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I didn't post this sooner, but right around June, we crossed over the $1MM in investments - mostly retirement and some non-retirement. Total NW is just shy of $1.6MM due to SoCal house equity. We are aggressively working on paying down the mortgage, but still have a ways to go!

John Hancock tends to be one of the "go-to" companies for companies starting their first 401k plan. A lot of companies have minimum requirements for the size of the plan. I suspect advisors like to suggest them because they do get a good commission off of them. I've never tried to start a group...

I think you're way ahead of the game just paying attention to it and educating yourself. You're bound to make improvements along the way now that you're aware of where your money is going. To that end, I think the biggest help for us has been using a budgeting tool to actually make a budget...

I just did a quick look over my FB friends. I have 752, but after reviewing a chunk of the list, I'd say I'm definitely over 80%. I travel a lot for my various hobbies and have made lots of friends (being as extroverted as I am!) and see most of them at least once a year, if not more. The...

Wow! Great job! That's amazing!! Congrats! Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

I'm sad you don't live near me! I <3 Addam's Family so much!! I've always wanted to buy one, but have never pulled the trigger... :-) That said, I second the vote for cash only or meet at their bank and *then* get cash! :-) I'd be too worried about getting either a counterfeit cashier's check...

I need to read these all more carefully (when I'm more awake) and take some notes. I don't think I've ever purposely rebalanced my accounts in the last 10 years. I think just about everything is in index funds, but I should take a look at it nonetheless. It's one of those things I know I'm...

I have used Mint for about 4 years, but I hate the "budgeting" tool. It's too hard to figure out what is going on. I just downloaded You Need A Budget a few days ago and I'm trying the trial period to see how I like it. So far, I like the look of it way better than Mint. As for Costco, I break...

I think if you're happy working, you should do that. It sounds like you're financially ready, but if the thought of staying at home isn't appealing, why change it? This assumes that your wife is cool with it too. :-) Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

I haven't seen a way to auto-balance. I'd be curious about this as well. I know I should do it, but I don't think I ever have! I'm primarily in Vanguard index funds, so haven't given it much thought. Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

You might want to pick up a copy of "Road Food"... I always enjoy those types of places listed in there!

Every time I see something like this GoFundMe request, I want to post something like, "hey everyone... this would be a good time to remind you that you may want to consider getting long-term disability insurance because you just never know what can happen..." Something no one wants to hear, so...

I'd likely go with the Prius. The hatchback is great for errands and stuff. If you really want a mini-van for a trip, you can always rent one for the weekend. It may cost a few hundred dollars, but with the amount you're saving on the front end, it's probably not a big deal. I have no kids...

Traffic is definitely one of the major complaints for living in SoCal. I hate it, but my DH doesn't mind it so much. I just don't look for jobs that have me driving more than 30 minutes one way (in traffic). That will only make you hate your life and I have no interest in doing that.

Thanks for the guidance. I think you're right and I'll stay out of it.

That is kind of the way I'm leaning because of what you said. I don't know the whole story, just what she's posted online. And as a separate thought completely, I probably should've titled this thread something else, because people might think I'm trying to request money. Duh!

The wife of someone I don't know personally, but is a friend of a friend of a friend type thing, has posted their story on a GoFundMe page asking for help because of incredibly difficult health issues that have had him unable to care for himself for the past six months. The wife has numerous...

The last time I went to Vancouver Island, I think we took the ferry, so likely the ferry? I remember it was huge, with five levels for cars I think. I'll be in Vancouver with a group (partial group from the cruise), so gotta coordinate with them.

I'll add Butchart Gardens to the itinerary for the week in Vancouver following the cruise!

I'm sure it depends on a lot of stuff. We're doing a 7 day cruise. We reserved last fall when the prices were lower, so around $1500 per person with a window, but no balcony. I think now they're running closer to $2000 per person. We also got a drink perk that I don't remember all the...

That is a FANTASTIC photograph! Love it!

Thank you for all the suggestions and advice! I'll check out those websites tomorrow, but it sounds like the helicopter flight to the glacier is a winner! I really wanted to do the White Pass/Yukon train ride, but we aren't stopping in Skagway (boo!). Seems like cruising is a popular vacation...

I'm going on an Alaskan cruise this summer and have been reviewing my excursion options. Holy cow, they are expensive! I've only ever been on one other cruise to Mexico and it was paid for by my employer at the time. Are these excursions worth it? Wondering if I'd be better off just wandering...

Readers can comment. It's down toward the bottom and already has 450+ comments. I think if he redoes his spending, he'd probably be okay. Bummer that he didn't get his mortgage paid off while he was earning $120k though. Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

I saw an app on Shark Tank called Scholly, which helps students find scholarships for college. It's only $0.99 in the App Store, so not a huge outlay and definitely worth the money if it makes finding scholarship opportunities easier. I think if I were a student, I'd apply for as many as...