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My remodel is finally coming into the home stretch. The cabinets on one wall have all been installed, but on the other side there's a problem with the location of the gas supply for the stove. At the time it was put in, I had only made a preliminary plan. It shows a 30" range, 18" from the end...

This past summer, my mom sold her house and downsized into an apartment in a retirement community. She is asking my advice about what to do with the money she has left from the sale of the house after paying the buy-in for her apartment. The basic parameters: mom turned 87 earlier this month...

So, I filed for a 6-month extension in April because all my financial records were still in storage. The six months are up on Oct 15th and I've been working on completing my 2012 tax return. This afternoon, I thought I had it all done when I suddenly remembered I sold my house last year. I...

I'm finally coming into the home stretch with my kitchen cabinet selection! The last item on my checklist is somewhere to put the cookbooks. Or perhaps I should say somewhere to keep the recipes, because lots of them are on photocopies or index cards. Up until now they have lived in an untidy...

anybody have them? Are they satisfactory? Have to post & run, will add more details later.

In view of recent medical news, I've pretty much decided to have most of the repairs & updates I had in mind for my house done immediately rather than waiting. FireCalc says I've got enough money to last 30 years or more even if I take out a large sum to pay for the work. What I'm wondering now...

Hi all, My co-workers gave me a cash retirement present, which I'm thinking of using to buy either one of those two-wheeled garden carts or an electric string trimmer. Consumer Reports did ratings on the trimmers last year. I haven't checked yet for garden cart ratings. Anyway, I thought I'd ask...

I've just been running some last-minute checks in FireCalc. I put in my portfolio balance, asset allocation, pension income and so on, and got 100% success on any length of retirement up to 40 years, with the ending portfoliio always larger than the starting value. I then went to the...

(This is prompted by a comment on another thread, but since it's totally OT for both that thread and the FIRE and Money forum, I decided to start a new thread rather than hijacking that one.) I sure hope that is a "clumping" species of bamboo and not one of the "running" varieties, or you...

from the NY Times:

All the utilities are on at my Lacey house except phone and internet. I don't know what to do about the latter pair. All the ads I see seem to emphasize TV, which I barely watch and could do without altogether, and they all give a special price for the first few months which I'm sure skyrockets...

I was quite interested in the recent thread "Interesting comments on annuities". My original plan was to take a partial lump sum from my pension system and buy an immediate annuity within my IRA, leaving the rest of my savings at a 30% stock/70% bond allocation. I haven't thoroughly read the...

I've just bought a house for a post retirement residence. I'd like to tap the wisdom of E-R about an idea that just occurred to me. The house needs several thousand dollars' worth of rehab work, more than the amount of cash I have left from the sale. It would be much more convenient to get the...

somebody mentioned this in the Dust Bowl thread. Have you seen it yet? Are you going to? I'm planning to go with my Mom, maybe over this weekend, or maybe when my niece comes out here the beginning of next month.

I just accidentally sent a reply to one of those email notifications telling me there's a new comment in a thread I subscribe to. Is that going to cause any problems or will the inadvertent message just be lost in cyberspace?

I did all my financial modeling for retirement out to age 100, starting to draw Social Security at my full retirement age of 66 + 4 months. Since being diagnosed with cancer, I no longer expect to live that long. It's certainly possible--my cancer is at an early and treatable stage--but with...

Purron put this one on the "so nervous" thread. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Our House - YouTube I don't know why, but I find "Solsbury Hill" highly evocative of that "home" feeling. Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel (live) - YouTube What's your "song of home"?

The last few months, since I put my house on the market, I have been actively shopping for a post-retirement residence. I've had to give up my long-time goal of building it myself for health reasons. In July, I found a house that I wanted to make an offer on, but my house hadn't yet sold, and...

I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch, but I think I've sold my house. The first buyer never responded to my counter offer, but today I got a second offer, all cash, contingent on inspection, and accepted it. So unless the inspector turns up something unexpected, looks like this is...

I've moved in with my mom while my house is being repaired and put on the market. There is broadband internet here from Comcast (with a home computer network including wireless), plus cable TV, plus a Roku box that was a gift from my brother a few years back. My mom is out of town at a...

I keep vacillating between putting this thread here or in "Health & Early Retirement". On the one hand I can't really say this is about Life after FIRE, because I'm still working, although I may be pulling the plug shortly. Then again, what's prompting me to consider retiring a year sooner than...

My microwave has needed cleaning for a long time. I tackled it this afternoon and much to my dismay realized the paint was coming off the inside. It's an over-the stove microwave+vent hood. The glass tray broke some years back and I have been procrastinating replacing it. The darn thing cost $85...

It has taken me a while to realize it, but for several weeks I have not been getting email notifications when someone replies to a thread I have posted in. I checked user cp and I have instant email selected, but when I go to my list of subscribed threads, none of them are checked. I have tried...

I went to the B of A website to download my recent transactions, so I could balance my checkbook and pay my bills. There is a new service agreement I would have to read and agree to before I can access my account. About a third of the way in, I just snapped. This is the bank that wants to charge...

I'm currently listening to this as an audiobook. I'm not even halfway through yet, and I may never make it to the end—economics of the Austrian school tends to stick in my craw, and so far anyway the book has a flavor of conspiracy theories that are giving me a pretty skeptical view of it...