Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

clm8

A repair guy told me Whirlpool is the best brand (as he was fixing my Samsung washer).

snakeweasel

ab348 said:

My "guy" who does some property maintenance for me mentioned the other day that the Canadian equivalent of the IRS is on his case. He is all cash with me which isn't a big problem since he seldom does anything here that costs over $100 a pop. But he mentioned that they are chasing him because last year he did a $15,000 roofing job for someone and got paid by cheque. Of course he didn't declare that. They must have an open investigation on him and saw that pop up. I don't know any of his details but I would not be surprised if he pays no income tax at all most years, maybe even being a recipient of govt assistance. I remember a few years ago he injured himself pretty badly with a fall off a roof and was unable to work for a year or more, and undoubtedly was on workers comp or some other govt program during that time.

I knew a lady that was going through messy divorce and her husbands family business delt with a lot of cash. I told her to tell him that she will go to the IRS with everything she knows unless she gets what she wants in the divorce. Apparently he gave in real quick.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

I saw a program where they caught a pizza shop that didn't declare how many pizzas they were really selling.
They'd get the cash, and they didn't ring it into the cash register.
How did they catch them?
They figured out how many boxes they ordered over the year, and the numbers didn't add up.
Be careful JMonroe

That's how some employees steal from a retail establishment. Pocket the money and don't ring up the purchase. That's why you sometimes see a sign offering a freebee if you don't get a receipt.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

jmonroe1 said:

@andres3, good to hear your wife is OK. That’s the most important part. From what I’ve heard about accidents there are always he-said she-said situations that have to be resolved. I know you don’t like insurance companies but this is where your insurance company is your friend. Right or wrong they’ll do their best to support their policy holder not the other guy. That person’s insurance company will fight for them.

Unfortunately, sometimes it’s a split decision but you can’t do it on your own unless you have deep pockets and have several unbiased witnesses who are willing to support you. I’ve been told that it’s not uncommon for witnesses to decide not to get involved at the last minute, so you have to be prepared for that. Maybe this is where dash cams help but I’ve heard they can lead to split decisions too.

Good luck.

jmonroe

No doubt even video can leave room for interpretation, but part of the problem is those so called "insurance arbitrators" like favoring the house with those "split" decisions. U-turns are a form of "left turn" and left turns are almost like rear-enders, the person making the dangerous left turn has the greater duty of care in almost any situation.

I get the insurance is supposed to fight for their insured, but believing a cockamamie malarkey bigly pile of manure story is another thing.

I got hit many years ago making a left turn. The cop ticket the other driver and my insurance was insistent that the other driver was 100% at fault.

snakeweasel

ab348 said:

I don’t like TVs mounted above the fireplace. They can give you a stiff neck.

Plus the heat from the fireplace can damage the electronics.

stickguy

When we looked GE was an option for the laundry, but I think the wife (hey, I don’t use them) preferred the LGs. Fine by me. They were cheaper.

snakeweasel

kyfdx said:

mjfloyd1 said:

@kyfdx - you may (or may not) find this humorous but a nurse that I work with has a step dad from Owensboro KY. He tells his step son that “I learned my family history from Incestry.com. “

Wow that’s bad.

Ironically, KY is one of the minority of states where it is illegal to marry or have relations with your first cousin. Go figure.

Many states have laws against marrying a first cousin. Strangely enough Illionois allows first cousins to marry if they are above a certain age (I think it's 55 years old).

tjc78

The more videos I see on Speed Queen makes me want them for our next set.

venture

kyfdx said:

stickguy said:

I’m getting one in 4 months!

Actually, opinions on WD brands now? Need those still. Top load HE washer and electric dryer.

Avoid GE. They are always behind the curve in HE washers.

We have had our GE set for about 5 years (maybe longer). The washer didn't spin stuff dry once or twice, but I found out that a few heavy blankets were being washed all at once.

Other than that they have been fine.

dino001

I have a Frigidaire front load HE (then) W+D set that I bought in 2005, still going. The washer is a little noisy during high-velocity spins, making some off-balance noise, but it works just the same, telling me the bearings are a little loose, but still functional. It may quit tomorrow, or run for next ten years, who knows. The electric dryer is working just the same as when it was new. To be fair, I'm single and I use them mostly for underwear and casual clothes, i.e. jeans, t-shirts and such. Basically one or two loads every other week or three, so not very hard working. Not sure how long they would have lasted if they had been used by a family of four.

Sandman6472

We're on our second set, Whirlpool, and think we've had them since 2014. Now that the kids are gone, we do less laundry. They've both broken down once but we have a contract on the house for stuff like that. All our other appliances are also Whirlpool except the oven/stove, GE, which is original to the house. I've looked to replace it a few times already but since it works, it's still here. The timer/clock broke years ago, so we have to clean it manually.

stickguy

We were not happy with the front load washers so sticking with a top load like we have now.

ab348

A few links that rate top-loaders:

https://reviewed.usatoday.com/laundry/best-right-now/the-best-top-load-washers

https://www.thespruce.com/best-top-load-washers-4153901

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/appliances/washer-reviews/g43857589/best-top-loading-washing-machines/

Three sources, three different manufacturers on top.

You probably can’t go wrong with LG (they make good washers), GE or Whirlpool (Maytags are very similar since Whirlpool owns them now). Speed Queen does well in some reviews (though not in Consumer Reports) but is about twice the cost of the others.

28firefighter

We’re having our kitchen appliances installed as part of our Reno this week. All Bosch 800 series (dishwasher, cooktop, double ovens, drawer microwave) except the fridge, we went with a slightly bigger LG that was half the price of the Bosch.

About another week of work and we should be done!

kyfdx

28firefighter said:

We’re having our kitchen appliances installed as part of our Reno this week. All Bosch 800 series (dishwasher, cooktop, double ovens, drawer microwave) except the fridge, we went with a slightly bigger LG that was half the price of the Bosch.

About another week of work and we should be done!

Sounds great!

Unless you are doing the budget side-by-side, Bosch refrigerators are definitely not worth the money.

tjc78

Our kitchen reno at the shore is getting there. All the cabinets are done. Countertops on the 11th and then backsplash after.

28firefighter

@kyfdx said:
Sounds great!

Unless you are doing the budget side-by-side, Bosch refrigerators are definitely not worth the money.

Agree. And besides cost, they’re much smaller in terms of usable space in the same footprint. 21 cu ft vs 26 with the LG.

stickguy

@tjc78 said:
Our kitchen reno at the shore is getting there. All the cabinets are done. Countertops on the 11th and then backsplash after.

Our new build has (according to builder) 3.5-4 months to go. Supposed to close by end of June. Doesn’t seem possible based on what has to get done but he’s confident. Doing the electrical pre-rough in walk through next Friday.

stickguy

Got our irs refund today. About 10 days since filing. Gotta love E-file.

kyfdx

I was pretty happy with filing, this year. Owe right around $400 to IRS and state, combined.

stickguy

I got about $650 combined. Always seem to owe state and get from feds. Other than last year when I owed as out $5k net. Ouch.

tjc78

Pleasantly surprised this year. Decent refunds from both. I know that you should aim to be net zero rather than lending the government money but I’d rather err on the side of caution than getting rocked like we did two years ago.

dino001

My refund timing was also quite quick, less than 2 weeks I think. Refund was smaller than previous years, mostly because I'm finally getting some decent interest for my savings and it starts adding up to some good numbers (plus dividends). I elect for higher tax withholdings at payroll (zero exemptions) because it gives me flexibility to take more profits, dividends and interest over the year without worrying about quarterly estimated tax payments. If the year is "lean" on investment/savings side (losses, no interest) I just get a bigger refund, if the year is good, the refund is smaller. I would only have to worry about sending estimated payments if I cash out of one of my bigger stock positions that I hold with good unrealized profit and not offset it by similar losses. That's a high quality problem, though.

dino001

tjc78 said:

Pleasantly surprised this year. Decent refunds from both. I know that you should aim to be net zero rather than lending the government money but I’d rather err on the side of caution than getting rocked like we did two years ago.

Two years ago was special, but it was avoidable for those who ran numbers some time midyear and acted on it by changing their W-4s early enough. I also keep cushion mostly for investments, interest and dividends (so I don't worry about estimated taxes too much). If we assume 4% savings interest rate and if the refund is a result of a systematic accrual of overpayments then the "lost money" is basically half of the interest, i.e. 2 percent - so, for $3000 refund it's 60 bucks of "lost interest". Not too terribly steep price for lowering stress about penalty and/or steep bill at filing time.

explorerx4

Hope to get our tax results next week. I sent in about 6K to Feds/State in estimated payments but I don't think that's going to be enough to cover the interest from our CD's.
Instead of paying off the house, I put the money we cleared from the old house into CD's.

roadburner

I suspect a huge refund, but since 2024 is my last year of full-time employment Limit going to adjust my withholding just yet.

Michaell

The business made less in '23 compared to the previous couple of years (~$5500 vs. $10K), and, of course, my income took a huge hit.

No idea what the net result will mean to our situation - we've owed 5 figures to the feds the last couple of years, which the business pays for (and, we get to write off in the next year).

State will also be interesting as every tax payer is getting $800 back from them (weirdness with the state constitution forces the state gov't to refund any excess taxes collected).

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

I got about $650 combined. Always seem to owe state and get from feds. Other than last year when I owed as out $5k net. Ouch.

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The only time I’d pay them $5K is if
my fist pencil said I owed them $10K.

jmonroe

stickguy

JM, I might need to hire you for this years taxes. Going to be special with house related stuff. I got my free CPA on the case but he may not be as “creative “ as you are.

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

JM, I might need to hire you for this years taxes. Going to be special with house related stuff. I got my free CPA on the case but he may not be as “creative “ as you are.

————————————————-
I never found one that was either. That’s why I’m a DIYer even for taxes.

jmonroe

tjc78

Only in Jersey …

qbrozen

tjc78 said:

Only in Jersey …

hahaha. I saw that one today.

qbrozen

I managed to squeeze a good refund. Got the federal really quick, but no telling how long state will take.

oldfarmer50

tjc78 said:

Oh wow .. we’ve really run out of stuff to discuss.

I bought a new truck if anyone’s interested. I have yet to drive my cousin anywhere in it.😗

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

And how about whole house generators?

Did your power go out too? Mine was out from midnight until 9am.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

Got our irs refund today. About 10 days since filing. Gotta love E-file.

The guy I hired to do 2022 still hasn’t completed the return and get it back to me. The guy I replaced him with for 2023 had it done in 24 hours.

stickguy

no, our power didn't go out. Our relatives out in the country have one and were pushing to spend more of my money to put one in the new house. Out where they are on the side of a mountain I think they have more need for one. Suckers are expensive.

and if you still haven't filed 2022 you might be in trouble.

28firefighter

I changed jobs last year and adjusted my withholding to, I thought, within a few hundred of our liability. Turns out I’m bad at math and gave the government a free loan. Whoops.

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

no, our power didn't go out. Our relatives out in the country have one and were pushing to spend more of my money to put one in the new house. Out where they are on the side of a mountain I think they have more need for one. Suckers are expensive.

and if you still haven't filed 2022 you might be in trouble.

————————————————
I might be able to help him.

I think I can make him disappear altogether. I’ve never tried that but maybe @oldfarmer50 would be willing to be my first try.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

no, our power didn't go out. Our relatives out in the country have one and were pushing to spend more of my money to put one in the new house. Out where they are on the side of a mountain I think they have more need for one. Suckers are expensive.

and if you still haven't filed 2022 you might be in trouble.

Supposedly, the guy who did 2022 filed for appropriate extensions. I’ll know if he lied if I end up in the cell next to jmonroe.😥

sb55

I have a Generac automatic switchover whole house generator. Mine is 8KW, but that runs our water, heat & HW, fridge, most lights and a few selected outlets. It's been in 15 years and no regrets. It tests/charges battery once per week. My service guy said I only need to service it every 2 years unless we get an extended outage. I think that the longest that it ran once was about 12 hours several years ago.

stickguy

thanks. electrician doing the new house quoted on a 26KW (sounds like it would run a small office building) or a 10KW model. both Briggs and Stratton brand. Based on yours, that 10KW would probably cover it. His price differential is about $4k. The generac dealer was quite a bit cheaper.

we would need to at least run AC, fridge, lights, sump pump, and the sewage pump. Don't really need the 220 circuits for the wall oven or dryer covered.

my leanings now are I have owned houses for 35 years without a back up, and survived, so spending that much money isn't really worth it.

qbrozen

I have a 14kw. It runs everything in the house. The only issue is if power goes out while pool pump is on. That stalls the genny if the well pump gets triggered, too. So I just switch off the pool breaker at those times.

stickguy

Sounds like the 18KW the Generac dealer recommended would be plenty for us. No well or pool to worry about.

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

thanks. electrician doing the new house quoted on a 26KW (sounds like it would run a small office building) or a 10KW model. both Briggs and Stratton brand. Based on yours, that 10KW would probably cover it. His price differential is about $4k. The generac dealer was quite a bit cheaper.

we would need to at least run AC, fridge, lights, sump pump, and the sewage pump. Don't really need the 220 circuits for the wall oven or dryer covered.

my leanings now are I have owned houses for 35 years without a back up, and survived, so spending that much money isn't really worth it.

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I’m surprised the Generac unit is less since that is the big name in that biz. That 26KW unit is a beast for one house. You could talk to your new neighbor and split the cost for that thing.

jmonroe

stickguy

My guess is the electrician is looking at it like a captive audience since he is doing everything else, easy to just fill it into the price and have it integrated day 1. So charging through the nose. And a vague threat about voiding the warranty on the electric work if I add one after market.

cdnpinhead

The serious generator people look down (imagine!) on anything that runs at 3600 rpm -- the good ones turn 1800 and are made by Onan or Kohler. No matter what world you're working in, there are those to look down on. That said, the "premium;' brands will run for 60 days straight while the wanna-be brands will run for a week or two. What do you really need?

Go figure.

laurasdada

Haven't started taxes yet; awaiting 1099 from Fidelity with late reporting for a couple of REITs/funds. But, likely I'm sending in checks, so no hurry!

imidazol97

Will state farm insurance pay to replace windshield cracked by rock with Toyota brand glass? On a 2.5 year old Venza.

sda

imidazol97 said:

Will state farm insurance pay to replace windshield cracked by rock with Toyota brand glass? On a 2.5 year old Venza.

I think all you have to do is specify OEM glass. That’s what we did when the windshield was replaced in the Q5. USAA complied.