In March of 2023, I had an 8kw solar array installed and I was finally permitted to turn it on starting April 21, 2023. My pessimistic/optimistic assumption that my buying an expensive solar array was going to be the trigger for technological breakthroughs in solar technology that rendered my panels obsolete wasn’t entirely unfounded. SureContinue reading “Going Electric – Solar 1 Year Later”
Tag Archives: money
Driving Electric – One Year In
One year ago, I brought home a new 2023 Nissan Leaf. I didn’t really need a car, but changing rules around tax credits meant that I pretty much had to buy the Leaf last fall if I wanted to save $7500. It was my first new car in a decade, and I’m mostly glad IContinue reading “Driving Electric – One Year In”
Going Electric – Solar
For years now, I’ve wanted to get solar panels for my house in Austin, both because it feels morally responsible and because I’m a geek and powering my house with carbon-free fusion seems neat. Economically, I assume I’ll eventually break even with solar power, but probably not for a long time– my house isn’t largeContinue reading “Going Electric – Solar”
Driving Electric
While my 2013 CX-5 is reasonably fuel-efficient (~28mpg in real world driving), this summer I watched in dismay as gas prices spiked. Even when my tank was almost full, watching prices tick up every time I drove past a gas station left me unsettled. I’d been idly considering getting an electric car for years, butContinue reading “Driving Electric”
Microsoft Employee’s Guide to Maximizing Donations
Perhaps the most impactful perk for employees of Microsoft is that the company will match charitable donations up to a pretty high annual limit ($15K/year), and will also match volunteering time with a donation at a solid hourly rate up to that same cap. Years ago, I volunteered at a food bank in Seattle, butContinue reading “Microsoft Employee’s Guide to Maximizing Donations”
Book-Writing: Just Do It!
Sadly, you’re unlikely to get wealthy by writing a book. You should definitely write one anyway. My Background People I respect suggest you shouldn’t write (or buy) books on specific technologies, going so far as to say that writing a book was on their top-10 lists of life regrets. Top-10… whoa! As a consequence, whenContinue reading “Book-Writing: Just Do It!”
The Budget
“Don’t tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.” – Joe Biden Across the political spectrum, Americans have thoughts on how the government should spend the money we send its way. That’s great (and it’d be better if more of us voted), but many arguments about spendingContinue reading “The Budget”
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