I just received my 2025 rate increase notice from State Farm Insurance.
Continue readingWelcome to the blog
I’ve seen a few articles on the Internet lately trying to determine how much money we need for early retirement. A lot of it has to do with your lifestyle. If you are someone who likes to travel, eat out, or go to shows, you may need more money to
Continue readingXbox One D-Pad Repair
Every once in a while, I get a used Xbox One controller that has a unique problem. Most I have been able to fix, but a couple remain a mystery. The most perplexing one is a controller that shuts off when it vibrates. The only thing I found unusual is
Continue readingMay Ebay Sales Update
For the month of May (2025) I sold 4 items on Ebay. Three Xbox One controllers and one hat for a total profit of $24.42. Used controllers are difficult to sell if the price is over $30. I had a guy offer me $23 for a controller that I had
Continue readingHome Insurance Up 17.8%
I just received my 2025 rate increase notice from State Farm Insurance. Effective July 15, 2025, my new rate will be $148.46 per month on a home valued at $360k. That is a 17.8% increase over the previous monthly rate of $125.98. That comes out to an extra $269.76 per
Continue readingShorting the Nasdaq
On May 3rd I bought 100 shares of SQQQ (ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ). SQQQ is an ETF which holds 100 of the largest non-financial companies in the Nasdaq. My goal is to hedge the long positions in my brokerage account. Of course, as of today I’m down 16.50% on SQQQ.
Continue readingWaiting For Month End
The only downside to having a monthly budget is if you reach your spending limit before the end of the month. That is always the case for me during the months that I have car insurance payments due. I have two vehicles that have insurance due every six months. I
Continue readingApril Ebay Sales Update
My last Ebay sale was on March 29th. I have two gray/blue controllers listed, but no one seems to be interested in that color combination. Maybe it is because I set the price above $30. It seemed like Xbox One controllers were selling too quickly when the price was under
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