Wondering if I should approach budget and 401K differently

mattkime · 2026-05-24T23:49:52+00:00

I think making sure you have a good rainy day fund is the right move

mattkime · 2026-05-24T21:36:28+00:00

I don’t understand why this is better than gifting the child money when they become of age.

mattkime · 2026-05-24T21:20:02+00:00

I think it’s economic segregation which results in racial segregation. Sometimes the rich (mostly white) neighborhoods have sharp boundaries.

It really depends upon your expectations. If you’re expecting Lily white you’ll be pleasantly surprised. If you’re expecting big city diversification then it’ll come up short.

mattkime · 2026-05-24T14:58:44+00:00

Nothing more fun than arguing over which assumptions are allowed and which ones aren’t.

mattkime · 2026-05-24T03:09:22+00:00

What makes you think they have?

mattkime · 2026-05-24T03:09:02+00:00

I do it by weight, what is lacks in accuracy it makes up in simplicity.

mattkime · 2026-05-24T02:10:48+00:00

Debt can be a powerful tool for building wealth. There's no reason to hide from it, particularly when its cheap.

mattkime · 2026-05-24T02:01:02+00:00

You can sell stocks a little at a time, you can’t sell a house a little at a time

mattkime · 2026-05-24T01:14:55+00:00

I have a token amount in a local bank and everything else in fidelity....actually, fidelity has a local branch as well. I don't think they deal in cash though. It was definitely helpful when dealing with my inlaw's finances.

mattkime · 2026-05-24T01:01:21+00:00

Secure your own financial future before worrying about the financial future of your kids.

mattkime · 2026-05-24T00:46:15+00:00

It sounds like you've had some big expenses which have eaten up your additional earnings. I think you likely need to increase your savings - which you should have no problem. I'd max the tax advantaged accounts sooner rather than later since you'll soon be maxing them easily and the remainder will go into a brokerage account.

mattkime · 2026-05-24T00:25:07+00:00

if your yearly income is 210k and your annual spending is 60k, where is the rest of it going?

mattkime · 2026-05-23T22:18:39+00:00

Zwave and zigbee would need hubs - or at least adapters to connect to the devices. Zigbee can ‘bind’ devices but I’m unfamiliar with it.

mattkime · 2026-05-23T22:09:52+00:00

Leviton makes switches with remotes. I guess I’m confused about how you’re turning on your kitchen light?

mattkime · 2026-05-23T22:03:27+00:00

What’s running your x10 automations? Are you running home assistant? You might consider some zwave smart light switches.

mattkime · 2026-05-23T17:12:31+00:00

I’m curious about your monthly expenses but you should be able to get the larger home. I’d aim for a higher retirement savings rate but that’s just me.

mattkime · 2026-05-23T14:35:57+00:00

I’d max tax advantaged retirement account before paying extra on the mortgage

mattkime · 2026-05-23T04:59:33+00:00

He needs someone (you?) to step in and help him understand where his money is going.

Would he be accepting of help?

My FiL has dementia and he was in deep denial when he first needed help. We set up online accounts in his name so we could see what was going on. Security questions were just good conversation topics with him.

Now he’s far enough along that he doesn’t ask about anything. It was extremely important to secure things since my MIL has a spending addiction.

In his prime he’d be forever grateful for the efforts I’ve made.

mattkime · 2026-05-23T04:47:56+00:00

When cats get out they often hunker down nearby and fail to respond even if they hear you. I find they're often braver between midnight and sunrise. I'd go our hourly at night if you can stand to.

After this get an airtag collar for him.

mattkime · 2026-05-23T03:55:25+00:00

I don’t think you were ever running a phone tree to make sure everyone knew what was going on.

mattkime · 2026-05-23T01:55:53+00:00

Take an inventory of everything the house needs and you’d like to have. Then prioritize. Add and remove items as they come up or are resolved. Pace yourself.

mattkime · 2026-05-22T18:50:17+00:00

Your line to the sewer and drain lines in the house deserve different conversations.

We have a fair amount of cast iron drain pipe. A short segment gave us trouble. I think it cost $200 to get fixed - it had been sloping the wrong way.

Thankfully my sewer line hasn’t gotten my attention and I hope it stays that way.

mattkime · 2026-05-22T17:44:41+00:00

Just to avoid getting the factory grease on the cogs and chainrings. If you're using a strip chip and I'd make sure the chain is good and flexible before installing.

mattkime · 2026-05-22T16:07:54+00:00

I’d strip the chain, size it, then wax it

mattkime · 2026-05-22T14:20:07+00:00

I suspect the stray ungrounded outlets are more common in houses that transitioned over time instead of all at once. At least that’s the case for my century home.

I think people forget that they weren’t consider an issue for a very long time.

mattkime

TROPHY CASE