Hi, qshopper and gadgets, Guess I forgot to say that I DO fund my Roth IRA faithfully, for the full amount, annually. Thankfully, someone wiser than I set me up with a TSA person years ago. Of course, after a while, that person's quote of "they don't put teachers in jail" made me wonder just what kinds of monkey business he was doing with my money, so I got a new TSA person. I'm always telling new teachers to pay themselves first by getting a TSA. I'm still trying to get my sister to set one up, but oh, she is soooo busy! Well, now she's 48 and maybe she thinks she's gonna win the lottery, but really, that's not likely! I was wondering about dollar cost averaging and investing in no-load funds--stuff I can do myself, and wondered if anyone else had some advice about things like that...I just learning and one of my cyberpals is talking me thru it...just wondered what everyone else may know... Thanks!

For anyone years later who is looking for the same info: I recently left flooring as a store manager and sales rep. First, understand that NO flooring is scratch-proof. They are scratch-resistant. I know someone else recommended staying away from it in case your basement floods but the truth of the matter is that if it floods and you use your homeowner's insurance (recommended), they will insist on the entire floor being replaced no matter what you have installed. You can choose a commercial grade if you are really worried about the flooring holding up to abuse. They are often glued down. Your installer will probably want to skimcoat the floor or use a leveler. This is good practice. Urethane with ceramic bead and urethane plus with aluminum oxide particles are the strongest choices right now but there are some higher ratings Like AC 5 which is stronger than say a 20 mil wear layer. There are also a few in the 30 mil wear layer range. You will often save money hiring your own installer because stores make money from the cost of installation. Hire your own and have them buy your materials. If they have an established relationship with the store, they will often get a significant discount on your materials. The store I worked for had a 55% profit margin but when they sold to installers/contractors they lowered it to 30-35%. Stores have to make a profit and so do installers. You may save some cash if your installer charges a smaller profit margin. Ask for a Certificate of Insurance on the installer. If their installation is bad or unfinished, their insurance has to cover it. Stores should have a warranty to cover poor workmanship as well. The manufacturer will cover manufacturing defects but not workmanship. Before you hire someone, ask if they do moisture testing and what is their procedure for it. ALWAYS have a moisture test done and documented when they come out to measure. If it is too high they should recommend what to do to get it and keep it at the appropriate level. ALWAYS have it done again before installation. This is the number one thing that causes manufacturers to deny a claim.

Any plant that is expected to thrive in a container should be planted in a good potting medium. Most of them are called ”soilless” mediums because they typically contain none of the ingredients that comprise a soil: sand, silt, clay. Soilless mixes are typically airy and difficult to compact. Commercial potting mixes are composed of small bark fines of assorted sizes, coarse ground peat, perlite, and other ingredients. The most important element in a potting mix are the empty pores, the tiny air pockets. That’s where the plants are able to obtain the essential oxygen, water, and water borne nutrients required for their existence. The very best of top soils are wonderful in situ, in the garden. Within the confines of a container, those soils turn into a sludge….airless and heavy. Buy a decent bag of potting medium for your tomatoes, the same stuff you would use for all of your houseplants.

Over the years I have had a number of Bosch dishwashers and was pleased with all of them. They ran the gamut from the 800 series to the really fancy ones. If I was buying a Bosch today, I'd buy the 800 series. Unpopular opinion at this website, but I have had a number of KitchenAid DW and have one currently. Granted I've only had this one for six months, I'm pleased as punch with it. I was able to get it on sale and get a lot more for my purchase buck because of the sale. It's a really nice DW, quiet, and cleans everything. All in all, they are both good brands. Buy the one where you get the best deal.