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Tax Free Income Trap, Dealing With MAGI
24 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 4/21/2026
FIRST: Ormode on 4/21 | RECENT: Andy Morrison on 5/4
Hidden Surcharge
11 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 4/21/2026
FIRST: Nick Politakis on 4/21 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 4/27
Penny Wise, Pound Foolish
66 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 4/12/2026
FIRST: kristinehayes2014 on 4/12 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 4/21
How do I scam thee? Let me count the ways
47 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 7/20/2025
FIRST: Jonathan Clements on 7/21/2025 | RECENT: Susan Farke on 3/6
2026 Charitable Contributions
10 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 2/9/2026
FIRST: R Quinn on 2/9 | RECENT: Randy Dobkin on 2/10
Planning a Trip
21 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 1/30/2026
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 1/30 | RECENT: normr60189 on 2/4
Less Paper, More Fraud
11 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 2/2/2026
FIRST: R Quinn on 2/2 | RECENT: Randy Dobkin on 2/3
Smart Watch
8 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 1/22/2026
FIRST: normr60189 on 1/22 | RECENT: Jeff Bond on 1/23
Private Equity Investing
8 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 1/21/2026
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 1/21 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 1/22
DIET, Did I Eat That
24 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 1/16/2026
FIRST: David Lancaster on 1/16 | RECENT: Randy Dobkin on 1/18
Plan for a Pay Cut
36 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 12/26/2025
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 12/26/2025 | RECENT: Lis7 on 1/13
Filing Status and IRMMA
4 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 12/28/2025
FIRST: Nick Politakis on 12/28/2025 | RECENT: David Lancaster on 12/31/2025
Humble Christmas and Holiday Message
6 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 12/20/2025
FIRST: OldITGuy on 12/20/2025 | RECENT: Nick Politakis on 12/22/2025
They Never Call
1 reply
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 12/19/2025
FIRST: greg_j_tomamichel on 12/19/2025 | RECENT: greg_j_tomamichel on 12/19/2025
27 Months
73 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 12/12/2025
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 12/12/2025 | RECENT: Andy Morrison on 12/19/2025
Enough Already
29 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 12/9/2025
FIRST: William Perry on 12/9/2025 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 12/12/2025
The Point of Diminishing Returns
50 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/31/2025
FIRST: Gary Klotz on 11/1/2025 | RECENT: David Lancaster on 12/8/2025
Are the actuarial assumptions regarding benefit neutrality still accurate?
19 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 12/5/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 12/5/2025 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 12/8/2025
A Day In Philly
26 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 11/11/2025
FIRST: Jack Hannam on 11/11/2025 | RECENT: mytimetotravel on 11/12/2025
To Help, And To Be Helped
14 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 11/11/2025
FIRST: David Lancaster on 11/11/2025 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 11/12/2025
Public Schools and Property Taxes
16 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/27/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 10/28/2025 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 10/30/2025
HumbleDollar Friend Request
8 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/27/2025
FIRST: DAN SMITH on 10/27/2025 | RECENT: Edmund Marsh on 10/28/2025
Don’t Give Up on the Wayward Kid
16 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/24/2025
FIRST: greg_j_tomamichel on 10/24/2025 | RECENT: Mom & Dad Schneider on 10/27/2025
Balance Transfers and Money Factors
6 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/21/2025
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 10/21/2025 | RECENT: youthbudget on 10/25/2025
Discarding the Negative
23 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/19/2025
FIRST: Andrew Forsythe on 10/19/2025 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 10/21/2025
Drinking on the Job
10 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/16/2025
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 10/17/2025 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 10/19/2025
The Wine Chronicles
24 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/10/2025
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 10/10/2025 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 10/11/2025
Taxpayers Say the Darndest Things
30 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/2/2025
FIRST: Jeff Bond on 10/2/2025 | RECENT: David Lancaster on 10/8/2025
November 7 HumbleDollar Reader/Writer Meet Up
6 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/4/2025
FIRST: Dave Melick on 10/4/2025 | RECENT: S on 10/5/2025
Told Ya So Big Dummy
38 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 9/26/2025
FIRST: greg_j_tomamichel on 9/26/2025 | RECENT: greg_j_tomamichel on 9/28/2025
An Idea Every Week
12 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 9/6/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 9/6/2025 | RECENT: Dan Smith on 9/7/2025
Shifting Gears
23 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 8/29/2025
FIRST: quan nguyen on 8/29/2025 | RECENT: Richard Hayman on 9/2/2025
Bad Trip
32 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 7/31/2025
FIRST: 1PF on 7/31/2025 | RECENT: David Shapiro on 8/2/2025
Breaking Up 2
25 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 7/1/2025
FIRST: Scott Dichter on 7/1/2025 | RECENT: Dan Smith on 7/5/2025
A Lesson in Accountability
15 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 5/29/2025
FIRST: Jonathan Clements on 5/29/2025 | RECENT: Michael1 on 6/1/2025
Can’t Figure Out This Darned Insomnia
16 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 5/16/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 5/16/2025 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 5/17/2025
Insomnia and the Back of an Envelope
19 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 4/21/2025
FIRST: Ken Cutler on 4/21/2025 | RECENT: DrLefty on 4/27/2025
Trying To Think Through the Bond Situation
15 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 4/14/2025
FIRST: Russ Paoletti on 4/15/2025 | RECENT: Randy Dobkin on 4/18/2025
Will Work For Food, Starting My Diet Soon
14 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 3/31/2025
FIRST: Jeff Bond on 3/31/2025 | RECENT: mytimetotravel on 4/1/2025
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
41 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 3/6/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 3/6/2025 | RECENT: Cheryl Low on 3/9/2025
Things That Don’t Much Interest Me No More
33 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 12/5/2024
FIRST: bbbobbins on 12/5/2024 | RECENT: DrLefty on 12/10/2024
After It's Over
11 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 11/21/2024
FIRST: mytimetotravel on 11/21/2024 | RECENT: mytimetotravel on 11/22/2024
Good Old Days?
19 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 11/18/2024
FIRST: Jeff Bond on 11/18/2024 | RECENT: H S on 11/19/2024
How Much is Too Much
5 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 6/27/2024
FIRST: Jonathan Clements on 6/28/2024 | RECENT: Ed Wong on 6/29/2024
Comments
Marilyn, I’d challenge anyone who would downvote your comment to tell me why. Family vacations are part of the fabric of family life and childhood memories. My first wife and I did the same as you, and the kids, now 50 and 45, still fondly remember those trips. That doesn’t mean vacations get carte blanc on cost, still, they are an important part of growing up. And uh-oh, you said 'spreadsheet'.
Post: Is saving really that hard? Nope, not for the great majority of Americans.
Link to comment from May 1, 2026
Paul, I have a theory about the current prices, though I have only anecdotal data to support it. After prices spiked post COVID, they never came back down when gas prices receded and supply chain shortages eased. Instead, sale discounts increased. For example, retail for my vice, Pepsi Zero, increased to $12 per 12 pack. The regular retail price never came down, but are almost always on sale now at buy two, get two for free. On holiday weeks they are buy two and get three for free. Many companies reported increased earnings at that time. I noticed the same thing on other grocery items as well.
Post: Shopping around – you versus the grocery store
Link to comment from April 30, 2026
This is a ridiculous but common situation, I have seen amendments take two years to process. Cutting jobs at the service is costing the government billions in lost revenue. Another way the slow processing costs taxpayers money is the interest the IRS will pay your mom for the delay, I think currently 6%. I’ll probably get yelled at for bringing this up. While speaking to the IRS, did they happen to suggest that your mom could go ahead and pay the balance due from 2025? Doing so might help your mom to not stress about the situation.
Post: How Far Behind is the IRS?
Link to comment from April 30, 2026
Dick, I’m hooked on digital coupons, and I have an app called Key Ring that stores all my affinity cards; so no bulging wallet for me. You have to watch those unit prices on different size packages carefully. I also use store brands as much as I can get away with. I share your frustrations both in and outside the store, but Chrissy tells me I have to choose my battles more carefully. Smart one, she is.
Post: Shopping around – you versus the grocery store
Link to comment from April 30, 2026
Bravo! Andrew, Your posts reminds me, based on who I am, and where I was born, that the ‘floor’ I was born to, was many stories higher than where most others in the world must begin their lives. In my darkest financial days, I still had the resources to put food on the table, and cover necessary living expenses. So many people in the world are not able to say that. I’ve been thinking about adding the World Central Kitchen to my list of charitable donations. You just made up my mind for me🙂
Post: One World, One Kind of Work
Link to comment from April 30, 2026
DJ, I love this story of your family’s generational journey. My dad’s family was dirt poor, and moved ‘up north’ in search of work and a better life. Mom and dad’s first property was also a duplex, followed by a single family home that I grew up in. Thanks for this one, DJ. Keep ‘em coming.
Post: California, Here They Came
Link to comment from April 30, 2026
So, the average rent for a home in Toledo, (a very low COLA city) is around $1200. That only leaves $1k for everything else. Hard to save even a nickle if that's the only household income>
Post: Is saving really that hard? Nope, not for the great majority of Americans.
Link to comment from April 28, 2026
Thanks for all the great comments and kind words. The questions that I considered to navigate around my divorce, health and occupational issues are the same, or very similar to other of life's obstacles. Education. Marriage. Work. Children. Retirement. Where am I? Where do I want to be? How do I get there from here?
Post: Around the Obstacles
Link to comment from April 28, 2026
A year or so ago, I analyzed whether or not I could have done better than Social Security if I had been able to invest my payroll taxes in the S&P. The simple answer was yes, but the real (and more accurate) answer was much more complicated. What if I had become disabled, what if I died leaving behind a wife and a housefull of kids, what about spousal and survivor benefits? Finally, the question most pertinent to both my and your post is if it’s realistic to expect (most) people to follow through with saving over a period of 40 years. The math is simple and correct, the reality, sadly, is not.
Post: Is saving really that hard? Nope, not for the great majority of Americans.
Link to comment from April 28, 2026
Rick, I’m sad to hear about the loss of your friend. Thanks for the history of the Vanguard 500 Index Fund. I wish I knew then, what I know now.
Post: Happy 50th!
Link to comment from April 27, 2026