Side note but you may want to switch to using “nibling” instead of niece/nephew if they are non-binary.

Wondering how this would be without any chocolate element and with one or both of the optional add-ins? This may be heresy to some, but I just don’t like chocolate flavor that much. But I love flavors in the almond/vanilla family.

I actually didn’t know that about how index funds make money! Always wondered how it was worth it for them when they make something like $10-20 a year on a $10k investment. Makes sense they have other ways to make money besides the minimal fees.

I mean, the whole point of something like an ETF or index fund is to pay very little in fees. The big thing with keeping savings in a local bank is that money will then ideally be lent out to the community. With an investment intermediary, I would argue that it doesn’t really matter that much who you do it with. Since…

The counterpoint would be that many doctors or engineers will be making a lot of money with their degree, and don’t really need the money. That said, what you describe does exist somewhat in the form of the public service loan forgiveness program. But you have to work for a nonprofit or the government.

There is a big difference between a policy directed at children vs. at adults, though. Also forgiving loans is a different policy from making public college free in the future.

How is the money being transferred from banks rather than from taxpayers in this scenario? I suppose you’re right that it’s future money not being taken rather than current money directly being transferred. But if the loans at issue are government rather than private loans, it’s not just the banks that are losing…

Also using the “you must just be jealous” line to dismiss any political criticism is a pretty low blow.

Oh come on. You really don’t see the difference between a political decision involving taxpayer dollars and not being happy for your friend in your personal life?

“But if you love your family, it’s worth skipping this holiday season to make sure they’ll be alive and healthy for the next one.”

So, summary is the average values are consistently way lower than the amount you “should” have saved at that age?

Yup. The strategy Bill describes worked for his family because his mother didn’t re-enter the working world full-time until he was in high school.

Idk I need to use the oven if I am going to make the sweet potato casserole with the mini marshmallows on top. Which of course I want to do, because I am 5 years old at heart and want to basically eat dessert alongside my turkey.

The big expense for me in terms of groceries is usually for convenience/time-saving items. I am absolutely willing to spend an extra $2 to not have to break down a butternut squash myself, for example. I also feel like having these items on hand also makes me more likely to not just give up completely and order…

“If the apocalypse ever comes I will be screwed as my cupboards and fridge are almost always bare though.”

I wouldn’t worry about things like cleaning supplies or basic toiletries and just include them in the total. They’re still a necessity for the household, so basically the same idea as food. Even though those expenses can be reduced if needed, so can food expenses a lot of the time (e.g. buying the generic or less…

Am I the only not convinced by the whole “masks are good to keep you from touching your face” idea? Maybe if you have a really well-fitted mask. But I feel like so many people don’t and are constantly adjusting and generally fiddling with them, thus touching their face way more than normal if anything.

That’s a…

“What I find weird is that many people seem to feel they need to rip their mask off the second it is not legally required. Wearing a mask really doesn’t seem like much of a burden to me?”

Yeah, a lot of local places have been disappointing with this lately. I was particularly annoyed when places started doing the plastic before it had even gotten that cold! Like, when it was in the 50s at night, which to me is still doable even without a heater. There were a few places where I was planning to go for…

How do you balance not forcing your kid to eat what they don’t want to without just letting them pick every meal for the family or eating chicken nuggets all the time, though?