Post Your Wins

[scfr]

Congratulations! I've really been enjoying my new 24 hr work week (M thr W). The long weekends just feel better.

Do you have a plan for the timing of exiting the first job and retiring?

Thank you!
The current plan is November 2027.

[srblanco7]

I took a planned step on my journey toward retirement and am now a 20-hour-a-week worker. I logged out of my 2nd (irregular) job for the last time today.

Congratulations! I've really been enjoying my new 24 hr work week (M thr W). The long weekends just feel better.

Do you have a plan for the timing of exiting the first job and retiring?

[QuarterMillionMan]

Profitable night at my local casino. Ate free beef skewers & chicken skewers with baked potatoes & corn on the cobs for everyone.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Consigned 35 items yesterday and donated another 10. But i also organized for selling more stuff next two weeks. I am feeling very happy that I cleaned my desk

[disneysteve]

Since you are retired now, I thought I would ask. Are you covered by Medicare? If you are, does it typically cover everything?

No, I'm only 59, wife is 60, so we're 5 years from Medicare. We were on COBRA from my job until 12/31/23 and then went on an ACA plan on 1/1/24. The upside is that ACA is way cheaper than COBRA by $1,000/month. The downside is the ACA plan has a deductible and high OOP expenses where the work plan had neither so it somewhat balances out.

Actually, ACA will probably end up being even cheaper because I believe our income will come in quite a bit lower than the estimate I used when we signed up. That'll come back to us at tax time.

[crazyliblady]

Two medical billing wins

1. I had an MRI recently. I don't remember the exact amount but they said it would be a little under $1,200. I got the EOB from our insurance company and their allowed rate is $982, about $200 less than I was quoted so I only need to pay that amount.

2. I got a lab bill today for $32.80. I went online to pay it and it said I had no balance. Turns out I had already paid that bill a couple of weeks ago and today's statement must have been generated before they processed that payment.

Not that it's necessarily a good thing, but I'm only $150 from meeting my deductible so at least the insurance coverage will start kicking in and the OOP charges will lessen.

Since you are retired now, I thought I would ask. Are you covered by Medicare? If you are, does it typically cover everything?

[disneysteve]

Two medical billing wins

1. I had an MRI recently. I don't remember the exact amount but they said it would be a little under $1,200. I got the EOB from our insurance company and their allowed rate is $982, about $200 less than I was quoted so I only need to pay that amount.

2. I got a lab bill today for $32.80. I went online to pay it and it said I had no balance. Turns out I had already paid that bill a couple of weeks ago and today's statement must have been generated before they processed that payment.

Not that it's necessarily a good thing, but I'm only $150 from meeting my deductible so at least the insurance coverage will start kicking in and the OOP charges will lessen.

[disneysteve]

I took a planned step on my journey toward retirement and am now a 20-hour-a-week worker. I logged out of my 2nd (irregular) job for the last time today.

Congratulations! That's awesome. You will quickly come to wonder how you were managing to get anything done outside of work when you were full time. Enjoy the added freedom.

[scfr]

I took a planned step on my journey toward retirement and am now a 20-hour-a-week worker. I logged out of my 2nd (irregular) job for the last time today.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Ha-ha, yes I was happy with the $800 but the greedy brain inside me keeps saying what if? (lol). The last paragraph describes how the RNG continues shuffling.

[disneysteve]

Would you have held the deuce where the jack is currently at on that $800 win above? A kicker of 2's, 3's or 4's with 4 aces would have paid $4000. My thinking is that holding the deuce would decrease my chances of getting 4 aces which is needed first, before getting a kicker, hence why I did not hold the deuce. Also, the random number generator (RNG) is constantly changing until the redraw button is pressed so if I held the deuce the time it took to press the button may have not resulted in the 4th ace arriving. Technical stuff but I believe that is how modern day video poker machines operate. Anyway, would you have held the deuce?

There's a reason it's called gambling .

There's no way to know what would have happened. And if the RNG truly doesn't pick the outcome until you hit the button even hesitating because you sneezed or got a text or took a sip of your drink could have made a difference. You take what you get.

[QuarterMillionMan]

This coming Saturday Jamul is giving $20 free play to all and free food.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Would you have held the deuce where the jack is currently at on that $800 win above? A kicker of 2's, 3's or 4's with 4 aces would have paid $4000. My thinking is that holding the deuce would decrease my chances of getting 4 aces which is needed first, before getting a kicker, hence why I did not hold the deuce. Also, the random number generator (RNG) is constantly changing until the redraw button is pressed so if I held the deuce the time it took to press the button may have not resulted in the 4th ace arriving. Technical stuff but I believe that is how modern day video poker machines operate. Anyway, would you have held the deuce?

[QuarterMillionMan]

Profitable day at my local casino and $8.99 steak & 3 eggs, good deal.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Auto parts stores have signs saying recycle used oil here where you pour it yourself into 55 gallon drums.