Bogleheads.org

JDLF wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 10:19 am Been unable to start yet this year.
For about a week, all I can get is "HTTP Error 503. The service is unavailable." when trying to create account.

I had that for 2 days a couple weeks ago, right when my 1099 came in. It took a couple days before I could log on again to add the last form.

I slept on a double tall air mattress for a year. I was fine with it. It had an internal pump and was always plugged it. I would flip the switch for 10 seconds before going to sleep each night to firm it up. With regular bedding, it looked and almost felt like a normal bed. This Intex was $100, but that was 14 years ago. Looks like the price hasn't changed much.

Self Realization Fellowship lessons. You pay less than the cost of the paper, ink, envelopes, and stamps.

I sold a 14 Versa Note to Carmax last year for 50% of what I paid for it out the door. I though 7.5 years use of a perfectly reliable car @ $1000 per year was a great ending. The flip side is that new cars cost a lot more now and they don't have big sales for lower end cars. I'm not sure if places are still paying good $ for used cars. Judging by the prices I see online, they must!

I read somewhere that zoom only requires 5mbps or so. Even if you account for multiple zoom sessions & Netflix and all that jazz, something in the vicinity of 25mbps~50mbps would suffice. The only difference I'm feeling is when I download a big file, such as an ISO image of my operating system. Zoom at 720p only uses 1.2Mbps. I don't see a difference if I up it to 1080p. Pretty amazing. All the video meeting services use about the same 1.0 - 1.5. My home internet is ATT fiber. 25Mbps max. As in it varies / flexes. I have never had an issue. Even though a speed test would show up much lower. Huh. I just tested it and it is 55 down and 11 up. They must have increased the minimum. I would still be fine with 25 if they offered it.

You can hear the PA when they use it. For the most part, they don't make announcements mid race at any track. Almost everyone is wearing ear protection. They wouldn't hear it. The headsets you can rent let you hear communication between spotter and driver. If you want a normal announcer, save your money and use your own headphones with your phone or a radio and listen in on MRN or whatever other network is announcing it.

I would try to find a fun hobby job. Something you enjoy with people you enjoy. A part time school lunch server is fulfilling, easy work. You spend time with kids, work with nice people, have a positive impact, can take food home, get 14 weeks off a year (paid in some areas), low or no cost health insurance (in some areas), and only work 20 hours a week. As someone in public education...I would say that last paragraph is not universal. At all. My lunch servers work in an extremely high stress high pressure high paced environment- attempting to serve over 600 breakfasts in 35 minutes in the morning, then cleaning and converting to serve around 875 lunches in a 90 minute period starting just 2 hours later. Food service, in any context, is a ...

Thanks for posting this. I feel somewhat isolated in BH having a lower income and lower $ goal for my nest egg. While I plan on retiring in the Philippines, I think it would be much easier and preferable to stay where I am and work somewhere part time or in some other aspect. We are still 10 - 16+ years away. The future is not known. You have a couple years to continue working and saving. Or you could take on a less stressful job now and let the current investments grow. What do you mean the full $600K is in cash? You are not invested in any equities or bonds? I think your plans will change with time. Even if everything works out as foreseen and you do it in 2 years, you can back out at any time and go back to work on some level. I would tr...

Read up on doing quarterly estimated taxes-- federal and state. Read on SEP Ira's or Solo 401k. We initially did a SEP IRA (25%) until the Solo 401k (20,500+20%) was larger. Remember you have to pay someone to administer/setup a solo 401k. If it's just a few years, probably easiest to just SEP IRA. If your wife "helps" you, you can possible make her an employee of some sort for her help managing your schedule, stocking your office etc. You can perhaps start deducting expenses (condo fees, home office square footage, power %, cleaning, internet, etc). Your W2 benefits package is probably 30% of your W2 salary, so you can perhaps charge for that missed perk. If I made my wife an employee would we be able to put 50% of the income in...

An example I am familiar with: In NY

A family member, Bob, took another family member's car, Jack.

Bob totaled the car. No other cars involved. Bob was under 18 with no license or insurance and does not live in the same house as Jack.

Insurance told Jack they were required to press a charge to get payment (or so Bob was told).

Bob was taken in and charged with "driving out of class", a misdemeanor that would be sealed in a youth offender envelope. No fine or jail time.

Results:
Jack received full cost of car (old, crappy car).
Bob has to write on all job applications "driving out of class" for the rest of his life. Never affected a job offer (that he knows of).

Names were changed to protect those involved!

3701
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I use screencast 0 matic. Sizable recording. $48 per year. I am not sure about 4K. They don't mention it.
It works great for my needs. Easy to use.

bfeenix44 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 17, 2022 4:48 pm
So, let's say I go to log onto my computer one day, and it won't boot up, or there's an issue that I'm unable to trouble-shoot and I'm unable to log onto my computer.

For a Chromebook, if it won't boot in the 1st year, mail it in for manufacturer warranty repair. I doubt a legitimate repair would try to get on your account. I doubt it is even possible.
If after a year, reload the OS. You can do this with a USB, but the OS can reload itself if intact. Just Google it.
Or if the screen is not turning on and that is the issue, buy a new screen. 6 screws. Google it.

Aside from those: Smash it. Throw it in the trash. Buy a new one.

For Windows we can preboot to a USB stick with PW breaker software. Then we can make a new admin account and can look at your files from the new account. I guess I could pull your app profile records for browsers at that time. I am not sure if pulling profile records would allow me to log on online accounts. It would probably trigger a PW ask for things like email, but it may give me all your bookmarks and other saved PWs. And we can see all local files at that point that are not additionally PW protected or encrypted. For a Chromebook, they are super easy to reset. But all local accounts are wiped at that point. I have never seen cross account access on a Chromebook. But I never tried. 2FA is a must. Many Chormebooks have a TPM chip. I'm n...

StepUp alone will pay 7K or more. I have seen families making 250K and living in million dollar homes get it. Work with the school on finding more scholarships. I'm sure they have an office or employee who helps with it. The school may have a fund, scholarships, or awards as well.

Get everyone a unique set of playing cards. Easy to order. Small. Purposeful. You can pick from hundreds of decks to show that you know everyone's unique tastes. Low cost, but not too cheap. Stimulates human to human contact.

My wife drives less than me. So we take her car for shared outings and vacations. She will still end up with less, but closer than it would be otherwise. Switching cars is too much for us. I like having my car. She likes having her car. I hypermile so the transmission computer would be confused if we switched regularly. But yes, if you can switch daily, monthly, or even annually, that would work. You could even switch at the 5 year point and come out even. I don't know how much resale you can expect from those cars in 10 years. If you prefer one and your partner prefers the other, stick with that.

stan1 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 19, 2022 8:14 am Are you trying to get government contracts or work with the Small Business Administration? NAICS codes are a big deal for those type of businesses (current and with aspirations to grow)

It sounds like you are more of a one person shop with 1099 income?

I am paid 100% with some kind of government grant or funding at his point. But when it is passed to the state I am not sure if it changes to state money at that point. I hope to find additional grants in the future, but these are not government contracts. They seem lax. And I was paid with cash before COVID funding flooded the market. I hope to stay small and happy. Thanks.
Yes. Single 1099.

Artful Dodger wrote: ↑Sat Nov 19, 2022 8:06 am This might be helpful. Assuming you’re self employed and make under $170k single or $340k family, I don’t think it matters. If you’re over those amounts, the specified service trade or business (SSTB) limit comes into play and there is a phase out of the deduction, depending on your business services, and consulting is one of those affected. Read below…

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-suppor ... Q_US_en_US

Thanks. I didn't realize there is an earnings limit for the no consultants rule. I make around 100k.

For the past couple years I filled out the 1040 and Schedule C saying I was an IT Consultant because it sounded cool and everyone kept asking me how I liked my life after switching to consulting. I never saw it that way. I've been using business code 541510: computer systems design and related services. I do system and network maintenance as the meat of my day. But I am asked for advice and sit in meetings often, too. I didn't understand or try to get QBI in previous years. I would like to try this year. Should I (can I) change my job title to system admin this year when requesting QBI? For the bottom of 1040 and top of Schedule C. Does the NAICS code for the business checking account factor in at all? Is there a list of which codes are or ...

No.

At this point most online colleges have gone the way of Amazon and Carvana. They started off cutting costs and passing those savings on to customers. But as their popularity grew (students found out they don't have to work as hard for the same degree), they end up charging as much or more. At least for graduate programs. I paid $20K flat and had a Master of Science in 11 months. And it was easy. But that was a long time ago.

A local state college has a $10K BAS degree. Can be in person, hybrid, or totally online. Lots of options.

I've only been once but I liked Smoke. A bit uptown. Very small. We went in late for free (talk to the person at the door) but had to buy dinner. I liked my pizza but the sliders and lobster bisque were super salty. More of a snack club than dinner. Music was Harlem Renaissance style which I prefer. Especially since we were practically in Harlem. Are you looking for smooth jazz or old stuff?

Memory (2022) with Liam Neeson on Amazon Prime Video. An aging assassin with Alzheimer's. This could have been really funny or really messed up. I would have enjoyed either. While Liam had some good acting and kept with the theme, the film never became vulnerable. Liam gets all the bad guys, as usual. They tried to make it a mystery crime solver drug trendy whatever, but there were so many characters, little development, and they sped up the audio so much that I found it not worth the effort to keep up. It had potential.

runner3081 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 28, 2022 1:10 pm Inflation killed that here, the local Kroger went from $0.89 for a cheap wheat or white loaf to $1.99 for the same loaf, ugh.

Whoa. I was upset when my Walmart went from $1.00 to $1.47.

The cheap bread can be better. Less sugars and preservatives. But you have to eat it in a day or 2. They have a whole grain version but it is half the size and tastes like sand paper.

Kind of hard to help without asking questions. You have 3944 gross but only listed 2320 net. What happened to the rest of the money? If you are spending it on something you don't want to detail, that's fine, but we need to know. Otherwise all I can suggest is you tighten up the leaking holes in your budget. A lot! Is all that just federal and FICA tax and health insurance?

Another important question is how much you already saved for the down payment.

If $2320 is your net and you are spending all of it and you don't have any savings, that is a tough situation. How much of that can you cut back to save more?

Final thing, $300 per month in gas. Find a good school. Move right next to it. Save $300 a month.

the government buildings downtown are amazing; some look like they belong in DC, others look like a futuristic tecno-planet. there is a small art museum downtown that has a lot of works from the hudson river valley painters...Thomas Cole is my favorite. if you go in the next few weeks you can drive around leef peeping too. I always thought it was more like someone gave a Soviet architect a blank check. Being designed by Rockafeller, the plaza area downtown is pretty close to a blank check job. Some parts are bland. It was built in 1970 or there about. I have a lot of fond memories skipping school and hanging out on the marble. I recommend the State Museum and maybe a show at the Egg. If you're into indoor activities. They had a recent exhi...

OP can't even afford a pool pump timer. Ease up!

I'd take that job in a heartbeat, if it fit my schedule.

miamivice wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 2:27 pm
Bottom line is we spent $900 on a pair of 2500W Harbinger V4115 speakers with tripods from Guitar City.

Did you purchase a small mixer? How will you get the sound from the video playing device to both speakers?
Did you get a mic for announcements? How will that go to both speakers?

I have done this in college to get some experience with Linux. From what I remember you just make a bootable USB of the ISO, select it on boot, and use it. So it isn't a special version of Linux to run on USB. It is a full version. Linux lets you use it on USB and gives the option to overwrite the HDD or partition off and add a side by side linux and windows HDD. I have tried all of these. All work with simple internet guides. To only run on USB, just don't click the option to add it to the HDD. I am not sure about the accessing Windows files from Linux. Maybe put them on a second USB and access them that way. I have always used Rufus, but the newer version is not as simple as the older versions. I use rufus for all my bootable media needs....

I find it hard to believe a pair of $500 speakers won't fill the movie seating area. Maybe put a piece of plywood in front of the generator.

+1 for a guitar shop. I want to say I paid $300 for 24 hours for a picnic. 15 years ago. While the speakers come with stands to better spread the sound, they are not large. I have a feeling they will not be larger than what you bought, just a more reliable brand and quality, and with a separate amp. They probably rent out larger sets, too. Sounds like a large event.

I was staying at an ashram in Escondido back in 2004ish. We were walking around on our day off and saw a small shack with an acre or two for sale. It had the little flyer box out front so I grabbed one. Over 1Mil for a broke down shack in the middle of nowhere. Whoa. And it was super dry back then. But hey, you never know! Or try the north side. Or Texas.

Yes. I had them pre pandemic, too. They are a bit unnerving, but as the rep said, no change, no problem. Sometimes the alerts are about a change in the flight number, time, seat, etc. Sometimes they seem to be nothing I can detect or understand. Booking multi flight international months in advance, I would get several.

All right. I bit the bullet. 300K/500K BIL, 100K property, 300K/500K UM for $1,000 more per year (2 cars / 2 people). From $1400 to $2400. Those numbers sound high, but maybe there's something in there that I'm missing. Also 2 cars, 2 people here. No collision / comprehensive / UM. But we have $2M of liability with an umbrella policy. Auto and umbrella are both through GEICO. Auto is $350 every six months, umbrella is $350 a year. So a little over $1000 a year for $2M of liability protection, which extends to other types of liability, not just auto accidents. They are 2 new SUVs with collision and comprehensive. That was $1400 with minimal BIL and no UM. $2400 ($2300 + $50 per 6 months when paying (taxes?)) with high BIL, property, and UM....

All right. I bit the bullet. 300K/500K BIL, 100K property, 300K/500K UM for $1,000 more per year (2 cars / 2 people). From $1400 to $2400. Those numbers sound high, but maybe there's something in there that I'm missing. Also 2 cars, 2 people here. No collision / comprehensive / UM. But we have $2M of liability with an umbrella policy. Auto and umbrella are both through GEICO. Auto is $350 every six months, umbrella is $350 a year. So a little over $1000 a year for $2M of liability protection, which extends to other types of liability, not just auto accidents. They are 2 new SUVs with collision and comprehensive. That was $1400 with minimal BIL and no UM. $2400 ($2300 + $50 per 6 months when paying (taxes?)) with high BIL, property, and UM....

And I like the idea that the quality of my future health is reliant on my daily food and exercise choices. some things can happen to anybody. it's not your diet, it's not your age, it's nobody's fault, and there is no warning. until my kid got cancer, he was as healthy and active as every other kid on the playground. the medical bills to save his life were over a million dollars, and spanned multiple calendar years. he is fine now. strongly urge you to buy medical insurance for your whole family. Sorry you had to go through that. Glad the kid made it through. Looking at plans, since I am able to reduce income with 401k and ira, I get half price on the marketplace. Wow! I didn't know. It will be tight, but it looks like we can afford the lo...

02nz wrote: ↑Fri Jul 01, 2022 3:10 pm
Have others noticed the same?

No. Everything is normal for my gmail.

All right. I bit the bullet. 300K/500K BIL, 100K property, 300K/500K UM for $1,000 more per year (2 cars / 2 people). From $1400 to $2400. I thought that was the max offered to me but as I was signing the digital forms I saw up to 1MM. Was not offered to me. Must have to call in for that. Still super pissed Geico wouldn't give me the BRK discount. I will look into home again to see if there is something reasonable if I exclude wind. Can I do home but only have it be personal liability and fire? No wind / flood? I should talk with an agent. Maybe they can get me a better deal on the car insurance, too. Then an umbrella will only cost $300 more. I can afford a few thousand a year. Just happened to overhear a coworker today. Another home insur...

This has got to be a trolling post. If it is, then I fell for it. My bad. I appreciate your concern and everyone's thoughts. I read them. I come here to learn. I’m not quite sure how to answer someone who owns a home, but not only has the minimum liability on their auto policy, but doesn’t have homeowner’s insurance. When you’re analyzing risk, you have to think not only about the odds of the bad thing happening, but of the consequences if the bad thing happens. We’re talking about low probability, high impact events. You probably won’t get sued over a car accident (although I know several people who have), but if it does happen, you will be wiped out. Same with your house. It probably won’t burn down or blow away (although I know people t...

I don't have home insurance. As we don't have health insurance <Mind blown.> :oops: Friend: really, seriously, truly, please, get your home, car, and person adequately insured. Please. +1 Like walking a tightrope 100 feet in the air, without a net! You definitely put yourself, your family & everyone on the roads you drive on, at risk. A serious accident in a vehicle caused by you could wipe you out financially & you could find ALL future earnings attached for the balance of your life. Certainly not an intelligent decision by you in any way. I've felt fine up until today... I could be wiped out, even with all those insurances, if a big enough accident occurred. The what ifs and different insurances and "adequate" amounts s...

I’m not quite sure how to answer someone who owns a home, but not only has the minimum liability on their auto policy, but doesn’t have homeowner’s insurance. When you’re analyzing risk, you have to think not only about the odds of the bad thing happening, but of the consequences if the bad thing happens. We’re talking about low probability, high impact events. You probably won’t get sued over a car accident (although I know several people who have), but if it does happen, you will be wiped out. Same with your house. It probably won’t burn down or blow away (although I know people that’s happened to, too), but if it does and you don’t have insurance, you won’t have a home. The cost of insuring those risks is trivial compared to the consequ...

Now the uninsured protection increase practically doubles my policy. What's up with that? I have PIP with the extra 20/25% medical coverage and that costs next to nothing. So I am 100% covered for medical and collision and maxed out for liability. Why would I pay a ton more for redundant protection? Aren't I protected whether the other person is insured or not? OK. I see it. PIP is only $10,000. Adding the max uninsured 300,000/500,000 (not stacked) brings me up to $2,300 per year. $900 more than my minimalist policy ($400 more just for the uninsured part.) (Stacking makes it $3,000 annual) As we don't have health insurance, I'll splurge on the non stacked. I get the feeling insurance is less in other states. Must be those wild south flori...

Wow. I thought I was some hot stuff upping my insurance from 10,000/20,000 (minimum required in FL) to 20,000/20,000. The 100,000/300,000 is the suggested min if you are leasing. Maxing liability takes my insurance from $1400 per year (2 people, 2 cars), to $1900. $500 more. So now at 300,000/500,000 bodily injury, 100,000 property (both maxed for what options I am given). I guess that is reasonable. Although almost all my assets are 401k, IRAs, or homestead house. All not considered personal assets in court in FL. Now the uninsured protection increase practically doubles my policy. What's up with that? I have PIP with the extra 20/25% medical coverage and that costs next to nothing. So I am 100% covered for medical and collision and maxed ...

I live in a no fault state. I am not sure how that works. I don't think I would ever be found at fault regardless. I have never had any form of accident or bump.

I was thinking of $100,000 as the maximum. You guys are saying that is a minimum?

What about escalation? They were suing people with 100,000 for 1,000,000. Now everyone caries 1,000,000 and they start suing for 10,000,000.

People also carry uninsured / underinsured coverage. Wouldn't that cover something?

I live in a state where personal injury lawyers blast TV and billboards with million dollar claims 24/7. Wasn't that outlawed for a while?

If I buy 100,000/300,000 but these lawyers sue for millions, why bother paying for anything above minimum?

Right in the lawyer ads, they say they never sue the person. Just the insurance company. So it doesn't matter if the person had 10,000 or 100,000. If ever the need is higher, the victim can sue the insurer. Is that true? Or do people get sued all the time for more?

If Mr. Erstwhile were 100% stock, he would have entered 2040 with $37,000 less. Thus failing in the first month of 2040.
100% stock: 5.12% avg annual return.
50/50: 3.95% avg annual return.
The large percentage drops in equities in the first 2 years were too great to overcome.

Thank you for your replies I am trying to get reassured so I can reassure my wife who just trusts me with handling all finances putting additional pressure on me Lol, how does she even know unless you tell her? Just show her the unrealized gain/loss. I’m sure that’s still really green and you’re still up 7 figures. Well, I had been telling her to take more interest in investing. So she decided to watch cnbc and knows enough that red is bad and green is good and there is a lot of red nowadays ! My wife does the same thing. But the worst is when her friends tell her you lose money in the stock market and that she should keep and spend her money now. And of course, she gets the most of that pressure in times like these. We should be set to re...

Parkinglotracer wrote: ↑Tue May 31, 2022 4:45 am
- car insurance is about 2K less a year in NY than it would be in FL

Are you sure about that? Do you have a special circumstance like a DUI only in FL or a deep discount in NY? If not, I would shop around more. The rates should be similar.

Finally got above EPA highway MPG in mixed use driving. Either I'm learning to feel the throttle better in my heel toe work or the transmission is learning my foot.

Reppin' for the slow lane.

You don't say your state. In my state you would need a seller's permit that allows & requires you to collect sales tax. You will have to source your products from wholesalers or retailers that accept a seller permit. If the school is sales tax exempt then you will have to collect their tax exemption form. But my understanding jd you would still need that seller's permit to either resell goods or make goods for sale even if your buyer is sales tax exempt. Yes, I saw that as a first step. I don't want to pay tax when I buy it. I already have all their tax exempt certs from when I place orders for them. So no tax in and no tax out. I assumed any notable online seller will accept the permit, but that is something to bear in mind. "In ...

Assuming it's allowed under your contract with the school, and under the terms of the grant I don't see why you couldn't. You should probably check that first, I can see where there might be a conflict of interest, or a requirement for vendors to bid. But if allowed you'd end up reporting it as sales of inventory on your Sch C which you're probably already filing for the consulting part of your business. It's also possible that you might also need to collect and remit sales tax to your state for the parts sales. I have an agreement. No contract allowed. These are smaller private schools. Fun and free, until then pendulum swings the other way. I buy items and service work through other vendors in the same system. We are all preapproved for ...