I had a Sega GameGear as a kid. Yeah it was a Sega system, which Sega was major back then, but the GameGear was nothing compared to the Gameboy. Very cool system, in that it had a full color screen and was backlit.

Now that was at the expense of being heavy as all hell and a monster eater of AA batteries. 6 of them at at time!

I think that was basically the only non-major system I had.

My first DS was the DS Lite. I bought it when the game "Contact" came out. Played various JRPGs on it, as I'm wont to do with handhelds. IIRC, the DS Lite was backwards compatible with GBA carts, which was great. I loved the look, feel, and size of it. Honestly, DS Lite is probably my favorite Nintendo handheld, with the Switch a close second.

After that, I think the next DS that I had was the 3DS. Which I still have; I even booted it up earlier this year to try to play "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney -- Spirit of Justice." I didn't end up playing it on the 3DS, since I have that anthology on Steam, but I wanted to see where I was.

Games or series that I played a lot on the DS line were practically all of the mainline Ace Attorney games, and even some of the spin offs like the Professor Layton crossover and AA:Investigations. Fire Emblem was another. I think I played Awakening, Fates, and Echoes. I played at least one Pokemon game, too.

Congrats! I know what you mean about the imposter syndrome. I just started a new job, and was super worried. But having got here, seeing the work, doing it, I'm like, "why was I even worried?" I'm sure there'll be something new, but given that the "base job," is familiar, I have confidence I'll be OK. And I'm sure the same will apply to you.

Enjoy your time off. I took 4 weeks off. I miss it already 😭

I'm a week into the new job. And so far it's fine. In some ways, very different from my last job, but in other ways it's very familiar to me. So far, the work doesn't seem like anything crazy. It's mostly stuff I've done before.

I'm having to commute again, which kinda sucks, but at least the commute isn't any longer than what I used to do before I went full remote at previous job. At least by car. I still need to give public transit a try, though I have my suspicions that that'll be longer.

And at some point, probably soon, I'll be able to do a hybrid schedule, at least a couple days a week. So that'll be nice.

Not gonna lie, after a month off of work, it was tough to have to wake up early again and work! I need to win the lotto or something.

Getting used to living in my new city. After 3 weeks of living here, I'm still liking it. That said, I haven't gone out as much as I'd've liked because 1) I'm still trying to get things unpacked and situated, and 2) I'm a homebody hermit. Easier (and cheaper) to just stay home and chill.

Huh didn't know P1 and P2 were SMT games. Good to know. I've tried at least one entry in the SMT side and just could not get into it. Don't even remember which it was. I get they're both dungeon crawlers, but I don't think I'm a fan of the more old-school SMT-style games.

Maybe that'll be the reason I go back to visit: BBQ!

I've only played P3 Portable and Persona 4, on PSP and Vita respectively (though I also have these on Steam now). I have Persona 5 (also Steam), but I've yet to start it, since I have quite the backlog to get through. Including P3 and P4!

I got fairly far into P3P before stopping, while I didn't get as far into P4 before stopping, then restarting, then stopping again (though I got a little further than the first time). My last attempt must've been during the pandemic, so not that long ago. It's not necessarily that I didn't enjoy them; I just have a thing with JRPGs where I intend to take a short break...which often turns into years-long breaks.

P3P was more enjoyable than P4, IMO. P4 just seemed really slow at the start, while P3, I felt had much better pacing. If I'm remembering the correctly, the latter just dropped you straight in to the weirdness, and it just kept going, where I felt like P4 had more lulls in the action.

I don't mind the school stuff, though I'll admit it's not my favorite thing in the world. I do try to make an effort, rather than just breeze through it. I do hope to one day complete both of them and then get to P5. I very much enjoy their visual styles and music. I also like games that take place in the modern world, so the series is right up my alley.

For something like Civ or Stellaris, I'd count "completion" once I've won at least one game. Because, ideally, I've shown some mastery of knowledge, skills, and mechanics that allowed me to win. I don't need to play and win as each leader in Civ or every race/trait and combo in Stellaris to say I've completed it.

This is similar to how I'd view "completion" in open-ended games like Cities:Skylines or Banished. Having played a city or town for several hours, was I able to keep the residents alive, stabilize the city if there were any issues, and also grow and develop the settlement for a significant, though arbitrary, length of in-game time? If the answer is Yes to all of these, then I've "completed" the game. I've understood how things work in the game. Doesn't mean I have to understand every nuance or know every little trick. But I know enough that things are going well and largely continue to go well. And every time I start a new map, things tend to always go well.

Earlier this year, I stopped playing Eve Online for the nth time after mostly playing straight through since 2019. Because I viewed my time during this last 4-5yr stint as "complete." I achieved practically all the goals I set out to do: join a major alliance, join massive PVP fights, engage in smaller PVP fights, make money that I ever had before, buy and fly ships I'd never used before, learn how to explore and navigate wormholes, try out specific types of industry, play with IRL friends, own and run my/our own station, and more.

In all of these, "completion" obviously doesn't mean I'll never go back. There's always more to do, new things to see. But for now, I am satisfied with my progress, experience, and understanding. I'm no longer a noob.

I'm a member of a big credit union in my old city, but I don't use it as my main bank. Honestly, I don't see that many benefits.

• When I was trying to finance a new car at the start of 2021, the credit union rates were actually higher than the big banks and way higher than even dealership financing; I went with the dealership financing (>4% vs 1.9%)
• Also, they wouldn't even give me a car loan because I lacked a history of a car loan. Admittedly, they weren't the only bank that denied me in this way.
• Savings accounts rates are like 1% versus like 4-4.5% at like Ally or Capital One. Probably because my credit union is still as a B&M bank, while the others are online.
• My CU talks up annual member dividends, but you have to have significant amounts of money in your accounts and/or various products with them, such as mortgages or loans, before you get anything.
• The online banking and app experience is pretty trash; takes (relatively) forever for balances to update after even doing things like savings to checking transfers or vice versa. This sometimes affects Zelle interbank transfers, as Zelle thinks there's not enough money in an account for a transfer, even though there is.
• Plus, they're Zelle transfers are sometimes slow as shit, sometimes taking 2-3days. I know Zelle isn't always instant, but it's annoying because Zelle is often billed as instant transfers.

So I just use my CU accounts as a sorts of savings. I squirrel money away in there, like $25/week for a rainy day of sorts, but that's about it.

I get much more utility and benefit out of my accounts at other non-CU banks.

I use it since I subscribe to Proton for email. It seems fine. I used to use Windscribe -- or rather still do since I have a lifetime subscription -- but I tend to alternate between the two services these days. Proton seems to have tons more servers though. I've torrented on both and have had no issues with either.

I finally moved! Made the 16hr journey from Kansas City to the Washington. DC. My dad and brother flew out last Thursday to help me load the truck and drive across the country. Got into town late Sunday and unloaded the truck on Monday. Still unpacking and setting things up, and of course getting my bearings, but so far it feels good. I will say that the drive through the Appalachians is stunning. Obviously not the Rockies, but in some ways, I think the Appalachians are more beautiful.

It was definitely a little sad leaving a city that I'd grown up in, that I'd been at for like 30yrs. As I passed through suburbs where I lived or went to school at, I was definitely tearing up a bit. I'd driven east out of the metro to visit St. Louis, Chicago, Columbus, and beyond many times over the years. But this time I wouldn't be coming back "home."

I was the last of my family to leave the area, and while I have a few friends there still, we've grown apart as we've gotten older as they've got their own families and such. As such, unless I move back, I'll probably never return. Or at least, very rarely.

Anyway, I still have like 10 days before I start my new job, so in the meantime, I'm just relaxing and enjoying it. Hopefully this move will be worth it. I think it will be.

I think the point is that even with caps on spending, it's still possible for people to fall into a financial hole. Even just looking at the prescription proposal, $2000 may not be a lot for some, but for others, that's a good chunk of change. And is that $2000 per person? Is there a limit for a family? Because if not, for a family of 4, $8000 is a lot.

And of course, this doesn't address the medical procedures themselves.

I'm explaining the other person's position as I've read it. To me, any step in the right direction, even if small, is a good thing. But I could see why others would be like "Come on, stop beating around the bush, M4A already!"

My buddies and I cracked up when we saw this. Probably my favorite meme from FFXIV yet.

I think we'll be good. Clay Chastain isn't involved!

...yet.

You're on Beehaw right now. Let's not sling around any accusations. Let's just assume good faith. Even I didn't catch that when I responded.

While BLM is certainly within their right to ask for this, I think it'd be pointless to do it. It's done. Kamala Harris is the nominee.

To me, this is once again, the left fighting the left. And yes, the Democratic Party in this country, is considered part of the left, even if it's not as left as some of you you'd like. Maybe BLM and other groups who feel the same, should focus that energy on fighting MAGA and Trump. Only one of the two major parties has at least some interest in racial justice and equality. And it sure as hell ain't the Republicans. Especially not these days.

I'm not saying Democrats are perfect. I'm not saying Kamala Harris is perfect. But I'd much, much, much, much rather have her and Walz and Democrats across the land in control. And trying to fight fights within the big tent that have already been settled isn't the way to do it.

This is "accidental renaissance" level. That's an amazing shot; by Steph and the photographer!

Jim Withers, who coined the term “street medicine” decades ago and cares for homeless people in Pittsburgh, welcomed the entry of more providers given the enormous need. But he cautioned against a model with financial motives.

“I do worry about the corporatization of street medicine and capitalism invading what we’ve been building, largely as a social justice mission outside of the traditional health care system,” he said. “But nobody owns the streets, and we have to figure out how to play nice together.”

While I don't hate anything that helps people, and I'm not as anti-capitalist as some in this community, I wondered about this too. While it's great that a business was able to see a market here and can profit while doing good, I too would be a little wary. So much (ie seemingly almost all of it) of US healthcare is already driven by for-profit motives. We all know that even having health insurance, private or otherwise, can still be insanely expensive.

I don't know how Medicaid, Medicare, or California's funding and regulations work. But I'd want to make sure that the unhoused receive good care and continue to receive good care. And that profits are kept to a reasonable level. Healthcare obviously has costs; it's not cheap to provide. But I'd hate to see even more money gobbled-up and services to the unhoused decrease in quality/quantity because the profit-seeking side of the company demands more profit.

Late to the party. FWIW, I'm fine with the title for this post as well. I think @TheRtRevKaiser@beehaw.org has the right of it.

If you have issues in the future, please just report it. You can message us directly if for someone reason reports aren't working. We have fairly active and attentive moderation here.

It is. Additionally, my co-worker who made the comment is like 33-34. I'm 37. Another person on the committee is 40. HR is like 64. So it's not like we're a bunch of young guns ourselves lol. We should want experience, and with experience tends to come age.

But yeah, I getcha on the management thing. I'm technically a manager, but I don't have any subordinates. Because I told them, they're going to have pay me way more to become an actual manager with direct reports, especially since I'd lose my non-exempt status. To make me exempt, they'd need to make it worth my while. We're a non-profit, so we already get paid crap (though benefits are excellent).

My work is in the process of hiring someone to replace me since I'm headed to a new job. After a recent interview, a co-worker on the hiring committee made a comment on Teams, "His age seems OK."

Uhhh, maybe we shouldn't be talking about age in hiring decisions. Especially on a written medium. Pretty sure that in the US, age discrimination laws starts at like 40yo, including hiring and firing. That interviewee seemed to be over 40yo, which is probably what prompted that comment.

Not that I think the candidate will sue us if we don't hire him, but it's just unnecessary risk. And I don't even work in HR or legal; rather I'm in IT. Surprised HR didn't say anything about that comment.

I finished reviewing the whole thing about an hour ago. Looks good; went ahead and signed it! Of course, when I go on to the resident portal to pay the first month rent and such, it has the wrong amount -.-

I text messaged the specialist -- because no joke, that's their preferred method -- and told him that once he fixes it tomorrow, I'm ready to pay. Let's see if that gets done in a timely manner.

Welcome to Beehaw!

So I finally got this stupid apartment complex that I'm trying to move to respond to me. Had a couple questions on the lease, but the most important was that I was supposed to get like 2wks free rent, but the lease didn't show that. They sent me the lease last Wednesday, expecting me to sign within 24-48hrs, while promising to "answer my questions promptly" but then it took them 4-5 biz days to get back to me. I emailed, called, and texted every day. I told them that I'm not signing anything until I get my questions answered. I was getting worried as I already put down a small deposit.

When they called today, I was half expecting to have to argue with them, but luckily the leasing specialist said "Sorry about that; I've sent you a new lease with the concession." And it was there. Still need to review this new lease in its entirety, in case they added anything that wasn't in the first lease. Which has happened to me before elsewhere; I had the apt managers redo a lease twice, because they kept messing it up. Only signed it on the third try. Don't know if they were incompetent or trying to pull as fast on me; honestly, probably the first given how that place was run. Anyway, always read over your entire lease, even if they just corrected one little thing.

Hopefully get this signed by Friday. Once this is finished, I'll be able to book a truck and fly some of my family out to help me.

OK, but what's the neutral news?

So much weirdness. The box fans inserted into the walls. On Pic 38, the shower faucets are outside of the shower itself. All the ceiling fans. The "conference room" or perhaps church space. In Pic 28, using the carpet as "wallpaper," and similarly in 29, the carpet for the top surface of the half wall. Using PVC pipes as handrails on stairs or in the closets and hanger bars. And it looks like the vehicle in the garage might actually be a hearse!

Good find!

When I was a high school, I had a friend who lived in a very similar house, sans siding mania. My friends and I were there to pick up our friend, but we ended up going inside for like 10min. The house was super long and just had so many room and doors. Didn't get the grand tour or anything. As far as I knew, there were only like 5 or 6 in their family: 2 parents and 3 or 4 kids. But I think other family members lived there, too. It'd be too big for one family, and there was enough stuff that made it look like relatives lived there as well.

I remember thinking, "How do you not get lost in here?" And, "Was this always a house, or was it like a converted apartment or boarding house, like for assisted living?" I never asked because I didn't want to embarrass my friend. The rest of us lived in SFHs or duplexes. Didn't want to put them on the spot or anything.

Safe travels!

Still waiting on the reimbursement. It ended up being over $1700. I've been following developments on the Delta subreddit and some people had even higher, eyewatering amounts of expenses, due to traveling with families or being stuck abroad. There was one person who said they were stuck in Scotland and maxed out a credit card for $7500 on last minute airline tickets on another carrier and was of course livid. But a lot of others are reporting being made whole, plus getting compensatory SkyMiles and/or flight credits.

What I would love to come out of this whole thing, now that it's happened twice in 2yrs, is better regulations on the airline industry, particularly with consumer protections. So much of the stress and anxiety was because no one knew if Delta was going to reimburse. Just require it in cases of delays of over 3hrs. If people knew that the airline was going to reimburse ahead of time, they probably wouldn't have spent days in crowded airports, running out of food and diapers for their kids and all that. They can at least be frustrated in basic comfort, with the ability to shower, sleep in a decent bed; a bed, at all! Which helps A LOT. I was a lot more chill about things because I was able to get a hotel. And even if Delta wouldn't pay for it, I could afford it. Not everyone has that privilege.

We'll see.

EDIT: OK so this is actually more complicated than I thought. Parts of what I said originally are wrong. Sorry; let me see if I can correct this.

• Khan's term actually ends Sept 2024; I thought she was appointed to a full 7yr term; she was not.
• Rather, she replaced former FTC chair, Joseph Simons, so she's finishing out his 7yr term.
• Additionally, the president can designate a new Chair at anytime, without senate confirmation, as long as the president picks a current commissioner.
• Lina Khan was not a current commissioner, which was why she was confirmed by the Senate in 2021.
• If the Chair role is removed from a commissioner, that person reverts back to a regular commissioner.
• But the Chair obviously sets the tone and direction of the FTC and can appoint people to certain positions within the agency, so it's a powerful role.
• If a commissioner or chair's term ends, it is possible for them to continue in that role until a new commissioner or chair is selected (Source) .

So that's why these billionaires are asking for this now. Because Khan will probably remain in her chair role beyond the election, until she's replaced. If Harris wins, Hoffman and Diller are expecting Harris and Dems to "make good on their purchase" and to select a new chair. Still ridiculous.

How easy is it for a president to remove a chair of the FTC? Decided to look into this.

FTC commissioners serve 7yr terms. Khan was only appointed and confirmed by the Senate in 2021. So she should be there until 2028, unless she resigns.

Additionally, the FTC is an independent regulatory agency (versus an independent executive agency). So it sorta exists "outside" of the executive branch. In terms of firing commissioners (chair or not), independent regulatory agencies commissioners can't be fired at will:

Presidential attempts to remove independent agency officials have generated most of the important Supreme Court legal opinions in this area.[9] In 1935, the Supreme Court in the case of Humphrey's Executor v. United States decided that although the president had the power to remove officials from agencies that were "an arm or an eye of the executive", it upheld statutory limitations on the president's power to remove officers of administrative bodies that performed quasi-legislative or quasi-judicial functions, such as the Federal Trade Commission.[1]: 142  Presidents normally do have the authority to remove regular executive agency heads at will, but they must meet the statutory requirements for removal of commissioners of independent agencies, such as demonstrating incapacity, neglect of duty, malfeasance, or other good cause.[10]

Source: Wikipedia.

So there is some due process there. The president can't just demand a commissioner of these kinds of agencies, like the FTC, to resign. I guess, a president could technically demand it (as it happened in this case that got to SCOTUS), but the commissioner is under no obligation to follow through. I'm sure there are legal ways to pressure a commissioner into resigning, and a presidential administration could lie and claim one of those reasons for dismissal. But again, there's at least due process. As far as resigning, Khan doesn't strike me as a kind of person who'd just roll over, especially given who and what the FTC has been going after lately.

All that to say...it seems really stupid for Diller and Hoffman to demand this. Especially so publicly. Aside from the anti-consumer angles, it's not even a slam dunk for a president to dismiss a sitting commissioner of an independent regulatory agency. Plus, this at a time when even Republicans seem to be turning on big business at times (though it's hard to say what Republicans are for or against these days and with whom). Obviously, liberals and many Democrats have been shouting for more business regulation and consumer protections for years, decades, now. So the public is definitely on the side of, well, the public. So why do this so publicly?

I guess just typical billionaires thinking they can throw money around and expect things will happen how they want.

Like HobbitFoot said, she was actually popular at first. I think people liked that folksy charm that she brought ("you betcha!") She has some charisma. Not saying it worked on everybody; I was not a fan, to say the least. But I can see it. And people here always like the idea of their leaders being someone you can have a beer with. Not saying someone couldn't have had a beer with John McCain, but I think with Palin, it was easier to envision.

The idea is that people will be willing to pay a recurring fee to use Alexa if it can do more advanced things, like perform multiple commands without the user having to say "Alexa" repeatedly, be more conversational, and manage smart homes more intuitively. Amazon is considering charging $5 to $10 per month for generative AI Alexa,

I don't know if that's worth $5-10/mo. I use Google Nest products at home, mainly to control lights. And yeah it sometimes annoying to be like, "Hey Google do this...Hey Google, do that...Hey Google, do whatever..." But at that point, I usually just use the Google Home app or a specific IoT app. And that's free.

First off...I'm home! I made it! \o/

Anyway, Public Enemy No.1 this weekend has been Delta. I know several other airlines also suffered from Crowdstrike-induced outages, like United, American, Spirit, and Alaskan (along with probably other airlines across the world). But by Monday, everyone but Delta, seemed to have their shit together. Delta and its subsidiary Endeavor Air were leading cancellations and delays around the world and domestically, by far. You can see on this page cancellations and delays for Tuesday and a few days back. It's crazy for Delta. Though I just realized American had high delays still, too.

My understanding is that Delta -- and probably other airlines...except maybe Spirit because, well, it's Spirit -- will reimburse for "reasonable expenses" for hotel, meals, and ground transportation. Which is great. Because I have at least $1000 of all that. Two Uber rides from the airport on Sunday to a hotel and back to the airport on Tuesday was almost $200 total! However, it gets real dicey with booking a ticket on another carrier, like I and many others ended up doing. That was almost $500 since it was last minute. Delta's policy is to not reimburse for that. Though we'll see how they respond. The US DOT has already opened investigations into Delta.

And while the DOT may not be able to legally require to Delta to pay for customers' tickets from other airlines/busses/trains, the DOT can probably exert a lot of pressure to do the right thing. Maybe the fines will be less if Delta does reimburse. And of course, Delta has a lost a lot, lot, lot of goodwill and reputation in this. In the US, Delta is considered the top, most premium airline. I started using them some after the Southwest meltdown in 2022. "Voting with my wallet" and all that. Yet when it comes down to it, in an emergency, they're no better than Southwest it turns out. Shameful.

I was able to get my unused portion of my Delta ticket refunded back to my credit card. But now we'll see with everything else. Wish me luck.

And good luck and safe travels to anyone else who's still trying to get home or wherever. Things with Delta are looking better for Wednesday, so looks like they should be back to regular operations soon.

Well the extra time on Saturday and Sunday morning was fine. But then it turned into a rolling delay fest for about 10hrs. I was at the airport at like 10am on Sunday, flight was supposed to leave a 1:30p, and it was finally cancelled around 11pm. So I've been here for an extra two days, without much other than my laptop, phone, and 1 extra pair of clothes that I always bring on my carry-on (my checked baggage made it home Sunday night/Monday morning, go figure).

But at least I was able to find a reasonably priced hotel. And a ticket out on another airline, which I'm boarding in about 10min.

Delta is going to be paying me back a lot of money...I'm up to about $1500 in unexpected travel expenses.

OK, I'm back at the airport in Seattle. I should be boarding my flight in like 10min. That'll get me to Denver, then one more flight and I'll be home!

A 3 day trip has turned into 6 days. And that's cost me an additional $1500. I didn't have it as bad as some, who were stuck in airports for days, or stranded abroad, as I at least got out to hotels. But it's still not great. Since Sunday, I had one extra change of clothes in my carry-on (my checked bag made it home before I did). It's Tuesday now.

Even though I ended up buying a ticket on a different airline, I was still constantly checking the website and FlightAware to make sure it wouldn't get cancelled/delayed. After 10hrs, on Sunday, of rolling 30/60min delays on my flight, before they finally cancelled the flight at like 11pm, this feels a little like PTSD. Like I'm anxious to just get on the plane get the hell out of this airport.

Seattle is awesome, but I just wanna go home.

Thanks for that! I'm definitely hoping to take the Metro in most of the time. The first time I drove in DC back in 2010, I vowed, "never again." I've driven in many cities, even in Puerto Rico once, but I thought DC was the worst.

Obviously moving there, there will be times I have to drive around, but to the extent I can avoid doing so, I will.

I'm in Seattle for a little vacation. Went to the "Bite of Seattle" at the Seattle Center today. That was unexpected, as my brother and I just wanted to go to the Space Needle. Instead, we walked around the festival grounds, got some beers, and listened to some of the local artists rocking out. We also met up with our parents for a bit who are vacationing up here, separately, too. Bit of a nice surprise for our mom. This was my first time here; it's a cool place!

Now I'm trying to get home, which is proving a little tougher due to IT issues stemming from Friday. My airline, Delta, has been heavily affected. I was supposed to go home Saturday, but flight got cancelled. Now I'm supposed to leave today, Sunday, but I'm getting nervous. Feel like my flight will get cancelled again. Or my connecting flight home will get cancelled, leaving me stranded in another city So yeah. Nothing like a relaxing, chill vacation ending in some mild anxiety!

Ah well, I'll get home eventually, one way or another.

Agreed. from an electoral standpoint, it's bad.

Of course, if Trump wins, then it's still a bad pick, but for completely different, terrifying reasons.

We'll see, at least with regards to Trump. Usually a VP is selected to "round-out" the ticket, to bring in additional votes from those who iffy on on the presidential candidate. But if this guy is already MAGA to extreme and a Trump loyalist (though he wasn't always), what segment is that bringing in that wasn't already planning to vote for Trump?

In other words, how many Republicans are there who don't like Trump and wouldn't vote for him, but now that Vance is there, will vote for Trump? I feel like that's a pretty small number.

I've been working through a replay of all the original mainline Ace Attorney games, via the trilogies on Steam. Played these all on DS/3DS back in the day. I just finished Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies, and now I've started Spirit of Justice, the last game of this second anthology. Love this whole series. Can't wait for the release of the "Investigations" spin-off games in September!

Otherwise, still playing FFXIV. I started Dawntrail, but I haven't gotten too far into it. I put a pin the MSQ (Main Scenario Quests) a couple weeks ago and just kinda left it there. I have enough other things to work on. Class/Job leveling, finishing up some Alliance Raids/Normal Raids from Endwalker, trying to suck less while healing on Sage, and whatever else side stuff I find.

I figure that it's gonna be at least a few months til the next big content update, and at least two years until the next expansion, so what's the rush? I'll get back to the MSQ eventually.

Spend your tax return on debt.

I know the way income taxes are withheld, at least at the federal level, have changed. Generally speaking, however, you shouldn't be getting too big of a refund. Like if you're getting a few thousand back, that might not be ideal.

Certainly you don't want to owe any money, since that may lead to potential underpayment penalties. But the conventional wisdom holds that tax refunds are essentially interest-free loans to the government. So while it's nice to get a lump sum refund, it's better that you keep your money throughout the year so you can use it to buy groceries, pay off debts, and such.

But, I also understand that savings (or not spending) can sometimes be hard for folks, so sometimes having the govt hold your money "in savings" may be appropriate.

If I can add one thing:

• Always pay yourself first.

Doesn't matter if it's $10 a pay period or $100 or something in between or more. If you can, save a little bit of your paycheck. Ideally, if you're company utilizes direct deposit, direct that portion of your paycheck to another free checking or free savings account at a separate bank from your main bank. This way is best since you're saving and it's "out of sight, out of mind." You never see that portion hit your main checking account. Then don't even look at the balance that often. Don't even think about it. Save it for a rainy day. Or something nice down the road.