Recent content by ClarkeK

So after thinking about it, I neglected to add food costs for dining out and while on vacation. We spent $190 a month dining out and $4158 eating while on vacation over 73 nights away. So grand total is $10,458. More than I realized. :laugh:

We spent $335 per month for family of 2 in 2023 for all grocery products. Beer, wine and eating out are not included.

I was born at the end of 1963 so technically a Baby Boomer but I align more with Gen X. I don't refer to myself as a Baby Boomer. I think part of the reason is that my parents, both born in 1943, are still with us and call themselves Baby Boomers. However, I did vote as a Baby Boomer.

4.16%

Exactly. I read this article while thinking of my old j*b. There is no way I would have been able to pull this off while w*rking in aerospace procurement. Too many meetings, schedules, deadlines.

We rented a car in Italy for a week in September 2022. My first ticket came via Avis in January, paid it. My 2nd ticket came in April, paid it. My 3rd just hit last month, an entire year later, I'm not paying it. I'm drawing the line. The first two were for speeding and, like OP, I barely...

It happens way more than you think. Stores advertise a sale then charge full price at checkout. My wife scrutinizes every receipt before we even walk out past the Customer Service desk. I used to think that maybe the store's computers weren't yet updated to the latest price changes but it...

I scan my iPhone. I never carry cash anymore, I charge everything and use the points to defray travel costs.

Congrats! Mine starts in January. I still can't shake that 'believe-it-when-I-see-it' feeling though.

First job was in 1979, at age 15, as a dishwasher/floor-mopper/dough-maker at the Italian Delight at our local mall. Worked Mon/Wed/Friday nights, 5-10pm. Was paid $2.00 under the table. First tax paying job was in 1980, working part time in a local machine shop for min wage at $3.10 per...

Haha, yes, I'm worried we may agree with your sister.

Anyone have any experience taking a repositioning cruise? My wife and I have never taken a cruise because we don't particularly like large crowds and once we're on a boat we're kind of stuck there. However, we've recently read about these repositioning cruises on shoulder seasons and we're...

We budget US$25k. That covers us for two European trips and one, maybe two, domestic trips. But we also travel light with backpacks and mostly stay in AirBnb's so we can do laundry and cook for ourselves when we get tired of eating out. We did a 30 day trip in Italy last fall and spent a...

Update: I just received an email today from our insurance carrier that they are denying our claim. I took out a travel policy for $7000. I was able to recover all but $800 on my own (flight + 20% of Peru Hop cost). Prior to submitting the claim for $800, I called and spoke with a rep and...

The more my wife and I discussed the more we decided that it would be better to postpone so I canceled our trip. I reached out to all of the companies we had bookings with and I've been refunded 100% by all but American Airlines (booked Economy). I feel I need to give a shoutout to those...