Covid19 Spare time

OnTheReel · August 9, 2022

We’ve owned just about everything over the years but I tend to bounce around between GM and MOPAR for myself. Just what I’m most comfortable with. Wife doesn’t care at all so I have a little more range with her stuff.

The dealers are emboldened for now, and charge whatever they want. It’s within their rights. Just as it’s my right to remember which ones are forgoing long term relationships for short term gain. I haven’t even bothered to call dealers who have “market adjustments” listed on their websites. Not now, and not in 10 years if I need something else.

Donstar · August 13, 2022

We are immersed in so many changes following pandemic restrictions that most we don't notice. Three years ago my income was the same as it is now and my freedom to buy things was at a comfortable level. I am familiar with the need to keep up with the rate of inflation but we're now on a whole new level. Housing and fuel costs are the newsworthy items but most goods and services are priced in a way that doesn't reflect a predictable pattern. Also, things that I can afford or are sensibly priced are either sold out or on back order! It's a challenge to plan when things change (or disappear) so quickly!

KARNUT · August 13, 2022

35 minutes ago, Donstar said:

We are immersed in so many changes following pandemic restrictions that most we don't notice. Three years ago my income was the same as it is now and my freedom to buy things was at a comfortable level. I am familiar with the need to keep up with the rate of inflation but we're now on a whole new level. Housing and fuel costs are the newsworthy items but most goods and services are priced in a way that doesn't reflect a predictable pattern. Also, things that I can afford or are sensibly priced are either sold out or on back order! It's a challenge to plan when things change (or disappear) so quickly!

That’s why listening to Dave Ramsey was so helpful. One rent house made big difference in retirement for me.

Grumpy Bear · August 14, 2022

13 hours ago, Donstar said:

We are immersed in so many changes following pandemic restrictions that most we don't notice. Three years ago my income was the same as it is now and my freedom to buy things was at a comfortable level. I am familiar with the need to keep up with the rate of inflation but we're now on a whole new level. Housing and fuel costs are the newsworthy items but most goods and services are priced in a way that doesn't reflect a predictable pattern. Also, things that I can afford or are sensibly priced are either sold out or on back order! It's a challenge to plan when things change (or disappear) so quickly!

You've heard of 'Shrinkflation" right? One less Olive in the bottle. 1 less ounce in a pint. A few less sheets in a roll of toilet paper.

Same thing has been happening to the dollar since the dollar was invented. Anybody's dollar by any name. Inflation goes 3% in a year but wages rise but 2.5% Next year Inflation goes 6% and wages 3%. Over the course of 50 years the wages a man earned that cracked the nut; both he and his wife's combine wages wont cover. We only notice when the spread is nearing double digits. Doesn't matter what party is in power or what government in which nation. Greed is greed. If this were not so there would be no such thing as inflation. Inflation is by definition cost advancing faster than incomes. Oddly the news narrative is that inflation is ONLY and increase in the cost of good. BULL.

Every once in awhile we have wages out strip cost for a few years and then to offset that the quality of goods and services decline to provide the same effect. That washing machine that use to last 20 years now can't make 8. Greed is not good. Greed is just greed.

:rant:

Edited August 14, 2022 by Grumpy Bear

Donstar · August 17, 2022

There is a family doctor shortage here and mine retired a year ago. Lately, I have received care from a temporary replacement until this young Doctor decides where he'd most like to work. The contrast between my previous 70+ year old Doctor and my current, recently graduated Doctor is huge. My previous Doctor was very focused on more of a geriatric style of care. A prescription was given rather than a lecture on diet or exercise! This new guy isn't giving me a pass on my bad habits and is making me work on myself. This change has given me a tremendous boost mentally and shakes up the proverbial bucket list that we've developed over the past couple of years. (My renewed sense of optimism on my future gives me more time to fund my aforementioned list!)

customboss · August 17, 2022

I see a Nurse Practitioner at VA as Primary Care Physician and she exceeds the experience and capability of my last 3 VA docs. I had a good friend who became a Physicians Assistant and he was better than the Dr who oversaw him. Experience and open mindedness to new data is key more than their degree. An experience combat stressed Dr, PA, NP, or even a Corpsman,Medic are wonderful because they have seen so much.

Donstar, enjoy the new found lease on being healthy.

KARNUT · August 17, 2022

There’s a simple procedure my doctor has been doing with me in the last few years. Besides the usual listening to the ticker he hits both sides on the neck. Evidently my mothers old doctor who retired two years ago didn’t do that. She went through a procedure to clear the 80 percent blockage. That was caught by the new guy. I use to put teachers and doctors on a pedestal. Recent events have made me less naïve.

customboss · August 17, 2022

3 minutes ago, KARNUT said:

There’s a simple procedure my doctor has been doing with me in the last few years. Besides the usual listening to the ticker he hits both sides on the neck. Evidently my mothers old doctor who retired two years ago didn’t do that. She went through a procedure to clear the 80 percent blockage. That was caught by the new guy. I use to put teachers and doctors on a pedestal. Recent events have made me less naïve.

I suggest he move up a bit higher and strike hard on both sides of your noggin.....LOL

Donstar · August 19, 2022

I touched a Ford Lightening yesterday! Our local Ford dealership's boss received the first one that arrived a few weeks ago. More are on their way but all that arrive over the next two years have owners waiting. The example I saw appeared to be a seamless visual transition from a well equipped gas F150. The staff advised me that the most noticeable difference is a dramatic increase in power. I'm ok with that! I have my sights on a '25 Silverado EV WT and by that time full sized electric pickups should be pretty common. My excitement is mostly due to the fact that choosing a full-sized pickup/SUV as a daily driver is not disappearing no matter how the gas/electric debates progress!

Donstar · August 23, 2022

During the more quiet time of the Covid experience, I was able to reconnect with distant family relations who have not been a big part of my adult life. Geography and life events caused strong childhood/adolescent connections to fade away. I think this is more common for those of us who lived to adulthood before computers became a household word. This was exemplified when I received a note yesterday from a person who I hadn't heard from in about 30 years. She had recently bought a computer and got my email address from one of my Covid connections. Of course, our first discussion was why/how she could manage without a computer for so long?! I know there are financial considerations in being connected but was not the case here. Life can be great without the technology but it makes life a whole lot bigger and better, imo!

OnTheReel · August 25, 2022

If you want to waste all your spare time, go vehicle shopping. Finally got one for my wife. We exhausted pretty much all resources. She wanted a Jeep, couldn’t find a good one at a fair price, not even with the dealer I had built a rapport with over the years. I guess I feel no obligation to give them my business anymore.

Next option was a Chevy Equinox. But it was a tough sell for me. I was given one as a courtesy vehicle when my Silverado was down, and to say the 1.5L engine is overstressed and underpowered is an understatement. And the 2.0 is no longer available.

I did some more digging and suggested a CRV. Since I see them on the roads all the time, I figured this would be no problem. Called on a few new ones that were listed locally and they didn’t actually exist. This was a huge issue I encountered. The dealers have no stock so they leave cars listed on their site that are customer orders, or sold already!

And a used CRV? Pshh, going for up to 5k above their original sticker price. On top of all that, the CRV is a lame duck with the redesign coming for 2023.

Eventually found a lightly used 2022 Tiguan with 8k miles and worked out a fair deal on that and her trade.

We’ve had a few VWs and never any issues. Also a very safe vehicle and drives really nice.

Just happy the saga is over. Only plans are an oil change right away this weekend. VW says you can go 10k, but that strikes me as absurd. On a turbocharged engine especially. Would be interesting to pull a sample and see what this oil looks like at 8k, but not sure I want to spend the money since I’d never run it this far anyway.

KARNUT · August 26, 2022

21 hours ago, OnTheReel said:

If you want to waste all your spare time, go vehicle shopping. Finally got one for my wife. We exhausted pretty much all resources. She wanted a Jeep, couldn’t find a good one at a fair price, not even with the dealer I had built a rapport with over the years. I guess I feel no obligation to give them my business anymore.

Next option was a Chevy Equinox. But it was a tough sell for me. I was given one as a courtesy vehicle when my Silverado was down, and to say the 1.5L engine is overstressed and underpowered is an understatement. And the 2.0 is no longer available.

I did some more digging and suggested a CRV. Since I see them on the roads all the time, I figured this would be no problem. Called on a few new ones that were listed locally and they didn’t actually exist. This was a huge issue I encountered. The dealers have no stock so they leave cars listed on their site that are customer orders, or sold already!

And a used CRV? Pshh, going for up to 5k above their original sticker price. On top of all that, the CRV is a lame duck with the redesign coming for 2023.

Eventually found a lightly used 2022 Tiguan with 8k miles and worked out a fair deal on that and her trade.

We’ve had a few VWs and never any issues. Also a very safe vehicle and drives really nice.

Just happy the saga is over. Only plans are an oil change right away this weekend. VW says you can go 10k, but that strikes me as absurd. On a turbocharged engine especially. Would be interesting to pull a sample and see what this oil looks like at 8k, but not sure I want to spend the money since I’d never run it this far anyway.

I took the CRV in for service. They had no stock to speak of. What I did see was 21-22 very low mileage vehicles of every brand. More than the usual trade ins. The CARPROUSA radio show I listen to on Saturdays says those vehicles go for more than new. All had as is no warranty. geez. My brother in law just bought a year old VW Passat. He paid more than new. He just got a new job farther away. His fuel bill on his diesel was 700$ per month. That covered the cost of the VW plus gas. That keeps the mileage off the one ton he uses to pull his boat and camper.

OnTheReel · August 26, 2022

2 hours ago, KARNUT said:

I took the CRV in for service. They had no stock to speak of. What I did see was 21-22 very low mileage vehicles of every brand. More than the usual trade ins. The CARPROUSA radio show I listen to on Saturdays says those vehicles go for more than new. All had as is no warranty. geez. My brother in law just bought a year old VW Passat. He paid more than new. He just got a new job farther away. His fuel bill on his diesel was 700$ per month. That covered the cost of the VW plus gas. That keeps the mileage off the one ton he uses to pull his boat and camper.

In the past, I immediately thought “lemon” when I saw a current model year car for sale used. But there’s just too many of them now for that to make sense. And nearly all listed above MSRP. The challenge was finding one that wasn’t. Guessing these people either can’t make the payments (because they are now on the hook for someone else’s student loans), or they just received offers they couldn’t refuse. Lots of prior lease cars in the mix.

KARNUT · August 26, 2022

2 hours ago, OnTheReel said:

In the past, I immediately thought “lemon” when I saw a current model year car for sale used. But there’s just too many of them now for that to make sense. And nearly all listed above MSRP. The challenge was finding one that wasn’t. Guessing these people either can’t make the payments (because they are now on the hook for someone else’s student loans), or they just received offers they couldn’t refuse. Lots of prior lease cars in the mix.

The way CARPROUSA states a late model trade in value makes up for the up charge for a new vehicle. My nephew traded in a two year old Raptor for a new one. It was a wash. They offer a few months later more than he paid for the new one. He declined.

Donstar · August 28, 2022

We had a neighbourhood yard sale yesterday and a few of my treasures went to new homes. (If I was smart, I would make a list of things I sold because in a few weeks, I'll be looking all over the house for one of these treasures! ) It was actually an enjoyable garage sale because I was participating to support the organizers and didn't really care if my items sold. During Covid, we sorted through most of our stuff and the items we kept still had a purpose. However plans and circumstances change and some things will never be needed. Sometimes you simply need a reality check! For example: I had a few tools for sale which prompted a lady to ask me if I had any old axes I wish to sell? She takes old axe heads and makes decorative handles for them for resale. I had my favorite old axe with a 40+ year history and wondered why I hadn't thought of putting it in the garage sale? I haven't used it for many years and would never swing an axe with my back in the future! I was delighted to pass it on to her! I know some say if you haven't used it in a year, you don't need it. My tool collection and wardrobe would look pretty thin if I abided by this practice!