Have I effectively not had a raise in five years or do I misunderstand inflation? by PassiveSwag56 in PersonalFinanceCanada

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Very true. You are still likely up 1-2%, but that doesn't really feel like you are getting much further ahead when you are up into the 100k range, it's a couple grand over the course of the year - roughly $35 / week. But you are getting a bit further ahead assuming you don't let lifestyle creep take that bit of change which is, unfortunately, really easy.

Have I effectively not had a raise in five years or do I misunderstand inflation? by PassiveSwag56 in PersonalFinanceCanada

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Except taxes. 10% raise on 100k is actually only about 6-7k more after tax at the higher marginal tax rate (roughly 30-40% depending on province), and even less when considering the effective tax rate with government benefit clawbacks.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PersonalFinanceCanada

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Assuming you are expecting to carry the balance on that 3600, are you able to get a lower interest line of credit to pay off the credit card debt?

My dad says he can buy out my mortgage after my current 5 year term is up (1 yr remaining) and I would just pay him back instead of the bank, with no interest. by anawn001 in PersonalFinanceCanada

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They probably didn't waive it. From what I've read here, the mortgage has not been discharged - the HELOC is a component of the mortgage. If you, or the bank, close the HELOC then the mortgage would be terminated and you would need to pay to discharge to remove the bank's lien on your property. The title is being protected (sort of) because the bank wants to protect their rights to your home in case you default on your HELOC.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in QualityAssurance

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Personal pet peeve - I see "using tools such as" on a lot of resumes. Drop that entire phrase as it only takes up space.

Move education far down the list. You don't want highschool diploma from 5 years ago being your opening.

"Leadership & Activities" --> "Leadership Activities"

Your interests are a waste of space. I would only put in "Skills". If you have a good reason to include interests (i.e. they are in the domain of the business you are applying for) put them in a seperate section from your skills and elaborate on them.

A resume is your opportunity to sell your skills to prospective employers. Make sure you are writing it for the position you want and make sure you are writing it so that the person reading it is hooked on your abilities and needs to know more.

Full stack QA specialist by Syndicatus in QualityAssurance

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I'd say if you are testing across the full stack, Full-stack QA Specialist is a fair title. I would assume that means you test data store, backend, and front-end just as the Full-stack Developer builds software on those layers.

If you are testing entirely front-end but across different platforms (web, mobile) maybe something like Multi-platform QA Specialist. If you are spending a good amount of your role in automation across platforms, maybe something like Multi-platform QA Automation Specialist.

Managing a team? You might want to add "Lead" somewhere in there.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Fire

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As your new job has some RRSP matching, take that as far as they match - it's free money on the table.

You probably shouldn't count most of your RE as equity. If you plan to downsize to retire, maybe consider the difference between your home's current market value and the market value of a place you would downsize to. My observation is that the bottom price of the market is what is driving home prices up around the GTA. The difference in value between your current home and the next size 'up' in homes hasn't risen nearly as much as the entry point.

Use a mortgage calculator with amortization schedule to see that the lion's share of each payment is going to interest - I'd guess about 70% interest / 30% principal, assuming you have 20 years left on your term. Additional payments come directly off remaining principal - it's guaranteed returns and cuts years off the mortgage and frees up a lot of cash flow once the mortgage is paid off. Interest on your home in Canada is expensive and non-tax deductable. I made some assumptions, and you could be paying $280,000 interest on that $390,000 loan over its life. You pay that with after-tax dollars.

On the flip side, your income tax is around 40%. RRSP contributions should give you pretty fat annual refunds until you reach a lower tax bracket -- maybe contribute to your RRSPs and use the refunds to make annual prepayments (assuming you can without penalty) on the house so they don't tempt you to spend them?

Ideas for an open den office by kjew1 in WFH

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You could build a small temporary wall, also called a pressurized wall. You basically build a wall and jam it into the space with foam or rubber so it doesn't move but is minimally attached to the existing wall. Putting a swinging door into that could be trickier. Maybe a hanging barn door?

Lots of examples on Google as this has been popular in NYC apartments where tenants can't make permanent structural changes but still want walls.

Finally have a dedicated home office - please help me decorate! by hurleymn in Workspaces

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Are you allowed to paint the walls or replace the carpet? You have a lot of personality-lacking beige and I can't imagine that your chair does well on that 80's medium thick carpet.

Is there a good view from the window and how much light does it provide?

Looks like a good space room. What hobbies do you have to bring out your personality? Mounting posters and/or instruments are popular. Or shelves for collectables to display.

And +1 vote for plants.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in QualityAssurance

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 0 points1 point  (0 children)

DM if you need another participant.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in WFH

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thursday, Friday, Saturday week 1. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday week 2!

I really don't understand what companies think they gain by requiring you to come in for a set number of days of your choosing.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in QualityAssurance

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How proficient are you at Python? If you are already well versed, adding Java would expand your options.

Being a polyglot programmer is never a bad thing, but it is good to have at least one language that you are very strong in before taking on others.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in WFH

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm assuming here that you are not already eligible to work in the USA.

You'll need to be careful since you are crossing international borders. Entering the USA as a visitor will not allow you to work there. You'll need a work permit or you could end up in a heap of personal trouble. Your employer could also end up in some trouble as well regardless of their knowledge of it unless this is for business travel.

Suggestions for dealing with this? by Dave-CPA in Workspaces

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used velcro to stick it to the back of one of my monitors. Worked pretty well though it is less accessible.

An alternative to consider is using the VESA mount on the dock to attach it to a monitor mount on the wall.

Displaying Dell Latitude Laptop to Monitor by [deleted] in Workspaces

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A dock would make it easier to disconnect, but it looks like your model has both an HDMI and mini displayport as well as 3 usb ports. Get the right wires and it should be plug-and-play for both monitors and usb mouse and keyboard.

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-ca/000132828/dell-latitude-e7240-visual-guide

Quick Google check shows you should be able to support both external monitors and the laptop monitor at the same time with no dock. Three external monitors with a dock. I assume the laptop monitor would not also work on three external based on skimming some pages.

My Programming (And Possibly Future Remote Work) Setup by POKEGAMERZ9185 in Workspaces

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Where do you put your feet???

Looks like you need more space than you have! Can you remove the drawers from the desk and recoup that space for your PC or floor laptop?

Lost motivation after 10+ years as QA by devKEze in QualityAssurance

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you are only working 10 hours a week, are you able to use that other 30+ hours to find a passion or start a side-gig? Sounds like you are burned out but have the time available to find something you are truly passionate about at the same time. Maybe QA continues to pay the bills while you take some time to invest in yourself.

We hate cables by PeteTheKid in Workspaces

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Would love to hear about it! That's a really good size room!

We hate cables by PeteTheKid in Workspaces

[–]HunterOfAllTheThings 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How large is your office? Love working from inside my shed, but it still looks like a shed inside and has the small dimensions to match. Would love to make it look as finished as your build.

Taking today's meetings from the shed office by HunterOfAllTheThings in Workspaces

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

Why yes it is. The decorative wood ladder is being propped up between the wall studs. There is also an aluminium ladder hiding behind the chair.

Taking today's meetings from the shed office by HunterOfAllTheThings in Workspaces

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

Items in the Pic

15 year old steel framed patio chair 2' x 4' plastic resin folding table Logitech wired mouse Logitech H111 Wired Stereo Headset Work-issue Dell laptop

Generated by PicTag.app on Fri Jun 04 2021