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I went on my first and only cruise about 15 years ago. My friend worked for United and it was an incredible deal. I realized then I do not like cruising on huge ships. I like the idea of a Catamaran. We prefer small groups of 25 or less.

My icon is a pic of the solar storm in Illinois!!! Whatever disruption was worth it. That pic was not the most dramatic. I happen to like purple.

Highly recommend "In Restless Dreams: /The Music of Paul Simon" on Prime. Goes back to when they began as childhood friends, when the stress of fame broke them up. I did not know Paul Simon wrote all the lyrics to their songs

ACA requires you keep your MAGI at or below a level. Personal experience: We were relatively healthy. Our ACA plan had a high deductible and we contributed to HSA to keep income low. DH had a parttime consulting gig. Monthly premiums for both combined: $8-$12/month Our healthcare system gave...

We did not have children and pay a huge portion of our property taxes to school districts. And the state pension obligation, well don't get me started. Farmer's subsidies are also an issue. Corn and beans, every year destroy the rich midwestern soil and waterways. But we'll stay here. Our family...

The New Look on Apple is interesting. Historical account based on true events during WWll. Experiences of Coco Chanel and Christian Dior in Paris and how they launched their fashion careers.

Plugging in numbers to any calculator, if my spending were say $300K/year, my probability would be 50%. If my spending were $50K/year, my probability would be 100% plus a lot left over. And other income means a lot, so SS and/or pension would make your probability higher. If your health is good...

Think of it as summer vacation, but all year long.

Welcome! I guess you can think of it as "freedom" more than "retirement" Why not have a part-time gig as consulting but keep your schedule open to do what you want, travel, volunteer...etc. We're no longer tied to working for income. Our investments are working for us. :flowers:

What do you mean by least? It depends on spending and debt, IMO.

Follow-up from my OP. After making the airline reservation to Vancouver on AA, AA encouraged me to become an AA member. I signed up and now have a log-in to AA. After I did that AA changed my flight times! The same days but different, much better departure and arrival times. I have my assigned...

Nothing like walking in the woods with your BFF.

Great thread. DH has a 30 ft x 15 ft garden filled with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, and herbs. The yard and garden are great for hot yoga stretching :). We like our neighbors and spend time with them out to dinner, bbq, and playing games. My icon is a pic of the recent northern...

I saw this article in WSJ about Rockford, IL being the top housing market in the U.S. Sorry if this is behind a paywall. "Rockford is one of 11 Midwestern metro areas that dominate the top 20 in the latest WSJ/Realtor.com Housing Market Ranking. The region’s relative affordability makes it...

That's a great point I didn't think of. Are moving to independent living with medical considered long-term care? Or do you have to be in a nursing home?

I rewatched Lawrence of Arabia b/c Steven Spielberg felt it was one of the best movies of all time. Then I read about the history. The movie was accurate about what happened. Fascinating movie and real events.

OP, you’re in the sweet spot. Managing stress is a big deal. It seems a lot of people are FI but lead stressful lives. It does not always come down to finances. Health, relationships, ability to make good decisions with a clear head. I have/had relatives who were/are financially set, but for...

It depends. Some people like 3000+ sq ft homes w/ 3 car garages. These are mostly new homes in neighborhoods with no trees and mini ponds. The homes are 90% siding with fake (sorry I forget what that’s called) brick fronts and manicured lawns. Our neighborhood is lined with mature trees...

I periodically calculate on a few different calculators 1/2 of our current net worth, reduce the spending a bit and see if I’m 100%, reducing SS as well. I think about the worse case scenario just to get my head around it. If it happens, I’ll already have thought about the possibilities. Then I...

Exactly. Our tIRA is laddered CDs and treasuries. I can foresee what our RMDs will be in 10 years b/c I know the interest we're earning. It is simple interest over time. Then plug that number into the RMD calculator. Unless they change the RMD calculation or tax law, I have an understanding of...

United Healthcare CEO testified the breach was caused by UHC not using multifactor authentication! A simple security measure. Unbelievable. "UnitedHealth data breach caused by lack of multifactor authentication, CEO says. Hackers breached the computer system of a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary...

DH worked at Kellogg HQ in Battle Creek for 10 years. We found the movie hilarious. Mixed with truths, half-truths, and total fiction.

Wow! Maybe if we remove people with cancer from the genetic pool, there will be no cancer. Or short people! Let's remove short people from the gene pool, then we'll have tall people. Brilliant!

My DSI was for years convinced orbs existed and tried to make contact with her. They followed her around in her phone. She saw them everywhere. She's very successful, makes lots of $$ and knows a lot of people in our community. She would share these videos of the orbs. And they were weird. They...

We just like each other. We enjoy time together. But we give each other plenty of space. We've learned when the other doesn't feel like talking. Or needs time alone. We eat on different schedules and do not eat the same thing. Unless we go out to eat. I accept and understand his obsession with...