Not sure where I read about it, but I use white vinegar in the dishwasher as the rinse aid. Been using it for several years...seems to work okay.  I guess I haven't done a comparison vs. the name-brand stuff, so I'm not sure what works better.

What a great post. I suffer from the need to get the best value or return on investment from my purchases. I feel that I turn even the most basic purchases into a major research project; analyses paralyses. It took hours of online research, and brick and mortar shopping to replace the small TV that...

I have had a very good experience with Texas Precious Metals; I believe they allow you to pick up at their sales office with advance notice, but I had my order shipped direct.  I've picked up a couple of 1/10oz coins from Liquid Bullion off I-10, so that is also an option if you want to deal locally...

Here Maps and Viago - maps apps with offline maps What the diff between Viago and Navigon? For offline maps, I would suggest giving OSMAND a try.  I have also heard good things about HERE for general navigation, but it doesn't have as many advanced features currently.  Both are free.  Upgrading to ...

For long driving trips or long commutes, I like Waze. It tracks real-time traffic conditions based on other people using Waze, so its turn-by-turn navigation automatically re-routes you if necessary to avoid sudden traffic jams, accidents, sudden road closures, etc. I've heard of people using Waze,...

I have heard good things about HERE maps from some of the folks on the motorcycle forums.  Is it out of beta and on the play store now?  How big is a typical map file?  I have almost 20GB of maps for OSMAND...entire US vector maps, hillshade, and contours, but still have some room on my SD card. It...

Android: Press - rss feeds Pocket - save articles for later LastPass Authy - Google Authenticater substitute Twitter Pocket Casts - podcasts FlightRadar24 - see what flights are zooming above you StormFly - Live Weather Wallpaper Here Maps and Viago - maps apps with offline maps Financial: Billguar...

For me, the trouble with the AR for home defense is the stigma non gun owners associate with a rifle of that type.  If you ever have to use a gun for home defense, there will be legal repercussions.  It may be better to rely on an old shotgun, maybe a 20 gauge to reduce recoil, whose primary purpose...

+1 for OurGroceries.  If you have more than one person in the household, it's indispensable. Yes, the biggest headache is getting your spouse in the habit of checking it while at the grocery store! :) It's great too if you use the last of something...just add it to the list right away and it automa...

Whether you get a mortgage or pay cash, the FAR greater impact on your financial future is the house you choose to purchase. The guy who wrote the Millionaire Next Door has another book out called "Stop Acting Rich", and I believe the key take-away, at least for me, from that book was tha...

Flixster
Lastpass
Soulver (ios)
Mvelopes
SigFig
OurGroceries
Authenticator
OSMAND+ (android offline gps)

Two iphones...so ios for phoning. Android tablet mainly for the OSMAND+ offline navigation app...although I've been using it to browse internet forums and as a calculator and it seems to be handy for that. Windows computer at work. Had one windows and one ubuntu at home, but just reinstalled windows...

It's interesting...reading all of the rational reasons why I should have kept my mortgage, I can't really disagree too much with any of them.  I'm still not going out to the bank on Monday to get a mortgage.  For those who have not paid off their mortgage, I would say:  try it out.  If you don't lik...

1) Mortgage interest is tax deductible. Even if you're "retired", you can use this tax deduction to perform Roth IRA conversions for free to a certain level. This one isn't necessarily such a great incentive. For joint filers, you'd have to buy quite a bit of house in order to meet the st...

I looked a few months ago and came to the same conclusion...HSA Bank was the best option.

I didn't read the reddit threads...I was hoping for a list, but I like Allen Edmonds shoes, Red Wing boots, All Clad stainless cookery, Lodge cast iron pan. I inherited a bunch of craftsman tools from my grandfather...seems these may be BIFL.  There are probably others I haven't thought of off the t...

I was just reading Ryan Melvey's article on Long Bonds here: http://www.stableinvesting.com/ He makes the case that one can hold a lower percentage of LTTs (and still not alter the power of bonds to lift the entire portfolio) if they are of longer duration. I guess that is pretty obvious to most PP...

I'd give it a few more months before buying; it could get a bit uglier.  Keep an eye on the service companies as well.

I think I mentioned this in another thread, but I highly recommend Mvelopes.  My wife and I've been using it for about 3 years, and we do all of our budgeting and manage all of our expenses through it.  It requires you to actively assign your transactions to envelopes of your choosing, and it will n...

I use Mvelopes for this and one checking/savings setup.  Your paychecks come into an "income cash pool", from which you fund envelopes based on your planned spending.  Annual expenses are funded based on the annual cost divided by each pay period.  Monthly bills are funded in advance based...

The main thing I wonder about is how the computer could know certain things, like the fact that there is a big curve of X degrees up ahead and I therefore need to slow down to Y miles per hour in Z feet. I'm sure they have some technology that does this somehow but I can't help but wonder how foolp...

5. We might have an ugly transition period that lasts decades or generations, especially in the U.S. where a lot of people like to drive their own cars. I've always thought that things will progress in train-friendly Europe first, or in Japan. interesting you mention trains and train culture, i can...

Keep in mind that a 401(k) plan has asset protections not available in an IRA.  For example, if you are sued or declare bankruptcy, the 401(k) accounts are protected. IRAs are protected from bankruptcy, at least to a limited extent. Try this for some light reading: ... So it seems that rollover IRA...

AFAIK, you don't lose the option to contribute to a Roth by having another IRA.  It simply affects the percentage that is taxable in the rollover. But even if it is fully taxable, if you're in the 15% tax bracket it may not be too bad. If you have low income, the entire amount may fall under the st...

I understand rolling the funds into a traditional IRA may change the percentage that is nontaxable in the later backdoor Roth contribution, but depending on your tax bracket, deductions + exemptions, and 401k alternatives it may still be worth it.  Can you elaborate on this?  I expect that the 401k...