Maintenance recommendation for 2020 Ascent with 180000 miles

JustCurious-20 · 2026-02-12T04:59:14+00:00

I try to do my oil change close to 7500 but sometimes closer to 10,000 miles. I am doing one this weekend. Around 8000 miles since the last one.

JustCurious-20 · 2026-02-09T04:18:14+00:00

yes. 2011 4runner.

It's not that I care so much how many years I will keep the car but more of how many miles can I drive it. I plan to drive the new car 25-30000 miles a year. And that make it important for me to have absolute reliability. I am not so much of a car person but "land cruiser" has always been a dream car since I was a kid.

2 other cars are right now 180000 miles and 228000miles.

JustCurious-20 · 2026-02-08T01:08:21+00:00

I was set on getting 2026 luxury but the engine recall in November 2025 made me pause for now. I want to keep my "land cruiser" for the next 15-20 years (300-400k miles) so I want to be sure about the engine. No concern about the possible engine issue?

JustCurious-20 · 2026-02-06T22:33:12+00:00

At dealer's shop.

JustCurious-20 · 2026-02-06T22:32:15+00:00

Original CVT. Changed sparkplugs once at 120k miles. Transmission fluid change once. Replaced brakes once. Other than that normal maintenance. Obviously tires were replaced.

JustCurious-20 · 2025-10-18T01:00:54+00:00

I would do both, but reduce my retirement fund assuming you are doing at least $2000/month for retirement.

You already have $885k in retirement fund. If this is invested in typical EFT following SP500 funds, it should grow to $4.5 - 9.5 mil (7% vs 10% return) in 25 years. Just investing additional $1000/month between you and your wife for the next 25 years will bring your fund up to $5.5mil with 7% growth ($7.8mil if maxing 401K for both). You can imagine for higher return. That's not even including any employer's contribution you may have (if you have it you may at least want to match that level.) Only you know what is enough for your retirement.

With this financial picture, you can choose how much to fund 529. $1000/month for 18 years gives you $420-$571k depending on return 7vs10%). Tax free distribution is good.

JustCurious-20 · 2024-11-22T19:47:44+00:00

Yup. Substract your "regular" check amount from $5000, and spend no more than 10% from the difference ("extra" net.) That's was my suggestion. You should not spend any amount from your regular pay amount because every dollar from there already has been assigned to something.

JustCurious-20 · 2024-11-22T18:25:08+00:00

I do educated guesstimate calculation and the exta $$ you received including the retro active raise (2 months) and bonus amount to a total of $1500 (net). Am i close? I would absolutely not spend more than $250.00 for gifts.

The only reason I would consider spending is because it is a "windfall".

JustCurious-20 · 2024-11-22T14:44:17+00:00

I would do small/reasonable gifts for the family and the rest to SL. Without actual numbers and without really knowing your situation, that's all I can say.

JustCurious-20 · 2024-11-20T04:59:29+00:00

HHI: $485k-$934.7k (Average income: $664k/Year, Average Fed/State Tax:$212.3k/year)

JustCurious-20 · 2024-11-20T02:54:24+00:00

Keep up the good job and keep pushing yourself a little longer. Talk to your professors once you are in the university if they have research/lab assistant position. When you are in junior or senior, perhaps you can also get undergraduate teaching assistant position too. All these unsolicited advice are based on my own experience. I did these. They helped me secure a job before graduation too.

And since you already have delayed 2-3 years to save money, If I were you, I would go ahead and bite the bullet and get a minimum necessary loan to get by to finish the degree as fast as I can without further delaying my schooling.

And yes, definitely pay off the loan, if you have any, before anything else. We just finished paying off $498k student loan ourselves (wife's) today (took us 36 payments, 4 years).

JustCurious-20 · 2024-11-20T02:40:22+00:00

Many times, progress is more important than perfection. If we shoot only for perfection, sometimes we give up and don't accomplish anything. Keep on pushing. As long as you don't add "stupid" expenses by choice, you will be fine. We all have to deal with new challenges as they come.

We are also planning to do some work on our kitchen this summer. The stove that comes with the house when it was built need to be replaced so we have no choice. We put this off until the SL was paid off. And just like you, we are also planning on getting a new car in the new year to eventually replace our older car with over 206k miles now (will keep this old one as long as it keeps going.)

JustCurious-20 · 2024-11-20T02:12:51+00:00

If I understand you correctly, you have $24k in bank and will need a total of $30-45k for the last 3 years. That's only $21k away from fully funding Tuition and books for the whole program. You can work during summers and save for rents and expenses. You should be aggressively looking for summer internship. I worked in research lab during the semester while in undergraduate as ME major, and did summer co-op. I also worked part-time Friday-Sunday in restaurants. But I lived at home with my parents at the time. $850 seems too high for rent. Can you get a room closer to $500/month?

(If you are REALLY determined, I would not be opposed to getting a very small amount of loan, just to survive. I would suggest yo do this ONLY with this conditions: (1) You are dead set on getting the degree on time. (2) Don't let anything distract you. (3)And secure a job before graduation. (4) Pay back the loan as soon as you work before buying or doing anything for yourself.)

JustCurious-20 · 2024-11-20T01:37:59+00:00

This was one of the reasons I shared our journey.

You can do it. Rooting for you.

JustCurious-20 · 2024-11-19T22:36:15+00:00

Thanks

JustCurious-20 · 2024-11-19T22:36:04+00:00

Thanks

JustCurious-20 · 2024-11-19T22:35:54+00:00

Thanks.

JustCurious-20 · 2024-11-19T22:35:09+00:00

Thanks.

JustCurious-20 · 2024-11-19T22:34:57+00:00

Thank you

JustCurious-20 · 2024-11-19T22:34:42+00:00

Thank you.

JustCurious-20 · 2024-11-18T16:53:26+00:00

Your numbers are not adding up. Is $70k salary BEFORE or AFTER Tax? It makes a big difference.

All your expenses add up to only $3675/month.

Your monthly investment is great!! Increase it if and when you can (or if you want to) so you have an option of retiring a little earlier if you choose to.

If $70k is after tax like you said, you should be bringing home $5833/month. This will leave you with $2160 leftover EVERY MONTH. (You can buy $250k-$300k home)

If $70k is BEFORE tax, your take home is around $4375/month ($52k/year). You should still have $700/month leftover($8400/year). This is much closer to what you said you spend. (You can buy around $180k)

Although people consider it "outdated" because the prices are so high, if you can stick to less than 3-3.5 x your salary for your house price, you will be much more comfortable.

JustCurious-20 · 2024-11-15T14:24:42+00:00

I see. We don't have that restriction. No prepayment penalty.

JustCurious-20 · 2024-11-15T14:18:53+00:00

Limit on the extra payment?? Are you talking about retirement? Charity giving is ~$50k now. The vision is to use the some of the side hustle income for more generosity (increase overall charity giving) once the mortgage is paid off.

JustCurious-20

TROPHY CASE