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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
Andrew - Clarity of thought, exceptional messaging, heartfelt summary. Thank you for becoming an HD contributor.
Post: What Remains: Money and Me
Link to comment from June 10, 2026
Mark and Greg - you've probably read my articles or comments my personal exercise routines. Typically I go to the gym after 3 or 4 days of biking. I work on machines to maintain core strength, and do stretches. I know that for an almost 73 year old guy I'm in decent shape. But going to lift or stretch at the local Y is a reminder that I'm not the only one. I see some people there in awesome condition. But it's like Greg's story above, I'm comparing myself to a unique subset of people. Taking Mark's walk down the street tells me more about "average" people in my age group, and 99% of them are not going to the Y.
Post: The thief of joy
Link to comment from June 7, 2026
Andrew, like many others, your post here reminded me of two different kinds of teachers. One group cared, showed respect, and offered both encouragement and guidance. The other group really didn't care, and just got by doing the minimum. Their influence was often negative. On reflection, there is a third group - - - the ones that left no mark at all. These were the ones who merely delivered the lessons.
Post: Don’t Quantify the Qualitative
Link to comment from June 3, 2026
Lucretia, this is a really great post. I've written about this, too --- from a "don't do this" perspective. My experience is recorded here.
Post: The Financial Stress a Simple Document Could Have Prevented
Link to comment from June 3, 2026
Agreed. Cherry tomatoes grow like weeds, and birds eat them and leave seeds in the ground for the following year. I don't even plant them anymore, they take care of it themselves. My garden went in late this year, as we were traveling a lot in May. My normal supplier for plants came through with almost all my "normal" plants - Roma tomatoes, Better Boys, okra, and peppers. No basil this year unless I find it elsewhere. That means less pesto for the winter. :(
Post: Shopping carts again…but not what you think
Link to comment from June 3, 2026
Pull the trigger. You've already committed to the major part of the cost by booking flights, accommodations, etc. You know you're going to eat while there. Most of the cost is already baked in. A saltmarsh excursion sounds like a lot of fun. Leave very early, bring a picnic basket and a couple of bottles of wine (or are they supplied?), and have the blast you want to have.
Post: Due Diligence: A Cautionary Tale of Astronomical Planning and Geographical Oversight
Link to comment from June 3, 2026
Thanks for this, Andrew. Many people have only Hogwarts as a reference for boarding school. It's difficult to imagine the impact of sending a child away has on the family. The emotional and physical separation is jarring. I might write a piece to add my perspective, but I would need to discuss it with my kids first.
Post: The Boy Who Tried Hard: A Reflection
Link to comment from May 28, 2026
William - I still have my Post Versalog slide rule. I earned my BS and MS degrees in mechanical engineering at NC State University.
Post: First Job, Lasting Impact
Link to comment from May 19, 2026
Two purchases improved my life - a right knee replacement as I retired in 2020 and (two years later) a left hip replacement. Both purchases eliminated daily pain, plus they restored my desired activity level. Other thoughts: adding a master suite to our home made it so much easier to live in our home. Adding a front porch to our home increased our social engagement with our community. On the flip side: many years ago, my then-wife convinced me that purchasing a vehicle with a certain level of status would be beneficial. That Saab lasted a long time, but finding a qualified mechanic was difficult, and the vehicle was expensive to repair. I no longer own that car and I'm also no longer married to that woman.
Post: The Art of Spending Money
Link to comment from May 17, 2026
In real estate, they say location, location, location! In divorce disputes, it's attorney, attorney, attorney! Whoever has the best representation wins. The goal should be equality, but neither party will see the settlement as fair.
Post: Help for divorcing daughter
Link to comment from May 16, 2026