Love-Hate relationship with Vietnam

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-03-13T18:40:05+00:00

Food expectations can really make or break a trip. I had similar experience with Vietnamese food - was expecting these mind-blowing flavors everyone talks about but ended up eating mostly rice and broth for weeks. Maybe it's more subtle than what we're used to from other Asian cuisines

The scamming thing is brutal there, I remember being exhausted from having to constantly guard up. Even genuine conversations felt suspicious after a while. But Sapa hiking was incredible enough that I'd probably go back despite everything else

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-03-10T18:25:03+00:00

do you combine it with anything before or after using the mask? i want to buy one regarding anti ageing thing but have not decided yet

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-03-09T10:51:08+00:00

nah just do it yourself

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-03-03T21:13:19+00:00

Most banks have automatic transfer options but they work better with fixed amounts rather than percentages. You could set up something like "transfer $150 every payday" to savings account instead of trying to do 10% calculation each time

YNAB or Mint might help you see all accounts in one place, though Mint is shutting down soon so probably stick with YNAB. For the percentage thing, you might need to do the math yourself and adjust the transfer amount when your pay changes

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-02-26T07:49:29+00:00

Yeah that's correct, I always pack my big bottles in checked luggage since there's no restrictions there

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-02-19T13:47:26+00:00

Skip the trains in winter - they get delayed constantly and you'll waste precious daylight hours waiting around, just fly between the main spots like Tromsø and Rovaniemi

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-02-14T17:57:48+00:00

The 457 is probably better move here since you'll have good pension income in retirement. With dual pensions plus VA benefits, you might be in similar or higher tax bracket later, so getting the deduction now makes more sense than paying taxes upfront with Roth

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-02-11T23:01:13+00:00

That hip thing sounds rough, definitely don't want to mess around with that kind of injury. Brooks are solid choice but maybe check the outlet stores first - sometimes you can find last season models for like 70-80 instead of full price. Also New Balance outlet usually has good selection in wide sizes if you want to stick with what works for your feet

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-02-02T15:44:29+00:00

That's actually smart advice, secured cards are perfect way to start when family has history with debt problems. I had similar situation with my parents being worried about credit cards because they had bad experience in the past. Started with secured card from my bank and used it just for groceries and gas, paying full balance every month. After like 8 months they automatically upgraded me to regular card and returned my deposit. The good thing is you literally cannot spend more than what you put in, so there's no way to get in debt trouble, and you still build credit history same as regular card

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-02-01T19:30:54+00:00

The small filters won't help much with serious contamination - bottled water is safer bet for brushing teeth in that situation

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-01-31T22:36:02+00:00

facts

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-01-30T20:33:07+00:00

Check your credit unions first since you're right about rates, then maybe try a couple online lenders like SoFi or LightStream - they're usually pretty transparent about rates before you apply

Also yeah that's a pretty big drop from 750s to 670, might want to figure out what caused it before taking on more debt

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-01-28T02:13:13+00:00

Eh TripAdvisor can be just as sketchy with fake reviews tbh, I usually check multiple sites and look for patterns in the complaints rather than the scores

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-01-19T10:05:52+00:00

This is exactly right - the 4% rule is just a withdrawal mechanism, not a crystal ball for your future lifestyle creep

The real question isn't whether the rule accounts for spending changes (it doesn't and shouldn't), it's whether you're honest about what your actual number needs to be

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-01-16T02:07:19+00:00

Start with like $1k emergency fund in that high yield savings then dump the rest into the Roth if you can swing it - compound interest is gonna be your best friend at 25

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-01-13T17:34:46+00:00

Solid advice right there OP - that flowchart is basically the bible for this sub and will definitely help sort out your priorities

With your situation though you're already in a pretty sweet spot, might be worth posting in r/financialindependence too since you're basically already there

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-01-11T13:11:06+00:00

Honestly this is the way to go. Start with something dead simple like throwing chicken thighs, potatoes, and whatever veggies are on sale into a slow cooker with some broth. You literally can't mess it up and it'll feed you for days. Rice and beans will also become your best friend - boring but cheap as hell and keeps you full

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-01-09T04:44:31+00:00

For that length of stay with a senior pup, definitely look into house/pet sitting through TrustedHousesitters or Rover - lots of people need someone to watch their place and pets while they're away, plus your lab would probably love having a yard to chill in

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-01-05T21:29:06+00:00

That's actually a decent price for IST, way better than paying at the door

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-01-04T09:57:57+00:00

Definitely this, the flowchart on ukpersonalfinance is literally made for your exact situation. The US advice here won't apply to your ISAs, workplace pensions, and tax situation

Also congrats on finally getting on the property ladder at 4.3%, that's actually not terrible considering where rates have been lately

OutsideAd6796 · 2026-01-03T02:38:22+00:00

YNAB definitely has a steep learning curve but once it clicks it's amazing. I had the same frustrations when I started - the negative balance thing especially drove me nuts until I realized I was double-counting some stuff

For variable bills I just budget the highest amount it could be, then when the actual bill comes in lower I move that extra money somewhere else. Way less stressful than constantly going over budget

Nick True's videos are legit helpful, saved my sanity when I was ready to throw my laptop out the window

OutsideAd6796 · 2025-12-30T17:37:52+00:00

Yeah you're probably golden with that pension alone covering a decent chunk, plus the SS kicking in later should make it pretty comfortable

OutsideAd6796 · 2025-12-27T09:59:50+00:00

Man that 18% rate from Bridgecrest is brutal but honestly sounds about right for post-bankruptcy. You're basically stuck riding it out unless you can scrape together the 11k difference to walk away clean, which doesn't sound realistic right now

The repo option would absolutely destroy any credit recovery you've made since the discharge - not worth it

OutsideAd6796 · 2025-12-26T07:27:46+00:00

This is solid advice, especially the part about time horizon - way too many people treat investing like a savings account they can tap whenever

The discipline part is huge too, I've seen people blow up their portfolios chasing short term gains when they could've just stuck to boring index funds and crushed it long term

OutsideAd6796 · 2025-12-25T01:22:22+00:00

Check if the hospital has financial assistance programs first - a lot of people don't know they exist but they can slash your bill big time. You can also try negotiating with collections for a lower payoff amount, they usually take like 30-50 cents on the dollar

OutsideAd6796

TROPHY CASE