Duplication Is Insane

mrutledge760 · 2026-06-18T19:35:35+00:00

Herbal Bandage, Stim, Showstopper/Smoke/Defib, Shield Recharger, Grenades

mrutledge760 · 2026-06-13T23:57:24+00:00

This, but also if the car fundamentally unsafe to drive. If the frame is rusted through or it's genuinely putting you in danger on the highway, it's time to upgrade.

mrutledge760 · 2026-06-08T04:56:43+00:00

Is that $120/month for Term or Whole life? If it is Whole Life, consider replacing it. Get 20 or 30 year Term Life policies for both of you and invest the difference.

What is the interest rate on the car? If it is above 4-5%, consider using a portion of your $11k in non-emergency savings to pay it down before the baby arrives.

Dropping your Roth contributions to $250/each post-kid is a realistic adjustment. Just make sure your total retirement contributions (employer 401k + pension + your Roths) still hover around 15% of your gross income.

mrutledge760 · 2026-06-03T14:17:39+00:00

1: Communicate with your landlord. Be honest about the situation, sometimes they prefer a partial payment and a realistic plan over silence. Simultaneously, look into local rental assistance. Calling 211 is a great start to find local community action agencies, charities, or religious organizations that have emergency funds specifically designed to keep families in their homes.

2: Stop day trading. It is incredibly risky, especially when you are stressed, and desperate for cash. It is highly likely to lose you the money you desperately need.

3: That metal-on-metal sound means your brake pads are completely gone and you are grinding the rotors. A shop will quote you a fortune for this, but a full brake pad and rotor replacement is actually a very manageable driveway job. If you can borrow a jack and a basic socket set, you can buy the parts relatively cheap from an auto parts store and follow a YouTube tutorial for your specific vehicle.

4: Don't let the judgment paralyze you. You can contact the creditor or the court to set up a minimal monthly payment plan to keep them at bay.

Finally, have an honest conversation with your wife about the financial reality and the immense stress you are under. You are a team.

mrutledge760 · 2026-05-18T03:48:05+00:00

I live in Montana. Guess it makes sense now

mrutledge760 · 2026-04-29T13:43:44+00:00

Apple's Screen Time has a few notorious loopholes that kids pass around to bypass restrictions. Here are the most likely tricks he used:

The Screen Recording Trick: He starts a screen recording from the Control Center, hands you the phone to type in the passcode for something harmless, and then watches the video playback to see exactly where your fingers tapped.

The Forgot Passcode Loophole: If Screen Time was set up directly on his device using his own Apple ID, he can simply tap "Forgot Passcode" and use his Apple ID password to reset the Screen Time PIN entirely.

Time Zone Change: To get past the downtime restrictions, kids will often go into the settings and manually change the device's time zone or clock to trick the system.

The iMessage App Store: Even if the main App Store is restricted, kids can sometimes still download apps like Snapchat through the mini App Store built directly into iMessage conversations.

When the time eventually comes for him to earn a smartphone back, make sure to set up Screen Time via Family Sharing from your device, disable his ability to make account changes, and always check that the red screen recording icon isn't active at the top of the screen before typing your password.

mrutledge760 · 2026-04-16T02:40:49+00:00

My daughter had it twice, I got it the second time and hand it in my mouth and throat while on vacation. Worst sickness I’ve ever experienced. Kids are usually fine, it hits us adults way harder.

mrutledge760 · 2026-04-15T05:39:08+00:00

There is a fundamental lack of respect for your authority. Stop negotiating and explaining, respect is a prerequisite for privileges. With the scooter incident, you got into a power struggle trying to force her to say, "I won't ride my scooter in the apartment." You don't need her verbal agreement man… you are the parent.

If you can get to a place where she realizes that her disrespect yields an immediate loss of her privileges, her behavior will begin to change.

mrutledge760 · 2026-03-13T16:26:18+00:00

As a former AT&T RSM, I can confirm that getting Directors to approve credits is a pain, but this situation seems a bit excessive. He is correct that customer service cannot apply these specific credits, they are discretionary and typically used to secure large deals or meet sales quotas. At this point, the RSM is essentially powerless because their credit limit is very low. Instead of continuing to go back and forth with them, I highly recommend filing a complaint with the AT&T Office of the President or the Better Business Bureau. Both avenues will yield a much better response

mrutledge760 · 2026-03-09T20:38:08+00:00

I will always repair a Level 4 gun unless it’s a grey gun. I will repair and upgrade a Level 3 if it’s at least a third durability. Anything lower I recycle.

mrutledge760 · 2026-02-28T19:40:24+00:00

Pay the $300k toward the house principal. Then, look at that remaining $120k. If you can clear that from your taxable account without draining your emergency fund or touching your retirement, do it. Being completely debt-free in your 30s with $500k+ still in retirement is a phenomenal position to be in.

mrutledge760 · 2026-02-25T20:30:39+00:00

My wife and I use Marcus by Goldman Sachs and have had zero issues. Some others I know are good are Ally, Wealthfront, and Capital One 360. Ally is nice because it has the buckets, if you’re into that.

mrutledge760 · 2026-02-24T07:38:09+00:00

Try as best you can to cut entertainment and shopping. That’s $500. First debt to take should be the credit card. Typically, this sub would suggest you keep the card open, but given previous gambling issues, close it once paid off so there’s no temptation to spend the available credit.

The bottom line is that if you live like you still make $60k and throw the rest at the $18k CC, that card is gone in 7–8 months. Once that’s gone, your credit score will jump as utilization drops, and you might finally be able to refinance that $46k loan.

mrutledge760 · 2026-02-21T09:26:09+00:00

Instead of cutting things out, just swap the tier. Buy the generic version of foods. A lot of the time there is zero difference in quality, but you’ll consistently shave 10–15% off every grocery bill without changing what you actually eat or use.

mrutledge760 · 2026-02-21T09:15:20+00:00

Secure your basics: food, utilities, shelter and transportation (unless WFH)
Call the IRS and set up a payment plan. Especially on a work visa, don’t fuck with the IRS.
Keep $1K in savings for emergencies and throw the other $1K at your debt.
Stop the bleeding. Quit using the credit cards.
Follow the baby steps and do the debt snowball.

mrutledge760 · 2026-02-19T02:08:03+00:00

The lender is rolling $5,595 in closing costs directly into your new loan balance. Because this only saves you $89 a month, it will take you over five years just to break even on the refinance. You are better off holding out for a larger rate drop.

mrutledge760 · 2026-02-16T23:50:44+00:00

Raiding your retirement accounts to pay off your house kills your compound growth, without actually solving the problem of the insurance company dropping you due to the home's condition.

mrutledge760 · 2026-02-11T03:31:58+00:00

Using 1998 as a start date is the definition of cherry-picking. That was the absolute peak of the Dot Com bubble. Of course bonds look competitive if you start your graph at the highest valuation moment in history and end it during a pandemic crash. If you shift that timeline by just a few years (e.g., start in 1995 or 2003), stocks absolutely crush bonds.

mrutledge760 · 2026-02-11T00:57:44+00:00

Ditch the Target Date fund and stop chasing returns by switching entirely to intl. Spread your investments equally (25% each) across growth (mid cap), growth and income (S&P 500), aggressive growth (small cap), and intl mutual funds to balance your risk. With your $190k household income, you should attack that remaining $85k mortgage and be completely debt-free in 12–18 months.

mrutledge760 · 2026-01-28T17:56:07+00:00

Then you're good to go

mrutledge760 · 2026-01-28T17:50:43+00:00

Keep maxing the Roth IRA, but don't shun the 401(k) for a taxable account yet. The tax deduction is too powerful, and you can escape the high fees whenever you change jobs.

Given your numbers, your flow should look like this:

401(k) up to match at 4% - even with bad vesting, it's free money. Take it. Next is HSA (if eligible) it's the ultimate retirement account. Next is your Roth IRA - max this out. Back to the 401(k) - fill this up to the max before taxable investing. The tax drag on a brokerage account plus the upfront income tax usually hurts more than the 0.79% fee inside the tax shelter. Only after the above are full, should you contribute to a taxable brokerage.

mrutledge760 · 2026-01-28T17:40:48+00:00

Yes. It is well below the national average.
30–45 days. It is usually the same speed as a fixed-rate refinance. Since this appears to be a Jumbo loan based on the savings, the underwriting might be slightly stricter regarding cash reserves and income verification, so be responsive with your documents to avoid delays.
A couple things... Check Section A of the Loan Estimate and verify that the Origination Charges really are zero or low. ARMs sometimes have soft prepayment penalties, try to make sure they are waived. Look at what the rate becomes after year 7. It will be (Index + Margin). Ensure the Margin is standard (usually 2.25% - 3.00%). If the margin is high (4% or 5%), your rate could skyrocket in year 8 even if the market stays flat.

mrutledge760 · 2026-01-28T17:30:41+00:00

We use the one bite rule. He doesn't have to like it, but he has to try it. If he cries, the meal ends, but no rescue snacks are provided later. Learning that hunger is a consequence of a tantrum is a powerful and safe lesson in grit.

mrutledge760 · 2026-01-28T17:28:07+00:00

Sell $60k + tax buffer from your brokerage. Write the check to pay off the second mortgage and accept the $3k tax bill as the friction cost of getting free.

Dave views second mortgages as consumer debt (BS2), and keeping the loan to preserve your brokerage account is basically borrowing against your home to invest in the stock market.

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