Best way to break out of spending habits is to make timelines for achieving certain financial goals (for example, I want to have a $10,000 emergency fund saved in 18 months).

Then automate your short term savings, long term savings (retirement accounts) and your monthly bills. Have those specific amounts automatically deducted out of every paycheck. This will force you to reach your savings goals and now you can only spend what’s left in your checking account.

I also recommend YNAB not only for budgeting but also to forecast your future spending and savings.

Every time you are wasteful with your money you’re going backwards. The goal should be to preserve your wealth. It’s the only way to set up a secure financial future and nobody is going to do it for you.

I know. I worked for a doctor who paid me a whole $20/hr (before taxes) to chase down insurance payments from his patients’ denied claims. I made him way, way more money per hour than what he paid me for my time and frustration.

One example where whole life would make sense is if you’re relying heavily on your spouse’s pension for retirement and your income would decrease dramatically if your spouse passed away prematurely. If you have enough extra retirement monies saved though by the time you retire, then that would likely negate the need for whole life insurance.

Another example of the average person wanting whole life insurance would be if you have a dependent who is permanently disabled and who would always need to rely on you for caretaking and financial support.

Then there are very rich people who buy it to help their heirs pay estate taxes after they pass away.

Other than that, probably not necessary to buy whole life.

Okay we always hire a professional to replace the springs. My son tried once and that is when the spring popped the second time a few weeks later.

Very true!

Yes. That’s the better way to describe it. Lol

They run along the ceiling perpendicular (I suppose) to the doors (2-door garage). When they broke the (very) loud noise was them smacking against the metal garage door.

Right, ours don’t look like OP’s so we must have the other type (torsion?).

In some states dying intestate (without a will) causes your estate to be split 50/50 with 50% going to spouse and the other 50% going to the kids (split evenly). There are different rules in each state.

For instance in Illinois, spouse gets half and kids get half (copied and pasted):

Illinois

If you have a spouse but no children, the spouse inherits everything. If you have children but no spouse, the children inherit everything. If you have a spouse and children, the spouse and the children receive half of your property each. If you have parents but no spouse, children, or siblings, your parents inherit everything. If you have siblings but no spouse, children, or parents, the siblings inherit everything. If you have parents and siblings, but no spouse or children, your property is evenly divided among each parent and each sibling. (However, if you have only one parent alive, that parent receives a double share.)

Our garage door opener’s spring broke/detached and flew across the garage with a huge bang out of the blue. We initially had no idea what had caused the noise. It has happened twice. Luckily we were in the house both times. Scary.