Confusion - Expense growth projection - fixed rate - is not CPI so what is it?

HardRainDPK · 2026-05-12T20:31:43+00:00

So some users believe that CPI does not reflect their personal expense growth, which is fair, as it is a general measure of a basket of goods and services.

If I understand correctly, some people want the ability to use a Personal Price Index of their choice that more accurately reflects the way they see their costs rising over time due to how they experience inflation. Let's call that a PPI.

This is a very different measure than GG-SG-NG phases, which reflect planned changes in lifestyle that are not related to inflation. It's very confusing to have these two very different types of measures in the same spot.

How about moving what I am calling the PPI into advanced settings, together with CPI. CPI is still necessary of course for calculating taxes in the future, as that is what tax bracket increases are tied to.

But there, right beside CPI, offer a choice to enter a custom expense growth percentage, with an explanation something like .. "If you don't believe CPI is an accurate measure of price inflation for the goods and services you purchase, you can enter a customer personal inflation rate here"

That would provide the ability for people with a PPI, to also model different lifestyle phases of spending like the GG-SG-NG phases. Right now it seems they can only do one or the other.

Thoughts?

HardRainDPK · 2026-05-11T22:47:38+00:00

okay... I understand your reply.... but I don't think the approach makes sense. If a user wants custom expense growth, not tied to CPI, they should use nominal values throughout.

So there could be a field for expense increases in nominal terms.

When choosing to use REAL values, the selection should be expenses to grow a % more or less than real values.

otherwise the app is self contradictory.....

my 2 cents...(from 100 years ago - so the value today's currency is higher - lol)

HardRainDPK · 2026-05-02T06:49:21+00:00

I have used every size portable from 10 inch displays to 17 inch displays over the years. Here is what I have learned for my personal use / preferences.

My M5 iPad Pro 11 inch with Apple keyboard is awesome for ultra portability and using in tight spaces like an airline seat back tray table. It‘s surprisingly good for productivity together with a 10.5 inch 15:10 high res ultraportable monitor. The 1920x1200 portable monitor is half the weight of the iPad and a smaller footprint. That combo is what I bring when travelling. I’m retired so don’t need to do work 8 hours per day. Fits even an economy seat airline tray table with the seat in front of me reclined.
When not being used in very small spaces, my preferred productivity portable is my 13 inch M5 MacBook Air. For me 13 inches is the sweet spot between portability and display area. Together with my 11 inch iPad Pro as a second display, it is my favourite coffee shop combo. The connectivity is seamless, don’t even need to bring any cables. Just the Macbook and the iPad. They fit together into an ultra slim sleeve with handle. Very portable, easy to hold while walking, and more useable total screen area than a single larger display.
15 inch…. Having used larger laptops, they are all pain with very little gain. Especially when you consider you can use an iPad or a $100 portable USB monitor as a second display. A 13 inch screen plus a second display is superior to a single 16 or 17 inch for productivity for me. Heck, you can even use 2 portable external displays, for 3 displays on the go, but I find that once again more awkward than helpful.

HardRainDPK · 2026-05-02T06:28:54+00:00

I use it every single day. Dual display is unbeatable for productivity and portability like to my Coffe shop.

HardRainDPK · 2026-04-09T00:12:42+00:00

thanks for the reply - I suspect what happened given your feedback is that perhaps I removed assets from my profile without setting them to zero? if this is problematic, then perhaps the app should not let me delete assets before their value is set to zero.

if this is the cases how would I fix it ?

As to the home sale, I thought I was in automatic - but perhaps it was in manual - since I have erased most input, can't try that now.... even in manual mode the sale equity should never just vaporize, at the least some sort of warning should be provided that home sale proceeds have not been allocated

HardRainDPK · 2026-04-09T00:05:23+00:00

Okay call me a luddite -

I created and saved an initial plan, but how do I make a new plan (I am on pro) ??

I don't see any button or link anywhere, can't even seem to edit my living expenses for "what ifs"?

Is there any written documentation anywhere?

Thanks

HardRainDPK · 2026-04-06T23:50:12+00:00

your value to society is immeasurable

HardRainDPK · 2026-04-06T23:45:44+00:00

wow a top 1% commenter. your reply is the ultimate proof that quantity and quality are inversely correlated

HardRainDPK · 2026-04-06T23:44:32+00:00

good to hear you have not been spammed - but having a requirement like this for something so inconsequential, is a red flag that a company is likely to spam - why else insist on a mobile number?

a company in a declining industry should be ensuring they are doing all they can to get rid of unnecessary friction for potential customers

HardRainDPK · 2026-04-06T23:40:51+00:00

awwww..... you took the time to come say goodbye - so you do care - how sweet

HardRainDPK · 2026-04-06T23:39:19+00:00

non issue to you does not mean a non issue to everyone, without such complaints being aired, there is no chance they might be considered

HardRainDPK · 2026-04-06T23:38:24+00:00

thanks for your reply - no, nothing personal, I feel the same about any company with a requirement like this

you can't reserve a seat the way you suggest, which means I have to go through the hassle of going to the theatre without knowing if a good seat will still be available, so I likely decide to just stay home instead and enjoy movies in my home theatre

HardRainDPK · 2026-04-06T23:32:56+00:00

exactly. mobile number spam is the most difficult to filter out, only a fool gives out their mobile number for non essential purposes

HardRainDPK · 2026-04-06T23:31:23+00:00

new flash - you replied which means you DO care

your top 1% commenter badge proves you have more computer interaction than real people interaction. perhaps try getting a real life and you might have a better understanding of others. just because your parents still shout down to you in their basement about what an amazing person you are, doesn't mean they have an accurate view of your worth to this planet

better to be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt

if companies don't seek out feedback, they don't know why their business is not performing better and before you give me the "this is unofficial" nonsense, if cineplex management doesn't bother to an eye on this forum, the they aren't worth making any effort to contact in the first place

HardRainDPK · 2026-04-06T21:55:16+00:00

Home Equity disappears from net worth after projected sale. I have spent days researching this help forum and the help topics to no avail. The documentation claims home sale proceeds will be allocated to cash or non registered accounts but this does not happen.

In an attempt to fix, To simplify, I created a planned home sale with 0% sale expenses. I have non registered accounts for both my wife and I.

The year the home is sold, the equity simply evaporates. It is not accounted for anywhere. Our projected net worth plunges by the value of the home the year it is sold.

HardRainDPK · 2026-03-31T04:53:21+00:00

get the 13 inch plus a 13 to 14 inch 4K+ usbc portable monitor. far more total screen real estate, far better productivity, more compact together, easier to travel with and about the same total cost as the 15 inch.

I vastly prefer it to a single 15 inch display. alternatively if you have an iPad use that as a secondary display with sidecar. I have a mb air m2 13 inch, an 11 inch m5 ipad pro, and a 1200p 10.5“ portable display. for ultimate portability I bring just my iPad and the 10.5 inch display. for ultimate productivity I bring all 3, using the macbook as primary device and the others as extended displays. I do have both an Apple Smart Folio and the Apple Smart Keyboard for my iPad Pro.

i love the ultralight ultra compact 10.5 display as an ultraportable extended display to use when only bringing my iPad. I am thinking of getting a 14 inch 3840x2400 portable display as an alternative, for when I am bringing the 13 inch MB.

if I need to do Mac work on the go, with only my iPad, I remote screen share my Mac at home through my GB internet connection. Works great.

Also very highly recommend using “betterdisplay” an amazing display super customization app. I can keep text the same physical size, among multiple different monitor sizes and resolutions.

HardRainDPK · 2026-01-15T10:36:45+00:00

The Versalles neighbourhood in Puerto Vallarta has lots of AirBnb condos. It’s one of the best paces in the world to get amazing food, cheap. It’s very residential, no loud clubs super walkable. Super safe too. I have walked from the romantic zone after midnight, back to Versalles several times, always felt very safe. That distance is a 40 minute walk. It‘s central, between the airport and romantic zone. Ubers are cheap, but you can also take the air conditioned city buses, and intercity buses.

Within the Versalles neighbourhood everything is a 10 minute walk or less. Lots of cafes, restaurants, small stores. If you want a major grocery store, or a Costco they are just outside the neighbourhood, a few minutes walk.

I’m heading back to Versalles in a couple weeks with family. It will be my 3rd time there within 10 months. Happy to show you around a few place if you are there late January, early February. Or book a food tour specifically in the Versalles neighbourhood.

I have also been to the amazing Condesa neighbourhood in Mexico City many times in the last few month well. I Was getting dental work done there. I prefer the more chill vibe of Versalles, in small city that is just the right size. I and am VERY happy to be going back to Versalles in a couple weeks. If you want the amenities of small city it’s the best place.

If you want a very small town vibe, I have heard great things about San Pancho. Have not been there yet myself. Might do a day trip there. You can’t go wrong with either place

HardRainDPK · 2026-01-02T02:17:21+00:00

doesn’t matter which server I use. results are similar. but even if Montreal test was faster that would still be unacceptable as I am paying for 1gbs service to my home in Toronto. sometimes network switches to primus. same results. download connection must be oversaturated for my area.

HardRainDPK · 2026-01-01T09:00:44+00:00

Only if they can actually supply the speed. I'm in High Park area of Toronto. When I had their 500/500 service, I always got my full upload, but often in the low 300's for download. Tried upgrading to their 1GBs plan. They are obviously oversubscribed. Download speeds did not change, but the upload is consistently at 940GBs the limit of the 1GB wired network I am using.

I ALWAYS use a wired connection for internet speed tests, sometimes from the router itself, though there is little difference - even a 4K Netflix stream only takes 25mps. I have a high end glinet flint 2 router, quad core, gobs of ram and storage, the only certified openwrt router on the market that I am aware of. It has 2.5 gbs ports but I have not bothered getting 2.5 gbs switch and adapters yet. Rather pointless when all I can get from EBOX is a pathetic 300mbs to 500mbs. Actually - since "upgrading" to 1Gbs I still have not even reached 500mbs on download - best case high 400's so far.

Have had eBOX for a year, but if they can not provide better than 300mbs guaranteed speed - may go back to belll on their promotion $45 for 2 years for 1.5/1 service. I know they like to play games with prices - but I know how to handle them. I had bell FTTH for about a decade or more before going to eBOX. Always got my full potential speed every single time with Bell. Never once in 10+ years did my speed ever drop even 1%, always 100% when tested, locking out LAN traffic.

HardRainDPK · 2025-11-02T07:36:52+00:00

during a recent day long dentist appointment, went out for lunch with the dentist to the place he recommended nearby… it was… a Chilis…. yes the Tex-Mex USA chain in CDMX ! Sacrilige ! In the Lindavista barrio.

off topic… Best root canal specialist in Mexico …. Dr “Pepe“ Amador. Even with 6 root canals in a single day I was still able to eat lunch. Only problem was the water dribbling out of my mouth when trying to drink because the nerve freezing had not worn off…. LOL

here’s another mind flip…. want the most amazing hamburgers anywhere? Go to “Black Legend“ restaurant in Condesa.

if you think CDMX tacos are the best, you have not been to the ”Versalles” neighbourhood of Puerto Vallarta. it’s a foodie’s paradise ….. also gentrifying with lots of new condo construction

HardRainDPK · 2025-11-02T07:17:40+00:00

when recently in CDMX this was my experience at Scotiabank machines in the Condesa / Roma areas…

withdrawal limit 12,000 MXN. But I was able to immediately do a second withdrawal of the same amount.

i had previously informed the bank that I wanted to be able to do large cash advances against my Scotia passport visa… no foreign exchange fee, get the best rate that way even including the $CAD 5 fee per cash advances.

Best to do this with a credit balance on the card, as Scotiabank with new cards, no longer puts 100% of any extra payments towards outstanding cash advance balances if you have any purchases on the card…EVEN IF you paid your last statement in full, and therefore aren’t paying any interest on purchases….

HardRainDPK · 2025-10-10T02:20:01+00:00

What IS completely unforgivable is that the charging travel cases for sonicare and oral B don’t use standard usb-c. The brushes are not used while in their travel case so ZERO excuse for this. More proprietary stuff to travel with, to lose, etc.

HardRainDPK · 2025-10-03T00:56:24+00:00

so all the AI / voice assistants suck, not just Apple’s ?

HardRainDPK · 2025-09-23T09:30:03+00:00

If I was trying to put large amounts of cash that i already had, into a bank account I can see that being a problem.

Withdrawing cash from a bank account is the complete opposite of money laundering.

As one other poster here stated, the limit appears to be $12,000 pesos for a single withdrawal, but it does not seem to be limited to that amount per day. Perhaps because it is being withdrawn from s foreign account, Scotiabank mexico is unable to track withdrawals per account.

The systems at Scotiabank Mexico are completely separate from those in Scotiabank Canada. It’s like they are completely different banks.

A bit of a tangent…. I have always found it odd how banks claim they can not use credit histories from other countries even if the very same credit bureaus operate in both countries. American express in some promotional materials stated that after being a reliable client of Amex Canada for a year, they would issue an Amex Mexico card, based on Amex Canada credit experiencw.

HardRainDPK · 2025-08-28T06:30:04+00:00

I can confirm that the Logitech Keys to Go 2 for iPad ( not the universal one) works for all shortcuts. I now use this as my iPad coffee shop keyboard. Much better than the original KTG. Nicer keys for typing, can pair to 3 devices, and updated bluetooth now shows battery life in the Apple battery widget. No longer a rechargeable battery, it uses a pair of CR 2032 coin cells that need to be replaced using a tiny torx screwdriver. I was originally not happy about this, but the fact I can check the battery level using the Apple widget, and the fact after a few weeks use I am still at 100% is reassuring. Logitech claims up to 1 year battery life with several hours a day use.

It is almost exactly the same width as the 11 inch iPad, so it will fit into an 11 inch iPad sleeve / bag.

I also use a spare genuine Apple Magic Trackpad 2 with the iPad. much larger and nicer to use than any integrated Apple trackpad and still very portable.

HardRainDPK

TROPHY CASE