Retirement Projects Around the House

Maintenance, repairs and renovations has evolved to a full time job, especially as the house gets and the longer one lives in it.  

When we moved in 23 years ago, we were mostly comfortable with the house as is.  We immediately hired a professional and  converted all the carpeting on the 1st and 2nd floors to hardwood.  

At first, the maintenance work was relatively straight forward and part time.   Mowing the lawn, which we paid to have done once a week.   Raking the leaves in the fall, which occurred over several weeks for a few hours a week. Seeding and fertilizing the lawn for winter

 

Over the next few years, we made cosmetic changes, such as interior painting and changing window treatments.  We also made some structure upgrades, such as replacing the roof, putting new furnace and a/c and painting/repairing the exterior.  

 After COVID, we upgraded appliances in the kitchen and did a small remodel, but didn't change cabinets.  Also, we refinished our hardwood on the first floor.

Our latest project involves remodeling our bathrooms. Our house was built in 1988.  Th upstairs and basement bathrooms have 4X4 white tile on the floor and in the bathtub.   The mirrors are 4X8 across the whole vanity.  We're thinking of modernizing the tile, mirrors and vanities, in addition to replacing the tub, toilet and sinks.

Finally, we are doing landscaping project, which involves new plantings, removing dying trees, and creating more privacy.  We are also doing some stonescape work with large marble tile.

For some projects such a remodels, we hire professional. For some such as landscape planting, deck , concrete sidewalk, patio and driveway maintenance, we are doing ourselves as a start..

Here are some of the maintenance projects we are regularly doing:

• #1 Fixing items when the "break" or stop working.   Recent examples include: pot filler leaking, washing machine leaking, bathtub rusting, freezer not cooling enough, bike tuneups, dishwasher not cleaning, drain clogged, dripping faucets, HVAC inspection, exterior and interior, light bulb replacement, and miscellaneous stuff.  
• Regular lawn maintenance, which includes seeding, weed control and raking leaves.  We do pay to have our half acre lot mowed weekly.
• Tree maintenance annually.   Trimming reachable dead branches.   Have higher branches done by professional.   Fertilization if needed.
• Regular car maintenance.  Oil changes, tire rotations, repairs as needed.  I do minor repair such as replacing bulbs, changing cabin and engine air filters.
• Annual fall cleanup, especially leaf raking, leaf composting, gutter cleaning.
• Routine painting touch up.
• Annual wood deck power washing, staining and sealing.

Sheesh, I often wonder how I had time to work?

For more on Strategies and Plans, check back every Monday  for a new segment.

This is not financial, retirement nor maintenance advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Becoming Addicted to Free and Fast Delivery

Many years ago, delivery came at a price that driving to pick up, for me, was more economical.  Even when delivery prices were lowered, I chose to pick up.   Occasionally, I would exceed the minimum for free delivery, which I would take.

Then came Amazon Prime, which offered free delivery for a membership fee.  At first, we did not become a Prime member.  Then our purchases began increasing, making a Prime membership worth it.   The local big box stores started offering free shipping when above a minimum threshold.   Sometimes, there are promotions for completely free shipping or members of the rewards program.

Nowadays, I often don't go the store anymore.  I research on the internet, place my order, and get it delivered in 1-2 days.  Sometimes, there is even free same day delivery.

I don't know if it's because I'm older; I don't like searching in the store; or I don't like the time it takes to drive to the store.  Whatever the reason, I'm using the internet more to buy items and get it delivered.

However, I still don't and I don't plan to order online and get delivery of groceries.  I still prefer to shop and pick out my items for purchase, especially the fresh produce, at least for now.

For more on Crossing Generations, check back every Thursday for a new segment.

This is not financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Not Worried About Declining Market - Yet

Even though the market is falling, I'm still hodling and not selling.    I'm not buying the dip either.   I believe there may be more further downside for longer, which will provide a real time test of my "retirement paycheck" strategy.

Right now, it seems the declines are rotating through different sectors.  Some of my stock sectors seem to have "balance."    When semis go down, software stocks go up.  When software stocks go down, semis go up.   I know this form of volatility my be transitional and eventually every position will go one direction, up or down.

In the meantime, I'm monitoring how my interest and dividends "retirement paycheck" is delivering.  As long as the amount remains relatively stable on annual basis, I won't be worried.  So far, the payments have been as expect for the first half of 2026..

For more on  Reaping the Rewards, check back every  Friday for a new segment.

This is not financial, retirement, nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Social Security Payment Uncertainties

Pensions and Social Security used to create financial security for many retirees due to certainty.  However, over the past 30 years, many pensions have gone by the wayside, eliminating this certainty of retirement income.  Now the certainty of Social Security payments is at risk.

For retirees, the future of Social Security payments shouldn't be uncertain, yet the sustainability of promised amounts is very uncertain.  The latest estimate is that Social Security benefits will be cut 22% across the board by 2032 if Congress does not take action.  Since many retirees depend on Social Security payments for everyday expenses, this uncertainty is unacceptable. 

Even if Congress does act, the effect on retirees may be different depending on which option eventually passes.  The options include: raising the percentage for FICA tax, removing income caps for FICA, doing means testing, capping benefits or combinations of these.    The difficulty for retirees is that these solutions possibly change benefits for many retirees, making the future income very uncertain.

Personally, I believe this should be the number one priority for legislation, given the broad impact it has on citizens.  

For more on Crossing Generations, check back every  Thursday for a new segment.

This is not financial, retirement nor Social Security advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Missing Parts Magically Appearing

I try to leave parts in "known" places so that I remember to look there again.  Often, I can find parts that I have placed over 5 years ago.  Recently, I replaced tail lights in two vehicles from parts purchased (due to coming in pairs) over 5 years ago.  It has been a relatively good system.  Of course, it works until it doesn't.  Lately some parts aren't where I thought they would be. Sometimes, I can't find them for months.  

However, in the past couple weeks, some parts that have missing for almost year reappeared miraculously, in a place I didn't think I put things.   I have a few theories of how this happened.

1. Gremlins.  Yeah, they come around in the evening a surreptitiously move the items.  
2. Multi-verse.  OK, I'm moving between parallel universes that are similar, but not exactly the same.
3. Memory lapse.   Unfortunately, this is probably the reason.  I put things somewhere and don't remember where I put it.

Currently, very few parts are MIA.   I continue to hope that these missing parts will show up...eventually.

In the meantime, I will reduce the number of locations I use for storing miscellaneous parts.

For more on Reaping the Rewards, check back every  Friday for a new segment.

This is not financial, memory nor parts storage advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Need to Do Weight Exercises

When I was younger, I wasn't a fan of weight training.   I was the starting fullback for a State Championship football team, and I didn't do weights.  In college, I didn't do weight training even though I played even though I was the starting fullback in football again. When I played, weight training was not a requirement for athletes.  Thus, I avoided it.  Like many of my teammates, I built strength through practice and drills.

Fast forward to now.  I've been in rehab for a procedure earlier this year.  Most of the exercises have been cardio, treadmills and bikes.  Near completion, I started to do some weight exercises.  I did ok, but I realized I am much weaker than I expected.  

Needless to say, I need to be doing more weight exercises and weight training now that I'm older.  I will start working weights into my schedule in the future.

For more on New Beginnings, check back every  Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor health advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Less Need to Turn Off the Lights

When I was a kid, I was always instructed to turn off the lights when not using, and reminded when I didn't turn out the lights.  The rationale was electricity costs money and leaving lights on when not needed wasted electricity. True, especially with incandescent lights, which give off significant heat also.

With LED lights, the amount of electricity used for the same amount of light is 75-85% less.   While electricity is still wasted when left on, it is much lower than when I was growing up.   Still an issue, but much less than with incandescent light bulbs.

For more on Crossing Generations, check back every Thursday for a new segment.

This is not financial or frugalness advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

"I Used to be Young and Poor,

and after working for 40 years, I am no longer ... young." - satircal post from Wall Street Bets.

From what I 've read, that's how many people near or in retirement feel.  Social Security isn't enough.  Retirement savings isn't enough.  Combined, it's still tough to cover all retirement costs, especially growing medical costs and future costs for senior living expenses such as assisted or long term care.

And now, if Congress doesn't act, Social Security benefits will be cut 23-24% across the board in 2033.  Yikes.   That may make some seniors old and poor.

IMHO, to avoid being old and poor, I work with my kids to save as much as they can, up to 20% of their earned income.  Invest the funds in the S&P500 and HODL.  If there is Social Security, consider that a bonus.  If there's an inheritance, that's another bonus.

In our case, our employers had a retirement savings plan but no pension.  We assumed that there would be no Social Security and targeted to save 20X our pre-retirement income before retiring.  In hindsight, 30X would have been better to help during the Great Recession, which occurred immediately after we retired in our 40s.  We did receive Social Security and an inheritance.    

So far it has worked, and we continue to watch and manage our retirement income.  As always, it works until it doesn't.   YMMV.

For more on Reaping the Rewards, check back every Friday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor retirement saving advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Self Defense Against Financial Scams

From MSN

4 financial scams targeting seniors to watch for as AI and deepfakes raise the stakes

Below is summary of the headlines.

• Investment Scams: “Guaranteed Returns” Are Often a Trap
• Romance Scams: Emotional Trust Turned Into Financial Theft
• Government Impersonation Scams: When Fear Becomes the Weapon
• Tech Support Scams: The Fake Emergency on Your Screen
• A New Layer of Risk: AI Voice Cloning and Deepfake Family Emergency Scams

In summary of the article, it seems good actions to take are avoid being pressured by urgency, disconnect  when pressured for money, consult with a trusted person, and contact the authorities if needed.

For more on Ideas You Can Use, check back every Tuesday  for a new segment.

This is not financial nor scam avoidance advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Ignored Financial Tasks than Became Important Later

This is what I've noticed based on my own experience.

Here are the financial basics we focused on when younger.  These are many of the financial decisions and tasks needed when the kids are still living with parents.

• Earning money through jobs.
• Focusing on careers
• Increasing earnings
• Paying for the following
• Rent/mortgage, home maintenance, utilities, car payment.
• Necessities such as groceries, clothing, transportation.
• Day care for children.
• Entertainment, eating out, extracurriculars for children.
• Health insurance and medical expenses
• Saving for:
• College
• Retirement
• Home down payment
• Borrowing
• Funding college
• Buying auto
• Home mortgage

Here's are some of the tasks we ignored until later. These are future financial tasks that don't receive much attention until closer to retirement.

• Income calculation during retirement
• Social Security
• Stable and regular income from investment
• Simplifying financial tasks
• Investments - Reduce number of accounts and types of investments
• Credit Card - Reduce number and annual fees
• Higher costs needed to compensate for aging
• Health and long term care premiums
• Residence modifications
• Spending plan based on older lifestyle
• Renovations both minor and major
• Vacations with children's families
• Helping adult children with major costs
• Grandchildren college expenses.
• Creating a Trust or Will
• Choosing someone to handle financial affairs when one is unable to handle on their own.

In some cases, I did some of the financial tasks for older people because I learned about them with my parents, for example Creating a Trust.  Others, I didn't consider until after retirement, for example Social Security.

For more on Strategies and Plans Ideas, check back every Monday for a new segment.

This is not financial, retirement nor aging advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Wow! Massive Abundance of Tech Products

First, let me acknowledge that I am a tech Neanderthal.   I refused to get a cell phone when working, until one of my direct reports upgraded and gave me her old phone.  My group said I needed a cell phone, and then they never called me.    When I retired, I inherited my spouse's flip phone when she upgraded to a smart phone.   I stayed with the flip phone until a couple year's ago when it no longer worked because of 4g. I upgraded to my daughter's Iphone when she upgraded.

My tech stopped at PCs and cellphones.   I have a desktop and a lap top.  Yeah, I abhor social media and only use LinkedIn.  I use about 1gb of cellular a month.

A couple days ago, I asked my 13 year old son to accompany me to look for a blue tooth keyboard to use with an Ipad.  He recommended that we should go to Best Buy, which we did.  There were numerous choices at different price points ranging from integrated keyboards and protective covers to mini back lit keyboards.   There were also bluetooth mice available.

While were there, we looked at some tech in which he was interested.  I suspect this is the real reason he recommended going the Best Buy.  We looked at accessories for his F-1 Video Game on the XBox.  These included replica steering wheels, pedals, and a shift rod.   I guess we would need to build this all into a simulator.  He also explained there are seats that can give motion and straps that can create G-forces, but Best Buy didn't have them on display.

There were other items like cameras, folding cellphones and TVs, but what I noticed and remembered most is the 3D printer.   For about $550, one can get a machine that can make many art items as well as slip on shoes.  

All the stuff looked cool, but I didn't buy...yet.

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation from Best Buy nor Xbox for this post.

For more on Crossing Generations, check back every Thursday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor tech advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Online Scam Avoidance

Online romance scams have become a norm and examples are more frequent.   Below is one article about an individual fall for such a scam.

Retired journalist loses $270,000 to ‘pig-butchering’ scam after online romance turns into fake gold investment scheme

Here are some tips on red flags for online scams for the article..

How to avoid being a pig-butchering victim

Here are clear warning signs to watch for when it comes to pig butchering:

1. Be skeptical of unsolicited messages: If someone you don't know contacts you out of the blue — especially with a "wrong number" that turns into a conversation — treat it as a red flag.

2. Don't trust online relationships: Scammers often use flattery and conduct frequent check-ins. They want to make the connection feel real before making a financial request.

3. Ignore "profits" that seem too good to be true: The rapid gains in these fake investment platforms are the early signs of a scam. Early "wins" are designed to lure you into investing more.

4. Never pay fees to withdraw your own money: Requests for taxes, fees or deposits to unlock funds are almost always fraudulent.

5. Listen to family or advisors: In many cases, loved ones spot the scam before the victim does. Don't dismiss their concerns.

Ultimately, the safest rule is to never send money to someone you've only met online.

As Levine's story shows, these scams don't just drain bank accounts — they can also leave lasting emotional and personal damage.

Bottom line takeaway:  Be very wary of online (email, social media, messaging) from unknown people.  My typical action is to ignore or delete.

For more on Ideas You Can Use, check back every  Tuesday  for a new segment.

This is not financial nor scam avoidance  advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Buy the "Right" Stock and Hodl

"It's hard to make predictions, especially about the future." ~ Yogi Berra

One way stock investors make millions is to have a future great stock and hold, even when it declines 50% or more several times.   I would have been a millionaire several times over if I had never sold APPL, AMZN, and GOOGL, all of which I owned at least 100 shares in their early days.  

However, back then was still working and I was particularly sensitive to volatility of my stock investments.  All three stocks fell after I purchased them and took several months or even a year to recover and be positive gains.  By then, I was anxious about not losing money and sold for a only about a 10-15% profit. 

Ah, would've, should've, could've.

Of course, there are some formerly great stocks that dropped and took years to recover past their previous highs.  Examples include:  GE, CSCO, and INTC, all of which just exceeded their previous all time high from 26 years ago during the dot.com bubble in 2000.   Then there are the great stocks that crashed and stayed low or went to zero: Pets.com and Inktomi are examples.

So finding those future great stocks is a big challenge.

It seems that most people that make big gains are from stock in the company that employed them, examples include Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffet, and Elon Musk.  A small factoid is that Bill Gates would have been trillionaire if he had kept all his MSFT stock, instead of diversifying based on Buffet's recommendation.  For me, great returns have been hodling my company stock which I owned through an ESOP, but definitely not as big as Gates, Bezos, Buffet and Musk.   

For my kids accounts, I may try to buy a few potential great stocks for them and hodl.  However, for the majority of the account, I will invest in US and International Stock Index funds which routinely hodl the best stocks and cull out the worst.

For more on Strategies and Plans, check back every Monday for a new segment.

This is not financial, stock picking, nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Kids Grow Up Fast

Yesterday, my 13 year old son wanted to ride his bike to the local grocery story, about 2 miles away on the sidewalk.  I offered/requested to do his first ride with him since there are 4 lane streets to cross at intersections.  He vehemently declined to have me accompany him, three times.  Yes, I had ridden with him to the crossing a couple times, but we hadn't crossed.

I still think of him as needing us to help him with everything.  Obviously, he doesn't, despite me advising he should have a backpack to carry purchase, and a lock for his bike, which neither he had considered.

Still, I let him go on his own.  He texted me when he arrived and he made it home OK.

Yep, he is growing up!  I still remember when we adopted him as a 1 year old like it was yesterday.  Time goes by so fast.

For more on  New Beginnings, check back every  Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor parenting advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Pill Bottle City on my Bathroom Counter

When my MIL used to visit, she seemed to have at least a dozen different pills that she needed to take daily.  I think the medications were mainly for her heart condition, but I never did ask.  It always amazed me how many pills she needed to take.  She kept the numerous bottles on the dresser top during her stay.

I used to think her amount of prescription pills was a lot.  Back then I only took 2 prescribed medicines, a statin and low dose aspirin.  That was before I had coronary artery bypass surgery and follow-up stents.  Now I have 3 additional prescribed medicines for my heart.  Recently, I also had cataract surgery, which required some short term medication.

The challenge for me is remembering which pills to take when, since some are morning pills and some are evening pills.  To keep track, I've created a system of preparing the next dose pills in advance, so that I'm aware of the proper time to take.

Hopefully, I'll be able to be weened off some heart medication over the next few months as I recover from the most recent surgeries.

For more on New Beginnings, check back every Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor health advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Cataract Surgery: Expectations vs. Reality

I recently had cataract surgery and am recovering.   Although the recovery is going well, I was surprised by how reality was different than my expectations.

For reference, cataract surgery replaces the lens that has turned cloudy.  It also allows for adjusting the focal length vision of the eye.   Having been a contact user for about 40 years, I expected the final outcome would be immediate or at least same day, since contact lenses change the vision right away.

Instead, the change in vision took about a week to reach the final outcome.  The day of surgery, my vision was blurry and sometimes hazy.  The surgeon explained that cataract surgery sometimes results in the eye pressure increasing, which causes the haziness.  In addition, surgery causes some eye distress which leads to blurry vision.  On the day after surgery, my vision tested at 20/30, which they thought was great, but I still felt was not good enough since I expected to reach 20/20 immediately.   

The surgeon gave me some eyedrops for glaucoma (eye pressure) to use.   When I went home, I noticed that my pupil was still dilated.  So I started wearing dark sunglasses most of the time, even inside.   For day 2 to day 6, my vision improved incrementally and my pupil started shrinking.   By day 7, I felt like I was almost 20/20 and the pupil was near normal.

I've concluded that monofocal lens in my right eye has less range than my previous lens with contacts.  This is known, but I didn't realize the effect until the cataract was replaced.  It is still working for me since I'm getting good focus from about 5 feet to infinity for larger letters.   

On day 8, I had my one week visit.  My vision tested 20/20 but a little blurry at that level. My pupil is still slightly dilated, and I expect my sight to be fully clear when my pupil is normal.  I've confirmed that I still want to do a close vision monofocal lens for my left eye.  I expect that should cover reading distance to about 5 feet comfortably.   This will allow me to not have vision correction 99% of the time, but only correct the left eye for distance during sports such as tennis and skiing.

I'll give another update once the left eye is treated.

For more on Reaping the Rewards, check back every Friday for a new segment.

This is not financial, cataract surgery, nor health advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Paying Taxes and Doing Tax Returns

"In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." —  Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Le Roy, 1789

One of the most hated aspects of personal finance is paying taxes and doing tax returns.  Unfortunately, paying taxes and submitting tax returns is one of the certainties of life for most people. Almost no one likes doing tax returns for themselves.    That's why tax prep software and tax prep companies are popular and can charge for the service.

IMHO, almost everyone that works and all income is all on a W-2 (wages) or a 1099-B (dividend and interest) , 1099-G (refunds), or 1099-INT (interest)  can do their own tax return by hand, especially if they take a standard deduction.   These kind of returns can be done in 15 minutes by a professional and 30 minutes by an experienced individual.   A person doing a tax return for the first time might take 1-2 hours to become familiar with the forms, but only 30 minutes in the future. 

I did my daughter's first federal and state tax return in about 15 minutes in 2024.   The 2025 return took about 10 minutes since she only needed to file the state and was exempt from filing a federal return.  Part of the reason the time was reduced is she filed a W-4 to be exempt from federal withholding and therefore eliminating the need to file a federal return since there was no refund.  While she is in college, I will continue to do her returns.  After she graduates, I will assist her to do her own tax return.

For reference, I use a spreadsheet to do my own returns and my daughter's return, which does all the calculations and saves me more time.

For more on The Practice of Personal Finance, check back every Wednesday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor tax advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

I Appreciate our Bank's Fraud Protection Group

Recently, our bank seems very diligent about protecting customers from fraudulent transactions.  Here are some recent actions that give me confidence I am being protected.

• My partnership in commercial real estate property recently changed management firms.  When the distribution check was issued, my bank flagged it as a potentially fraudulent check.  The reason was my bank was unable to contact the issuer of the check to confirm legitimacy. 
  
  The scam they were protecting me from was one where the check issuer pays more than requested and requests a refund of the difference.  The recipient pays the difference with a personal check.  In the meantime, the original check bounces and the recipient loses the difference.
  
  Although it took a week to resolve and the funds were deemed no available, I appreciated that my bank was watching out for me.
  
  
• Recently, one of our brokerage accounts made a legitimate small deposit.   Our bank flagged it as a potential scam to link our account to a scammers bank account.   The deposit was legitimate and there was no issue.

Although there was no issue with either transaction, I appreciate our bank erring on the side of caution to protect our deposited funds.

For more on Strategies and Plans, check back every Monday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor banking  advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Recurring Dreams

Over the past 10 years I have several interesting recurring dreams.  Here are some that I remember the most.

• The most frequent one is a work trip to an international destination.   Sometimes, I have trouble finding my room.  Other times the room is a strange design.   Often, I don't have a return airline ticket.  Also, I have trouble getting ground transportation to the airport.   
  
  The flight usually makes a connection which requires us to transfer to another terminal after talking to the gate agent, who is not sure where we need to go.
  
  I always wake up before arriving at the final destination, so I don't know how this ends.
  
  
• Still working at the same company despite of already retiring.   In this dream, I keep showing up to work, getting paid, and no one seems to challenge that I am no longer employed.  I just keep showing up.
  
  
• In this one, I'm playing football for my school team.  I have trouble finding the entrance to the locker room.   Then I can't find my locker nor my equipment. I go the bathroom and all the toilets are strangely designed and out of order. Then, after I get all my equipment on,  I have trouble finding the field 

I have no idea these dreams but apparently they represent some unsolved issue I am facing. Luckily, it's doesn't seem to be about our finances.😎  Maybe I'll read up on dream analysis some time. 

For more on Reflections and Musings, check back every Saturday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor dream advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Today would be my Dad's 100th Birthday

Yes, my dad would be 100 today if he were alive.   I miss him lots.    He always made sure I had the best equipment for every sport I played. He supported me for the costs of going to an Ivy League school.  He's the reason I followed in his footsteps and became a chemical engineer.  He showed me how to be a great father.

I didn't show my appreciation enough when he was alive.  I should have thanked him and my mom more. I was lucky to have them as my parents.  I wouldn't be where I am today without their great support.

Thanks Dad and Mom.  

For more on Ideas You Can Use, check back every  Tuesday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor family advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC