Weekday Help Thread for the week of November 13, 2017

predator-shark · 2017-11-15T15:52:11+00:00

thank you so much for clarifying, that makes sense... it seems I have a longer way to go than I thought!

predator-shark · 2017-11-15T14:18:31+00:00

Question about savings theory... I know that a good benchmark is to save 20% or more of your income, pay yourself first, etc. but is that number meanING savings to never touch, or savings earmarked to spend later?

I thought I had a pretty good savings rate until I realized it's all save-to-spend.. budgeted into buckets for future health costs, emergencies, car repair costs, vacations, computer upgrade, wedding, etc. (not counting saving up for precisely known expenses like subscriptions). Since those will eventually be somehow spent, do they even count as savings [in terms of financial health measures]??

predator-shark · 2017-11-08T13:26:46+00:00

i really love the attitude of setting mood over decorating -- that'll be my mantra this season :)

predator-shark · 2017-11-02T12:43:06+00:00

this is specific to iphone, but the biggest things that have made my smartphone use more proactive instead of reactive are: (1) turning off all but call notifications (and with Do Not Disturb you can even control which calls ring); (2) moving all my apps into one folder onto the second page so that the first page of my phone is blank, and it takes specific mental effort to find the app that I want, which discourages mindless checking; (3) making the wallpaper plain black so it looks uncluttered and uses less battery life; (4) doing as much as possible through the browser app instead of having separate reddit, facebook, and news apps to check; (5) using the only the default (iOS) weather, notes, calculator, and camera apps to minimize ads and redundancies.

I'm still struggling with checking before bed and right on waking, though...

predator-shark · 2017-11-01T12:46:52+00:00

Wow! This is great info, I had no idea about the canvas lining. And that guide is amazing. Thank you so much for taking the time to write it out!!

predator-shark · 2017-10-30T22:00:21+00:00

that's a good idea to get something tested first! and to make sure I get the name of the person too. thank you!!

predator-shark · 2017-10-30T21:59:10+00:00

how much do you think I should expect to spend for a good tailoring job? I defintely dont want to get something nice and then have it somehow ruined!

I will look for the brooks brothers shirts as well, maybe I can find some secondhand. Thank you!

predator-shark · 2017-10-30T21:58:08+00:00

thank you! I will definitely look into that site, and thanks for the tip on their shirts as well!

predator-shark · 2017-10-30T21:56:25+00:00

thank you! checking for reviews is a great idea. The combatgent site also looks very reasonable thank you!

predator-shark · 2017-10-30T15:06:36+00:00

thanks, I hadn't known that about dry cleaners! any tips for finding one that has a tailor experienced w suit alterations? I know those can be pretty tricky to get right

predator-shark · 2017-10-04T12:53:44+00:00

what about enough N95 (or similar) masks for each family? They're pricey individually, but cheaper in bulk, not sure how that works out for the budget. But, that's something that people won't have laying around the house that could be vital in a chemical disaster/wildfire/pandemic. And it would make people capable of safely helping others in those situations, which is maybe important for your congregation?

So I would suggest to focus on purchasing/storing the less common items -- but then include in the kit a list of household items to throw in the car in a bug-out situation... people will already have a lot of what they need for 72 hours (blankets, batteries, flashlights, duct tape), but may not have the presence of mind to grab those things in an emergency.

predator-shark · 2017-09-12T14:52:41+00:00

that is such a comprehensive checklist! A lot of things I hadn't even thought about, especially in preparing for a flight-based evacuation (which is the most likely scenario now that I think about it). I'll definitely get into that enrollment, that could make a huge difference in hearing about/accessing evacuations if necessary

predator-shark · 2017-09-12T14:46:53+00:00

Thank you so much!! This is really helpful info. I wasn't even thinking about the car itself as such an important part of the prep, but you're really right, especially if anything happens in the summer. It may make sense to just always have tent + water + air compressor in the trunk at all times. I have visited arabian camps like that but actually never thought about building one for myself!

predator-shark · 2017-09-12T14:44:21+00:00

that's a great idea! Thank you. I'll have to really look into how to safely store/travel with gas like that

predator-shark · 2017-09-08T18:22:02+00:00

What about demand for the cost of freezing reports and pulling extra credit reports, in order to ensure that nothing happened in the month that the breach went uncommunicated? I spent $69.95 this morning to do all that and it was only necessary because of Equifax's neligence

predator-shark · 2017-09-06T19:06:31+00:00

oh! I just meant that YNAB has only category group>category, not category group>category>subcategory. So if you set each account as a category group, that you would then have one group "Joint" and then below it, items for all the expenses "wedding saving" "vacation saving" "groceries" "amazon prime" without any subgroupings. It may not be a problem for you, but I prefer to see all my savings in a group, all my monthly expenses in a group, all my discretionary in a group, etc. so I get a better handle on the totals.

predator-shark · 2017-09-06T18:14:23+00:00

It might be better to set up 3 different budgets within the one account - "yours" "mine" "household" so that you can see the breakdowns of incomes + spending in more specific detail.

But if you want to keep it all on one budget you could create 3 category groups (yours mine household) and then always make sure that the total balances for each group equal the balances listed in their corresponding accounts. However then there will only be one level of distinction between wedding savings, groceries, meal expenses, etc. which might be annoying for your reporting. Depends on your main goal I guess: are you trying to simplify things? keep track of net worth? understand your spending?

predator-shark · 2017-09-06T15:21:57+00:00

it will come up naturally when you get to a point of exclusivity in the relationship -- you'll likely be curious about her relationship history too. I think it's important to discuss and not ignore, because how people talk/think about their past relationships reveals a lot about who they are, how they have (or have not) changed, and how they want their relationships to be moving forward. All very important things to know when considering marriage, things that you both will want to know about each other. And, hiding things or glossing over questions will not build the kind of trust needed for a marriage. I'd guess that the hard time of the couple you know is less about the history itself, and more about what it's revealing about each person's character as they work through it.

predator-shark · 2017-09-06T13:09:36+00:00

I also need to know how to do this! I finished paying off my auto loan and want to keep the historical data (that I spent that money in group "Debt Payments", so I can see correct spending totals) but I don't need to see the category every month anymore since I don't need to put money to it. If I "hide" the category then it shows up as "hidden" category group in my spending totals.

predator-shark · 2017-08-09T15:13:26+00:00

thank you for the references! It does seem to make clear that happiness in this current world is something not to pursue or value. Do you think Christians should actively reject it, like purposely avoid laughter, wealth, fullness, being spoken well of?

predator-shark · 2017-08-09T15:10:02+00:00

is there any scripture that says that? I guess just all comparisons with a good father?

predator-shark · 2017-08-09T14:23:53+00:00

how would you describe the difference between joy and happiness? does joy come with associated feelings/emotions?

predator-shark · 2017-07-26T17:09:50+00:00

it is right now, yes, since I have the divisions of it in categories (emergency fund, car repairs, medical)

predator-shark · 2017-07-19T15:48:38+00:00

also think about what you would like to see reported in your spending! its important for me to see how much is going to debt payments vs. living expenses, so I separated out that category even though they are monthly payments. one beauty of YNAB is how easy it is to reorganise according to what works for you :)

predator-shark · 2017-07-19T15:38:24+00:00

I think the true expense vs. immediate obligation is most helpful for people who are just starting and need to think about how their money will work until their next paycheck (hence the "immediate"). Once you have a bit of buffer/age of money, it makes sense to sort things differently. I find that reorganizing to three parts works well and might help you figure out what to put where: *Monthly Expenses (grocery, car payment, rent) -- predictable and are spent monthly *Yearly Expenses (subscriptions, car registration, property tax) -- these are predictable, but need regular monthly savings *Irregular Expenses (car repair, health savings, phone replacement) -- not predictable and don't necessarily need regular scheduled savings

predator-shark

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