I recommend APMEX; I have bought and sold gold bullion coins through them many times over the years and have never had a problem. You do need to send the coins through the mail, but the procedures are simple and safe (they keep video records of packing and unpacking in case of a dispute). Their mark-ups (fees) are reasonable. I recommend sticking with bullion coins such as American Eagles and generally avoiding numismatic collectible coins, which can have mark-ups as high as 35%. That said, personally I love giving Australian Lunar bullion gold coins to commemorate special occasions such as graduations………Gold coins are considered collectibles so any longterm gains are taxed at 28%, though dealers are not required to issue a Form 1099 for some categories of bullion…….I think Costco also sells gold at a reasonable mark-up.
Ordering a certified copy of your marriage certificate from the county in which you were married is really simple in California - you can usually do it online - and it doesn’t cost much. We were married in a cheap wedding chapel in South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County, in 1980 for $20. We had a copy of our “marriage certificate” but it was a cheap looking black-and-white document that didn’t look official by today’s standards, so we were never 100% certain it was real. The new certified copy we ordered last year is in color and looks like an official, modern document.
We paid $0 today to fill up our Fiat 500e from our solar panels and PowerWall. Panels were installed while we were still working; PowerWall was free courtesy of PG & E. My advice to anyone planning to retire is to do what you can while still working to reduce your fixed expenses in retirement - it leaves more money available for the fun stuff…….
Amazing! We haven't had any credit cards (except a Chevron card) for over 25 years - we only use debit cards, because it's the simplest way for us not to accidentally overspend - and have no debt so even though we pay the very low Chevron card balance off each month our FICO score is always at around 800. Kind of a peculiar system we have, that rewards people for having access to more credit.........
Getting around in an EV on the West Coast has become much easier - more charging stations and lots of good apps to find/reserve them. But they’re definitely still a niche vehicle for those wealthy enough to own more than one vehicle and/or have solar power/charging stations at home plus ideally also at work. So, much harder in general for renters…….
Sigh. Nice post, but it made me realize why phasing out the use of individual internal combustion autos is such a challenge in the US. Most of us sure love the ability to drive where we what when we want as quickly as we want. We are slowing getting used to depending on our EV (a used Fiat 500e, arguably the cutest car ever built) for most of our local driving (we live in the country and have solar panels with a Tesla PowerWall), but still own our farm truck, a bare bones Ford F-150 that we bought new in 1994, plus a 2013 VW hybrid Jetta (also bought new) for longer trips. We’ll keep the Ford as long as we live out here but will probably trade the Jetta for a new long-distance EV next year……….
Just a couple of comments: (1) one major advantage of a single payer system like the UK‘s NHS or large HMOs like Kaiser Permanente is simplification and cost savings in billing. If you enjoy podcasts check out Michael Lewis on this topic - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/against-the-rules-with-michael-lewis/id1455379351?i=1000555532510 - it‘s shocking, but also very funny. (2) shopping for a second opinion is very difficult if you don‘t want to damage the relationship you have with your doctor - inevitably some trust is lost. It‘s a bit easier if you‘re seeking a second option for your child (“I completely trust your competence and expertise, doctor, but I want to be able to tell my child that I did everything I possibly could to ensure all medical options were considered.”)
In the late1980s, a property that my father inherited from his father was finally sold (20 years after my grandfather‘s death). My father chose to split this money between me and my sister, about $50K each. My sister was in her late 20s, I in my early 30s, and both of us were married with stable jobs. We each decided to use the money as a down payment for a first house. That gift from our dad had a much greater positive effect on our lives than the far greater amount that we inherited decades later when he passed away.
Comments
In college we half jokingly talked about riding bicycles to Brazil, because, hey, it‘s downhill all the way 🥰.
Post: Dreams I Had by Jonathan Clements
Link to comment from June 7, 2025
I recommend APMEX; I have bought and sold gold bullion coins through them many times over the years and have never had a problem. You do need to send the coins through the mail, but the procedures are simple and safe (they keep video records of packing and unpacking in case of a dispute). Their mark-ups (fees) are reasonable. I recommend sticking with bullion coins such as American Eagles and generally avoiding numismatic collectible coins, which can have mark-ups as high as 35%. That said, personally I love giving Australian Lunar bullion gold coins to commemorate special occasions such as graduations………Gold coins are considered collectibles so any longterm gains are taxed at 28%, though dealers are not required to issue a Form 1099 for some categories of bullion…….I think Costco also sells gold at a reasonable mark-up.
Post: What About Gold?
Link to comment from June 7, 2025
Ordering a certified copy of your marriage certificate from the county in which you were married is really simple in California - you can usually do it online - and it doesn’t cost much. We were married in a cheap wedding chapel in South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County, in 1980 for $20. We had a copy of our “marriage certificate” but it was a cheap looking black-and-white document that didn’t look official by today’s standards, so we were never 100% certain it was real. The new certified copy we ordered last year is in color and looks like an official, modern document.
Post: Am I Really Married?
Link to comment from May 10, 2025
We paid $0 today to fill up our Fiat 500e from our solar panels and PowerWall. Panels were installed while we were still working; PowerWall was free courtesy of PG & E. My advice to anyone planning to retire is to do what you can while still working to reduce your fixed expenses in retirement - it leaves more money available for the fun stuff…….
Post: Gas Pains
Link to comment from June 15, 2022
Amazing! We haven't had any credit cards (except a Chevron card) for over 25 years - we only use debit cards, because it's the simplest way for us not to accidentally overspend - and have no debt so even though we pay the very low Chevron card balance off each month our FICO score is always at around 800. Kind of a peculiar system we have, that rewards people for having access to more credit.........
Post: A Perfect Score
Link to comment from June 8, 2022
Getting around in an EV on the West Coast has become much easier - more charging stations and lots of good apps to find/reserve them. But they’re definitely still a niche vehicle for those wealthy enough to own more than one vehicle and/or have solar power/charging stations at home plus ideally also at work. So, much harder in general for renters…….
Post: Driving a Bargain
Link to comment from May 21, 2022
Sigh. Nice post, but it made me realize why phasing out the use of individual internal combustion autos is such a challenge in the US. Most of us sure love the ability to drive where we what when we want as quickly as we want. We are slowing getting used to depending on our EV (a used Fiat 500e, arguably the cutest car ever built) for most of our local driving (we live in the country and have solar panels with a Tesla PowerWall), but still own our farm truck, a bare bones Ford F-150 that we bought new in 1994, plus a 2013 VW hybrid Jetta (also bought new) for longer trips. We’ll keep the Ford as long as we live out here but will probably trade the Jetta for a new long-distance EV next year……….
Post: Driving a Bargain
Link to comment from May 21, 2022
Just a couple of comments: (1) one major advantage of a single payer system like the UK‘s NHS or large HMOs like Kaiser Permanente is simplification and cost savings in billing. If you enjoy podcasts check out Michael Lewis on this topic - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/against-the-rules-with-michael-lewis/id1455379351?i=1000555532510 - it‘s shocking, but also very funny. (2) shopping for a second opinion is very difficult if you don‘t want to damage the relationship you have with your doctor - inevitably some trust is lost. It‘s a bit easier if you‘re seeking a second option for your child (“I completely trust your competence and expertise, doctor, but I want to be able to tell my child that I did everything I possibly could to ensure all medical options were considered.”)
Post: Can’t Help Ourselves
Link to comment from May 7, 2022
Unfortunately healthcare sharing plans often have exclusions for pre-existing conditions and certain illnesses (e.g.,mental health conditions)
Post: Can’t Help Ourselves
Link to comment from May 7, 2022
In the late1980s, a property that my father inherited from his father was finally sold (20 years after my grandfather‘s death). My father chose to split this money between me and my sister, about $50K each. My sister was in her late 20s, I in my early 30s, and both of us were married with stable jobs. We each decided to use the money as a down payment for a first house. That gift from our dad had a much greater positive effect on our lives than the far greater amount that we inherited decades later when he passed away.
Post: Generosity Delayed
Link to comment from April 20, 2022