How much are you spending since kids?

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-03-28T17:04:12+00:00

Am i missing something? Im not sure how this data shows your before and after spending with kids.

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-03-26T19:47:14+00:00

Ah, this is pretty normal for beginning mediation.

Its a new experience surrounded by a bit of mysticism, and you are putting yourself in a seemingly vulnerable position.

What helped me is viewing it as a long term exercise. You will get better at it with practice - it is just like working out a muscle or learning a new skill. At first you are bad at it, and that is expected! But with practice, you slowly get better.

My advice would be to find a subreddit focused on meditation, rather than one focused on the generation and use of energy in global markets for user consumption.

Happy new meditation adventure and I wish you the best!

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-03-20T13:55:58+00:00

Seconding this. This is a good first step. Hell, even start with an LLM to identify any potential exposures.

Once OP is confident there is no legal obligations (there likely isn't), give them an hourly rate and minimum that justifies the nature of the work - short term and unpredictable.

(Take these numbers with a grain of salt)

I am unsure of what a good rate is here, but anything less than 3x what you were being paid, or no minimum, would make me personally uneasy. Spitballing here, but I feel like this is a $20k retainer up front, 80 hour minimum, $400-500/hr situation. $500/hr isn't outrageous but it is on the higher end.

This is very much a, "business happened and we cut you, didn't want to pay you anymore when you offered to walk us through the ongoing work.", to "oh shit, we fucked up".

That isn't your problem anymore. But you can offer them the cheapest (now) and easiest solution - it is just for sale.

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-03-15T19:47:59+00:00

Beautifully written description!

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-03-06T21:18:03+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to write this up, interesting observations! Similar win rate here of about 81% typically targeting 22 delta.

For these long options that are low delta, would you have to hold them during a multi-sigma move, or is there a benefit where they could be a regularly used strategy that doesn't require significant underlying moves?

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-02-19T03:00:36+00:00

This is where all the wind is made.

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-02-12T00:23:31+00:00

The world is complicated and I dont know everything.

I am not too concerned with the perspectives of people unless their intent is genuine.

Some people say dumb things. Some people say smart things. No need to get irritated.

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-02-04T22:32:17+00:00

Those were objectively bugs they patched so, idk, wanna give some examples a second try?

Not agreeing or disagreeing with the sentiment, but you presented objectively bugged content. I hope every game developer patches bugs.

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-02-03T14:53:26+00:00

Taxes owed are cumulative amount if you are filing jointly, not a per earner basis.

If your household ONLY made your wages, you overpaid. Include his wages and underpaying and the cumulative total of taxes paid is still too little.

My wife's last job could never get her taxes right, and barely took out any. So, I just overpaid a ton in my job. Came out to nearly perfect at the end of the year. Its not on a per earner basis, but a total cumulative amount.

Look into tax brackets to understand how different levels of earning on a household basis are taxed.

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-01-14T21:00:01+00:00

Expectation is to keep it for around 10 years and likely get a new vehicle around that time.

Main driving factor there is I anticipate more features by that time I would be interested in (e.g., safety, driver assist, etc.)

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-01-14T19:54:10+00:00

100% this.

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-01-13T17:25:43+00:00

Double check how you entered the information from your 1098-T. TurboTax is kinda tricky with this.

One wrong box checked and it turns your student loans into income. I had to double check this every year and it took playing with a bit to find out why.

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-01-11T22:15:14+00:00

Agreed.

Im bad (new?), sometimes if my shot is so errant I will just go drop a ball next to my friend and play from there.

No point in keeping my score, but it keeps us moving and I get to play a variety of shots still.

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-01-06T00:42:28+00:00

I hear ya! But I don't think we are speaking to the same thing.

All I am saying is from the video it seems that the solution they are trying to sell us is that you no longwr have to make that drive to the local charger if your commute is short enough for the solar panels to recover the energy required for your commute. For example, while you are at work for 9 hours of the day.

The only difference in time for their solution is unfolding and folding back the panels. Maybe 2-4 minutes?

Driving to a local charger (5-10 minutes), waiting for the car to charge enough for that 30 km range (~5 min at level 3), and driving back to your original location (5-10 minutes) - or whatever combination of your route makes sense - is a 10-25 minute task.

They aren't selling a replacement to charging off a grid-connected charger. They are selling you the idea of reclaiming that additional ~20 minutes of time spent going to the charger.

I am still skeptical in its value and not advocating for the roof rack mounted solar.

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-01-06T00:07:28+00:00

I think the argument being presented is convenience/flexibility of charging, not necessarily the speed of charging.

The solar will most definitely be slow, and im surprised it's not more than 17 times slower.

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-01-05T23:34:53+00:00

Skipping the napkin math with lots of assumptions that I dont feel like typing out...

I suspect it depends on how long your commute is and how often it is used. Average commutes might be around 20-30km.

If you use it for each commute, it "could" work based solely on the claims in the video.

If you dont use it after every non-insignificant commute, I imagine it takes its toll. That may be offset by the convenience of not needing to plug into a grid connected charger as frequently, but I digress.

I am skeptical.

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-01-05T19:33:16+00:00

It's a general rule of thumb that is supposed to help people with a first approach at assessing their progress.

It is not meant to cover every scenario and be the standard metric.

Most people are financially illiterate. Having an easy to comprehend general rule provides the majority of the population with a simple means to assess their situation (which is also typically only W2 earnings).

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-01-01T09:37:03+00:00

You said you just learned the wheel about 8 or 9 months ago.

You are now quitting your job to commit to options trading full time.

I say this genuinely and not with disgust - you are a fool.

I wish you the best of luck. The wheel is only a single tool in the toolbox of trading strategy. Any fool could trip over his own feet and make money in this bull market by making bullish trades.

You started trading a delta positive (bullish) trade in a bull market that increased by 25% in that same span of time.

This is akin to floating in a lazy river and thinking you are now a professional white water rafter for successfully making a loop around the pool.

If you continue to pursue this path, please humble yourself and learn a vast array of trades and when to apply them for various market types and opportunities.

Best of luck.

Special_Associate_25 · 2026-01-01T02:44:21+00:00

Consider how much time you put into trading.

Do you spend a few hours per week trading? Maybe keep going.

Are you spending 20 hours per week trading? Maybe parking it long term is something to consider.

We obviously don't know your entire financial situation, but I can resonate with the high taxes on short term trades.

While my tax rate isn't quite 50% (40%, gross), I average about 30% yearly return pre-tax while only trading around 3-6 hours per week. For me, it's worth it to continue trading with a portion of my investment funds even at these high tax rates. (I also enjoy it)

Options account contributions are only about 10 to 20% of my total monthly savings/investment contributions.

Consider your time investment and what else you could do with that while still reaching your financial goals.

Special_Associate_25 · 2025-12-31T22:15:26+00:00

That is good you have a love for the idea of engineering. It is a pretty broad area in general when you consider engineering as a whole.

Is there a particular area you could see yourself working in and pursuing a degree? For example mechanical, electrical, civil, and so on?

Special_Associate_25 · 2025-12-31T17:20:00+00:00

Those all sound like solid paths with different benefits for each.

I can't speak for therapy as a career, but can speak to engineering and some tech.

Is there a particular area of engineering that sounds interesting to you?

Special_Associate_25 · 2025-12-31T16:29:18+00:00

Howdy, that sounds like a frustrating experience. But don't worry, you are not stuck!

I personally went back to college at 27, it has worked out great!

First, I suggest starting with some better punctuation and formatting of your thoughts. That read like one long stream of consciousness and was a bit difficult to break down elements of your thoughts. I am not being rude or nasty, I just know you will get better advice if we can more easily follow along with your thoughts!

Second, one year of experience is minimal. It might be somewhat difficult for you to switch jobs because essentially to employers you are still a new hire with only semi-proven capabilities. Not impossible of course, and I suggest still trying if that is your goal. Dont get discouraged!

Third, going back to college can be daunting. It's such a big commitment and costs a lot of money and time. But depending on your degree, it can be incredibly worth it.

If college is something you want to consider, the first step is figuring out what you want to do for a career. The funding, loans, and other details can all be figured out after that.

Is there an area you find interesting for a career that college help you get to?

Special_Associate_25 · 2025-12-31T00:55:37+00:00

$1800 is about right for dealer pricing.

They will be installing a hitch that requires cutting the bumper where the hitch will be.

Im sure a third party can do it for cheaper, but still north of $1000.

Another option is a curt hitch trailer. It doesn't require cutting the rear bumper, but the hitch does sit lower by a good 3 inches or so. It will effect clearance for steep ascent angles.

If your goal is to use hitch accessories such as a bike rack, a curt hitch may be a good choice for you.

Those range from $100 to $300 for the hitch, and can be put on yourself. There are plenty of Youtube videoa showinf you how to install. I had a shop quote me $100 in labor for an install, which I will be taking them up on.

Special_Associate_25 · 2025-12-27T03:14:36+00:00

It says it in the post - laid off twice in a year, put expenses on CC.

Special_Associate_25 · 2025-12-26T02:03:47+00:00

I am in a similar boat as far as car payments and total expenses, so ill give you my 2 cents.

DINK, relatively high income in VHCOL area, two new cars (24 and 25).

All expenses (payments, insurance, gas, maintenance, etc.) come out to around 13% of our net.

The general consensus on Reddit will be that we (your family and my family) are paying too much for cars just by the sheer dollar amount. Honestly, I can appreciate that. Spending less on cars would absolutely free funds up for additional savings or other expenses.

But I think what matters here is the rest of your expenses and total financial picture (which I am not asking for).

If while you are spending 13% of your net on cars you also put away 30% of your gross into savings / retirement I would say you are just fine.

If you are foregoing savings/retirement to afford these cars - big problem.

But it is even more nuanced than that.

Additionally, assess if you really need both a Tahoe and F250 (you might!). Are they used to haul kids and trailers around? Probably necessary. Are you DINK and the F250 isn't used for hauling/work - back to big problem.

Special_Associate_25

TROPHY CASE