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The solar panel credit may be increased to 30% next year and be extended for 10 years! Wonder if 2022 installs will be retroactively increased from 26% to 30%?

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Just got my latest electric bill and it's $87 higher than my previous highest bill. My break even point for solar will probably come faster than anticipated.
my electric bill from the past month was $50 less than last June's bill - surprised me.
 
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The solar panel credit may be increased to 30% next year and be extended for 10 years! Wonder if 2022 installs will be retroactively increased from 26% to 30%?
I shouldn't have to subsidize your elctricity because you decided to pay more for solar panels - you knew what you were getting, you should pay them off without government assistance.

sound familiar
 
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Bought a new (larger) Ninja blender and freaking love it. Slowly accumulating more Ninja things.... and I've become a fan. Drip coffee, air fryer, blender - all amazing and long lasting.
 
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Bought a new (larger) Ninja blender and freaking love it. Slowly accumulating more Ninja things.... and I've become a fan. Drip coffee, air fryer, blender - all amazing and long lasting.
Yeah I’ve got a ninja twisti (a bit bigger than my starter fit model)…made summer bearable living off of yogurt smoothies blended with frozen berries, cherries, mangos, etc. might try frozen greens (just trying to think of ways to make it more palatable, maybe blending with some salt and rice)

ninja air fryer has been amazingly consistent in cooking still…gets more use come fall winter.

thought about the ninja juicers (seems too messy, niche use and blender just seems more practical overall). Anyone got insight on juicers for vegetables?
 
I shouldn't have to subsidize your elctricity because you decided to pay more for solar panels - you knew what you were getting, you should pay them off without government assistance.

sound familiar

It's not the same. You can buy solar panels and get the subsidy too, and people who already have them also get the subsidy. Everyone who buys solar panels gets a subsidy.

Only some people who took out student loans gets a subsidy. Already paid your loans? No subsidy for you. I don't get why this is so hard to understand.

The equivalent would be if @owlegrad got no subsidy for his solar panels, but everyone who got them afterwards did. Multiply that by 5 or so to match the cost of student loans. This is not the case.
 
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It's not the same. You can buy solar panels and get the subsidy too, and people who already have them also get the subsidy. Everyone who buys solar panels gets a subsidy.

Only some people who took out student loans gets a subsidy. Already paid your loans? No subsidy for you. I don't get why this is so hard to understand.

The equivalent would be if @owlegrad got no subsidy for his solar panels, but everyone who got them afterwards did. Multiply that by 5 or so to match the cost of student loans. This is not the case.
No one forced you to buy solar. Some home's can't have solar. Some homes were responsible and reduced their electricity use the first three years after installation to pay off their debt.
 
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It's not the same. You can buy solar panels and get the subsidy too, and people who already have them also get the subsidy. Everyone who buys solar panels gets a subsidy.

Only some people who took out student loans gets a subsidy. Already paid your loans? No subsidy for you. I don't get why this is so hard to understand.

The equivalent would be if @owlegrad got no subsidy for his solar panels, but everyone who got them afterwards did. Multiply that by 5 or so to match the cost of student loans. This is not the case.
Why should the government be subsidizing certain feilds? Besides a bit chunk of solar panel industry is super slimy who wrap panels in with predatory debt products.
 
Yeah I’ve got a ninja twisti (a bit bigger than my starter fit model)…made summer bearable living off of yogurt smoothies blended with frozen berries, cherries, mangos, etc. might try frozen greens (just trying to think of ways to make it more palatable, maybe blending with some salt and rice)

ninja air fryer has been amazingly consistent in cooking still…gets more use come fall winter.

thought about the ninja juicers (seems too messy, niche use and blender just seems more practical overall). Anyone got insight on juicers for vegetables?

I've been adding a few sticks of celery and blending, can barely tell.

Daily breakfast shake (post workout)
-Protein powder
-1-2 servings egg whites
-1 tbsp oats
-cinnamon powder
-chia seeds and hemp seeds
-1 frozen banana
-2 to 3 sticks of celery
-1 granny smith apple sometimes
 
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No one forced you to buy solar. Some home's can't have solar. Some homes were responsible and reduced their electricity use the first three years after installation to pay off their debt.

Still not the same 🤦 Everyone who gets solar gets the tax credit, even the ones that paid it off got the tax credit.

The ones that paid off their student loans don't get anything. I don't know how many times I have to explain this. I think you guys are just trolling me now. Enjoy your student loan forgiveness.
 
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Why should the government be subsidizing certain feilds? Besides a bit chunk of solar panel industry is super slimy who wrap panels in with predatory debt products.

That's why I said give everyone a check (everyone who gets solar/student loans) or no one at all. If only certain people with solar/student loans got a check then that's wrong. I bet if I got the solar tax credit but @owlegrad did not, he would complain too. Now multiply that tax credit by 5-10 or more to match the value of student loans. "It's for the greater good".
 
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Everyone who gets solar gets the tax credit,
Even that’s not totally accurate. Well I suppose it is…you have to have a tax bill to benefit from the credit though. Not everyone does, like retirees for example. It’s a minor point but still.

Of course I will be annoyed if the solar credit goes up and I can’t benefit from that increase. I will however still be in favor of the credit being increased since I think it is a net benefit for national security and the environment. It’s possible to have two thoughts about something. :)
 
Even that’s not totally accurate. Well I suppose it is…you have to have a tax bill to benefit from the credit though. Not everyone does, like retirees for example. It’s a minor point but still.

Of course I will be annoyed if the solar credit goes up and I can’t benefit from that increase. I will however still be in favor of the credit being increased since I think it is a net benefit for national security and the environment. It’s possible to have two thoughts about something. :)

You are still benefiting 26%. That's a big difference from 0%.
 
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You are still benefiting 26%. That's a big difference from 0%.
And you can buy another house and put panels on it and get 30%. But for some reason, Mentos cannot (or will not) take my advice and get an engineering degree, which would allow him to take out student loans.
 
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And you can buy another house and put panels on it and get 30%. But for some reason, Mentos cannot (or will not) take my advice and get an engineering degree, which would allow him to take out student loans.

I'm too old to start school over man.
 
Moving on... Anyone have a shed? Is it worth the cost? Is it hard to keep pests out? It's getting tight in the garage with the lawnmower, snowblower, strollers, bikes, wheel barrow etc.
 
Moving on... Anyone have a shed? Is it worth the cost? Is it hard to keep pests out? It's getting tight in the garage with the lawnmower, snowblower, strollers, bikes, wheel barrow etc.

I've got a plastic thing that came with my house in the backyard. It'd be ugly if my backyard wasn't already ugly, but it's super convenient for storing the lawnmower and other landscaping equipment. Only draw back: the missus has been nagging me to clean up the shed for 5 years. I'd recommend living near a crazy lady with 20 cats, if you're worried about rodents. Bugs "outside" don't bother me at all.
 
Moving on... Anyone have a shed? Is it worth the cost? Is it hard to keep pests out? It's getting tight in the garage with the lawnmower, snowblower, strollers, bikes, wheel barrow etc.

We have one, a pretty decent sized one, like 12’x20’. We have really enjoyed having one. The only edible thing in there is bird seed for the feeders and that is encased in a plastic box, so no pests so far. It gets hotter than heck in there, so It isn’t like snakes would use it.

Our back yard is pretty big. Had to spring for matching colors due to HOA. Had to move it once when we put int he pool, which worked out fine.
 
@owlegrad sounds like 2022 installs would qualify for 30% instead of 26%.

"The climate bill, a surprise agreement between Senators Joe Manchin and Chuck Schumer, would restore a 30% tax credit for residential solar systems — making it applicable to panels installed in 2022 – and extend the program to Jan. 1, 2034."

 
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@owlegrad sounds like 2022 installs would qualify for 30% instead of 26%.

"The climate bill, a surprise agreement between Senators Joe Manchin and Chuck Schumer, would restore a 30% tax credit for residential solar systems — making it applicable to panels installed in 2022 – and extend the program to Jan. 1, 2034."

Won't benefit me.
 
I imagine it would be ideal for growing mold.
A steam room yes, but I would expect a dry sauna to be fairly mold resistant, due to the extreme heat and lack of moisture, no?
 
Planing on replacing countertops with Granite or maybe Quartz. Also want to replace the shower tile with acrylic. Getting quotes now.

Unlike my friend mentos none of my potential contractors have stood me up or acted like they are too good to take my money. They all seem happy for the business to me.
 
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If you don't mind, add pics when it's done and I'm curious about price quotes too. I need to redo our shower.
 
If you don't mind, add pics when it's done and I'm curious about price quotes too. I need to redo our shower.
For the shower so far I had a quote to retile around 8.5k and replace tile with acrylic (which is what I want to do) about 16.5k. The space is tricky because I have a walk in shower that is adjacent to a tub with a pony wall and it turns out it’s a lot more work than I expected so now I am leaning towards a remodel which is just way more work and money than I wanted to part with.

For the counters the quotes have ranged from 3.6k - 7k for granite. Also need a handyman or plumber to come out and hook back up the sinks after they are replaced. I am debating on that.
 
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Let’s talk espresso machines and/or the fancy ones that make cappuccinos and lattes too.

Looking for recommendations on brands. Reasonable price <$500 preferred but I’d like to daydream and discuss the more expensive options too.
 
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Planing on replacing countertops with Granite or maybe Quartz. Also want to replace the shower tile with acrylic. Getting quotes now.

Unlike my friend mentos none of my potential contractors have stood me up or acted like they are too good to take my money. They all seem happy for the business to me.
unreal how crapping on mentos makes every thread…yeah good to hear those financially well thought out life decision contractors who like totally could have been lawyers, doctors, pharmacists, engineers, various other well high paying profession with or without expensive education requirements are still ok with taking us pion pharm Ds’ money

hmmm can’t say much about high end espresso machines but would be interesting to hear insight on
 
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I added R-13 insulation to the ductwork in my attic, on top of the R-6 that it already had. AC now blows noticeably 4F colder and has no problems cooling on a 92F day. Total cost around $300.
 

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Let’s talk espresso machines and/or the fancy ones that make cappuccinos and lattes too.

Looking for recommendations on brands. Reasonable price <$500 preferred but I’d like to daydream and discuss the more expensive options too.

You looking at semi-automatic or super-automatics? I have a friend who have a Jurra super automatic and love it, but the thing sounds kinda expensive to run (DINK doctor couple). I’ve heart very mixed reviews on the DiLongi.

I have Breville Oracle, which is pricy (not to mention a big machine), but I’m happy, my wife, who had no desire to tamp, is happy.

I’ve heard pretty good reviews on the Breville Bambino’s and they are a lot more affordable. You still need an espresso grinder.
 
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I added R-13 insulation to the ductwork in my attic, on top of the R-6 that it already had. AC now blows noticeably 4F colder and has no problems cooling on a 92F day. Total cost around $300.

View attachment 358476

I really need to do this in our home, where can I learn more? Already watching some youtube vids now. Well done.
 
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You looking at semi-automatic or super-automatics? I have a friend who have a Jurra super automatic and love it, but the thing sounds kinda expensive to run (DINK doctor couple). I’ve heart very mixed reviews on the DiLongi.

I have Breville Oracle, which is pricy (not to mention a big machine), but I’m happy, my wife, who had no desire to tamp, is happy.

I’ve heard pretty good reviews on the Breville Bambino’s and they are a lot more affordable. You still need an espresso grinder.

Honestly I'm not sure about the differences. Don't have to tamp the super-automatic? Still learning about the various machines and no idea which I want to get.
 
Honestly I'm not sure about the differences. Don't have to tamp the super-automatic? Still learning about the various machines and no idea which I want to get.


This is a super-automatic. You push a button and it grinds, tamps, and brews, often adding frothed milk.

The semi-automatics you fill the porta filter with coffee, usually tamp it, and brew it (more a traditional espresso machine) at the desired temperature and pressure.

You can get into the weeds with the heating element (or how many). This is usually a more expensive discussion.
If I was a resident, I’d probably go for one of the Breville Bambino or Gaggia classic machines. Add another couple hundred for an espresso grinder. Still probably going to be a bit over $500.
 
I really need to do this in our home, where can I learn more? Already watching some youtube vids now. Well done.
There really isn't that much to it. I just bought the rolls of Kraft-faced R-13 insulation. The Kraft facing is a vapor barrier to prevent condensation on the ductwork. The tape I used was Nashua Foil-Scrim-Kraft Tape. Press it on well and use as many pieces that can fit across the seam. I'm also going to go back and tie some string around the insulation.
 
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Planing on replacing countertops with Granite or maybe Quartz. Also want to replace the shower tile with acrylic. Getting quotes now.

Unlike my friend mentos none of my potential contractors have stood me up or acted like they are too good to take my money. They all seem happy for the business to me.

Unless you have a sample of granite that you absolutely love, go with quartz. Less maintenance overall.

Note: I have granite that I was about to tear out, but ended up keeping it because the slab looked great.

I can’t seem to find the right balance between sealing it at the appropriate time interval vs not accidentally letting fruit rot on the counter, requiring use of hydrogen peroxide 40% to bleach the stain away.

Maybe when I put in my vegetable sink, I can jump to quartz.
 
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This is a super-automatic. You push a button and it grinds, tamps, and brews, often adding frothed milk.

The semi-automatics you fill the porta filter with coffee, usually tamp it, and brew it (more a traditional espresso machine) at the desired temperature and pressure.

You can get into the weeds with the heating element (or how many). This is usually a more expensive discussion.
If I was a resident, I’d probably go for one of the Breville Bambino or Gaggia classic machines. Add another couple hundred for an espresso grinder. Still probably going to be a bit over $500.

I went with a very basic Mr. Coffee espresso machine to test the waters. Can do latte and cappuccino as well. My OXO grinder on setting 1 seems to get it to a great consistency for the espresso. Already enjoying it.

Going to run with this for a while and see if I want to invest more into it. I need to learn the art and science of it before dropping $500-1000.
 
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Unless you have a sample of granite that you absolutely love, go with quartz. Less maintenance overall.

Note: I have granite that I was about to tear out, but ended up keeping it because the slab looked great.

I can’t seem to find the right balance between sealing it at the appropriate time interval vs not accidentally letting fruit rot on the counter, requiring use of hydrogen peroxide 40% to bleach the stain away.

Maybe when I put in my vegetable sink, I can jump to quartz.

What maintenance is required for granite? I've never done any. Is that why my bananas go brown after like two days?
 
Anyone have their favorite sealer? I keep

It needs to be sealed regularly. Like every 6 months to a year in high traffic areas.

Well damn I'm pretty sure my counters haven't been sealed ever. They're at least ten years old.
 
I've had a beverage fridge for a few years which is nice for holding soda cans, coconut water, juice boxes, extra milk and OJ.

Just bought a chest freezer from Target and now I don't have to leave the dining room to get ice cream!
 
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What maintenance is required for granite? I've never done any. Is that why my bananas go brown after like two days?

It depends on the slab — some need to be sealed annually, or more frequently. I did that once and ended up with this gnarly film on top. Turns out, my slab needs to be sealed way less than annually, and any attempt to seal it more frequently just leads to the sealant to sit on top and dull the stone.

I learned later you’re supposed to take a drop of water, put it on the stone, and observe whether it gets absorbed, or just evaporates. If absorbed, time to seal.

I just gave up and stopped sealing it, so I just keep it dry and promptly wipe up any liquids.

No clue about your bananas dude.
 
I've had a beverage fridge for a few years which is nice for holding soda cans, coconut water, juice boxes, extra milk and OJ.

Just bought a chest freezer from Target and now I don't have to leave the dining room to get ice cream!

Hahah, i use my spare fridge/freezer in the garage as a place to put all my unhealthy stuff. If I ever I need to get it, I have to go into the garage. I figured that would increase the effort required, but in reality, if I want ice cream, I’m gonna go get it. Oh well.
 
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Stopped renting the neighbor's wifi, guess you're moving up in the world? Or did you overpay for a router when a solid repeater would do?
Just so everyone knows, routers have limits on data rate. If you run a speed test and you get significantly less download/upload speed than what you are paying for, you need to check your router's specs to see if you have the right equipment. Repeaters will only extend the range of your wifi and even those have limits on data rate too so check the specs on those as well.
 
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Just so everyone knows, routers have limits on data rate. If you run a speed test and you get significantly less download/upload speed than what you are paying for, you need to check your router's specs to see if you have the right equipment. Repeaters will only extend the range of your wifi and even those have limits on data rate too so check the specs on those as well.

I think I was paying for 200/200 but it was free to upgrade to 300/300. Is this any good?
 

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I think I was paying for 200/200 but it was free to upgrade to 300/300. Is this any good?

That's really good. It's not too common you get so close to the actual advertised download speed. The upload speed (the 2nd number) is generally irrelevant for most people.
 
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I think I was paying for 200/200 but it was free to upgrade to 300/300. Is this any good?

That’s decent for a Wi-Fi connection. I have gigabit fiber, but that’s only relevant for my wired desktops and backhaul, I’ve not yet upgraded to Wi-Fi 6 hardware.

IMG_3168.JPG


I’m a few feet from an access point in my house (above result).
 
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