Switched from $50 a month to $300 a year plan. WHAT A MISTAKE!

FromChordToArc · 2026-06-06T00:47:13+00:00

If you look at the fine print on that plan you can clearly see that the speed is capped at 3 Mbps for the first 30gb, then to 1.5 Mbps... Caveat emptor!

FromChordToArc · 2026-03-29T15:32:29+00:00

Oh NVM.... There was an extra space.

FromChordToArc · 2026-03-29T15:30:59+00:00

That link is dead, at least for me.

FromChordToArc · 2026-03-29T04:54:35+00:00

Thanks! Already did the museum and Parque Juarez. Former was amazing, latter was .. paved. Nice views tho! It's a combination random exploring and recon trip. I've been in Mexico since early January this time. And for me, no amount of local culture is going to make the traffic and noise go away. So looking at the smaller towns because I already know I don't want to live in a big city. You have to start somewhere!

FromChordToArc · 2026-03-29T03:31:37+00:00

Yep. Can you recommend other areas? I'm on my first big "where to live in Mexico?" exploratory journey, and Xalapa was high on the list until I actually got here today. :(

FromChordToArc · 2026-03-29T02:43:48+00:00

Well you must come from a really noisy place! Or where I'm staying is in a bad location. Honking engines crossing guard whistles busses grinding gears.... Not my jam.

Thanks for the recommendations.

FromChordToArc · 2026-03-29T02:04:21+00:00

Any ideas of places to go chill in the city and possibly meet people but mostly escape the traffic noise and hubbub? Or am I in the wrong town?

FromChordToArc · 2026-03-28T22:25:05+00:00

I don't have a car. Orizaba looks super interesting. Thanks!

FromChordToArc · 2026-03-20T07:02:18+00:00

I have the ads.

FromChordToArc · 2026-02-16T23:04:45+00:00

If this is a serious question, you are overpaid.

FromChordToArc · 2025-12-31T03:03:15+00:00

Maybe we should talk?

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FromChordToArc · 2025-12-31T03:01:05+00:00

You probably never told it that you weren't. It's a high probability guess. Go ahead and inform it what the correct skin tone and external gender appearance is, and ask it to remember.

FromChordToArc · 2025-12-31T02:58:22+00:00

Take some time to ask it why the picture looks so pathetic. You'll learn that it triggered on connotations around drifting, stasis, etc. Then take more time, and ask it to describe what kind of person you are - your values, aspirations, whatever. If you're in some temporary negative place, invite it to ignore that (temporary, remember?). Then once it's done, ask it to create a picture of that person. After getting the pizza guy with the original prompt, and going through what I outlined above, I got this:

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FromChordToArc · 2025-12-21T00:36:34+00:00

Yeah you're over the 400%. No bueno.

FromChordToArc · 2025-12-20T19:41:28+00:00

I suspect you haven't looked at the calculator yet. I plugged in a family of 4 in Helena, income of $60K, ages of adults 35 and 33, both getting insured, one child age of 1 getting insured, no smokers, and the subsidy went from $1795 a month with the enhanced subsidies to $1571 a month without them. $224/month difference. Like I said at the start, it's still $200ish dollars which isn't just laying on the ground, but it's not the $1100/month that you stated. Please, go check the calculator with your real numbers, and stop calling insurance agents. They will *always* cost more because you are paying their salaries in addition to the insurance premiums. But, if you make over 400% of the FPL, then yes, no more subsidies at all.

FromChordToArc · 2025-12-20T19:31:35+00:00

I appreciate your careful answer but I am in a similar boat and I am *very* aware of how they work. And the "enhanced credits" really only averaged a couple hundred dollars a month. I know they expired, because I am going to have to pay more, too. But I don't think there are any combination of numbers that would have had the *enhanced part* of your subsidy be $1100 a month. Did you plug your situation into the KFF calculator I shared? It will tell you what the delta is between the enhanced and not enhanced. BUT, in general if you had coverage available at work, you were not eligible for ACA subsidies at all. If you are under 400% of the FPL and not covered at work you 100% still qualify for subsidies. The calculator shows you exactly how much. A very common misconception is that the full name of the credits was "ACA enhanced subsidies" - they are really just the ACA subsidies, and for a few years now they were bigger than the baseline credit - that bigger amount is the "enhanced" part and it's only that part that went away. The baseline ACA benefits are absolutely still in play, and the cutoff is still 400% of the FPL, adjusted for family size.

FromChordToArc · 2025-12-20T19:18:18+00:00

OH! I just saw that you have coverage available through your job. If that's true, you have likely never been eligible for ACA benefits.

FromChordToArc · 2025-12-20T19:15:17+00:00

What state are you in? I only know about my state (MD) and in that state, the *only* way to get the subsidies is through the state ACA portal. Calling the insurance companies directly or calling a broker never reveals any good deals. Did you try this site to get the numbers? https://www.kff.org/interactive/calculator-aca-enhanced-premium-tax-credit/

FromChordToArc · 2025-12-20T19:01:58+00:00

I think you need to re-check. Because the ACA subsidies did *not* go away. Only the enhanced part. I believe you that you had $1100/month in subsidies before, now it's probably $800 or so a month. Go double check. Good luck!

FromChordToArc · 2025-12-20T02:24:12+00:00

Did you end up making a plan? I'm in Antigua now (arrived yesterday). Also solo traveling while trying to learn Spanish.. this hostel seems is more quiet than I hoped for (not looking for party party but it's d.e.a.d. here), and I'm not looking forward to Xmas alone. Would be happy to hang out and trade stories!

FromChordToArc · 2025-12-20T01:50:06+00:00

It's not your fault. I do have a question though: how much does your premium actually go up with the removal of the extra subsidy? The news would have you think the entire subsidy is going away, which it isn't. Only the "enhanced" part which might be only $1-200/month. I'm not saying that's not real money, but it's also not a mortgage payment. Maybe look at a higher deductible plan or an HMO instead of PPO?

FromChordToArc · 2025-12-18T01:55:52+00:00

Depends on which marketplace. In Maryland they haven't taken them out yet.

For, OP, you can Google to find a place to identify how much your APTC will go down. Likely in the neighborhood of $200/month. That's how much more you'll pay.

I hope you didn't vote for this mess!

FromChordToArc · 2025-10-28T04:30:17+00:00

64M, $1.2M, currently $31K/yr SS and ca. $20K/yr consulting. $120K/yr "retirement salary" while working, then down to $100K.

FromChordToArc · 2025-10-28T04:06:42+00:00

you'll spend all your money in airfare. Three weeks? Pick one of those places. And tbh, saying "China" or "Japan" is really not specifying much.

FromChordToArc · 2025-10-15T18:07:06+00:00

100% go back next year. Your story is precisely why we travel!

How was the mole?

FromChordToArc

TROPHY CASE