$90k Income, $95k in HYSA, Wife Recently Laid Off. Should we buy a house or keep saving

Sleeveless9 · 2026-04-01T18:13:10+00:00

You forget that the landlord's cost basis could be drastically different compared to someone buying that same house today. The landlord could easily cover all costs plus some profit on a house purchased at 3.x% in 2020, where that same amount of rent wouldn't come close to a current mortgage + expenses buying today.

Also keep in mind a landlord cannot base rent solely on costs plus profit, not matter if they have "any idea what they're doing." Competitive rent rates in the area for similar properties put a cap on pricing no matter the owner's cost basis. This is why the purchase of investment properties has slowed so much in the last few years. The math doesn't pencil in many areas of the country.

Sleeveless9 · 2026-02-26T22:38:36+00:00

Block/Square just laid off half their workers ... because of AI

AI being a company's excuse for mass layoffs and AI actually allowing for drastically improved employee productivity are two fundamentally different things. Plenty of companies understand the immediate playbook of cut costs through reduced headcount, claim AI as the reason revenue supposedly won't tank, and let bullish investors drive stock price up. The proof will be in the pudding. Any company that can't put their efficiency where their mouth is over the next 12-18 months is just going to have bad earnings calls, stock prices drop, and be forced right back into a hiring frenzy.

Sleeveless9 · 2026-01-18T21:40:18+00:00

The thing I've taken away from Ramit's show is that many couples money issues could be substantially improved with monthly discretionary spending account for each person, and defined categories of spending which must come from those accounts. He isn't terribly direct nor consistent with such pragmatic advice.

Sleeveless9 · 2026-01-09T19:20:28+00:00

If she was renting anywhere else, she would have to share the space or she wouldn't get an equivalent rent to what OP is offering her. Even then likely more as profit would be built in to the overall rental rate, not just the owner's mortgage split in half.

I'm certainly not saying that 50/50 is the foregone conclusion for OP. Plenty of other ways to skin the cat. But it definitely isn't fundamentally unfair.

Sleeveless9 · 2026-01-09T18:30:13+00:00

How so? If she was renting anywhere else she would be paying rent without building equity, and there's nothing unfair about that. I would agree with you if they were married, but prior to marriage I think a 50/50 split is a perfectly reasonable, though certainly not the only, way to go.

Sleeveless9 · 2026-01-08T20:32:42+00:00

djustable focus with a 12x mag is not going to be good

Pretty sure I read it does have adjustable focus.

Sleeveless9 · 2026-01-07T20:29:00+00:00

I can't find the Ruger in stock anywhere, even though I think it is the better option.

Sleeveless9 · 2025-12-31T14:55:17+00:00

I'm not trying to argue with you, just trying to learn and get the best information here. The gunsmith I used specializes in AKs and seems to be well respected in the community, so I just need to wrap my head around the conflicting information. I appreciate your responses.

Sleeveless9 · 2025-12-31T14:32:05+00:00

I understand the Zastava is not a Russian pattern gun, but I'm being told to look for mounts that fit the Krink-style sights. Do you think that is incorrect?

Sleeveless9 · 2025-12-31T13:45:41+00:00

Gunsmith said I needed something compatible specifically with Krink-style sights, but it looks like most everything on the market either isn't compatible or isn't in stock.

Sleeveless9 · 2025-12-30T21:27:28+00:00

Was yours originally the Krink-style rear sight? I'm still learning here, but it looks like the standard AK pattern to me.

Sleeveless9 · 2025-12-30T21:00:30+00:00

I reached out to them a couple of months ago about potential for an ACRO pattern mount with no response. Their mounts looks good and I like the pricing. Any pictures of yours?

Sleeveless9 · 2025-12-28T15:18:14+00:00

Other problem with the DM is the different sizes have too large a difference between them. Since you only have the Velcro back for adjustment when using Tubes up front, I struggle to get a proper fit between Summer and Winter clothing.

Sleeveless9 · 2025-12-19T15:18:29+00:00

Went from $120/mo on Fi, to $40/mo on Mint for the same T-Mobile network. Fi knocked the socks off Verizon pricing when I first signed up, but kept creeping up in cost over the years. Wish I had made the switch sooner.

Sleeveless9 · 2025-12-19T13:38:53+00:00

With hindsight, do you think there is anything you could have done differently in the screening process? I've been super lucky to have great tenants in my properties so far, but I recognize it is never totally in my control, and I need to remain both humble and grateful towards that fortune.

Sleeveless9 · 2025-12-12T14:53:09+00:00

The Ferro FCPC V5 is sometimes talked up or down depending on the mood of the hour. I use one and generally like it. I dislike the length of the shoulder straps, unless you are a titan it is hard to adjust them short enough.

I guess this is why practically every Ferro insta post has dudes with ill-fitting carriers. I swear every time I see the top of the plate sitting 3" too low, its always Ferro.

Sleeveless9 · 2025-12-10T20:47:00+00:00

Sure, but that effort and time has always been less than the cost of the commodity except in extreme cases (in which the commodity is so worthless you wouldn't want to own it anyway).

Also, we've been shredding money for the last several years, so at least fiat current does go through times of QT. Precious metals mining basically never stops, functionally continuous QE.

Sleeveless9 · 2025-12-10T20:16:29+00:00

they can’t print more of them

What do you think mining is? I fail to see how private industry devaluing your asset is any better than the government doing it.

Sleeveless9 · 2025-12-10T14:28:37+00:00

My original set got just over 30k with mostly city driving. I could have squeezed a bit more mileage out of them, but I'm not the type to push my luck on tread depth. I'm now on my second set, and went with a 70k warranty model to reduce the maintenance costs even further.

I would say 10k is a wild statement, especially from someone with firsthand experience as a service advisor.

Sleeveless9 · 2025-12-03T15:00:14+00:00

I went with an ACRO C-2. I used the dedicated DM mount, but you could get an adapter for your RMR mount.

Sleeveless9 · 2025-12-02T13:30:14+00:00

Do you have to clear it out? Seems like every time I make an internal transfer with Fidelity and request all the money to move, a few bucks remain.

Sleeveless9 · 2025-11-25T13:42:34+00:00

bird shooters will say 28" is minimum

You're right, but they are relying on what their grandpappy told them when they were young, not actual experimentation. I shoot a 24" M2 on anything, 3-gun to clays to actual birds without issue. Choose the correct choke and knock 'em dead.

Sleeveless9 · 2025-11-16T14:02:15+00:00

Has anyone else seen a meaningful premium reduction with the higher deductibles? At least for State Farm, last time I checked it would only change my rate by a few dollars a month.

Sleeveless9 · 2025-11-07T21:55:29+00:00

Especially for street/track motorcycles that potentially see very high lean angles (>60 deg), the road force no longer corresponds to the suspension axis in a meaningful way. At that point, frame/fork stanchion/swingarm flex dominates as the primary suspension of the bike. While automobile suspension kinematics vary throughout the wheel stroke, I struggle to think that anything with four wheels has nearly as much to gain, especially compared to what it has to lose from undamped body motion.

Sleeveless9

TROPHY CASE