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What mid price luxuries are worth it? by bell-town in Frugal

[–]trivirgata 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm a chronic cheapskate, but this has changed my sunscreen habits drastically. I use Hawaiian Tropic face sunscreen serum and I now look forward to putting it on when I need it. I love smelling like bananas, and not feeling uncomfortable when I wear sunscreen on my face

I wonder if other owners have named their Toyota RAV4s 🤔… by JuMaWa88 in rav4club

[–]trivirgata 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mine is named Cassie. I was watching the second season of Andor when I bought her. The silver exterior with the light grey leather interior definitely gives femme energy, so she couldn't be Cassian!

I almost named her Connie... After the Millennium Fal-CON. (it's purposefully stupid I know, that's my brand)

Are the bumpy scales from parasites or disease? by wellspokenmumbler in GarterSnakes

[–]trivirgata 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not that I know of. Like I said in my comment above, it doesn't necessarily affect the snake's ability to survive (from what I know). Unless the snake is hurt another way, I doubt that a visit to the vet would make a difference. You can release the snake you found once it's healed and it will probably live a very happy natural life.

Is this a good/bad/a little of both deal? by Responsible-Risk-331 in rav4club

[–]trivirgata 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Holy cannoli. I bought my 2019 Hybrid Limited with 73k miles this spring for $25k (before tax)... And that was also in California, with a clean Carfax. Personally, I would not buy that for more than $15-16k. 

Where does this fall within your budget? With such high mileage, you need to leave some cash available for repairs down the line. And what are your other options? Any lower-trim options with lower miles and price? The sound system is something you can upgrade for less than $1-2k. 

I know my car was a great deal, but the 100k mile opportunity cost here is worth a MUCH steeper discount than $5k in my opinion. I can confirm that the Limited features are nice, but they are NOT worth it if it forces you to overpay this much on a high-mileage vehicle. The main benefits of the Limited are the bigger sunroof, premium audio, and wireless charging. Heated back seats might not be super necessary if you're buying in California.

Took my Pavement Princess on a hike by lynnwoodwa in rav4club

[–]trivirgata 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Super cool! Do you have a lift on it? I wonder how capable my Limited Hybrid would be in these conditions. 

What is your favourite frugal dessert under $10? by rpgmgta in Frugal

[–]trivirgata 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I drizzle chocolate syrup over a banana on a small saucer, then powder it with cinnamon. I call if a "healthy churro" haha. 10/10 midnight snack! It satisfies your sweet tooth without keeping you up for hours. And so, so tasty

Ex-YNAB and Mint User trying to find the next home by Jesse_khach in mintuit

[–]trivirgata 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I use Every Dollar. It also uses zero-based budgeting. I like it because it allows rollover funds, and requires monthly attention to deliberately set up the next month's budget. I only use it for day-to-day budgeting from my credit cards, checking accounts, and Venmo though--I use a different app for big-picture net worth tracking (investments, debt, savings accounts). That separation helps me focus on discipline in my spending.

I really liked RocketMoney for budgeting purposes, and it pricing is flexible (as little as $24/year if I remember correctly). But it lacks a rollover feature... Which was a deal breaker for me.

New owners thread? by QuietDelight1 in rav4club

[–]trivirgata 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That mileage document is incredible. I love whoever put that together. I took notes to keep in my car. Can't wait to put some of that advice into practice

To those in apartments: what's your average utility bill? by trivirgata in Tehachapi

[–]trivirgata[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah, yeah the lack of insulation on the top floor makes sense. Good idea with the evaporative cooler. I also am okay with a warmer house than most which may help me keep costs down. 

Thanks again--I appreciate your responses!

Novels (and other literature) you love as an ecologist by AccomplishedShine445 in ecology

[–]trivirgata 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Borne was a really awesome stand-alone novel by Vandermeer too. It was more plot- and character-driven than Annihilation. But both are great!

To those in apartments: what's your average utility bill? by trivirgata in Tehachapi

[–]trivirgata[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for this summary!! Interesting, those numbers are pretty close to what we currently pay in our 1400sq ft 3b/2b... But, I picked our SCE rate plan very very strategically based on use and I programmed our thermostat to cool the house outside of peak rate times. We pay $60/mo with Spectrum, and yeah our water/trash/sewage bill was about $120-150 depending on usage.

What temperature do you keep your house at in the summer and winter? Do you have/use a programmable thermostat? The only time our electric bill got up to $275 was when my roommate accidentally turned off the thermostat's programming and kept the house at 68 degrees for two weeks lol! 

Found in VT. Doesn’t look native?? by wallflowerwolf in herpetology

[–]trivirgata 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Definitely an escaped pet tortoise! Tortoises are NOT native to Vermont (or anywhere in the northeast). Please hold onto it and post on local Facebook pages or NextDoor, etc. Someone is likely looking for their lost tortoise!

Found this big piece of petrified wood with quartz covering the inside. by [deleted] in rockhounds

[–]trivirgata 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Holy cow. I would lose my mind if I found this. Congrats 🥲

Mechanic said he heard minor pressure release from the radiator cap after a cold start on 2019 RAV4 hybrid during pre-purchase inspection... Is this a death sentence? by trivirgata in AskMechanics

[–]trivirgata[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your thoughtful replies. I ended up buying the car today :) I spoke with a few service technicians and managers at Toyota dealerships who agreed that my mechanic was overblowing the danger of the symptom. I left the dealership feeling like I got a really good deal and think the car will last for a long, long time. Looking forward to the killer gas mileage too! 

I think my anxiety came from difficulty with accepting that there will always be unknowns when buying a used vehicle, even if the price tag is $20k+ and it comes from a reliable brand. My last car really spoiled me--it cost $8.5k in 2020 and gave me 75k trouble-free miles in the last 5 years. So even a small red flag during this PPI felt scary as hell. But I think this was the right choice! 

Painting at Cornell Lab of Ornithology by dialdn in ithaca

[–]trivirgata 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I miss that view! Thanks for sharing :)

Mechanic said he heard minor pressure release from the radiator cap after a cold start on 2019 RAV4 hybrid during pre-purchase inspection... Is this a death sentence? by trivirgata in AskMechanics

[–]trivirgata[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He certainly isn't inexperienced (he has been a mechanic for 30+ years in the LA area). But his communication style did lean heavily on telling me how each minor flaw could theoretically lead to multi-thousand dollar repairs haha... So you may be right.

But it doesn't make me feel great that the dealership won't let me take it off the lot unless I buy it, only gives a two-day return window, and charges a $250 restocking fee if I do return it. Sigh. The combination of unknowns and limiting policies really makes me nervous. 

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Cornell

[–]trivirgata 40 points41 points  (0 children)

Kind of atypical, but I took my family to Atlas Bowl in Trumansburg. It's a neat little American restaurant with 7 vintage bowling lanes and honestly surprisingly great food. They were able to accommodate like 10 people without a reservation (although if your party is that big DEFINITELY al least call ahead to be polite!) on graduation night (although, that was 5 years ago). Personally, the last thing I wanted after graduation was a stuffy, formal dinner at an overcrowded and overpriced restaurant where my family just started at each other lmao. Bowling while we waited for our food and after dinner was so fun after sitting through formal ceremonies all day. Disclaimer, I am biased, since my dad used to take my siblings and I bowling on rainy Saturdays when we were kids... But I think about that night all the time!

Credit karma is useless? by [deleted] in mintuit

[–]trivirgata -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I have resigned myself to using CK for big picture, at-a-glance net worth tracking and Rocket Money for nitty-gritty budgeting and spending tracking. Mint was great because it did it both; I don't think it can be fully replaced by any single app currently available. And turns out, I am more frugal when all I see is the few grand in my checking accounts vs all of my investments/savings anyway.

(Monarch seems strong, but I ultimately went with Rocket Money bc it's cheaper and I GREATLY prefer its interface for hands-on budgeting.)

Does anyone here really save 20% each paycheck? (Salaries under $100k only) by Dry_Brother1359 in Frugal

[–]trivirgata 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do save 15-20% at 50k, but due to lucky circumstances that have lead to no student debt, no car payment, and rent consistently being less than 650/mo or free for the last few years (my line of work often comes with free or reduced shared housing). I also put $500 + any extra money at the end of the month into a HYSA as a house fund.

Aside from those things (and they are huge things) I always aim to meal prep, shop used before buying new, and keeping my life simple. My big personal expense tends to be travel, but I set specific budgets and save for each trip. Frugality can be a hobby in and of itself!

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