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I can't believe I am even seriously considering this, but I am thinking about buying a 1% physical gold (and possibly other PMs) stake. I am looking to buy what would be a store of value and a last ditch, get out of dodge grubstake I hope I never need. What is the most efficient way to do...

Anyone planting a Covid-19 [mod edit] victory garden? I usually plant a vegetable garden in my 3 raised beds, but this year I will be managing them more intensively than in the past. Potatoes are getting kicked out of the beds and getting grown in feed sacks (new process for us this year)...

I picked up a couple muzzleloaders because I think those are the only deer and elk tags I will be able to get, but I have actually had a ton of fun shooting these things at the range. I can't seem to find real black powder locally, so I have been shooting substitutes (mostly Black MZ). Cast my...

I got a panicky call from my sister this morning. She had slipped on the ice while walking the dog and hit her head on the pavement. She did not make a lot of sense on the phone but she did tell me she was bleeding. I raced over there as fast as I could (she lives 10 or 15 minutes away) with...

For the first time in years I looked up my social security payout estimate. This is probably a dumb question, but is this number nominal or real?

We are starting to dump money into 529s for the two kids. We get a state tax deduction so this is attractive. The gift tax exemption is 15k and I am trying to stay within it. I believe that means that dw and I can each give each kid 15k for a total of 30k per kid per year. Is this correct?

Anyone see anything higher? This is the offer I am getting from northwest federal credit union. Early withdrawal penalty is a year of interest.

So I have been going through an extended interview process with a small firm. I am close to concluding that it is not worth the trouble, but I am about at the end of the process and I applied in part because I know one of the partners. The oddest thing happened today. I had the final...

I have a large, old upright freezer in the basement that I finally got around to putting a Kill-A-Watt on and the power consumption is breathtaking. Armed with good consumption data, I am crunching the numbers on buying a modern replacement. It has been a long time since I did XIRR calcs in...

This is definitely off topic, but there are a lot of engineers and people who muck about with solar powered stuff, so I thought I would ask. I need to figure out how to light my quail coop for 15 hours a day or so. A modest string of LED lights will be more than sufficient, but the coop is...

I am growing increasingly frustrated with my eye doctor. Everything was fine when things went well, but now that I am having problems with apparently defective lenses they are slow to respond, the office staff is much less pleasant to deal with, and I get the feeling they are getting ready to...

For anyone eligible, Navy Federal is running a CD special of 2% for 20 months. This is limited to $20k per member, but it is way above market.

I bailed on the career job for what turned out to be ESR. DW and I are self employed doing various things part time with lots of flexibility with the aim of basically just covering our expenses and letting the portfolio ride. I think this is a far more sustainable way to live than my former...

So I have been reading some fine print on some of the soap and other items around the house and getting horrified. The dish soap and (ugh) toothpaste do not make the cut (potential carcinogens on your dishes and toothbrush, anyone?). I can buy products without the offending ingredients or make...

I am struggling with a decision over whether to switch insurance carriers. I have been with the same top shelf carrier for 4 years and never bothered to shop the package. The renewal came this year with a few hundred dollar price bump. I decided to shop it, so I called an independent agent...

We have killed cable and the landline in favor of broadband and Netflix/Hulu. There are ties when we could make use of a phone around the house, and having it be a mobile phone would be doubly worthwhile. Anyone use a prepaid phone? For something that does only texts and very occasional...

When I was fully yoked to the career plough, I had no time for even the basics of real life let alone even considering volunteering. Since I bailed on the career (would say I am ESRd at the moment, although some might call me employed), I have cautiously dipped my toe in the water. I still do...

I read this a while ago and for the life of me I am having a hard time finding holes in it, at least as a practical explanation of what the long term trend seems to be. Anyone care to have a got at poking some holes? "A search continues, long quietly underway but now intensified, for ways...

I don't currently have any cash looking for a home, but I thought somebody might find this useful. This morning I got the following from Navy Federal: "Open a new share certificate of your choice and get a 0.50% increase on current dividend rates.2 Use promo code Cert2015. " If you add the...

DW and I are seriously considering putting a bid on a mountain cabin that needs some work, but has a gorgeous piece of land and lots of potential. The challenge is insurance coverage. In its location and condition, it is difficult, but not impossible, to find property coverage. The rub is...

Anyone know what the rules are? If I choose to use a broker do I get the same policies/pricing as the exchange? Still eligible for subsidies? We won't be eligible in 2015 but might in future years.

Is there a good reason (i.e. not one that stems from "because we own the joint") that forum members are forbidden to add a moderator or admin to their ignore lists?

DW and I are toying with the idea of buying a vacation property that would also be used as a rental. The property is question is a condo and appears to be relatively inexpensive, so should be fairly low maintenance and not a big nut to cover. It is about 200 miles away from where we live in an...

I know some of you live in Mexico and I presume some of you are Mexican, so maybe a forum participant can offer some practical advice. I want to learn to nixtamalize corn (treat it with lime to end up with posole and masa). Apparently this was once widespread in households through Mexico and...

After an 8 month break from work, today I started my 1 year contract gig. When I quit my last "career" job I was thrilled to escape the cube, boredom, tons of business travel, an incredibly hierarchical and hidebound culture, and rules that made no sense. It is likely I was burned out. I was...