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JonFund wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 10:30 am For smaller areas such as patios, I use Wet & Forget. Buy the concentrate and put it in a portable sprayer and I apply it twice a year and I never have any mold or mildew problems. It's completely harmless to plants and grass too. It's particularly good if you have stone pavers, as power-washers can tear up the grout between the pavers.

+1 Wet and Forget concentrate-
Use W&F in a pump sprayer that I marked to always get the correct ratio.
Also use W&F on north-facing vinyl siding with good results.

nguy, thanks for your reply- Realize that upgrades are common. Concern: no acceptable upgrade for a 3 row van/SUV. We won't drive an extended/huge van for this trip. Renting location is suburbs of a mid-size city. About 15 miles to the airport, and several other rental locations available. I understand. I will add that I have rented minvans from Hertz (90%) and Enterprise (10%), with anywhere from a month to a day lead time, and never had a problem with them not being able to get me one. So I would lean towards one of the larger agencies that also have other locations nearby (like the airport you mention). They will readily shift vehicles among locations to accommodate requests (many of the cars I rented have had out of state plates). Than...

Will drive the car about 3,000 miles round trip to vacation destination. ...... Rental period is 9 days.... ... and will arrive well before then by sharing the wheel to drive straight through. A couple of problems; Be sure to check on the details of the rental. I have seen car rentals which were restricted to adjacent states. Good advice, mentioned by a previous poster. Plan to verify no geographic restriction. Car rentals drivers are normally limited to the renter or sometimes also their spouse unless you pay an additional daily fee so be sure to look into that. 4 drivers. $3/day per extra driver and spouse is free for some rentals. I would guess that you are doing something like a 1,400 mile drive each way there and back. With traffic, b...

nguy44 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 9:25 pm In 40+ years renting with Hertz (both corporate and personal) I have never been forced to downgrade to a smaller car.

As was mentioned, it might be location. This is a Hertz in a small city at least and hour from the nearest airports. While they may not have a lot of cars, they are not as heavily booked as an airport might bet.

nguy, thanks for your reply-

Realize that upgrades are common. Concern: no acceptable upgrade for a 3 row van/SUV.
We won't drive an extended/huge van for this trip.

Renting location is suburbs of a mid-size city. About 15 miles to the airport, and several other rental locations available.

tev9876 and snackdog, thanks for your replies.

Appreciate you sharing your experience and advice, and as a result having more confidence that this challenge is manageable.

Current quotes through AutoSlash are for "unlimited miles" rentals, but will check the fine print as recommended for geographic restrictions.

Doctor Rhythm wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 1:53 pm How long is the rental period? If you’re driving 3000 miles, I assume it’s on the order 2 weeks? If so, you may be charged by the week rather than the day, and you might pay the same for a 12 day reservation as for 14. You need to go to the websites and start to running the dates and numbers.

Rental period is 9 days (we have a 1wk house rental, plus the drive on either end).
Thanks -will check the websites as recommended to see how adding the extra day impact the price.

If the extra day adds $150, for example, would consider that expensive insurance that still may not guarantee our selected car is provided(?)

To clarify, you don’t just determine where to make a reservation, but actually make refundable ones. Also, I missed the part where you are renting from an agency from your home town rather than at your destination. I assume you’ll pick up the car at least a day before you depart, which gives you flexibility. Stagger reservations and cancel the later one(s) only after you have the car you need. Some airport based agencies place restrictions or additional requirements if you are renting as a local resident. Doc, thanks for your reply- Plan to pick up the car on day of departure, unless there's a huge advantage by paying for the extra day to pick it up early(?) Can't check in until 4pm, and will arrive well before then by sharing the wheel to...

Thanks for your replies- Regarding pricing: After determining where to make reservations, will not pay in advance, then monitor for better deals as recommended. Regarding bigger concern of minimizing potential that a reserved van or premium SUV is not made available (b/c can't size down): Apparently there's no secret sauce to improve or guarantee our reserved car is made available? -Have option of renting at the airport or a neighborhood agency. Any difference regarding confidence that rented car will be available? -Is any company better than the others regarding ensuring the reserved car is provided (recent experience). -Does joining "frequent renter" programs help ensure the rented car is available to pick up? -Are there more va...

First car rental is a few months away. Will drive the car about 3,000 miles round trip to vacation destination. Passengers/luggage require renting either "Chrysler Pacifica or similar", or Chevy Suburban/Premium SUV. Reviewed this thread about issues getting the requested rental car: https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=379065 Concern: Don't have flexibility to accept other car options. If the requested rental not available, we will be stuck. Need the van or Suburban. Want to avoid delaying our vacation waiting for a requested car. Q's: What can I do to best ensure the rented car will be ready/available? (Rent earlier, pay earlier, use a specific agency or AutoSlash, etc?) Rental agencies apparently have no obligation ...

TacoLover wrote: ↑Sun Feb 12, 2023 12:03 pm

surfinagin wrote: ↑Sun Feb 12, 2023 11:37 am Buy a Miata and have fun.
Lower cost, high reliability.

You forgot “and put the rest in VTSAX!”

And put the rest in tacos!

Buy a Miata and have fun.
Lower cost, high reliability.

Something not mentioned-
Always parking in the same spot on an asphalt driveway can, over time, result in 4 "craters" where the tires sit.
Depends on weight of the car and quality/age of driveway.
Worth monitoring for. Can vary your parking spot to avoid accelerated driveway degradation/high replacement cost.

An attached garage is one of the main perks of home ownership IMO, especially in the snowbelt.
I'd always try to make room to park in the garage for the convenience. Better preservation of the car would just be a bonus.

I stop before pulling in the driveway, give each fender well a whack with the side of my fist and a kick to the plastic rocker panels below. This gets the gross amounts to fall off before pulling in the garage, and does no harm to the car. What collects in the garage is then manageable. As others noted, I don't want concrete spalling from salt. Therefore, on nice days during winter thaws, I use a push broom to clear grit from the floor. I then hose down the floor, since the broom does not remove the salt film on the concrete floor. I also use the hose to flush salt from the wheel wells and undercarriage of the cars, then flush the driveway clear of what gets removed. I remove a lot more salt/sand by sticking the hose nozzle into all the noo...

It was a "Retention" offer, therefore think based mainly on the $8M invested-

A client with $8M invested also has approx $800K in a Vanguard account (aka: with The Competition).
The $5K Retention Bonus offer ensured the Vanguard account will be closed.
Bonus = approx 0.06% of assets managed, and provides a monopoly managing the client's assets -less chance they are moved.

Higher probability of long-term Retention of a large account achieved.
Worth the cost IMO.

My KitchenAid dishwasher ($579 in 1997) has been trouble-free for over 25yrs.
Racks have started rusting, and they are expensive to replace.
If I knew KitchenAid still has same quality, would replace with another.
But 25yrs is a long time, so not counting on that.

The Bosch dishwashers getting good reviews are sold at HD, Lowes, and at a couple local appliance stores here.
Does Bosch make cheaper-built appliances to meet price points for the big box stores?
Or same Bosch product quality lines sold everywhere?

FYI for anyone shopping Costco appliances, and not aware that this perk no longer exists:

Effective January 22, 2023, Citi Costco Anywhere Visa extended Warranty coverage was discontinued and will no longer be provided for purchases made on or after that date.

My car is a 2009 with 179K miles.
Like you, have a trusted repair shop.
Just paid $2,200 for repairs to push shopping for a replacement out 1-2yrs while hoping the lowering price trend continues.
I'll shop used -approx 2020 vintage.

sandan wrote: ↑Mon Jan 16, 2023 7:06 pm I'm not too hopeful after reconciling your chart with FRED's producer price chart, especially at the big dips.

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WPU084903

Sandan, I'm not familiar with FRED's producer price chart -can you help interpret?

The chart apparently shows a rising cost to produce lumber(?)
And the lumber futures chart does not take this into account(?)
What about the market -the futures chart takes that into account, but the FRED producer chart does not?
The market is falling -therefore supply/demand should drive prices down regardless of rising cost of lumber production(?)
Any perspective appreciated!

ColoradoRick, thanks for your reply-

Hoping that lumber prices trend lower this spring!
DIY -therefore unlike others who posted, trades pricing not a concern.

Lumber futures are down, by a lot.
Retail lumber not even close to tracking the futures trend at this point.
Lumber I'm tracking is still at elevated prices.
Hoping that someone with insight/perspective and a projection for lumber prices in 2023 will post.

https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/lumber Chicago lumber futures bottomed around the $350 per thousand board feet mark, a level not seen since June 2020, as soaring interest rates continued to depress real estate activity. The Federal Reserve's aggressive tightening cycle has pushed the 30-year mortgage rate to above 6%, dragging down sales and reining in home price growth while putting a severe dent in homebuilder confidence. The latest report from the US Census Bureau showed that new permits for home construction, a potential indicator of future activity, plunged more than 10% to 1.351 million units in November, the lowest since June 2020. The benchmark is now down almost 80% since its May 2021 peak of around $1,700, when supply chain...

TravelforFun wrote: ↑Sat Jan 14, 2023 7:39 pm

canderson wrote: ↑Fri Jan 13, 2023 9:46 am Adding a bidet to your main toilet is life changing and not expensive or complicated.

I added 6 at my house recently. They do improve QOL.

TravelforFun

LOL
6?
Doubt you met the Sub-$500 bar -also doubt that was a budget-buster for you

Does your attorney know you have posted this question and the detailed information on the internet?? If you were my client, I would have advised you, " absolutely not , don't post anything online until your divorce is final and the ink is dry." You need to get your legal advice from your attorney (and only your attorney), your financial advice (for the time being) concerning the issues you raise from an independent fee-only financial planner and/or CPA, and your relationship advice concerning your wife and children from the appropriate therapeutic professional. IMO, you need to respectfully ask the moderators to delete this thread or at least you need to delete your question in its entirety. If you have any doubts about that appr...

Comfort Height Toilet -replaced 50yr-old original.
also provides savings on water bills -will eventually pay for itself

Teaching grandkids to start parallel turns -recently looked at lots of youtube videos to find one to help them see what they need to do. This 5-1/2" instruction video by Robin Barnes of the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) is great! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfJe653v24I Whether to use professional instruction is a personal decision -nothing wrong with it. I'm self-taught, and see downhill skiing as no different than water skiing, basketball, or other sports. When a parent/relative/friend has the knowledge and ability to share it, learning a new sport can be a special shared experience. I think the biggest hurdles to parallel turns are: Learning to shift your weight forward with a bit of a crouch, to stop riding the ...

You've chosen a very challenging profession with high attrition rates -I assume you're well aware of that.
Regarding buying a house: wait until certain you're not going to make a career change and return to school or similar reset that lowers your income.
A mortgage and related housing costs may limit your flexibility when considering options for a career change.

I appreciate and respect anyone entering the teaching profession.
People talk about all the time off -attrition statistics and surveys indicate teaching is not the overpaid/easy career many think it is, and much more so since the pandemic. I'm not citing documentation -easily confirmed by a quick Google search.

I hope that you have a very rewarding career.

Katietsu wrote: ↑Sat Jan 07, 2023 10:48 pm "ears are not covered by Medicare"

What? There must be more to this or some misunderstanding. The neighbor needs to follow up on this. Traditional medicare does not cover hearing aids and glasses or the accompanying exams. But that is irrelevant to coverage for an infection.

LOL

Poll is providing no consensus on a "winner" -wide variety of preferences!

Another vote for Costco Kirkland Signature Colombian at <$6 per pound.

The votes for Tim Hortons reminded me that I liked that coffee when I tried it many years ago -but appears to be approx 50% more expensive.

I moved up from Folgers to "splurge" on Kirkland, which for now balances price/taste for me.

If you have the time, I found it very rewarding working with my children gathering/evaluating info, agreeing on strategies, and going through the process of applying, visiting and selecting schools.

Understand that goals vary, and for some families the goal is doing everything possible to attend the very best private colleges.

My feedback is in regard to being part of the process as much as possible, to provide lessons on values and decision-making.
It brought me and my children closer.

Told my kids I'd pay equivalent of tuition/room/board for 4yrs at state university -max.
ie: anything beyond 4yr as result of changing majors, changing schools, or poor grades (unlikely in their case) would be funded by them.

Both knew it was a good deal for them, and that the terms would not be extended.
One attended a private school with scholarships, and the other attended a state university.
Both completed their degrees in 4yr at their chosen schools.

Both added a masters, which I told them I'd fund as a loan at no interest and expected to be paid back.
Both completed their masters, went to work, and repaid their loans within a few years of graduation.

Worked for us. YMMV

If that was my son, they would be working/paying me back an agreed amount as a lesson for their poor judgement.

Kudos for providing an update-

For anyone here for shopping recommendations, very happy with the 8-function Ninja Foodi we found recently at Costco.
Had great reviews, and does work well.
Also, with our limited kitchen space the flip up feature to store against the counter backsplash "takes up 50% less counter space" -Nice!

When you're 65, you'll appreciate the Medicare rules/freedoms in NYS -one of only a handful of states offering them I am not familiar with this. I googled Medicare and Freedom but did not get a direct hit. Would you mind explaining a bit further? Thank you I should have been more specific -the referenced freedoms are related to Medigap/Medicare Advantage (supplemental insurance). You're 1-2 years away from Medicare decisions -if not aware the decisions are very complicated and require lots of research. There are many Medicare threads on this forum. Member ModifiedDuration, who lives in NYS and very knowledgeable, has frequently contributed to these threads. I'm in the process of making Medicare decisions -NOT an expert but what I've learne...

When you're 65, you'll appreciate the Medicare rules/freedoms in NYS -one of only a handful of states offering them.

Must be hot in FL these days -a relative and a friend both moved there in recent years and now look to escape the warmer months.

The FL weather this holiday wkd will cool you off

I went through this recently- Other driver's insurance (well-known) provided the 16-page "CCC Valuation Report" that their settlement offer was based on. You may have to ask for the report, I don't believe insurers are required to forward it to you without a request. The detailed CCC Report cited asking/selling prices for (3) comparable cars that local used car dealers recently/currently advertised. I had also done my own research of comparable cars for sale. The value offered in the settlement was generous, and added $185 for Title Fee and also applicable tax for the offer amount. I had paid approx $300 for a repair only 2 days before the accident, and they added partial compensation for that also after I pushed for it. Note: our...

IBD makes that list for entertainment value/clicks or whatever-
It gets eyeballs -this thread is an example, ie: even Bogleheads read those articles for the entertainment value.

The number of investors, even non-Bogleheads, considering that article actionable to make a big bet "buying the 10" has to be minute.

Understandably, it's a fun pastime for Bogleheads to post these lists and the following tsk-tsks/comments in the thread.

LadyGeek, thanks for your response.

[Thread merged into here --admin LadyGeek]

Hovering the cursor over a thread title opens a pop-up with the OP's opening line, allowing me to determine if I want to open a tab to read the thread.

Subscribing to a thread provides 3 options by email: instant, daily or weekly.

Has Bogleheads considered these forum upgrades?

My Geico umbrella premium, billed in December, went up 28% last year, then up another 20% this year.

Geico auto and home premiums rose by far less.

Called -the agent said the rise was due to claims in my state, FWIW.
I made changes.

Trade value of the used car I'm tracking has dropped 20% since March, according to this Edmunds link:

https://www.edmunds.com/appraisal/history/

Don't know how long it may take this encouraging trend to be reflected in retail used car prices, but willing to wait.

My niece just got in a car accident, hit in the rear, not her fault. Talking to my brother, he suggested I start thinking about Umbrella Insurance. A while ago his lawyer suggested he get umbrella insurance..and after looking at his policy, years later, his lawyer was thrilled he has 3-4 million in coverage. Was telling me if I was ever to cause an accident, the other party could come after my vanguard assets, Roth IRA, and other assets. At what net worth would it make sense to look into it? I’m not a millionaire… From my limited research, I saw it. Might cost another 2-300 bucks a year for an extra million in coverage. Would love to hear some thoughts. Thanks! The correct amount of Umbrella Liability Insurance to own is what ever you can ...

Dell laptop almost 11yrs old, plugged in 24/7.

Realize that the topic is new cars, but used car prices generally track accordingly-
Therefore sharing link to this Edmunds Trade-In Value History price tracker
SUV I'm interested in has lowered $4K since March, from 31K to 27K, and the retail prices are also lowering.

https://www.edmunds.com/appraisal/history/

Any idea regarding the details for ending the Costco Citicard extended warranty?

ie: Would purchases prior to Jan 2023 be grandfathered to continue on extended warranty?

Considering dishwasher and laptop purchases prior to 2023-
Less likely to buy from Costco if the extended warranties will be cancelled after purchase.

Sherwin Williams fan >30 years.

SW 30% and 40% off sales have returned after a covid hiatus -
Sign up for their emails to get sale notifications -the sales are normally for only a few days.

The 40% off sales are rare (maybe 2-3X annually), but worth waiting for IMHO.

Kenmore Model 106.64252401, top freezer, basic/no icemaker.
17 years old ,never a problem.
I clean the coils every 6 months.

Vanguard has given us a better option at no cost and upgrading to the brokerage is easy... yes easy. I will add that calling the transition team has resulted in excellent service for me multiple times, they either picked up on one or two rings or called back within the designated times. If the transition was so easy - why did you have to call customer service multiple times? I had to call -here's why: I have Limited Agent Authorization for an elderly relative. On 9/06, found no link/tab when we logged onto their account to make this change. Called Vanguard, and told by rep that b/c it's an "inactive account" (I do their transactions from mine) the online option wasn't provided. OK then. They said the req'd forms they were mailing...

The Stars And Stripes Forever by Sousa’s Band #1

Regarding long call holds: I left my number for a callback when the automated line said the wait would be over an hour.
They were right -the rep called me back 80" later.
This is Flagship.