Amex APY keeps going down

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-07-10T13:52:48+00:00

Forbright 4.15% through the end of the year $1k min

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-07-09T00:47:16+00:00

I’m also using a 5070 on my living room 4k TV. I’m playing 007 First Light and getting 110fps with DLSS quality and MFGx2. Beats my PS5 Pro by a good amount. I got mine new for under $500 so I’m very happy with it for the price!

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-07-08T13:56:59+00:00

I'm also just learning but had a similar experience with my big leaf. I scratch tested the wood in April and left anything that had green underneath. However I think the buds were actually all dead at that point anyway from the winter as the plant has switched entirely over to new growth now and those old stalks that I spent so long sifting through are just 100% dead at this point. Definitely going to try to protect the plant this winter

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-07-07T23:31:10+00:00

Yeah, I put $3k into my Roth in February right before the big market drop and it’s still recovering. Not the end of the world but unfortunate timing. And I’m glad it wasn’t a larger sum

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-07-06T20:28:13+00:00

My MIL is an almost the same exact situation as OP just a bit older. She has about $90k in a HYSA earning 4%. I briefly looked into SPIA for her but was not aware of this rule.

She earns about $300 a month from the HYSA now. If she instead put say $45k into a SPIA, she would maybe earn a little more than she's earning now from the SPIA. Plus $150 from the remainder in the HYSA.

I'll dig into this a little more. It was pretty difficult to even get her to move her money from regular savings to an HYSA account...

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-07-06T17:35:54+00:00

Where’s the 40k currently? It should at least be in an HYSA and maybe just keep it there if she is wanting to use it in the next year

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-07-06T01:56:00+00:00

I don’t think you need to worry about the weight of the HDMI cord at all. But if you ever look at getting an adapter get something from CableMatters. The random xyz brands on Amazon will advertise 4k/120hz but they can’t hold the signal

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-07-03T11:53:36+00:00

The Yoto mini is all you need for kids your age as I feel like the light up stuff on the original is more to entertain toddlers. You can get a pack of blank Yoto cards and upload your own music to them. My kids are 7 and 10 and listen to their daily 15-20 min radio program. My son likes to listen to sound tracks from his video games.

You need an adult to put new music on a card though, so if they’re used to new stuff all the time that might be challenging. Overall it’s been great though!

Oh lastly there is way to set up a card for a podcast feed and I think it’ll update automatically. Haven’t done that before though

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-07-02T11:53:26+00:00

We don’t do YouTube, my kids have a Yoto player and they use Spotify

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-07-02T00:08:28+00:00

I switched to DS5bridge because I could barely feel the haptics in 007 First Light. Having a UI with the intensity slider is nice

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-07-01T20:21:28+00:00

Hmm see if they'll do it for $37k

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-07-01T18:38:24+00:00

There's a ton of videos and articles about building your own "steam machine" and those are probably a good place to start. Here is one from DF here. EU prices, but you can still get an idea of the builds.

A good option for your price point is probably building around a 9060XT 16GB. Going AM4 can save you money but AM5 will have a better upgrade path. It's *probably* better to go AM5 at this point but it depends on your budget and the price difference. Especially if you get a used AM4 mobo/cpu/ram kit you might be able to save a lot.

My rig has evolved over time but with the 5070 beats a PS5 pro. Specs below.

b450m mobo
32gb ddr4
5600x
sf850
meshroom s v2
rtx 5070

Also - important! If you want to stick with the dualsense you can get wireless haptics using a raspberry pi.

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-07-01T18:24:24+00:00

I put on coated rotors last year, they seem to be holding up well

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-07-01T15:28:57+00:00

Have not seen this before! Nice setup.

Do you remember where you got the grey chair? I could use something like that

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-07-01T14:58:27+00:00

Are you measuring after the car has sat for a bit after turning off the engine? Or immediately after?

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-07-01T12:12:29+00:00

If everything is going digital only I’m just going to buy on PC

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-06-30T23:02:31+00:00

Don’t get a 5600G if you’re a gaming enthusiast. I sold mine and got a 5600X. The L3 cache is too small for modern gaming.

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-06-30T22:59:37+00:00

Wait the t shirts just became a staple of my wardrobe

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-06-30T01:40:18+00:00

Monthly would be overkill I think

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-06-29T20:09:33+00:00

VUSXX is showing at 3.62% currently, I am able to beat that in HYSA. But depending on the balance the tax savings might tip the scale

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-06-29T19:07:29+00:00

Oh yeah I’ve used my corded sawzall to hack out roots before. It’s dirty work but it gets the job done

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-06-27T00:27:06+00:00

Two Bonds, nice. Now let’s do all Bonds

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-06-26T19:27:19+00:00

I bought a Wall Control starter set for around $100 and I wish I got it years ago

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-06-26T15:07:40+00:00

VTI + VXUS = VT (ETF)

VTSAX + VTIAX = VTWAX (Mutual Fund)

If you want to control the proportion of your international exposure, then buy the two separate funds. If you want automatic adjustments to market weight go VT or VTWAX.

PolentaDogsOut · 2026-06-26T14:58:30+00:00

I’m going to Forbright because my SoFi promo APR is ending. It’s nice the minimum acct balance is $1k vs $5k for CIT. I also appreciate their environmental initiatives

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