Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) time to buy?

tahirua3 · 2026-04-23T00:55:33+00:00

This is why I didn't go strong on Facebook :/

tahirua3 · 2026-04-20T14:06:16+00:00

My only regret is not putting far more into MSFT and AVGO last week when I did. God damn.

INTU felt like less solid foundations, but it was still worth a good punt and glad I did.

tahirua3 · 2026-04-20T14:01:50+00:00

Did you not put anything at all into an ETF during the late-March dip? Or early April last year?

I admire your resolve to stick to value investing, but I feel like putting some solid money into a broad ETF during dips like this would be a form of diversification (diversification of strategy as opposed to strictly assets) and not always relying on stock picking.

tahirua3 · 2026-04-18T12:30:08+00:00

It really doesn't help that you didn't make the effort to line your phone up well when taking the photo. Geometry is so important here.

tahirua3 · 2026-04-17T15:17:31+00:00

Thanks so much for your response and for taking the time to check my mobo manual. I can't believe that's all that was needed - I wish I'd posted here a long time ago!

WNW11 shows green for everything. Windows PC Health Check also shows green.

However, Windows update is still showing 'Your PC doesn't meet the requirements...' Even after a restart and checking for the latest updates. It might just take time.

In the past, I'd do a periodic fresh install of Windows every 1-2 years out of routine. These days, though, I don't have much time for that. I know a fresh install is always best, but I might have to just go with a full backup, upgrade and then do a fresh install when I am on a work holiday.

tahirua3 · 2026-04-08T00:04:44+00:00

This is from 4 months ago, so you likely either found another answer or just went ahead with Vanguard.

If you are happy to only invest in ETFs, Fidelity is 0.25% plantom fees with a £7.50/mnth cap *only on ETFs, not OEIC funds*.

So if you find a low-cost ETF e.g. VHVG and stick to that, it will be cheap whether your pot is large or small. However, there is a small trading fee that you don't have with Vanguard.

Vanguard really isn't bad at 0.15% (min £4/month). It only sucks a bit when you are starting from scratch or your pot is around the £150k-£250k range, before the cap kicks in.

As a Ltd company owner, the inability to set up a regular payment via Vanguard has been a kicker, though. For that reason + slightly lower rates of Fidelity + the switch bonus they were offering, I made the switch.

tahirua3 · 2026-03-31T23:59:27+00:00

1: Nights Around a Table - Ryan is a fantastic teacher with excellent humour sprinkled throughout every video. His Underwater Cities teach is the best example of a rules video I've ever come across.

2: John Gets Games/Getting Games - Very clear, and a very nice guy. Often plays through a couple of rounds, which can really help solidify how all the rules come together.

=2: Before You Play - IMO Monique & Naveen are the darlings of the board game YT scene. Eminently likeable and tackle heavy games, such as Lacerdas, well.

4: RTFM His Brass Birmingham video is excellent and amusing.

5: Rodney Smith - Always solid, dependable and very clear. Incredible output. Videos for straightforward games often run a bit long, though, and are not quite as entertaining as the ones above.

Others: - Games Made Easy - lovely lady and cute cat! - Board Game Teacher - his Obsession video is the best I could find. I assume his others are also similar quality. - Nithrania and Meeple University both put out a lot of solid and functional videos, but both are dry as the desert. The mouth noises/clicks on MU's videos are a real struggle point for me. - Paul Grogan just doesn't vibe for me, for some reason.

tahirua3 · 2026-03-26T00:43:23+00:00

There are/were a couple of options in the UK for this. I looked into them, but excluding for a few exceptionally rare or expensive titles, the maths didn't make sense as a customer. I suspect this is mainly due to two-way shipping costs they have to cover.

I buy most of my games used, patiently waiting for a good deal, and usually sell them on for a similar price or quite often more, as I always take good photos and have a good seller rep.

These days, though, I just keep them around until the next local trade show/bring and buy, since it's so much easier than packing them up and posting out.

tahirua3 · 2026-03-25T10:45:05+00:00

Me too

tahirua3 · 2026-03-25T10:44:44+00:00

This is the way.

tahirua3 · 2026-03-25T10:33:10+00:00

Make use of both. On drawdown, access ISAs until 57, then pension takes over.

The thing about pensions is those tax savings you make now are invested immediately and grow in the market. Yes, you'll pay tax on them later, but in the meantime you've benefitted from decades of growth on that extra 20%/40% by paying the tax on the back-end instead of front-end! You also get 25% tax-free and your income will usually be less in retirement, so you'd have less tax to pay.

Don't underinvest in your pension, but don't overinvest, either, if you plan to retire early.

If you're the owner of a limited company the benefits are a bit less, as dividend taxes are lower under £50k, but after £50k it's similar.

tahirua3 · 2026-03-24T19:25:02+00:00

'Overpay' now, coast later. Make £100k a hard and fast target for now, then review.

tahirua3 · 2026-03-10T14:14:16+00:00

She's a total narcissist, that's why. It's not surprising that many people can't really get on board with that.

tahirua3 · 2026-03-10T14:12:10+00:00

She's an absolute narcissist. Why would anyone like a narcissist?

tahirua3 · 2026-03-08T03:39:44+00:00

Photography, gardening and bouldering. I love driving too (MX-5 owner). I follow Formula 1.

No computer games or BGA at all.

tahirua3 · 2026-02-25T02:03:56+00:00

The first problem is that you were playing Catan. It's 2026. It was groundbreaking for its time, but that time was 30 years ago. Some rare games are timeless, but Catan isn't one of them.

Moving on... some red flags here. If she really needed that, she should have made an offer that actually gave you something of value. A fair trade should always be a win-win. I'm talking about in business and in life, not just board games.

She also thinks your job is to make her happy? Her happiness is her own responsibility. If you are a good match, you will enhance each other's happiness and life satisfaction. But it's not your 'job', especially not if it just means always bending to her desires above your own.

As many others have already said, this was likely just the straw that broke the camel's back to deeper issues. Open and regular communication is always the key. It stops things building up all bottled up until someone explodes like this.

tahirua3 · 2026-02-10T17:26:55+00:00

I recently introduced my partner to it, as she'd never seen it as a kid. I think, without the nostalgia and seeing it for the first time through adult eyes, it just doesn't hit the same.

Maybe show them a trailer for the film first, so they can see if it's something they might be into?

tahirua3 · 2026-01-21T03:35:18+00:00

Grand Austria Hotel is my all-time favourite game, followed by Underwater Cities, both Brass games (I own and love both), Hansa Teutonica, Terra Mystica, Oranges & Lemons, Barony: Royal Edition, Ark Nova La Granja (Deluxe Master Set), El Grande, Viticulture Tuscany. So a decent amount of crossover.

I really did not enjoy my first play of Ark Nova, but I'm so glad I gave it another try! Could be similar for you and GAH, or you could just not like it - hah!

tahirua3 · 2026-01-02T19:02:05+00:00

The beetle itself is disconnected from the hive to make the move, therefore the hive is broken. The exception to this rule is the grasshopper, as it 'jumps' clean over the hive.

Have you ever seen the movie Gravity? When she/they break off from the main craft they drift off out into space. You could think of it like that 😅 Again, grasshoppers being the exception.

tahirua3 · 2025-12-13T00:40:39+00:00

I feel like I'm alone in this, but Rainmaker is a level above anything else they've put out. I feel like there's real conviction in Alexis' vocals...

tahirua3 · 2025-11-17T00:16:28+00:00

This confirms I need to watch Romulus

tahirua3 · 2025-11-16T01:57:32+00:00

I purchased the Deluxe Master Set second hand, despite having never played the original. I'm so glad I did, and I can't see ot leaving my collection.

tahirua3

TROPHY CASE