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Jeff moved to Raleigh in 1971 to attend North Carolina State University and never left. He retired in 2020 after 43 years in various engineering roles. Jeff’s the proud father of two sons and, in 2013, expanded his family with a new wife and two stepdaughters. Today, he’s “Grandpa” four times over. In retirement, Jeff works on home projects, volunteers, reads, gardens, and rides his bike or goes to the gym almost every day. He's written several Humble Dollar articles that can be found here.
Whole Life Insurance Worked for Me
25 replies
AUTHOR: Jeff Bond on 1/22/2025
FIRST: Rick Connor on 1/22/2025 | RECENT: Langston Holland on 2/1
Choosing the right executor/trustee
5 replies
AUTHOR: Jeff Bond on 12/10/2025
FIRST: Nick Politakis on 12/10/2025 | RECENT: jan Ohara on 12/11/2025
Another HD Post About Cars
64 replies
AUTHOR: Jeff Bond on 5/27/2025
FIRST: Rick Connor on 5/27/2025 | RECENT: stelea99 on 6/21/2025
How Did You Announced Your Retirement?
32 replies
AUTHOR: Jeff Bond on 8/13/2024
FIRST: R Quinn on 8/13/2024 | RECENT: R Quinn on 5/1/2025
Where and When Do You Spend?
48 replies
AUTHOR: Jeff Bond on 3/2/2025
FIRST: Edmund Marsh on 3/3/2025 | RECENT: Jeff Bond on 3/8/2025
Home Maintenance Choices, Options, & Decisions
35 replies
AUTHOR: Jeff Bond on 11/5/2024
FIRST: Dan Smith on 11/5/2024 | RECENT: Jeff Bond on 11/11/2024
DST Transitioning
11 replies
AUTHOR: Jeff Bond on 11/9/2024
FIRST: mytimetotravel on 11/9/2024 | RECENT: mytimetotravel on 11/10/2024
Long-Term Care? Who Has It?
45 replies
AUTHOR: Jeff Bond on 8/10/2024
FIRST: Ken Cutler on 8/10/2024 | RECENT: Linda Grady on 9/10/2024
MY WIFE AND I purchased a 1942 bungalow when we got married in 2013. It met many of our criteria: price, location, spacious backyard, access to greenways and more. But the place also had drawbacks—including the one described below.
The entryway to the house included a climb up seven steps to a stoop. The stoop was small, large enough for only one person to stand while opening the storm door. The only protection from the weather was an old canvas awning.
MY RETIREMENT IN July 2020 came at a stressful time. I was recovering from knee replacement surgery and we were in the midst of the pandemic. Luckily, I had physical therapy goals to meet, and I’d already purchased a huge supply of reading material. TV, music and my laptop were also there to distract me. In addition, my wife had retired eight months before, so we had each other for company.
As the pandemic stretched on,
AS AN ENGINEER and a believer in keeping things running, I haven’t owned many automobiles during my lifetime. Instead, my focus has been on extending each one’s longevity.
Among the maintenance and repairs I’ve undertaken: oil changes, spark plug and wire replacements, carburetor cleaning and adjustment, belt and hose replacements, distributor and timing settings, brake replacements (disk and drum), master and slave brake cylinder repairs, clutch adjustment, alternator repair, radiator repair, heater core repair,
I BEGAN MY CAREER as a part-time employee for an engineering consulting firm. At the time, I was working on my master’s degree in mechanical engineering. I shifted to full-time when I’d wrapped up my coursework but before completing my research and oral defense.
Over the next four years, I finished that degree and passed the national exam to become a registered professional engineer. I also got married, and bought a dog, a second car and a house.
AS A KID, I WAS usually one of the last chosen for pickup games, be it softball, basketball or football. My athletic prowess was limited to being the fastest kid in my neighborhood, but it seems I lived in a slow neighborhood. I had moderate success on a local swim team, but again found that success didn’t translate to surrounding communities.
Into my teen years, I was plagued by allergies and asthma. It wasn’t until the late 1970s,
MOM AND DAD WERE products of the Great Depression. I feel like it affected every single day of their lives. Despite their difficult upbringing, they made good financial decisions that allowed them to live comfortably. Part of it was because Dad worked for the same company for almost 42 years. His pension paid him more than I earned in my first job as an engineer.
When Mom died in August 2004, she was almost 84.
WHEN I FIRST CAME across HumbleDollar, I just lurked on the website, convinced that everyone knew more about investing and personal finance than me. After a while, I started making occasional comments.
Finally, I’m ready to share some of my financial stories. My first topic relates to my misadventures with real estate limited partnerships. Note that all references here are to my then-wife, not my current wife.
I was in my first job as an engineer.
Comments
LH - Both my wife and I primarily gas-up at our Costco. Though we don't really drive a bunch anymore and we drive fuel-efficient cars, the 30-to-40 cents per gallon cost savings is a significant savings towards the price of membership. Just before the pandemic hit, I went to Costco for our "normal run," which included a package of 36 rolls of toilet paper and 12 rolls of paper towels. It was a lucky break on our part, but needless to say, we were not part of the desperate search for TP during COVID.
Post: Frittering away Frugality
Link to comment from July 8, 2026
If you bought this car new and have maintenance records showing that you took care of the vehicle, you have a case for complaining loud and hard to both the dealer and manufacturer. If they still say no, make sure you tell them you will be headed to Facebook and Instagram to highlight your complaints.
Post: Tempted by the Shiny and New: Another HD Car Post
Link to comment from July 4, 2026
Thank you for sharing. What a wonderful reflection on life and the little things that matter.
Post: A Letter 40 Years Later: What Mrs. Dolezal Remembered
Link to comment from July 1, 2026
Mark, the last job I had lasted for 20 years. When they called, the initial telephone and following in-person interview went fine - I had the credentials they wanted and decent experience in their field. For the second interview, I was asked to make a 30 minute technical presentation. The subject matter was unimportant, but the ability to make a coherent technical presentation to a roomful of engineers and technicians was considered a make-or-break skill for this company. Apparently I passed.
Post: Lessons Learned Along the Way
Link to comment from June 29, 2026
Mark, that happened to me, too. I had a life insurance policy that turned into stock due to demutualization. I know I redeemed/sold the shares at some point. It was not a big deal.
Post: Independence Day
Link to comment from June 29, 2026
I have a similar IBM story. Back in the late '70's my step-father-in-law gifted three shares of IBM stock to my (then) wife, me, and us. Three shares, each in a different name. I set all for dividend reinvestment, through the years we made a few small cash contributions to the joint held shares, and there were several splits. We just left all of them alone to grow. We separated in the mid 2000's, and financial division took a while, but by the time all was said and done, those initial three shares were worth approximately $10K.
Post: Independence Day
Link to comment from June 29, 2026
Mark, I have two separate accounts. Here's my over-simplified response: My IRA proceeds, when withdrawn, are counted as regular income. My investment account proceeds, when withdrawn, will have gains computed between the original purchase price and the sold price. I don't really plan to withdraw from this account. My best-laid plans are for the kids to inherit this account and benefit from the basis step-up that would happen when I croak.
Post: Luck, Stupidity, and Getting Ripped Off
Link to comment from June 29, 2026
Mark, I have also written about this before. I turned 30 in 1983. I opened my first IRA and began saving (I'm pretty sure the limit was $2,000 per year) for retirement because my employer offered neither a pension nor a 401(k) plan. An acquaintance had suggested I open the IRA with Vanguard, so I was able to skip the high pressure and high sales load scenarios that you experienced. My experiences with limited partnerships and time shares turned out to be money losers rather than lucrative investments, so I did have some learned lessons along the way. :( But you and I both benefitted from the hold 'em philosophy. I learned that from my Dad. If I bought something, it was because I thought it was worthwhile and that it would pay off in either the short term or the long term. Overall this has worked very well for me. However, some things I've held for a very long term will punish me if/when I sell them due to capital gains taxes.
Post: Luck, Stupidity, and Getting Ripped Off
Link to comment from June 28, 2026
I still like the term "tin can casita"!
Post: Thinking about downsizing? Think seriously
Link to comment from June 25, 2026
For those of you who track storms during hurricane season, the day-by-day impact area expands due to the uncertainty factors folded into the Monte Carlo analysis used to track the most likely path.
Post: The Solitaire Solution
Link to comment from June 23, 2026