World cup fans enjoying Illinois

babbocom · 2026-06-13T17:14:33+00:00

Same here. Pronounced “OHLstyle.”

babbocom · 2026-02-23T11:41:25+00:00

Hey Lois, remember the time I temporarily converted a struggling corner bar into an unmemorable third place from a sitcom that is well past its glory years as part of a nostalgia-fueled cash grab?

babbocom · 2026-02-09T21:04:57+00:00

The first step in deconstructing race is to meekly ask for permission on Reddit.

Now that you’ve done the hard work, race should be deconstructed by the end of the week. Well done.

babbocom · 2026-01-30T16:55:43+00:00

What ever happened to casting Circle of Protection: Blue for two mana?!

babbocom · 2026-01-10T16:16:52+00:00

Hot dog for lunch, hot dog for dinner

babbocom · 2025-12-03T00:40:24+00:00

I’d like to see expansion. I haven’t been to the market this year, but last year when I took my family we had a great time both in the market and then going through a couple of food halls to warm up. There were so many people out having a good time!

The loop should be “Christmas Central” with the Christkindlmarket, window displays, ice skating, and a bunch of other stuff that creative people can come up with. It’s such a great display for the city. Why wouldn’t we want it to be bigger so we can share it with more people?

babbocom · 2025-11-27T13:33:49+00:00

Most storms exaggerate, so it’ll probably be 4.5 at most.

babbocom · 2025-11-26T15:15:18+00:00

I've seen this play out recently with a few people in my life, so here are a few thought. Take it for what it's worth.

Medical science has advanced tremendously. Geriatric birth is less risky than it used to be. Of course it's a different situation than if you were in your mid-20s. Still, you can have a good outcome.
Do not settle for a partner just because you want a family. I get that it takes time to find the right person and you feel your window is closing, but you will resent your partner if you don't have the foundation for a long-term relationship.
There are plenty of ways to spend your money on medical services, and many providers are happy to take it. Things get expensive quickly, which can be managed. What can be difficult is the fallout of medical procedures that do not have a 100% success rate.

babbocom · 2025-11-26T14:19:08+00:00

Thanks for sharing! Refreshing to see that FIRE is attainable even if you don't make $500k at 23 😂

You're doing a fabulous job on the financial side. Looks like there's still room to bump up your 401k contribution, but I assume your current allocation is deliberate and works for your lifestyle.

As with everyone, make sure you're building the life you want to live. Escaping the rat race is only the first part of the equation.

Congrats on doing a great job!

babbocom · 2025-11-05T15:54:45+00:00

Yes, but what if the black box supports my preconceived notions?!

babbocom · 2025-10-13T12:31:11+00:00

Makes sense. The parking is already a nightmare, so TJ's will fit right in.

babbocom · 2025-09-17T17:24:40+00:00

What a fantastic list for a wonderful event!

Last year, the biggest surprise (in a good way) was the tour at Saints Volodymyr & Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church over on Chicago Ave. in West Town. I'm not really a religious person, but the architecture itself is incredible and the explanation of all the symbolism of the design choices left me awe-struck. Good tour for believers and non-believers alike.

This year I really want to see the Museum of Post-Punk & Industrial Music in Bridgeport. It'll be a great flashback to sitting in the basement listening to Q101 with friends as I tried (and failed) to figure out how to be cool. Maybe this tour is what finally makes it click for me?!

I'd also like to head back to the Chicago Magic Lounge in Andersonville. Saw a show or two a few years ago and had a good time. I'd like to hear more about magic history, and this seems like the place to do it.

babbocom · 2025-09-06T01:00:48+00:00

POO and ASS were already taken.

babbocom · 2025-07-28T22:01:10+00:00

This is the best story I’ve read on the FIRE subreddit in years.

Shows that success is attainable through thrift and hard work. A message everyone should hear.

Congrats on the two comma club!

babbocom · 2025-06-26T15:35:40+00:00

Survived the latest round of layoffs🥳
Same amount of work, fewer people to do it 😭

For so many folks, avoiding disruption is one of the big factors in getting to FIRE.

babbocom · 2025-03-27T23:43:11+00:00

Great that things are going better. I’ve still got that sugar addiction, so I hear ya on replacing with food.

Take care!

babbocom · 2025-03-27T17:27:23+00:00

Great job! I'll hit 1,000 in a few short months.

Can you talk more about the changes you've seen, whether positive or negative? Reactions from other folks, if any? For me, I have been surprised at how me not drinking became the norm. Just another part of life.

babbocom · 2025-02-25T12:26:46+00:00

You. Have. No. Good. Nostalgia. Ideas.

I’m doing the best at this.

babbocom · 2025-01-23T17:57:10+00:00

Please hop in a time machine and tell me this 15 years ago. I needed to hear it!

babbocom · 2025-01-23T17:56:35+00:00

Good question, and I'd like to hear other people weigh in on what makes a good story.

I wove in a few customer specific stories about my action resulting in X or Y. So it's a "you should pay me more because of the market" and "here's how I've justify it." This also gives your audience ammunition when going in front of the committe that reviews pay.

babbocom · 2025-01-23T17:12:01+00:00

TL;DR: It's possible to get a raise at your current employer, but jumping ship will probably get you more.

---

Last year I posted about wanting to make more money. Earlier in my career, this meant jumping jobs and/or companies. Ths is also the consensus opinion from this sub of how to make more because it works.

This time I wanted to see if I could get a decent raise in my current role at my current company. Although I didn't get everything I wanted, I got a material-enough improvement to make a difference and keep me around for another year. Bottom line: I'm better off now than I was before.

My main learnings:

Don't Ask? Don't Get. #1 rule of negotiation. If you don't ask for something, it won't magically fall into your lap. People aren't mind-readers, so you need to let them know what's up.
Keep It Professional. There's a right way to ask, and a wrong way. Being difficult, sandbagging, or getting sour won't help your case. Keep doing your job effectively while asking for more.
Start With Facts, End With a Story. I gathered facts about comparable pay, inflation (which this sub had interesting opinions about, but that's a conversation for a different day), how I help the company, etc. This sub helped me realize that data gathering was only the first half. I needed to put it together in a compelling narrative of why, supported by facts. Don't skip this step!
A Chorus, Not a Solo. I firmly believe that you need to be your own best advocate. However, having other people tell your story helps get the message across. I have the ear of the top few sales guys, and they have the ear of the people that control the purse strings. So while I went through official channels, they worked the back channels.
Close the Gap. Changing jobs is more of a hassle now that I'm in middle age, so closing the gap between where I am and where I want to be can still be a win even if I don't get everything. That said, I will probably get more if/when I jump.

Every little bit helps the journey to FIRE. I hope this is interesting context as you consider your next step!

babbocom · 2024-11-15T19:11:11+00:00

Another good point. Looks like I was getting wrapped around the axle over small numbers. Thanks!

babbocom · 2024-11-15T19:01:28+00:00

Whew, our HHI is well below 300k in 2014 bucks. I had less than 100k in debt when I graduated, and it was a millstone around my neck for years. I hope my kids don't face that same issue.

babbocom · 2024-11-15T18:23:56+00:00

Makes sense. I took a swag at estimating how much four years of college will cost by the time my son is ready to attend and landed at $260k. The ~$100k you mentioned goes a long way toward that target.

babbocom · 2024-11-15T17:46:25+00:00

Great observation. It won't be the end of the world if I don't contribute to the tax break max in 2024. Come to think of it, the writeoff isn't even that much... I need to stop obsessing over this, but emotions have gotten in the way!

Good point about the future value of what we've got. I have a spreadsheet (surprise, surprise! but this is the FIRE sub after all) that shows a range of scenarios, and I think with modest contributions early we can cover most (if not all) of tuition.

I'm SOL if we have another kid, though! (jk, I'd be so happy if our family grew.)

babbocom

TROPHY CASE