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Tuesday’s TPS Report: Regent Blazer

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J.Crew Regent Blazer | CorporetteOur daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. J.Crew's Regent Blazer seems really on point these days — the collarless blazer is so in right now, and I like the slightly “upturned” feel to this one. If you're looking for a longer blazer, as well, this one looks great — wear it with sleek ankle pants, or try it with a pencil skirt. It's $168-$198 in a variety of fabrics and colors and comes in tall, petite, and regular sizes 000-16. J.Crew Regent Blazer A few lower-priced blazers are here, here, and here. Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail tps@corporette.com. (L-5)

Sales of note for 3/15/25:

  • Nordstrom – Spring sale, up to 50% off
  • Ann Taylor – 40% off everything + free shipping
  • Banana Republic Factory – 40% off everything + extra 20% off
  • Eloquii – 50% off select styles + extra 50% off sale
  • J.Crew – Extra 30% off women's styles + spring break styles on sale
  • J.Crew Factory – 40% off everything + extra 20% off 3 styles + 50% off clearance
  • M.M.LaFleur – Friends and family sale, 20% off with code; use code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – 40% off 1 item + 30% off everything else (includes markdowns, already 25% off)

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

196 Comments

  1. Happy Tuesday! I’m on the hunt for some nice white T-shirts that aren’t see-thru in both long and short sleeves. Boat neck and scoop neck preferred. Any recs or favorite sources?

    1. I recently bought a short-sleeved, white, scoop-neck, t-shirt via consignment from Boden, so I don’t know how old it is. It’s very nice, thick, soft cotton. It also doesn’t have a size on it, so I can’t comment on sizing either.

    5. If you are slightly pear, I just got THE MOST AMAZING (ELLENCAPS!) A-line slight scoopneck t-shirts from Garnet Hill.

      They are not straight cotton, but they are a little nicer mix of rayon/cotton/spandex (meaning I could wear them to work under a blazer). I was skeptical of the material when I received them, but they are really substantial, not clingy, and not see-through. Huge win. I was going to post for all the pearish ladies. These t-shirts are not waist-clingy, in a very flattering way! They would also work on an apple shape too.

      1. Interesting! i’ve never ordered clothes (or anything else) from Garnet Hill. Do they generally have good quality items?

          1. I just bought a Garnet Hill drape-y cashmere cardigan at a consignment store for $20 and the quality is much better than the Lord & Taylor and Neiman Marcus cashmere I have bought for the past couple years. I had never heard of Garnet Hill before.

      2. THANK YOU! I’ve been wanting to try those shirts, but was hoping to hear a review first. Now I’m sold!

    6. Sounds weird, but I just had good luck at Jack Wills, drapey instead of clingy and light but not see-through.

  2. Yay! I love TPS Tuesday! Great Pick with this blazer, Kat — the model look’s like Rosa, and the blazer is something I can consider weareing in the summer to court!

    I am very busy today prepareing for court tomorow. I think I made a mistake in my breif yesterday, and may move for leave to amend my pleading on the ground of res ipsa loquitor. It seems that the complainant was taking off work b/c of a sore back, yet he was at the same time fixing his roof. I thought that the res ipsa loquitor doctrine should apply, but Mason say’s it is only to be used in the NEGLIGENCE context. I think he MIGHT be right, but I thought I could use it to prove the complainant was NOT injured for WC purposes. What does the HIVE think? Am I wrong or is he right? Mason did NOT even pass the NY Bar yet, and I have been admitted for a while in NY and am in good standing.

    I am worried about the breif, b/c this case has been pending for a while and I figured I would use this theory to get rid of the case. I have until NOON to move to withdraw the breif. Is there anyone in the HIVE that is a legal expert that could give me advise? HELP!!!!

  3. Thanks for posting early, Kat.

    I just started a new job, and I’ve been asked to meet with the head of my office for a “welcome interview.” This is my first job out of grad school, so I’m the most junior person in this office and this guy is several steps above my boss’ boss. He asked me to send written answers to a list of questions beforehand, one of which asks about my family structure, whether I’m married, and how many kids I have. What makes this weird is that I’ll almost certainly never talk to this guy again, and this is supposed to be a formal meeting about career things. If it came up in casual conversation with someone I had even a little bit more of a rapport with, I wouldn’t mind it. How do I approach this? Do I have to answer?

    1. Others may have a different perspective but to me, it sounds harmless, like the office head uses the interview as a tool to get to know new staff, both personally and professionally. You have the job already, so the personal questions aren’t discriminatory. It’s a little weird, but maybe he keeps them on file as a memory aide?

      Can you ask your boss about it? I’d answer the question, but I figure people at work will learn the basics of my personal life soon enough, so why not?

      1. They’re not discriminatory, but they also could be used (consciously or not) to determine things like my dedication to the job, potential for advancement, etc.

        The thing is, he’s enough steps removed from me that he probably would never learn the basics of my personal life. My boss and his boss both do, and we actually speak on a semi-regular basis. This man I will probably never see again, and this exercise is a formality that has no real significance.

        1. I’m in middle management in the finance department of a large organization (over 20,000 employees), and I’ve been in my job for 4 months. I’ve already had a similar meeting with not only the head of my department, who is 4 levels above me, but with the COO of the organization. Knowing that I’m a real person to this organization makes me want to do more here.

          Don’t go into a meeting with someone important with the attitude that it’s “a formality.” Show up, be personable, and let him know why they hired you.

        2. If he is so far removed, will he actually be the one making advancement decisions? Are there other personal questions, like what hobbies you have? I feel like we are so conditioned to look for the potential harm in these types of questions (and sometimes there is) that we forget that one of the reasons we presumably like the companies we work for is because they are made of real people with real lives outside the office.

          1. no, there are no other personal questions other than am I married or single, and how many kids do I have

      2. Use it to your advantage. Tell him what you want him to be thinking as he later makes choices about whom to develop/promote. Ideas:

        – I support my family.
        – I have always supported myself.
        – My family understands that my professional commitments come first.
        – etc.

    2. This is a little weird, but I’m sure he means well and just wants to know where to start with small talk when you come in for your welcome interview. You don’t have to answer, but I think that would be missing the spirit with which this is intended and would leave a negative impression.

      Also, do not assume you won’t see this guy again just because he’s very senior in your organization. I’ve had upper management who made a point to make rounds of the office and chat up the employees on a regular basis, and I thought it was great. Treating your employees like humans rather than little cogs in your machine is usually A Good Thing.

      ETA, I think you may have the wrong impression about this meeting. All my welcome interviews have been fairly informal, not structured discussions about “career things.” Especially if his questionnaire includes questions about your personal life, you might want to adjust your expectations a little.

      1. I agree with this. Also, a questionnaire sounds a little different, but maybe he isn’t good with details or small talk so he needs some props.

      2. does this change if there are very few women and it’s common to hear men reminisce about “back when we could drink at work and slap our secretaries’ @$$es whenever we felt like it”….. They do discriminate. Have lost a couple of lawsuits on this front. And yes, I am getting out. this was a placeholder job anyway.

        1. Do you already have another job lined up? With the information about the tone of the workplace you have provided, I would probably just skip the question when submitting my written answers and then deal with it in the method above when asked about it in person. While I do believe it is important to understand the culture of your office and participate in getting to know people (to the extent you are comfortable), it sounds like this is a male dominated office where I would not be inclined to share any personal information about myself at all.

          1. Yeah, I do. I’m just waiting for the start date. I need something to pay the bills in the meantime *sigh*

          2. So if you already have something else lined up, do you really care? How much impact can this have on him ‘making decisions about your career’ if you already have one foot out the door?

          3. I don’t really care, but I feel like it’s a good exercise in learning to navigate what I’m sure will be many different “problems”/situations/ whatever as I proceed in my career. It’s a learning experience, and I’d appreciate learning to handle it “right” or whatever.

            Plus I just find this really uncomfortable and was wondering what my realistic options are for avoiding the uncomfortable part.

          4. Yeah then leave those questions blank. This is a good time to practice the ‘short answer then silence poker face’ solution that Carolyn Hax often recommends. If he asks about why you left them blank, say “I would rather stick to talking about my work.” and leave silence there and wait for him to ask something else. If he stays on the personal questions, repeat and maybe suggest a topic or ask a question about the organization.

            The key to this working and not coming off as insubordinate is keeping your face completely neutral and your tone professional and almost casual. Like it’s no big deal. but you aren’t going to budge and just let their be awkward silence if that’s what happens. It will make the other person feel more awkward than you.

      3. This sounds a little to me like someone who was weird/not good with social connections would do, to try to make an effort (a somewhat awkward one) at what comes naturally to most people. Like, I could see Shelton on the Big Bang Theory doing this. Which I guess makes me sort of sympathetic to him. You’ll have to update us on how this goes.

    3. It sounds like it’s a get to know you type thing, and maybe he wants to review details beforehand so he has a few things picked out to discuss. Can you respond in general paragraph form, rather than question-by-question? I would do that and talk about how excited you are to work there, and then whatever personal details you are comfortable sharing–maybe where you are from, where you have lived for school, if you have pets, you can make vague references to “family” rather than getting specific (if you want to go there), hobbies.

    4. Any chance your new place of employment does some kind of family outings so they want to keep a running head count of people’s family size? My first out of law school firm had a yearly summer event that was for every employee and their family so they wanted to keep track of family sizes for venue planning purposes. Of course not everyone would RSVP yes but they wanted a rough estimate like when you are planning a wedding. We also would occasionally get firm swag and sometimes that included little polos for the kids or something like that. I think HR wanted family size, kids ages and everyone’s shirt sizes for these purposes.

      1. My BigLaw firm did this, too (including baby blankets for newborns). But they also discriminated. So I made sure everyone knew I didn’t plan to have children or “quit when my husband made it big.”

  5. We are considering three places for our honeymoon in October: Spain, Portugal, or Buenos Aires. We will be traveling from the central United States and will only have about 7 days total (including travel time). Neither of us has been to any of these places and we want to visit all three, but are torn as to which one to do now. Anyone have thoughts about which city/country we should pick and why?

    1. I’ve been to both Portugal and BA and I loved both of them. You can’t go wrong with your choices. One thing I would consider is the weather. BA will be getting into summer, whereas Europe will be in fall. I’d check average temps because I have heard BA can be awful in the summer (although that’s more December time frame). 7 days in BA is also longer than you need to see all the “sights,” but about the right amount if you like to do a lot of hanging out and eating of steak + drinking of wine :)

    2. I haven’t been to the other two, but OMG SPAIN. It’s really easy to see a lot of places if Madrid is your anchor. Either you can stay in Madrid for the bulk of the trip, with easy day trips to places like Cordoba, Toledo, Grenada and Sevilla (a little further – maybe one night overnight here?). Or, if you don’t want to move around quite so much you could go in/out of Madrid and then midweek do a 2-3 night trip to Barcelona.

      1. I’m not sure how relaxing it would be to do all that from Madrid in just 7 days. But agree that Spain is fantastic and if you go, definitely try to visit Toledo and spend the night there – it’s a magical place. Also, if you end up in Madrid, the Museo Thyssen Bornemisza is amazing. One of my favorites ever.
        I think Portugal tends to be rainy in the Fall, so I’m not sure I’d go there in October. October is a great time to visit Spain though. Buenos Aires sounds amazing, too, of course, and October is a nice time to visit but the flight will be ~ 14 hours and I wouldn’t want to fly 14 hours for just a 7 day trip. So, yeah, I’d pick Spain.

    4. I have been to all 3 places. I agree first of all look at the weather – avoid Buenos Aires in the heat of the summer, but don’t go in the winter either. March -April is lovely in B.As. as is September-November. Spain and Portugal are awesome all summer (April -October). If you are going to be traveling from December – February, I would still pick Buenos Aires over Spain or Portugal, but that is just me because I prefer heat to cold.

      Spain is better if you want to see incredibly famous artwork, go to museums, and see things that really touristy. Just my opinion. If you want a more chill experience where you won’t feel like you HAVE to see certain museums or hit up certain tourist attractions, I would go to Portugal or Buenos Aires. Also I would consider budget – Buenos Aires is cheaper in general, with Portugal in the middle, and Spain probably the most expensive from a tourist perspective. 7 days is too long to spend in any city in any of those places, so I would pick a hub city like Madrid or Lisbon and then spend a night or 2 away, or at the very least take day trips.

      1. oh its in October – yes you are at the tail end of the nice weather in Spain/Portugal. I would pick Buenos Aires.

      2. I actually went to BA in the middle of winter (July), and it was fine. About 50-60 degrees every day…definitely not like Boston winter :) I wore jeans and a light jacket.

    6. Bs.As. – for one, it’s only two hours ahead of central time so you won’t have any jet lag. October will be lovely and not too expensive. I thought there was plenty to do there for 5 days (since two of your days will really be travel time – the flights are looong), especially if you like a relaxed schedule.

      1. +1. You’ll spend the first few days in Spain/Portugal getting used to the time difference. Buenos Aires is fantastic.

    7. Buenos Aires. I have been to all three, and we picked BA for our honeymoon around the same time of year. We had a little bit more time though. BA is also much more inexpensive.

  6. I’m about to get married to a man who has a 5-year-old daughter. I do not have any kids, and we do not plan to have kids together. I’m trying to figure out how to answer the question “do you have kids” after we get married. I don’t like saying that I don’t have children but he has a daughter. To me, it sounds like I don’t then accept her as part of my family—as though she’s just part of his family. But I also don’t want to say “we have a daughter” and sound like I’m trying to be her mom because she has a great mom who isn’t me.

    3. Is there any objection to saying, ‘I have a wonderful stepdaughter who is five.’?

      (Honest question- I can’t bring myself to call my father’s wife my Stepmother as they were married when I was an adult and we’re not particularly close. I refer to her as my father’s wife or just her first name.)

      1. I agree with this, because adding the little detail about her age adds a friendly note, which I think is what you are trying to do.

        1. +1. This statement is clear and accurate and the response most people are probably looking for when they ask this question.

      2. Thanks for mentioning this Clementine. My father will likely re-marry soon to a woman that was a secret relationship he had for years. Now that my mother has died suddenly, she popped out of the closet very painfully. I’m glad I’m not the only one…. I just can’t call her my stepmother.

        1. Me either–my father & mother separated in 2001. He remarried in 2004 and I couldn’t call the woman my stepmother until about 2010. Now, she has passed away 2 years ago, and she is the person in my family that I miss the most. She was the best thing to happen to my dad (that I can see), and taught me more about love and relationships in the 3 years that I really got to know her (and even then, I didn’t get to know her as much as I would have liked, and am fraught with guilt).

          My father is preparing to likely remarry again, and I doubt I will ever call this woman my stepmother. I’ve known her most of my life (she was a significant character in my church growing up).

        2. I don’t call my dad’s wife my stepmother – and I actually like her quite a lot. They were married last year, my parents were separated when I was 2 or 3.

          1. Me too. My parents divorced in my 20s and my my remarried a few years later. As much as I like him, I don’t call him my stepfather. To me, a stepfather is someone who helped raise you and financially supported you (shelter, food, transportation, etc).

            We had a frank discussion and he doesn’t want to be introduced as my stepfather either! We settled on “my mom’s husband” and it works for us.

    4. Just say “yes”……whether and how much additional detail is needed depends upon who is asking and how much you feel like disclosing. You did not ask for advice about step-parenting….but I can’t resist cautioning you that it can be extremely challenging. Based upon my own experience, I would advise caution and clear communication with your spouse.

      1. You probably didn’t mean it this way, but this comes across as condescending and negative. I’m about to become the stepmother of a seven-year-old, so I may be a little sensitive. But I am constantly shocked by the people who assume we’ve gotten to this point without a lot of discussion about and consideration of my role in her life and by the people who want to tell me how awful it is to be or have a stepchild.

    5. “I have a new stepdaughter who is 5.”

      No big deal. Nothing wrong with using step-anything. It is accurate and not derogatory.

      — Anon with 16-year old stepson

    6. I inherited my SS (now 24) and SD (now 19) when they were 15 and 10. I say, “I have two great stepkids.” And then if people ask boy/girl, ages, etc., I follow up with details.

      Be prepared for your SD to change her behavior toward you, including details like what you call each other (even if you have been very clear and very loving about saying how happy you are to have her in your life and how special you know her relationship with her mother is and you understand you are not her mother) once the wedding happens. That is when her mother will realize that this is final and will start the loyalty bind machinations. We thought we were fine — three years pre-marriage with good relations all around. And then, smack!

      I can recommend:

      – Take an Active Parenting class based on Michael Popkin’s books with your husband. They have ones that are age-based and ones that are for step-parents.

      – Subscribe to Stepmom Magazine.

      – Read the more data-driven books on the subject. My favorite is Wednesday Martin’s, “Stepmonster: A New Look at Why Real Stepmothers Think, Feel, and Act the Way We Do.” There are others.

      1. I just want to say I love what a great step-mom you are. My step-mom was wonderful. She passed away two years ago and I miss her terribly. She wasn’t my mom or my friend or whatever else. She was a step-mom. It’s its own thing and can be very beautiful. Your steps are very lucky kids I think.

      2. I’m sure you’re a great step mom but not all mothers who’s ex-husbands have remarried are evil…you do realize you’re in a unique situation, right? Stop putting your cr@p on others.

        1. It is atypical but not as rare as one might hope. And it can be isolating until one finds appropriate resources.

        2. She didn’t say all step-wives are evil, or even that hers is. A parent remarrying causes a lot of sensitive feelings, even in the best relationships, that kids notice and react to. Part of being a good step-parent is understanding the loyalty stressors on stepkids so that you aren’t surprised and don’t take them personally.

      3. “That is when her mother will realize that this is final and will start the loyalty bind machinations”- while that certainly happens in some families, that’s not true in many situations. My mom was thrilled my dad found someone so good for him.

    7. Panda, I have been struggling with this too – saying “my partner’s daughter” seems so detached…saying “stepdaughter” felt super weird. But – with our wedding coming up in October – said child has started referring to me as her “soon to be stepmom”, so I felt like she was the one who opened that up. I still feel weird about saying “stepdaughter” but I really appreciate this whole thread and everyone’s responses, especially hearing that it’s not weird to say “stepdaughter”! (PS she turned nine yesterday and I have been dating her dad since she was 4.)

  7. San Francisco recommendations? Hidden gems? Good cheap vegetarian eats?

    I grew up in the East Bay but haven’t lived there in awhile. We’ll be mostly based with my parents in the East Bay but will do some day trips to SF and spend a few days in Monterrey. It’s my husband’s first trip to the States so I want to make the most of it.

    My dad is taking him to Alcatraz and to a shooting range. I’m not sure why my vegetarian, raised by hippies English husband wants to go to a shooting range but my dad is thrilled.

    1. I’ve never lived in the city so I can’t comment too much, but on the cheap vegetarian eats front, go to Burma Superstar. Delicious and worth the (typically long) wait.

      1. If you want to skip the line, make a reservation at B-star right down the street. It’s their sister restaurant with their “greatest hits”, other stuff too, and a much nicer space, in my opinion. Still cheap too.

    2. Veg: Greens SF, Burma Superstar, consider dumplings near Clement St.
      Hidden Gems: I would do a walk of some type – Land’s End or Crissy Field (if your hubs would think this is fun, House of Air is a huge trampoline place just off Crissy field that you can bounce on for a bit)
      New Cool Things: Academy of Science in GG Park
      Museum that is Stunning: Legion of Honor
      Other fun things: Kayaking in Sausalito (there’s a great wine bar right on the water there that has a British theme) or Elkhorn Slough (on the way to Monterey); Muir Woods in Marin; Marine Mammal Rescue Center (Marin/Sausalito); having a drink at Cavallo Point (Sausalito).
      Consider taking 1 to Monterey from Santa Cruz and visiting Bonny Doon’s tasting room and Swanton Berry Farm (pick your own). (These are just North of SC, but a very short drive.)

      For Monterey, I’d check Sunset Magazine for best wineries near there. You may also want to check 7×7 magazine or SanFrancisco magazine for recent food recs for the City and tips for Carmel, Big Sur, etc.

      1. Wow, these are great! Adding these to my list now. It should be a nice mix of tourist-y stuff, hanging out with my mom and dad and meeting my family.

      2. I love the California Academy of Science. Definitely second that suggestion!

      3. One more thing–two of my best gf’s are Americans who live in London. They LOVE going to the outlets in Gilroy bc everything is practically free relative to the UK exchange rate. They stock up for themselves, husbands, kids…I would hit that on your way back from Monterey.

        1. Oh the outlets are definitely on the list! Livermore outlets are lovely.

      4. I’d add a couple of things – if you do the Academy of Sciences, know it’s one of the most popular places to take little kids and it’s really expensive. Right across from it is the De Young museum, which doesn’t have a great permanent collection but usually has a good touring exhibit. The Japanese Tea Garden is also right there (pretty but can be filled with tourists so better to go during the week), and Stowe Lake is also there where you can rent paddle boats or canoes and picnic.

        I love the Leigon of Honor – you could combine that with a hike at Lands End.

        I also heartily second the Cavallo Point recommendation – the restaurant there is Murray Circle, it takes reservations but you don’t usually need them. There’s also a great day spa on the property.

        1. Academy of Science is included in the Passport for San Francisco (at least it was two years ago). If you anticipate wanting to hit a lot of the sights, look into Passport. We bought it and easily got our money’s worth in a 4 day trip.

        2. yah I actually….confession I hate the Academy of Sciences….. Its so busy and there is not that much information or things that you can’t see elsewhere. I feel like its too small and trying to be too much.
          I am a teacher. I am a nanny. I love children and the children and the crowds at the Academy of Sciences drive me crazy.

          HOWEVER they often do late night drinks there for adults on Thursday. So if you want to go, go then: http://www.calacademy.org/nightlife

        3. Also for discounts on tickets to museums, etc, if your family members have library cards at any of the area library systems they can get day passes or discount tickets to a lot of the museums and other places.

          There is also an amazing Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection exhibit at the Legion of Honor right now.

          Second the suggestion for Coit Tower and Telegraph Hill, that’s my favorite thing to do in SF.

          If you are looking for random and off-the-beaten-path things to do that are inexpensive, check out sf.funcheap [dot] com and for food recs: http://www.7×7.com/eat-drink/big-eat-2015-100-things-eat-sf-you-die-0

    3. I also liked the Burmese place. I really enjoyed the Loving Hut in the mall in San Francisco (market street area, perhaps? I don’t know the city that well, sorry). It is a vegan chain/franchise, but each location is slightly different, and I really liked the food at the SF one. It is counter service with a seating area.

    4. Since you haven’t been here for a while, you might also enjoy exploring the mission and hayes valley – those areas have completely changed in recent years. The big thing here right now is destination bakeries, the “granddaddy” is Tartine, newcomers are: Craftsman and Wolves, Mr. Holmes Bakehouse, b Patisserie, Marla Bakery and I’m sure more that I’m missing. The Bold Italic (which is sadly shuttering but still up at the moment) has great neighborhood guides.

      1. I stayed in the Mission in August and was surprised at how much it had changed in the last 10 years or so. Valencia is super-trendy (Mission Street is still its old scruffy self) but the veg/vegan options were amazing. Gracias Madre is an amazing vegan Mexican place on Mission; we also liked Herbivore (which has a location in the Mission and one or two elsewhere). There’s a vegan Japanese on Valencia called Cha-Ya, and apparently now a new vegan sushi place called Shi-zen there. Check out Happy Cow online for a directory of veg and vegan spots.

        If you have time, and a car, check out Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County.

        Have fun!

      2. Oh my god, Tartine. The line is long but it moves fast. I go there every time I’m in SF. Get a morning bun, get the bread pudding…oh heck just get one of everything.

    5. Also, if you have time to plan, subscribe to Tablehopper or check out her website for the inside scoop on where to eat/ what’s hot/not/opening/closing.

    6. City Lights Bookstore on Columbus Ave. is amazing. Lots of history from the Beat era, and the Beat Museum is right around the corner. Your raised-by-hippies husband would probably get a kick out of them both.

      Oh, and Dottie’s True Blue Cafe for breakfast or brunch!

    7. I teach more groups of English / European tourists at my range than anything else! I swear half my clients are from somewhere in Europe. It is a lot tougher to get a license to own a gun or go play at a range there, so I figure that must be why.

      1. +1. I frequently take foreign friends with me as well – very few opportunities to do this in their countries of origin.

  9. I bought a pair of black leather loafers and I’m wearing them for the first time today. I just noticed that they are turning my heels black! Any ideas on how to stop this from happening?

    2. Other than the unfortunate dye issue, how do you like them? Are they more formal or more relaxed? (I’ve been looking for non-girly black patent leather loafers for a year now, but the Bass Wayfarers I fell in love with wouldn’t actually fit over my instep.)

      1. They’re great otherwise! They’re pretty basic loafers, Borns from DSW and they stretch nicely. Not patent, though.

  10. A good friend just adopted a toddler girl, and I’d like to send a gift. I’m ready and willing to spend on the right thing. They have a school-aged boy, too, so they already have some kid stuff. Any suggestions for what to get?

    1. My go to is a children’s museum pass or science museum pass for whatever city they live in. That way the whole family can enjoy it!

      1. Or the zoo! My friends with kids go to the zoo and children’s museum frequently.

        1. Seconding the zoo with a toddler. Children’s museums and science museums can still be a bit overwhelming with toddlers. Zoos are great though – open space! freedom to run! animals!

    2. I gave a toddler girl and a preschool-age boy who had recently been adopted Arthur and DW dolls and books from Barnes and Noble… from the PBS Kids animation show based on the books. They loved ’em and I loved encouraging reading and diversity.

  11. Dear everyone stuck on horrid conference calls today,

    Check out the Google doodle today. It’s so fun!

    2. OMG. I love it. My horse keeps yelling at my rider and telling him to focus on getting those envelopes! Ha.

    3. HA!! I afraid of what it says about my actual real life horse riding abilities that I can’t stop crashing into cacti and boulders. So fun!

  12. Padi’s post about buying a condo closer to downtown and walking distance to work (congrats again!) got me thinking. What’s more important, money or time?

    Right now, my rent is a bargain, but my commute is 45-50 minutes on a good day. I save a lot each month. If I were to buy downtown, I would probably give up several hundred dollars a month, but I could also walk to work or my commute would only take 20 minutes on public transportation.

    I can’t decide what’s more important. For what it’s worth, I’m already maxing out retirement funds, so I don’t need the extra disposable income. But it feels wasteful to throw it away just so I can live closer to downtown. But my quality of life would improve drastically (I think) if I could stop at home before going out, drop things off… I could get a dog, go out more often after work…

    What should I do?

    1. This would not even be a question to me. Quality of life! Life is short and money you can responsibly spend to make it more enjoyable is never wasted.

    2. I am a very frugal person, but time is also very valuable to me. For example, I just paid an extra $100 for flights for my husband and me that would save us 5 hours total in flying time. That was a no brainer for me (and on a small scale), but if you have the money, I say go for it. It sounds like there would be a lot of benefits for you above and beyond just having a shorter commute.

    3. I am in a very similar situation…I am very torn as well. It feels wasteful to spend so much money when I can continue to save! save! save! I flip back and forth between the two options. So far I haven’t moved because well, that means I don’t have to make a decision. I will be interested to hear the commentary.

    4. For me, time is more important by far. Spending less time commuting and not having to deal with crazy traffic is worth several hundred dollars. I love that everything I want/need is so close and convenient. One of my friends recently moved from the burbs into the city and according to her it has literally changed her life.

    5. I rented two blocks from my office for a year and just bought a condo three blocks from my office. Previously, I was renting about a 30 minute drive from my office. Yes, it costs more, but commuting is just wasted time to me. Now I can sleep more (making it easier to fit in workouts in the morning), easily run home to meet a delivery person and easily run back to the office if I’ve forgotten something, only have to gas up my car 1-2x per month, and am walkable (in addition to my job) to restaurants, an amazing park, more coffee shops than I can count, my hair stylist, the hardware store, the drug store, etc. To top it off, instead of 30 stressful minutes in the car, my commute is a quick, invigorating 7-minute walk. It is absolutely worth the increased cost.

      1. +1. I made the opposite move for kids, and now instead of a 25-minute walk I have a 35-minute drive. I really miss walking to work!!!

    6. I agree that time is more important. Is your commute 45-50 min. “on a good day” one way or round trip? If it’s round trip, it means you’re spending between 4-5 hours each week just commuting, if it’s one way that’s 8-10. Per month that ends up being 16-20 hours or, worse, 32-40. Per year, that’s 192–240 or 384-480. 192 hours is 8 full 24 hour days! To me it’s beyond a no brainer. I can see there being other trade offs if you prefer where you currently live for other reasons but it doesn’t sound like that’s the case. It sounds like you’d prefer to get a dog and live closer to work.

    7. I live a 10-min walk from work and I would not give it up for anything. The convenience factor is huge. I’m centrally located and after a long day at the office, I don’t have to navigate a commute or have to fight my way home. The walk helps clear my head and I can easily run errands or pick up dinner or stop by the grocery store on the way home.

      i think it’s absolutely worth it!

    8. Move downtown. A minimum of 90 minutes commuting is too long. Right now my commute is about a half an hour each way. I’ve considered moving downtown but the price difference is too much for me. If it’s still comfortable financially (just think of all you’ll be saving in gas, wear and tear on your car, etc), go for it.

    9. How do you commute? How much do you mind your commute? Mine is 35 minutes on the subway, but I actually kind of like it because it’s a time to chill out, read a kindle book, listen to music, etc. – not so different from what I’d be doing if I had that time at home, though more mobile. If you hate your commute, though, I feel like it’d be so worth it.

      1. I take public transportation (Chicago, the CTA), but I don’t live or work that close to an L stop, so I walk 10 minutes to the stop, board, ride the train for about 35 minutes, and then walk another 10-12 minutes to the office. I usually listen to podcasts, write, or read, so it’s not awful. And because it’s broken up that way I do get some good power walking in there, but I can’t help but think about how long it is., especially after a really long day when I just want to get home.

        1. I think lots of the answers here are assuming that you are driving from some boring suburb (not Roscoe Village or Andersonville or wherever you are living), so bear that in mind. You have a commute that builds a 20-minute walk each way, which can be nice. The time on the El can be reading time, although I recognize that the El ride can be Sardinville and not relaxing. Can you afford to have a place downtown with as much space as you have now? I live further out because I wanted more room and could not bear to pay downtown prices for that. And, full disclosure, I hate my commute. So don’t listen to me.

        2. Yay for Chicagoans!
          I’d also think through whether you can make your commute easier on the sucky days. E.g., take a cab on the suckiest days so you can get home right away, avoid commuting stress, and avoid the headache of listing your current home and moving.
          I recently moved to the burbs and have a commute similar to yours though an hour each way — 10-15 min drive to Metra, 25 or so on train, 10-15 min. walk. I find that it has both best and worst worlds — walk is nice to get fresh air when it’s good weather but really crumby when it’s cold or rainy; train is just long enough so that it doesn’t make sense to do much work and I end up reading/facebooking/playing on my phone.

          ETA: And also, as others pointed, think about where you are in terms of family and social life. If you may be changing jobs or having kids so that you’ll want to be in a different home in fewer than 5 years, I’d suck it up & stay. The vast majority of people I know who lived in the city when they got married/had a baby ended up moving out to the burbs by the time kiddos were 3-4 years old.

    10. The other questions also worth asking are how long you plan to keep the property, how much you’ll need to spend on upgrading and maintenance, whether you’ll recover any of this if you choose to sell later on (or in fact, if you’ll turn a profit on the investment). For both suburban and downtown properties : is it a desirable neighbourhood ? Are the amenities good ? Are buyers moving in or out ? And so on.

      1. This has been my major concern- I honestly don’t know how long I would want to keep the property, so it scares me to buy, but it seems wasteful to spend more on rent. I think on average you have to hold property for at least 5 years before the equity outweighs the transaction costs.

    11. 7.5 hours of potential free time per week is like having an extra day off each week.

      What could you do with that? I took a class a semester and got a degree in 7.5 hours a week (slowly, very slowly, but I could pay cash and not borrow more). But you could also do freelancing or plow those hours into networking / getting ahead professionally or into serious leisure time (replace commuting time with dating / hobby / friends / walking around your new ‘hood).

      But how ever much you like your current ‘hood and its cost, are you really a member of the community if you are gone from it so much? If it’s really just where you sleep, maybe you could go to a place where you are more rooted in where you are and have deeper relationships with the other people there.

    12. If the homes are equivalent (e.g., space, amenities), then absolutely live closer to your work. The value of time and energy saved by not commuting is precious.

    13. If it wouldn’t greatly negatively impact your finances, I’d take time over money every time. There’s no point in having extra money if you don’t have time to do anything enjoyable with it. Plus, as HSAL said, if you cut down a long commute, that’s a not-insignificant saving on gas/car wear and tear.

    14. I agree with the others.

      I am very frugal, but definitely time is more important in this situation… especially if you think you will enjoy living downtown. The “value” of a short commute to work, especially if you have a demanding and stressful job, can never be underestimated.

      Don’t feel guilty about this one if you are already very financially responsible and saving aggressively.

      But I do really think carefully about where to live, decide on what are the essentials I need in an apartment, and compromise on a few things to keep the price fair. For example, when I lived downtown a couple blocks from work, I lived in a 60 year old building instead of a pre-war beauty, no gym, and instead of beautiful hard word floors I settled for artificial. But non-negotiable… location location location, enough space/closets, and covered parking. Just figure out what those non-negotiables are for you, and a ceiling price to pay

      It also doesn’t always make sense to buy…. especially if you are in a very high cost of living area and you are otherwise investing the money with decent returns. Just keep that in mind. I actually save money by renting and have made great returns on investing the money instead of leaving it in a condo, if you know what I mean. I also prefer having the flexibility of moving whenever I want. To each his/her own.

    15. I think you should move downtown, but that’s because I hate commuting and I love living in the middle of the city. I know some people who don’t mind longer commutes, but I will happily spend more on rent (sometimes a lot more) to cut down on transit time.

    16. In your scenario, I’d say it’s a no-brainer to pay a little more in exchange for a walkable lifestyle close to work. It really does change your life — I made a similar move a few years and am so much more active than I was when I had a car-oriented, suburb lifestyle. I was shocked at how wonderful it felt to get all that commuting time back. Living downtown also made me much more socially active. It’s so easy to meet people for breakfast or invite them to stop by my place for a drink after work, and it’s easier to do things on weeknights when you can go home after work, change, and then go back out without it taking much time at all. There are always tons of free events downtown, and I no longer spend my evenings watching Netflix, surfing the internet, etc. And running errands is no longer a chore because I can walk anywhere I need to go.

      If I were you, I would rent downtown for a year and see how you like it. Use Craigslist to rent a condo from an owner rather than going through a management company, or target rentals in older buildings without a bunch of amenities. You may be able to rent for a much more reasonable price than you anticipate, plus you’ll be saving money on gas, car maintenance, etc.

    17. How much is your time worth to you, in monetary terms?

      Sure, you’re saving “several hundred dollars a month” on the current rent + lengthy commute, but how much time are you spending on the commute? If you’re talking 45 minutes each way, that’s 90 minutes a day (on a good day!), or 7.5 hours a week (if you’re lucky enough to have a week of good days), which means you’re spending basically an entire extra workday each week commuting. Does whatever you’re saving per month in rent feel like adequate compensation for spending an extra workday every week purely on commuting?

      2. Think of how many more vacation days that is a year… staggering.

        BUT… now that you posted where you live, and that you use public transportation….. Is that your door to desk time? Same in winter weather? If so, that is actually pretty good. If your work hours are “normal”/reasonable, you actually enjoy your reading time on the train, and get some nice walking/physical activity in too, then it is a pretty good trade off.

        I would not move downtown and spend several hundred more dollars to just shave 15 minutes off my commute time, in your situation. Try to be very honest about the time saved in each scenario.

        I live in Chicago too and have been in the exact same position as you. I can afford to live in either location, I am very financially careful and save a lot, and feel guilty about all choices (!). I lived a couple blocks away from work downtown for a few years and LOVED the saved time and convenience. No question. And now that I live further and have a similar walk/commute time, I hate it mostly because I cannot read on the train. I get motion sick, and the trains are so loud that I cannot listen to podcasts etc.. So commute time is all lost for me. I am also a lot more tired from the additional 1.5. to 2hrs out of the house per day for my all-weather, true door to desk time. I am only living where I am because I need to be closer to elderly relatives.

        But when I lived downtown, I walked two blocks to work. But it STILL took ?15-20 minutes to get door to desk, just because of elevators, walking etc.. So be sure to be realistic about how long commutes will be if you move because you can easily live “closer” to downtown and have JUST AS LONG a door to desk commute… especially if you will still have to rely upon public transportation downtown.

        If you do move downtown, definitely rent first. You aren’t in a hurry and have doubts. Why rush it?

        1. I think you (and the other Chicagoans posting above) are right that door to desk can still be quite long even if you live closer to work. I could move to the West Loop and still have a 30-minute commute, even though I’d be five miles closer to work. I’m going to have to think about this some more.

    18. I would also consider where your friends, family, and weekend activities are located in the “quality of life” equation. For example, I live have a house in the suburbs and the commute to my downtown job is 30-40 minutes each way. I could cut this down by buying or renting downtown. But my family and closest non-work friends are all within 10 minutes of me in the suburbs. I enjoy being near them and maximizing any free time I have by being able to meet a friend for a quick trip to the mall within minutes or have a double date night after work. I’m also less tempted to waste work hours during the week because I don’t want to have to come in to the office on weekends. I’m in biglaw so obviously long hours are a given, but living further away has made me more efficient in the office and at working from home.
      I’ve also grown to enjoy the commute. I listen to podcasts and fun Spotify stations.
      So while you may cut your commute drastically by moving closer to work, think about whether you would be increasing your weekend or evening “commute” so to speak.

      1. +1
        Plus, socializing near my office can stress me out! I’d see that tower, looming in the background, right when I was trying to have fun…

    19. In addition to what the majority of others are saying, I think you should value your time above $0/hr. You can do what you want – whether that’s having leisure time, learning new skills, or just not being stressed out about your commute. How much do people pay for vacation? For going to yoga or whatever to eliminate stress from their lives?

      Bottom line: if it makes sense with your finances and contributes to your quality of life, I think move for sure!

    20. It’s a decision everyone needs to make for herself. From my own perspective, though, after having a 30+ min commute on metro for 10 years, now having a 10-minute walk from work has been absolutely transformative. The extra time and lack of stress (even if commuting stress is minor, it’s still there) is awesome. The higher col is worth it in my book.

    21. You’ve gotten lots of great advice, but I would add, look at your surrounding potential new community. It’s great to save time, but you have to like where you live too. Also, consider your new commute. Try it out one morning and see if you really like it. I used to live somewhere I took the bus all the way in to downtown and it was great. Then I moved a little closer and had to do combo drive/subway and it was miserable.

      It’s worth spending the money if it improves your overall quality of life.

    22. Time, time, time! I live just 4 miles from work (10-15 minute commute) and it is The Best Thing Ever. I can run home for lunch, easily do all my local errands before or after work or at lunch, and honest to goodness life is so much better than when I was commuting I can’t even believe it.

      For a while after I separated from my former husband, I was living downtown within walking distance of work and pretty much everything else, and oh my gosh that was great! I learned, though, that condo/apartment living was not for me so I was happy to go out a little bit further so I could get back in a house. So that’s something to keep in mind as well.

    23. Are there any potential good compromises to shorten your commute, like moving closer to the L and/or moving a few stops closer to work? I’ve had a fairly grueling commute with a 10-min walk to the subway + 20-30 min subway ride + 10 min walk to work, and it really wore me down. But now (in a different city) I live in the inner suburbs and have a 15 or 20-min drive to work. We save a ton of money by living here, and the shorter commute is manageable.

    24. You know my decision! Last year, I had a 20-mile commute each way. It was not my cup of tea.

      To quantitatively analyze my commute, I used the IRS reimbursement rate of about $0.60 per mile. It was about $500 per month!

      I think that if you can get an apartment downtown for current rent plus milage, it is easier to justify the higher rent.

      Good luck!

  13. I applied for a “reach” job kind of on a whim (thinking it couldn’t hurt to apply but not expecting anything) and ended up being invited for an initial interview. It’s this afternoon and I’m really excited! On paper, it sounds like a dream job and everything I’ve heard about the firm (through my research thus far) is positive. I wouldn’t even say I feel all that nervous because I didn’t expect to be seriously considered & even the chance to come in and meet these accomplished lawyers is exciting. At the very least I’ll get on their radar, & hopefully make a positive impression. Wish me luck, hive! :-)

  14. I’d like some suggestions on a good way to tell Senior people that you are too busy to help with a work request. I’m an associate working for 5+ partners and an extreme people pleaser and I feel like people don’t want to hear no. I’m constantly overloaded though and I know I’m causing the problem myself because other people have more of a backbone. No judgment please, just advice on good phrases that don’t turnoff people who need something done right away. We don’t have a work coordinator system – it’s a free market system and all of it is work that’s appropriate for me to do (and not delegate). Thanks.

    1. I usually go with something like “I’d love to help – what’s the timeline on that because I’ll likely open up _____ (next week, etc.)” or “I am on a tight timeline on a few other things, so as much as I’d like to help, maybe you should get someone else involved. I wouldn’t want to leave you in the lurch.”

      I have no idea if these make people mad, though. Hopefully someone senior will weigh in.

      1. This. I think you need to try to say “yes, but…” with a clear indication of timeline. And use that sparingly — only when you legitimately don’t have the bandwidth to take on more work and do a good job at it. That’s been my usual response for many years in biglaw and I still get feedback that I’m “responsive, pleasant and helpful” in my reviews.

        First Year Anon’s suggestions are good if you’re getting all your work from the same person, but if you’re working for multiple people it’s a tougher point to make as they’ll all think that their work should take priority.

      2. I think these tend to make people come back for more, actually–it shows commitment but also sensitivity to the fact that they need someone who has time. My go-to is something like, “That sounds really interesting and I would love to help with that. Unfortunately, I have X,Y, and Z things keeping me busy until ___. If you need someone to get to it before then, I don’t think I’ll be able to devote the time this project really deserves. But let me know if you’d like for me to jump in when I come available!”

        People always understand and always come back again asking me to work on other things, so I assume it’s not making anyone mad.

    2. I usually say I can help out, but this is also what is on my plate, how would you like me to prioritize? That usually works- they either tell you to delegate something else so you can focus on their task

      1. +1 I was told verbatim at my last job to never say “no” to work if I wanted to make it there (I eventually decided that was the last thing I wanted, but that’s another story). In situations where it was physically impossible to get everything out, I would say something like what First Year suggested. Put it on the partners to figure out what is the priority. If you make the call it is going to make you look bad. This won’t always work, though. I once had a partner tell me “that I just needed to figure out a way to get it all done.” Sure. let me go round up some extra hours in the day for you real quickly……

    4. As a senior attorney i am going to tell you something you don’t want to hear- we do not want to hear “no.” But, the more reasonable people (and that is most of them, usually) will get over it and not have any lingering issues if you are firm and don’t waver and explain why you don’t have the time, but offer a time that you are available, even if that won’t work.

      “I am not able to fit that into my work right now, as I have three briefs due on Tuesday, but after those clear, I should have some time.”

      The important thing is to actually be busy. Given the unpredictable nature of litigation (or any practice really) let’s say something settled – at that point go back to the person and say you have freed up. Most firms I assume have a way of monitoring time entry so if you say you are too busy, actually be busy. Otherwise you lose a lot of credibility.

    5. Thank you hive for all of your advice. This is exactly the kind of advice I was looking for and all of you came through. Thanks again!

  15. This is a question that has perplexed me for a long time: What shoes do you wear to commute in hot, rainy weather? I need something that is comfortable for a long walk (1.5 miles), waterproof, and not too hot and sweaty. In cold weather I wear Hunters, but they are awful when it’s warm. LL Bean makes some low profile rain shoes, but they are sooooo ugly. I tried the short Loeffler Randall rain boots, but they were very uncomfortable. Crocs have no traction, and I fell several times while walking. Should I give up on keeping my feet dry and just wear Tevas? I haven’t done this because I feel like my feet get so dirty commuting in sandals.

    4. Hunter makes rain flats! They look like little rubber ballet flats with grippy soles. Cute, dry, and traction.

      1. I used to swear by the Hunter rain flats (and they are good!), but now I’m in love with my Natives.

    5. I use my Sperry’s … not everyone’s favorite on this s!ite, but I’m a loyal fan!

    6. I just bought the very boot-solution to this problem! Burberry Wockfield short rainboots on Zappos. Waterproof without the hot rubber up to your knee in summer rainstorms– and I’ve been wearing them nonstop!

  16. I’ll be there for a week in May. Hotel and flight are booked, but everything else is up in the air! We’re staying in Palermo and love food, wine, culture, museums, music, nightlife etc. I’ve heard mixed things about rodizios, so would like thoughts as to whether it’s worth it to do a day trip or overnight stay.

    1. Google the site: Pick up the Fork. It’s the blog of an American girl who really loves food and lives in BA. The food recs are all awesome. If you like to shop, in addition to the stores around Palermo, there’s one called “Puntos en el espacio” next to the San Telmo market. It’s this awesome little boutique with stuff from local designers.

  17. Bike!

    Ladies, I’d like to buy a “beginner”/casual bike for under $1,000 (preferably around $600) for more urban biking. Not as heavy or as slow as a true cruiser, maybe a hybrid? I’d like to be able to bike to farmers markets (so on roads) or on beachfront trails and be comfortable/sit somewhat upright but also be able to keep up with my boyfriend who has a much fancier clip-in bike. I’m also petite and find most bike frames are way too big on me and get uncomfortable quickly. Any recommendations for brands, types to look at?

    1. Go with a used hybrid. Check out bike shops to get one that is all spruced up. I went with one that is hurting a bit in the cosmetic dept but rocking it in the technical specs dept. Because it wasn’t pretty, I got it for $200 while comparable pretty ones were going for $600-$800.

    2. you really should get yourself to a bike shop (more independent than big box store), and be prepared to get on a lot of bikes (wear shorts/pants). I am 5’2″ and I have a small road bike, which was about $800. I can’t take it off road, but I can keep up with other road bikes. Friends have different hybrids, but you really need to find something that fits you most importantly– which is why you should go into a bike store and tell them what you said here.

      1. REI (while I guess some version of a big box store) has great bikes shops and really well-trained staff.

          1. Based on experience and advice from bike-savvy friends, REI is hit or miss when it comes to bikes. It depends quite a bit on the individual store and their staff’s knowledge, as well as what they carry.

    4. agree about going to a shop to get fitted. When we bought my road bike, the technicians changed out all kinds of components to make the bike fit me better. Shorter handlebar stem, curved seatpost, different crank arm, etc. Even if you’re looking just for recreation riding, the right fit/size will mean a lot insofar as both comfort, but also injury-avoidance.

    5. Try browsing “WSD” for women specific design. WSD bikes have smaller handgrips, different geometry, etc.

      Trek is my go to for recommendations because they are easy to get serviced, but nothing beats going to a bike shop and getting sized.

      The Neko SL has hydralic disc brakes (good stopping power), a front suspension (better for rougher terrain or curbs), and a healthy selection of gears.
      http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/collections/womens/city/dual_sport/neko_womens/neko_sl/#

      Check out the FX line if you are looking for something more road bike like- these have rigid forks and v brakes.

      The Chelsea is super cute- it will be heavier because it is a steel frame.
      http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/collections/womens/city/urban_utility/district/chelsea_8/#

      1. thank you! I had been eyeing the trek! I went to REI yesterday and tested some and won’t buy one without consulting a bike pro, but still wanted to familiarize myself before I went in.

        1. I have the Trek 7.2 FX from a few years ago and love it for the exact purposes you are looking for. They have a WSD version and I am also petite so went with the 15″ frame rather than the 17″. Really any decent bike store will steer you in the right direction.

    6. Since the season is early, ask the bike store if they have any previous year models in the store. I saved a few bucks going this route for a hybrid a few years back.

  18. I would like to seek advice from the hive on which Vanguard Index Fund they prefer and why. This is my first investment in any type of index funds. I will have enough money for initial investment of $3000 in two funds by end of this month, that is I will have $6000. I want to invest $250 per month starting from June. I have done some research but I would love to get advice from this community.

    1. Total US Stock Market or Total World Stock Market. You’re smart for going with Vanguard (high fees elsewhere inevitably eat returns). As for why the two I mentioned, it’s because they’re extremely broad and don’t make any attempt to pick winning companies/market sectors. People are bad at picking stocks. Don’t pick stocks – buy a broad-based index fund.

      Once you have more than $10K in a Vanguard index fund, you can upgrade it to Admiral class (which just means even lower fees).

      Be aware of your personal tolerance for investment swings. The market is frothy – some days/weeks/months it will be down. Other times it will be up. The historical trend since the we have data is for the market–as a whole, not so much for specific companies or sectors–to go up in the long term. I’m comfortable waking up some day having temporarily lost a lot of money in a downturn, because I’ll just buy index funds while they’re cheap with any cash on hand – but the worst thing you can do is to sell out at that point out of fear and then try to jump back in once markets are at a high point again some years later.

      For further reading, I strongly recommend the stock series on the blog jlcollinsnh.

      Congrats on getting involved with your finances! Many women don’t, unfortunately.

    2. I have investments in the Total Stock Market Fund, Total International Stock Fund, and Total Bond Market Fund. In terms of diversification and low costs, I don’t think you can beat those three funds. You should figure out what mix of stocks/bonds you want, and then invest in those three funds accordingly. I wouldn’t split it 50/50 stocks and bonds unless you’re pretty close to retirement age. I’m 31 and am invested 70/30 stocks/bonds, with 15% of the stocks in international (general advice is for more international, I think, but I’m pretty risk averse). The Bogleheads forum (named after the founder of Vanguard, John Bogle) has some great advice about personal finance if you’re just starting out. Someone here directed me there a few years ago and I am still super thankful :)

    3. 500 Index, Small Cap Index, and Total International Stock Index split 34/33/33. Large-cap stocks (500 Index) are historically less volatile but have less growth potential; small-cap stocks are more volatile but with more growth potential; and Total International will get you broad international exposure.

      Liz’s advice is dead-on with respect to never reacting to a drop in the market by pulling your money out. I find it’s easiest to set up the monthly deposit and then just ignore it, aside from rebalancing once a year.

    4. Thank you…so the common ones in all three replies I received is Total Stock Market and Total International Stock. I will invest all $6000 in Total Stock Market and add $250 per month so that it can reach $10000 and I can upgrade it to admiral category (Thank you Liz) and reduce the fees. I will add Total International Stock later this year when I can accumulate another $3000. I will add Total Bond Market next year again when I can save up $3000. I am 31 too. So I will follow a rough 70:30 ratio for stocks vs bonds.

      1. Also, Vanguard has good resources on its own site about which of its funds might be good for you and/or what ratio of stocks/bonds would be best for you. They also have helpful reps who will talk to you on the phone.

      2. You’re very welcome! I second the recommendation to read Bogleheads if you really want to get into details, and would suggest googling “lazy portfolios” on the Bogleheads website to look at how some people think about easy-to-maintain asset allocations.

      3. FYI, you’ll be automatically sent a request to approve your conversion to Admiral shares once you hit the requisite amount.

  19. 500 Index, small cap, mid cap, total stock market, and total international stock are what I buy. Low fees and at my level of risk/profit comfort.

    Edit… meant to be reply to above

  21. Has anyone used Vaniqa – prescription med for facial hair? Reviews, thoughts, opinions? I’m seeing my GP tomorrow and think I’d like to try it for hair on my upper lip, chin and neck.

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