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xixstar

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Everything posted by xixstar

  1. I love YNAB and have used it for more than 10 years now. When I first started using it, they mostly forced you to budget a month ahead of time (in May you're spending the money you got in April) but that is no longer a requirement. You can use it without doing it that way anymore. But, if you can switch to budgeting to where you're spending last month's income (we've had to take our tax return in years past to get us back to spending last month's income, it makes budgeting so much easier and paying bills less stressful because you know the money is there on the first of the month for all the bills that month. No more waiting for Friday's check to buy groceries for the next week, etc. I tried Every Dollar and did not like it at all. And I do like most of the DR stuff, just not that app. I went back to YNAB after trying it.
  2. I use YNAB which I use on my computer (they have a phone app, but I don't use it). I reconcile a couple times a month to keep track of where we are. I have categories for everything because we budget for everything. It did take a little time to get that set up. And it took me 2-3 months to really know what our categories should be (aka when I needed less or more categories). It's pretty fast to do now because YNAB generally knows which category a purchase goes into and I just have to approve it. So after your first month, it should be much faster.
  3. I know it's late - but the stuffed shark makes a good body pillow, or so I hear. ? I currently sleep with a flipazoo alligator/bear. I need to up my game. lol.
  4. A stuffed shark toy -- thanks to the hive, it's at the top of my IKEA shopping list. Other things I like: small led lamps, either clip on or stand-based ones. These have been really useful for so many things. For kitchen storage, I love the white containers with clear plastic lids. They're listed for dry goods, but I use them for the fridge. I love that I have 3 depth containers that all use the same lid.
  5. I have had command strips rip large patches off my walls. And yet here, I am still using them -- DH isn't impressed. I'm hoping hey are more successful on painted drywall than on the other walls that have some kind of painted paper coating on top of plaster walls.
  6. My family lived in Pawhuska for ages and it really just bewilders me that she built all that there -- yes, I know that is where she is from. It is (or was?) such a tiny little town. Like you could rent a Main Street store front commercial site for $100 a month because it was so small. I could buy a new car or a entire house for the same amount, at the time. I should ask my momma for an update since she is out that way. She mentioned the place when it first opened, apparently she decided it wasn't anything special and certainly not worth any fuss (yes, the local folk probably do kinda look at everyone coming in like they're a bit crazy, I think).
  7. I played a lot of games that I wanted to tell the Hive gamers about....
  8. Sorry it's stressful figuring this out - I just hosted our first real party this past saturday and it was soooo stressful because it's not my kind of thing.
  9. Was there a date to RSVP by? I got multiple RSVPs on the date I said they were due on. And I have to admit, I tend to wait to last minute just because there is a date and my brain fixates on it. Is there another meeting before the event where you can ask parents or he can ask the kids?
  10. Thanks - I'll keep and eye out for that. I said I wouldn't buy the game unless it was at GW and today I fond a brand new copy still in plastic for $3.... so it had to come home with me. I'm also now seeing that we were missing a few rules when I played before, so now I'm wishing for a snow day tomorrow so we can check it out and see if my opinion improves.
  11. Some friends had a board game themed party which means... new games to play! And why didn't I think of convincing my child to have a boardgame party instead of a Totoro one? Oh well, next time. Happy Salmon - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/194626/happy-salmon What a fun game! It is a fast-paced game where each player has a small deck of cards with various actions on each card: high 5, happy salmon (funny handshake), switcheroo (switch places), first bump. You're needing to find someone else with the same card so you can perform the action and go to the next card - first person to get rid of all their cards wins. Super simple and super silly game - great for the right mix of people and the kids really enjoyed it. I think it was fun to play, probably be fun a few times in a group but not totally sure it has long term potential -- but it takes just a few minutes and gets the blood pumping. King of Tokyo - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/70323/king-tokyo Another fairly simple game once it is explained to you by an adult versus a 5 year old. You're rolling six dice to either get victory points, more lives/hearts, special power cubes, or attack points. You can buy cards with power cubes that give you special powers. Simple enough game for kids to play but there is a lot of attacking that can happen and I know my kids are still, even at 8 and 9, a little sensitive to being attacked. I felt like the game went on forever, as we were supposed to get to 20 points to win the game and getting to 11 took forever. But I also had a headache and the dice are big, chunky and very loud when rolled. Once everyone knows how to play, I imagine the game will move a little faster. This would be a quick game to pull out that anyone would be able to pick up quickly, especially a wide range of ages. It has a monster theme that might appeal to other people, visually. I don't think we'd ever buy it (unless it shows up at Goodwill) but wouldn't turn down playing it.
  12. If you have any small gaming conventions around you, try checking them out to see if they have sales or reverse auction sales. Often you have people selling at a really good price to make room for new games. I think this may be the main way that I am able to add games that I want because the high price tags are hard to get past. I'm also looking at things in terms of family entertainment and comparing it other opportunities. For example, we might choose to go out to dinner and got to a local community event for entertainment -- that will often cost our family about $50-80 for a single afternoon/evening. I could get a game for that price which will give us many more hours of enjoyment. This works as long as I am mindful to pick games that everyone truly enjoys -- buying speculative games makes this much harder to justify. And well, I've already made the habit of buying games for Christmas, so that's a back up too -- but December feels very far away right now. :)
  13. I think it would be fun, my 9yo is probably a bit borderline on playing this game well, I think 12 would be fine. I love that you can play varied length games and there is a lot of variation in goals, I like when games don't feel the same every time. :)
  14. We did a trip to NYC 2 years ago with 9 of us - so we ended up in a AirBnb in NJ, Seacacus I think. It took 10-15 minute by bus to get into Port Authority terminal and we went on from there - the bus does add up a bit. In hindsight, it would have been better to spend more on a place in NYC. We calculated out that even with the bus fees it was cheaper in NJ but the hassle factor would have been worth the little bit more we would have spent total in NYC. And then we could have gone back to the room/house in the middle of the day if we needed to, that wasn't possible with the NJ place.
  15. Imhotep - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/191862/imhotep Another new game - review based on single game play (played with 2 other adults). I'd watched a couple reviews on this one so I was fairly familiar with the rules and game play, it was super quick to pick up. You're transporting stones, via boats, to different areas to earn points. On your turn you may place a stone on a boat, dock a boat, or get more stones. It takes a bit of thinking about what your goals are but also your opponents goals too -- and it's easy (pretty much expected) that someone else will end up docking the boat you are on somewhere you were not planning to go. You have six rounds in the game and each round has a different combination of boats - some with just one or two slots for stone and some up to four -- the slots are avaiable to all players. Points are earned each round and there are some end game scoring options too. I was very interested in this game when I first learned about it and almost bought it during the Target sale. However, after watching a couple review games, it started to lose a little of it's luster. I can say that it played out as I expected - I like the options available and the different ways to earn points, but it just didn't feel very exciting while playing it. This would be an easy one to play with my kids and I think they'd really enjoy the boats and docking action, but I think it would take a while for them to think out solid strategies and be competitive. One big plus with this game is that it sets up very quickly and it is very quick to explain to someone else. I could see owning it just for that aspect alone. And it is a visually attractive game too. Overall, it's an okay game with a shorter game time (30-40 minutes?) that would be good for new players. So if I was doing game nights with new players, it could be a good addition. But right now, I'd pass it over in favor of other games out there.
  16. Oh boy! Thank you for the update! Now to think about how to make it happen.
  17. Century Spice Road - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/209685/century-spice-road Oh, this one is fun! Basic card base engine building game - you need certain spices to buy cities to earn points to win. You get spices from cards you select and you need cards to upgrade cheaper spices for more expensive spices (or to turn expensive spices into several cheaper ones) in order to have the right combination to buy a point card. You get to taken an action on your turn, select a card, play a card, or buy a city. When someone has purchased the game winning number of point cards, the game ends and you total up the points and the highest value wins. It is a pretty game, the cards are tarot sized cards and I liked the overall look of the game. The game also has some metal coins, which I always enjoy. My only complaint is that I wish the cubes for spices were colored differently, the green just feels wrong, but it's nice that they include little cups for the spices and I really appreciate it having a place to put the cubes you're playing with. I think this could be a fun one to upgrade a little too and it would be easy to do. It plays 2-5 players and I think my kids would enjoy this one and it has a lot of playability. It also seems to play very quickly, maybe too quickly when you're the newbie. I played with two other adults, but I know they said their kids enjoy the game too. Oh and reviewing some of the boardgamegeek posts, there looks to be concern for color blind players since this game uses both red and green resources -- not sure if it was ever fixed or not, but something to keep in mind if that is a concern.
  18. 7 Wonders - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/68448/7-wonders Played this for the first time this weekend with some friends - I played with two other adults and 5 kids ages 5-10, the youngest playing paired with mom. This game takes a bit of learning so this game was really nothing more than a exercise in learning. My 9yo was frustrated most of the game because she didn't know what to play and I was of no help. Me and my two girls, first time players, got the lowest scores - but again, learning game. I don't think my kids liked it but because they couldn't get past the confusion of learning a new game with many elements. Overall, I think it would be a nice family game option to add to our collection -- I love how many players it can accommodate, up to 7. You're playing across 3 ages and there are different strategies you can pursue to earn points. This is a game where you have a hand of cards to pick from but then pass your hand to the person next to you after selecting a card, so strategically speaking, you're not only picking what helps you but also keeping an eye on what helps those next to you. There are some military/attack aspects, my kids got caught up in attacking each other which ended up being their downfall because it was profitable in terms of overall points. Each player has special attributes, I always like where there are variable strengths among players. I hope to play it a couple more times to get a better idea of how much I or my kids would enjoy it before putting it on my "to acquire" list, though it may just be one of those games that is fun to play with others but not worth owning. I'm also tempted to try 7 Wonders Duel, the two player version. My friends say it is a great version and it also simplified the scoring they say the main board makes too complicated.
  19. I was going to recommend the MakeDo items too - one DD got them for her birthday one year, best thing ever for all my girl's creations! Just remember to not accidentally throw out connecting pieces on recycling day when you're in one of those "everything has to go or I'm going to go mad" days.
  20. It wouldn't surprise me here though I don't think I've seen one, maybe I have. We get construction equipment, tow trucks, dump trucks, septic trucks, etc in our parades -- anyone that sponsors a slot gets to drive in the parade. Now in the holiday parade, I get a little opinionated if they've not even tried to add some lights but most do. And there are basically small town parades and we have several a year - it's a quaint little thing that I really enjoy about where I live.
  21. Lol a farmer friend had a washing machine installed in her prep area for this exact reason, lol. Of course, all it washed was produce, but it still cracked me up every time I saw.
  22. How many years do you have left? How are your finances? Possible to get all debt and house paid off in the next 7 years? Get college funds and retirement funds all in place as well and have a plan for retirement in place? Get financials in order, life insurance wouldn't be as essential.
  23. I also never considered storing my salad spinner in the fridge. I spin my greens and usually lay them out on a half-sheet pan lined with a towel to dry for a few hours (in front of a fan because we have one in the kitchen anyways) to super dry my greens and then place them in a plastic bag, usually with a section of paper towel too. I also hate damp greens plus that last for at least a week this way (well if we don't eat them that fast). Cold does make plastic extra brittle so I can image that it's is not helping your problem.
  24. Absolutely! Far more likely to need this coverage than life insurance.
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