ribi305's recent activity

  1. Comment on Can someone convince me on smarthome/home automation tech? in ~tech

    ribi305
    Link Parent
    True, I have a cheap light-detecting night light in the bathroom, so I guess anything beyond that would just be for fun.

    True, I have a cheap light-detecting night light in the bathroom, so I guess anything beyond that would just be for fun.

    1 vote

  2. Comment on Can someone convince me on smarthome/home automation tech? in ~tech

    ribi305
    Link Parent
    Actually I've been really thinking about a NAS setup, since I'm becoming more and more wary of depending on big tech company cloud storage. How complicated was it to setup? Do you have automatic...

    Actually I've been really thinking about a NAS setup, since I'm becoming more and more wary of depending on big tech company cloud storage. How complicated was it to setup? Do you have automatic backup of your devices or does it work more like a network drive that you drag files into?

    1 vote

  3. Comment on Can someone convince me on smarthome/home automation tech? in ~tech

    ribi305
    Link Parent
    Thanks for the reply! This makes me think of a fancy hotel I was in once that had dim lights at foot level on motion sensors for when you go to the bathroom. That could be pretty cool, I might...

    Thanks for the reply! This makes me think of a fancy hotel I was in once that had dim lights at foot level on motion sensors for when you go to the bathroom. That could be pretty cool, I might look into that as a project!

    2 votes

  4. Comment on Can someone convince me on smarthome/home automation tech? in ~tech

    ribi305
    Link Parent
    There was a forced entry in my neighborhood recently, so maybe the camera is something I should setup. I can see the appeal of a smartlock, I'll need to see if my spouse is comfortable with it....

    There was a forced entry in my neighborhood recently, so maybe the camera is something I should setup. I can see the appeal of a smartlock, I'll need to see if my spouse is comfortable with it. Can you recommend the model you use?

    2 votes

  5. Comment on Chasing the American dream has got me jaded in ~talk

    ribi305
    Link
    Have you checked out Mr. Money Mustache or other financial independence blogs? It's hard to know what advice would be right for you without knowing how much you are already managing your personal...

    Have you checked out Mr. Money Mustache or other financial independence blogs? It's hard to know what advice would be right for you without knowing how much you are already managing your personal finances well. Do you have a monthly budget? What % of your income do you spend on rent? Do you have credit card debt?

    In general, I agree with you that the rat race is tough, and I definitely believe it is tougher for us millenials than it was for previous generations. At the same time, if you are lucky enough to graduate college with no debt (same for me), and if your income is at or above the median for your area, then you should be able to manage your finances to start saving a lot more money - and this makes a huge difference psychologically.

    People talk about "fuck you" money, and it matters a lot. I'm pretty driven and ambitious in my career, but the fact that I can walk away anytime and not give a shit about the money (thanks to my savings) makes it much easier to feel like I have the upper hand when work sucks, and much easier to compartmentalize and live my life.

    I'm happy to continue the discussion, and I think I could offer some advice. Can you share a bit more about your current money management? Percent breakdown of budget? Familiarity with personal finance practices? Obviously don't share anything personal or sensitive.

    One tip to get you started - kill your phone bill. I pay only $15/mo with 2GB of data and unlimited talk and text on MintSIM (they are a little flaky, and based on friends' recs I'd suggest Project Fi instead). Check out this guide to alternative phone services here: http://www.androidguys.com/buyers-guide-mvnos/

    5 votes

  6. Can someone convince me on smarthome/home automation tech?

    ~tech Text 148 words
    I'm a techie person, often an early adopter. I bought an iPhone the very first day the first one was released. I love playing with and setting up new gadgets. But I keep looking at home automation...

    I'm a techie person, often an early adopter. I bought an iPhone the very first day the first one was released. I love playing with and setting up new gadgets. But I keep looking at home automation and find myself thinking "what's the point?" I just haven't seen any killer applications or use cases that make me think this is something I would value. A friend of mine is kind of into it, and his best demo is using his Google Home to turn his lights blue and play music. Fun trick, but not something I need.

    Does anyone here have examples of really valuable or killer use cases in their smarthome setup? For what it's worth, I live with my spouse and 2 young kids, we have a small 2-floor apartment that we rent, we already use our programmable thermostat, and we don't own a TV.

    12 votes

  7. Comment on De Beers "admits defeat" over man-made diamonds in ~finance

    ribi305
    Link
    For anyone sick and tired of the diamond industry, this Atlantic article from the '80s is the definitive must-read piece:...

    For anyone sick and tired of the diamond industry, this Atlantic article from the '80s is the definitive must-read piece:
    https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/02/have-you-ever-tried-to-sell-a-diamond/304575/

    On that topic, does anyone have a more recent article on the same topic that I can read and then use to feel smugly superior to everyone who buys diamond engagement rings? :) Just kidding, kind of

  8. Comment on Hi tilders; In my first relationship ever. Any advice? in ~life

    ribi305
    Link
    Your relationship will be in the honeymoon phase for a while, but eventually it will fall out of the honeymoon phase. As others have said, you shouldn't feel pressure to make this relationship the...

    Your relationship will be in the honeymoon phase for a while, but eventually it will fall out of the honeymoon phase. As others have said, you shouldn't feel pressure to make this relationship the relationship, but at the same time, you should have the perspective to recognize that you will come down from the high you are feeling right now, and that isn't necessarily a sign that the relationship has run out. Any long-term relationship passes through highs and lows, and you will need to develop the self-management skills and communication skills to stay healthy through the lows.

    2 votes