeron office chair
Replies: 23
Views: 2568

Re: Herman Miller Aeron office chair

I don't know if the warranty still applies when a chair is purchased used, but I doubt it. I've found that something or other breaks on the Aeron every 3 or 4 years. I'm glad I don't have to pay the cost of parts or the service call(s). I'm sure each incident would have cost $200-400. You might save money buying used or grey market, but you'll give it back with repairs. It is valid, even if used. I had an arm adjustment screw break on a used Aeron I bought on Ebay, and I contacted HM. All they required was to give them details from the nameplate, which has the date of manufacture that they can confirm the warranty period. I think I had about 2 years remaining at the time, and they shipped the parts, free. I'm surprised with your luck on br...
by brianH
Tue Nov 02, 2021 11:34 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Pay raises for 2022
Replies: 421
Views: 63184

Re: Pay raises for 2022

This is what I see on LinkedIn too. There are tons of recruiters trawling for candidates at below current market salaries, clueless to reality. I've seen the same positions open for 6+ months. Ditto. The numbers I'm seeing delusional companies throwing out for Senior Engineers are sad, and I'm not even comparing them to the FAANG megabucks. I had a recruiter basically hang up on me when I threw my number at him, and that number is probably 1/2 to 2/3 what the position would pay at FAANG. I'm thankful for threads on here and other places that show what these job can, and arguably should, pay. Remote options have let in a tide that will lift all boats, if these companies want to keep decent talent. As to the original question: our org reconf...
by brianH
Thu Oct 21, 2021 2:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Electrical Grounding Question
Replies: 74
Views: 6868

Re: Electrical Grounding Question

You cannot combine neutrals, however. They must remain separate. This confuses me. Isn't combining neutrals exactly what happens if you use, say, 14/3 cable to run two circuits? Are you talking about a multi-wire branch circuit? Those are a special case where the 2 hots come off of a single double-pole breaker (it must be a double pole or connected to act like a double pole). In that case, both hots use the single neutral as the return path. This is ok for two reasons, 1) the current on the neutral is only ever the unbalanced current from the 2 hots and 2) a single breaker throw kills both circuits. These MWBCs are becoming rare with the requirements for AFCI/GFCI everywhere. Sharing or combining neutrals for multiple circuits isn't allowe...
by brianH
Thu Oct 21, 2021 2:29 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Electrical Grounding Question
Replies: 74
Views: 6868

Re: Electrical Grounding Question

Code allows as many circuits in a box as you want, assuming you adhere to box fill (# of wires based on volume.) There's no issue with 2+ sources in a single box. Thanks. I should have known that. A while back we had our service entrance box moved, and to do it they used a bunch of good size square junction boxes to patch the circuits from the old to the new location. Each box had many circuits in it. The County inspector questioned the large number of boxes in one spot, but was fine when explained the purpose. It's always a good thing to keep in mind when working on a particular box that, even if you kill the breaker for the circuit you're concerned with, there may be another in the box that can zap you. The non-contact voltage testers ar...
by brianH
Thu Oct 21, 2021 12:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Electrical Grounding Question
Replies: 74
Views: 6868

Re: Electrical Grounding Question

Tell me about it. Ive run into 3 and 4 gang switch boxes on 2 or 3 different circuits (NEVER trust the box is dead unless you test every wire). Sometimes the neutrals are crossed. I'm learning so much from this thread! Who knew BH's were such good electricians! Is it against code to have wires from two circuits in one box? Or to have the neutrals connected? I'm not sure if its technically against code, but its definitely good practice to only have one source of input power in a box... so if you kill the breaker for one switch in the box you know the entire box is dead and safe to work on. Code allows as many circuits in a box as you want, assuming you adhere to box fill (# of wires based on volume.) There's no issue with 2+ sources in a si...
by brianH
Wed Oct 20, 2021 7:49 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Verizon is ridiculous [Looking for alternatives]
Replies: 65
Views: 6242

Re: Verizon is ridiculous

SmileyFace wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 7:04 pm
Escapevelocity wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 5:08 pm You don’t need gigabit. Ask your provider about 200/200. That’s what I have and it’s more than adequate
I do actually. 200/200 was not adequate for us. Kids streaming games while oldest is on zoom calls for college while I am on zoom calls for work while spouse is streaming TV. When I upgraded to 1Gbps service all our problems went away.
Did you make other changes like a new router?

Zoom calls only use like 5Mbps max, and 4K video is max 25Mbps. 200Mbps with a high quality router and/or wired links should be very difficult to saturate with typical streaming/conferencing use.