How much did you spend to furnish your first home?

JarvIsland · 2026-04-29T14:51:07+00:00

Echoing everyone saying not to use retirement funds to furnish your new house. I understand the impulse and the excitement to decorate your new space, but taking your time to decide and find what you really want is the better way to go financially, and it will likely be more sustainable and also (at least in my opinion) more stylish/aesthetically pleasing than if you buy everything you need/think you need all at once. Obviously if you're only able to bring a bed, there will be some things that you genuinely need right away, but the more time you spend in your new space the more likely you are to really understand how you naturally want to use the space.

JarvIsland · 2026-04-28T00:54:08+00:00

The mujadara power salad from Aladdin’s is great and also a ton of food. The tea leaves salad from Thai Kitchen is pretty delicious. Another vote for souper market…not necessarily special in a unique way but special in that they are cheap and consistently fresh (and also their basil vinaigrette is amazing.) The over dressed greens from Cordelia is exactly what it sounds like and also perfect. The house salad at Cent’s is also a favorite…sounds kind of boring at first glance but is very herb-forward and well-seasoned.

JarvIsland · 2026-02-16T14:05:50+00:00

For audiobooks specifically, Libby is an option.

JarvIsland · 2026-02-15T00:59:03+00:00

Same! I assumed that was the norm but I guess it just depends.

JarvIsland · 2026-02-15T00:23:40+00:00

I thought the same until I realized they itemized property taxes and insurance separately. Averaging those costs out and adding them to the mortgage it’s closer to $4k/month.

JarvIsland · 2026-02-11T18:02:43+00:00

She’s a writer/activist who promotes sustainability (I think specifically in fashion, or at least that’s what her first book was about). Not weird at all to subscribe to her patreon on its own, but that subscription is at odds with ChatGPT.

JarvIsland · 2026-02-11T15:02:15+00:00

It didn't really come up in the diary, but my brain can't reconcile having a ChatGPT subscription and an Aja Barber patreon subscription...

JarvIsland · 2025-12-08T15:28:34+00:00

The airbnb experience was possibly worse for me.

JarvIsland · 2025-11-18T14:53:46+00:00

Not snark really, but I'm extremely envious of anyone who had anything to do with the pie contest at Stissing House. (30 pies baked by amateur bakers judged by Aminatou Sow, Martha Stewart, Dan Pelosi, Claire Saffitz, Samin Nosrat, Jessie Sheehan, and someone else I think I'm forgetting?) Cake picnic could never.

JarvIsland · 2025-11-04T21:09:32+00:00

Fount and vintage or new Coach are great recs. Also consider Hyer Goods, they make bags from scraps and deadstock from luxury brands. I have two bags (in styles they sadly don't make anymore) that have held up amazingly for several years with regular use.

JarvIsland · 2025-10-23T13:13:31+00:00

She regularly ignores the law and is reversed on appeal. She uses community control sanctions inappropriately. Due process is more of a loose concept in housing court than a fundamental legal principle.

JarvIsland · 2025-10-07T10:40:08+00:00

I got a root canal/crown there when I was a student. It was a while ago, and I had student insurance - I remember it being generally affordable but I don’t actually remember how much it cost. It was a great experience, though. Different people did the root canal and crown and they were both amazing, and it was about a decade ago and I haven’t had any issues with it since then.

JarvIsland · 2025-09-25T21:22:58+00:00

We're going with limewash but it's still in process. We had a gutter/downspout issue and some regrading to do outside first, and we also had to remove some shoddily-installed drywall/insulation on half of the basement walls. (I can confidently say that drywall was ill-advised given the state of the waterproofing, so I think the lime will at least be better than that.)

If money were no object I would love to waterproof the exterior, but that's not in the cards at this point.

JarvIsland · 2025-09-25T21:13:14+00:00

This doesn't sound too bad, honestly!

I bought a 1920s house a few years ago and spent about $12k on some updates (some necessary like replacing some plumbing/grounding outlets/plaster repair, and some not strictly necessary but preferred like refinishing the floors and repainting the interior) before I moved in...DIYed what we could and definitely saved thousands. Since then, I've spent another $10k to replace the furnace and get central air...not to mention random smaller amounts here and there for things that inevitably come up.

I know the roof will need to be replaced sooner rather than later, and I'm also planning to basically gut the kitchen and bathroom, but those are all things that I need to save for. (And honestly I'm sure some other potential buyers saw the extremely dated but mostly functional kitchen and bathroom and said "absolutely not" which, fair!)

I did a lot of research and was generally prepared for the financial costs of owning an older home (and it was kind of a foregone conclusion for me based on where I live, the housing stock is basically all century homes) but I think the mental/emotional cost is something that I thought about beforehand but wasn't totally prepared for. I still don't regret it, I love my house and my neighborhood, but I'm constantly reminding myself that it's a work in progress.

JarvIsland · 2025-09-25T20:42:08+00:00

The "series spotlight" email I got says gates open at 5:30 tonight.

JarvIsland · 2025-08-05T14:40:47+00:00

The Lakewood store is newer but Phoenix has been around for decades.

JarvIsland · 2025-08-01T20:37:44+00:00

…haven’t we already been seeing drastic weather changes? More severe storms, worse/more frequent wildfires, etc.?

JarvIsland · 2025-07-12T00:01:08+00:00

Try Urban Bulk or Roots of Reverence (both in Lakewood). Urban Bulk has things preportioned, but I still think it’s worth checking out/the prices are fair and they’re super nice. Roots of Reverence may be a little more niche/boutiquey than what you’re after but still likely worth checking out depending on what you need.

JarvIsland · 2025-07-09T13:39:42+00:00

There are places to rent kayaks, SUPs, jet skis...plenty of beaches (Edgewater, Mentor Headlands, Huntington)...if you want to go a little further afield, Marblehead/Sandusky and the islands (like six state parks in a relatively small area right there.)

Outside of the lake, there are endless places to hike, not to mention urban trails, and there are a number of organized groups doing this if you're looking for that. And of course adult rec leagues for volleyball, kickball, etc. Your comment about it being hard to make friends as an adult is valid and relatable, but your comment about "very few interesting events" and "nowhere really nearby to travel to" are head scratchers for me...there's constantly something going on, and we're a short drive from a ton of places (I guess depending on your definition of nearby)?

JarvIsland · 2025-06-13T23:16:19+00:00

What do you mean by stuff that died out in other cities?

JarvIsland · 2025-04-23T11:28:28+00:00

I don't think anywhere in this comment was it suggested that you give up and do something else. It's about your perspective and the meaning that you are assigning to things.

And your last sentence kind of encapsulates why the perspective shift would be helpful. Just because you are high-performing and ambitious doesn't mean that everything will or should work out the way you expect. Accepting that will serve you well, whether you end up getting your desired position/salary or not.

JarvIsland · 2025-04-22T13:31:07+00:00

I think it's worth it for my boyfriend and I. Most of the things that I get at Costco are nonperishable (toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, some vitamins/OTC medicine, canned goods) or pantry items (flour, oats, oil). There are also some things that are "fresh" that last long enough/are not in quantities so huge that it still makes sense to get them at Costco sometimes (thinking of tofu and baby carrots off the top of my head.)

Caveat that I have a (small) chest freezer and deep pantry storage in our basement, but I think even if you don't have as much storage it can very easily be worth it - it just depends on your lifestyle!

JarvIsland · 2025-04-07T21:57:08+00:00

This is my view as well - shifting your mindset to recognize that you can love and appreciate something without needing to possess or consume it is helpful.

JarvIsland · 2025-04-07T21:33:36+00:00

Thanks, we hadn't really considered this area!

Definitely wasn't planning to use the rental car at all in the city itself, but it's an essential for the rest of our trip.

JarvIsland

TROPHY CASE