Search found 108 matches
- Wed May 27, 2015 7:04 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Money and cell phones when traveling to Canada
- Replies: 40
- Views: 4217
Re: Money and cell phones when traveling to Canada
Using a US cell phone in Canada is very expensive unless Canada is already on your call plan. Getting data there is even more expensive. WiFi is your best bet. Exchange your money while in Canada. They give the best rates. Since I live close to the border and go to Canada often I don't even have to ...
- Fri Oct 03, 2014 7:00 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: BIG ($180k) student debt!! Strategy needed.
- Replies: 54
- Views: 9671
Re: BIG ($180k) student debt!! Strategy needed.
Live on your income, put all she earns into paying off her debt. The good thing about this is you both will feel that she paid her student debts and you will learn to live below your means. When the debt is paid, you can put her income into retirement savings or towards a down payment on a house. Le...
- Sat Sep 06, 2014 4:45 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: A 'really good book' you did NOT enjoy
- Replies: 229
- Views: 17914
Re: A 'really good book' you did NOT enjoy
Moby Dick - I have had to write a book report on it in high school and again in college and in truth I never could get past the first couple of chapters. It was terribly boring! Thank God for Cliff notes.
- Wed Sep 03, 2014 4:31 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
- Replies: 3502
- Views: 987698
Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Loved Guardians of the Galaxy. Was surprised that when I took my grandson to see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that I actually enjoyed that one also.
- Sat May 31, 2014 5:01 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Budget for charitable giving
- Replies: 39
- Views: 3498
Re: Budget for charitable giving
Last year I gave 9% of my after tax income to charity. I am working my way up to 10%. I firmly believe that what you give away will come back to you in many ways whether it is in kindness, good will, opportunities, smiles, or even financial advantages. I give to all 3 of the colleges I received degr...
- Wed May 28, 2014 9:33 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: in-laws/student loans
- Replies: 57
- Views: 3950
Re: in-laws/student loans
If I were you I would start paying off the student loans you cosigned for. They are just accumulating interest now. Your sister in law can always pay you back when she gets a job. This way you reduce the amount of total debt owed as well as your risk that she defaults on the loans and ruins your cre...
- Wed Apr 23, 2014 11:15 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Where would you retire, if $ were no object?
- Replies: 89
- Views: 21848
Re: Where would you retire, if $ were no object?
Toronto, ON but I can't afford it.
- Wed Apr 16, 2014 4:03 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Help with Home Sale
- Replies: 15
- Views: 1406
Re: Help with Home Sale
sometimes a bank will give you a 'bridge loan' to cover you until you close on the old house.
- Mon Feb 24, 2014 10:04 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Things to do in St.Louis with a toddler
- Replies: 19
- Views: 2272
Re: Things to do in St.Louis with a toddler
I love visiting St. Louis with my grandchildren. I would recommend the zoo and the science museum. You can look on explorestlouis.com for more ideas of what to do with young children. Have a wonderful trip!
- Mon Jan 13, 2014 12:09 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: School District Not Allowing me To Invest
- Replies: 82
- Views: 9803
Re: School District Not Allowing me To Invest
I am a retired teacher from NYS. The DB plan in NYS is one of the best in the country. It is fully funded and the State's constitution requires that pensions be funded. It is administered outside State government. I congratulate OP for starting a Roth IRA. I also would support funding a taxable IRA ...
- Sun Dec 22, 2013 9:02 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Kids in 5 years. Preparation with finances.
- Replies: 40
- Views: 2689
Re: Kids in 5 years. Preparation with finances.
I think you are doing well financially. My only advise would be to keep the house you have now and raise your children there. Kids really don't need a big house. If they need room to play there is the whole outdoors to use - good for noise control and for health/physical development. If you have two...
- Sun Dec 15, 2013 3:15 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Gift Suggestions - for a 9 year old girl
- Replies: 25
- Views: 2382
Re: Gift Suggestions - for a 9 year old girl
Have 9 year old and 8 year old granddaughters. American Girl is their best friend. A doll will cost about $100 but if she already has one there are clothes you can buy, pets, beds, cars, baths, etc. you can add to their collection. My niece considered having an American Girl doll a 'status symbol'. ...
- Sat Oct 26, 2013 8:55 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Elope to Save Money?
- Replies: 79
- Views: 7772
Re: Elope to Save Money?
My nephew and his wife had a small ceremony at a local park and then did a BBQ for all the relatives and friends. It was a cost effective way of having a 'shindig' without the big price tag and they were able to invite everyone they wanted. If you don't care about all the fancy details I would think...
- Mon Oct 07, 2013 6:54 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Second career in teaching?
- Replies: 28
- Views: 2833
Re: Second career in teaching?
Where I live even the community colleges are looking for people with doctorates. You might be able to do adjunct work with a Masters especially if it is in a field like nursing, PT, OT etc. but to get a full time job you need a doctorate in your field. Adjunct work here only pays about $3000 per cou...
- Sun Jul 28, 2013 12:28 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Family vacation - need some bogle wisdom
- Replies: 18
- Views: 2307
Re: Family vacation - need some bogle wisdom
While in the Buffalo region I would suggest you look at spending some time at Fort Niagara in Youngstown, NY. They have re-enactors explain about colonial times, the French and Indian War as well as the War of 1812. (One of the few wars where both sides say they won) There really isn't that much to ...
- Wed Jun 26, 2013 7:33 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Are you expected to subsidize friends and family?
- Replies: 52
- Views: 7437
Re: Are you expected to subsidize friends and family?
Let me just share my experiences on the other side of this coin. As a single parent I often had less disposable cash than my friends and family. Family affairs were usually planned with little out of pocket expenses except for hotel stays. When that happened my family always offered to let me stay a...
- Mon Jun 03, 2013 11:56 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Does anyone own a Hyundai?
- Replies: 71
- Views: 8130
Re: Does anyone own a Hyundai?
I had a 2003 Camry for 10 years, 187,000 miles on it. Gave it to my SIL and he is loving it after almost a year. I bought a new 2013 Sonata and so far I am very pleased. I get (on average) 26 mpg short trips and 36mpg for highway driving. I really like to drive and drive long distances. It really hu...
- Wed May 08, 2013 8:16 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Having a renter deposit rent directly at bank?
- Replies: 32
- Views: 3263
Re: Having a renter deposit rent directly at bank?
I have learned that people who don't have bank accounts often have a history of trouble with money. My old tenants didn't have a bank account and sent me the rent via money order. Everything was good until they stopped paying rent. I had to evict them and found that they had done thousands of dollar...
- Wed Apr 17, 2013 2:33 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What are your top companies for customer service?
- Replies: 76
- Views: 5982
- Mon Apr 15, 2013 10:44 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Going to London
- Replies: 26
- Views: 3057
Re: Going to London
1. Tower of London - spent 2 days there
2. Hampton Court - short train ride out
3. Changing of the Guard
4. Kensington Palace
5. I loved the tobacco shops
2. Hampton Court - short train ride out
3. Changing of the Guard
4. Kensington Palace
5. I loved the tobacco shops
- Fri Apr 12, 2013 10:36 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: How important is a good school district?
- Replies: 65
- Views: 4733
Re: How important is a good school district?
What about private schools in your current area?
- Mon Mar 04, 2013 10:47 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Need help figuring out how to reduce expenses and pay debt
- Replies: 21
- Views: 2472
Re: Need help figuring out how to reduce expenses and pay de
IMO you should sell the house. You obviously cannot afford the house and continue the lifestyle you want. It is always a choice. Live big today or save to live well tomorrow. But continuing to accrue debt is a not a way to live. Use any profit from the house to clear debt and start saving more for r...
- Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:00 am
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Leave defined benefit plan for defined contribution plan?
- Replies: 10
- Views: 1705
Re: Leave defined benefit plan for defined contribution plan
I am a beneficiary of one of the NYS defined benefit pension plan - NYS teachers retirement plan. To the best of my knowledge there are no health benefits involved in the plans so health care costs do not effect benefits paid out. I do think that some local municipalities have included health care a...
- Sun Feb 03, 2013 4:19 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What's your usual retirement day like ?
- Replies: 201
- Views: 46973
Re: What's your usual retirement day like ?
Duplicate Bridge, taiqi, two literary groups, travel, grandchildren, reading, tv, internet, dinner and movies, cooking, shoveling snow,politics, serving as board member for community organizations, shopping, etc. Rarely do I get bored but it does happen on occasion - but that happened when I was wor...
- Fri Feb 01, 2013 12:54 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Mexico Travel Recommendation
- Replies: 4
- Views: 597
Re: Mexico Travel Recommendation
When I first started looking at international travel I did the Hep A and Hep B vaccines. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
- Sat Jan 26, 2013 4:00 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Divorced after 35 years [Insurance, housing, portfolio help]
- Replies: 19
- Views: 3670
Re: Divorced after 35 years [Insurance, housing, portfolio h
I'm a little confused. Are there young children still in the house? Is she getting child support for them? Does their father have health insurance? Does he carry his children on his policy? I am so sorry your mother is going through such a heartbreaking and difficult experience. Did your mother have...
- Fri Jan 04, 2013 4:03 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Visit to London
- Replies: 40
- Views: 2652
Re: Visit to London
The Indian food in London is fantastic!
- Fri Jan 04, 2013 4:00 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Home Furnace: Brand Recommendations
- Replies: 34
- Views: 6107
Re: Home Furnace: Brand Recommendations
I bought a Trane 3 years ago. I live in the northeast with very cold winters. My heat bill went from over $300/mo to $113.17 this month. I have saved enough on heat bills to pay for it in two years. And that doesn't count the tax rebate I got which meant it was paid for in savings in 1 year. I did g...
- Fri Jan 04, 2013 1:10 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Is This A Good Plan For A Modest Inheritance?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 1987
Re: Is This A Good Plan For A Modest Inheritance?
If you pay off your loans you will have more money to put into your retirement accounts every month. You will also be earning the 1.5% interest on the money you would have been paying to the loan holder. IMHO I would pay off the loans, increase my monthly retirement contributions and be very thankfu...
- Thu Jan 03, 2013 9:33 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Visit to London
- Replies: 40
- Views: 2652
Re: Visit to London
Tower of London - I spent two days there and loved every minute of it. So much history and you really feel like you were in England at the end of it.
- Wed Dec 19, 2012 8:25 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Buying A Car In Texas
- Replies: 36
- Views: 2986
Re: Buying A Car In Texas
You mentioned possibly leasing the car. In my experience most leases have low mileage limits on them. If your son drives the car from Texas home on vacations he will be putting mega miles on the car and when you turn it in at the end of the lease you will have huge additional fees. Much better to pu...
- Wed Dec 19, 2012 8:01 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Can't think of x-mas gift to give wife...
- Replies: 44
- Views: 4514
Re: Can't think of x-mas gift to give wife...
I love the ideas about a dinner out, a spa treatment and/or a short trip without the children. In my opinion the most important part of any of these gifts is for the husband to arrange the childcare and making the reservations for the event. If it is just the 'gift certificate' with the arrangements...
- Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:57 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Amazon Prime is worth it
- Replies: 70
- Views: 7828
Re: Amazon Prime is worth it
OP- if your wife bought Prime she can give it to you free. My daughter buys Prime and lists me and her sister on her membership. We both get Prime for 'free'. So instead of $80/yr. it costs c.$26/person. I think it is a great deal but maybe that is because I buy a lot on Amazon. And by the by my UPS...
- Fri Nov 30, 2012 9:06 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Vacation to Washington DC
- Replies: 44
- Views: 3719
Re: Vacation to Washington DC
I just returned from DC with my grandchildren. I stayed in Alexandria and took Metro into DC. Easy walks to all sights. I agree with recommendation to eat at the Museum of the American Indian. We all found food we liked that was excellently prepared. Great exhibits there also. Only disappointment wa...
- Mon Oct 29, 2012 3:46 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Spacious townhome with high HOA vs townhome with low HOA
- Replies: 23
- Views: 1920
Re: Spacious townhome with high HOA vs townhome with low HOA
Just something to remember -HOA fees can change at any time. IMO pick the one you like the most.
- Fri Oct 26, 2012 9:38 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: How to best pay back a $200k loan from the parents
- Replies: 87
- Views: 6176
Re: How to best pay back a $200k loan from the parents
I have read this post with both awe and humor. Lightheir, you can gift your parents $13,000 each year. You and your wife therefore can give each of your parents $26,000 each year without requiring a gift tax, That means you could repay your parents $52,000 per year without the IRS being involved at ...
- Fri Sep 28, 2012 8:32 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: At what price is an extended warranty worth it? - Toyota
- Replies: 20
- Views: 13836
Re: At what price is an extended warranty worth it? - Toyota
My 2003 Camry had 184,000 miles on it when I gave it to my son-in-law. He loves it and is so happy to have a great car in great condition. The only thing I ever did was change to oil regularly to maintain the car. Of course I changed tires when needed and kept the brakes in good condition. I had to ...
- Mon Aug 20, 2012 5:07 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Better to pay down 0% CC or 2nd mortgage
- Replies: 18
- Views: 2740
Re: Better to pay down 0% CC or 2nd mortgage
I don't know the terms of your 0% credit but I do know that some of these deals have special clauses. If you don't pay off the entire amount before the term is up then they charge you interest from the first day of the loan. I have in the past taken advantage of a 0% loan on a credit card with no tr...
- Wed Aug 15, 2012 3:26 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: What to do with our UL 217,000 cash out money?
- Replies: 21
- Views: 2394
Re: What to do?
It seems to me that a lot of what you need money for in retirement is a place to live. If you pay off your mortgage you won't need to worry about that expense. You would still have taxes and repairs to pay for but this is much less than rent or a mortgage payment. I paid off my mortgage and couldn't...
- Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:33 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Post-Spending Regret
- Replies: 64
- Views: 6227
Re: Post-Spending Regret
Just a point of information please - are you married but not going to do a big 'wedding' or are you not getting married because of the expense? I agree it is foolish to spend a lot of money on a wedding but everything I've read says that married couples have more wealth than singles. Just trying to ...
- Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:20 am
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Receiving 250-300k And Torn On How To Grow It
- Replies: 42
- Views: 3861
Re: Receiving 250-300k And Torn On How To Grow It
I see that you want to be a doctor. Do you already have the money set aside to pay for college and med school? If not that your injury award will go a long way to paying those costs, thought it may not cover it entirely. Rather than worrying about how to invest it in a business or real estate or the...
- Wed Jul 25, 2012 8:33 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Need advice: aging relative with severe debt
- Replies: 18
- Views: 3651
Re: Need advice: aging relative with severe debt
I heard that most states have a time limit on how long someone can try to collect an unsecured debt. Where I live it is 6 years. If you don't pay anything on it, don't offer to pay anything on it and don't respond to any letters etc. the only thing they can do is 'ding' your credit score. In this ca...
- Mon May 28, 2012 6:18 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Pellet gun recommendation?
- Replies: 35
- Views: 3519
Re: Pellet gun recommendation?
If all you are looking for is a solution to the rabbit problem, get a cat and let it go outdoors. I f you go to the shelter to get one, get an adult who is known as a mouser. The cat will handle the rabbits. I am lucky, my neighbors have a cat and so the rabbits stay away from my house also. Just an...
- Sun May 20, 2012 8:47 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Advice for work issue for a friend
- Replies: 25
- Views: 2541
Re: Advice for work issue for a friend
I have now read three threads about how your 'friends' are having issues. I am sorry your friends have so many problems. Maybe they should be posting here themselves about their problems and you should post about issues you may be having.
- Mon Apr 30, 2012 7:52 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Advice for mother's retirement
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1406
Re: Advice for mother's retirement
Horses are hideously expensive - ferrier, vet, dentist, food, exercise, etc. While she probably loves her horses, can she really afford them? Has she tried the SPCA to surrender her horses? Is she having a hard time emotionally with the idea of changing her life? Is she willing to sell the land for ...
- Tue Apr 24, 2012 5:11 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: early retirement health insurance
- Replies: 17
- Views: 1974
Re: early retirement health insurance
I write the check to my former employer. Insurance company is aware of situation. They have a clause in regard to medicare.
- Tue Apr 24, 2012 4:45 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: early retirement health insurance
- Replies: 17
- Views: 1974
Re: early retirement health insurance
I negotiated with my employer prior to retirement to be able to buy into the group health policy at full cost to me. Being part of the group kept my costs low - less than $5000 a year for a single person. great benefits including prescription costs. Have continued to purchase after medicare kicked i...
- Sun Apr 15, 2012 7:16 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Selling Used Books
- Replies: 41
- Views: 5492
Re: Selling Used Books
I like to collect books some of which are out of print or just unusual. I often shop at alibris.com. They have a unique set of books. If some of your books have special value than I would look to sell them at this site. They often have multiple copies of books and different prices depending on condi...
- Wed Apr 11, 2012 8:31 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: old loan with no pmi, refinance with pmi?
- Replies: 5
- Views: 651
Re: old loan with no pmi, refinance with pmi?
A lot depends upon what your old interest rate is and what the new rate would be, how long your old mortgage is and how long the new one would be (30 years, 15 or 10) You just need to figure the PMI into your transactional costs and how long it is going to take to recover those costs. To get opinion...
- Mon Apr 02, 2012 3:42 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Please help me help my recently divorced sister
- Replies: 27
- Views: 2538
Re: Please help me help my recently divorced sister
Just a point of information here - the reason someone with a good income should receive child support is that the money is to support the child in the lifestyle the child was entitled to if both parents had stayed together. The children should not be punished just because the parents decided to divo...