Has anyone ordered from Zenni or one of the other discounters since the tarriff shenanigans? I need a new pair but have been hesitating over the unknown there.
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we got the sky couch (basically, get the third seat for a discounted rate, and then flip up the seat wells so that it’s a fully flat surface, or two flat surfaces and one for upright seating) for the first leg of our trip, and the thought of being in jeans was just a bit too much
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I always dress assuming an emergency evacuation - comfortable, easy movement, nothing gets exposed as I slide down the emergency slide.
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Is it insane to sell off some US-specific funds that are hella up right now and reinvest them in a more global fund?
Our robot overlords and their influence on the US stock market are freaking me out, and I don’t want to make bad choices just because of woogy feelings.
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If it fits your asset allocation, yes, it makes sense to do so and rebalance. If you wish to change your asset allocation, and hold to that long-term, it could make sense to do so. If it’s just because of temporary bad feels, that’s probably not sound investing instinct.
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I divested from American investments in January for pretty obvious personal reasons. My international ETFs have done very very well. I have no regrets.
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My husband inherited a trust fund (le sigh, it makes me twitchy to say that), and I’ve been slowly selling off the high-fee funds and reinvesting them. I’ve mostly been rebuying VTI so far.
My plan was to go more global starting next year, to not increase our taxes any further for 2025, but yeah, between personal reasons (@Smacky) and the contrast between the growth of US stock market and the ACTUAL vibes in the US, it’s making me feel like getting rid of at least a little of it would be smart. All of it is WAY too much taxes, but something is better than nothing.
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This.
Even if we have an AI bubble going right now: Yes, and?
If you need to access your stocks ASAP (i.e. if you’re planning on FIREing), then this is a very pertinent question. And if you are planning on accessing them soon, then you’re likely not reinvesting in international stocks, you’re holding them as cash/bonds/something much less volatile.
If you aren’t planning to access your stocks soon, well, then it’s a bubble. The bubble will have popped before 30 years are out.
If you’re looking to change your asset allocation in the long term, then selling US stocks before the bubble pops is a handy bit of dirty market timing.
(Remember: the best-performing 401ks? are the 401ks of dead people and people who forgot they have 401ks)
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Also this is reminding me that I need to update my financial plan & investment statement (which is old and predates marriage/baby and doesn’t take any of Wizard’s goals into account). Anyone interested in a thread for that?
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Very very good point.
Needing to access stocks sooner rather than later is 
I am all burned out of my job, but between my husband’s job once again pulling shenanigans and marketplace healthcare costs, I’m staying until I can’t.
I’ve been leaving dividend payments in the settlement fund (~4% return) instead of reinvesting them for more cash access in case SHTF at one or both of our jobs. We’ve probably got plenty of cushion.
I’m likely just hyperfixating on money and budget things to compensate for the burnout and give myself a feeling of control somewhere 
Thanks all for the immediate advice, haha.
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Ahhh so like in 2018 when I hated my job and checked my 401k daily! Sounds about right.
Having a sufficient cash cushion is a great idea. Do you have an idea of how much of your spending you can cover with cash?
I do think that a lot of us who’ve been heavy in the US stock market and paying zero attention to international markets are suddenly thinking a lot more diversification outside the US – and that’s not a bad thing. Like I’m very heavy in VTSAX and thinking about a more diversified approach is not a bad thing generally.
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Yep, I can always tell when I’m spiraling about things because I make a lot of “future budgets” and try to figure out how much money we really really truly need to retire, and how maybe we could make do with less? A few days ago I (only mostly jokingly) asked my husband if we could sell everything in our house to cover expenses and quit, and enjoy our clutter-free house with all of our new work-free time.
We’ve got 4-5 months of our combined current net take-home pay. We could reduce our spending significantly if we both lost our jobs, too, there’s a lot of fluff and discretionary savings to cut.
At least VTI / VTSAX is slightly more diverse than the S&P 500. I think overall we’re invested in ~15% international stocks with a teensy bit of international bonds thrown in, but I’d definitely like to expand that.
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Thank you for bringing this up. I have been needing to rebalance for a LONG time, and I definitely have benefited from putting it off for so long, but your post just prompted me to just do it. Huzzah!
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Not sure what brokerage you’re at, but if you’re happy with your cash on hand you should be able to change your dividend reinvestment settings to put those into an international fund and get some behind-the-scenes rebalancing…it’s not necessarily the fastest thing, but it’s usually where I start when I want to shift allocations (2nd is changing where all my new investments go, which for me is also ex-US right now, and only 3rd is sales).
Another option, especially if you’re already doing charitable contributions, is to donate some of the stock with the crazy appreciation to them and then use the cash you would have donated to buy into new funds…it doesn’t work unless it’s a 501c3 (and obviously make sure they’re set up for it), but you get the advantage of donating the fully-appreciated amount, and they get all the money from the stock without having to pay taxes.
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Do you have a heated mattress pad? Do you like it or hate it? My anxiety brain is worried about things catching on fire?
My bedroom is freezing and I have the headboard right next to the baseboard heater, so I don’t feel comfortable turning it on. I also get super sweaty half way through the night, so I don’t want the heat on all night. I’ve been using a hot water bottle, but I think I need 2 (feet and chest) to actually be comfortable. It seems like a heated pad would be good? Costco has a Sunbeam one that I’m considering.
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I’ve put an electric blanket under my fitted sheet and loved the experience.
Sometimes I also put one on top of me so I’m the filling in a toasty sandwich.
I hate cold more than I’m worried about fire.
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I actually let myself turn on the other heat sources before November this year. Usually I have a horrible contest with myself where I lose both ways, either by being cold or not being frugal.
Anyway, a toasty bed sandwich sounds perfect.
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Hey, has anyone ever been on a Viking cruise? Not a river one. My sister and I are supposed to join our mother and aunt on an 8-day Viking cruise of the Mediterranean in March but she wants the two of us to drop out and go to, say, the Florida Keys in May instead. Somewhere warm and beachy. But she will go on the cruise if I really want to.
Anyway - if anyone has gone, would you please speak to the general vibes? Trying to give her suggestion due consideration.
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If you would like to message directly, I have some (reassuring) intel regarding the safety profile of the name brand options.
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My grandad had one and as long as it has an automated shut off it’s fine. And cozy. I’ve had them lots on my massage tables, same thing, automated shut off is important and ideally temperature control.
They are safer than putting a heated blanket under you because they are designed to be lain on. The blankets and most heating pads aren’t designed for under so your weight and heat can cause burns (more likely to your skin than your house)
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