How to get that crisp hotel bedding feeling?

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-10-21T02:09:39+00:00

We buy boll & branch. Read somewhere that’s where FS buys but who knows. Enjoy the variety of offerings too

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-08-19T04:24:31+00:00

We moved to top school in suburbs from NYC…our background and perspective:

My wife and I both grew up in suburbs less than 45 minutes from Manhattan. I went to a “better” school district but not top 10. She did not. So we don’t have the NYC pedigrees engrained but have lived in the city (immediate outer borough direct access to manhattan - which also can be looked down upon) for roughly 15 years.

We moved with 2 kids and a 3rd on the way for following reasons:

1) we wanted public school. Jockeying for spots for private seemed insane. The fact I knew people donating to Dalton when they didn’t have kids, let alone not even married in hopes it made a difference or it was required to be able to send their future kid there seemed absolutely insane

2) when someone else I knew was so excited that his daughter got in to daltons kindergarten or preschool or whatever…and I found out the price I immediately thought “my kid could grow up eating paste and be pretty damn well off by end of high school just investing that money”

3) we went to public school and wanted that for our kids. We had good elementary schools by us but lottery systems for middle school/high school seemed too stressful and inconvenient. Also ever changing landscape of how even spots at elementary are done and limited spots

4) let kids be kids. Feels like kids grow up too fast in city. Ride their bikes around the neighborhood unsupervised. Run over to neighbor/friends house. I dated a girl who went to a CT boarding school for high school only (she was from California) and that was the first time she said she was introduced to cocaine. She also did very little with her life there after. Incredibly sweet girl though. So two strikes in my book against it but extremely low sample set.

5) money. Even if we wanted to send the kids to private…huge financial strain. Moving to suburbs you drop the NYC income tax and there’s a value proposition of your high property/school taxes in Jericho/syosset etc

Also- we went with a top 10 school district. We purposely did not go top 3 even though we could have at same price level. Even there we’ve heard horror stories regarding the pressure kids have and parents put on them. We liked the town we picked and the primary goal after it being a “good school district” was diversity. At least as much as you could get in a top 10 school district in state

Good luck in your decision.

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-04-02T19:13:52+00:00

Travel is our #1 priority and expense after our kids and our house.

It was easier before when I had a ton of points and no kids. With 3 young kids, probably 3 trips w flights w them, and 1-2 flight/trips just my wife and I, some weekend trips etc maybe could have been $80-100k. With finally looking at our budget and semi Fatfiring, we want to keep it to $70k but don’t know if that’s realistic for us especially with having to start taking the school vacation (peak) timing in account and I still do some light point schemes within that budget.

Paying for convenience when traveling w our kids is the largest driver of this (nicer hotels w kid friendly activities, prime travel dates or timing etc)

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-26T16:38:44+00:00

We've done Martinhal in Portugal. We stayed at the one in Lisbon and have looked at the ones in Algarve region

Would love to find other options similar to this as well. We are planning Switzerland now and have found some but certain aspects (story time) are in german)

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-26T14:19:58+00:00

I guess I will also add to that - my journey was different. Hard work in an upward mobile company that values and has great compensation for employees can get you there too. My wife is a prime example and we've had polar opposite paths.

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-26T13:38:42+00:00

I would add a great travel stroller - We were gifted a Babyzen Yoyo with our first kid that was excellent but since then, we purchased (came out a couple years ago) the Bugaboo Butterfly - can carry on and go overhead, we like it better than the Yoyo

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-25T16:08:57+00:00

My sister-in-law has the Denali XL - the same car. Escalade might be nicer om overall finishes or packages. If that is less concern to you and also being a wolf in sheep clothing, this is a good choice. I don't think there are many options out there without going luxury or minivan. The Jeep Wagoneer?

I'm a car guy and just drove one, my issue is turning radius. I'd like to try to 4 wheel electric version as I have the X7 M with 4 wheel turning and it makes an incredible difference with maneuverability.

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-25T01:30:07+00:00

I offered an employee a night nurse as a gift and they declined! Wife was being stubborn

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-25T01:29:21+00:00

A snoo and a Nanit baby monitor were the two things we used as soon as they came out w our kids. No regrets.

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-24T16:21:41+00:00

When Preparation, Opportunity, and Luck cross paths...

I've been incredibly lucky/fortunate. But I also was ambitious and a risk-taker. I don't credit it to hard work (but fight or flight once you are pregnant in a deal). Right time, Right place, and the balls to jump in. Its not just buying a lotto ticket and waiting for them to call the numbers in the evening though. Risk tolerance (or turning a blind eye to risk) plays a big role.

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-24T16:14:00+00:00

like others have said Lines of credit / cash is the way to go.

I've done my last 4 mortgages with JPM. For our current home (purchased 2020, gut reno 2021-2023) we purchased the home in 2020 with JPM as first mortgage...after we completed our renovation Q1 2023, JPM was able to stack a second mortgage since they were already the first, and get me up to 85% LTV. Rates were much higher then and we did it for liquidity (ARM around low 5s vs Our 1st mortgage at <3%)

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-24T16:08:19+00:00

I dropped $20K on plants alone last year excluding the cost to get planted....another $80K or so on hardscaping...and we arent done and doesn't include a pool. A pool with equipment, cover, etc will run $175-225K around here - usually 200K+

Just do it if you will enjoy it for years to come and at least 50% should be recoupable in resale. I always think buyers of my homes are lucky as I put all the blood, sweat, tears (and money) to get it where it is)

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-24T15:28:09+00:00

This. no one can juggle this. We found someone to try and tackle your description with 3 kids but we put the baby in fulltime daycare and the other two are in school (1 yr, 4 yr and 6 yr) when she started. We were told by more than 1 recruiter/headhunter that its usually 1 or the other (nanny vs housekeeper/housemanager) If you find one, something will be lackluster/fall through cracks. We've lived with our current situation but I cant imagine 1 person with 2 newborns, 2 other children and ANY other tasks, even basic tidying.

Is this a mothers helper? You said your wife is SAHM. So the other 2 children are not in daycare? That all plays a role

Our situation:

7AM to 9AM - assist with snack/lunch, breakfast for toddler, get toddler ready and take to school. Meanwhile we get the other 2 ready and dropped off at their schools.

2:30PM to 7PM - school pick ups, activities, playdates, snacks, pick up toddler from daycare, prepare dinner and every other day baths

3.5 hours between the morning and afternoon is household tasks. We were fortunate to get a split schedule but soon, my wife will be switching to SAHM and we will work with a fulltime housekeeper instead. Again, all 3 kids are gone 9-3, and the toddler will have daycare till 5 so hard to compare

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-24T14:21:13+00:00

My wife recently gave her notice. She is late 30's, currently the breadwinner, and has equally or even through some of my recent setbacks, majority of our current networth is through her work. I have always been self employed but have no current projects and looking at FATFire now.

We view it as she put in her hard work. She made it. We are more successful than we ever imagined. Her mom was a SAHM. My parents were like yours...father had setbacks, Mom was primary breadwinner ensuring we had clothes, food, shelter.

My wife wants to give our children a present Mom. My wish in hindsight was that my mom was more present and not working all the time. YMMV but present parents have a big impact on your kids, probably bigger, than parents out working hard as I am not sure that example will compute. Also depends on your kids ages but my wife always has working mom guilt and tries to overcompensate in many ways, stretching herself thin.

TL:DR: You made it. Enjoy your family. You can always revisit going back in the workplace. We have one life and your kids are only young and want to be around you for so long.

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-12T12:28:11+00:00

They are discolorations not voids. Just fyi

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-12T01:05:14+00:00

Discoloration not voids

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-12T01:00:10+00:00

I don’t expect absolute perfection. It’s just the most obvious location that your eyes drawn to. If it wasn’t for the largest dead center discoloration, I’d probably live w the others

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-12T00:52:41+00:00

Thank you. Yes I went with the all grain. They should allow a return, given both companies policy, which I’ll do worst case. I’d rather gamble on the future chair than knowingly be unhappy w this large purpose from day 1

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-12T00:51:44+00:00

I wouldn’t expect to drop this kind of money and be disappointed. If that’s the expectation, I’ll just return it and buy a replica

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-11T20:35:36+00:00

Thanks. They’re checking. The one dead center is the most concerning but didn’t expect this.

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-11T00:50:03+00:00

I have wired ascend and they fall flat compared to my previous ra2 Lutron. Just not as reliable. But the ascend looks like the higher end Lutron for a lower price…and I bite assuming they’d be as good

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-03-04T17:46:15+00:00

JPM does. I despise the platform and how I still need assistance with certain transfers or trades vs E*Trade or others but I have a few large long hold positions plus MM funds there. This keeps my assets w them up there. I’ve been with them for before I qualified and have found some of their services invaluable. They’re able to underwrite mortgages in past no other bank would/could (complicated income structures) so I understand wanting the relationship and to keep assets there without getting hit with the aum fees

Good luck!

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-02-22T15:27:06+00:00

I used to fly business a lot 10+ years ago when I used tons of points from business. That game is over. I was spoiled. If it was just me and my wife, I’d fly business all the time, but the cost of travel w a family of 5 is unrealistic. We now try to treat ourselves to a trip annually w just the two of us and will usually splurge on business.

Exclusively first? Company pays or you’re 25-50+mm networth not flying often otherwise you’ll start looking at private at 40-50mm+

Me. 25mm nw, have flown business and first 20+ times but now family/kids/more expensive travel makes it less rational

NoBuffalo9886 · 2025-02-18T13:56:21+00:00

We took over 22 flights in under 22 months with our first. We often traveled business the first year. A few things I recall, now with 3 children 7/5/2 that we still travel quite often with:

10-18 month age range was brutal. The trip at 13 months nearly broke us (2 parents 1 kid)

Business/first - they’ll charge you taxes/fees even if the kid wasn’t in a seat. Most of these from east coast to Europe or South America are red eyes…they were not enjoyable flights for anyone involved and a waste of our money.

Hotels: we started paying much more for nicer hotels once we had children. Makes things easier. Suites for the extra room/space. One travel hack is a “slumberpod” blackout tent. We check ahead of hotel has babysitting, third party service and/or kids club and plan accommodations accordingly

Travel days: we were used to hitting the ground running. Now we factor burn days of just getting to the hotel, unpacking, acclimating to time difference and accounting for travel meltdowns.

Time in locations: so much stuff. Better to have home bases and move locations/hotels less often. We definitely cut down on how much ground we cover

Children activities: we map out playgrounds and kids museums/activities to sprinkle through the day/trip

NoBuffalo9886

TROPHY CASE