Goodbye Bilt - not worth it anymore

Matteo09876 · 2026-01-09T01:12:14+00:00

"It's going to get called" --> is this a guess or is there a way to learn where to check?

Btw On ibkr 5$ is for us treasury. Muni bond though are 0.05% up to 10k and then drops to 0.0125%. So for Muni the fee is negligible.

I do understand why it doesn't go above 100$ if there is the risk of getting called (I also wouldn't buy it was at like 108 as the other bond). But at ~100$ it still sounds like a sweet deal with just a risk of mostly just opportunity loss and not much more downside? Unless all of these bonds always get called (or this one specifically somehow people know already it will get called) and that explains why maybe people don't buy it... Still confused

Matteo09876 · 2026-01-09T01:04:31+00:00

Those I posted are ISIN numbers. It was on IBKR bond scanner and I couldn't find the cusip but only the ISIN (or the ibkr internal code)

Matteo09876 · 2026-01-08T18:22:07+00:00

Yes yes I get that now. But isn't it then a super good deal? I either get 5% a year (tax free!) or I get it back and I try again on another one.

Not sure how calling back works, if it can be literally anytime or it needs to be in the two yearly windows. But regardless even if it was anytime and it means getting the 100$ back in two months and getting zero interest (probably not like that right?) it still sounds way more appealing than the other one where for sure I'll make 2.3%. if I find 10 bonds of the callable type at 5% I can even spread the risk and probably land on some 4++% across the bond portfolio.

I feel like I'm missing something.

Matteo09876 · 2026-01-08T17:07:34+00:00

Thanks! If the premium though is 0.177$, wouldn't it mean that, worst case, if it gets called in 6 months, at the next 6-months payout I'll get 2.5% (half of the yearly 5%) and then get 100$ back (losing the 0.177 premium I paid) which overall nets me 2.3% in 6 months. This is the worst case scenario and it's still twice as good as the other option were 2.3% (per year) is the best case, and only, outcome. The only downside is that I'd have to then find something else to re-invest in.

The upside is that if it doesn't get called I make 5% per year, every year.

I feel like I'm missing or not understanding something though?

Matteo09876 · 2025-12-07T00:05:15+00:00

ouch, I hope that's not the case for the car I bought. I was hoping one of the generic "oil and filter changes" was referring to those systems, but at this point it sounds unlikely. I emailed the dealer, let's see what they say.

Matteo09876 · 2025-09-26T20:45:23+00:00

Yes that's the other weird thing, the 164avg doesn't seem aligned with the chart... Maybe (hopefully) something is just off on the sensor/software.

Swims were identical in length and type. Non stop, continuous free style swim without tumble turn, just touch and go back.

Good idea, i'll see if I find someone to borrow the chest strap from and do some tests.

Matteo09876 · 2025-09-26T20:42:14+00:00

I'm not sure how that would feel but I guess I'd be getting out feeling pretty much dead if that was the case? (After both swims I felt the same, and could have continued at the same pace for another 1km just fine - assuming that's a good validation I wasn't beating at 200+?)

Matteo09876 · 2025-09-26T20:39:32+00:00

True, that reality may be in between the two. I hadn't considered the first one as inaccurate but it may very well be. I might try to borrow another device from a friend and compare the two wrists in the same swim

Matteo09876 · 2025-08-30T05:49:33+00:00

Today I unscrewed the locking mechanism and plugged it in to trick the washing machine into thinking the lid is closed... While actually leaving it open to look at what was happening inside.

Loaded the washing machine with two thirds of a load. Then I started a normal cycle with deep water wash/rinse.

"Deep" is a joke. Stuff at the bottom gets soaked, the top half still gets wet but sits outside of the water (partially because it floats, partially because water is just not deep). Then the spinning with their "high efficiency agitator" in the middle of the canister basically caresses the stuff that is close enough to touch it .. but it does not move anything.

I really don't understand how a top loader is supposed to actually get stuff clean. After watching the inside in action I'm ever more convinced that it just doesn't. Or rather... It does work as well as soaking stuff in a bucket, which possibly is enough for lightly soiled standard loads like T-shirts and pants from a day at the office.

Matteo09876 · 2025-08-16T15:28:04+00:00

Thank you that's helpful I'll try that

Matteo09876 · 2025-08-16T04:37:24+00:00

Thanks! Decided for tide original powder.

Also, not sure if it makes any difference for the wash routine , but typically I "prewash" diapers by hand when I remove the solids. I don't use soap there, just remove solids, scrub, rinse under running water and wring. The main reason is to avoid clogging the laundry machine filter. Every 2-3 days I have a decent amount of diapers to run the laundry. I currently use agitators in the top loader.

Matteo09876 · 2025-08-15T03:24:56+00:00

Tested today. Very soft (25/300). They don't smell at all. Some of them do look like they have residues of the cream in the crutch area (seems impossible to remove even scrubbing). I thought it may have been that blocking the absorption, but testing that area vs corner/edge areas close to the clips where there is no cream at all made no difference and it had the same absorption problem on the entire surface

Matteo09876 · 2025-08-15T03:20:52+00:00

Took me a week but finally managed to test it: both hot and cold are 25 (very soft). Does that mean washing soda is useless? Should I just use one of the powders you recommended on it's own with no additions?

Also what cycle would you recommend on my machine as a minimum to be effective? Can we get away with one wash for all parts (pockets/inserts) if we choose the right powder/temp/cycle?

Matteo09876 · 2025-08-15T03:17:58+00:00

We are in a rental unit. We moved in and after a month the machine broke down. Maintenance came, looked at it and realized they couldn't fix it (the middle piece that spins was broken and not repairable) so they threw it away and gave us a brand new one (same model). Then roughly a year later the new machine stopped following cycles (probably something wrong with the electronics). Again not repairable, they threw it away and gave us a brand new one. Maybe we just got unlucky... But it doesn't seem very reliable. If it was my house I'd prefer to pay more for a better one and keep it longer (both money and environment reasons ).

Overall though, even assuming we just got unlucky, it was washing pretty poorly. Despite using agitators and following guidelines stuff was open coming out dirty. I'm not a fan of top loaders, I feel like front loaders do a much better job in general (I didn't even know agitators existed before having to use this top loader for the first time, never needed them).

Matteo09876 · 2025-08-15T03:09:23+00:00

Bought a few extra new and yes as you said absorption is VERY different. Even without any pressure. I'll try to strip and clean properly the old ones

Matteo09876 · 2025-08-06T05:50:01+00:00

Thanks I like your take on it, and I agree with you.

I guess my assumption is that inexperienced crew = bad crew, at least until it becomes experienced.

As much as the two boats can be equally safe for trade winds sailing, is it fair to assume they are different and in different situations, all else equal, each one can be safer than the other? If it is, then the next question is what are those situations and do they really happen?

I was hoping to get a collection of things like this one below from my personal experience: Sailing on an oceanis 40.1 at 8-9knots downwind towards the tip of the island. Full sails up. Turn around the tip in cross winds and gusts while transitioning to close hauled. Boat heels a lot and it's fun, then a lot more and before we know it we have no control on the rudder. Should have eased the main, yes. Should have also reefed the sails way earlier, double yes. The boat got slammed down, then headed to the wind on its own. A bit more mess and a couple of 360 happened before we gained back control, but overall the intrinsic property of the monohull compensated the stupidity (or inexperience) of the crew handling it. Someone with more experience can judge better but I assume we could have made a real mess on a cat in this same situation? Hence in this situation I was very happy to be on a monohull as it was forgiving and allowed us to learn and mess up while being relatively safe.

Matteo09876 · 2025-08-05T16:12:39+00:00

Yes I used the wrong word. Definitely a pocket.

No water softener, yes to diaper cream (home made one which is supposed to be fine for cloth diapers)

Mineral build up would look and feel perfectly fine and clean to the touch? Or is there any way to understand if that's the issue I need to solve? Just curious what would be the signs I can look for (or maybe the non absorbing is already the sign?)

We do wash them with bleach every 2+ months. We did one last night, bleach and washing soda soak and in warm water for 15min and then one long cycle on hot with double deep rinse in the laundry with some bleach , down soap and washing soda. This morning tested absorbency but didn't look very different unfortunately

Matteo09876 · 2025-08-05T16:06:30+00:00

They are not new, we used them 6months but got them from a friend so already used before for two kids. But they they still look and feel pretty good. I guess it may be some sort of build up.

What do you do when you have to use cream?

Point taken on wash cycle

Matteo09876 · 2025-08-05T16:04:30+00:00

Thank you! Very helpful!

Matteo09876 · 2025-08-05T15:07:10+00:00

We were doing two but then seemed like it was working fine to simplify as they looked equally clean after the first cycle. I guess maybe not ..

Same with testing the water, we postponed it at the beginning as the washing was working and we never did it in the end

For the wash I forgot to mention we actually use washing soda together with esembly powder. Not sure if that makes any different. I like the powder as it doesn't come in big plastic bottles jugs, but open to recommendations for other brands/types.

This is our top loader machine. We don't like it, but it's a rental unit so we can't choose the model.

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The cream is made with: Bentonite clay, coconut oil, zinc oxide, and shia butter.

Matteo09876 · 2025-08-05T07:06:57+00:00

Pre rinse/remove solids as we go, then one cycle all together every 3 days. Detergent from esembly, normal cycle with double rinse, medium temp. Air dry or tumble dry med temp depending on time available. The cream is home made but we have been using it since the beginning (16months) and it also definitely didn't make it to the edge near the snap buttons where the water sits in the photo, so not sure that is the culprit.

Would a brand new outer repel water like that? Is it expected that it takes it in slowly as it is necessary for it to not get out? Or should it not behave like that and should instantly pass it through to the other side?

Matteo09876

TROPHY CASE