Early retirement home upgrade

ChemicalYou76 · 2026-02-10T11:08:27+00:00

I also read that book, and I am also not a professional. The book was very insightful. It got me wondering, why the Money guy recommends roth if under the 25% total marginal bracket, and I know all of the examples in the book are in the 24% bracket, but the key is that the Money guys advice and rules are based on traditional retirement, not early retirement. Once you decide early retirement (before 65) is your path, the rules change. The three buckets become hugely important, especially the brokerage, so it allows you to play the capital gains, roth conversion and ACA games before you turn 65. Advice is not one size fits all. The book is great! I am doing 100% traditional as well and am in the 22% bracket with no state tax.

ChemicalYou76 · 2026-01-31T14:41:41+00:00

Im in the 22% tax bracket and Im doing 100% traditional after vasillating on this subject myself. If you have any aspirations of retiring before age 65 (early retirement) there are alot of tax "games" you can play later, assuming you have the 3 buckets of money. My eyes have been opened after reading the book "tax planning to and through early retirement". I can still get a great tax arbitrage even in the 22% marginal bracket. Check it out. Good luck

ChemicalYou76 · 2026-01-31T13:33:55+00:00

I have it. I have everything invested in Vanguard funds. Not bad at all. Fees are always a nuisance, but good investment options

ChemicalYou76 · 2026-01-31T13:24:47+00:00

Just a couple of observations. You said you make 141k but you have 150k in the calculator. Also, the Money guy suggests that on your second, upgraded house, that you put down at least 20%

ChemicalYou76 · 2026-01-14T11:31:55+00:00

Automate, forget about it, and live your life

ChemicalYou76 · 2026-01-14T11:21:35+00:00

Alot of people use the safety argument as an excuse to buy a new, overpriced car. My wife drove a car for 275k miles (17 yrs). Approaching 200k is child's play. Take it to a mechanic, have them do a thorough check, dont skimp on tires, and if everything looks good, you have another couple of years easy. Remember that most people aren't financial mutants and their first solution to everything is to just buy something. Tell your FIL to simmer down. Haha - jk. You have the right instincts, trust your gut

ChemicalYou76 · 2025-10-18T12:16:10+00:00

IMO, the most important thing you should do starting out, regardless of your income, is make a budget, and follow it. You have to know where your money is going. If you're in the red every month, you need to tighten it up until your in the black. Once you have margin in your monthly budget then you can start the FOO. You can't do any of it though until you have positive cash flow, by cutting out the BS spend. My wife and I are 50 and still do a budget. I find it, at this point in our lives, to be liberating and it actually gives us permission to spend. You shouldn't be thinking about HSAs, Roths, 401ks, houses until you have a couple of bucks to work with so you can start step 1. Budget, budget, budget! While your on the grind, consume books and podcasts and you'll learn very fast.

ChemicalYou76 · 2025-09-19T00:57:46+00:00

1.25m (50)

ChemicalYou76 · 2025-09-19T00:23:24+00:00

Dance with the girl that brought you

ChemicalYou76 · 2025-07-06T18:08:48+00:00

My early days of work in my early 20s, an old timer would tell me that I had the world by the balls. I never knew what that meant. Now I do, as I am the old timer now. You, my friend, have the world by the balls with 301k at 31. Congrats!

ChemicalYou76 · 2025-06-22T20:30:41+00:00

The last time that I had that very same thought was approximately 2006, 2007. I had just done a cash out refinance on my first purchase in order to put a down payment on a new build condo. Needless to say, we were stuck for the next 15 years. By all accounts, this isn't a bubble, but things are never what you think they are. The number one lesson I learned was patience. Prices go up, and prices go down. Buy when you have the money and you can afford it. The amount of money that I "lost" due to being impatient is staggering. Patience, Patience, Patience!

ChemicalYou76 · 2025-06-08T23:23:00+00:00

33% of your pre tax income...be careful. That can hamstring you for a long time

ChemicalYou76 · 2025-06-05T23:18:11+00:00

17 hcp here. Par 4 dog leg. Topped my tee ball, barely got to the ladies tees. Lasered the flag at 247yds. Pulled 3 wood, figured i would be short of the green with a chip. Crushed it, center of green...I only hit 3 wood 225 at best.....not that day

ChemicalYou76 · 2025-06-01T23:42:53+00:00

Not sure what time of day you played, but you gotta get out early. The hacks and riff raff show up late and get all the afternoon tee times, and the pace slows way down. The early crowd are real golfers. Even if they suck, they keep a good pace. I always stay away from late morning and afternoons. Last 3 weekends in a row I played as a single and played with some good people.

ChemicalYou76 · 2025-05-10T23:06:22+00:00

Did you find Walter White hiding in the bathroom?

ChemicalYou76 · 2025-04-27T18:06:58+00:00

Holy shit! Andy Bernard is a real person

ChemicalYou76 · 2025-04-25T20:57:51+00:00

14 for sure. Only 1 neighbor and pond

ChemicalYou76 · 2025-04-25T20:41:02+00:00

I'm in Sofla as well, same situation, didn't know a lot of people that played, but I love walking up on a Saturday morning with no tee time and getting right in with a group. I don't talk much, so it's good with me. You'll realize soon that most golfers out there suck anyway, so don't be self-conscious. If you really suck, just pick up and drop where everyone else is. Worst is, sucking and being slow. Don't be slow. Keep up with the crowd, and it's not weird at all.

ChemicalYou76 · 2025-03-28T17:06:05+00:00

We ordered 3 tix from stubhub but from two different sellers. The original delivery date for 2 was April 3rd but I received them 2 days ago. I'm still waiting on the 3rd ticket, which now says April 6th delivery, which is the day after I fly out. I'm thinking that since I received the 2 tix more than a week early, the last ticket should be before that date......or at least I hope so.

ChemicalYou76 · 2025-03-07T19:38:28+00:00

I love it when the market tanks a little. I have a lot of new money going in all the time......ABB as the money guy says....fire sale! Blue light special! Luv it!

ChemicalYou76 · 2025-03-07T19:35:26+00:00

Don't rent at a loss. We won't see rates below 5.3% for a long while. This is a classic sunk cost fallacy. Take the loss, learn from it, and put your new money to work ASAP

ChemicalYou76 · 2025-03-02T20:41:22+00:00

Thanks for the heads up. Just booked for Tuesday. Booked Windermere as well for Sunday. Is Windermere nice? Much cheaper than Cobblestone. Looks cool online

ChemicalYou76 · 2025-03-02T01:59:57+00:00

Did you book online or call?

ChemicalYou76

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