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My wife and I are on track to become FI in 5-10 years and are most excited about the freedom it will bring. She enjoys what she does for work (for the most part), is very driven, has climbed the corporate ladder but the intensity of her job and hours can be overwhelming. She could try to cut...

I'm glad times have changed. I never see confederate flags. Not that the state is ultra liberal but Obama did win NC btw.

I don't mind the heat and find that I acclimate well to the humidity. Having a change in seasons in nice and I'd take a long summer over a long winter. The average high in July in most parts of the state is in the 80's -- it's humid, but not as hot as many places. I'm not sure when you were...

Where in NC have you been? I'd much rather live in Asheville/Brevard, Boone, Chapel Hill, Raleigh or the Outer Banks than many parts California. Chapel Hill/Cary/Apex is frequently listed on the top places to live in the US

I love Tahoe. I went skiing there in April and people were skiing in shorts. Drove back to San Francisco the same day and people were swimming in the ocean. Tahoe might be a little remote for me (and especially my wife) to want to settle down though.

I did Mountain Bike Oregon in Oakridge last year and had a blast. How does Bend compare, especially weather wise? I know I'm being picky but not sure if the damp winters would bum me out. Great city, but I think I'd want to be close to some mountains and national parks. My wife and I like...

Thanks for the replies. Arkansas and Springfield, MO may seem too rural but I'm interested in checking them. I think my list is pretty much impossible to satisfy completely but was more interested in getting some ideas. It's like the saying when picking out bikes -- There are three things to...

^ Thanks for the info. I don't mind urban, but am not a big fan of traffic and being able to bike to trails/mountains would be ideal. I've heard good things about Golden too (the city was featured in the International Mountain Bike Association video last year). How many months out of the year...

The home of New Belgium Brewing Company! ;D I've driven through CO but only stopped in Boulder, Denver and Fruita. How does Fort Collins compare to Boulder?

I hope to be FI in 5-10 years but to continue to do part time work to stay busy and have extra spending money. My ideal place to retire would: 1. have good schools (will have 1 or more young children) 2. have a moderate climate (not much rain, short winters, heat is ok) 3. be close to the...

I would definitely refinance to bring it down from 5.375%. I just did a no-cost refi for a 30 year @ 4.75%. When you shop around make sure to keep an eye on the closing costs -- amerisave and some others are notorious for tacking them on. I'm a big fan of the no-cost refi and you might want...

I'm all about the no cost refi. I did this a year and a half ago and brought my rate down from 6% to 5.25%. I called my bank up last week, and they said I could get a 30 year, no cost at 4.75% so I did it again. If rates continue to fall, I'll do it again. It super easy and doesn't cost a...

Yeah, it's tough to tell how the red paint would turn out. I'm not in love with the table so if it's a disaster, I wouldn't mind get a new one. Maybe I'll just stain it though to play it safe.

I have a solid oak kitchen table that is looking a bit dated. I'm thinking about painting it a deep red but am not sure how it will come out. Another option would be to stain it a dark stain. Have you ever painted an already finished table? Any recommendations?

^^^ you beat me to it... 2 million is pretty impressive

Thanks for all of the responses. Since I don't want to buy something and be disappointed with it I'm going to hold off on the steam cleaner and use bleach and a brush for the shower.

I'm thinking about buying a steam cleaner but I'm not sure how well it will work. I have a tile shower and cleaning the mold in it is a pain. Have you ever owned a steam cleaner, and how well did it work? I'm thinking about getting this steamer but I want to make sure it gets the mold and...

Thanks everyone for the help! That's exactly what it was. The GFI was on a receptacle in my garage. I'm glad I didn't need to call an electrician to push a button! ;D

Thanks for the reply. I just made sure to push the breaker to the full off position but still no luck. The receptacle doesn't have a Ground Fault Interrupter. The lights in the bathroom still work, just not the receptacles. Any other ideas what it might be?

I think I blew a fuse but am not sure if it's something worse. I had two things plugged into an outlet in my bathroom and they both lost power at the same time. This has happened to me before and flipping the circuit breaker did the trick. However this time it didn't work. What else should I...

A good friend of mine asked me to be the Godparent of their next daughter. I felt honored and immediately said yes. Then I wondered what my responsibilities would/should be. In your opinion, what sort of responsibilities should a Godparent uphold?

^ The decision is easy for a job that you aren't going to like. But would you ever turn down a raise where your job stays completely the same because of tax reasons?

^^^ So taxes play a role in the cost-benefit analysis but it isn't the main role. The main factor would be the amount of additional work and time the promotion would require.

You are in a nice sweet spot. But say you win a $10,000 scratch card. Would you not cash in because you'd have to pay half in taxes?

I'm not sure I understand the reasoning. Say you made an additional $50,000. Wouldn't a small amount (not most) go to the taxman? I wonder if the word "taxes" has as much of a negative connotation in other countries.