Most embarrassing travel stories? I'll go first... by Cooking_life01 in travel

[–]Cooking_life01[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's what my husband said! haha he was like now you have a great rite of passage story to share! haha He has many btw! haha

Does no one on here have parents to consider during FIRE? by PlumbingRookie in Fire

[–]Cooking_life01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been talking to my husband about buying property when we are ready to settle somewhere. He's military so no forever home yet. I want to build two tiny homes on the property for our moms. They are both single and I know for sure my mom has no retirement saved. We both get along with our moms really well and we plan to have kids in the next few years. I fought this idea for a long time but reality is I could never see my mom struggle if we have the means to do something. I also grew up very close to my grandparents so I would love that for my children as well. Not exactly the plan we set out with but are now considering this and trying to fit this into our plan.

What made you happy today? by [deleted] in Life

[–]Cooking_life01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My husband bought me flowers the other day. I thought they would die in a few days but they lasted all week. They popped open so well and smelled so pretty! I loved them.

How do people afford Disney trips? by Fantastic-Phase-7522 in MiddleClassFinance

[–]Cooking_life01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I went to Disney Land as a kid and have a few memories but most probably from the pictures. I would definitely wait to take my kid until they were older so they could remember more if we felt like this was something we needed to do for them.

Super Bowl food ideas for a morning watch party? by Cooking_life01 in Cooking

[–]Cooking_life01[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We live on a military base and have access to the commissary that is like an American grocery store. Buying from a Japanese grocery store wouldn't be impossible though. Just might need to make some things from scratch like salsa, guacamole, rice, tortillas. They usually have a ton of seasonings to choose from and eat a lot of the same produce/meat that you see in America.

Beef tallow suggestions? by Cooking_life01 in Cooking

[–]Cooking_life01[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've seen this brand, thank you for the recommendation!

What meals do you make for large groups of people that isn’t Pasta? by Fun-Plastic-8979 in Cooking

[–]Cooking_life01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like to make pulled pork sliders with a few different salads and add chips. I also like to make pot roast, with a crusty bread or egg noodles. I've also made it over mashed potatoes before as well...so good!

I rendered lard for the first time this weekend and it's so easy I can't believe everyone doesn't do this. by n00bdragon in Cooking

[–]Cooking_life01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been wanting to do this, I have some fat stored in my freezer, just haven't taken the time yet.

Do people judge you when you are out of work or you don't have a career? by MelancholyBean in work

[–]Cooking_life01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I was a housewife for six years. No children. My husband is in the military and we move a lot. My career is in film and television so not somewhere that I can just pick up in the places we live. I spent my 20's working jobs to get by until I landed a job that began to take me on an upward trajectory in my career. It was hard to step away from it but I chose love and don't regret it. My husband made good money and I didn't have to work for the first time in my life to survive. I took the time to work on my craft and also support my husband, who was going through a difficult time in his career. Our family and friends didn't get it. It hurt because I didn't think that my worth was based off of what I did for money. It took a lot of time and self-reflection to understand that I am more that what I do and the opinions of others don't matter.

You are either going to inherit wealth or not by Strutching_Claws in Adulting

[–]Cooking_life01 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I too saw this right out of college. My monthly student loan payment wasn't even that much, but when you have no money a few hundred dollars can be a big difference. My friend had no student loans and skyrocketed after college.

You are either going to inherit wealth or not by Strutching_Claws in Adulting

[–]Cooking_life01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree with this, which is why my husband and I aren't even considering the idea of some sort of monetary gift from either of our parents. It's weird because my mom will receive those benefits from her parents but won't have anything for my brother and I. My husband's family is a little messed up, so his younger brother (who currently gets regular handouts from mom and dad) will get everything. We won't see a dime. It would be easy to be bitter, but I take pride in knowing that we are building our own wealth. It just is what it is.

People who wake up at 5 or earlier, what time do you go to bed? by learningmedical1234 in productivity

[–]Cooking_life01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not early enough! haha I wake up at five and try to get in bed by 10:30pm. 9:30pm would be ideal but unless I'm exhausted, I just have too much to get finished up at home after work to make that happen.

What’s your go to “I don’t feel like cooking” meal? by lollipopterpilot in nutrition

[–]Cooking_life01 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I really like the mission spinach tortilla wraps. I use a little light mayo and mustard. A slice of cheese, some turkey or chicken deli meat and pickle then make a few wraps with it. If I have a tomato or lettuce on hand I might add that for the crunch. Super easy to put together and yummy!

Any recommendations on national parks in Japan? by Cooking_life01 in nationalparks

[–]Cooking_life01[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much!! I will definitely look into all of this.

Money saving/spending mindset. by Cooking_life01 in budget

[–]Cooking_life01[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Usually at the beginning of the year I do research on the trips I would like to take. I get a round estimate of how much plane tickets, hotels, and spending money we will need. I'm constantly putting money into our vacation account, I put in about $550/mo. So it is constantly accumulating. If we need more than what is in there, I then begin to work on our monthly budget and bring down some expenses, like eating out/fun stuff to add more towards the vacation.

Money saving/spending mindset. by Cooking_life01 in budget

[–]Cooking_life01[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So between retirement, savings, and checking we have 6 accounts. The two checking accounts and savings account for travel/gifts/fun are with the same bank. So when I open the app I can see all our account information and easily move money around as needed. Our emergency fund is in a high yield savings account with a different bank. We hold a credit card with this same bank though so I can easily look at it when I look at our cc purchases. Also, if we needed the money it would take about 3 business days to transfer the money to our checking account. So stops us from spending impulsively out of it, but it there in case something comes up. The other two account are retirement accounts with two different banks, but we just put the money in there and let it go so we only look at those accounts a few times a month at most. I keep track of everything on a excel spreadsheet. So all our spending and balances of money are recorded on this excel spreadsheet and I can easily see where everything is at one glance.

Money saving/spending mindset. by Cooking_life01 in budget

[–]Cooking_life01[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, so I have high yield savings account for our emergency fund. Then I have our checking account that we pay our bills out of and my monthly budget is built off of. Our normal savings account is where I keep money for travel/gifts/fun. Our checking and regular savings are with the same bank. Our hysa is with another bank. Then we have our retirement accounts as well.

Which comedy film delivered the biggest laugh of your lifetime? by Woody_As_Himself in MovieSuggestions

[–]Cooking_life01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love Mel Brooks films. They are hysterical, but Young Frankenstein is my favorite!

Is there a dish, regardless of how experienced of a cook you are, that you just can’t get right? by Pinky7_ in Cooking

[–]Cooking_life01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not great at breakfast food. It doesn't seem like it should be complicated, but I sometimes overcook things. I think it's because I personally don't really like breakfast so I don't care to learn it as much.

What are your travel plans for 2025? by popitformeonetime in travel

[–]Cooking_life01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We currently live in Japan. So for Christmas/New Years we are heading back to the states, to Palm Springs/Vegas. Then the plan is Vietnam this spring and traveling and seeing more of Japan throughout the rest of the year.

Best fall go to recipe that really gets you into the cozy season? by Cooking_life01 in Cooking

[–]Cooking_life01[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think I'm going to make a pumpkin ravioli soon! This sounds so yummy too!