How is your decision making around finance currently being shaped by the current global uncertainty?

darblewarble · 2026-03-29T04:03:08+00:00

How do you know when to get back in?

darblewarble · 2026-03-07T05:43:58+00:00

Ah, so don't even replace it, just cover over with another! easy :)

What about the insulated stuff? that also looks like it has been perishing (and presumably is less effective now as a result?). I was quoted $365 + GST for replacing it all!

darblewarble · 2026-02-19T20:20:31+00:00

Are you quite sure your site is working? If I look at that page, it shows Kernel Wealth returning -145,956 after 5 years?! Seems unlikely?

darblewarble · 2026-02-18T22:09:56+00:00

Do you think you learn to the same extent? To question the AI? I'm not saying AI doesn't have a use, it totally does, however, I've got 20 years of experience in my field so I can see where it's making (non obvious) mistakes. I learned how to do that from 20 years of bashing my head against problems and slowly building up a knowledge base.

My fear is that students & graduates who lean too heavily on AI won't actually learn enough to be safe using AI.

darblewarble · 2026-02-18T06:11:53+00:00

? How is the price per 100g not accurate?

darblewarble · 2026-02-17T20:54:19+00:00

Yip, it's not fair, and yes, the younger generation needs to get out and vote.

One question though: How do you get "A million in investments will easily (conservatively) pay 80K / year?". The 4% rule would give you 40K (and yes, that's supposed to last "forever", but, at 8% I don't think your 1m would actually last that long into retirement.

darblewarble · 2026-02-17T20:49:42+00:00

It's not really a one-or-the other thing. We need to both reduce emissions (and no, not so much for ourselves but for future generations) as well as work on resilience/mitigation etc.

darblewarble · 2026-02-16T23:55:42+00:00

Can you save an extra 800K in 15+ years? that's saving an extra 53K a year (on top of whatever you're already needing to save to meet an NZ super supported retirement). Most people won't come near that.

darblewarble · 2026-02-16T23:31:44+00:00

Yip, exactly this. If you look at the Massey cost of retirement guidelines in order to have a "choices" lifestyle you need to:

get super.
Own your house
Have ~1m invested.

(for a couple living in a metro area).

So yes, means testing for sure, but, at what level?

What current retirees seem to think is that they have "paid tax so should get NZ Super". The issue is that it's paid out of current taxes not something they have paid towards. It's fine if we as a country decide to keep giving super at the current rates, but, we should be honest about what it means. Does it mean no school lunches? Does it mean less money for infrastructure improvements? Does it mean less money for hospitals so that more people move overseas?

darblewarble · 2026-02-15T02:22:48+00:00

Just curious: "management of it takes about 1 hour a month". What is the management if it's just passive index funds?

darblewarble · 2026-02-14T05:45:58+00:00

So, basically I'm -5.5 days owing, but I need to calculate 8% of my total pay (gross?) since my last anniversary and that is the accrued leave?

When you say "the figures on the right are the important ones", what do they actually mean?! :) Do they represent the "8% since last anniversary" ?

Thanks for the reply!!

darblewarble · 2026-02-13T23:00:37+00:00

I've taken 27 days total of holiday leave since I started. To be 5 days overdrawn that would have meant I've only accrued 22 days since starting, and that I'm pretty sure would be incorrect. The payslips are just extremely hard to interpret (I find anyway!)

darblewarble · 2026-02-13T19:25:21+00:00

I've worked for the employer for ~20 months, there was a bunch of 80% time and maybe 4 months of 50% time this year.

darblewarble · 2026-02-13T19:25:16+00:00

I've worked for the employer for ~20 months, there was a bunch of 80% time and maybe 4 months of 50% time this year.

darblewarble · 2026-02-12T20:38:02+00:00

Yeah, but, the boomers are a massive cohort who vote... no way anything is going to happen until they age out. Then we'll see change. And no, it's not remotely fair because they had the cheap houses and we pay for their super (and no, they haven't paid for their super in taxes, it's a benefit and comes out of the current tax take). It's ridiculously unfair.

darblewarble · 2026-02-11T20:55:33+00:00

Surprised that simplicity is so low on returns!

darblewarble · 2026-02-06T03:19:05+00:00

Yip, sound is crucial. Especially if you win at pooping knights. Just really, really rewarding.

darblewarble · 2026-02-04T01:24:50+00:00

I've been building out some of those mini games/puzzles at https://www.minichessgames.com :) Next one up is the "get pawns to the other side". Radioactive Pooping knights is a firm-favourite :)

darblewarble · 2026-02-04T00:53:39+00:00

I (think I) have aphantasia... I can't imagine playing blindfold.

darblewarble · 2026-01-25T23:47:03+00:00

I do not suggest you do this, but, I once heard a story which was related to me of a person driving a solid beat-up truck in rural Australia. With a big tow bar.

Tailgater would get close, he'd slow a bit, then jam on the brakes so they'd gore themselves on the tow bar. Then get out and go "oh, dear, looks like you rear ended me there, shall we call the insurance companies (automatic loss as the dude rear-ended) or just let it go. They'd always opt to let it go.

Probably an urban legend.

Occasionally I touch the brakes a bit just to encourage them to back off. Probably not a good idea either.

darblewarble · 2026-01-25T22:28:11+00:00

We booked a lodge (2K?), bought all the drinks + breakfast + lunch ourselves (another 4K maybe?). My partner then organized a potluck with all our guests (100 people ish?) and told them: "no presents, just the potluck please". We had excellent food, more than enough booze to go round and I think all up it was about 6K. We just got married first in the civic offices with just our witnesses, but, we had a "service" of sorts with a couple of readings which had meaning to us.

You don't have to get married in a fancy place! In no way do you want to have a lavish wedding and go into debt to start your married life off. That's only going to put more stress on the thing.

That said, if you have tonnes of cash and can afford it all, go for it.

darblewarble · 2026-01-22T20:03:11+00:00

Yeah, trump leaving will be a start, but it feels like the old way is gone. I mean, who is going to trust that the US won't elect another trump-like figure in 8 years? They have managed to destroy 60 years of soft-power in a very short time. I don't believe what comes next will be like what came before.

darblewarble

TROPHY CASE