Recent content by Slowgowing

I get blood tests while I am outside of my health insurance's service area. I purchase tests through discountedlabs.com. The bloodtests are performed at a Quest lab location. For the tests I order, discountedlabs.com prices are less expensive than going through Quest directly and after a quick...

All - Many thanks for your comments and responses. Although there would be some savings by setting the thermostat lower than 55, I would rather pay a bit extra than to have a more serious problem. Rather than starting a new thread - one other question for the group: Should I completely turn...

My home is located in mid-Maryland and am planning to be away from January through March. I've done some reading/research and the typical recommendation I've seen is to set the thermostat at 55 degrees. Is there any particular reason I couldn't safely set the thermostat to a lower temperature -...

I have a family member who has a 2nd home in FL, built prior to 2002, and the only insurance company that would provide coverage is Citizens - at least according to the family member.

Yes, I thought about using a spare phone just as you suggested. I need to check with Verizon, but I think the phone would have to have active cell service. That monthly cost would be more than the prepaid t-mobile and Skyroam Solis solutions. The 'break even' point will take a little longer...

Good to know your experience with Solis has been good. Although my current 55+ loyalty plan thru Verizon includes unlimited hotspot data, it does not support separate mobile hotspot devices. Since Verizon appears to be a non-starter (unless I change plans; which I am reluctant to do at this...

Thanks for all of the responses/ideas! I'm not a tech geek whatsoever, but it seems reasonable to buy a hot spot device, couple with an inexpensive monthly plan, and then use that internet connection for monitoring device(s). Pretty sure I can handle that - lol. Some of the Amazon reviews for...

I would like to remotely monitor temperature and humidity in a vacation home while living elsewhere. Internet service at the vacation home is very unreliable, but surprisingly, cellular service seems to work just fine. There are tons of internet based devices that can do this remote monitoring...

Thanks for the responses. I was hoping to build my Excel model to have a bit more fidelity than horse shoes and handgrenades, but given all of the other estimates/forecasts that are involved (investment performance, anticipated spending, etc.), I fully expect any model will need on-going...

Thanks for your thoughts/responses. Completely agree that estimating future taxes beyond a year or two is guesswork, and I'm perfectly happy with a ballpark, WAG, or whatever beyond 2022. I like pb4uski's and Cobra9777's idea of just applying a 2% increase -- I'm moving forward with that...

Hi - I am constructing an Excel spreadsheet in order to estimate/guestimate future federal income taxes based on my estimated income. As a starting point, I could use tax year 2022 brackets and the standard deduction amounts since they are known, and then adjust them by some amount or...

Ironically, our last official day at work was Friday, March 13 and I believe it was the following Monday when lock down started. Certainly not how we had envisioned starting our retirement. Fortunately, the lock down started in spring allowing for some outdoor activities (golf, exercise...

Greetings - I found this site a while back and having just registered, am following the forum suggestion to introduce myself. My wife and I retired in March 2020 after a 35 year career at the same firm. Although we didn't retire early in comparison to many of you (I'm 61 and my wife is 58)...