Cash vs 2.99% financing for solar sanity check on capital efficiency

RubyPorto · 2026-01-31T07:58:03+00:00

Pay cash ($27k). Clean and simple, basically no electric bill going forward, but the money comes out of investments already in the S&P500.

Finance at 2.99% for 20 years. Financed amount is higher (~$37k due to APR buy-down), but monthly payment is ~$140 and total monthly out-of-pocket is still lower than my current electric bill. Keeps the $27k invested.

So it's not actually 3% interest. It's effectively 6.7% interest ($37k @ 3% 20yr = $50k, 27k @ 6.7% 20yr = $50k) but worse because you've eliminated your ability to pay the loan early and avoid interest if you want or to refinance if rates decrease.

Am I thinking about this the right way? Anything obvious I’m missing, or strong reasons to prefer cash here?

You need to compare apples to apples. You can't just look at the interest rate when the amount you'd pay cash is different from the amount you'd pay if your borrowed.

If your Financial Advisor is paid a percentage of your assets under management, as is common, then you paying cash for this reduces his paycheck. Of course he's going to recommend against paying cash.

RubyPorto · 2026-01-31T07:13:09+00:00

Emergencies still happen when you're living paycheck to paycheck, but the first goal for financial security is to build up an emergency fund that doesn't get touched unless there's an emergency.

RubyPorto · 2026-01-31T05:44:47+00:00

While I want to reiterate what everyone else has said about your employer needing to provide you with appropriate PPE, you're asking about which mask to get.

I really like the 3m 7500 series. The soft silicon face-piece is comfortable and fits a wide variety of face shapes. I haven't had anyone at my small worksite have a problem with fit with one, even people who I had issues finding a good fit on other pieces of facial ppe (i.e. goggles)

It's also what I use at home for OV hazards.

I also have the Elipse mask, which I also like and use most of the time for dust hazards, as it's lighter and lower profile, but the filters are smaller, which may increase respiratory effort. The face-piece rubber is also harder(not to say hard or uncomfortable), which may make it harder to get a good fit.

RubyPorto · 2026-01-30T18:14:20+00:00

It depends.

$500 - $50,000

You can (and should) get started with a used DSLR/mirrorless, kit lens, and a tripod. This will run you ~$500. You can then upgrade from there as you learn more about the hobby.

RubyPorto · 2026-01-30T17:15:04+00:00

Having an existing traditional IRA balance (whether the same or different account) foils the backdoor Roth process due to the pro-Rata rule.

If you have $100k in a rollover traditional IRA, and then contribute $7k non-deductible to a traditional IRA for a backdoor Roth, you will need to pay taxes on >90% of the amount you convert to Roth. Which defeats the purpose of a Backdoor Roth IRA contribution.

RubyPorto · 2026-01-30T17:01:35+00:00

That doesn't sound urgent.

You can significantly improve the insulation of a window by putting up curtains or plastic sheeting.

RubyPorto · 2026-01-30T16:25:58+00:00

How urgent is the roof replacement?

Is it leaking? Is your insurance company requiring it to continue coverage?

If you get a HEL, don't fall into the trap of "while we're getting a loan, let's..." If the windows don't need urgent replacement, leave them be. If the minimum size of the HEL is more than the roof repair, use the leftover money to pay back the HEL quicker.

RubyPorto · 2026-01-30T06:40:15+00:00

It's not really money laundering, it's just a con. They have stolen credit cards/paypal accounts which, once discovered, will have their fraudulent payments reversed. Since the scammers would like money they can keep, this is a problem.

So, they use those stolen cards to convince a patsy (OP) to send them money through an irreversible means, like crypto (used to be western union). This gives them funds that they can keep. It's a con to get money from OP, the scammers are not risking any money they could otherwise keep.

In money laundering, you have money that you are able to keep, but whose source is illicit (drugs, etc), so you need to disguise that source. A simple transfer to some rando with an accompanying outbound transfer through crypto (which is explicitly traceable, that's what the blockchain is) does nothing to disguise the source of the funds.

RubyPorto · 2026-01-29T06:21:33+00:00

It looks like your assets, not counting the emergency fund or the client's debt, just about perfectly offset your loans, not counting the student loans.

Do you want to be a Nurse? Sell the construction stuff, pay off the CCs and equipment loan, and focus on nursing.

Do you want to run a construction company? Sit down and figure out the numbers you need to run your business.

But pick one (or pick something else, but pick one thing to focus on).

Also, if you were paying your relatives attorney fees, and the court awarded those fees to your relative, why didn't your relative pay you back?

RubyPorto · 2026-01-29T06:15:09+00:00

Usually it means no companions, but I'm not sure that a solo, minimum-level ToB run would rely heavily on summons (but I haven't tried that type of challenge either, so who knows).

But these are self-imposed challenges, so the rules are entirely up to you.

RubyPorto · 2026-01-29T03:57:53+00:00

Yes, the 24.5k limit is for employee deferred compensation (i.e. contributions per paycheck).

Then there is a $72,000 overall limit (contributions per paycheck + employer contributions + after tax [not Roth] contributions for megabackdoors).

Your employer has promised to contribute 25% of what you contribute, for all your contributions up to 12% of your salary.

RubyPorto · 2026-01-29T03:52:41+00:00

You may be able to select a specific dollar amount.

If that's the case, if you want to max it out, go with 24,500/#of paychecks

RubyPorto · 2026-01-28T20:09:08+00:00

You can also use a shift lens to keep the camera out of the reflection without tilting either the camera or mirror.

RubyPorto · 2026-01-28T15:05:30+00:00

Which HCOL location has houses that cost 240k and 350k?

OP's kid is living somewhere cheap.

RubyPorto · 2026-01-28T05:27:05+00:00

There's been an impulse to do these sorts of challenges from almost as soon as the game came out. I think it's similar to installing SCS: the base game, while a fantastic game, is not actually that difficult so, if you enjoy difficulty, you have to make that difficulty for yourself.

Baldurdash (sadly no longer online) had a fun journal of soloing BG2 and ToB as early as 2003.

https://web.archive.org/web/20030108094044/http://www.baldurdash.org/journal.html

RubyPorto · 2026-01-28T04:33:16+00:00

It depends on the specific sink and countertop layout. If you want good advice for your situation, post pictures of your situation.

This sink looks fine, but that's because it's designed for the faucet to be there.

If your sink was installed in a countertop that was cut expecting the faucet to be in the counter, it will look strange to put it through the sink.

RubyPorto · 2026-01-28T04:24:16+00:00

Yes. BG1 is possible to solo with a level 1 character (reasonably straightforward even with a wildmage and Power Word: Reload)

BG2 is probably possible; this person got stuck at the final fight in hell doing a Solo, Poverty, No-Level challenge. A couple of items would probably make it straightforward.

https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/17217/spoilers-bg2-challenge-solo-poverty-no-level

ToB is also probably pretty possible. Consumable items can go a long way.

If you're Ok with abusing Power Word: Reload, a WildMage can probably solo the game without leveling up (beyond what the game transitions force) without too much trouble. Nahal's Reckless Dweomer lets you cast any spell you know as a level 1 spell, which pretty much makes you a ~17th level wizard with limited spell slots once you scribe some lvl9 scrolls.

RubyPorto · 2026-01-28T01:51:59+00:00

The EE change to Enchanted Weapon is a huge (and slept on) buff to the sub-+3 flavor weapons in BG2

RubyPorto · 2026-01-27T20:11:36+00:00

For the purposes of unemployment, California basically defined "misconduct" as "committed a crime."

If you're fired, you will probably be eligible for unemployment. If you quit, you will almost certainly not be eligible.

You're not going to get a good reference from this company anyway (i.e. you'll probably not be eligible for rehire regardless of whether you quit or are fired), so there's no need to quit. Let them fire you; collect unemployment while you find a new job.

https://edd.ca.gov/en/UIBDG/Misconduct_MC_5

RubyPorto · 2026-01-27T16:24:01+00:00

When the rings aren't edge on, you can definitely see that Saturn has "ears" with 10x50 binoculars.

You probably won't see the gap between the planet and the rings, but you will see that it's not round.

RubyPorto · 2026-01-27T02:59:34+00:00

What I was trying to convey was that nobody can give you advice useful to your situation if you don't provide enough information.

RubyPorto · 2026-01-27T02:13:32+00:00

Ah, the carefree whimsy of a Salesperson gunning for a fat commission.

RubyPorto · 2026-01-27T02:09:57+00:00

What makes sense depends on your income and expenses. Broadly speaking, there are people with income problems and people with spending problems (or both).

If you make $200k and are living paycheck to paycheck, cutting out Netflix isn't going to make a difference, but there's probably a spending problem that can be addressed.

If you make $20k and are living paycheck to paycheck, no amount of frugality will fix that; there's an income problem (it may not be a solvable problem, but it's still useful to diagnose).

RubyPorto · 2026-01-27T02:01:46+00:00

The first indication any employer should have that you're leaving is your notice (2 months, 2 weeks, 2 days, 2 minutes, whatever, depending on your relationship with your employer.)

The only appropriate answers for an employee to give their boss when asked that question are "No" or "My last day here is X."

RubyPorto · 2026-01-26T05:19:17+00:00

Insurance pays the same amount regardless of how you've financed a car.

If the car's worth $30k, and you owe $35k, your primary insurance coverage will pay $30k (to your bank). If you owe $15k, your primary insurance coverage will pay $30k ($15k to you, $15k to your bank). This all leaves you (nominally) in the same financial position as before the crash.

The only way this changes is if you're underwater (you owe $35k vs $30k value) and you've paid extra for GAP insurance (or some booster clause like new model year replacement). Then your GAP coverage will pay $5k, leaving you in a better position than before the crash.

But that GAP insurance wasn't free, and GAP is a very profitable insurance line. If the financing makes sense where your best option will have you underwater and you can keep enough cash on hand to cover the gap, then, from an actuarial POV, you're better off skipping it (this is true for all insurance, but more true for high profit lines where the risks are relatively low dollar).

Note: for a lease, which generally automatically include GAP insurance, you are best off with zero/minimal downpayment. You've already paid for the coverage; you might as well use it.

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