David Lancaster

Comments:

• Hi Ed, I have a solution for your vegetable garden conundrum. A book called All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. The author was an engineer by training and thought there must be a more efficient way to garden than planting long rows of vegetables with more space utilized for your mobility than growing vegetables. For all of us frugal Humble Dollar gardeners he also explains how you can save money on purchasing seeds. His concepts include: 1) 4x4 raised beds- which as a PT I’m sure you are familiar with. The size and shape allow you to access the entire square of vegetables without stepping on the planted area, and you can build them as high as necessary to protect your back. The design also allows for turning over the soil in the spring with a pitchfork rather than using a heavy rototiller, 2) intensive spacing of the plants- you plant up to 16 beets/carrots, 4 bean plants in each square foot. Since you know where you planted each seed in a square if one doesn’t germinate you just replace it- no planting a bunch of seeds and then thinning out more plants than you keep, thus no wasting of seeds (which like everything else have increased dramatically in cost), 3) using trellises for growing beans, peas, cucumbers vertically, 4) weeding takes no time at all since when the plants mature the close spacing of the plants blocks the sun from the ground. I have six 4x4 planters and my garden which produces enough two enthusiastic vegetable eaters, with some left over to still give away to the neighbors. I suggest all the HD gardeners give the concept a try. BTW, I also live in NH, near the seacoast, and all you southern gardeners might be interested to know that we are just beginning the planting season.

  Post: Getting Old

  Link to comment from April 19, 2023

• I bought a new Toyota pickup with all the bells and whistles at the beginning of Covid replacing my 2002 one. The old one was a stripped 2WD that I paid 13K, the new one 35K. I live in NH and at 62 had decided it was time to no longer load 10 cinder blocks in the bed for added traction each time it snowed. Although the recommendation is to buy a 3 year old vehicle to avoid the initial depreciation used pickups hold onto their value, and I figure if this truck lasts for 20 years as expected this will be the last one I will buy. Even though at this point I don’t need the blind spot monitor, cross traffic alert, and lane tracking assist (my wife might argue that point) I figured that these will be valuable as I get older.

  Post: It Also Has Wheels

  Link to comment from April 15, 2023

• As I have commented before I retired from 30 years practicing as an outpatient orthopedic physical therapist. I also am a proud recipient of hip replacements at 47 and 49, and nearing the 20 year mark. Some tips from my experience: 1) Recovery from hip replacement is much easier than knees 2) Most patients should not undergo replacement of both knees at the same time unless you lean towards the fitness fanatic side as the majority of most non-athletically inclined will not tend to put in the necessary time for each knee with poorer outcomes than if each were performed separately 3) Pain control is all about limiting inflammation and swelling. Swelling increases your pain and decreases your range of motion (more so for knees) and inhibits muscle contraction 4) As such the best approach is to use ice in doubled up in gallon freezer bags) rather than other more “convenient” means. Note: If it doesn’t feel cold it isn’t doing any good. 5) Anti inflammatory medications when allowed by MD along with ice can significantly reduce the need for addictive narcotics 6) Do Your Exercises! Being diligent with your rehabilitation program will allow you to return to doing almost all activities of daily living and athletic activities, running excepted!

  Post: Pretty Nice Joint

  Link to comment from April 8, 2023

• An excellent claiming strategy calculator by Michael Piper: opensocialsecurity.com

  Post: Bewildering Benefits

  Link to comment from April 8, 2023

• I guess I had both as a year earlier I inherited some money but said to my wife that the market, quoting Allan Greenspan, was too frothy at that time. I invested a portion in a total market index fund every 5% drop and invested the final amount within days of the bottom, then converted the same percentage into bonds every 5% recovery as market came back. Could have made more of a killing if I tried to time the top and bottom of the market, but know that you can’t predict. Unfortunately a good portion of those gains lost last year in the bond swoon. Easy come easy go I guess!

  Post: Chasing Yield

  Link to comment from April 2, 2023

• I agree with,”Relatively modest gifts received early in life are often more impactful than larger inheritances received later.” We inherited money after my parents died in 2018, and gave a portion to both of our children as a final (unrestricted) present from their grandparents. Our fee only financial advisor rightfully warned us to worry about our retirement first as both children were in their early thirties, and had many years of earnings ahead of them. My response was if my wife and I are not able to live off of our combined assets at that point then there was something wrong with US. Each child used their gifts differently (and dare I say intelligently). My son used the money for a down payment on a house (just before COVID) whereas he and his wife would have had to save for years (and pay a much higher price). My daughter used the money to pay off all of her college debt, and with my guidance has become an avid investor. Our benevolence of a small amount of our inheritance years ago as expected has likely changed the course of their financial lives. What kind of effect it would have 35 years from now when we are both gone? We’ll never know. All I know now is how good it feels to have helped while we’re are alive!

  Post: More Than Enough

  Link to comment from April 1, 2023

• I’m glad you got hooked on Phillip Morris’ stock, and not their product. Also a nice touch to move the sale proceeds to your donor advised fund.

  Post: Gift of Knowledge

  Link to comment from April 1, 2023

• Great article Chris! My biggest disappointment in my portfolio’s performance last year was not in my stock index ETFs (as I expect significant yearly fluctuations, and those funds are in my long term bucket), but my bond funds up to -13% loss in my medium term bucket. I know that performance is still better than the stock markets’, but still….yesh!

  Post: Time for a Ladder?

  Link to comment from March 29, 2023

• Even a two percent inflation adjustment is a rare beast, as I believe the majority of pensions (including mine) are fixed. If the Federal Reserve gets back to it’s target for inflation you will be golden

  Post: The Waiting Game

  Link to comment from March 25, 2023

• The problem with the statement above is that at least when I was making the pension vs lump sum is that the annuity payout from insurance companies were significantly smaller than what was offered through my employer. Perhaps due to the company pension not paying a commission. R Quinn can you clarify?

  Post: I’ll Take It From Here

  Link to comment from March 22, 2023