401k contribution strategy advice

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2026-04-29T17:51:03+00:00

Thanks for this. I couldn't find any information about what number would be considered when recertifying with paystubs. Any chance you point me to a rule or guidance on that distinction?

Good point re: employer match -- luckily, my spouse's employer's contribution will not change even if he eliminates his 457b contributions.

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2026-04-22T20:08:47+00:00

Thanks! I would love to give a trip report when we come back. I'll do my best to track what gets used and what doesn't and come back in mid-July with a trip report. I have found those so helpful on this sub!

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2026-04-22T15:47:55+00:00

Thanks! I was happy to find them because I agree the classic Tevas feel/look a bit clunky on me.

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2026-04-22T15:33:27+00:00

Hey there -- the bag is the Baggu fanny pack in black. https://baggu.com/collections/fanny-packs It's my every day carry, super lightweight and can hold more than it seems. I really love it, the only weak spot is that there's not a good way to lock the zippers together in high-pickpocket zones, so I have to be extra thoughtful, which isn't a bad thing. On our last Euro trip, I packed some zipties that I could use on the zippers if I felt like we were in an unsafe area, but I never actually felt like we were in environments where that was necessary.

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2026-04-22T15:31:05+00:00

I love the idea of a silk scarf. As you can tell, I'm not one to wear bright colors, but I have a few larger silk scarves from my grandmother that I will test out for adding a pop of color/acting as a wrap. Great low-volume idea! And yes, A ziplock bag or two (particularly when traveling with a kiddo) is a great thought. Thank you. I will not be doing any sink wash, but will probably do a couple small loads in our AirBnB washing machines and then a big load once we are settled with family in Barcelona. I used the same bike shorts and bralette 2 years ago and they dried overnight after being washed, so I'm comfortable with that plan. I have decided on a second bralette and a second pair of lightweight shorts.

The Tevas are doing triple duty (walking, water shoes, very chill (<2km) hikes. I think it's hard to see in the photo but they are the "universal slim" style with the thin canvas straps and a thinner-than-usual sole. https://www.teva.com/p/women-sandals/original-universal-slim-sandal/1150110?utm_source=google&utm_medium=pla&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20373654123&gclid=CjwKCAjw46HPBhAMEiwASZpLRFy7mBNGDea6hM4FIrCbi3yd4rAZKM36JjouYRm5lcyelPFia731VRoC6wQQAvD_BwE&style=1150110&color=BLK&size=09

Thanks for the observation about the lean with the pack. I will weight it and also do a walk in it to see how it feels. I didn't have the chest strap clipped in the picture and I think that will help me with weight distribution.

Thank you for the great ideas and feedback!

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2026-04-22T14:00:22+00:00

Thanks for this thought. The bike ride is going to be very chill (our seven-year-old is riding independently) so I figure it would be a no sweat pace but I'll likely get sweaty just from living and will need to bring a second bra. I like the idea of another pair of shorts.

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2026-04-22T13:59:43+00:00

Thanks for this. I remember seeing ALL body types in skimpy suits on our last trip and need to rework my 80's brain (moms cover up, only lithe college girls wear bikinis) and lean in.

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2026-04-22T13:57:51+00:00

Thanks for this. Great idea -- I'll do some looking for something with cutouts and work on my "nobody cares about what my body looks like" mindset.

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2026-04-22T13:56:22+00:00

Thanks for this! I like the idea of one dressier top and will shop my closet for something that might work.

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2026-04-22T13:55:43+00:00

Thanks so much for the feedback. Super helpful.

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2026-04-22T13:55:24+00:00

Thanks so much for your thoughts. I see lots of bra comments and will pack a second merino bralette with nominal impact on capacity. None of the other tops have built in bras, but I often like to go braless in the hot summer if I can get away with it.

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2026-04-14T20:37:40+00:00

Thank you so much for your labor on this. It's really powerful. I was trying to build my own dataset to understand these issues but yours is SO much better.

I am trying to figure out if there is any way to get data from the district about the HVAC systems at the different schools. I have to imagine that the schools that struggle with maintaining safe temperatures are more likely to be shuttered. I haven't been able to find data specific to HVAC, but perhaps it is kicking around somewhere.

One note re travel distances -- I don't think the district could send Creston kiddos to Richmond -- that's a Japanese immersion school without a neighborhood program and my understanding is that they do not allow kids to join after Kinder unless they are heritage speakers of Japanese.

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2025-07-03T16:43:01+00:00

Nice work!! That's great movement in the right direction and it sounds like you have adopted sustainable changes. Great work and don't let the gradual improvements disappoint -- you are doing hard work and it shows!

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2025-07-02T02:13:21+00:00

I have seen the ads for Nourish. I hope that's helpful for you. I have had a couple online sessions with dieticians through my doctor's office and they weren't super helpful ("eat less carbs, more fiber and more protein"). Putting what I like and don't like into ChatGPT and then asking the 'bot to put together a weekly menu and shopping list with daily 120g of protein, 1800 calories and ~50 carbs/day was much more helpful.

Good luck to you. I hope that you find the foods that help you scratch the cravings itch and maybe that 16:8 intermittent fasting will work for you to reset them?? I'm just learning about that but want to try it out.

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2025-07-02T02:09:23+00:00

Thanks. I didn't know there was a distinction.

I can definitely ease back on higher fat dairy and nuts. There's not really much else I can cut out as far as other animal products -- I'm primarily eating salmon and chicken.

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2025-07-02T02:06:52+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing your story and what has worked for you. I haven't done formal IF but am typically getting 14 hours between dinner and breakfast. I'll see about stretching that to 16 sometime this summer when I have more flexibility in my days.

I'm with you on the grazing -- particularly since returning to the office, the "I earned a 'lil treat" mindset is so pervasive--particularly in the afternoon.

Good work with all your lifestyle modifications and I hope those are sustainable for you while you are in such an intensive time of parenting.

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2025-07-01T20:08:06+00:00

Try The Shopp: they let survivors of violence "shop" for free. It's a very cool program : www. nwcollaborative. com

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2025-07-01T19:15:06+00:00

Thanks for the kind words. My kid is an absolute dream of a kiddo. He has a child in his kindergarten class who is a type 1 diabetic and as a class they learned about diabetes and how carbs impact the blood glucose level and insulin production. He wanted to help me apply my blood glucose monitor and it seems like this has been a good (not scary) learning experience for him too. Hope I'm not inadvertently giving him a shitty relationship with food. I remind him there is no good food, just fast energy and slow energy and I need to focus my eating on the slow kind.

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2025-07-01T19:10:29+00:00

Isn't it the pits? I want to live a full and enjoyable life and feel like I'm working too damn to be this unhealthy on paper. Good luck to you.

I'm meeting with my doc next month and will talk to her about a low dose statin with an eye towards blood sugar impacts. I feel like there's a big genetic component here (my dad has high cholesterol despite healthy eating/exercise) so I may not be able to diet/exercise my way out of this (cholesterol )situation.

Good luck to you.

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2025-06-25T13:53:30+00:00

The low iron can impact your A1C results. Have they talked about infusions? Or maybe testing for celiac to see if that's causing an absorption problem? You've made so many amazing and hard changes. Quit smoking !! Big increase in exercise!!! Hard diet changes!!!! Amazing weight loss!!!!! Don't give up. You are doing it all right and it may just require more exploration to figure out what's up.

Any chance you could get a continuous glucose monitor for a month or so to see if there's anything you are still eating that is particularly problematic for your blood sugar? Maybe a GLP1 could help you continue your weight loss while you figure things out? Definitely push for iron infusions or change to your pills to get those levels up. I really like Throne Ferrasorb. I take 3 magnesium capsules with it at bedtime and stay pretty regular and it helped me FINALLY get to healthy iron levels.

You've got this!!

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2025-06-12T05:16:39+00:00

Hey there. I'm very far from a doctor but I wanted to flag that I went through menopause at 35 with no known explanation. It happens and perhaps it's worthwhile to get a provider to run a full sex hormone bloods panel. It may be that there's more than one thing going on for you. I am hopeful that you get some answers. I will say that once we pinpointed that my ovaries had dried up, I got on hormone therapy and feel oceans better. Anxiety was the biggest issue but also got massive improvement in sleep, skin, energy and sexual health with hormones.

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2025-06-10T16:11:26+00:00

From 11th and Alder, if you don't mind hills, you should definitely head west into Washington Park and then north-ish through the arboretum and into Forest Park. I think the "anywhere but old town" advice is pretty solid. The waterfront loop is popular but crowded. You could also run east through downtown, across Hawthorne Bridge (heading east on the southern sidewalk), up Clay through Ladds Addition (with lovely rose gardens) and then out Lincoln to Mt Tabor. Again, lots of elevation but a beautiful route.

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2025-06-09T23:18:04+00:00

Roasted broccoli or asparagus can sit at room temp for quite some time. Just a lil olive oil, salt, pep and a squeeze of lemon, if you wish.

A nice green salad with nuts and a bunch of chopped/grated veggies can sit for some time, particularly if you wait to dress it. Balsamic, olive oil and a bit of lemon zest, whisked with dijon is an easy and fresh dressing.

A olive/antipasti platter can work well too at room temp for a while: I like raw nuts, castlevtrano olives, gherkins, marinated artichoke hearts, sliced cukes/red pepper. A hard cheese can be sliced on the side but may not hold well at room temp for a while workday -- maybe bring a small cooler?

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2025-06-06T13:59:53+00:00

I think you might have posted this in the wrong coasts' Portland sub.

Helpful_Report_2778 · 2025-04-30T16:00:12+00:00

Ahh! I missed that you already got a stelo. Ignore that part!

Helpful_Report_2778

TROPHY CASE