. I started getting the itch to do some local travel again since my last trip to Vermont in May. This is, after all, the time to be doing it, not in January! I did a fair amount of research into a trip to the Berkshires in Massachusetts and was pretty close to booking, but I decided it made sense, based on what I wanted to do, to stay in 2 different places rather than one. Then it turns out that 1 of the B&Bs I liked had a 2 night minimum, which was fine, so 4 nights total. But then I realized both B&Bs did not have availability for the same time in July as I wanted, and in fact I'd have to push back my trip to September if I wanted to stay at both places.
Another thing I hadn't initially thought of was how my raised bed veggie garden would fare with me not being able to water them daily for 4 days in the height of summer. I don't think they'd make it . I suppose I could get a friend to do it, but even then, not an ideal situation. So September does look more realistic except that that's a long time to wait when I really feel like doing someting now.
I guess I'll have to settle for fun day trips for now and get serious about booking those 2 B&Bs to lock them in, which I haven't done yet due to some indecision.
I think next year, it would be hard to do this, but I could limit my veggie plants to cool weather crops like lettuce, kale and snow peas, so that by July/August, they'd be winding down or done. That would enable me to do more travel during the middle of summer. I do like traveling in the shoulder months of May and Sept/Oct, though, because it's cooler and less crowded. I just don't want my vegetable garden to constrain my travels the way owning cats did for many, many years. I really love fresh homegrown cucumbers and tomatoes, but I think I should try just 1 year (2027) without them and see how it goes.
I was also thinking a soaker hose but I don't think that would work that well as I have 3 separate, standalone raised beds and someone would still need to come here, access the garage to turn it on and then hang around for a good half-hour at least before turning it off again. I have used them before and they are prone to bursting so they couldn't be left unattended. Plus the parts of the soaker hose stretched between beds would water the weeds and wet the veggie plant foliage, which is better not to because it promotes fungal disease, especially in muggy weather.
A friend of mine who lives in the subdivision across the street from me (not directly across the street) discovered they had a crack in their in-ground pool and they've decided to spend $50,000 to pour a new pool. It's been going on for about 2 months now. The noise of construction vehicles is a real headache to me if my windows are open, so I can only imagine what she's feeling. I've walked by the house a few times and their yard, front and back, is a TOTAL mess. Personally, I don't think I'd spend that kind of money on a pool that's only used at most 4 months of the year. Plus they travel a fair amount and we have a community pool here. That is really hard-earned money spent with little payback.
I went to dinner with some friends last night and settled on boneless short ribs. I haven't eaten beef in probably a few years. Have to say it was delicious in its cherry sauce, especially with the mashed potatoes and escarole.
I've had a lot of big expenses lately and am eager to pay them and put them behind me. I have paid about $3,000 for my kitchen induction stove and new refrigerator. I also paid another $3600 for my new back kitchen doors (including storm door) which has yet to be installed....that will happen in mid to late July.
Any day now I'm expecting my property tax bill, which represents half what I'll pay this year. That will be about $4,000. Ouch. And also in August is my homeowners bill, and I'm very unhappy that it increased from $900-something last year to $1323 this year, representing a 44.4% increase. I have to contact my agent and see if it's time to leave Progressive. That's really a scary increase. It almost tempts me to go without homeowners insurance, since I've been paying every year for 31 years and never had a claim. It would have to be truly catastropic for me to file a claim since I think my deductible is $5,000, like a tree falling on the house. Of course the rates were lower in the early years, but I've probalby paid about $25K just on homeowners insurance alone.
June 25th, 2026 at 07:53 pm 1782417200
The tree went through the roof and the attic and branches were in the living room.
The subsequent rain ruined the insulation, carpet, dry wall.
The insurance company paid out more than we paid for the house…
Ironically, the kitchen was undamaged but because the rest of the house got a full update, we paid to renovate the kitchen.
All this to say that when catastrophe strikes insurance is a godsend.
The insurance company sent cleanup staff the next day - which was on July 4 weekend - to tarp the house and do initial cleanup, and handled the contracting which included movers who packed and stored everything in the house!
June 26th, 2026 at 05:21 pm 1782494503
As for spending $50k on fixing an in-ground pool… for the life of me, I do not understand people like that at all.
I also get the small travel bugs from time to time, but for now, it just seems so hot outside right now, I don’t know if I want to deal with the heat? Also, my spending is wildly out of control right now, so I need to wait a bit until at the very least my tax penalty bill goes through and see how that goes. All this is me trying to talk myself out of doing anything rash and just getting into the car and go somewhere haha.
Anyway, I hope you can find better insurance somewhere. It’s crazy how things have gotten so expensive lately.
June 28th, 2026 at 02:25 pm 1782656714
Remember that insurance IS for catastrophes. You should self-insure with your deductible up to the point where you wouldn't bother filing a claim. Catastrophes by definition are rare but they *do* occur. I recall one client who we advised to add a sinkhole rider who had a sinkhole event within the year. And my neighbor across the street and one house down who went to visit his son in Chicago for the weekend. The toilet overflowed, and kept on flowing. It wasn't until the neighbors saw water trickling from the house onto the sidewalk that the fire department was called and turned off the water. The interior of the house had to be gutted and rebuilt, which took about a year, and the neighbor turned around and sold it when the renovation was complete.
Also remember that a significant component of HO insurance protection is liability coverage against someone suing you, for example if a tree on your property falls or they slip and fall on ice on your property. In this litigious society, I wouldn't want to be without liability protection, regardless of how careful you are being to try to take care of potential danger spots ahead of time.
It seems a shame to let the garden get in the way of your travel plans. Are you sure you couldn't get a friend or hire a local teenager or older child to do it?
By the way, happy FRA (full retirement age). My supervisor was born the same month as you and she and I were talking about her having reached FRA this month, so I thought of you as well. Now you can accumulate 8%/year (.67% per month) for each additional month you delay collecting SS.
You've reminded me that I have a package of escarole in my refrigerator. I usually cook them with broth and white beans and I forgot to buy the beans, so they've been sitting in the fridge for a few days.
June 28th, 2026 at 05:10 pm 1782666607
FRA was not on my radar, but thanks! There's something good with growing older after all.
I have never cooked escarole or thought about buying it, but I do know what I had at the restaurant was very good.
June 28th, 2026 at 10:02 pm 1782684156
If you only had 100k underlying HO insurance but had a 300k claim, HO would cover 100k after your deductible, then there would be a coverage gap until you get to 250k, and then the umbrella would kick in and pick up the last 50k. So instead of being covered for the 300k (assuming a million dollar umbrella), you would only be covered for 150k less the deductible. Umbrella insurance goes OVER the underlying HO and auto insurance; they are NOT redundant but work together.
June 29th, 2026 at 05:12 pm 1782753134
As far as homeowner's insurance, ours also increased quite a bit. I think with all the disasters around the country, they are raising everyone's rates, even if you don't have a claim.
June 30th, 2026 at 12:56 pm 1782824193
From Google AI:
A year-by-year breakdown of these premium spikes across the U.S.:
2020: Increased by ~2.0%
2021: Increased by ~2.8%
2022: Increased by ~5.2%
2023: Increased by 11.3% to 14%
2024: Hit a peak average increase of 12.7% to 14%
2025: Increased by a slightly more modest 6.0%
Regional increases vary heavily. While states like Florida and Texas historically see massive overall surges, in 2025 the largest premium spikes shifted to states like Colorado (+18.3%), Minnesota (+17.0%), and Iowa (+14.7%).
June 30th, 2026 at 12:57 pm 1782824267
June 30th, 2026 at 08:36 pm 1782851802