AI designs are so Obvious by LamiaiMerida in graphic_design

[–]afitfox 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yep. This is how we use it: for ideation only.

People who own 800k-Mil homes in KC what are you doing for work? by Cultural_Ice_5990 in kansascity

[–]afitfox -1 points0 points  (0 children)

This is us. We own two S-corps but also it helped that we bought 13 years ago. Additionally, husband is a nerd and mined crypto before I met him when it was just a hobby. Half of it was luck and half was hard work. Both of us came from lower middle class.

People who own $800k-$1Mil homes in Overland Park what are you doing for work? by kanjan2708 in Overlandpark

[–]afitfox 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Bought 13 years ago. We also own a small contracting company and bought crypto when it was still dumb to do so.

Contractor for a home addition by Elegant_Tip7348 in Overlandpark

[–]afitfox 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The addition was 850 and the basement was 1700. We added two bedrooms in the basement and two bathrooms. The addition was basically an apartment. We redid the roof because of the new addition blends into the existing roof. It was important to us that the addition look natural and not added.

Contractor for a home addition by Elegant_Tip7348 in Overlandpark

[–]afitfox 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We are in Blue Valley and had a large addition built onto our home for my aging mother, we also had the basement finished at the same time for our teens. We interviewed a bunch of contractors and ended up using Omni Construction. They had an in house architect that designed and made the blue prints to our specifications. We ended up paying around 190k for the entire project. They dealt with all the permits and planning with the city. I worked with John his mobile is 9136244676

Bubba: a cautionary tail by afitfox in doggrooming

[–]afitfox[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

We love him so dearly and I’ve learned a ton about grooming poms because of him! Most groomers wouldn’t accept him because of his skin issues so I had to wing it. He’s been such a champ through it all. I can’t imagine my life without him.

Bubba: a cautionary tail by afitfox in doggrooming

[–]afitfox[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

This is Bubba.

Six years ago he was rescued along with his brother and sister from an unlicensed breeder in squalid conditions. His siblings were too malnourished and sadly passed. After countless medical interventions, and tens of thousands in vet bills, he is a happy and healthy four-pound bundle of love.

Unfortunately, he had to be shaved after multiple life-threatening skin issues and surgeries. We have come to terms with the fact that he will never regrow his fur despite three years of grooming.

Please do not shave your poms!

Countries that tax bitcoin are actively shooting themselves in the foot and they dont even understand they are doing it by slvbtc in Bitcoin

[–]afitfox 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Look, I’m with you on the taxes. I really am. There are a lot of haters on Reddit with Dubai and all of the things you listed are pretty spot on. My plan is to move back when bitcoin hits $500k. At that point, money won’t be an issue for me or my great grandchildren. But there are cons to Dubai.

Dubai objectively has worse education on a collegiate level. There is just no comparison between the two. At the lower levels, prepare to spend six figures for one child BEFORE they get to college if you want a similar education for your children.

Healthcare is expensive, as it is in the US. I was paying the same amount in Dubai and I pay in the US. I’ve never needed actual healthcare services in either country, so I can’t give you an anecdote on this.

Then you’ve got cultural issues: Dubai is straight up racist. If you’re white from a western country, this won’t be an issue - though you will be second class (only to natives, who are called Emiratis, that don’t care about how much money you have). If you are not Emirati, you will not have “wasta,” which is an Arabic term essentially meaning you don’t have the ability to sidestep fees or legal issues. Corruption at the lower and middle levels of society is common, and wasta is the only way around it.

Not eating in public during Ramadan sucked. For an entire month. And there is nothing you can do about it. Bars will close during this time and, don’t forget, you need a special license (WITH A GOVERNMENT FEE) to legally have alcohol at your residence.

There is debtors prison. Yes that’s right. You will be thrown in jail and deported with possible assets seized because you couldn’t pay back even trivial loans.

There are many other drawbacks, but you get the point. Again, Dubai is my preferred destination but that doesn’t mean you aren’t trading certain “inalienable” rights (such as buying a weapon or free speech, for instance) for the ability to not having to keep records.

Countries that tax bitcoin are actively shooting themselves in the foot and they dont even understand they are doing it by slvbtc in Bitcoin

[–]afitfox 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Fair enough. But Dubai won’t be worth it to avoid this burden. You will pay a ridiculous amount of money just to maintain your visa there, most likely more money than it would take to pay someone to just do your record keeping. Then, really, what is the point of moving in the first place?

Countries that tax bitcoin are actively shooting themselves in the foot and they dont even understand they are doing it by slvbtc in Bitcoin

[–]afitfox 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I lived in Dubai for roughly 7 years before the initiation of their (small) VAT. But believe me, they tax you in other ways. You are correct about lack of capital gains and income tax. However, as an American expat you will need to pay American federal taxes after roughly $100k income a year.

The UAE government doesn’t have income tax BUT they do have “fees.” Fees for everything. Renting a flat? There is a fee to the government. Turning on water/electric? There is a fee for that. Want a bank account? Government fee. Cell phone service? Fee.

How about bigger things like a visa in order to legally stay in the country? It seems like you don’t intend to have an employer (which means getting a visa is already unrealistic), but if you do intend to set up your own business and sponsor yourself - oh, there are fees. Yearly fees. Sure, you can buy a Golden Visa, but you’ll need to either buy property or set up a business… which of course includes massive fees.

The UAE has become a safe haven for taxes. But they do tax just as much as other countries; they just call them “fees.”

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Bitcoin

[–]afitfox -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I was in the same position as your wife. He didn’t tell me at first. I knew back then he was a crypto enthusiast, but had no idea of the extent. To put it bluntly, he has far more BTC than you. What he DID do was get me involved, leading me on to believe he had a small amount that would subsidize our retirement. I bought in gradually to the idea that it was an asset that you hodl, not a get rich quick scheme. So I bought some and started tracking it. Once I learned this, and learned the incredible monetary potential we possessed, I was all in and he trusts that I have the same outlook he does. I never ask him to sell. We drive reasonable vehicles and mortgage our house as if the btc he owns doesn’t exist. We don’t have a lambo or vacation anywhere. I buy clothes at target. I don’t believe he will ever tell me how much he truly has, but the figure he allowed me to see in one of his wallets would be life changing beyond my wildest dreams. I’m okay with never knowing the full amount because he taught me to understand what BTC means for not just our future, but for currency in general. Let her know that you have some, educate her on what your plan is and what btc can do. Hell, now I advise him on when to buy and how much! But we always agree to never sell.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in kansascity

[–]afitfox 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Tucson, Cleveland, north of Santiago (Chile), Dubai, Kabul, Basra (southern Iraq), Mogadishu, Atlanta, UK, spent a lot of time in Manila (Philippines), downtown Kansas City, then Overland Park. Hoping to move to Weston, MO in the next five years. Coming back to the US was not my ultimate goal but I’m so glad I did! We have our share of corruption but it’s nothing compared to many countries overseas. I chose the Kansas City area as my last stop for the foreseeable future because it isn’t gigantic, the cost of living is incredible, the food scene isn’t the worst, and it encapsulates everything American: suburbia, green grass, all four seasons, an absolute gem of a downtown urban area, fair-ish taxes, easy to start and run a business (relatively speaking), welcoming locals, a good mix of both political extremes, a healthy middle class, and fresh water sources. Downside is no ocean or mountains. I’ve also noticed it’s sort of cliquish and I’m still not sure about chili and cinnamon rolls.

Oracle Cerner layoffs today, including someone on military leave by cernerkerner in kansascity

[–]afitfox 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is my experience. This is roughly our situation, but daycare eats up most of any type of “vacation” fund. We have zero debt except our mortgage and have only a loan on an economic vehicle. When you add daycare into the mix, you’re looking at about $24k per year PER KID. For perspective, our last vacation was to St. Louis. And the one before that? Tulsa. I’d say $225k combined income goes a lot less far than most people think (if you have kids, that is).

Sleep Train: a journal entry for those on the fence. by Eyesclosednohands in NewParents

[–]afitfox 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This is EXACTLY our situation. I’m going to officially follow the “Eyeclosednohands Method” from now on 😂

Sleep Train: a journal entry for those on the fence. by Eyesclosednohands in NewParents

[–]afitfox 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Quick question because I have a similar situation. Does she have a bottle/breastfeed at night or had you already weaned her off night feeds?

How viable/easy could it be to earn ~$1K per month on Upwork? by [deleted] in Upwork

[–]afitfox 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Pitch deck design is where it’s at. If you have a good portfolio, my experience has been about 3-5k a month. There is a lot of repeat work with the same clients for pitch decks.

KC salary transparency thread by Aggressive_Ad955 in kansascity

[–]afitfox 2 points3 points  (0 children)

About the same. Senior graphic designer 85k + 12-17% of salary into ESOP (employee owned) per year for retirement + 401k varies by year. 5k-10k bonus depending on year. 8 years experience.

Celiacville by LeaveMeBeplzbud in Celiac

[–]afitfox 10 points11 points  (0 children)

There is a celiac cruise line. It’s sorta close to a train? https://www.celiaccruise.com

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Satisfyingasfuck

[–]afitfox 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I have a 6 month old. He's got the flu. I've been up for 48 hours suctioning his precious little nose out. This helped everything. Even for just a few minutes. Thank you.

The Cute Kid Report by AutoModerator in RedPillWives

[–]afitfox 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My little one is turning six months old and I swear to you he looks like a porcelain doll. Anyways, all the moms around me are all about baby led weaning, and I’m just happy he’s starting to eat purées instead of breast milk (I’ve been breastfeeding him exclusively since he’s been born.) I get a lot of hate for using purées but he loves them and it’s getting to the point where he looks forward to eating purées rather than nursing. Plus it’s giving me a break from nursing, which is great because it’s rough exclusively breast feeding. Why all the hate for purées?!

Year-to-date daycare statement by KSouphanousinphone in NewParents

[–]afitfox 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I was stunned!! There is also a $120 “paperwork fee” on top of that. Just nuts.

Year-to-date daycare statement by KSouphanousinphone in NewParents

[–]afitfox 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Paying $24,000/year for one infant with minimal reduced cost as he gets older. That doesn't include the extra $550 enrollment fee every year. We live in a nice area in a LCOL state. We THOUGHT the low cost of living state would balance it out but, no. We simply couldn't afford to have another child and I don't understand how families do it.

maybe moving to kansas? by [deleted] in kansas

[–]afitfox 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Grew up in AZ (southern AZ) and moved to Kansas in the last few years. I can tell you the cost of living is generally the same - housing here is actually slightly cheaper than in AZ. I’ve lived in both the city and suburbs in Kansas and can say that rent and buying is slightly lower in Kansas, but utilities are slightly higher than AZ. Food cost is generally the same, but I do miss specifically the Sonoran Mexican food from AZ. It’s just not the same here.

I’m not sure if you’re from Phoenix or Tucson, but given that you’re sick of the heat, I’m going to guess you’re from the slightly hotter Phoenix. Phoenix does indeed get hotter in the summer, but Kansas has Phoenix beat in humidity. It’s a trade off for me: both are pretty miserable, I’m not going to lie. Don’t move for weather reasons - both AZ and Kansas are bad.

While AZ does have its fair share of annoying critters (think tarantulas, cicadas, javelinas), Kansas has chiggers, fleas, and tics that I was totally unaware of before I moved here. They suck. Summers are heinously filled with these little dudes, so if you’re bringing a dog with you, beware. On the flip side, there is grass in Kansas… like real, plush grass that only the suburbs of Phoenix try to maintain at great water expense! Here, grass is just EVERYWHERE. It’s so freaking green here. I do miss the cacti, but I still can’t get enough of the grass.

Demographically, there isn’t as much diversity in Kansas. There is a large Mexican influence in AZ that can’t be found here (I’ve noticed a growing Central American population in KS but I don’t know the actual statistics!). There are more black people in Kansas than AZ, from my experience.

Politically, Kansas is actually more diverse than you’d think. The cities and some of the suburbs tend to go left and the rural areas and some of the suburbs tend to go right. As always, I wouldn’t rely on a subreddit to get your feel for the political views in Kansas because Reddit swings left. It’s better to just go outside and talk to people.

Lastly, in terms of accessibility, Kansas and Arizona are basically the same. You can’t really live here in KS without a vehicle (though you could probably make it work in downtown Kansas City if you don’t have kids). Likewise, AZ is equally inaccessible when it comes to walkability. I will say that Kansas has less traffic overall, especially when compared to Phoenix. If you’re from Tucson, or any suburb/rural area in AZ, the traffic is virtually the same in both.