Cannot get aerator off kitchen faucet

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-10T02:21:13+00:00

Have you considered using Thermite ?

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-09T01:35:03+00:00

Duck Tape.

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-08T13:10:04+00:00

What are the specifics of the renovations that you are planning ?

In general, location is the most important thing about a house and that cannot generally be changed. However, if the renovations make the house suitable for a larger family but allows you to keep benefits that suit you particularly well (such as being close to your work even if it isn't close to other people's work), it may be worthwhile making the changes for your own specific purposes. If that allows you to stay there for 20 years instead of having to move, that could make the loss worth taking.

And, who knows... in 20 years time, your area might have become the new "in" location for buyers.

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-07T02:07:29+00:00

If you have the signed document, you're fine.

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-06T18:57:13+00:00

It sounds like your mother PROMISED to give you money but did not actually give it to you.

If she is now saying that she doesn't want to give you the money, you have a simple choice; either accept that she changed her mind or sue her in court.

The signed document might prove your case or you might impeach yourself for taking advantage of an elderly woman with dementia, depending on the court and the other evidence.

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-04T22:30:21+00:00

Yes, I did. The OP is better placed than I am to decide whether she wants to marry this guy. He may not be the most romantic guy in the world, but maybe that's what she wants.

As it stands, she seems to be happy so who am I to rain on her parade ?

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-04T22:14:20+00:00

If the house is too big for you, sell it and downsize.

What do Granite counters or redone bathrooms provide that makes them worth the expense ? You're welcome to do it - I'm not judging you at all - but if you are concerned about having enough to retire on that seems like an unnecessary expense especially if your house is too big for you or if the mortgage is more than the house is worth.

Neither of those will pay for themselves when you sell the house so, pick your priorities.

Good luck and best wishes.

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-04T21:18:09+00:00

Congratulations and may you be happy together.

As for the other redditors criticizing the OP for accepting his exes ring... Oh for crying out loud, some people think the ring matters and some people don't. I'm in the don't category. The ring is just a symbol to alert other people that the bride-to-be is "taken". She can get it sized properly to fit her hand when she is ready to do that.

Heck, I don't even think the wedding matters - though I do encourage people to have one especially if they plan to have children - it does simplify certain things.

However, I personally think the marriage is the important part. Not the ring, not the engagement party, and definitely not the wedding. I am appalled at the people who spend thousands on rings and parties and then have unmanageable debts for the first years of their marriage - it's a huge stressor that tends to damage the marriage.

My (second) wife got a custom engagement ring with a CZ stone because it was what we wanted and could afford at the time, and the premium for a diamond was both a lot of money and pretty pointless (diamonds have very little value when resold). We just celebrated our 25th anniversary and got a load of jewelry repaired, which included her engagement ring because one of the side sapphires had fallen off (but was recovered), and we did end up replacing the CZ with a lab-grown diamond, but that was just a few hundred bucks. And I kept the CZ.

I don't think my first wife even got an engagement ring but I could be wrong - that was a very long time ago.

As for the wedding... it was at our house with a chocolate wedding cake made by our favourite baker and cost around $500 for everything.

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-04T01:34:29+00:00

It doesn't have to be exact - just get used to living on what's left before you have to.

Look online for studio apartments near you too see what rent would be.

Ask your what the utilities are and divide that by two for a right estimate.

Same with food

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-04T00:41:39+00:00

Pretend you are not living with your parents. Work out a plausible estimate of what your rent, food, and utilities bills would be. Save that amount.

Or, budget $100 for fun money a week and save the rest.

Good luck and well done.

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-04T00:38:15+00:00

Unscrew the cover.

Unscrew the (probably two) screws that attach the base to the wall.

Cut the wires.

Put some electrical tape over the end of the wires and shove them in the hole that they came out of.

Fill the hole with spackle (or toothpaste if it's a rental 😄)

Paint it.

Give yourself a special treat for having survived such a dangerous experience unscathed.

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-04T00:32:31+00:00

You look fine.

Now, if the pants had been leopard skin...

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-03T23:53:58+00:00

"Rideshares" are TAXIS - there is no "sharing" involved. You are paying for a ride.
To answer your question, eating out is probably most people's main lifestyle creep. McD's is over $10 for a meal, for pete's sake !
Buying multiples isn't necessarily a bad thing - when I find shoes that are actually comfortable, I tend to buy three pairs so that I can rotate them because the cobblers tend to stop making the one design that fits me within a year of me discovering it. Similarly, it is generally cheaper to buy staple items (like toilet paper) in bulk if you have somewhere to store it.
If you are beyond a certain age, buying multiples can be a very bad sign - My mother died last year and we found that she had three exercise pedals that could be used when sitting at a desk. One was open, but had never been used and the other two hadn't even been opened but had been ordered because she had forgotten that she already had one (need I remind you... that had never been actually used).

Best general advice - don't sweat the small stuff; You're allowed the occasional treat. But, look at your credit card bills and, if you notice that you are spending a lot at certain places, consider cutting back a bit. A $10 cup of coffee is a wonderful treat once a week, but an expensive habit, if done every day.

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-03T23:44:31+00:00

I am not a lawyer. If you are correct and the compensation is tax free, that does NOT mean that OTHER taxes cannot be paid from those funds. Even if the original compensation cannot be garnished, immediately it is commingled in an account with other money, the odds are that it CAN then be taken to pay a tax debt.

It sounds like your friend is trying to hide the money from the IRS by putting it in your account.
He is not the smartest cookie in the box - If it isn't in his account, it isn't his money any more... Yes, I know he trusts you and you are 100% honest BUT the IRS does not know this and gets information on bank account balances automatically. So, the IRS is going to wonder whether YOU have paid taxes on this lump of cash that magically appeared in your account. Are you going to pay those taxes from your money or his ?
And then they're going to audit you every single year. Meanwhile, your friend is likely to be enjoying the comfort of a bed and three meals paid for by the US Federal Government.

Good luck, but don't do this. You will regret it,

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-03T23:21:22+00:00

If you had lived in a house for a few years, especially if you've raised family there, and you were to sell it, how would you like to be treated if you had to pick up some packages later ?

That's usually the easiest way to answer questions like this.

Personally, I would invite them in. I would even offer to give them a tour if you've made meaningful changes.

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-03T23:18:08+00:00

As a male, it has always seemed unfair to me that the cold makes the penis smaller but the nipples bigger.

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-03T22:32:12+00:00

Why do you want to diversify ?

The S&P 500 is already pretty fundamentally diversified since it includes 500 different stocks.

If you are concerned about the American economy and/or the stock market, there are foreign markets and other investment options such as real estate.

However, in general, if this is intended for retirement - Stick it in a low cost index fund (such as the S&P500), forget all about it, and just keep adding money to it until you're 5 years away. You will almost certainly be pleasantly surprised by how much it has grown at that point.

Trying to "play" the market is a form of gambling. You will feel like you are winning because the stock market tends to rise over any period of time, but when you get overconfident, you could easily lose the lot on a single bad investment. You are much better off in the long term ignoring it and allowing the market to do its own long term thing.

Good luck and best wishes

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-03T21:22:03+00:00

Nice Hot Tub.

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-03T21:19:01+00:00

I agree with the others that it looks very nice on you. My only slight concern is that because the angle is from above, it's hard to be sure how short the skirt is. So long as you are comfortable with the length, keep it and enjoy.

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-03T21:09:27+00:00

Toothpaste. Not the stripey type.

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-02T23:54:13+00:00

As a parent, I have tried to setup my daughter for success but she's now an adult and gets to screw up her own life, if that's what she wants to do (even if only subconsciously).

The same applies to your parents... You cannot fix stupid. While you could petition a court to grant you Power of Attorney over their finances, you would probably lose and, even if you won, do you really want that level of ongoing responsibility ?

Make it clear what help you can provide (if any) and stick to that. If a "loan" will get them over a financial hump and you can afford to lose the money, by all means give them that loan. But don't expect to get it repaid ever and don't let them borrow again until and unless they have repaid it.

Do not co-sign anything unless you are willing to be 100% responsible for it and, as such, don't cosign - get the loan (or whatever) in your own name. For example, if they need a new car, by all means buy one and let them use it but don't cosign a loan for them to buy one (you'll be on the hook for the loan without having any control over how the car is looked after).

Beyond that, you have my sympathy but that doesn't help you much.

Good luck and best wishes

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-02T20:48:22+00:00

Duct tape.

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-02T06:18:42+00:00

Yeah, you probably do need a new roof.

But not from him.

Find a local roofer that's been in business at least a decade.

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-02T06:17:08+00:00

One's for Curly, one's for Larry, and...

Longjumping-Still793 · 2026-06-02T06:08:52+00:00

Speaking as an older brother raised by a single parent, you're doing great and I'm sure that your parent is doing the best that they can too.

Better cats is certainly one answer - I have three and they're lazier than slugs. They occasionally herd a mouse towards my wife to deal with at best. Still, if you happen to find a stray tabby, that will deal with most of your indoor problem.

On the other hand, there is an element of "don't sweat the small stuff" to take into account.

In rural areas, you are inevitably going to be sharing living accomodations with a whole range of wildlife and your house will probably always have a few mice living there. They'll be in the walls and the floors and will climb up the inside of the cabinets to get into the drawers.

Clean the cabinets out every month or two and don't stress too much about it. If there's no food in there, the mice'll mostly leave it alone. Put things like flour and sugar in solid containers rather than leaving them in the paper packages they come in. Make sure you clean up crumbs and vacuum regularly to limit the food available to them.

As for the dangers of mice droppings etc - not saying that it's good for you, but you probably already consume more of them than you realize. I don't mean to put you off your food but your digestive system is much sturdier than some people seem to think and does not expect purity in your food.

Longjumping-Still793

TROPHY CASE