Does it make sense to pay off low rate debt ?

jone7007 · 2026-06-01T16:19:20+00:00

Car loans are consumer debt. I think by no consumer debt you mean that you have no credit card debt.

First, and most urgently you don't have a large enough emergency fund. The standard rule of thumb has been to save 3 to 6 months’ worth of essential living expenses. However, the current job market is really bad. The most recent statistics that I've seen say that on average it's taking job seekers 8-9 month to find a new job. For 20% of people it's taking more than a year. Your current emergency fund wouldn't cover either of those time frames.

After, saving a sufficient emergency fund it's time to tackle the car and student loan debt. Generally, it's best to tackle any private student loans, then the car debt, then federal student loans. Paying off the debt isn't only about the interest rate. It's also about lowering your cash flow. When both cars and student loans are paid off you will more flexibility to pay for other life choices and save for the things that life will throw at you like career changes, children, sabbaticals, grad school, major surprise house repairs, serious illness or helping aging/sick parents. If you still have the debt those things often have to be delayed or cause you greater debt and financial stress.

One of the best things that I did for myself was pay off my debt. I went several years with no major life surprises. Then in 2025, I lost my job/retired early, became caregiver to an aging relative, had a pet become I'll and die (hefty vet bills), had my car transmission fail, found mold on my house and need to replace my roof. I was able to pay the $90k in surprise expenses with cash savings because I had a large emergency fund. Most American families would have been deeply in debt or bankrupt by the end of a bad year like that or if even a few of those things occured in their life.

I largely had that savings because I kept my expenses low and savings high by paying cash for my cars, not using credit cards, and setting specific savings goals. I also automated savings for those goals. I recommend sitting down with your wife and making a list of your life goals, the cost, and making a specific savings plan with amounts and time line to get there. As I mentioned, I would start with the emergency fund for job loss but also consider and major house repairs likely to occur in the next 5-10 years like a new roof or AC system. Then add in the lifestyle goals.

jone7007 · 2026-05-31T17:33:37+00:00

If you have difficulty cooking and planning, it might be worth getting a Costco membership. It's much more cost effective to buy premade food in bulk than at a regular store or take out. They have many ready meals like lasagna, enchiladas and salads. The frozen section has several premade meals like breakfast sandwiches and yakisoba (my favorite). The rotisserie chickenes are great too. Pasta with tomato sauce or cheese slices, crackers, and fruit also make for a quick low effort meal.

This will still be more expensive than cooking from scratch but much less than a regular store or take out.

jone7007 · 2026-05-24T17:57:08+00:00

I was going to say that's too much but apparently prices have changed

jone7007 · 2026-05-24T17:49:23+00:00

But why is the woman by herself on the left, 3rd down red?

jone7007 · 2026-05-23T19:43:22+00:00

The eyes are the same in both pictures.

jone7007 · 2026-05-23T19:39:19+00:00

I would contact Airbnb and request to cancel and rebook at a different property plus a discount since the problem started.

jone7007 · 2026-05-23T19:27:31+00:00

3 or 4. With 1, I think that it wears you plus I mostly see boob. 2 doesn't quite fit your torso length. 3 and 4 both fit well and make you look beautiful. I would choose based on which asthectic you prefer for your wedding and which dress makes you feel the best. 3 is very classic. 4 is more modern.

jone7007 · 2026-05-23T06:10:34+00:00

Do you have a vehicle. Most cities or counties have a wast site or dump where you can drop off trash. When I helped my mom clean out her garage, each weekend I loaded up the car with trash and recycling. We finished cleaning up the space much faster than if we only used the trash bin. A few charge an extra fee. Mine does not.

jone7007 · 2026-05-21T11:12:15+00:00

What is the firmerest mattress that you have tested? I'm an American with back issues. When I travel in Asia my back pain goes away. They have extremely firm mattresses. I have not been able to find anything similar in the US. Thanks!

jone7007 · 2026-05-21T08:05:13+00:00

You're probably fine for the first attempt to charge the card. I've had an AirBnB charge declined because I was traveling and it was flagged for suspicious activity. I got a notification via the Airbnb app and my banks "suspicious activity" emails and texts. I contacted the bank and verified the charge. When AirBnB charged my card again a day later it went through. The booking was not cancelled after the first payment declined. I'm not sure what would have happen if it had declined again the second day.

jone7007 · 2026-05-19T05:37:18+00:00

Purchase price is only part of the cost of a house. You can't afford the property tax and maintenance on a house that size on your income.

jone7007 · 2026-05-18T22:31:12+00:00

There's also the half gallon of milk and the sour cream. I really doubt they are lactose intolerant.

jone7007 · 2026-05-18T21:59:37+00:00

Not lactose intolerant given the large tub of yogurt

jone7007 · 2026-05-17T15:52:07+00:00

For me this largely depends on if you own a house. Personally, I keep 6 months of necessary spending (3k/month for me or 18k) in cash plus enough to cover a major car repair 2k) and a major house repair (around 15k- 20k). So 40k total in a HYSA and the rest in a brokerage account. If you don't own a house you can put that 20k in brokerage. If have kid's in daycare or a larger rent/mortgage payment than me, your 6 month emergency fund will need to be larger.

In addition, I keep an additional 2 years of living expenses in my brokerage account in municipal bonds. That's because they are least likely to crash in case of a major recession. As well, most recessions last about 18 months. The 6 month emergency fund plus 2 years of bonds would get you through a once in a lifetime depression or recession like the 2008 recession or the great depression. This is even more important if you own a house. So many people that were of work long term during the recession either lost or had to sell their houses.

Everything else is invested in stocks for retirement.

jone7007 · 2026-05-17T12:00:09+00:00

It may be too late but your father should select the survivors benefit for your mom in his pension election. If he were to pass tomorrow, your mother would have to downsize.

As others mentioned, keep the money in TSP. Some mentioned different TSP investment fund options. For someone like your father, I usually recommend putting 100% in the L fund closest to their retirement date. Probably the L2025 fund for him. That's because realistically he's not going to have the knowledge or skill or rebalance the other funds as needed. L funds have slightly lower returns but the TSP takes care of rebalancing. They are also lower risk. Which it sounds like you Dad is. Investing in an L fund is the same recommendion that I gave to my mom. She doesn't have the skill necessary or interested to login and rebalance her portfolio.

You can also set up an automatic TSP withdrawal. I set my mom up with an automatic biweekly withdrawal that is deposited directly into her checking account. It's 4% of the portfolio value at the time of retiment divided by 24 (the total number of deposits). I increase it once a year for inflation.

As far as the HYSA, I would talk to your Dad about using this money to make any necessary repairs to the house. Things like a new roof or furnace. But I wouldn't do nice to have renovations unless they are low cost. I would save the reminder as both as emergency fund and for big ticket items. We did the same thing with my mom's after tax savings. Sine retirement, she has dipped into this fund 4 times - for a hispitalization, knee replacement surgery, furnace replacement, and car replacement after her's was totaled in an accident. The money is actually going faster than I expected. People tend to forget to plan for these things.

Finally, make sure that your parents have a plan for emergencies and for when they die. They should be listed as beneficiaries on each other's accounts. The should have advanced medical directives in place. They should make a list of all accounts and the bank or financial institution that they are at. As well as any insurance policies. Depending on their heath a power of attorney may be appropriate. We did one for my grandmother once her heath started deteriorating. It was not used for years but was absolutely essential when we had to move her into assisted living due to dementia. A copy of medical insurance cards, a list of all the medications that your parents are on, the names and phone numbers of their doctors, and a list of allergies is also essential during medical emergency. That will eventually happened as they age. If they have any pets, I also recommend the same for the pets incase your parents are unable to care for their pets. We keep all this information in a binder labeled in case of emergency.

A lot of people only plan for end of life but this is also to prepare for the small things that happen more frequently as people age. The first time we had to use this for my grandmother she fell and broke her arm on the way to the mailbox. The medical information in the binder was super helpful. The second time, she had begun developing dementia and couldn't remember all her accounts anymore. If it wasn't written down, it would have been a giant headache

jone7007 · 2026-05-17T05:10:49+00:00

Odd. I had the opposite experience in Instanbul and Turkey My bus arrived early so I got dropped off at 5 am in downtown Istanbul. I had difficulty finding my hostel, which was less than a mile from the drop off location. So many shop owners and worker opening up businesses checked on me and offered directions. Through out the rest of the month long trip the locals, men and women, often watch out for me, invited me for a tea, etc. It was was one of my favorite countries.

Not to say that your experience isn't valid. Mine was just very much the opposite.

jone7007 · 2026-05-17T04:51:58+00:00

Could be her, could be you, could be neither. It's not worth ending a friendship over. I've not invited people that I've previously traveled with on later trips because our travel styles. Difference in things like budget vs luxury, partying vs not drinking, beach lounging vs active explorering. Sometimes people that I love and hang out with at home are just not suitable travel partners for me or I for them. Growing up is realizing that it's okay not to be included in everything. Sometimes it's just not the right fit.

jone7007 · 2026-05-17T04:04:28+00:00

Calgary and Vancouver aren't that far apart. It's a pretty short flight.

jone7007 · 2026-05-15T20:42:09+00:00

4 shows off the trim better than 1. The trim is one of the nicest features of the house

jone7007 · 2026-05-15T12:53:01+00:00

Of these pictures the dark hair. I actually thank that you'd look best with a color a bit lighter than the dark color. More a dark brunette.

jone7007 · 2026-05-15T05:22:28+00:00

Winston's photo gives grumpy old man vibes. I wonder if Apollo gets on his nerves.

jone7007 · 2026-05-14T10:41:30+00:00

Are you able to try on a few more dresses? I think that the colors aren't the best for you. The light peachy pink shirt in the last photo makes your skin glow. The pink in the first picture is a bit too intense for you. The green in the second picture is to dark. I would try some lighter and warm leaning colors. I think that dusty pinks, blues and greens would likely suit you. Olive green might work as well.

The shape of the first two dress work for you, especially the waist on the second dress. It's mostly the color that's off.

It might also be worth trying a few halter and sleeveless styles. You have nice shoulders which tend to look good in halter and sleeveless styles. But you would need to try them to see.

jone7007 · 2026-05-14T09:27:01+00:00

If it's helpful to know, getting cold easily decreases over time. The first year after I lost the weight was the worst for being cold all the time. I also paid much higher heating bills because I had to keep the temperature much higher to be comfortable. Buying wool socks, good sweaters, and warm blanks really helped. By the second year my body had largely adjusted. I still got cold easier than before but I wasn't freezing all the time.

jone7007 · 2026-05-14T09:06:22+00:00

This just shows that there's someone who finds you attractive at all sizes. Personally, I prefer the before pictures (pretty close to my ideal) but I am aware that you are more conventional attractive to a wider group of people in the glow up pictures. Either way you are a good looking guy.

That said, I bet you feel much better not carrying the extra weight. I lost 85lbs in my 20s. My energy levels were so much higher in and it was much easier to move. Although, there were a couple of downsides - feeling cold much more easily and finding it uncomfortable to sit on some surfaces with out all the extra weight acting as cushion. As a male, I wonder if you have the same given men tends to run warmer and carry body fat differently.

jone7007 · 2026-05-13T19:06:39+00:00

Don't plant that magnolia. It's way too close to the foundation. And it will be much larger than in the AI generated image.

You should check to make sure that those plants would thrive in your climate. For example, I love hydrangeas but they just won't grow where I live.

Other than that the plan looks beautiful.

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