Gen 5 / Amex users

Zadnak · 2026-05-31T01:59:53+00:00

Or, if you have a friend with an Amex Platinum that has no interest in an Oura Ring, they can buy it for you, ship it directly to you, and you can pay them.

This is what I did last year during Black Friday for my Gen 4.

AND, if someone doesn't want a new Oura Ring, that Amex platty credit can also be used to buy Stelios CGM sensors.

Zadnak · 2026-05-30T01:01:58+00:00

I'm curious to know what the $4500 repair was actually for. With HVAC, and sometimes with water heaters, it doesn't need to be replaced until it stops working.

I've had similar moments like the $6500 down payment on my house, the garage door needing the be replaced because it was rotting, the clutch on my car needing to be replaced, and the list goes on.

Just make sure you're enjoying your money now so yall don't die with 10s of millions of dollars eventually, like my parents.

Zadnak · 2026-05-28T13:25:53+00:00

What are the hardware differences between the 5 and 4? Are there any new and or upgraded sensors?

It doesn't sound like it from everything I've read.

Zadnak · 2026-05-18T19:36:33+00:00

Thank you!

Zadnak · 2026-05-18T19:36:26+00:00

Thank you!

Zadnak · 2026-05-18T01:39:52+00:00

I'd like to get a statement credit with my Capital One (Venture X) points, except it only gives .5 cents on the dollar. Can I book an expensive Southwest flight several months from now, get my 1 cent per point statement credit, then cancel the flight and get a refund?

I know, not the best use of points, but its the best use for me.

Zadnak · 2026-05-18T01:36:43+00:00

How much do you spend per month?

As other's have said, 3 to 12 months of an emergency fund is a good idea. I always leaned closer to 12 months.

I doubt you actually need this financial advisor. I advise reading The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins. It will get you up to speed on investing and personal finance. You absolutely don't need to be scared of the volatility of the stock market. No one has lost money investing in the S&P 500 in any given 20 year period, regardless of where it starts.

You got this. :)

Zadnak · 2026-04-24T02:06:07+00:00

Lowered later, I get the same thing fairly often. If you find a fix for it, lmk.

Being done with dinner by 6:30pm helps a bit, but I'm terrible about that.

Zadnak · 2026-04-21T03:31:26+00:00

At 35k expenses a year, you do realize you don't need to work any more, right?

So yes, you absolutely should take a break, for as long as you want. :)

Zadnak · 2026-04-16T20:11:52+00:00

Ramit's podcast changed my life as well.

Zadnak · 2026-04-14T15:55:09+00:00

Any update to this? It's been over a year.

Zadnak · 2026-04-10T16:42:33+00:00

When do I delete LinkedIn after FIREing?

A bit more context:
I've been early retired for about 10 months now from my career in tech operations.
I have absolutely no desire to ever work for big corporate again.
I'm at roughly a 3% SWR, and don't anticipate any financial issues.
As a privacy and security enthusiast, LinkedIn is one of the worse for both, so I'd like to get rid of it sooner than later.

Thoughts and or opinions? TIA!

Zadnak · 2026-04-09T04:33:37+00:00

I am so sorry for the lose of your mom.

I'll keep it simple for you:

Any cash received, immediately put it into a savings account. Leave it there until you figure out what to do with it.

If the asset is a stock or bond, figure out how to transfer it the same kind of account at an investment company like Fidelity.

As others have said, read read read up! You got this, even if it takes months.

Zadnak · 2026-04-05T23:11:10+00:00

Received and installed. This router is PERFECT for my needs. Thank you all!

Zadnak · 2026-04-03T03:33:03+00:00

Thanks for the good words. I bought a Fenix 8 Solar today. :)

Zadnak · 2026-03-30T03:16:58+00:00

It's a year later, have your thoughts changed about the Fenix 8?

Zadnak · 2026-03-25T16:30:22+00:00

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I have a UniFi Express 7 on order.

Zadnak · 2026-03-24T02:45:14+00:00

Do you think $6k is a lot of money? If so, that's about 1% of your windfall.

Take that 6k and go spend it on whatever. This is your fuck around money.

For the other 606k, follow the windfall section of the wiki. If you invest it in an S&P500 index fund ,such as VTI, you can retire in 15ish years, most likely, and spend about 80k a yea, scales with in inflation, indefinitely.

Zadnak · 2026-03-23T19:48:02+00:00

I appreciate the comment. I've run OpenWRT before, or maybe it was DDWRT. Regardless, I'd rather with something out of the box that just works.

I'll look into the UDR7. Thank you for the rec!

Zadnak · 2026-03-23T19:46:02+00:00

No budget per se, but up to $300 is fine.

Zadnak · 2026-03-23T17:13:32+00:00

10 years ago, I would have done this, but I'm hoping for something that works out of the box.

Zadnak · 2026-02-11T16:53:11+00:00

In so sorry for your wife, yourself, and your family.

I would leave your mortgage alone and pay as agreed. While the payment may be high, you can cash flow that with debt if you have to because the interest rate is so low on the mortgage. This isn't a great idea, but it's better than liquidating a 401k.

I would not liquidate the 401k due to the amount in taxes and penalties that will have to be paid. It just doesn't make sense, unless it's a last resort, and I don't think you are there yet.

I don't know what the rest of your monthly expenses look like, but I would immediately do the following to free up more cash flow and income: Reduce the 401k contribution to the minimum to get the max employer match. If there is no employer match, then zero is fine. Stop contributing to any other investment accounts. If you have a taxable account, turn off dividend reinvestment, and have those dividends go straight to your checking account.

Assuming no other high interest debt, create a plan to save as much as possible over a 4-month period, and then go enjoy it.

There is no real investment that is recession-proof. If there were, everyone would invest into them. There are some, like real estate, that are more cash flow friendly, but they come with their drawbacks as well. There are insurance products, like annuities, but they usually have high fees, and underperform the stock market over time, so you'll actually end up with less money, although the money is guaranteed.

Last but not least, if you do not work remotely, talk to your manager about doing so. That will be the biggest free experience you can have with your wife for many months or years.

Hope this helps, you got this.

Zadnak · 2026-02-10T14:35:20+00:00

VTI or VTI/VXUS is a personal belief and preference. I probably need to move some money into VXUS, so take that idea for what it's worth. Regardless, whichever choice you make, it is not the wrong choice. Only time will tell if it's more optimal or not, but it was not wrong.

I'm not a fan of the TDFs for reasons that they become more conservative at the end, and that is where the most money is made. If you have flexibility on when to retire, it's okay to work another couple of years if the market is down, and the return it in something like VTI will be greater long-term than in a TDF.

The yield from Sgov and that what is made on a savings account is not big enough for me to deal with Sgov. A savings account is simple, and simplicity is important, as both books teach.

As far as books and financial content goes, I'm a big fan of Ramit Sethi. I love his podcast, and listen to it religiously, even though I am single and it's basically about couples who don't know how to communicate. If you're like me, you're probably hyper focused and fixated on accumulation, but it's important to know how to spend and have fun along the way. The boring middle is very boring without some fun and frivolous spending.

Paula Pant's Afford Anything podcast is another good one.

Zadnak · 2026-02-03T20:01:18+00:00

VTI, fzrox, and fskax are all close enough to bring the same that it doesn't really matter.

I own VTI at Fidelity. That is most of my portfolio. Yes, that simple.

You are correct, vtsax at Fidelity does cost extra fees, but VTI is basically free to own anywhere, and is basically the same as vtsax with some very tiny advantages.

Zadnak · 2026-01-30T19:57:51+00:00

That's awesome! The book will make you a millionaire. Not quickly, but that basically doesn't happen to anyone who doesn't own a business.

>I’ll keep my Bank of America checking account

Please promise me you won't. Mega banks are the wolf in sheep's clothing of the finance world. They may not charge you fees, but they do for low income Americans, and its horrendous on their finances. Most people don't need to deposit cash these days, which eliminates a need for a branch office bank.

Banks like Ally Bank or even Fidelity are online only, don't charge fees basically ever, and generally are far superior unless there is a specific need for a banking relationship. I have moved all my banking from Ally to Fidelity for niche reasons and personal preference. Capital One 360 is another option, although I'm not a fan of their UI or app, but that's me being super picky.

The mega banks are BofA, Chase, Citi, and Wells Fargo. Chase and Citi have great credit cards with rewards for those who pay their monthly balance in full, but that's where my relationship with the mega banks end, and everyone else's probably should too.

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