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  1. whitestick

    How accurately did you predict retirement expenses?

    Like most, I did the detailed spreadsheets, and monitor of expenses before retirement - nailed them pretty well - it is the unexpected expenses that really got me. Wife died, and after some time, found a new girl friend cum future wife -dating is very expensive compared to married at home life...
  2. whitestick

    Poll:2014 taxes for 2013, filed or extended?

    Filed and got the refund a few days before I had to send in the 1st Quarter payment. Even had enough left over for a couple of Bloody Mary's. Life is good.
  3. whitestick

    How accurately did you predict retirement expenses?

    The unexpected costs 6 yrs into retirement, and the two biggest unexpected higher expenses are health costs and taxes. I guess you could say its the co-pays/deductibles but it's really the total costs - Wasn't expecting to get sick, and all of the expensive treatments put me at much higher...
  4. whitestick

    Poll: OMY - how many?

    I really wanted to go, when my employer offered a package, but I just wasn't quite where I wanted to be. Two years later they offered another package, with a tax free 60 months sweetener, and I just couldn't pass up tax free money, so I took it at 59 1/2. Still early, but not as soon as I had...
  5. whitestick

    Saving a few bucks on cable bill

    All it takes is to bring the cables from your two antennas into a splitter/combiner and the common tap then goes to your tv. This was commonly done back in the day, when OTA was the only solution. Radio Shack should have one for about 15-20.
  6. whitestick

    Tax deductions in retirement

    Deductions are higher for a couple of reasons. When working, employer paid for health insurance, when retired, although I get it at the same rate, I have to pay for it now. Also medical costs significantly higher due to health problems for DW when living, and myself now. Charitable deductions...
  7. whitestick

    Ever had a doctor/dentist actually see you at appt time scheduled?

    >:([/rant] It used to be that all of the medical community made an effort to see you on time, or apologize profusely if they were more then a few minutes late. NOW, with the advent of these medical practice consortiums and "medical office" groups that appear to have the front office and...
  8. whitestick

    Stage 4 colon cancer

    Do you have a link, and is only for breast cancer, or the colon cancer and others as well. It seems that the latest data claims that there are a variety of "abnormalities" within the particular cancer cell, and each of these has an affect on the effectiveness of the particular drug or...
  9. whitestick

    Engineers and Computer Professionals- Help Please!

    Ask your DS/DD if they still enjoy the same things that they did 7-8 years ago, continuing to do today. If they answer EEW or some such response, then remind them that the same thing is going to be true in game development/software development etc. moving forward. As a veteran of high tech...
  10. whitestick

    how to estimate using sherpa when split household

    Thanks ziggy29, I was afraid of something like that. Another reason to put off that wedding.
  11. whitestick

    how to estimate using sherpa when split household

    Specifically how do you calculate the cost when it says household income and one person is covered by Medicare, and the other needs the exchange insurance. Do you have to use the total household income, or do you split it in some fashion - 50%, actual income received by each, if filing married...
  12. whitestick

    ACA wasn't supposed to have this happen

    After reading a lot of the comments, I had calmed down a bit on the doctor thing, THEN, went to another doctor - a General Practitioner who told me the same thing, and even added some more. This one said something to the effect that the new exchange stuff was about a large check being written...
  13. whitestick

    How much time a week do you spend on investments

    The checking account that I use requires a monthly ACH transfer in of money, so I have to log into my brokerage account once a month to do that. While there, I glance at my accounts, sell new calls if required, run the filter for new stock candidates to see if anything pops up, sell puts against...
  14. whitestick

    New electrical panel?

    Not a current electrician, just one back in the day (and that was a long time ago). Another suggestion to ponder is that if the cost issues are around the future needs for upgraded heating, and the need for a 200 AMP service at that time, along with or without a possible meter move, why not...
  15. whitestick

    Hot pot

    Wow, thanks for the link. It looks like we are getting one in Plano TX shortly. I loved these places in Beijing and in southern CA. One secret, if you really like the spicy stuff, like I do. As the pot cooks longer and longer, the spicy side gets much more spicer due to the peppers giving up...
  16. whitestick

    ACA wasn't supposed to have this happen

    Dropped by my provider today to pick up some records and prominently displayed was a sign that said they will NO Longer accept Exchange insurance for any of their services. This is one of the mega clinics of late, where they have assimilated almost all of the local doctors practicing medicine...
  17. whitestick

    Minimizing MAGI for PPACA

    :laugh: So far that's not been proven to be true. Or maybe I am living the good life too large. In any case, with the unexpected life changes, partner loss, new life style, and medical chronic conditions, On a prorated basis, I seem to be spending more rather then less, and it's really...
  18. whitestick

    Medicare and having to keep logs to get refills on medicine

    Not sure what Maximum monthly allowance would be, but only testing once a day sure seems like I would be under that. I never had heard of the selling of test strips, I guess we should look forward to having to pass a mental and physical exam, and become licensed, with continuous retraining...
  19. whitestick

    Medicare and having to keep logs to get refills on medicine

    Went to the Pharma today to get refill on Blood Sugar test strips and they told me that Medicare won't let them fill my doctor prescribed refill untill I turn in a daily log showing that i actually used the test strips and results that I had. WTF! When did big brother get into my personal life...
  20. whitestick

    WiFi All In One Printer - which one to buy

    Another option is to get the Lantronix Xprint server (theres a home and an office edition). It will auto discover the printers on your network and enable them if you have wireless on your network to be air printed from an apple device (iPad,iPhone, MacBookPro, etc). Home edition includes an...
  21. whitestick

    Govt got me again. Hidden tax in IRA to ROTH conversion

    I'll check it out, but in the old adage about walking a mile in another's shoes comes to mind. The MAGI may be higher then others, but that ignores the need to cover much higher expenses, like medical - not covered by insurance, support of children and grandchildren when son-in-law cannot find a...
  22. whitestick

    Govt got me again. Hidden tax in IRA to ROTH conversion

    :facepalm:I thought that I had done as much of that as i could think of. It just never crossed my mind, and apparently, none of the "experts" that I consulted with either, that it would impact the Medicare. But it certainly didn't cross my mind that Part D, which I am not taking as my company's...
  23. whitestick

    I'm baaaack...

    Good Luck Rich-In-Tampa nee San-Mateo. As to the folks behind, and the kids in Colombia, technology available today makes those move decisions much less traumatic. Skype, Face Time, et.al, wireless access at home or local coffee shops, even McDonalds, and air planes for the touch of human skin...
  24. whitestick

    Govt got me again. Hidden tax in IRA to ROTH conversion

    Did the conversion from IRA to ROTH in 2010, and elected to spread over two years for tax purposes, to pay the taxes. Nobody told me, that Medicare Part B and D had an adjustment to raise the amount of costs to you based on the MAGI on your tax 1040. Even though its moving an asset from one...
  25. whitestick

    One biggest "surprise" in retirement

    I thought about this question for awhile, and I think the biggest surprise was, when I was working, I watched life go by as I put in all the hours, efforts, etc. to be able to retire. Now coming up on my 5 year anniversary of retirement, I am fully engrossed in living. Whether it's exercise...
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