Search found 2534 matches
- Mon Mar 18, 2024 5:43 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Buying a Home: Am I Required to retain Escrow Services?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 774
Re: Buying a Home: Am I Required to retain Escrow Services?
If you have a mortgage and escrow is not required for property taxes and insurance... be prepared to provide info about your insurer/insurance coverage and possibly provide proof that property taxes were paid - each and every year depending on how "connected" your mortgage holder is. My current escrow-less mortgage doesn't ask me for 'proof' every year. Apparently the lender checks property tax payment on it's own (public information) and I only have issues with insurance when I change providers. Apparently my current insurance informs my mortgage holder that my house is insured (they have the lenders info and my mortgage id/account info). If I change insurance provider then I get a "nasty gram" from my lender about poss...
- Mon Mar 18, 2024 5:06 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Has the 401k been a net positive or negative?
- Replies: 21
- Views: 1048
Re: Has the 401k been a net positive or negative?
The other thing to consider: pensions tend to chain an employee to an employer.
In the early years of one's career it might not seem so bad changing jobs after 3 to 5 years with an employer - and losing out on the "pension benefit" you might not have "vested in" - but do that enough times and the employee can loose a decade or two of "pension-y goodness".
Most pension plans pay out the best if you have 30 plus years with the same employer.
In the early years of one's career it might not seem so bad changing jobs after 3 to 5 years with an employer - and losing out on the "pension benefit" you might not have "vested in" - but do that enough times and the employee can loose a decade or two of "pension-y goodness".
Most pension plans pay out the best if you have 30 plus years with the same employer.
- Mon Mar 18, 2024 4:59 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Has the 401k been a net positive or negative?
- Replies: 21
- Views: 1048
Re: Has the 401k been a net positive or negative?
40 years ago is the 1980's. 401K plans weren't the norm. I worked for 2 different employers - 1 didn't offer any sort of retirement plan/pension and the second offered a 401K, BUT you couldn't contribute to it until you had been employed for 12 months (there was an employer contribution but you weren't 100% vested until you had been employed 5 years.) The negative part of a 401K is that you need to work for an employer who offers one OR you need to be financially savvy enough to open a traditional or Roth IRA on your own and then put in the effort to make consistent contributions to it (up to the limit) which has traditionally be MUCH lower than the limit of a 401K. Being able to only contribute (10 to 15% of your gross income which may or ...
- Fri Mar 15, 2024 3:59 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Student loan "refinance" with credit card balance balance transfer?
- Replies: 15
- Views: 817
Re: Student loan "refinance" with credit card balance balance transfer?
I looked around with a few student loan refi options, the rates are right around 5%. This in theory gives me a lower rate (3%) while my money will earn more in a money market (5% ish ) Until the money market interest rate drops. There's also the "it's a whole lot of work" for very little pay out. You will need to make a payment to the balance transfer card every month and be careful not to make new charges on the card (most likely) and you will need to make sure you pay it off in time. I'd go with the paying it in full without waiting for the final bill date. Is there some reason you need to hold cash? Will paying off the SL in full deplete your EF and any other cash on hand you have? If the answer is no - I'd pay off the SL in f...
- Fri Mar 15, 2024 2:35 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Tricare Retired Reserve: wow it sucks wth?
- Replies: 25
- Views: 2332
Re: Tricare for Life: wow it sucks wth?
Have you looked and calculated long term? Will the price for Tricare be lower than other insurance in 5 or 10 years (or beyond)? When you are comparing Tricare to the insurance you can get on your own (which you will most likely need to renew/rebuy every year and have changes to it's coverage and providers) are you comparing apples to apples? Are you looking beyond the monthly cost and the deductible? Comparing health insurance coverage and costs can be a daunting exercise in futility but it's worth the effort. FWIW: depending on what doctors/hospitals I could use and what the "covered" prescriptions include that price is a winner! I priced out health insurance and I'd be paying close to 1K per month with a high deductible. I'm ba...
- Fri Mar 15, 2024 12:28 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Identity theft or something to ignore?
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1154
Re: Identity theft or something to ignore?
My wife is getting weekly emails about a past due radiology bill from a hospital emergency room in a city that we have never been in. Does the weekly email pass all the "smell tests" when determining if the email is a scam/phishing email? Here's the government's tips for identifying scams: www.cisa.gov/secure-our-world/recognize-and-report-phishing If it "smell tests" as genuine - and you really want to deal with this you should contact the hospital's billing department. The goal is to get to the billing department and to someone who can do more research on your problem with the information you can provide. When you call in - they don't know you. YOU could be trying to phish or scam them. It might be a bit of a challeng...
- Thu Mar 14, 2024 11:09 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Ran an analysis regarding the opportunity cost of investing in real estate. Curious what my takeaway should be?
- Replies: 20
- Views: 1641
Re: Ran an analysis regarding the opportunity cost of investing in real estate. Curious what my takeaway should be?
The reason for the large discrepancy in price was due to the fact that their apartment was a condo (mine is a co-op), had an extra bathroom and a small private outdoor space. I'm not sure you can compare your apartment to your friend's apartment. My experience is bathrooms and outdoor space add a lot of value to a property. For example: I purchased an 806 sq ft post WWII "starter home" with 2 beds/1 bathroom. It's a "cookie cutter house" with a partial basement. in that there are hundreds of them sprinkled across my suburb. The houses that have had a second bathroom room (toilet and sink) added to the basement instantly raised the sale value by 20K to 50K (50K if it's got a shower stall big enough for a,um, larger adult...
- Wed Mar 13, 2024 7:43 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Cost of dental visit
- Replies: 20
- Views: 1361
Re: Cost of dental visit
I use my FSA to cover my dental costs. I get my teeth cleaned twice a year (2 dentist visits). I "budget" $500.00 per year. I don't want to "lose" money I don't spend from my FSA. My last visit to the dentist I paid $312 for cleaning, exam and bitewing xrays. Am I paying too much or is this normal? The $312 total seems reasonable and in line with what I've been paying for dental care for the last few years. Especially, since my next 2024 dental appt would likely be an exam and cleaning and so be less than the $312.00 dollars for the first yearly visit. (remember that $500.00 "budget" :) ) FWIW: I self insure for cavities/fillings/crown. I have one of those events every decade. I can easily cover up to 2K out of...
- Tue Mar 12, 2024 4:18 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Electric wiring along/through basement floor slab?
- Replies: 23
- Views: 1714
Re: Electric wiring along/through basement floor slab?
It's free to check your local building code before you do any changes that require more than an extension cord and a cover over it.
If you add an outlet or run some conduit - it's better in the long run if you make sure it meets the current code.
(FWIW: here any electrical outlets/conduit must be above the poured concrete foundation of the house (basically above "ground level"). That way when your basement fills up with water (and becomes a swimming pool) the outlets will in theory not be under water. ok, that's just a mental image for me (the basement swimming pool) no outlets/conduit should be "underwater" if the basement were full of water. )
If you add an outlet or run some conduit - it's better in the long run if you make sure it meets the current code.
(FWIW: here any electrical outlets/conduit must be above the poured concrete foundation of the house (basically above "ground level"). That way when your basement fills up with water (and becomes a swimming pool) the outlets will in theory not be under water. ok, that's just a mental image for me (the basement swimming pool) no outlets/conduit should be "underwater" if the basement were full of water. )
- Mon Mar 11, 2024 6:50 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Given Haiti Situation, is Dominican Republic safe?
- Replies: 49
- Views: 24856
Re: Given Haiti Situation, is Dominican Republic safe?
If you look at a map - Port Au Prince is 300 miles from Punta Cana. I'd say the risks of being affected by what's going on in Haiti are pretty slim. Perhaps the wealthy gang leaders vacation/have second homes in the Dominican Republic?
I'd be more worried about the typical bad things that happen to college students while on spring break happening.
I'd be more worried about the typical bad things that happen to college students while on spring break happening.
- Sat Mar 09, 2024 9:02 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: How much do you spend a month on food?
- Replies: 334
- Views: 29184
Re: What's normal for grocery costs for a family?
Groceries across all sources is probably $2,000 - $2,500 a month (excludes dining out) We eat organic usually if we have the option and it seems reasonable for the price differential. We don't drink a lot of sugar drinks or alcohol or juices. We do consume a lot of high quality protein (athletes in the house) for meals, snacks, and drinks Looking for a sanity check and any tips others have to manage grocery spending without adding significantly more time. What do you spend on groceries for a family? Any tips? You may just need to review/rethink what you are doing. A review is always good - even if you don't change anything. Some things to think about: First, I don't care what you eat/buy. You are the boss of you. BUT we live in a "con...
- Fri Mar 08, 2024 2:20 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Wool slippers worth it?
- Replies: 53
- Views: 5209
Re: Wool slippers worth it?
We don't wear shoes in the house, and I have been buying cheap slippers from Kohls, but they end up getting gross after a month or so. The cheap polyester felt holds moisture and smells and the insole breaks down. You can put the dearform and sonoma brand slippers from Kohls in the wash. That keeps them from getting gross. It sounds like you need washable slippers. Have you thought about buying a pair of shoes that you only wear indoors? I bought a pair of those "slip on" casual shoes (they look like gym shoes) in a color I would never wear out in public that I only wear indoors. Slippers don't have enough support and they seem to always "fall off my feet". The slip on shoes work for me because they stay on my feet but ...
- Fri Mar 08, 2024 9:55 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Drop Homeowner Ins- Self Insure
- Replies: 63
- Views: 4437
Re: Drop Homeowner Ins- Self Insure
Also, keep in mind that once your property is uninsured for a period of time, it may be more difficult and expensive to get it re-insured in the future.
- Fri Mar 08, 2024 8:46 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Need advice on Home addition.
- Replies: 21
- Views: 1874
Re: Need advice on Home addition.
Those are great definitions and very helpful.boomer_techie wrote: ↑Thu Mar 07, 2024 10:51 pmArchitect: Person who does high level planning. Hire an architect if you want your (new custom) home featured in Architectural Digest.LittleMaggieMae wrote: ↑Thu Mar 07, 2024 4:18 pm I'm assuming an architect - would be the person figures out where and how you should connect the addition to your home, lays out the foundation and sewerage for it, maybe comes up with a way to integrate the addition into the rest of the house (so it doesn't look like a "tumor" or a "growth").
Draftperson: Person who draws plans. For simple additions, a draftperson is all you need. This person will know standard construction techniques.
- Thu Mar 07, 2024 4:18 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Need advice on Home addition.
- Replies: 21
- Views: 1874
Re: Need advice on Home addition.
This is a complicated project (mostly because of the bathroom). You will most likely need to work with your local government (permits, and maybe even approval for the project ) Your project requires changes to the water lines and sewers for your home. You will be adding a foundation. And then electric and HVAC to the addition. Your local building codes may dictate some of the this (the foundation, sewer and electricity for example). Then there's how it will connect to your existing home (how it effects load bearing walls if you will be removing/changing walls) and how it will effect the roof line and gutters/downspouts. It sounds like you need an architect who is familiar with your location. It's impossible to say if the estimate is good or...
- Thu Mar 07, 2024 3:11 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: HELP! Need Credit Card Advice for Young Adult
- Replies: 14
- Views: 934
Re: HELP! Need Credit Card Advice for Young Adult
I mostly use my current card for gas, rent, utilities, and groceries. I'd suggest something like the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card. You automatically get 2% on groceries and you can set the 3% category to gas. Any other purchases are 1% cash back. This might do the job for you if you don't want to keep track of which card to use/when and if groceries are one of your bigger expenses and you don't charge a lot of other stuff (like clothes, eating out, etc.) And here's advice: If possible, see if you can combine a bonus offer when opening a new account. I'd suggest not worrying too much about optimizing your cash back reward. Some cash back is better than no cash back. What you want to concentrate on is making sure that...
- Thu Mar 07, 2024 8:53 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Argument against people that say stock market is rigged, so don’t invest in it
- Replies: 80
- Views: 5448
Re: Argument against people that say stock market is rigged, so don’t invest in it
I tend to not continue the "stock market" conversation once someone says it's "rigged" or it's "gambling" more than once (as in twice) in any given conversation. . (Sometimes people open with that comment because it's part of the socially acceptable script but they really haven't given it much thought.) It's often impolite to talk about finances and money (your investments), but it's not impolite to talk about what teams you are betting on or where you're favorite poker (or slot) machine is (which bar or business it's in). I work for corporate America - many of the people I know in real life do not work for employers with 401Ks. So, they might not know that they could open an IRA or ROTH IRA and contribute to i...
- Tue Mar 05, 2024 3:07 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: What if you can't access your money?
- Replies: 45
- Views: 4212
Re: What if you can't access your money?
The thing with "prepping" food and water and whatever - is the upkeep. You need to rotate and maintain your "stored" food/water/batteries/etc. It's a lot of work and sometimes stress and drama to keep your reserve up to date - unless you have so much money you are willing to throw away and replace a sections of your reserve on a timely basis. I prep from the yearly storm season. but then when storm season is done - I do my best to use up what I bought (food/water/etc). I replenish before the next storm season. Otherwise, you wind up with 20 year old Green Giant canned green beans in your reserve... which doesn't sound too appetizing when there is an actual need to use it. :) I don't discount having food/water/necessities...
- Tue Mar 05, 2024 2:57 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: What if you can't access your money?
- Replies: 45
- Views: 4212
Re: What if you can't access your money?
Right, this really goes down hill fast to the prepper portfolio---equal parts guns, ammo, food, potable water. The more interesting scenario to me is the true "one-stop shop" person, who loses access to financial accounts while the world keeps chugging along. Highly unlikely, but in this age of fraud and identity theft, the chances of a full-scale shutdown (legitimately by the providers) of one's credit and cash accounts is increasing IMHO. But this would likely be a short-term problem. This is a "reason" to keep a month (or two) of expenses (all the bills you pay) in checking. Back in the early aughts my employers bank had a hiccup and payroll posted to employees accounts a day late. Many employees raised heck because ...
- Tue Mar 05, 2024 12:44 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: What if you can't access your money?
- Replies: 45
- Views: 4212
Re: What if you can't access your money?
Consider a black swan event that either wipes out a lot of your savings or blocks your access to it. Think: a world-wide internet outage, a bank or brokerage crash or a war or inflation trigger that spreads across the economy. You want to prepare for this now so what could you choose to do? I thought of cashing out a large CD at our bank, like we did for our down payment. Now I have cashier's check for $200,000. Do I cash that into paper money, buy gold or silver coins? Then where do I put it? I understand it will erode with inflation, but at least it's spendable. Where do I hide it? The proverbial mattress gets a lot of laughs, but what would you do? Of course this is unlikely, but that's what a black swan is. And here's my serious answer...
- Tue Mar 05, 2024 12:34 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: What if you can't access your money?
- Replies: 45
- Views: 4212
Re: What if you can't access your money?
Consider a black swan event that either wipes out a lot of your savings or blocks your access to it. Think: a world-wide internet outage, a bank or brokerage crash or a war or inflation trigger that spreads across the economy. You want to prepare for this now so what could you choose to do? I thought of cashing out a large CD at our bank, like we did for our down payment. Now I have cashier's check for $200,000. Do I cash that into paper money, buy gold or silver coins? Then where do I put it? I understand it will erode with inflation, but at least it's spendable. Where do I hide it? The proverbial mattress gets a lot of laughs, but what would you do? Of course this is unlikely, but that's what a black swan is. I don't quite get the though...
- Sun Mar 03, 2024 6:56 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Best < $100 purchase?
- Replies: 299
- Views: 55771
Re: Best < $100 purchase?
I just replaced the wheels on my at home Herman Miller office chair with Rollerblade Office Chair Wheels for under $50.00. So worth it. They are quiet, smooth riding, and should be kinder and gentler to my hardwood floor.
It was easy to remove the old wheels (I needed a small prybar for leverage - I'm old. ). The new wheels went in with a push, a little jiggling/twisting and another firm push.
So.much.better.
It was easy to remove the old wheels (I needed a small prybar for leverage - I'm old. ). The new wheels went in with a push, a little jiggling/twisting and another firm push.
So.much.better.
- Wed Feb 28, 2024 11:24 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Zelle Questions: safety, speed, uses?
- Replies: 57
- Views: 5478
Re: Zelle Questions: safety, speed, uses?
as for Zelle ing to the wrong phone number or email address... When I set up the very first zelle to my lawnservice in 2023, when I entered the phone number - I'm 98% positive it came back with the name of the lawn service (or at least a name that I recognized as my lawn service) after the bank "verified" I had entered a valid phone number. The same thing sort of happened when I zelle'd a nephew for the first time - the bank came back with his name for the phone number I entered. In 2023 - anytime I set up a new zelle transfer that first transfer wasn't "instantaneous" the bank had to "verify" the number or email address in order to give me some identifying info. When I zelle my monthly payment to the lawn serv...
- Tue Feb 27, 2024 11:24 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Zelle Questions: safety, speed, uses?
- Replies: 57
- Views: 5478
Re: Zelle Questions: safety, speed, uses?
My current bank does not offer it, but recently I've had a number of handymen, etc. say that they will take a check but prefer Zelle. It seems like it's a very popular way to pay people instantly, and seems like it would be very convenient. 1. I see that if a bank does not offer Zelle natively, you can still sign up through the Zelle app. Does that offer instant transfers from A to B like it would it you banked with Chase or WF, or is there a 2-3 day delay like regular ACH? Not sure about the app. But I wanted to mention that when I Zelle from my local S&L checking account (yes, even my ancient old fashion I still have a passbook for my savings account S&L offers Zelle) I can tell it what day I want the transfer to occur - either i...
- Mon Feb 26, 2024 5:44 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Health Insurance question for 22 year old.
- Replies: 9
- Views: 1214
Re: Health Insurance question for 22 year old.
My son is starting his 1st real job in July at $50k/yr. He wants to save as much as possible and maybe even max out his 401k. He's going to have 6 months to contribute - 50,000/2080 (assuming a 40 hour work week) 24.00 an hour 1040 * 24 = $25,000 in income. He can contribute up to $23,000 to his 401K for 2024. Will you be subsidizing his day to day living expenses :) My hindsight suggests that your son contribute 20% to his $401K (hopefully it's a Roth 401K). I'd then start building his "spending plan" around what's left over. A spending plan should include his plans for living on his own (building up his security deposit, moving expenses, some $ for new stuff for the new living quarters) It should also have some money going towa...
- Mon Feb 26, 2024 5:15 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Health Insurance question for 22 year old.
- Replies: 9
- Views: 1214
Re: Health Insurance question for 22 year old.
Hey All, He is very frugal and I think he could pull off maxing out his 401k and getting some money into an HSA but, is it worth the extra $72/mo. The company has provided him with specifics on the plans yet so, not sure what an office visit costs under HDHP's. I too am thinking about switching to an HDHP to get the HSA tax bene's but same questions, what will it cost to go to the docs. Will the contributions be to a Roth 401K? Things to think about when using a HDHP and HSA: 1.) What healthcare providers/hospitals/clinics/urgent care be available (they may NOT be the same as the PPO plan). (it sucks to have to drive an hour to an immediate care clinic that is affiliated with your HDHP plan when you cut your finger/hand seriously enough to...
- Sun Feb 25, 2024 10:30 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Pay off mortgage or not
- Replies: 15
- Views: 1591
Re: Pay off mortgage or not
I'm sorry for your loss. Another thing to think about is the next 10 years - will your DD need to borrow money to put a new roof on the house? or a new HVAC? Will a new vehicle be needed? Some other big expense that I can't think of but you probably can if you look ahead to the next 10 years. You don't want to pay off a 3% mortgage and then have to borrow money at a higher rate to pay for something you absolutely need. Sure having a paid off house is nice -but not if you can't afford the upkeep on the house once it's paid off. If she pays off the house - how will she be adjusting her spending plan/budget so she has the money to pay for Big Lumpy Expenses in the future? (FWIW: in 2023: I spent about 40K on a new roof, repairing tuckpointing,...
- Sat Feb 24, 2024 9:16 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Spray paint for plastic shutters?
- Replies: 15
- Views: 1949
Re: Spray paint for plastic shutters?
If you wash the shutters in place - you may need to wash the whole side of the house with the shutters. The water/cleaner that runs down to the ground will streak your existing siding. Imagine washing just a rectangle area in the middle of a window with a spray bottle. If you've never washed windows before (I'm old and window washing was a thing when I was young when replaceing the storm windows with the "screens" for the summer) - go out and wash an area of a window on your vehicle - in the middle of the window with a spray bottle. See how well that works with the run off cleaner and the areas you didn't wash on the window. You DO need to clean the shutters before you paint. Painting over the dirt and grime and spider webs and bi...
- Fri Feb 23, 2024 9:54 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Help with washer, dryer, dishwasher that are 25 years old and never used
- Replies: 22
- Views: 2968
Re: Help with washer, dryer, dishwasher that are 25 years old and never used
If the dryer is gas (rather than electric) I'd make sure the gas connection is still good and up to code (I know there was a change in connectors about 25 years or so ago...) There may be some new type of connector that replaces the older one you have. Better safe than sorry. The thing with such old appliances is they may be energy hogs. If they are 25 year old energy star appliances it might not be too bad. If they are just run of the mill "top of the line" appliances - they could become a hidden large expense (via higher monthly bills - think about it - even $20 a month "extra" adds up over the years) Of course, if water, electricity, and natural gas are cheap utilities where you live maybe it won't matter if you aren'...
- Fri Feb 23, 2024 2:50 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Debit card vs. credit card at the ATM
- Replies: 11
- Views: 1297
Re: Debit card vs. credit card at the ATM
Since the "cost" of my mistake was relatively low - I considered it paying a "stupid tax" and vowed to avoid paying it again in the future. That's how I feel about it. I also view this as a learning experience, watching how the fee and interest play out, as you note below. I've never taken a cash advance from a credit card. It's also been many years since I carried a balance from one month to another, which I did only a few times. I would suggest that it may not be a be a "one and done" thing with any interest accruing (and what charges start accruing interest). If I remember correctly - I think it took two billing cycles to completely clear the interest and fees for my mistake. That's what I'm curious about. ...
- Fri Feb 23, 2024 1:17 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Property Tax Rates - How are they calculated?
- Replies: 12
- Views: 1136
Re: Property Taxe Rates - How are they calculated?
Whatever department is in charge of preparing and sending out the Property Tax bills in Harris County should be able to answer this question for you. You can get a lot of information from the Property Tax bill that is sent to you. It might even direct you to the online info available. You may be able to find the information on line via one of the Harris County webpages. Otherwise you can probably call the correct department and have them either direct you to a webpage OR maybe they will snailmail you the info you want (if they aren't in the 21st century yet OR if they have a very small government (meaning a couple of people are pluggin in numbers and sending out the bills to the 1000 or fewer homeowners). There is no one set of rules for ho...
- Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:23 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Debit card vs. credit card at the ATM
- Replies: 11
- Views: 1297
Re: Debit card vs. credit card at the ATM
I feel your pain. I did something similar a bunch of years ago. Since the "cost" of my mistake was relatively low - I considered it paying a "stupid tax" and vowed to avoid paying it again in the future. It appears (from the CC terms on the bank's web site), that I'm now on the hook for a $10 fee for a cash advance, plus interest at about a 24% APR, with no grace period like one gets for normal credit transactions. So I'll simply pay the card balance in full, after the cash advance posts. Fortunately there are only about $10 of other transactions on that card. I suppose the interest will be billed on my next statement. I wonder when the fee will hit. I would suggest that it may not be a be a "one and done" thin...
- Thu Feb 22, 2024 11:05 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Has anyone ripped out a deck and replaced it with a patio?
- Replies: 26
- Views: 3461
Re: Has anyone ripped out a deck and replaced it with a patio?
...Just wondering if anyone has ripped out a deck and put in a simple, basic concrete patio? I assume concrete must be less expensive. The decision on a deck versus concrete depends on the site. Concrete is not necessarily less expensive, there can be complicating site issues such as needing expensive retaining walls. A deck can bypass a lot of issues where concrete could be difficult like drainage issues as well as trees and roots. A concrete slab can be difficult and expensive to remove. I will probably get concrete patio quotes next week. I haven't researched this so I don't know what questions to ask. The area is relatively flat. A friend replaced a wooden deck with pavers. The old deck was flush with the sliding doors so no step down ...
- Thu Feb 22, 2024 1:31 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Best way to keep money in a main checking account safe?
- Replies: 57
- Views: 3473
Re: Best way to keep money in a main checking account safe?
The best way to keep money in a checking account safe? From what I can tell the major ways that money is stolen from checking accounts happens this way: 1.) a check is washed I think this comes down to where you live (how secure your mail is) and who you give checks to (or who you you live with/let into your home and who will access to your check book). 2.) you, literally, take money from your checking account and give it to a con artist/scammer. this might also involve wire fraud. 3.) a debit card that is stolen. I haven't heard about this much in the last 10 years or so... so maybe there are better protections in place for debit cards. I've never been one to keep a lot of extra money in my checking account (I don't use my checking account...
- Wed Feb 21, 2024 7:48 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Paying off credit card debt
- Replies: 31
- Views: 3052
Re: Paying off credit card debt
The first question to answer is why they have credit card debt that they're struggling to pay. They were overspending for a while, but have been spending less than they make for a while now. With their current expenses and income, they could afford about $400 towards paying down the credit card payments every month. They currently only use their debit card for paying ongoing expenses, so it isn't adding to the credit debt at all. I used a "credit card pay off calculator" I use 9K owed with an interest rate of 19.99% (I have no idea if that's valid) and a monthly payment of $400.00 to get 29 months until the debt is paid off. It sound like your friend is in for a "long haul" make sure they understand that their CC debt i...
- Tue Feb 20, 2024 11:32 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Do you use a second refrigerator/freezer?
- Replies: 74
- Views: 4546
Re: Do you use a second refrigerator/freezer?
I know a lot of people have a second fridge/freezer. Do you need them? For what do you use them? We are only two people. I can see maybe putting extra drinks in there but or having overflow space for a party but otherwise it seems a bit wasteful. I already shut off the freezer side. Maybe we don't need this giant white box taking up space in the garage and running up our electric bill, eh? I'm single. I have a side by side fridge/freezer in my kitchen. I bought a small EnergyStar Chest Freezer for my basement a handful of years ago. I did this because I was freezing "garden produce" and sometimes fruit (from trees of family and friends). It made it easier to buy a frozen turkey (or two) for the holidays - as I could more easily s...
- Mon Feb 19, 2024 10:33 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Need advice about real estate investment
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1934
Re: Need advice about real estate investment
Do you know how to calculate if the property you want to purchase will cash flow positive? Be aware that buying an "investment property" or a "second home" both come with higher mortgage rates and higher Property Tax and Insurance costs. There may be additional fees or upfront charges to turn on utilities because the payer (your tenant) is not the primary home owner). If you use a property manager that too will be an extra expense assume 10% of the monthly rent to the property manager. you will pay a premium for any "work orders" the Property manager takes care of (the garbage disposal isn't working, the stairwell light switch is broken, the closet doors came off the track or a closet shelf bracket pulled out o...
- Sun Feb 18, 2024 10:44 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Bank of America - Credit Card Fraud?
- Replies: 21
- Views: 2199
Re: Bank of America - Credit Card Fraud?
I didn't log in to my BOA account - but I'm pretty sure you can lock the card - which mean no one (not even the card holder) can use the card. This might be helpful, IF this isn't their only credit card and they can switch to a different card for some period of time. I think it might be worth doing some research/ask some questions about how the card owner is using this card, it does seem odd that even with a new card/number being issued (a new expiration date and CVV). it's still being compromised. Probably about 10 years ago - my Discover card was compromised - I had charges appear that I did not make (they were for online purchases). I received a new card/account. And then within a year a charge for a hotel room showed up out of the blue ...
- Sat Feb 17, 2024 8:00 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Is anyone using cash for a discount on everyday items?
- Replies: 83
- Views: 6087
Re: Is anyone using cash for a discount on everyday items?
I live in a densely populated area. I've only come across one place - a local take out restaurant - that offers a "cash discount". If you pay cash you save 3% on the total bill. I've seen a couple of gas stations with signage that say there's a cash and credit price. That's out of probably a hundred stations. Most of the stations have a prominent a price in Big Numbers with little words that say "with car wash" next to it. And then the price per gallon without a car wash in a Medium sized number below it. There's usually a .10 difference between the numbers. I *HATE* those signs because I've been taken in by them a time or two (I didn't get a car wash - BUT thought I'd get the "with a car wash" price because I ...
- Fri Feb 16, 2024 2:08 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Any recommendation of a book that chronicles the downward spiral of an ordinary person
- Replies: 102
- Views: 9197
Re: Any recommendation of a book that chronicles the downward spiral of an ordinary person
I didn't get "Bartleby" when I read it in HS. I didn't get a lot of things in HS. I remembered the story but it always puzzled me. I started re-reading many of the books/stories I had to read in my AP english courses in my 20's. I got it.
I'd also recommend reading Billy Bud. Melville. Gotta love him.
- Fri Feb 16, 2024 12:06 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Guilt about having to spend Roth IRA money
- Replies: 33
- Views: 5330
Re: Guilt about having to spend Roth IRA money
I guess what I'm saying is why should I feel guilty about this? It's our money, what am I saving the specific Roth accounts for? Use it when necessary seems to be my situation. Thanks for the rant. I am starting what I call my "yearly Cash Hemorrhage" a six week period where every Big Lumpy Expense comes due. Long ago I started "sinking funds" to build up the $$ for these Big Lumpy Bills by saving 1/12th (or so) every month. I suffered a lot of stress and guilt and "feel bad" the first few years of having to write the checks and watching my Big Sum of Money go to nearly zero dollars. But then I started a different "inner conversation" - that it was OK that I was "spending" this really Big S...
- Fri Feb 16, 2024 11:08 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: 14%+ Used Car Loan
- Replies: 44
- Views: 3466
Re: 14%+ Used Car Loan
That's a tough lesson to learn - but at least he's young. :) And it might not be a bad thing... 10K at 14.20% for 5 years is a $233.72 per month payment. Total interest paid will be $4,023.24. I'm guesstimating it's a 5 year loan and that he doesn't have much disposable monthly income. I'd make sure your son is aware of the numbers behind the "High interest rate is bad" and "low monthly payment is good". An amortization schedule (or spreadsheet) could be helpful especially if he can play around with the input numbers. Adding $100 a month to the 233.72 gets it down to 38 months with $2,421.895 interest paid. The only redeeming quality of the $233.72 payment and adding extra each month - means if he hits a hard patch finan...
- Thu Feb 15, 2024 5:55 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What inferior good do you love?
- Replies: 232
- Views: 25517
Re: What inferior good do you love?
Peeps! But only the orignal yellow. None of those chemo looking blue and pink varieties! I only have them around Easter. I keep threatening to cook them over a fire and make somores one day! :twisted: OMG! Yes. Peeps! but only the yellow ones OR the plain flavor Pink ones. Chicks or rabbits are ok. The other colors taste weird (blue, green, purple (ick!)) OR are flavored (no one needs Strawberry flavored Peeps). FWIW: you can freeze unopened packages of Peeps. I put them in a freezer zippy bag and into the chest freezer. They go right next to a couple of boxes of Girl Scout cookies Thin Mints. I love having Peeps in June and July (and not those awful flavored holiday "peeps"). And frozen thin mints are an awesome summer time treat.
- Thu Feb 15, 2024 3:58 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: What's The Latest On Tap, Swipe, Or Insert?
- Replies: 44
- Views: 3917
Re: What's The Latest On Tap, Swipe, Or Insert?
I tend to insert my "chipped" card rather than Tap. Mostly because I haven't figured out where to "Tap" because I've found that most of the machines have different places to Tap - and I'm not intuitive enough to figure out where that spot is. And I just want to complete my transaction - not fuss around with trying to get the card reader to read my "tap". Where to insert the card is usually clearly marked (or at the bottom) of the reader very little searching involved.
Swiping is a last resort.
Swiping is a last resort.
- Thu Feb 15, 2024 3:09 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What email address is "okay/acceptable" to use then?
- Replies: 168
- Views: 18024
Re: What email address is "okay/acceptable" to use then?
But is having "the right" email address a thing? Is gmail good enough?[/b] I think if you are a business or you are a "brand" and want your email to be eye catching or easy to remember, then, yes, having the right email address is important. If you need an email address to handle all your personal on line needs (banking, utility companies, services (amazon, netflix, online newspaper subscriptions, etc) then I would think it doesn't really matter what email address you have - as long as it's active and you sign into it regularly to check what's in it. A human being isn't going to seeing or using the address. Well, maybe your bank might - if you apply for a loan or mortgage. I'm not sure how much personal (not work or net...
- Thu Feb 15, 2024 2:03 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What email address is "okay/acceptable" to use then?
- Replies: 168
- Views: 18024
Re: What email address is "okay/acceptable" to use then?
I'd don't think it really matters what the @xxxxxx.com is...
I still use my original hotmail account - it's a variation of my name that's socially acceptable, not juvenile, and it has no numbers in it. I also use a gmail account.
I think it's all about what comes before the @xxxxxxx.com that says more about you than what email service you use. OK, a hotmail, yahoo, aol, or your internet provider complementary email account might hint more at your age than saying anything about you as a person. It's what comes before the @ that can say more about you...
I still use my original hotmail account - it's a variation of my name that's socially acceptable, not juvenile, and it has no numbers in it. I also use a gmail account.
I think it's all about what comes before the @xxxxxxx.com that says more about you than what email service you use. OK, a hotmail, yahoo, aol, or your internet provider complementary email account might hint more at your age than saying anything about you as a person. It's what comes before the @ that can say more about you...
- Thu Feb 15, 2024 10:12 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Netflix subscription
- Replies: 87
- Views: 6107
Re: Netflix subscription
Do you have a 4K TV? $22.99 price tier allows you to stream content in 4K HDR, to me that's worth it as the Netflix content tends to be 4K HDR No 4K TV. "as the Netflix content tends to be 4K HDR" -- does that mean some content will be inaccessible to us or just that it won't be as high-quality as it could be? We would likely be fine with lower-quality access but would prefer to not miss out on a lot of content, if possible. I have a 4K (I think) fire stick attached to my not 4K older HD flat screen TV (I think it's HD). I got the Fire Stick on sale a bunch of years ago (it was the first one I've ever had). Netflix works just fine - I get all the content and as far as I can tell the shows/movie look ok on the TV I have. I have a ...
- Thu Feb 15, 2024 9:13 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Color or Black & White Printer
- Replies: 32
- Views: 2321
Re: Color or Black & White Printer
I do have a color laser jet printer - but rarely print in color. Toner doesn't go bad. The things I print in color: a "gift card" that I purchased on line and printed out in order to gift it. Some image or template or something I am using decoratively. A contract that came as a pdf because it had different color text (to highlight parts) and printing in b&W made it very hard to identify the highlighted parts. Some pages of an insurance policy - again because some parts were in color to highlight important things (I could have printed it and then just used a highlighter to go over the important parts but I was being lazy.) My next printer will most likely be B&W unless there's a small difference in price for a Color printer...
- Wed Feb 14, 2024 11:39 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What do you eat?
- Replies: 54
- Views: 4916
Re: What do you eat?
I'm a Flexitarian (the majority of my meals are vegetarian/vegan, but I will eat critter or fish. I can't quite work up the ethical fortitude to not eat "meat" or "fish" when it's really inconvenient - holiday dinner or an outing with friends. I will usually choose a vegetarian meal if one is offered.) So what do I eat: Breakfast: I go through phases: steel cut oats (endless variety - just used up heavy cream and homemade strawberry jam in the last round of oatmeal). Boxed cereal like Cheerios. breakfast sandwich: english muffin, egg, cheese, maybe canadian bacon, maybe breakfast sausage (usually do the meat add in around the holidays when I have left over sausage/bacon from family potluck breakfasts). French toast is ni...
- Tue Feb 13, 2024 10:09 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: should i pay off a car at 1.9% or invest in a cd at 5.5%
- Replies: 67
- Views: 6280
Re: should i pay off a car at 1.9% or invest in a cd at 5.5%
And once someone IS wealthy, 17K might be a drop in a very big bucket. With enough wealth it might not matter much one way or the other. The amount of interest saved on the loan versus the interest paid on the investment is inconsequential in their big picture.Squirrel208 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 12, 2024 8:21 pmWealthy people don't get that way by financing the purchase of depreciating assets. <shrugs>