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by Texanbybirth
Sat Mar 16, 2024 1:40 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: The VPW Accumulation Worksheet
Replies: 109
Views: 18698

Re: The VPW Accumulation Worksheet

Texanbybirth, I'll add to my previous post that the practical implication is to set the 401K savings rate to 13% (plus 5% employer match) for this year and remain ready to easily increase it to 18% next year , when worksheet inputs will be updated. Next year, portfolio contributions might not increase as much, could increase more, or could even decrease, depending on market outcomes and changes in the investor's circumstances. Yet, maintaining the required flexibility until then (budgeting $384/month for optional discretionary spending that could be eliminated without affecting comfort) is a sensible thing to do. Thank you for that interpretation, it makes perfect sense to me. Since I’ve had my paycheck set at 15% for over a decade now I’m...
by Texanbybirth
Fri Mar 15, 2024 8:39 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: The VPW Accumulation Worksheet
Replies: 109
Views: 18698

Re: The VPW Accumulation Worksheet

I really like this workbook. I've saved a copy to Google Sheets, and I've upda269*ted it a little on my side with links to my personal social security estimates (updated once a year from SSA), so the benefit will auto-fill in the appropriate Accumulation box once I choose a retirement age. I'm still toying with the idea of saying "no" to COLA or using my adjusted numbers (75% haircut) - but either way I don't want to count on the full benefit from my SSA statement! I've also put in some calcs to show me explicitly the "%" I need to save each year. (My 401k provider uses a % to deduct from my paycheck each pay period.) I'm guessing employer contributions to 401ks would count toward that "%": is that right? Shou...
by Texanbybirth
Thu Mar 14, 2024 11:48 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: The VPW Accumulation Worksheet
Replies: 109
Views: 18698

Re: The VPW Accumulation Worksheet

I really like this workbook. I've saved a copy to Google Sheets, and I've updated it a little on my side with links to my personal social security estimates (updated once a year from SSA), so the benefit will auto-fill in the appropriate Accumulation box once I choose a retirement age. I'm still toying with the idea of saying "no" to COLA or using my adjusted numbers (75% haircut) - but either way I don't want to count on the full benefit from my SSA statement! I've also put in some calcs to show me explicitly the "%" I need to save each year. (My 401k provider uses a % to deduct from my paycheck each pay period.) I'm guessing employer contributions to 401ks would count toward that "%": is that right? Should I ...
by Texanbybirth
Thu Nov 30, 2023 10:02 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any suggestions for a 27 inch monitor for MacBook Air - Wireless or Wired?
Replies: 15
Views: 1205

Re: Any suggestions for a 27 inch monitor for MacBook Air - Wireless or Wired?

I've enjoyed using this monitor for that past two years with our M1 MBA: Dell 27" 4k USB-C monitor.

This (pricier) one is a hub monitor, if you've got some peripherals or want wired internet (ports on the MBA are at a premium!): Dell 27" 4k USB-C Hub monitor.
by Texanbybirth
Tue Oct 24, 2023 10:53 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Does it make sense to take a low paying job?
Replies: 49
Views: 6489

Re: Does it make sense to take a low paying job?

Hi OP, I could be making twice what I am right now, but I don't want this: "As I hit this landmark, I can’t seem to [help but] wonder why am I working so much instead of being more engaged with my kids who are growing faster than I thought." in 2 years. (I edited your quote because I think that's what you meant to say.) I've got 5 kids. I have a great work life balance, and that is infinitely more valuable to me and my wife than more money in the bank. What does your wife think? Would you be open to speaking with a counselor/coach/mentor/priest/rabbi for a while to help you get some clarity before you decide? (I make about half what you do, and our assets are maybe 1/3 of yours. I still don't worry about money at all. I say all th...
by Texanbybirth
Thu Jul 27, 2023 8:12 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: HSA (pay out of pocket) or Roth IRA: am I thinking about this correctly?
Replies: 4
Views: 529

HSA (pay out of pocket) or Roth IRA: am I thinking about this correctly?

Hi all, Short story: would it make sense to not contribute to a (roth) IRA in favor of cash flowing medical expenses and keep maxing our HSA each year? OOP Max is ~$6000 ($2k emp HSA contribution), and we meet that every year. (Unfortunately, I have a chronic condition that requires expensive Rx's. However, I'm in a good place so I'm thankful.) We're in the 22% tax bracket, single income family, MFJ for taxes. Long story: we aim to save 15% of my gross income for retirement. (I don't count employer contributions in that goal; those are gravy.) A big chunk of my compensation (say 25%) is a bonus payment in the first quarter each year. So I have 15% taken out of my regular paycheck to our (excellent) 401k plan, all VFIFX - Vanguard 2050 TDF. ...
by Texanbybirth
Fri Jul 07, 2023 9:43 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Can I afford a new nicer car next year?
Replies: 37
Views: 3961

Re: Can I afford a new nicer car next year?

Sure you can. Your current car should have a great resale value as well. I wouldn't do this every two years, but 13 years is a good run with a car.

With your income/savings/assets, you will be financially wealthy and should easily meet your goal of retiring before 60.
by Texanbybirth
Thu Jul 06, 2023 7:43 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Staying the course - kids complicate things
Replies: 47
Views: 4548

Re: Staying the course - kids complicate things

I’m 38. You are doing way better than me financially. We have 4 little kids (soon to be 5), and I can assure you at your kids’ ages any regrets are purely yours. They’re still confirming “parents love me” and “I’m safe”. You took a 3 and 1 yo to Disney, your family will be just fine. If anything, with your financial situation, you’ll have to resist the constant urge to spoil them.
by Texanbybirth
Fri Jun 16, 2023 5:11 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Suze Orman - Doesn't Like Target Date Funds
Replies: 65
Views: 15199

Re: Suze Orman - Doesn't Like Target Date Funds

yatesd wrote: Fri Jun 16, 2023 4:52 pm Same here. We use target funds in both 401K plans. Keep it simple. For various reasons, I don't in our IRA.
Same here. We have 1 401k (single-income household), 2 Roth IRAs (one for my wife, one for me), and 1 old HSA from a previous employer: all 4 are in 2050 TDFs (1 Vanguard, 3 Fidelity Freedom Index). (We have a current HSA, but can't cash flow medical bills anymore so we just use it for the immediate tax break.)

:sharebeer

Call me a simpleton!
by Texanbybirth
Wed Jun 07, 2023 1:00 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Printers in 2023?
Replies: 60
Views: 4621

Re: Printers in 2023?

We've had an HP Envy 4520 for a little over 5 years. Got it on Amazon for $73. Replace cartridges when low and it has worked flawlessly. We homeschool our 4 kids and they love to color printouts from the web or copies from coloring books, wife prints recipes, occasional forms for various stuff, so printing is almost a daily occurrence around here.
by Texanbybirth
Wed Jun 07, 2023 11:06 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Honda Odyssey or Lexus NX or others?
Replies: 30
Views: 2716

Re: Honda Odyssey or Lexus NX or others?

*”most of the rest of the world” gets along without most things Americans take for granted. Zero particular reason to single out minivans or “gas guzzlers”, whatever in the world that means I'm just making the point that having kids does not make a minivan or full size SUV a necessity. Sure, people may want them (nothing wrong with that), but there are a lot of similarly practical, safe, and comfortable vehicles that get much more than 16-19MPG and still carry kids and all of their accoutrements. Agree with you, especially for 1 child. We have 4 small kids (think strollers, diaper bags, backpacks, etc), and a minivan is an absolute blessing for us. However, our other car (my commuter) is a Toyota Yaris iA. We can get 3 kids in that, too. I...
by Texanbybirth
Tue Jun 06, 2023 9:23 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Screen protector for iPhone - necessary? Recommendations?
Replies: 18
Views: 1168

Re: Screen protector for iPhone - necessary? Recommendations?

Afty wrote: Mon Jun 05, 2023 11:24 pm I have an iPhone 13 Pro with a tempered glass screen protector since day 1, and I haven’t had any problems with peeling from the edges. I like Spigen screen protectors because they come with a little plastic tray that aligns the protector perfectly with the phone.
+1, exact same situation over here. Same for my wife's iPhone 12 Pro. So easy and protective, excellent quality: Spigen has customers for life.
by Texanbybirth
Mon Jun 05, 2023 3:38 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Advice for controlling spending during "messy" 30's?
Replies: 34
Views: 4407

Re: Advice for controlling spending during "messy" 30's?

Hi OP, congrats on trying to make this work. I echo the other posters that honesty with your wife about your hopes and concerns for your family is more important that anything else, even draining your emergency fund, which it sounds like you haven't... yet . You've laid out several budgetary concern areas. If your marriage is strong like you say it is, you should be able to bring these things up, or it's a good time in a young marriage to learn how. My wife is a SAHM with our 4 (soon to be 5) small kiddos, and we're in our 30s too. She does mostly all the cooking, but she's learned over the years to take responsibility for that part of our budget as well. It has been enlightening for her, and comforting to me. In turn, I've cut out much of ...
by Texanbybirth
Fri Jun 02, 2023 10:39 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Thinkpad X1 Nano? And compatibility with iCloud Drive?
Replies: 15
Views: 1052

Re: Thinkpad X1 Nano? And compatibility with iCloud Drive?

I love our base model M1 MBA. Even almost 3 years later, the thing is still a beast. It's one of my favorite Apple products ever, though to be fair so is our 11" iPP. (I have too many Apple products.)

You can get it from Amazon tomorrow for $799.
by Texanbybirth
Fri Jun 02, 2023 9:57 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Can I retire at 50?
Replies: 112
Views: 18455

Re: Can I retire at 50?

I love when threads like this get updated by the OP.

Best of luck OP! Please keep this thread updated with your status if you're so inclined. :sharebeer
by Texanbybirth
Mon May 29, 2023 9:29 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Memorial Day - 2023
Replies: 25
Views: 5125

Re: MEMORIAL DAY - 2023

Thank you for your service, and God bless all of those who have perished.
by Texanbybirth
Fri May 26, 2023 4:11 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Homeschooling - Picking a Curriculum
Replies: 8
Views: 1166

Re: Homeschooling - Picking a Curriculum

Following this thread to pick up any tidbits. We homeschool, 4.67 kids (8, 6, 4, 2, <0), and I'm always looking to get better (with my small part of it). My wife does most of the heavy-lifting. (I love the freedom it gives us for extracurriculars and family time.)

We use Abeka for math, and the rest is a mix of classical and Catholic curriculum - probably not up the OP's alley. Huge community around here to get advice, co-ops, etc.
by Texanbybirth
Thu May 25, 2023 9:12 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: SS wage limits (when they stop taking it)
Replies: 11
Views: 1023

Re: SS wage limits (when they stop taking it)

b42 wrote: Thu May 25, 2023 8:28 am The SSA has put out estimates as of the 2022 Trustee Report here for a bunch of scenarios:

https://www.ssa.gov/oact/solvency/provi ... mmary.html

I believe Section E has what you are looking for.
That's a cool website, thanks for sharing. (I know I'm a nerd.)
by Texanbybirth
Fri May 12, 2023 5:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI
Replies: 7638
Views: 1712578

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Does anyone have an opinion on my next long read? Some recents I've really loved: Don Q, Moby Dick, Les Mis, The Brothers K, and David Copperfield (waaaay better than Great Expectations). I like to spend a long time in a good novel, and it gets me to do research into the time period of the book, historical characters, etc. It's a fun way for me to learn.

I'm looking at War and Peace, Anna Karenina, or Crime and Punishment. Am I missing any? I'm also looking at Metaxas's Bonhoeffer.

Thanks in advance for any opinions!

(Currently reading To Kill A Mockingbird and Till We Have Faces until I can make a decision.)
by Texanbybirth
Thu May 11, 2023 1:16 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: new home purchase advice... in over my head?
Replies: 101
Views: 8405

Re: new home purchase advice... in over my head?

OP, we're mid-30s with 4 littles, and #5 due in late summer. I would feel in-over-my-head in your proposed situation. How stable are your jobs? We're a single-earner family, approaching your salary and bonus numbers (probably next year TBH). I wouldn't want to drop that much on a house. We're currently in a 2500 sq ft 4/3 ranch house, and although it's gonna feel cramped for a while, our kids won't live here forever and I'll (have the freedom to) be retired when I'm 59.5 at the latest vs buying a giant house for a few years enjoyment and a 30-year mortgage into my 60s. However, I get that y'all probably feel cramped right now! (Honestly? If I was in your shoes with that kind of windfall, I'd probably just retire, or take a barista job at SB...
by Texanbybirth
Wed May 10, 2023 3:59 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Lifestyle inflation
Replies: 70
Views: 9584

Re: Lifestyle inflation

JBTX wrote: Tue May 09, 2023 11:58 pm I’ve always wondered what the market is for more expensive rental homes. Is there a market for people paying $2500 a month or more for rental homes? I would think most people who could pay that much would prefer to buy.
Near my office, where I take my lunchtime walks, there is a 5/5.5 house for rent for $9,500/mo. It won't last long on the market, either. If I wasn't working from home today, I'd snap a pic for you.
by Texanbybirth
Tue May 09, 2023 9:32 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: My Brother Liquidated His Entire Retirement and I'm ... Jealous?
Replies: 224
Views: 27214

Re: My Brother Liquidated His Entire Retirement and I'm ... Jealous?

.....But as the weeks have gone by, my brother is happier than he has ever been..... .....I know not to look at the lawn next door, but what's the advice to stay the course? I definitely understand this... if it were me, I'd be more jealous that he had the balls to do it than jealous of the actions themselves. I'm a worrier; i suffer from analysis paralysis ALL the time. I've always admired the devil-may-care attitude that many non-worriers seem to have and how they just go all-in on a lot of things. Even when they seem foolhardy to me, the worrier, I envy the gusto with which they operate. it has never been me, though. different strokes for different folks. don't be too hard on yourself. easier said than done, I know... Well said, describ...
by Texanbybirth
Fri May 05, 2023 1:51 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Is this how I learn about my(personal finance)self? [Risk tolerance, unwillingness to sell, etc.]
Replies: 6
Views: 1109

Is this how I learn about my(personal finance)self? [Risk tolerance, unwillingness to sell, etc.]

Hi all, My wife and I have been saving the last 5.5 or so years for some expenses on which we're ready to pull the trigger. Each month we'd drop $500 or so into VASGX (Vanguard Lifestrategy Growth) with the thought that we didn't need it right away: healthy emergency fund, retirement savings generally on track, putting away cash for other things. Well, we're ready to spend this money on a five-figure house remodel. Problem is, I've been tracking it pretty closely in Excel and the XIRR formula shows a measly 1.84% return since Sep 2017. Up until last year it was 7% or more, can't remember exactly, but of course the last 14 months have crushed that. While I'm not contributing anymore to it (to avoid STCG, lol!), and planning to liquidate any ...
by Texanbybirth
Tue Apr 25, 2023 8:59 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Are HDHP policyholders actually "disallowed" from self-paying?
Replies: 71
Views: 6325

Re: Are HDHP policyholders actually "disallowed" from self-paying?

If the physician is enrolled in your particular plan, the physician is not allowed to charge a cash price. For example, if I'm (as a physician) enrolled in a Blue Cross network and a patient is seen in my office, I'm obligated to run the visit through the insurance and I must accept the negotiated rate. The patient doesn't really have a say in the matter. Certainly you can imagine that a Medicare provider cannot bill the patient for a cash visit--and the Medicare patient cannot "turn off" her Medicare policy with a physician who's a Medicare provider. However, if the physician is not part of the plan, the patient can certainly pay the cash balance at the time of the visit. As a consumer, I don't like that. What you are saying is ...
by Texanbybirth
Sun Apr 23, 2023 8:56 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Lifespan of Cars - 2005 Ford Focus
Replies: 53
Views: 4830

Re: Lifespan of Cars - 2005 Ford Focus

Vulcan wrote: Sun Apr 23, 2023 11:53 am You have my permission to keep that car.

We are still driving our '97 Corolla. It's only got 135K miles on it, with less than 3K added per year.

Image
That’s the best flex I’ve seen in a long time. :sharebeer
by Texanbybirth
Fri Apr 21, 2023 4:15 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Retirement in the early 2000s with 4% withdrawal: What the data show
Replies: 151
Views: 23261

Re: Retirement in the early 2000s with 4% withdrawal: What the data show

Thanks OP, this is a fun thread. I'm 37, so this is all theory to me right now.

I think it'd be interesting to add a column to each table with that year's ending "years remaining balance". I've done a few rough calculations based on the screenshots, and there are some years in the middle of the time period that don't seem to add up to 30: years elapsed + effective years remaining < 30. Those seemingly would have been difficult times to behaviorally "stick to the plan", right?
by Texanbybirth
Fri Apr 21, 2023 2:51 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Older Bogleheads: What was the most expensive decade of your life?
Replies: 99
Views: 14055

Re: Older Bogleheads: What was the most expensive decade of your life?

I am resuscitating this thread because I found myself relating to the OP. I am late 30s. My wife and I have four young children, 3 of whom are still in daycare. She is back at work from maternity leave now, but we haven't gotten a paycheck for her in a couple of months. We are facing big decisions about what to do with our family, including but not limited to, changing up transportation, moving to another house in better school district, and selling our current house (which needs a lot of work and will require a lot of cash for contractors). I just feel like we are getting beaten up from every angle right now and it is very hard to save much of anything past 401(k) contributions and Roth IRA contributions. On some level it makes me sad, be...
by Texanbybirth
Thu Apr 20, 2023 12:50 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: I need only a few thousand $$ , can I sell in the down market?
Replies: 56
Views: 6364

Re: I need only a few thousand $$ , can I sell in the down market?

Sure you can!

I'm selling from our taxable account soon to pay for some home improvements. That's why we saved the money in the first place!

:sharebeer
by Texanbybirth
Mon Apr 17, 2023 3:16 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: submit ?s for Mr. Money Mustache [Bogleheads® Live]
Replies: 128
Views: 14005

Re: submit ?s for Mr. Money Mustache [Bogleheads® Live]

The best thing about MMM is that he led me to BH through one of his defensive posts about how he was "retired" regardless of what others said. (I believe he called some BHs the "retirement police.")

I do also like how he summarized investing in stocks as (to paraphrase) investing in all of the millions of people who go to work each day to make their companies money (which seemingly translates into stock returns). I've learned a lot since then, but it's still a useful visual for me.

I hope the episode goes well!
by Texanbybirth
Thu Mar 30, 2023 11:59 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: [Bank failure discussion mega-thread]
Replies: 2482
Views: 211969

Re: [Bank failure discussion mega-thread]

runninginvestor wrote: Wed Mar 29, 2023 7:42 am People really want t+0 settlement and transfers. But this kind of friction definitely helps in cases like this.
US and Canadian Capital Markets are moving to T+1 next year (Memorial Day weekend, 2024), which will have a significant impact on small players in the equity and bond markets. DTCC settles something like $150T worth of trades every year, and almost all of that goes off without a hitch. (I'm gainfully employed partially because of the "hitches". :happy )

I will say that T+0 faces significant headwind. This is a really interesting paper on the large barriers to T+0 (and "real-time") settlement, and some of the proposals to overcome some of them.
by Texanbybirth
Thu Mar 30, 2023 11:11 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 401Ks Do you save any money?
Replies: 51
Views: 5857

Re: 401Ks Do you save any money?

For the population in general (aka not Bogleheads), many spend every penny that comes in their paycheck. Our kids can fall for this and one son really, really needs his 401k that he maxes per my recommendation. He's a big car guy and owns 2 cars, both of which I would call fun (2020 Subaru STi and 2004 Honda S2000). He's in the middle of upgrades and modifications on his S2000 and parts are all Voltex, Spoon, made of carbon fibre and aluminum. Big dollar stuff that he buys piece by piece. For him, if the money was not going into the 401k, it would simply be going into car parts. If he were a Boglehead, he'd have paid off his 2 car loans and student loan, but only pays what has to be paid. So yes, for some people, a 401k saves them a ton of...
by Texanbybirth
Wed Mar 29, 2023 9:27 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How long did you wait for your tax refund this year?
Replies: 165
Views: 17992

Re: How long did you wait for your tax refund this year?

Filed 3/19, refund received 3/28. I'll take that! :beer (No state income tax, see username.)

(For some of us, it is basically impossible to avoid getting a refund. I have a pile of children, and thus a large tax credit, but a significant portion of my income is a bonus, or "Supplemental Income", which I can't avoid being withheld at 22% at payment time each February.)
by Texanbybirth
Mon Mar 27, 2023 3:07 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: AirTags are not useful as a people/creature tracker
Replies: 40
Views: 6025

Re: AirTags are not useful as a people/creature tracker

As the parent of a prone-to-wonder 4 yo, my takeaway from this thread - aside from a few chuckles - is the write your phone number in Sharpie on child's forearm idea. Brilliant! :beer
by Texanbybirth
Mon Mar 27, 2023 12:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Millennials: do you prefer debit to credit? if so, why?
Replies: 178
Views: 13000

Re: Millennials: do you prefer debit to credit? if so, why?

Born in 1985, use credit cards exclusively (aside from the occasional check/ACH when required) for the rewards.

My mom always told me to let somebody else pay for my stuff for a month and pay off the balance when the statement is due.
by Texanbybirth
Thu Mar 23, 2023 8:28 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Cancel Tesla order?
Replies: 60
Views: 6487

Re: Cancel Tesla order?

OP, you can contact Joe Young at IIHS about the cadence for them releasing their new moderate overlap results. Next year the test will be mandatory to get an award (TSP OR TSP+). I too value their ratings highly. I plan to wait a year to upgrade, but am definitely keeping an eye out (and two eyes on the road in our current vehicles)! The Mach-e did get great ratings, btw.

Even as a consumer I’ve always found IIHS to be very open in communications. It’s refreshing cuz they seemingly have very little to gain from interacting with little old me.
by Texanbybirth
Thu Mar 23, 2023 8:23 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you tip at Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts?
Replies: 206
Views: 18173

Re: Do you tip at Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts?

Picked up two lattes for my wife and I, and an oatmeal, at Starbucks today. I tipped the guy $1 cuz he was genial and engaging - actually made eye contact with me during our brief interaction. (I always go inside whenever I can. The drive thru at SBUX is almost always awful around here.)

I actually thought about this exact thread when I did the tip, first time I’ve ever thought of a BH thread spontaneously like that! :beer (<- pretend it’s a nitro cold brew or something)
by Texanbybirth
Thu Mar 23, 2023 11:09 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Where to buy a bicycle (with training wheels)?
Replies: 35
Views: 1918

Re: Where to buy a bicycle (with training wheels)?

We've had 3 kiddos go through this recently. The first two (taller than average for their ages) went from tricycle to training wheels to regular bike in <6 months at roughly your son's age. Our third (very short for his age) is going the balance bike route and he loves it. I must say I'll probably go the balance bike route for our remaining kiddos. (I used to be ignorantly flat-out opposed to them, but my wife was more nuanced.) Watching him "ride" it does prove what others are saying about the importance of balance, and it makes me flash back to my first two kiddos really struggling with training wheels. They tip sideways so much before the training wheels catch, it can be jarring to a child. I think you can get them for <$100, a...
by Texanbybirth
Thu Mar 23, 2023 10:56 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Would you buy a house for 615k if you were us? UPDATE: under contract
Replies: 99
Views: 10921

Re: Would you buy a house for 615k if you were us?

Fascinating the number of conservative responses in this thread. I wouldn't have thought much about buying a 615k house on a 200k combined salary. Would you buy a $615K house on a $150K salary? That is the math I did when I read they may be sending 3 kids to private school at $10K/child. I think that is being overlooked here My response to the question would have been much different a few years ago, when mortgage rates were half what they are today. Also, OP asked "would YOU buy a house at 615k if you were us"? We're in a similar family situation (but better financial situation) and IMO this home upgrade is clearly a want (the current home sounds like it meets their needs fine - it's bigger than ours) that we wouldn't feel comfor...
by Texanbybirth
Wed Mar 22, 2023 4:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How do you search for plane tickets? (tired of budget airline gimmicks)
Replies: 79
Views: 11342

Re: How do you search for plane tickets? (tired of budget airline gimmicks)

We are in DFW, and we have 4 kids (8, 6, 4, and 2), so I don't even go to any other airline's site besides Southwest. With my wife expecting twins soon, I imagine it'll be that way for another decade or so, though we will probably be more strategic about getting Companion Passes in the future. :D
by Texanbybirth
Tue Mar 14, 2023 4:16 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Moving to a single income household.. can we do this?
Replies: 29
Views: 3104

Re: Moving to a single income household.. can we do this?

I expected that her 12k miles a year on her car would drop. It went to 18k miles a year. The pre-school does cost money. We initially didn't plan on this. On this note, it's important for her to think about what day-to-day life will really be like. I've had the fortune(?) of spending a lot of time at home with my kids in recent years (even before COVID) and (as many people learned during COVID) it's not all fun and relaxing. If you feel socially isolated and stir-crazy, and decide to fill the void by putting the kids into numerous, expensive activities per day, driving around between them, and getting food on-the-go, then I can see how it might easily become more expensive than daycare. My own wife is a homebody, although social isolation ...
by Texanbybirth
Tue Mar 14, 2023 3:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Moving to a single income household.. can we do this?
Replies: 29
Views: 3104

Re: Moving to a single income household.. can we do this?

warner25 wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 3:27 pm
Texanbybirth wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 1:04 pm (That's an awesome match on your 401k.)
I didn't notice this until now... What's going on there? Working as a Federal employee with the TSP and a second job with a 401(k)? Or is that the spouse's current 401(k) plan which will actually go away?

I also see only one IRA listed. You can contribute to an IRA for your spouse even if they individually have no income.
Sounds like OP gets a 10% employer match, and their income corresponds to 10% of that amount. A fantastic perk for sure!

I second another IRA for spouse. :beer
by Texanbybirth
Tue Mar 14, 2023 1:04 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Moving to a single income household.. can we do this?
Replies: 29
Views: 3104

Re: Moving to a single income household.. can we do this?

"...can we do this?" Easy if you're staying actively aware of your spending, but not even necessarily miserly . Hope it works out well for y'all! :beer

Are y'all not contributing to the 529(s) anymore? I didn't see a line for that in your budget, but my guess is you'll be on the hook for the full price of college. I don't really advocate either way, just pointing that out.

(That's an awesome match on your 401k.)
by Texanbybirth
Mon Mar 13, 2023 1:31 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Do you regret spending money on your wedding?
Replies: 229
Views: 22971

Re: Do you regret spending money on your wedding?

"Do you regret spending money on your wedding?" Nope! Renting out the church, some cash to the priest and musicians, and a beautiful aria sung by my (classically trained) wife from the choir loft before the wedding Mass with all our family and friends present: priceless. After 10 years I still look fondly at photos of our wedding day on my desk every day. The party afterward? We did that pretty well, too, and people seemed to be having fun for less than $10k. (The keg of Shiner made it back to someone's house afterward, I hear.) I wouldn't change a thing, and hope our kiddos have that much fun on the most important day of their lives (up to that moment) as well. (It's such a whirlwind for the couple, though.) My wife loves sharing...
by Texanbybirth
Mon Mar 13, 2023 12:51 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Budget review for 200,000 income
Replies: 102
Views: 9843

Re: Budget review for 200,000 income

Hello all, I’ve absolutely loved browsing this forum and learning about personal finance. I would appreciate an honest review of our monthly budget. I am self employed, wife is pension eligible at 60. Current ages 31/35. Family of 5. Late start to retirement saving due to extended education, prior income of less than half, saving for down payment for home and well, 3 kiddos. Iras currently about 40k ... Yet it’s embarrassing to make 200k and to be saving $1600 a month. If we were following traditional boglehead rules we should be saving more than double that, yet on a day to day basis we feel like we live frugally. We follow a zero based budget, and at the end of our pay periods we’re pinching pennies to make sure we don’t overspend on gro...
by Texanbybirth
Mon Mar 13, 2023 11:48 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: [Bank failure discussion mega-thread]
Replies: 2482
Views: 211969

Re: [Bank failure discussion mega-thread]

Uninsured depositors have some responsibility to look at the financial stability of the bank Should that involve watching for the CEO or other executives selling? SVB CEO Sold $3.6 Million Worth of Shares Before Bank's Collapse That article seems to indicate the SEC Rule 10b5-1 for insider trading will be increasing the advance notice to 90 days from 30 days on April 1st. Where in this case, SVB CEO filed the upcoming share sale on January 26th then sold February 27th, so should people have noticed and done something back in January? Then soon with the rule change, people should have 3 months to react instead of 1? Where presumably the advance notice is a potential signal of looking into the financial stability of the bank? As with so many...
by Texanbybirth
Mon Mar 13, 2023 11:26 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What happens if Schwab goes under?
Replies: 89
Views: 18779

Re: What happens if Schwab goes under?

tunafish wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 11:01 am I've never seen more people wasting their time worrying about nothing.
I disagree. I think this is an important moment to educate people about the financial industry. There are a lot of very knowledgeable people on this board who can quickly allay fears.

In my casual conversations with people, it's a small % of the population who know something as "basic" as "my assets in my brokerage account are actually held in my own name at a completely separate entity called a Qualified Custodian, an entity which is highly watched/scrutinized/regulated." (Generally speaking, for Main Street investors at least.)
by Texanbybirth
Mon Mar 13, 2023 11:10 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: [Bank failure discussion mega-thread]
Replies: 2482
Views: 211969

Re: [Silicon Valley Bank fails, FDIC takes over]

Does this enable banks to take more duration risk on their bond and MBS portfolios? Does it therefore increase demand for longer term treasuries and MBS? That demand would therefore reduce yield and increase price. This would be a kind of mini-QE, depending on the extent of its adoption. Do banks have to qualify for this according to some kind of stress test, or does it simply become a tool they use to increase risk? Thoughts? What if the opposite happened and demand for LT treasuries went down, as investors see this moment as a reckoning for bad duration matching (in banks, at least) between assets and liabilities? Add in some selling of LTT as bank unwind their positions, and that could lead to higher yields, no? (It seems that banks wit...
by Texanbybirth
Fri Mar 10, 2023 4:04 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: [Bank failure discussion mega-thread]
Replies: 2482
Views: 211969

Re: [Silicon Valley Bank fails, FDIC takes over]

This story kinda reminds me of me and some of the stupid money I have in the HFEA. My TMF position is down 4-figures, but thankfully I don't have to realize that sizeable loss in my IRA for 35 more years, so maybe it will climb back up to $0 loss and I can learn a (less) painful less than SVB.
by Texanbybirth
Fri Mar 10, 2023 11:55 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Multiple Kids | Headphones in Van
Replies: 12
Views: 1237

Re: Multiple Kids | Headphones in Van

You can get a Bluetooth receiver that plugs into your cig lighter. It outputs your iPad as a radio station, which you can tune your car to. From there, set the balance into the rear. They’re about $30 on Amazon. Good stuff. I found one of those using your search suggestion. They seem to have pretty good reviews, and if the audio is zoned adequately to the back then it might work for our purposes. The Bose connect app supports simultaneously connecting two sets of Bose headphones via bluetooth, but I don't think it will do more than that. So unless you have 2 iPads and each pair of kids want to watch movies separately, it might not be a great solution. I would absolutely go wired if you could. Way cheaper and less fussy. Get a 5-way splitte...
by Texanbybirth
Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:22 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Multiple Kids | Headphones in Van
Replies: 12
Views: 1237

Re: Multiple Kids | Headphones in Van

You could use the car's audio system and balance it to the rear. Thank you. I've thought about that, but I don't think I can output an iPad's audio to the van's system. I've never been able to find the iPad as a Bluetooth device on the van's menu. That would be a pretty good (free!) solution. not wireless but an input splitter would work with wired headphones. https://www.amazon.com/Headphone-Splitter-Connector-Earphone-Compatible/dp/B07SL6RTYR/ Yeah, that's perfect, thank you. I didn't know those things existed, and it's exactly why I started this thread. We have an iPad Pro, which means it doesn't have a headphone jack so I'll need a dongle for that. I'll need headphone cable extenders, too. Meh, still cheaper than a new car or a new rea...