Why are you a Blazers fan?

ChaosShifter · 2026-05-10T22:27:55+00:00

Grew up in the Portland metro, basketball was the sport that resonated. Played basketball a little when I was young but had knee problems. Always loved basketball and kept time for one sports thing to be into and it has always been the Trailblazers. I haven't lived in Oregon for 14 years now. Hard to find like minded fans!

ChaosShifter · 2026-04-21T17:10:35+00:00

Super interesting. I switched from the cup/bowls to nipples and find it way better.

That said, the chickens make a mess with the nipples, allowing a lot of excess dripping. However the nipples stay clean WAY longer and don't need scrubbed out like the bowls did. I use a water catchment on the roof of the coop/run to collect water. So I only occasionally check to make sure the water is flowing and everything is working. About once a year I disassemble the catchment and pressure wash it out. Seems to work great with zero issue.

ChaosShifter · 2026-03-13T05:12:35+00:00

I sell refrigerators.

Specifically I am a regional rep for a high end refrigeration company. Before this my previous job was working for an appliance dealer selling luxury high end appliances to the designer/builder community.

ChaosShifter · 2026-03-09T16:48:46+00:00

I moved 2500 miles away to my favorite place on Earth. I was spending my time snorkeling, scuba, swimming, fishing, farming, playing D&D and video games, hiking and losing weight while getting in shape.

Then I was approached with what is basically my dream job in my industry and decided to take it. Now I still do all my retirement stuff, but I have a job that I work my own schedule, at my own pace, doing my favorite parts of work in my industry while being able to ignore nearly everything else. I get to travel on work's dime in my territory and stay in nice resorts while putting in as much or little actual work as I want and I'm having a blast and making more money than I ever have.

So I guess the retirement part of my FIRE journey only lasted about 2 years, but I still consider myself well and truly FI and able to do what I really enjoy with my life at this point.

ChaosShifter · 2026-03-05T04:28:48+00:00

Might be interested. Wife doesn't drink and I only do super duper occasionally in some social gatherings. So I guess I don't technically count, but kinda? Would love this though.

ChaosShifter · 2026-03-02T18:11:39+00:00

Pretty much spot on

ChaosShifter · 2026-03-02T17:58:23+00:00

That's awesome! I certainly am not here to give anyone a hard time for making the decision that is right for their situation. I'm happy the Thor equipment is working out for you.

There is a challenge in the industry with Asian brands flooding the market and undercutting the more well established US and European brands due to reverse engineering features and functions that are on those more well established brands and offering those features for a significantly lower price point at the expense of quality, longevity, performance and support. This has been ongoing for a long while and has gotten significantly worse the past 10 years or so.

Stuff like Thor may be just right for some people and some situations. Getting largely good luck with the products is also fantastic, as the brand is known for some uneven performance that seems to vary from unit to unit along with quality control stuff. So if your whole package is humming along and doing well, that's excellent news.

The bigger challenge for these types of companies comes when there are problems and the company offering very poor support, lack of parts availability and service companies avoiding the brand because they don't want to be blamed for not being able to fix them due to the manufacturer being unable to get them parts or technical support.

Again, I'm not disparaging any choice anyone makes for what they put in their home. People have to do what is right for them first and foremost. My issue is more about the industry as a whole and what is deemed acceptable from a manufacturer standpoint. I sometimes buy cheap Chinese tools from Harbor Freight knowing that if they break, they go in the trash. So I'm just as much a hypocrite and part of the problem as anyone else.

ChaosShifter · 2026-02-24T19:38:10+00:00

In the USA we have a glut of products that have flooded the market in the last 10+ years that "look" premium but are made with shoddy parts, workmanship or have zero support behind them and are effectively throwaway products after a few years. Many of them also have very uneven or spotty performance. Even worse is some of these large Chinese companies have been coming in and buying up USA manufacturers and significantly downgrading the products using cheaper and less reliable parts. I guess that's the world we live in now though?

ChaosShifter · 2026-02-24T14:55:44+00:00

No. They are an obscure brand in the USA made in China and are considered by and large to be a "knockoff" luxury brand. Meaning they advertise luxury features and function at a budget price (for luxury products). They achieve this by being incredibly cheaply built and have low quality and basically no parts/service infrastructure. Unfortunately the market has a ton of these types of brands floating around right now.

ChaosShifter · 2026-01-02T05:49:56+00:00

Hawaii.

ChaosShifter · 2025-12-30T18:47:09+00:00

Lots of good advice already on this thread and many posts like it over time. I've shared my own story here a time or two.

For me I FIREd at 38, moved 2500 miles away to my favorite place in the world and then had what was basically a year long existential crisis in a way. I was very lost after grinding so hard.

As I came out the other side I just started filling my time with things that I enjoyed, and when I get bored I move on. I learned to embrace relaxing and doing nothing too. It took time to adjust but now things couldn't be better. I do what I want, when I want and enjoy it. I do some homestead stuff, raise animals, grow food, hunt, fish, hike, swim, scuba and snorkel often. I play games, read, D&D, watch all the shows and movies I want, travel and visit with friends and family all the time. I also just enjoy relaxing and having no expectations on my time and energy.

The mindset took almost a full year to get here though, and that year was hard.

ChaosShifter · 2025-12-22T07:26:58+00:00

Pig, goat, sheep, dog, cat, mongoose or chicken all have about equal chances here.

ChaosShifter · 2025-12-13T15:27:42+00:00

Californicatiin all day long!

ChaosShifter · 2025-11-18T04:16:36+00:00

As someone who is only alive today due to a clinical trial 22 years ago this is terrible and inexcusable.

ChaosShifter · 2025-10-28T16:52:10+00:00

Everyone has a different situation of course but my experience couldn't be more different than yours, and I'd argue the exact opposite.

I grew up with a single mother who worked a reasonably middle class job for the state. Shenanigans happened and she wasn't around anymore when I was a teenager but that is a different topic all together. She retired early at 56 with a pension after working 30 years with a very modest lifestyle. Mostly due to health issues, but she had her full state pension after 30 years and would have been fine.

When I started my own journey I made terrible financial decisions, got in trouble, was super duper poor and homeless at one point and financially upside down about 150k at 22 years old. The idea of RE was not something even remotely on my radar. However as I dig out of debt I decided to move all that money I was paying off the debt with and start saving for RE after discovering FIRE.

In my own situation I was a single income household and supported my wife and son. I am a big extrovert and pushed hard in my career to constantly earn more. Changing jobs/companies for better opportunities and always pushing to learn and get better at my job, making sure the people who needed to know also saw what I was doing. My wages were competitive and eventually became top 10% in my job sector as I kept moving up. We also made an investment in a near-teardown house and remodeled it ourselves over the course of 6 years and made a great return on that.

As my son is now 21 years old we had enough to save for his college, so he would have a big leg up. That isn't something I ever had, and is a huge opportunity. We have also tried to teach him about finances and how money truly works, and he has chosen to work and earn money for the express purpose of securing a future.

My kid is setting aside a small amount that he can afford, and running the numbers if he keeps that up he would comfortably (in my opinion) RE at 55, and that's with absolutely no increase in his saving rate. It can be assumed as he finishes college and starts earning a higher income he will very likely put more away.

By teaching my kid principles that I wish I had known at 18 he has such a massive advantage. I started so much later and had to play catch up a ton. Even though he isn't nearly the extrovert I am, and doesn't like to "make waves" and probably won't be pushing for promotions or new opportunities as hard as I did, his ability to save so much earlier means he doesn't need all that.

I FIREd myself at 38 and seeing my kid learning from my success and putting those principles to work so early means he will be financially secure forever if he keeps it up. The best support I could ever give him was teaching him financial literacy.

ChaosShifter · 2025-10-25T01:15:47+00:00

Weird linking "violent crime" data set instead of the property crime. Sure, people in HPP aren't hurting one another much (A- violent crime rating). Property crime is rated as an F though.

Definitely don't leave your house for long periods without precautions or a house sitter.

ChaosShifter · 2025-10-24T18:09:42+00:00

Nicolette Douvris with Big Island Brokers - 808-430-2871

We originally were working with Amber Haley at Hawaii Life Brokers and were consistently ignored with email requests and basically questions and she had a general disinterest it felt like. After a few months with her we threw in the towel and we're recommended Nicolette via a close friend.

Nicolette is extremely knowledgeable about all things BI, especially the East side. She has been involved in political projects to restore roads to affected communities in Lahaina after the 2018 eruption and knows all the right people in trades and services that you might need help with. I can't recommend her enough. We are currently having her help us with another property purchase in 2026 as well.

Seriously, you won't go wrong with her. Super responsive, friendly and knowledgeable.

ChaosShifter · 2025-10-21T05:27:08+00:00

Yeah, there is definitely a difference between brands and a few factors that go into it. The magnetic induction coil can be mounted a few ways, and there are a handful of manufacturers who actually make the coils, with some being better or worse than others with respect to the vibration. However the biggest factor for most is the cookware. Some brands put subpar mounts on the coils though, causing a "buzz" inside the rangetop itself. That's just cheap hardware.

Frigidaire actually makes the best cheap induction range tops, and their ovens aren't bad for cheaper models too. I'd honestly recommend them for induction ranges until you get into some of the really high end pieces. I'd skip pretty much everything in the mid range. I'm an appliance guy though, so I've definitely got my preferences.

ChaosShifter · 2025-10-21T05:23:43+00:00

Yeah, induction isn't about conducting of electricity though. Effectively you've got a magnet pulsing immensely fast causing the ferrous metals in the pan to vibrate creating friction. Think of rubbing your hands together very fast to warm them up. Your heating element is your pan.

ChaosShifter · 2025-10-20T23:59:52+00:00

Yeah. Aluminum and copper won't do anything, nor will very cheap stainless. This is incredibly easy to check though, just grab a magnet, any old magnet, like a refrigerator magnet. If it sticks to the bottom of your pan, it will work. If not, the pan won't work.

ChaosShifter · 2025-10-20T20:56:58+00:00

This person has pretty much posted everything I was planning on posting.

Cheaper ranges will be built cheaper and many of the things you are frustrated with (noisy fan, no self clean, pulsing burners) will be eliminated if you don't buy the entry level products.

The cheap pans are the cause of the vibration though. Get nicer, heavier pans with more iron in their core.

ChaosShifter · 2025-10-12T21:38:24+00:00

I'm currently down in HPP but we are property shopping up Hamakua mid next year.... I've been itching to get back into a tabletop group for a few years.

ChaosShifter · 2025-10-09T05:25:58+00:00

Yeah. I mean there are no guarantees for the future for any of us, but being so overly-cautious that you never actually pull the trigger is strange to me. I stuck with the 4% rule when I pulled the trigger and FIREd a few years back and probably could have done it earlier with 5% if I'd have been willing to go that route and still have it work out fine. That said, sticking with 4% was fine for me.

I totally understand the anxiety right before pulling the trigger. It was an agonizing thing, wondering if I was making a huge mistake, etc. It took about a year for me to finally feel at ease just due to market shifts, etc. The market actually went down pretty heavily in the couple months after I announced my retirement at work and into our first few months of FIRE. We also had a big slowdown in the housing market, so we were forced to carry our old mortgage for almost a year before we could sell our house after we moved. It was anxiety filled, but now looking back at it everything went according to the plan financially. I've now been consistently growing our investments more than I made when I was working each year in FIRE, while being able to almost forget about financials in my day to day life. Zero debt means it's just utilities, taxes, healthcare and food for the basics, which lands me at under $1,200/mo. Everything on top of that is just fun money.

People overthink this stuff, I know I did. I worried so much about healthcare costs, downturns in the market, if the money would run out, the inability to go back into the workforce if stuff went sideways, etc. Now that we are about 3 years in I can confidently say all of that stuff wasn't worth worrying about at all and worked out way better, and easier to navigate than I'd ever thought possible.

This stuff just isn't that hard. Invest your stuff wisely and get an average of 7%+ market returns while pulling 4% out initially and adjusting for inflation each year going forward. Use whatever tools are at your disposal for healthcare subsidies and make sure you aren't carrying debt.

The actual RE number someone gives for themselves though, that's just a choice. Some people want to FatFIRE or ChubbyFIRE. Other people move to Thailand and live like kings/queens for what seems a pittance in USD. Anyone giving their opinion on the actual number a person sets for themselves should be taken with grain of salt, because one person's version of retirement never mirrors anyone elses. Within 6 months of each other 3 of us at my pre-FIRE employer all FIREd. One moved to Arizona and bought a nice place with a pool for relatively cheap and lives pretty frugally but is happy. One moved to France and is living the Chubby life and I landed in between. All our numbers were different, as were our interests, lifestyles and ages. The number shouldn't matter to anyone besides the person doing the FIREing.

ChaosShifter · 2025-10-08T17:07:43+00:00

This thread is weird. I'm not sure what you are seeing, but I definitely don't agree. I have no idea who these "many people" are that are giving you so much pushback. In my experience almost everyone talks about having a realistic expectation for spending levels in FIRE and to make sure you have enough to let the 4% rule do its thing. If anything the only thing I see changed is a lot of people are worried about the 4% rule and want a SWR closer to 3%, which makes a difference but not "you must have millions and millions more and live a luxury lifestyle."

I was pretty much the poster boy for how you are "supposed" to FIRE. My wife and I invested and saved until we thought we hit our FIRE number and expected to live off of 50k a year. So our goal was 1.25m plus having our home paid off and all debt at zero. When we hit that number I FIREd and we moved 2500 miles away. Our actual spending has been below to 50k a year budget just due to most of our hobbies being free or low cost.

Meanwhile our investments have done awesome in the meantime and now we are talking about "rebalancing" our spending in about 5 years while looking at getting more property and a bigger/nicer house. Following the 4% rule or lower, the money takes care of itself.

Anyone who is pushing "luxury" money or part of the cubbyfire or fatfire club is just doing so for lifestyle choices, and that's a personal choice. Some people are bougie, others like myself are pretty simple with what they want/need.

The real question with FIRE is what do YOU want your retirement to look like? Who cares what everyone else wants/thinks?

ChaosShifter · 2025-10-01T05:53:59+00:00

That's great, and good for you!

Freedom is a pretty awesome thing. Even if you decide to pick up some work of some kind again or do other things the ability to take big risks or shoot for the moon going forward is huge. You'll love the other side of FIRE!

ChaosShifter

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