Recent content by tbis

This post hits home. My knee issues and medical expenses were ugly last year and I don't see an end in sight. Indeed, my left knee replacement has me WORSE off than before at 5+ months in. Best laid plans and all... In some ways, I wish I had kept working (which was from home), as at least I...

Yes, we also have 2 bathrooms to remodel, flooring for 3 bedrooms and a refinish of our entire downstairs flooring. Last year I had to replace both our our A/C units ($26K!) after milking them for decades (note: I even got my HVAC license - online - just to buy refrigerant!). I haven't even...

Nice progress for sure! I'm still "retired", but TBD on whether I'll remain that way. The bigger ticket "one time" items really are crazy expensive these days. As an example, a friend of mine got a quote to have hardwood floors installed back in 2022...it was a pricey $19k. They delayed to...

We did or first cruise (to Alaska) back in 2018. It was at the behest of my aging parents who "wanted to do a cruise with the whole family". I was on the hook to organize the whole thing. Prior to that point I was only very slightly interested in cruising, after all, why would I want to be...

Yeah, I hear you on Bonesmart. I think the "truth" is somewhere in between, and, in most cases you have to listen to your own body (or knee). If you feel you can take a bit more PT...go for it! If it bites you, maybe just back off a little bit, etc. There is likely zero call for letting a...

I'm 57 and just had my.left knee replaced in mid-Novembet (it was bone on bone in lateral - aka outer - compartment). I was actually supposed to get the other one done 2 days later, but insurance denied it (it was later approved). 4 days after the surgery, I was in serious pain and was...

DW is 8 1/2 years older than me. Technically, she has less to worry about, but I have a term life insurance policy on me until age 65 or thereabouts. I figure it fills some of the gap of what would have been my "working years".

Sold a car last year to Carvana. Got a pretty decent price for it and it was painless. Honestly, I think they were so desperate for inventory at that time, they were offering very competitive amounts. A year later and they were offering half what they gave me.

Agree on the astronomical increase in home repairs. The TWO A/C units I had replaced were at least 50% more than they would have been just 3 years ago. Brutal.

This is my first year of "retirement" and (HOPEFULLY) shows the importance of having a larger sample set of years. I 've had 30K worth of home repairs and will hit my max out of pocket on medical costs (beyond premiums). This is on top of seeing the real effects of inflation. In short, I am...

A few more details on this "trial run" year I've had which you may find valuable (if a bit discouraging): Healthcare (hidden cost) - As I mentioned, I've had a few healthcare issues. This has obviously cost me money (I will likely hit my max out-of-pocket this year - $5K - beyond premiums)...

Great update Exit. I am still rooting for you (especially since it is a little like rooting for myself!). As I noted a few posts back I exited a little prematurely last December, but had severance through August. So September was the first month w/o any income - It just got real!!! The...

Wife's Cigna plan going from $23 to $44/mo...along with an increase in deductible and all tiers now subject to it. Crazy increase %!

A lot of it comes down to your individual comfort levels, delta in SS between husband/wife, life expectancy (for each of you independently) and the delta between your ages. Having at least one large SS payment for a spouse that may live considerably longer can be a nice plus (maybe even a...

Even though I am on the Dewalt platform, there is one "line" that folks will often "add" to their main platform (if it isn't already their main platform) - the Milwaukee M12 (12 volt) platform. This is easily the best 12 volt platform out there and the brushless (i.e. M12 Fuel) tools tend to...