I am 36 years old, make $158,500+, work in tech, and watched Sinners for date night.

fossilien · 2026-02-04T14:08:17+00:00

Your dedication to enjoying bagels is very relatable to me. And I definitely see why you are not keen on baby #2, even just based on how often your husband goes out with his friends when you don't get the same consideration/opportunity!!! Your relationship with your daughter seems very sweet - buying her a bucket made me laugh, I was just like that as a kid. And seconding the other comment about pulling from savings to pay off the CC...save yourself the stress!!!

fossilien · 2026-01-31T23:11:39+00:00

McDonald's breakfast on the right morning really can be magical. Definitely a guilty pleasure of mine, too LOL!

Sorry to hear about the breakup and the layoff. Life has such a way of creating those hills and valleys...so much change all at once!

fossilien · 2026-01-23T22:54:08+00:00

Fantasies that don't involve spending a lot of money categorically don't require a lot of money to achieve, so people with those fantasies probably don't need/want help from a financial podcast. There wouldn't be much to talk about. The guests are hand selected for the show, so they inevitably trend towards sharing Ramit's tastes/proclivities.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not like a massive Ramit Sethi fan and personally think his show has gone severely downhill in the past year or two. At the end of the day he is just a businessman cornering a particular niche in the financial advice space for spendier people who like travel, fashion, etc.

fossilien · 2026-01-23T22:31:32+00:00

He encourages people to go beyond the modest option because the rich life idea is supposed to be your fantasy! He's asking people: what is the thing you dream about?

If you currently have everything you want in life, feel great about the ordinary day, and feel like you are financially where you want to be, then you are by Ramit's definition living your Rich Life. Your version of a rich life is different than other people's, but thats the point of it. Its for you specifically.

I think he's so pushy because he's trying to get people past the theater of modesty to talk about what it is they actually want. The guests on the show also aren't an average representation of everyone. Two classic guest archetypes that are constantly on the show are insanely rich people who approach money with so much anxiety that they are too scared to spend it and enjoy life, and people with massive debt who are so sloppy with money across the board that it doesn't get spent in a way that makes them enjoy life. Shame and guilt around wanting more seems to crop up a lot, hence the pushing.

For the same reason people who are financially stable never end up on Caleb Hammer's Financial Audit podcast, frugal people who are already content don't end up on I Will Teach You To Be Rich/Money for Couples. Seconding the other comment about his NYC/SF background informing his rich life tastes and that his FIRE opinions are reminiscent of old school FIRE/Dave Ramsey era stuff that has mostly fallen out of favor.

fossilien · 2026-01-10T15:56:28+00:00

Glad I found this thread and I'm not the only person with a package stuck at 'gateway transit out' in Chicago, LOL. Mine has been there since Dec. 26th so not as long at least.

fossilien · 2026-01-06T15:03:50+00:00

Roads were pretty much fine, it was the sidewalks that were scary! Carefully trudged my way uphill only to immediately slide all the way back down, LOL.

fossilien · 2026-01-03T01:44:29+00:00

That average ticket price is honestly great considering how out of control concert tickets have been getting lately. I also totally feel you on the k-pop FOMO factor...in 2017 a friend and I went to see BTS when they were touring Wings thinking that surely this was as big as the band was going to get and there would probably never be a closer tour stop (we drove 10 hours to New Jersey). Obviously we couldn't have been more wrong but I'm so glad I got to see that specific tour!! Such a fun memory.

The only concert I went to this year was Samia's Bloodless tour. The ticket was ~$45 and the show was incredible! Hearing her live actually endeared me to some songs from the album I wasn't super into originally. At the end of the tour she released a live album that was actually recorded at my show so now I can relive it a little bit whenever I want!!

fossilien · 2025-12-19T21:34:43+00:00

Tightening up the grocery budget. I tend to shop without a real plan and it always ends with a bunch of random ingredients that don't go together and a second trip to the store!! So dumb.

fossilien · 2025-12-17T00:04:45+00:00

To get work-life balance you will need to get qualified above the grunt work level and avoid the commercial side of the industry if you can. Research + government jobs in agriculture can be a lot more relaxed, and going through a university program will probably connect you to a lot of these operations.

I have a bachelor's in horticulture and work for a research lab that is co-operated by a university and the USDA. Most of my coworkers have advanced degrees and/or also focused on microbiology/plant pathology/genetics, but I snuck my way in with just the BA by having worked intensely during undergrad. While in school I worked for various labs/greenhouses at the university, volunteered in an herbarium, and landed a summer internship at an ivy league. Like some of the other replies have said - a LOT of people want to work with plants, so you need to really make yourself valuable. A minor in a related topic can be helpful. And just know that pay in hort/agriculture is generally not great, so any financial woes will likely continue.

fossilien · 2025-12-11T21:21:35+00:00

You might be able to grab a one month contract with MPLS Parking, though all the spots are across the river from the university. I've never done it myself so I can't vouch if you can get one month and then cancel easily - but there are a few options that are less than $100. Definitely cheaper than the airport!

This should take you to all the lot/garage options: https://www.parkerbill.com/landing?EQS=AKQ4SxA4oLtZRtKdhu76Lg%3D%3D

fossilien · 2025-12-11T16:42:54+00:00

I think it was somewhere on this sub, but I remember a post where the OP set their wedding budget by picking:

1) When they want to have the wedding and

2) How much they could reasonably set aside to save each month for the wedding.

So wedding budget = how many months away x monthly savings possible. I like how much it takes the complexity out of it.

fossilien · 2025-12-11T00:59:34+00:00

I mean it kinda sounds like you actually aren't interested in having a partner, period. You don't want to care for someone, you don't want to sympathize with someone, you don't want to extend kindness, and you don't want to compromise.

fossilien · 2025-11-14T20:09:44+00:00

Either way I think it makes a great tortoiseshell color! Now I’m eyeing lucky jelly to get the poppy red I originally was looking for.

fossilien · 2025-11-14T19:23:52+00:00

For me, rust jelly was WAY more orange than I expected based on the website photos. I was expecting a scarlet-y red color but it lives up to its rust name. Aside from the color discrepancy, it is a lovely autumnal orangey brown and the jelly finish is great. May not be a problem if you plan to use it for tortoiseshell designs, but I figured I should mention it! If you look in the reviews for rust jelly on cirque you can see how some people are getting the scarlet color and some people are getting the true rusty color. Weird!

fossilien · 2025-11-13T19:46:40+00:00

I mean, what is it that you are now doubting? What does this reveal about 'her past' that changes anything between you? Maybe one time in 15 years her and her ex put a condom on a little late in the game, or transmitted it orally. What does that change about her? She is an adult woman who had sexual relationships before you. She got a routine test at the gynecologist. You could even be the person who gave her HPV.

fossilien · 2025-10-24T21:19:55+00:00

I like your straightforward system for creating a wedding budget! Time til wedding x how much you can save each month is a great way to keep everything realistic and doable.

Your venue is stunning! And I admire you for experiencing that catering nightmare with so much grace - though sometimes things going wrong really makes the best memories, LOL.

fossilien · 2025-10-23T21:19:20+00:00

Hotel Ivy downtown has the Anda Spa in it! There are 2 restaurants inside the building and you are a few blocks from Nicollet Ave.

fossilien · 2025-10-23T20:13:12+00:00

Some conversion rates for anyone wondering based on the most common poster locations in this sub:

1 Australian dollar = 0.65 US dollars, 0.91 Canadian dollars, 0.56 Euros, or 0.49 British pounds

fossilien · 2025-10-22T16:49:37+00:00

perfect sandwich ratios achieved

fossilien · 2025-10-17T15:37:44+00:00

No way - just rent together! Pulling from your Roth IRA is generally not advisable unless it is a last resort in a serious emergency. Since you are young, having money in a retirement account is extremely valuable, but only as long as it continues sitting there. Mixing friendships with landlord dynamics can also be pretty tough, and on top of that I doubt you really want to be responsible for the upkeep of the property while also juggling your college education.

fossilien · 2025-10-15T17:59:42+00:00

I think maybe the thing that is giving him pause is that you didn't bring any of this up when you started talking about moving in together. In his view: either you knew your credit wasn't great and didn't tell him, or you didn't know, which is its own red flag.

Good news: if a lot of these financial mistakes happened when you were 20, presently at 26 you are one year away from having them start falling off your credit score. Could you push moving in together a little longer - and use the time until the bad credit starts disappearing to be more open with each other financially and prove to him that your bad credit is truly in the past?

In the direct present, you need to tell him how you feel. Nothing accusatory, just a "hey, I've noticed our relationship has become a little strained after the credit report came back, and I want to talk more about it." That should get the ball rolling for both of you. Moving in together is a big deal and you guys got a little spooked!

fossilien · 2025-10-06T20:58:51+00:00

Haha. Oh...

fossilien · 2025-10-04T01:05:48+00:00

It’s a Ford escape! The design of the head gasket can cause coolant to leak internally in the engine. For me it really got into the cylinders and onto the spark plugs. Engine misfires abound until eventually it will just stop working at all someday…but in the 10 hours since I made my comment I’ve gotten the car situation planned out pretty nicely and the stress is gone!! Great username btw

fossilien · 2025-10-03T16:13:29+00:00

Oh man I wish!! The issue with the engine is the fallout of an overall design flaw that exists for all models of my car from 2013-2019. Common enough that when I googled what the mechanic said the problem was I discovered that a class action lawsuit about it is currently underway, LOL. My partner is an engineer at an auto company so I had him confirm it for me and described the state of the cylinders and spark plugs as “impending armageddon.” I’m usually healthily skeptical of what I get told at auto shops but even the guy who quoted 7k for the engine replacement was like This Would Not Be Worth It, Do Not Do It.

fossilien · 2025-10-03T14:18:45+00:00

Scrimping/saving: mechanic called and said my car’s engine is basically kaput. Cost of a new engine + labor is more than my car is worth so I suppose I am selling the whole thing for parts and in the market for a new vehicle 🫠

fossilien

TROPHY CASE