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PaperclipPerfector  1mo ago (text post)   1923 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for March 1, 2026

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My parents are giving me $250k because they gave an equivalent amount to my sister so she could buy an apartment in London. I don't really want the money and have tried to argue them out of giving it to me (would rather they enjoy their retirement) but they are insistent, especially since they gave it to my sister. Being able to pay in cash for a house in Baltimore (if I stay here) would be pretty huge, but I'm not sure where I will be in a few years time so a house doesn't seem like a great use of time or money right now. Should I just keep it in the market until then (transferring to my preferred stock/bond distributions where appropriate)? Are there any other big ticket items that I should consider purchasing? A car would probably be useful, both for my practical and romantic life, but if I move to Europe in the next two years (maybe 30% chance), it's a terrible investment. I could also donate most of the money to charity, but that feels both like slapping my parents in the face, and potentially making life much more difficult for myself. Even if the money were to just sit in money market, it would be an extra $10k of income a year, which is substantial.

Fuck the house, the car, and especially the money market/bonds, just index fund it. If you didn't need a car before, you shouldn't buy one now: it's a separate issue. This is also true, though to a lesser degree, for the house. Break the proletarian cycle of "have money => spend money". Finance and consumption are different ledgers.

Well a house would reduce my "spending" considerably. My biggest monthly expenses is rent. A house could turn this into a zero, or potentially positive category for me.

Consider the opportunity costs; as you say, you could get 10-20k/y by investing it, with which you could also pay your rent. In any case, given the likelihood that you're going to move, possibly to Europe, it's a moot point: you shouldn't buy a house.

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