Best posts made by mom2jel

For those interested in purchasing Wusthof for decent prices, I recommend EverSharp.
It is a family-owned store and I think they are the only Wusthof outlet-approved store in the U.S.
(Free Shipping for $49+ purchases)

@marcopolomle said in DNA testing: 23&me $69 or $139 (Health Reports) OR Ancestry.com $59 thru April 25th:

Why would anyone pay to give their DNA to anyone ?

For me personally it was for the health portion, my son has an incurable immunology disease that no one else in either family has ever had. I spotted an ad by 23&Me looking for people like him and he was able to do his for free. Then I became curious about mine and my parents (both elderly, so gotta do that now or lose out) health concerns, the genealogy portion is a fun side thing for us.

I have a friend from from school days that was adopted, she did one of these tests to see if she could find relatives - she did! It’s been fun seeing her find her family this past year (1 full sibling, several 1/2 siblings), her birth father passed but she was able to meet her birth mother (adopted mother has passed). While there doesn’t seem to be a connection with her birth mom, she is wonderfully discovering her sisters and they enjoy visiting each other.

Vanguard Healthcare Fund mutual fund: “(invests in) domestic and foreign companies involved in various aspects of the health care industry, such as pharmaceutical firms, medical supply companies, and research firms.”

It’s done really well for me; example, twenty years ago we were given $10k that I invested in it. Didn’t add to it, just left it be for college funds. It’s now at $107K. Since my son had scholarships that covered all of his college expenses, he’ll get his 1/3 given to him. When I looked at the “gift tax”, I can give him the full amount this year since he’s still our dependent (next year he should be working and I probably won’t be able to claim him).

As if anyone cares, lol. I changed my mind after looking at funds.
I think what I’ll do is $25k to Mairs & Power Growth and add $10k to his Vanguard Healthcare Fund (which will then be $25k) and then he can decide later if he wants to move money around.
I’m still going to show him my comparison of different Vanguard funds (Growth Index, Total Stock, and Balanced Index) to see if he has any strong feelings.

I’m okay with Kmart closing, I haven’t had one close to me for about 15 years.
I’m sad to see Sears go, our local one closed a few years ago and I miss it - they actually had the best prices for kids clothing when my boys were growing up.
We have Kohl’s here (based out of WI) which I like their variety but I despise their pricing; even with their “Big Sale(s)” their prices are higher than JcPenney and sometimes even Marshall’s Department Store (not the discount store).

I really liked shopping online at Sears for picking up at the store, since they had a special drive-up pick-up spot for orders.
Oh, and a couple years ago when I shopped around for mattresses, Sears had the best prices (sale) - especially if you want a specific type of mattress over Costco or Sam’s Club sells. (I actually made a spreadsheet to compare mattresses and prices, lol).

If you have a Discover Card, you can redeem your cashback for gift cards too. I used $45 cashback to purchase a $50 Lowes gift card (there is also $100 GC for $90 cashback).
I’ve been doing MyPoints for years and had enough points to redeem for a Lowes gift card.
I also used BeFrugal.com to purchase my item online (store pick-up) for 2% cashback.

I was able to purchase a Rubbermaid 7x7 shed ($649, sale $549) for $429 today

If you can wait, the best deal I have gotten was a online-only deal from Costco on New Year’s (Eve? or Day?).
Costco does sell better tires, so if you’re just looking for cheap tires, then check your local farm equipment type store (in Minnesota/Wisconsin it’s Mills Fleet Farm).
Sam’s Club is probably similar to Costco, if you want good tires then just get whichever brand they currently have on sale.
(Disclosure - we have 7 vehicles and 2 motorcycles, I swear we’re replacing tires on something once a year… in husband’s case, he’s gone through 4 sets of tires this summer on his motorcycle - grrrr!)

I was all excited for this (DS16 is a HUGE StarWars fan), then I realized it’s a BETA and is only good through 10/9

I used HostGator, they were the cheapest I found.
Domain names I use Google, I also use Google Sites (free) for my websites.

Darn it! Two of my boys wear size 13

Also see this thread in Technology

Our Minneapolis StarTribune paper subscription includes a free digital subscription to the Washington Post (link).
Might not hurt to check if your local (large city) paper does too.

@cacher said in Still Use Windows Media Center?:

Daum potplayer

I’d never heard of it, here’s the link for anyone else curious.
https://potplayer.daum.net/

@mikk1 I have everyone’s items in my family scanned into folders on Google Drive (and then “share” their folder with them). Even in everyday life, those scanned documents have come in handy multiple times.

Personal note: I refuse to buy New Balance since their chairman gave $400,000 to tRump’s campaign. I loved being able to get deals for my son’s running shoes from Joe’s, but I now get great deals on better shoes at Sierra Trading Post.

@superfreak78
Because… “I now get great deals on better shoes at Sierra Trading Post.”

Back in 2013 I bought a Samsung Chromebook for my oldest son heading off to college (I set him up with a small form factor desktop for his dorm room); it worked great for him.
After seeing his chromebook, I bought the rest of us (4) the same chromebook for each of us. Last year the hinges failed on husband’s, and middle son (now off at college) wanted a bigger screen; now the high schooler’s doesn’t always start up. (Note that mine and oldest DS’s still work fine because we’re not rough with them).
I’ve sold three, still need to work on DH’s and DS17 to sell.

Bought DS20 and Asus Chromebook 10/2016, it failed by February. Sent it in to get fixed (graphics), they sent it back with a dead battery, had to send it to them again. When I got it back I sold it and bought him a Lenovo 13 which has lasted him a year and he’s happy with it.
Bought DS23 the same chromebook (and DH a Lenovo 11.6")

Tried 3 different refurbished HP Chromebooks from Woot, all immediately had problems so they were returned.
I bought myself an Asus Chromebox, had to install more memory because it kept crashing if I had more than 4 tabs opened.

I’m trying to decide what chromebook to get DS17, Lenovo like his brothers or maybe a Dell? I’d like to stick with the made-for-education models since “stuff happens” to high schoolers electronics. (He also has a SFF desktop).

What’s your chromebook stories?

I watched it tonight, I enjoyed it - but I’m a cat lover.
While it’s about cats, it is also about how we can all get along.

I think my favorite was the fisherman feeding the stray kittens.

Note that is week Target has coupons for $10 off $40 pet care purchase or $15 off $60 pet care purchase.
I stocked up on cat litter (I like A&H best, but it’s pricey, best frugal buy is Target’s bucket of clumping litter which is $9.99 everyday which is about 1/2 the price of the big brands).

eBay pulled the auction, I’m guessing that a rogue factory employee in China was trying to sell them and the Wyze company got wise to the auction.

Since I received two different shipping notices from the seller, I’m hoping that mine actually come.

Oooh, with my son’s 10% employee discount I could do some major damage to my RedCard!

Thank you!
I was able to redeem for 25lbs of litter

UPDATE: I bought a Netgear R7000 from ebay for $55. PITA to set up when CenturyLink gives me the wrong (!) info for the Transparent Bridging, hmph! Egads, everytime I try to get “help” from companies, I find I can do it better myself.

Anyhow, a note about the Disney Circle parental controls on the Netgear… they suck!
I bought a Disney Circle from ebay ($17 “parts only” but it only needed a hard reset, lol) and love it for the different levels and blocking for each family member or device! I’m not paying any extra monthly fees and I get a full range of blocking features (bedtimes, filters, etc).
The Netgear version of Circle is very limited and they want to charge me $5 monthly fee for the options I get for free on the actual device. I was hoping to resell the Circle once I got the router, but it looks like I’m keeping it.

I updated with a separate post below.

I upgraded my DSL to 100Mbps and had to get a new modem/router thru CenturyLink (needed bonding capability). The wifi sucks.
I am so confuzzled by routers
I know I want g/n/ac and have a “large” home (3,000sf including basement).
I have young adult males (two that stream); don’t need want it for gaming.
Want 2.4 & 5.0GHz
Don’t want to spend $$$ (would prefer $50’ish range if that’s possible).
Our desktop PC’s have Netgear AC1200 wifi adapters.

Will the Netgear AC1200 (#R6230) suffice?

I’ve done Janus (original), T. Rowe Price, and Dodge & Cox previously; I moved everything to Vanguard / Mairs & Power about 10 years ago because I didn’t like so many smaller funds.

For myself, I own a piddly $2k of Berkshire Hathaway B through Vanguard Brokerage, DRiP’s with Disney, J&J, General Mills, and also have the Mairs & Power Growth Fund as well as several Vanguard Funds.
I’m a long-term holder and just keep doing the automatic monthly purchase; last year (age 51) I did realize that I need to max my Roth IRA investment each year so I’m doing that and not adding any more to the regular funds.

I started out with my mom “helping” me pick two Vanguard funds ($2k each) back when I was 18; I laughed yesterday with my son that the same scenario is taking place between him and me now.
I don’t think he’ll do much with his investments until his 30’s; I’ve been open with my three boys about my investments so they do know how important the long-term investing is.

My idiot (separated) husband knows nothing about investing (and he’s the type that gets freaked out when the market has a downturn), my parents are 87 and my mom is of the CD’s and Savings Bonds era so I needed someplace to think aloud - because in real life I can’t just go talk to anyone that we have $108k sitting around to give to our boys, lol.

Thank you for the suggestions, I researched a bit more and I think I like these:
Vanguard Growth Index $10k (minimum to open acct.)
Mairs & Power Growth $25k (or ?)
Vanguard Total Stock $ ?

Mairs & Power Growth is another one that has done well for me and it seems to weather the downturn in the market (which I’m afraid is going to happen in the next couple of years); they also invest heavily in Minnesota based companies which I’m partial to since we live here.

The Vanguard Total Stock seems similar to MP Growth so I’m not sure if I should do that one.

I guess I’m aiming more for long term for him as I do my researching. When he eventually gets a job he should be making decent money as an actuary. This son doesn’t spend money, like at all, so if he lives at home for a year or so (and I’ll have him maxing out his Roth with automatic investing) he should actually be okay for a house downpayment (he already has a decent car).
I really stay away from bond funds, I know I should invest in them but I just can’t stand the low returns.

My 23 yr old has currently invested: $15k Vanguard Healthcare Fund, $5k Vanguard Prime Money Market, (and $3k Vanguard Healthcare Roth IRA).
He will be receiving $35k; I’m thinking he’ll want to pull funds out for a home down payment within 10 years. He isn’t working so putting into IRA isn’t doable right now. What Vanguard fund type do we look at putting this gift into?

I’d like to keep it semi-simple for him by keeping it all at Vanguard, one other possibility is Mairs & Power Growth Fund.
ETA: he has no debt.

…
Back when I started investing in mutual funds, there were a lot less choices; I look at Vanguard now and I’m so confused. I’ve had my Vanguard various funds for over thirty years and they’ve done very well so I haven’t looked at what else they have to offer.

The last Sears anywhere near me is closing - of all places, the Mall of America!

According to this deal, the $10 purchase can not be gift cards or stamps; which I read after a suggestion on SD to buy stamps
I might have to stock up on some priced-matched Bounty to be on the safe side.
LOL, I guess my procrastination paid off, I’ve been meaning to bring in my toner & ink cartridges for the past two years, I have 15 of them saved up.

@c3 said in Where do you buy tires for your vehicle?:

@mom2jel said in Where do you buy tires for your vehicle?:

If you can wait, the best deal I have gotten was a online-only deal from Costco on New Year’s (Eve? or Day?).

I got that deal for a relative, but that was a price mistake which Costco honored later.

I don’t think it was a price mistake, they had it on their website (Visa Rebate card) and according to SD, they’ve run this sale other years.

LOL, I’m in Minnesota… we don’t bother switching tires fall/spring. I get all-season tires and have never had a problem in the snow (or rain) with them on my '02 Tahoe (or DH’s Silverado, or sons Malibu, Equinox, and Saturn Vue).

I recycled 10 cartridges two weeks ago, and purchased $11 stamps in same transaction (then read the fine print later that said that stamps aren’t allowed).
Nothing shows in my Rewards account. I have 2 ink cartridges left to recycle… do I need to make another $10 to get my rewards to show up??

@briarycliffs said in Anyone have the latest login for Consumer Reports?:

reference at charlevoixlibrary

Thank you!

Scroll to the last post: https://phatwalletforums.com/topic/712/consumer-reports-library-login/12

I want to use a landscape picture of our city, but have the picture in the shape of Minnesota.
How do I crop (or cut?) a picture into a specific (odd) shape?

Herberger’s are in Minnesota, and are closing.

Dang… I thought my son’s feet at size 13 were big!