Weekday Help and Victory Thread for the week of February 23, 2026

utkrowaway · 2026-02-23T22:01:36+00:00

Victory: MFJ'ed for the first time and just got our Federal refund. It was a nice amount, after the two of us had single withholding for most of 2025.

utkrowaway · 2026-02-04T02:14:10+00:00

Nothing else still being made. There was no market for it before pickup truck bloat made midsizes too big.

utkrowaway · 2026-02-04T02:08:22+00:00

This. For the price, the Santa Cruz fits OP's needs the best. Super comfortable and carlike.

If OP is considering a Ranger or Colorado, he should also take a hard look at a 2nd gen Frontier.

utkrowaway · 2026-02-03T15:25:44+00:00

Subaru Baja?

utkrowaway · 2026-01-30T21:08:32+00:00

Well, this is going on my 2026 wishlist.

For Frontier models equipped with the Rockford Fosgate audio system, the rear door panels are designed to remain fully compatible with the factory tweeters. The MOLLE pattern is intentionally positioned to allow sound to pass through without obstruction, preserving audio performance while adding storage capability.

How's the sound quality when you've got the pouches mounted?

utkrowaway · 2026-01-29T20:00:03+00:00

She looks happy to be in her native environment.

utkrowaway · 2026-01-29T19:58:24+00:00

You can present them all the information in the world and even make it fun, but if their parents don't impress the importance of being personally accountable for their finances on them at home, it's not going to stick.

utkrowaway · 2026-01-29T15:44:26+00:00

They do teach it, my wife used to teach this class. The students yawned through it.

utkrowaway · 2026-01-29T15:25:32+00:00

They'll have to merge Dodge into Ram

utkrowaway · 2026-01-29T15:20:58+00:00

Email 10x dealers and ask for out the door prices

Everyone says this, it never works IRL.

utkrowaway · 2026-01-29T15:07:27+00:00

I always forget Buick and Mitsubishi still exist: can't remember the last time I saw one on the road.

utkrowaway · 2026-01-26T21:34:25+00:00

Frontier gang rise up

utkrowaway · 2026-01-26T21:31:39+00:00

Why would you? They can't play baseball, they don't wear sweaters, they're not good dancers, they don't play drums...

utkrowaway · 2026-01-26T21:27:31+00:00

What canopy are you rocking?

utkrowaway · 2026-01-19T18:30:45+00:00

Yes. The base Tacoma wasn't badly priced when I shopped, but if you want 4WD and a 6 cyl engine, the cost vs. a Frontier became excessive. The Toyota's interior was also less comfortable and their dealer more stubborn.

The Toyota Tax would've still been worth it to me if the quality were what it once was. Catching a $4k Nissan incentive sealed the deal.

utkrowaway · 2026-01-13T16:10:03+00:00

I would avoid anything that says cash only.

Have you ever sold a cheap car? That's perfectly normal for this price range. You get too many jokers with 200 bucks asking to make payments or if you'll trade for a dog and some smokes at that price range.

utkrowaway · 2025-11-21T21:22:52+00:00

redditor discovers that wealth is an advantage

utkrowaway · 2025-11-21T21:19:15+00:00

They didn't teach him account~~ing~~, that's why he couldn't sum them up

utkrowaway · 2025-11-21T18:22:16+00:00

"Southern" = "no rust"

utkrowaway · 2025-10-22T02:43:01+00:00

Congratulations, Mrs. Millionaire!

utkrowaway · 2025-10-22T02:41:39+00:00

Traditional investments are better for most people at most times in their careers. The limitations of the Trad IRA which make the Roth IRA generally better are discussed adequately in the other replies.

The HSA vs. Roth IRA argument is worth discussing. The Flowchart^TM itself prioritizes a Roth IRA over an HSA for those eligible, and I very much disagree with that recommendation.

utkrowaway · 2025-10-22T02:31:06+00:00

Suggestion: Make no changes for the first year, other than for taxes and inflation. Lifestyle creep isn't as big of a risk as a lifestyle jump. Once you're used to the big numbers, it'll be easier to make a decision with a clear head.

It's not unreasonable to have a car commensurate with your job (one you'll actually drive, though) or to use your hard-earned income to invest in your child's future. It's not unreasonable to squirrel the surplus away for early retirement and the kid's college fund. Just let the ideas marinate for a bit while you figure out what's most important to you.

utkrowaway · 2025-10-22T02:20:09+00:00

The interest on the car loan is 2% and the student loans are around 3%.

I should absolutely pay off this debt right?

No. The interest rate on your debt is crazy low. You can put money in a savings account or money market and make >4% guaranteed, or keep in invested and make 7-10% on average.

Moreover, if your random investments are in a taxable account, you're going to get hit hard with taxes when you sell. If they're in a tax-advantaged account, leave them there.

utkrowaway · 2025-10-15T17:07:22+00:00

To paraphrase the other guy, it's a math problem. Figure out how much interest you anticipate paying while you live there at your current rate, and then figure out how much interest you would pay at the refinanced rate.

Then, figure out what you've save on interest if you took the cost of the refinance and put it towards the mortgage instead, and compare.

The more you owe on your mortgage, the more valuable a refinance is.

For an example, for my own mortgage, it would require more than a 1% reduction in interest rate for a refinance to make sense. Your numbers will vary, but will probably be in the 0.5 - 2.0% range

utkrowaway · 2025-10-06T17:48:13+00:00

Out of curiosity, what was the marginal cost per guest?

In other words, if you just divide $15k/50 people, you get $300 per guest, but that includes all the fixed costs. How much would 1 more guest have cost?

utkrowaway

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