Inky

Honestly, for spending and savings accounts I don't think you can beat no-fee online banks. I've checked out local credit unions a couple of times over the years. The fees were always higher (and not much lower than the big 5) and the savings account rates were lower.

Well, one challenging part is that the timeline is uncertain. It might be as soon as 3 years or as long as 7. Different savings pathways has different tradeoffs.

For example, in one pathway you initially set more towards retirement and increase the proportion towards the downpayment closer to the time of purchase. This path leads to better retirement savings but the downside is that it reduces the flexibility in timing the purchase.

In the opposite direction you can front load downpayment savings and defer retirement saving. This path has opposite tradeoffs: improved optionality but reduced retirement savings.

I've been struggling lately with how to balance those tradeoffs. In my 20s I knew that a home purchase was so far away because of my career that following the first path was an easy choice. But now that I'm in my 30s and more settled I'm unsure of how aggressively to slow my retirement savings and start saving for a house.

I'll throw out a question:

If homeownership is an eventual, but not immediate, goal how do you balance your retirement and downpayment savings?

I've grappled with the question and have found it challenging to weigh the various options. Since the downpayment savings are kept in lower risk investments, I hate the idea of sitting on too big a pile when I'm still farther away from purchasing. But at the same time it will take some years to build up a downpayment of the desired size.

Honestly, despite being a regular user I don't think I could comfortably smoke a blunt on my own.

I've never thought of savings in terms of setting a target amount per month. Instead, I've always targetted my spending so that it is at most 70% (though often this has been lower) of whatever cash I regularly have coming in. Any income I get above my regular pay is 100% sent to savings.

I budget assuming 2 paycheques per month, though I am paid bi-weekly. Off each paycheque I automatically withdraw a fixed amount to my shared household spending account and my personal one. All of this spending is around 65% of each paycheque (after all deductions). It includes everything from necessary life expenses, fun money, and travel to emergencies.

Everything else is saved. So, to be more precise my savings come from 4 sources:

• Automatic paycheque deductions for DC pension and employee share plan
• Everything that is leftover after the automatic deductions for spending
• 2 'extra paycheques' each year (24 pay periods in spending budget vs 26 actual)
• Annual bonus

In my case, two things. Firstly, not putting home ownership on a pedestal as a crucial part of my financial well being. Truthfully, actually purchasing is quite low on my list of financial priorities. I have been a renter for 12 years and it has worked very well for me. My retirement savings plan accounts for the possibility of renting through retirement (or, equivalently, cashing out investments some time closer to retirement to purchase). At this stage in my life I'd much rather rent and have a pool of liquid investments than have a mortgage I can barely afford.

Secondly, I'm very focused on growing my income in my career. I've tripled my income since 2019 and if the chips fall correctly it should double over the next year. Were it not for the excessive housing costs I would not be so focused on income growth since my current salary already comfortably supports the remainder of my spending.

The only thing I feel I'm missing from a financial standpoint is access to leverage. Next year I'll have filled all of my spouse's and I's registered accounts so I'm going to more seriously investigate how to safely lever up using margin and derivatives.

Cost per gram is the only sensible measurement

... Or, you know, just adapt the recipe. Not simping for shrinkflation here, but it's pretty dumb to buy more than you need just to exactly match a recipe for queso. Shit ain't analytical chemistry

For Silk I've seen the 1.75L containers for quite a while. They are limited to the special varieties with more expensive ingredients such as the one with additional protein. I doubt this is an example of shrinkflation

Per day?!

As an adult it is a mix of leg jiggling and rubbing my finger nails against my thumbs. As a child I used to tap out rhythms with my heels and toes, much to the chagrin of my teachers and classmates.

Two words: pube loofah. The mons pubis is a great place to lather up. Then I just scoop up soap with my bare hands and bring it where it needs to be.