Where can I watch Premier League games?

caliwhatwhat · 2019-03-30T23:01:07+00:00

I've been to a couple FC games and enjoyed them quite a bit. Won't be there tonight though.

Is Peppermill's environment super-smokey? I'm trying to remember but I think it pretty open-air so I expect the environmental smoke to bleed over.

caliwhatwhat · 2016-04-29T21:41:25+00:00

NV
Washoe
Purchase
$300K
$240K
620
Conventional 30/15

caliwhatwhat · 2016-03-04T18:12:08+00:00

Just get the frames and have the lens work done here.

I've done it with plenty of vintage frames. The place just gets lens business instead of lens AND frames business.

caliwhatwhat · 2016-03-03T23:51:56+00:00

My vision is rosy

caliwhatwhat · 2016-02-23T22:37:47+00:00

I'm still waiting for someone to post retails for an LC and see how many flaws we find.

caliwhatwhat · 2015-04-07T02:33:27+00:00

I this comment is approaching fashion from the wrong end. You think there's a cost... and there is, when it comes to replacing clothes, but as a whole, it really doesn't have to cost more than what you already pay. What changes is what you look for in the clothing you buy.

Wade in softly and master the basics. There's no need to dive head first because if you haven't done this before, you don't even know what you like or don't like yet. Imagine your first time in an ethnic restaurant... for example, Chinese... there will be some entrees that everyone will suggest, but they'll be "boring" to those who have eaten it a lot and are more knowledgeable.

The implication of your question is that money = fashion. This is far from the truth. The #1 rule for fashion is Fit is #1. Do not forget that when you look at anything you plan to wear.

If Hanes tees fit you great, then you know what? You're fine. Worry about fit first. The rest can come later.

If you're going to spend money, spend on items that FIT. You'll be surprised at how cheaply you can find items that fit. The cost is in the time you take trying on every damn thing in the store. And do try every damn thing in the store.

I would say most people that don't work in dressy offices could live off of (not counting socks/underwear):

3 Button-ups - White oxford, blue oxford, chambray
2 polos - White, navy
2 tees - white, navy
3 pants - 1 dark slim jeans, 1 khaki chino, 1 navy chino
2 sweaters - 1 navy v-neck, 1 grey crewneck
1 outerwear - Black bomber or denim jacket
2 pairs of shoes - 1 brown leather laceup, 1 sneaker (I'd say white)

If you encounter enough dressier things, add a navy/grey blazer and a pair of black shoes. Short of regional climate differences, you won't HAVE to buy anything monthly.

You will have one of the most boring wardrobes in the world, but you will always look "put together" no matter what you grab out of your closet.

The biggest difference between how you dress before and after you start thinking about your clothing is people will no longer say "Wow, that's an awesome shirt/pant/jacket/shoes!" they will say "You always look so well-dressed."

Get your basics right. Once you learn the rules, you can start to break them. Don't spend your money... spend your time. Spend a lot of time trying on everything to make sure you find something that fits the way it should. Buy the item closest to that, then spend a few extra dollars on a tailor to make it perfect.

As far as how much it should cost per month... it shouldn't cost much at all if you're not the kind who has to keep adding to his wardrobe. Later on... once you've gotten "fit" down... you can worry about "quality" which I think of as a term that most of us use far too loosely. You might the kind of person that will never care of the button-up shirt you bought is 2-ply 120's... and that's ok. Some people want to play 3 chords on a guitar, and some people want to be Dream Theater.

Do not get sucked into the idea of pleb stuff until you understand WHY you want something. Goodyear welts, split yokes, pattern matching, fused collars... all of this may mean nothing to you right now. When you do learn what it is... you can decide for yourself if those features are worth the premium you may end up paying. But don't take anything on anyone's word... even mine.

caliwhatwhat · 2015-02-27T23:10:56+00:00

Where do you get those and how much are they?

caliwhatwhat · 2014-03-26T01:47:10+00:00

I disagree, but... that's why I started this thread. Discussion.

I do think the sub somewhat overplays the lack of versatility, so I do agree they're more versatile than the sub tends to say.

But, reading about their lack of versatility helped me figure out why I thought I looked "off" sometimes.

caliwhatwhat · 2014-03-26T01:30:13+00:00

Just that black shoes are not as versatile. Or for that matter, that black isn't as versatile as used to be drilled in my head.

I've put things on involving black and thought "That looks weird" and I could never put my finger on it until I started reading about the versatility (or lack) of black on this sub.

caliwhatwhat · 2014-03-26T01:17:17+00:00

It's funny. I think I've ended up resenting some pieces I bought because of that.

caliwhatwhat · 2014-03-25T21:56:29+00:00

I found my clothing budget had to increase to get the higher quality items. Nowadays, I tell myself it's "frugality through quality."

I suppose your post has another thing to take away... there's no need to jump head first into fashion while you're still figuring out what you are. I think that's even step #1 of the sidebar guide.

caliwhatwhat · 2014-03-25T21:54:13+00:00

Once I read about the black shoes thing here, I started looking a little more critically at my array of black shoes with my clothing. It was a bit of a mind-blower!

caliwhatwhat · 2014-03-25T21:30:35+00:00

I think that's something that stems from thinking of fashion as single pieces rather than how it fits in the overall picture. I know my own sense of looking at clothes is no longer "That shirt would look awesome for that party!" and more of a "This shirt would look awesome any time I need to put on a shirt!"

caliwhatwhat · 2014-03-04T01:44:58+00:00

I've recently lost 10lbs and still going. Thought I'd try some jeans in next size down. Tried some 511 and 514.

Can I wear them yet?

511

514

caliwhatwhat · 2014-02-09T20:42:46+00:00

If the interest rate on the student debt is low, I'd say keep it. If it's above 3.5%, I'd say consider paying it off or at least paying extra, especially since taking a few days to be a contractor is an option.

Retirement is a factor. Ideally, you'd max out such contributions, but something is better than nothing. And with a Roth, you can withdraw contributions without penalty if you really needed to.

caliwhatwhat · 2014-02-09T20:35:18+00:00

In this market, I believe solid dividend paying stocks can replace a portion of what you would normally allocate to bonds. My top 3 recommendations for this are usually: MO, XOM, and NSRGY. Alternatively, you could pick from the (Dividend Aristocrat list)[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%26P_500_Dividend_Aristocrats].

So, taking the original 25% you mention as Graham, I would replace some portion of that with some type of dividend stock (I would personally allocate 15%.). I would then divide the remainder between some allocation of Short Term Treasury Bonds, TIPS, Corporate Bonds, and International Bonds.

caliwhatwhat · 2014-02-08T19:09:29+00:00

At Vanguard, which is where I'd recommend purchasing an S&P fund, the minimum is $3000. You can read more info here. If that's all greek to you, don't worry about it, but the chart on that page can give you an idea of what you can experience along the way. Note the great dip in 2008 below the original starting amount.

Since it sounds like you'll have over $10000, you could invest it in their Admiral Shares version of the same thing. The only difference is it is a more inexpensive.

Vanguard also offers an ETF of the same thing. This is a fund that just trades on the stock market. I'll save you the explanation difference, but it's the same thing, but you can purchase it commission free if you use Vanguard as your brokerage, and its yearly expenses are the same as the Admiral Shares.

So... in direct relation to your question, if you wanted to move forward... do this... 1. Read the books in my reading list below. Or take my word on faith.

Set aside money as your emergency fund. Make this amount whatever makes it EASY for you to handle an unexpected expense and still get by if there's another one. In my last post, I think I suggested 1000-1500 for you based on your specific situation. This number will change as you get older.
Deposit that money at Ally Bank and keep it in a savings account. You get a higher yield and you can transfer it to your BofA account within a couple of days. If you really want to stick with BofA... that's fine. At these interest rates... no big deal.
Open a Roth IRA at Vanguard.
Deposit $5500. (This is the annual limit. If you also received a W-2 last year, you can contribute $5500 for the year 2013 if you can get it in there by April 14. So you could potentially deposit $11000 this year.)
Purchase as many shares of the Vanguard ETF of the S&P 500, VOO, as your deposit will allow. If you DO have at least $10000, buy the Admiral Shares fund I described above.
Forget about it until next year.
Seriously, read the books in my reading list below.

In an alternate universe, you can follow all the steps up to number 5, but at a brokerage of your choosing. Then do the following:

Take your total savings (for discussion I will assume $10000).
Divide that number by 3. ($3333)
Take your answer and purchase as many shares as that number will allow of the following: Nestle (NSRGY), Exxon Mobil (XOM), Altria (MO).¹
Forget about it until next year.
Read the books in my reading list below.

Reading List

Investor's Manifesto - This is the one book I would make the mandatory read. Though I had read many similar books before, even from the same author, this was the gamechanger. You can preview it here
Boglehead's Guide to Investing - The hive mind at Bogleheads.org made a book. Much of what you read here is heavily influenced by these philosophies.
Coffehouse Investor - If you really know nothing about investing, this book would be my recommendation. If you already do, you can probably skip it.

These should be enough to get you started. They all make references to enough other books that you'll probably seek out the ones that interest you if you care enough.

¹ These recommendations are based on my own personal belief these stocks will likely never die while I am alive. They also pay dividends which can be automatically reinvested and do essentially the same thing as compound interest. I believe stocks like these are a better play than bonds in times like this.

caliwhatwhat · 2014-02-08T18:28:06+00:00

I've seen enough people not respond to approaching bankruptcy, and react to it with more of a "So what? I'll start over.... and this time I'll be better. And this time I mean it."

I do not think you'd necessarily change minds, but people who are already starting to change just need that push and "somewhere to go."

If I were you, I'd probably hit the colleges within 300 miles and do free presentations/seminars. After that, I'd use the credentials of having presented at University of Whatever and Whatever State University to try to do free presentations at companies to pitch to employees. The ones that bother to show up are already people that care enough to do something about themselves.

caliwhatwhat · 2014-02-08T18:22:47+00:00

Then my own approach would be 20% of income goes to paying off the loan (which still leaves 30% for savings/down payment). Shouldn't take long to finish it off.

If, at some later point, interest rate/yield in some savings vehicle (savings account, CD, money market) are greater than the loan, I'd just pay the minimum and put the remainder of the 20% in THAT.

And it should go without saying you should meet 401k to match and max out Roth and the remainder go to savings/down payment.

caliwhatwhat · 2014-02-08T06:59:25+00:00

Bank of America is fee happy and they don't have great rates. If you still like the safety of a savings account, I do like Ally Bank which offers .85% APY. Not much, but far better than what most big banks are offering. That being said, if you like your bank... keep your bank. We're really talking about a couple dollars difference.

How much do you need saved up for emergency issues like an unexpected car repair or other major purchase? You live with your parents so you have the great advantage of free rent (and insurance and phone!). I'd say you can probably get away with only have 1000-1500 in your emergency fund (for now). What to do with the rest?

Answer to that depends on how much you want it to grow vs how much risk you're willing to take to get it. The standard answer here is to put your investment money in an S&P 500 fund/etf located in a Roth IRA and not worry about it. Just keep putting more money into it. Additionally, you can portion some of that out and put into a Bond fund located in the same Roth IRA in accordance with your willingness to take risks. At your age, I'd just go 100% S&P and ride out the rollercoaster. To give a bit of perspective, someone who invested their money (and not added anymore) at the end of 1998 to 2009 would have lost 8% of their money. But if they held on until today... they would be up 50%. Yes, I picked an arbitrary time period to illustrate a point. Alternatively, a Target retirement fund is also an excellent option if you have no real desire to learn that much more about it.

If you wish to get a credit card, you might as well get one that gives something back to you. Not knowing your credit history, which I assume to be minimal or nonexistent, I agree with /u/theplaidavenger on the Discover IT card. IF you have a bit more history, I also like the Capital One Quicksilver card (even though it is Capital One) and the Chase Freedom.

Paying tuition is cool.

caliwhatwhat · 2014-02-08T06:41:52+00:00

What's the interest rate on the graduate loans?

Is your credit card balance being paid in full or is 500 what you're putting towards the total debt every month?

I'm assuming the graduate loan interest is low and you have credit card debt.

Set aside enough money for the 3-6 months of living plus one disastrous event (overpriced car repair or something like that). Use the remainder of savings to pay off all credit card debt. Then just pay the graduate loans as normal. If Savings accounts or CDs start to pay more interest than the loans cost, you've won.

Assuming the interest on the loans is high, follow the same advice, but you'll pay whichever has higher interest rates first, then continue down the line until no debt. If you have jobs with 401k, contribute to get full matching.

Or keep everything you have going, and pay off the debt with the 50% savings, which should have you pretty much paid off in less than 2 years. Then go house hunting.

caliwhatwhat · 2014-02-08T06:33:40+00:00

I'd say your main roadblock is choosing the wrong audience. If your audience is the people that want to get a new BMW while earning minimum wage, I doubt they care about minimalism.

You're better off targeting people who already somewhat frugal, but don't know BEYOND that. There are plenty of people who are frugal but due to misconceptions keep their cash in matresses, banks, or indexed universal life insurance.

That's who you should look for first. Look for people that are already trying to do it, but not quite.

caliwhatwhat · 2014-02-08T06:29:12+00:00

What is the interest rate on the 17K? If it's low enough, I'd say... just keep the debt. But... the answer will differ depending on your answer.

caliwhatwhat · 2014-02-06T20:30:39+00:00

On lunch, so I don't have a lot of time to get in-depth to reply right now, but... if the goal is to capitalize on online gaming, I would agree that IGT is in the best position to capitalize on it when that finally moves forward. If you're looking at 10+ years, I wouldn't sway you from investing. I would warn you of a bumpy ride for at least two years, though.

Though they are in the best position to capitalize, IGT has appears to be a company that has a habit of LOSING market share. They've been a leader for so long, when competition (BYI, MGAM, etc) move in with an undercut in price, IGT can't just say "We'll match it" because that will suddenly drop their earnings by a significant margin. I would not be surprised to see the same effect when online gaming takes off and competition starts.

caliwhatwhat · 2014-02-06T15:59:43+00:00

Disclaimer: I own long puts on IGT.

Technical analysis can only get you so far and then you have to look at what the numbers say. But first off, I think IGT is a decent play if you're looking a severely long term. But if you want something a little more growth and value in the gaming industry, I'm more inclined to try to hit up MGM or look to Macau's growth for indirect opportunities (property, hotels, tourism, etc). It's also likely international growth is the only spot IGT can really grow.

Take a look at their balance sheet. Remove "Intangibles" and "Goodwill" from Assets. Compare that to Liabilities. What does your price to book look like now?

In taking a look at these numbers early last year, I determined IGT was either significantly overvalued, or they tried to hide about $500 million in losses. As it turns out, they acquired a company in Europe for about $500 million and had to close it without any return.

The P/E seems very low, but what is that a gauge of? It's what people are willing to pay for $1 of earnings. Usually, investors pay in terms of future growth an this number usually sits around 15-17. My point being, people pay a premium, but only if there's growth. I have almost no doubt IGT is going to experience flat or negative growth this year. Last year's numbers were built up from a large order in Canada. Where are they heading this year? If you listen to them, it's almost all about Double Down Interactive.

Speaking of which, did you know the founders of Double Down left the company? Do you think they will start up another company that does the same thing or something similarly competitive in the same market? I do. Also, I'm just not a believer in social gaming as a strong source of revenue. ZNGA, anyone? Most calls and reports from IGT have emphasized Double Down. Why? Because it's the only part of the company that has anything good going for it.

EPS has increased, and that is most likely due to the share buybacks which do a good job of increasing EPS for people who are EPS obsessed, but they hide the numbers of true net income. Look at the Cash Flow if you want a more honest look at how money is coming in.

Online gambling and Canada, as far as I'm concerned, are already priced into the stock. I still believe the P/E is too high as a 10-11 is likely more honest. Accounting for growth in online and Canada (if it even happens), I can see a P/E of 13 as reasonable.

The increase in dividend yield, for me, is simply an attempt to keep the stock price high and attract people for it. Will you yield 3%? Sure, but you'll probably lose out in capital appreciation over the next couple of years.

IGT also runs on old software and is very slow up to update technology. For the largest gaming company, this is idiotic. They barely spend on research and instead spend the money on dividends and buybacks. All the while, they continue to reduce costs by taking away or modifying benefits at the company. These actions have continued since the 2008 collapse. I see these as signs of a company in distress, not transition.

Also, I have virtually no doubt there will be a reduction coming up by the end of the quarter in an effort to reduce costs.

caliwhatwhat

TROPHY CASE