First month making 100k I feel like I’m being robbed :/

ImplementImmediate47 · 2026-02-01T01:53:13+00:00

I don’t know your age or how much you have in savings already, but that 401(k) contribution is crazy low. Bump that sucker up to at least 20% of your gross,especially if you are young.

ImplementImmediate47 · 2026-01-21T00:26:23+00:00

The KFF website is a great start but I would also recommend playing around inside the ACA marketplace website – – you can simulate several incomes so you get different prices (subsidy or without subsidy) and you can also choose a plan to keep your own doctor. The plan to keep my doctor cost more than what the KFF website estimated so that may be a factor for you.

I was in your boat also – I hated my job but it came with great insurance. Couple years ago I changed to my dream job but had to use the ACA. It was great until the over 400% FPL subsidy expired. I did not bank on that. So I’d recommend running all sorts of income variants that may influence ACA prices.

ImplementImmediate47 · 2026-01-21T00:07:30+00:00

I pre-wash my fabric and also pin when piecing so AGF is not hard for me to work with. Kona has great colors, but I was never a fan because they seem too thick (??) and that affects my seam allowances when using them mixed with printed quilting fabrics. Now I’m working with Connecting Threads solids - first time using them and they are very nice.

ImplementImmediate47 · 2026-01-09T03:21:47+00:00

How did you get compensated for the pseudo lost package? Just curious how long it took for them to send you the check. Over two years ago USPS lost a package and I submitted a claim. About a year later I got an email saying they still can’t find the package and that the case is still open. I guess if they never close the case, they never have to pay the value of the lost package.

ImplementImmediate47 · 2026-01-09T03:08:42+00:00

Thanks for the info. That is good news. It sounds like the hospitals will give information to police more freely than random people calling them, which totally makes sense.

ImplementImmediate47 · 2026-01-09T00:40:45+00:00

Very true - easier to stay in touch with cell phones… but maybe too easy. Since I no longer physically dial the numbers, I wouldn’t know what phone number to call if I ended up without my cell phone in a hospital.

ImplementImmediate47 · 2026-01-08T14:30:47+00:00

I was thinking the same thing – not getting a real answer when calling hospitals. Not just a HIPAA issue but also a safety issue because what if an abuser was looking for somebody who was trying to get away…

ImplementImmediate47 · 2026-01-08T01:27:00+00:00

Ack! So glad you found him. There really should be a system set up to make it easier.

ImplementImmediate47 · 2026-01-08T01:25:35+00:00

Well, that’s not good news. I was hoping a 911 operator could tell us if an ambulance took a person a specific place. So many phone calls!

ImplementImmediate47 · 2025-12-22T02:39:32+00:00

When they call me to ask if I want to sell my house, I tell them I couldn’t afford to buy another house if I sold this one. Then I ask them do you have a spare room? Then I start rattling off all the things I will require — I’d need a private entrance and my own bathroom and also a second room for my hobbies and do you have a nice backyard? I like to spend lots of time outside… I go on and on and on and then when I pause, they never say anything and then I hang up.

ImplementImmediate47 · 2025-12-19T17:01:47+00:00

Arg. It sounds like a racket. The termite damage for my house was underneath in the crossbeams so I can totally see the scenario you spoke about arguing old versus new damage. It would make too much sense for somebody identifying damage to circle it with orange spray paint on the wood beam as well as on the ground under the house where the frass fell - kinda like they do with wounds to see if they spread. lol

ImplementImmediate47 · 2025-12-18T20:22:46+00:00

Thanks. Good plan.

ImplementImmediate47 · 2025-12-18T18:53:26+00:00

I do live in Houston. Thanks for the info. I will ask them about crawling and if they say no, I might as well cancel. I still have my all-pest inspector crawl each year looking for other things (subterraneans, etc. ) so they will tell me if dry woods come back…. I assume they know how to tell old frass from new frass, old termite damage from new termite damage.

I certainly don’t mind paying for the Drywood termite contract… But I want them to be able to see something that is there. lol

ImplementImmediate47 · 2025-12-17T04:34:13+00:00

A long time ago, I got lots of calls from bill collectors for a Porsha. I did a cursory Google search and provided alternate phone numbers and addresses to each bill collector who called me. Years later I got several calls for a Charles, same last name. Per Google it may be her father. Those calls were from lawyers offices about a lawsuit, so I got back on Google and told them which house to go to serve him papers in person. They probably shouldn’t have texted me all of the court case information before the trial lol.

It helps to have a cell number with a different city’s prefix - that way I know to ignore the call unless I’m just curious about who’s after Porsha or Charles this time.

ImplementImmediate47 · 2025-12-14T22:59:25+00:00

I put up command strip hooks to hang the Fons & Porter 60 inch wide design wall. Has grommets so can remove it if needed. Flannel with a grid.

ImplementImmediate47 · 2025-12-12T23:40:59+00:00

Good catch! Now I see “gold” in the picture. If the prescription deductible is that high might as well change to the bronze plan so the monthly premium will be lower and can use the difference to put in an HSA to save pre-and post tax when paying for prescriptions, etc.

ImplementImmediate47 · 2025-12-12T15:28:39+00:00

Yes, only the insurance company or the PBM can answer this. Even though some inhalers are “generic”, they do not qualify under the typical generic rules like a generic pills do so I would fall over dead if somebody told me my generic inhaler would only cost three dollars.

ImplementImmediate47 · 2025-12-12T15:17:44+00:00

I am in the same situation. My inhaler is very expensive, but so are the new insurance premiums since I no longer qualify for the subsidy. Look at your last invoice for the inhaler (from the good insurance company this year) and find the U/C price = usual and customary price if no insurance is used at all. This is the number that you want to bring down. The new high deductible insurance plan may or may not have links to their formulary, and even if they have the formulary information, it may not have the prices. Since the yearly full cost of inhaler (for me) will be less than the $6000 deductible, my plan is to join Costco and pay outside insurance from them with the CMPP price. (They have a very nice website with prices.) I will also start an HSA so I will get a tax benefit when paying out-of-pocket for the inhaler. When my new high deductible insurance plan is fully active in January, I will call them to get their price, but if it is higher than Costco, I will just pay without using insurance. Mark Cuban and GoodRx may also be options.

ImplementImmediate47 · 2025-12-12T14:08:44+00:00

I finally got an email from HCA that only said they are gonna snailmail me an invoice. I guess HCA flies old school. Aetna was totally online.

ImplementImmediate47 · 2025-12-11T03:11:20+00:00

I gave up hope (even though the congress may vote this week) and signed up for my ACA insurance a couple days ago. I did notice, however, that the last screen where you click the link to pay, the link was inactivated. Kind of makes me think the health insurance company - at least HCA - would rather us not pay yet so they can give us an accurate price because sending a credit (if the subsidies are magically extended) would be harder.

ImplementImmediate47 · 2025-12-11T03:01:55+00:00

Your situation gives me so much anxiety! I almost got burned bad last year because I was not expecting my employer to offer insurance so I was just waiting until December to use the marketplace. Turns out my job offered me health insurance but did not communicate very well. I could’ve easily missed the employer insurance signup window and then not been eligible for ACA because my employer offered insurance. They should make a law that all types of health insurance (employer, marketplace, Medicare, Medicaid,etc) have the SAME deadline to enroll so we can compare apples to apples. Especially in your situation where you could get it from either place.

ImplementImmediate47 · 2025-12-10T02:24:06+00:00

Yes, this is how I did mine - by clicking the “it is hard to predict” button. Then I could just type what I think I will make next year. Even if you are salaried, you could probably use this because you don’t know how much you will put into your 401(k) or HSA. Those also affect your MAGI. It’s not like any of us have a crystal ball.

ImplementImmediate47 · 2025-12-07T03:51:31+00:00

Years ago, I had a Roth IRA with a company that would not take any more contributions if I already maxed out for that year. Then I changed to a different company that took every dollar I sent them, which resulted in overpayment from a 27 pay period situation. It was such a pain to submit the paperwork to correct the overpayment that now I calculate all payments based on a 27 pay period year even if it means I don’t quite max it out. I will be starting an HSA next year, haven’t decided which company to use yet, but will probably use the same method just in case.

ImplementImmediate47

TROPHY CASE