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MrKatharsis posted:Does the goon resume service still exist? I used them in the past but don't see them in SAmart now. https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2832510&pagenumber=24&perpage=40 This guy does resumes and he continues to be excellent.
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Mar 7, 2019 21:54
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Regarding self employed retirement. I have both a sep IRA and solo 401k (missed the opening deadline my first year I had 1099 income). The sep was really easy to open and manage, while the solo 401k seems to be a bit more complex. It's not terrible, but is it more awkward to use and manage. If you can take advantage of the different contribution calculation they're awesome, but for just a couple thousand you might want to save a sep would work fine. sparkmaster fucked around with this message at 22:31 on Mar 7, 2019 |
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Mar 7, 2019 22:28
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sparkmaster posted:Regarding self employed retirement.
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Mar 8, 2019 07:51
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I'm not sure if there's a thread for general online selling, but I have a few hundred books I need to get rid of and I'm wondering what the best option is; if it's worth it to set up an Amazon Seller or eBay account and piece everything out individually, or if I should just haul it all down to the local used book store and take whatever offer they give me/donate the rejects. I'm leaning towards the latter; the money would be nice, and I'm mostly tired of a bunch of books I haven't touched in years taking up space, but if the profit from individual sales would outweigh the headache of shipping out 200 items, I'm willing to consider it. It's almost entirely widely-available pop fiction (Harry Potter, Stephen King, Star Wars EU stuff) so I'm not dealing with vintage first editions or anything. Some of the HP/SK hardcovers can sell for $5-15 on eBay, but I don't know how quickly shipping/fees would eat into that. Anybody done something similar? Any advice is greatly appreciated. If there's a more appropriate thread, please let me know.
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Mar 10, 2019 23:25
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If you're not in a huge rush you can set up an Amazon store and ship all the books to them to ship out as they sell. I was considering doing that for DVDs but realized it wasn't worth it. I probably wouldn't expect to get too much for the lot if you don't have a bunch. You might even want to just donate them to a library and take the tax credit.
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Mar 11, 2019 00:43
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Medullah posted:You might even want to just donate them to a library and take the tax credit. This is the route I go with mine. I figure it’s close enough in net proceeds at the end of the day for me to save the time and hassle of selling.
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Mar 11, 2019 03:56
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It would be a tax deduction, not a credit, and the new policies put in place last year definitely make it harder to break out of the standard deduction into itemized deductions through mortgage interest deduction and charitable giving deductions. But that doesn't mean it's not still a great thing to do if the books are desirable to the charity or charities.
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Mar 11, 2019 07:22
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SpelledBackwards posted:It would be a tax deduction, not a credit, and the new policies put in place last year definitely make it harder to break out of the standard deduction into itemized deductions through mortgage interest deduction and charitable giving deductions. If you donate books to your local library probably like 95% of what you donate is resold in bulk at a friends of the library sale or something similar and the buyers at these sales are almost all professional book resellers who will resell the good stuff on eBay and Amazon
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Mar 11, 2019 11:54
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SpelledBackwards posted:It would be a tax deduction, not a credit, and the new policies put in place last year definitely make it harder to break out of the standard deduction into itemized deductions through mortgage interest deduction and charitable giving deductions. Er that's right, what I meant. But yeah, I forgot about the massive change to the standard deduction.
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Mar 11, 2019 12:55
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Hi money goons I have 23k in credit card debt. I want to consolidate it because the interest rate is between 15 and 20% for all of that debt. The best option i've found is on prosper.com offering a 23k loan at 11.54%/13.82% APR but I have no idea if this is good or if a consolidation loan is a good idea at all?
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Mar 11, 2019 14:24
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BEHOLD: MY CAPE posted:If you donate books to your local library probably like 95% of what you donate is resold in bulk at a friends of the library sale or something similar and the buyers at these sales are almost all professional book resellers who will resell the good stuff on eBay and Amazon Yes, very true. My Eagle Scout project 19 years ago was collecting books for a book sale with the intention of finding them to the library system. That's where I found out that's not how things work, and we worked with the Friends Of our local library to put on a book sale from it. The sale itself wasn't well publicized and was held outside the newest library that purple didn't really know about yet. We made what was to me a pitifully small amount of money for the group (a couple hundred bucks at best)... and then I think they said it was the most successful fundraising event they'd had yet. I tried to hide a pained expression. The remaining hundreds or thousands maybe books got donated to a couple local charities who I'm sure similarly resold or tossed them. Well whatever, I got my rank and the next year I joined the SA forums, so it's been all upside since.
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Mar 11, 2019 14:47
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Careful Drums posted:Hi money goons A consolidation loan can work to reduce your overall interest ratio, but realistically - have you made the appropriate lifestyle changes so that you'll be aggressively paying off that loan? Or will you rack up charges on the credit cards again because you're "back to zero"? If you want some real advice on this, let us know how much you make, what your current budget is (Rent, food, gas, etc).
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Mar 11, 2019 14:49
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Medullah posted:A consolidation loan can work to reduce your overall interest ratio, but realistically - have you made the appropriate lifestyle changes so that you'll be aggressively paying off that loan? Or will you rack up charges on the credit cards again because you're "back to zero"? Glad you asked that to underscore the actual issue. Short answer is no, no lifestyle changes have happened because my wife doesn't take this debt seriously. 
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Mar 11, 2019 15:38
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Careful Drums posted:Glad you asked that to underscore the actual issue. Short answer is no, no lifestyle changes have happened because my wife doesn't take this debt seriously. You're going to be in trouble then. You don't get to five figures of debt without living well beyond your means for a long time, and it will require a painful adjustment to get it under control. Consolidation without treating the underlying issue is just delaying that pain while allowing it to fester and grow, just rearranging deck chairs, AND limits your options for dealing with it later when the problem is even worse. Servicing debt of 15-20% on $23k is over $3,500 per year, possibly as much as $4,600 a year; that's pure interest you're giving away to the credit card companies. Ask her if she'd like thousands more per year to spend - if you get those cards paid off, that money goes into your pockets instead of the banks. It's like any addiction, it'll be a painful few years but long term it's way, way better.
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Mar 11, 2019 15:47
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Careful Drums posted:Glad you asked that to underscore the actual issue. Short answer is no, no lifestyle changes have happened because my wife doesn't take this debt seriously. Sorry to hear that. I would honestly not go for the consolidation loan then, because that's just going to open the cards back up for her to attack. I would sit down and just use an Excel spreadsheet to list out all of your expenses and then your salary. If for no other reason, you'll have an idea of where you're realistically at. Are you guys contributing to a retirement fund at least?
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Mar 11, 2019 16:00
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Medullah posted:Are you guys contributing to a retirement fund at least? I mean given how this conversation is going I think you know the answer to that. My wife grew up a lot more financially unstable than me so I think in her mind "bills are getting paid" = "buy whatever who cares". It causes a lot of tension because she thinks I'm stingy for wanting to save money.
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Mar 11, 2019 16:02
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Careful Drums posted:I mean given how this conversation is going I think you know the answer to that. My wife grew up a lot more financially unstable than me so I think in her mind "bills are getting paid" = "buy whatever who cares". It causes a lot of tension because she thinks I'm stingy for wanting to save money. How much do you guys make, after taxes? What do your other bills look like? Edit - And if not too personal, how old are you.
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Mar 11, 2019 16:07
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Medullah posted:How much do you guys make, after taxes? What do your other bills look like? idk after taxes but i make 104k now and it should be going up to 120 (see cobol thread if you want to dox me) i'm 31, wife is 37. kids 7, 4, and 1. mortgage pymt 1990/mo. two car payments, and all the other usual stuff. only thing i've successfully gotten down is that we pay 60/mo for internet and no cable.
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Mar 11, 2019 16:36
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Read zaurg's threads and if you/your wife are still not scared enough into paying off your credit cards and saving for retirement start your own E: I am serious, this will take you about 3-6 months to get through them all but it's required reading if you're earning 100k+ but still on course for a cat food retirement
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Mar 11, 2019 16:43
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Careful Drums posted:idk after taxes but i make 104k now and it should be going up to 120 (see cobol thread if you want to dox me) Oh man, yeah, don't do the consolidation loan. You can clean that up quick with a bit of focus, and consolidating doesn't learn her a lesson. Start saving for retirement ASAP - I have a guy that works in my office who was a programmer for 30 years and didn't have what he needed for retirement, his company folded and now he makes $40k a year taking level 1 customer calls at almost 60.  At the very least I really recommend the Excel spending exercise. Set up Mint too, easy way to see spending habits. You'd be surprised how just a little attention can change your habits huge.
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Mar 11, 2019 16:50
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Careful Drums posted:idk after taxes but i make 104k now and it should be going up to 120 (see cobol thread if you want to dox me) Does your wife work, or is she a stay at home mom? With how expensive daycare is no judgement for that. Regardless, at that income you should have a good shot at paying the debt down quickly if you and her can commit to it. Definitely start your own thread (and link it here) and we can get to work figuring this all out. You're young enough and earn enough it's not too late if you start right now. Power, water, gas (if you have it), any subscription services, property taxes, insurances for house/car/etc, life insurance, pets/insurance, groceries, eating out/restaurants, toys/clothes/kids expenses, plus any other loans or debt you might have (student loans, etc) Have you been saving for the kids' college?
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Mar 11, 2019 16:59
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I would suggest a slight alternative and say take the consolidation but cancel the credit cards. Before any of this though, you need to have a serious talk with your wife about your finances. She needs to understand, and maybe you need to understand too, that having a budget and limiting your spending doesn't mean that you can't spend ANY money, just that you are being thoughtful about your priorities and money. If she can understand she can still spend, so long as it is reasonable, I think you can get her on board. If she's unwilling, then you'll have a much harder road to travel.
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Mar 11, 2019 17:02
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Careful Drums posted:Glad you asked that to underscore the actual issue. Short answer is no, no lifestyle changes have happened because my wife doesn't take this debt seriously. Cannot recommend a marriage counselor strongly enough. The two of you may think "we don't need a marriage counselor," but by the time most people decide they need a marriage counselor, the counselor just ends up helping them end their marriage, and financial issue are one of the biggest reasons people get divorced.
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Mar 11, 2019 17:05
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Thanks for the votes of confidence  I should be able to make a thread this evening. how quickly is "quickly" to y'all? Wife doesn't work right now but wants to go back, but my oldest kid has special needs that make that really hard. We have a little saved for college tuitions but we don't consistently make deposits.
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Mar 11, 2019 17:08
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Thanatosian posted:Cannot recommend a marriage counselor strongly enough. The two of you may think "we don't need a marriage counselor," but by the time most people decide they need a marriage counselor, the counselor just ends up helping them end their marriage, and financial issue are one of the biggest reasons people get divorced. Yeah and guess what my wife thinks about counseling (I've made that same pitch before) :/
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Mar 11, 2019 17:10
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drive me nuts to school posted:I would suggest a slight alternative and say take the consolidation but cancel the credit cards. Careful Drums posted:I mean given how this conversation is going I think you know the answer to that. My wife grew up a lot more financially unstable than me so I think in her mind "bills are getting paid" = "buy whatever who cares". It causes a lot of tension because she thinks I'm stingy for wanting to save money. FWIW unstable finances don't necessarily cause this; my mom grew up in precarious circumstances and became very frugal in response. Not saying that isn't the case with your wife, just that people respond differently to the same stimuli. You may need to untangle her feelings about money when having this talk. Financial restraint is not the same thing as deprivation. If she's worried about denying her kids stuff they want out of a desire to give them more than she had growing up, they will absolutely appreciate debt-free college degrees in 20 years way more than a pile of toys today. To say nothing of not having to support you guys in your old age. Edit: Careful Drums posted:Thanks for the votes of confidence Depends on how aggressive you can tolerate. I'm just spitballing and I live in a LCOL area, but here's what I'm thinking With Income: $104k/year Minus Income Taxes: $15k/year Mortgage: $24k/year Prop Taxes (est.): $5,000/year Home Ins. (est.): $3,000/year Car Insurance (est.): $2,400/year Power (est.): $4,000/year Water (est.): $1,000/year Groceries (est.): $2,400/year No wife income but no daycare costs, that leaves about $48k/year in discretionary spending. I'm guessing a lot of that is going to food, toys, clothes, and miscellaneous credit card purchases, to say nothing of four grand in interest a year. Even if I'm way off base on your expenses besides income tax and mortgage and they're all doubled, there should still be $20-30k to pay those cards off entirely within a year. How's that for "quickly"? This is all contingent on a HUUGE attitude adjustment and a lot of discipline on both of you, and it's going to take a while to get into the habit and there will probably be relapses. On the plus side, after the first year or two you will have effectively $4,000 each year, and that money will compound over time. Seconding the suggestion for counseling. DarkHorse fucked around with this message at 17:31 on Mar 11, 2019 |
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Mar 11, 2019 17:11
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Careful Drums posted:Yeah and guess what my wife thinks about counseling (I've made that same pitch before) :/ Lucky you, she doesn't have to like it! Nobody likes going to the dentist either, but sometimes you have to get in there and let a professional scrap the plaque off
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Mar 11, 2019 17:30
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GoGoGadgetChris posted:Lucky you, she doesn't have to like it!
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Mar 11, 2019 17:33
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DarkHorse posted:
This this this x1,000 The best gift you can give your children is your own security in retirement. If you and your wife don't save, it is going to fall to your children to support you. Will your special needs child need assistance for his or her whole life? Are the other two kids going to pay for it, or should you be budgeting for 3 in retirement? Make the thread!
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Mar 11, 2019 17:36
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Hey Goons. I'm in the fortunate position of having some rapidly accelerating income in the past few years as my vesting schedule (annual after three years wait) on my incentive compensation is now in full effect. I'm in the awkward spot where my wife can just barely deduct her traditional IRA contributions and we are closing in on not being able to do Roths soon. If I understand the back-door correctly, I need to make sure that I do not have ANY traditional IRAs in our names prior to doing the move of the non-deductible contribution to the Roth, correct? I'm nearly certain that my company 401k allows for consolidation of accounts (i.e. transferring in my traditional IRA) and that should be the recommended course if I want to take advantage of the back-door Roth? Can my wife's traditional IRA be moved into my 401k or no because that is in my name? She works part-time at my kids school and doesn't get any retirement accounts. Could she open a solo 401k and transfer it into there? Appreciate the responses.
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Mar 11, 2019 17:37
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Careful Drums posted:We have a little saved for college tuitions but we don't consistently make deposits.
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Mar 11, 2019 17:41
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Hoodwinker posted:My wife does not in any way like when I point this out about things. "I don't like doing the dishes either but chores are important!" Chores are a very different beast from fulfilling your duties and vows as a partner. People get defensive about couples counseling because they feel accused, or guilty, or threatened. Reassure your partner that you aren't suggesting couples counseling as an offensive against them but rather as a good thing for you both. But at the end of the day it is your partner's duty to attend with you even if they don't like it, so it's fine if you can't sell them on the importance of it. They're still going.
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Mar 11, 2019 17:42
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i feel like y'all are way too confident i can get us into counseling. it will end in me being screamed at and then caving.
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Mar 11, 2019 17:44
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moana posted:This is way backasswards, you need to be funding your retirement before even thinking about college savings. well likewise, i have a small sum of retirement money saved from before i got married. i don't have it backwards, i just don't have it at all lmao
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Mar 11, 2019 17:46
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Careful Drums posted:i feel like y'all are way too confident i can get us into counseling. it will end in me being screamed at and then caving. If that is honestly what your marriage is like then you should just get a divorce
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Mar 11, 2019 17:49
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Careful Drums posted:i feel like y'all are way too confident i can get us into counseling. it will end in me being screamed at and then caving. You've got significant problems in your relationship and need counseling more than I can possibly convey as a random internet stranger. Your post makes me less confident in your ability and much more confident in your need for it.
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Mar 11, 2019 17:50
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Droo posted:If that is honestly what your marriage is like then you should just get a divorce
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Mar 11, 2019 17:52
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loving christ i came in here asking for financial advice and ended at "you should divorce" i will challenge my assumption about counseling and see about that before concluding this.
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Mar 11, 2019 17:56
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Fuckin hell guys I came in here asking about this little floaty ice triangle poking out of the water and you're saying I need to move my 52,310 ton boat?!
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Mar 11, 2019 18:01
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My man you are tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt and are afraid of getting screamed at for wanting to change that in any way
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Mar 11, 2019 18:01
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