Blow That Dough 2026

[audreyh1]

Does it count if you BTD on others? I wanted solar panels on my roof until I realized my electric bill is too small to justify it so I decided to give DS and DDIL the hookup to the new gas line in their area, plumb their home for gas and have a high efficiency gas furnace installed. They heat with oil now and their oil tank is on borrow time.

Also upgraded to business glass for trip to France in April. My first paid for business class on an international flight. I'm already thinking about business class for Japan trip in spring of 2027.

Of course it counts! That is also spending.

 

[EarlyandLate]

Also upgraded to business glass for trip to France in April. My first paid for business class on an international flight. I'm already thinking about business class for Japan trip in spring of 2027.

I presume there's lots of free booze on the flight?

 

[PandaBear]

Finishing the excursion bookings for our Ireland and Scotland Windstar Cruise...all in, about 25K. It's the most expensive vacation we've ever taken. It's for our 35th anniversary.

Also booked an 8 day cruise on Crystal...San Juan to Fort Lauderdale. We like the itinerary and are splurging on a more upscale line. We're going after my daughters wedding (when they return from their honeymoon, as we're watching their dog). It's our own trip for surviving the wedding planning and wedding!

 

[socca]

Ordered an electric-start generator to replace the recoil-start portable generator I bought several years ago. $1,200 including an umbrella for foul-weather operation. It takes me between 10 and 20 pulls to start the recoil-start generator - I’m getting too old for that. On the other hand, my ancient Toro lawn mower (Briggs & Stratton engine) almost always starts on the first pull.

Being able to run the frig while Florida Power & Light is working to re-establish power after a storm / hurricane maintains a decent quality of life. I don’t need a whole-house generator.

 

[Retired Expat]

Doing the Bookings on a 3 week vacation to Scandinavia. Business class from Buenos Aires to Amsterdam and back. Planes, trains and ferries between other countries. Every YouTube video about the area talks about how expensive that area of the world is!

 

[Winemaker]

Ordered an electric-start generator to replace the recoil-start portable generator I bought several years ago. $1,200 including an umbrella for foul-weather operation. It takes me between 10 and 20 pulls to start the recoil-start generator - I’m getting too old for that. On the other hand, my ancient Toro lawn mower (Briggs & Stratton engine) almost always starts on the first pull.

Being able to run the frig while Florida Power & Light is working to re-establish power after a storm / hurricane maintains a decent quality of life. I don’t need a whole-house generator.

Make a great effort to find alcohol free gasoline for your generator or lawn equipment for that matter. Alcohol will absorb water from the atmospere if left sitting to long, and alcohol will also break down any plastic or rubber orings/seals that will interfere with easy starts. Battery starters also have issues as most people don't do battery maintenance.

 

[socca]

Make a great effort to find alcohol free gasoline for your generator or lawn equipment for that matter. Alcohol will absorb water from the atmospere if left sitting to long, and alcohol will also break down any plastic or rubber orings/seals that will interfere with easy starts. Battery starters also have issues as most people don't do battery maintenance.

Yep - I’ve learned the hard way that gasoline engines need regular maintenance. My new generator is dual fuel - also uses propane. I’ve never used propane before so I’ll have to google it to learn more.

 

[planuntilthefisthits]

2026 will be a BTD year unlike no other. However, it will be surpassed in 2027 and thereafter.

2026:

-Biggest expense is 7-figure entry fee into CCRC. (2/3 funded by home sale)
-Monthly CCRC fee is 5 figures
-New furniture for new CCRC life. Will easily be 5 figures.
-Paying 90% of the tuition for grandnieces private middle school. Close to 5 figures.
-Have committed to paying tuition/room and board for grandnephew's college (He is brilliant and financially needy, so likely will get a huge scholarship.)
-Then there our cruises. Two yet to be paid beyond the deposit. 5 figures each.

I've been retired for 12 years and my DW for 4. Due to DW's generous pension and our SS, we have only had to withdraw a de minimis amount from our investment accounts, and until this year, always reinvested our RMDs. So we have now officially entered the withdrawal phase of our retirement planning, a state I don't like, but it beats the alternative of being dead and never experiencing it! And, I know this is a First World Problem.

 

[audreyh1]

Congrats!!!

 

[TheWizard]

2026 will be a BTD year unlike no other. However, it will be surpassed in 2027 and thereafter.

2026:

-Biggest expense is 7-figure entry fee into CCRC. (2/3 funded by home sale)
-Monthly CCRC fee is 5 figures
-New furniture for new CCRC life. Will easily be 5 figures.
-Paying 90% of the tuition for grandnieces private middle school. Close to 5 figures.
-Have committed to paying tuition/room and board for grandnephew's college (He is brilliant and financially needy, so likely will get a huge scholarship.)
-Then there our cruises. Two yet to be paid beyond the deposit. 5 figures each.

I've been retired for 12 years and my DW for 4. Due to DW's generous pension and our SS, we have only had to withdraw a de minimis amount from our investment accounts, and until this year, always reinvested our RMDs. So we have now officially entered the withdrawal phase of our retirement planning, a state I don't like, but it beats the alternative of being dead and never experiencing it! And, I know this is a First World Problem.

Some of these numbers can be hard to grasp for others planning similar.
7 figures can be $1M up to a bit over $9M.
5 figures: from $10k up to $99k per month.

So anyhow, hope it's a nice place...

 

[TheWizard]

Some of these numbers can be hard to grasp for others planning similar.
7 figures can be $1M up to a bit over $9M.
5 figures: from $10k up to $99k per month.

So anyhow, hope it's a nice place...

For example, one of my investment accounts is in six figures. It could be in seven before too long, but presently just six:

 

[athena53]

I think I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and upgrade my pre-COVID iPhone 8. Mint just sent me a note and they're switching to new tech (they use T-Mobile's network) April 1 and while I can still send and receive basic calls and texts, some features, including Caller ID may not work. Not great timing. I leave for South America in less than a week and don't want to work through the bells and whistles of a new phone along with everything else on my To Do list. And April 1 is the day I leave Santiago for my trip home. $$#@! I hope the basic functions continue to work I'm looking at an iPhone 16. Going over the $1K mark just sounds crazy and I'm probably using only half the functionality of my current phone.

And I have to buy a new case. :-(

 

[Surewhitey]

Yep - I’ve learned the hard way that gasoline engines need regular maintenance. My new generator is dual fuel - also uses propane. I’ve never used propane before so I’ll have to google it to learn more.

Propane is much easier to maintain it seems. We've only run propane (for ~3 years) and kept the option for gasoline if we have a big outage.

Less wattage, but plenty for our needs.

 

[Surewhitey]

DW officially booked air (half on miles) & most of the lodging for 6 to Switzerland and Dolomites for June. Spending through February is ~$21k, ytd including a hefty property tax bill.

 

[CO-guy]

Just booked flights and a hotel for our anniversary getaway to New Orleans. Also booked a trip to go see the in-laws this summer since we were already looking at flights. BTD x2!

 

[Dash man]

Just ordered new hurricane windows for our Florida condo. The old windows are having some mechanical problems and we learned they don’t meet current code. So we’re biting the bullet and spent ~$15k on the new windows. They should be installed in April or May.

 

[1242Vintage]

Lovely bride & I (married for 39 years and we still act like newlyweds) have amped up our travel this year. Blew dough in Costa Rica last month, Caribbean now and Mexico next month.

And I have a new hard tail mountain bike being built up now at a local shop. She’s a carbon fiber beauty and as light as a stack of 70 hundred dollar bills!!!

 

[oiseux]

We will see if it gets cancelled, but a few weeks ago we booked a private semi-guided tour (called 5*, but not at Oberoi levels) of India and Nepal at the end of the month, with business class tickets (we are based in the south of France right now, and want to take advantage of the closer geographical proximity).

 

[pjigar]

Finally, I planted a fruit orchard 5 years after moving to our acreage. Total cost of trees and supplies was close to $1500.

 

[DrRoy]

 

[NanoSour]

That counts!

 

[1242Vintage]

Finally, I planted a fruit orchard 5 years after moving to our acreage. Total cost of trees and supplies was close to $1500.

Nice! What variety of trees? Have a modest size citrus orchard at our place. Lot is zoned agriculture and limited to one house and a shop. So planted mandarin orange trees.

Now the trees provide shade, nutrition and shelter for a variety of small mammals.

 

[pjigar]

Nice! What variety of trees? Have a modest size citrus orchard at our place. Lot is zoned agriculture and limited to one house and a shop. So planted mandarin orange trees.

Now the trees provide shade, nutrition and shelter for a variety of small mammals.

All native trees: Peaches, Plums, Nectarine, Pears, Figs, Persimmons, Apples (low chill hours varieties) and Pecans. About 35 total. I still need to plant a few Mulberries next year.

Once they are all established, I plan to add a few semi-exotics which may survive on their own: Jujubes, Pawpaw, etc.

 

[street]

All native trees: Peaches, Plums, Nectarine, Pears, Figs, Persimmons, Apples (low chill hours varieties) and Pecans. About 35 total. I still need to plant a few Mulberries next year.

Once they are all established, I plan to add a few semi-exotics which may survive on their own: Jujubes, Pawpaw, etc.

You did well on price with ~43$ a tree. Good for you.

 

[Winemaker]

You just bought a crapload of work. I have two 35yo dwarf apple trees in my back yard. In my climate, I have to spray after every rain/rainy period, otherwise I will have moldy fruit. I cannot miss a spray albeit organic as well. Every spring they must be pruned to keep the tree healthy and to allow proper growth and allow sunlight to reach the fruit to dry and ripen. Luckily, I can use the cuttings in my smoker.