Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

sda

jmonroe said:

sda said:

Ok while those of you in the northeast are sipping hot chocolate and playing in the snow I had to mow the grass. Is that fair?

Bragger.

BTW, you missed a spot.

jmonroe

Dad calls those holidays.

driver100

sda said:

Ok while those of you in the northeast are sipping hot chocolate and playing in the snow I had to mow the grass. Is that fair?

It is a nice house but it looks like you have speed bumps on your lawn. Is that so the mower doesn't go too fast and get airborne? .

driver100

jmonroe said:

ab348 said:

jmonroe said:

As for what you THINK I overpaid, I got some trunk money/holdback money. Which is nice stuff to have. On the other hand, you just plopped and gave the guy your wallet. Big difference. You should be happy he only took 200 bucks. But I will give you some credit, you were afraid you'd miss a good story.

FWIW, we got a Legacy not a Forrester. Do I look like @cdnpinhead? You can't even get the models right.

You and @driver100 need to declare a truce, bury the hatchet, smoke the peace pipe, break some bread.

Maybe you can bring the sandwiches.

I'd rather bring the hatchet. :@

What are the odds he's going to say something not nice to me?

jmonroe

You mean me....moi, would say something nasty

sda

driver100 said:

sda said:

Ok while those of you in the northeast are sipping hot chocolate and playing in the snow I had to mow the grass. Is that fair?

It is a nice house but it looks like you have speed bumps on your lawn. Is that so the mower doesn't go too fast and get airborne? .

The yard doesn't look as nice as I would like. We had a dry and hot summer and am trying to recover from that. The cars are clean, however!

Mr_Shiftright

The mowing judges can post their scores now--just lift your cards high enough so that I can record them.

sda

Mr_Shiftright said:

The mowing judges can post their scores now--just lift your cards high enough so that I can record them.

I can hardly wait!

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright said:

The mowing judges can post their scores now--just lift your cards high enough so that I can record them.

I would but there is 5 inches of snow on mine because I left it out on the lawn.

jmonroe

PF_Flyer

ab348 said:

PF_Flyer said:

sda said:

Is the snow storm in the northeast as bad as what the news people are saying? A good test for nyccarguy's snow tires!

Not the END OF THE WORLD, as everything seems to be reported now, but I did get to shovel for a soild 90 minutes this morning

Bah! A mere dusting compared to the doom and gloom the media are hyping for us here in Nova Scotia later tonight. I was at the supermarket this morning and it was like a hurricane was forecast, huge lineups.

Well, Nova Scotia is at the bottom of the hill

Michaell

@abacomike - your furniture story seems to have been the inspiration for the shopping scene in "Pretty Woman".

ab348

PF_Flyer said:

Well, Nova Scotia is at the bottom of the hill

I had a teacher who used to call it the armpit of Canada.

tjc78

Michaell said:

@abacomike - your furniture story seems to have been the inspiration for the shopping scene in "Pretty Woman".

"You make commission right, big mistake, huge... I have to go shopping". My wife loves that movie and I've seen it more times than I want to admit. Julia in her prime.

imidazol97

Pretty Woman and Dirty Dancing. Both movies that I can watch over and over. Along with Ghost.

abacomike

driver100 said:

Ok while those of you in the northeast are sipping hot chocolate and playing in the snow I had to mow the grass. Is that fair?

It is a nice house but it looks like you have speed bumps on your lawn. Is that so the mower doesn't go too fast and get airborne? .

It's the meadow-muffins that worry me!  It must be the farmhouse of the dairy he owns.  I'm "milking" this for as far as I can get (pun intended)!  

driver100

sda said:

driver100 said:

sda said:

Ok while those of you in the northeast are sipping hot chocolate and playing in the snow I had to mow the grass. Is that fair?

It is a nice house but it looks like you have speed bumps on your lawn. Is that so the mower doesn't go too fast and get airborne? .

The yard doesn't look as nice as I would like. We had a dry and hot summer and am trying to recover from that. The cars are clean, however!

Our lawn has more weeds than grass....so, I should not be criticizing......but then, when did that ever stop me. The good thing about the weeds is;

1) at least they look green from a distance, and

2) my neighbor who I haven't talked to for over 3 years keeps his law meticulous, so my weeds must make him go crazy

abacomike

driver100 said:

Ok while those of you in the northeast are sipping hot chocolate and playing in the snow I had to mow the grass. Is that fair?

It is a nice house but it looks like you have speed bumps on your lawn. Is that so the mower doesn't go too fast and get airborne? .

The yard doesn't look as nice as I would like. We had a dry and hot summer and am trying to recover from that. The cars are clean, however!

Our lawn has more weeds than grass....so, I should not be criticizing......but then, when did that ever stop me. The good thing about the weeds is; 1) at least they look green from a distance, and 2) my neighbor who I haven't talked to for over 3 years keeps his law meticulous, so my weeds must make him go crazy

Especially if you have clover - it spreads quickly and takes over the healthy lawn quickly.  That's the way you get even with him driver!!!  

jipster

jmonroe said:

What a mess this has become. I called Ashley Furniture to cancel my order. They blocked my call!! I used my wife's phone, they answered, when they heard my voice they immediately transferred me to customer service.What?! How would they know?! Customer service says they don't cancel orders, I have to call the finance dspt. An endless loop I've been thrown in.

I call my credit card company to dispute the charge. Someone not fluent in English took the call, says papers to dispute charge will be sent in 7-10 days, don't cancel the order. I say by the time I get the papers the furniture will be delivered. I'll be stuck with the furniture. Can I pretend I'm not home? She says ok, cancel, then dispute the $200. So should I take a bat, or Mrs. Jipster, to Ashley Furniture when I go in tomorrow to cancel the order... if  they try to jump me? Jmonroe, you been lifting weights? How bout a hand?

Imagine. Let me know how you want me to proceed with this. jmonroe

Thanks. I'll try the peaceful approach first. You and your left hook will be on deck. Mrs. Jmonroe hitting cleanup if all else fails :-)

cdnpinhead

Is it just me, or is the current Kia TV commercial campaign (rhinos and whales and whatnot) a slap in the face of the Subaru kumbaya touchy-feely commercials? If so, I'm all for it. While I obviously love the Subaru vehicles, I detest their advertising. There is no mention of the positive features of the cars, only, well, snowflake stuff.

Must work.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

SDA, I like your house. That is the style I want next time.

I like it too but I'd live in a cardboard box if it was located out of the snow zone.

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

sda said:

driver100 said:

sda said:

Ok while those of you in the northeast are sipping hot chocolate and playing in the snow I had to mow the grass. Is that fair?

It is a nice house but it looks like you have speed bumps on your lawn. Is that so the mower doesn't go too fast and get airborne? .

The yard doesn't look as nice as I would like. We had a dry and hot summer and am trying to recover from that. The cars are clean, however!

Our lawn has more weeds than grass....so, I should not be criticizing......but then, when did that ever stop me. The good thing about the weeds is;

1) at least they look green from a distance, and

2) my neighbor who I haven't talked to for over 3 years keeps his law meticulous, so my weeds must make him go crazy

Especially if you have clover - it spreads quickly and takes over the healthy lawn quickly.  That's the way you get even with him driver!!!  

Lawn grass mixtures use to include clover because it's nitrogen fixing ability reduces the need for fertilizer. Now the elites would rather pollute the environment than wash the clover "grass stains" out of their kid's clothes. SDA's grass looks like a southern blend which isn't as carpet-like as bluegrass but takes the heat and drought better.

driver100

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

sda said:

driver100 said:

sda said:

Ok while those of you in the northeast are sipping hot chocolate and playing in the snow I had to mow the grass. Is that fair?

It is a nice house but it looks like you have speed bumps on your lawn. Is that so the mower doesn't go too fast and get airborne? .

The yard doesn't look as nice as I would like. We had a dry and hot summer and am trying to recover from that. The cars are clean, however!

Our lawn has more weeds than grass....so, I should not be criticizing......but then, when did that ever stop me. The good thing about the weeds is;

1) at least they look green from a distance, and

2) my neighbor who I haven't talked to for over 3 years keeps his law meticulous, so my weeds must make him go crazy

Especially if you have clover - it spreads quickly and takes over the healthy lawn quickly.  That's the way you get even with him driver!!!  

Thanks for the gardening tip Mike. I am going to plant some clover as soon as I get home...anything to annoy the boor next door.

driver100

cdnpinhead said:

Is it just me, or is the current Kia TV commercial campaign (rhinos and whales and whatnot) a slap in the face of the Subaru kumbaya touchy-feely commercials? If so, I'm all for it. While I obviously love the Subaru vehicles, I detest their advertising. There is no mention of the positive features of the cars, only, well, snowflake stuff.

Must work.

I have read articles that say advertising really has little affect on swaying your car buying decision. If you want to buy a particular brand all the ads in the world probably won't convince you to change. The article said the ads mostly confirm to the buyers of a particular brand that they made the right choice...and confirms to them they made a wise decision and will buy the brand again.

I think the dogs differentiate Suburu from the other makes, more eco friendly, happy, healthy, image etc. Kia is trying to touch similar nerves in a different way.

What I wonder about is does Suburu's ads turn off people who don't love animals or dogs...and what about cat lovers...do they get turned off?

How many people have bought a car because of a TV ad? There are times when you may want a car with special features, you see the ad, and that causes you to investigate that brand....that happens, but it is rare.

graphicguy

Driver...maybe a commercial hasn't swayed me, but they have caused me to visit a showroom. Thinking about it, this group probably knows about models and their features way before a commercial hits the airwaves. We're enthusiasts. We tend to seek out car info. I'm certain we're the exception rather than the rule. Most people have no clue what's in the showroom at thier friendly dealership.

qbrozen

driver100 said:

I have read articles that say advertising really has little affect on swaying your car buying decision. If you want to buy a particular brand all the ads in the world probably won't convince you to change. The article said the ads mostly confirm to the buyers of a particular brand that they made the right choice...and confirms to them they made a wise decision and will buy the brand again.

I think there are a large group of buyers who don't have brand loyalty and really know very little about vehicles. Many of my wife's family and some of mine definitely fall into that group. I get texts quite often from my sister telling me about a commercial she just saw where XYZ vehicle looks cool, or she'll send me a pic of something she saw in a parking lot asking me about it.

fintail

It's not just you. The Subaru ads definitely deserve a little mocking, as they so shamelessly pander to the snowflake and flamboyant outdoorsy set. And the funniest thing is that it works - funny because I assume that demographic is fairly cynical about advertising. It's definitely a lifestyle brand, at least in Seattle, Portland, Boulder, etc, where the brand must sell the most per capita (along with NH/VT and AK, I suppose). The cars have plenty of merit, but emotional stuff is the direction. These along with Prius are also the cars that seem most likely to be plastered with bumper stickers - probably a big choice among vegans and crossfit devotees who always have to tell everyone what is on their mind.

Also amusing in the impressions it can make. A co-worker of mine complained that she was cut-off by a Subaru, and said "isn't Subaru supposed to be about love"? Nope, I told her, it's a profit driven multinational corporation like all automakers. Subaru just knows the image that some buyers want to present to the world.

cdnpinhead said:

Is it just me, or is the current Kia TV commercial campaign (rhinos and whales and whatnot) a slap in the face of the Subaru kumbaya touchy-feely commercials? If so, I'm all for it. While I obviously love the Subaru vehicles, I detest their advertising. There is no mention of the positive features of the cars, only, well, snowflake stuff.

Must work.

uplanderguy

The new site, well, s***s. When I go to the website, I don't see a place to log in now. I only got here right now by sending an email to edmunds.com and I was provided a link that got me where I needed to be.

Why is the need to fix something unbroken always so overwhelming?

stickguy

I love the sube dog commercials. They are the best. But as you can tell, I love labs!

venture

stickguy said:

I love the sube dog commercials. They are the best. But as you can tell, I love labs!

I like the one where the dog picks his wife (I guess) up at the hair salon.

venture

uplanderguy said:

The new site, well, s***s. When I go to the website, I don't see a place to log in now. I only got here right now by sending an email to edmunds.com and I was provided a link that got me where I needed to be.

Why is the need to fix something unbroken always so overwhelming?

Click on Research at the top, then click on Automobile Forums under Tips & Advice.

PF_Flyer

venture said:

stickguy said:

I love the sube dog commercials. They are the best. But as you can tell, I love labs!

I like the one where the dog picks his wife (I guess) up at the hair salon.

The farther I go along, the less I find myself paying attention to ANY ads, but that one is OK

ab348

The only Subaru ads I liked were the regional ones for New England Subaru Dealers. They had a likable female spokesperson and a catchy jingle that sang "What makes a Subaru a Subaru?" that played over the requisite shots of Subies exploding through snowdrifts, etc.

One of these days I'd love to see some ad parody play off that by having the vehicle hit a concrete wall or sawed-off telephone pole buried under the drifting snow.

abacomike

graphicguy said:

Driver...maybe a commercial hasn't swayed me, but they have caused me to visit a showroom. Thinking about it, this group probably knows about models and their features way before a commercial hits the airwaves. We're enthusiasts. We tend to seek out car info. I'm certain we're the exception rather than the rule. Most people have no clue what's in the showroom at thier friendly dealership.

We all know what's in the showroom. GG - a team of Great White Sharks just waiting to take a bite out of your wallet!!!  Is there anything else we should know about what resides in a dealer's showroom?   

suydam

I think the Kia hamster ads were very effective in making the Soul seem cool. The Honda Element was a similar vehicle but it never appealed the way the Soul did.
Subaru is popular in areas where there is either a lot of rain or a lot of snow. That's a deserved reputation because of the all-wheel drive.

PF_Flyer

The hamster ads are a good example for me. Funny the first time, but the way advertising seems to work is to run an ad until I can't abide seeing it anymore, then run it at least twice as long as that benchmark

Mr_Shiftright

fintail said:

It's not just you. The Subaru ads definitely deserve a little mocking, as they so shamelessly pander to the snowflake and flamboyant outdoorsy set. And the funniest thing is that it works - funny because I assume that demographic is fairly cynical about advertising. It's definitely a lifestyle brand, at least in Seattle, Portland, Boulder, etc, where the brand must sell the most per capita (along with NH/VT and AK, I suppose). The cars have plenty of merit, but emotional stuff is the direction. These along with Prius are also the cars that seem most likely to be plastered with bumper stickers - probably a big choice among vegans and crossfit devotees who always have to tell everyone what is on their mind.

Also amusing in the impressions it can make. A co-worker of mine complained that she was cut-off by a Subaru, and said "isn't Subaru supposed to be about love"? Nope, I told her, it's a profit driven multinational corporation like all automakers. Subaru just knows the image that some buyers want to present to the world.

cdnpinhead said:

Is it just me, or is the current Kia TV commercial campaign (rhinos and whales and whatnot) a slap in the face of the Subaru kumbaya touchy-feely commercials? If so, I'm all for it. While I obviously love the Subaru vehicles, I detest their advertising. There is no mention of the positive features of the cars, only, well, snowflake stuff.

Must work.

The subliminal message is (seriously) about immortality--of the car, of life, of you. Same with special diets and organic foods and "the outdoors". It has a religious flavor to it almost.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

SDA, I like your house. That is the style I want next time.

I like it too but I'd live in a cardboard box if it was located out of the snow zone.

I thought you and @driver100 had a deal on this all worked out.

You get the couch but no breakfast or maid service. Did he renege on this already? :@

jmonroe

jmonroe

oldfarmer50 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

sda said:

driver100 said:

sda said:

Ok while those of you in the northeast are sipping hot chocolate and playing in the snow I had to mow the grass. Is that fair?

It is a nice house but it looks like you have speed bumps on your lawn. Is that so the mower doesn't go too fast and get airborne? .

The yard doesn't look as nice as I would like. We had a dry and hot summer and am trying to recover from that. The cars are clean, however!

Our lawn has more weeds than grass....so, I should not be criticizing......but then, when did that ever stop me. The good thing about the weeds is;

1) at least they look green from a distance, and

2) my neighbor who I haven't talked to for over 3 years keeps his law meticulous, so my weeds must make him go crazy

Especially if you have clover - it spreads quickly and takes over the healthy lawn quickly.  That's the way you get even with him driver!!!  

Lawn grass mixtures use to include clover because it's nitrogen fixing ability reduces the need for fertilizer. Now the elites would rather pollute the environment than wash the clover "grass stains" out of their kid's clothes. SDA's grass looks like a southern blend which isn't as carpet-like as bluegrass but takes the heat and drought better.


When I lived in SC we had a house built so I had have a lawn put in. For the included house price I had my choice of a lawn. I could choose either Centipede or Myers Zoysia grass. When I talked to the builder's landscaper he showed me Emerald Zoysia. It was like it's name implied, a very deep green color not the standard green color of grass. The catch was it cost about 5 cents more per square foot than the others I just mentioned.

Since I was already in pretty deep with the house I said, "what the hell, yeah, go for it". I didn't realize I was the talk of the neighborhood until one day about a year later when I bumped into a guy around the circle from me. He wanted to know what house I lived in and I described the house which was different from the standard colonials in that development. He stops me while I'm into my description and says, "oh, you're the guy with the nice green grass. Everybody knows that house". I said something like, "aren't all the lawns around here green"? He said, "not like yours they aren't, I bet that grass cost you a fortune". When I told him it was an extra 5 cents per square foot, his jaw dropped and he said, "my builder (his was different than mine) never offered that to me". I didn't know what he wanted me to say but he seemed very disappointed.

Like I said, famous and I didn't even know it. That was the best bang for an extra nickel I ever got.

Since @sda lives in SC maybe he has a show off neighbor that has Emerald Zoysia.

jmonroe

driver100

jmonroe said:

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

SDA, I like your house. That is the style I want next time.

I like it too but I'd live in a cardboard box if it was located out of the snow zone.

I thought you and @driver100 had a deal on this all worked out.

You get the couch but no breakfast or maid service. Did he renege on this already? :@

jmonroe

I am opening a B NO B just for you guys.

That's bed, $250 a night....and NO Breakfast, you can make your own and while your at it rassle up something for me.

28firefighter

I could use a little advice here from those far brighter and wiser than I am. In case the last two weeks have not been eventful enough at home, I just received a huge promotion at work. I could use some saving advice.

We already have 6 months of expenses set aside in an emergency fund, already have purchased a house and have no other outstanding debts aside from my student loans which are relatively low interest and the cars. I'm maxing out my retirement contribution and have money set to go into a savings account each month on top of that.

It seems that one of the next logical steps now that Sam is here is to start saving for college. Washington no longer has their tuition program due to legislative changes, though will supposedly be announcing a 529 Plan in August. We don't have any state income tax so there is no real tax benefits to waiting and using that. Several folks have told me to look at a New York or California 529 and start contributing now, others have told me to invest in DRIP stocks (?). My goal is to be able to cover at least two years of room and board for him right off the bat. I'm expecting him to work and cover his fair share, which is why I'm not setting it at 4 years.

Any suggestions for savings vehicles to that end?

driver100

jmonroe said:

oldfarmer50 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

sda said:

driver100 said:

sda said:

Ok while those of you in the northeast are sipping hot chocolate and playing in the snow I had to mow the grass. Is that fair?

It is a nice house but it looks like you have speed bumps on your lawn. Is that so the mower doesn't go too fast and get airborne? .

The yard doesn't look as nice as I would like. We had a dry and hot summer and am trying to recover from that. The cars are clean, however!

Our lawn has more weeds than grass....so, I should not be criticizing......but then, when did that ever stop me. The good thing about the weeds is;

1) at least they look green from a distance, and

2) my neighbor who I haven't talked to for over 3 years keeps his law meticulous, so my weeds must make him go crazy

Especially if you have clover - it spreads quickly and takes over the healthy lawn quickly.  That's the way you get even with him driver!!!  

Lawn grass mixtures use to include clover because it's nitrogen fixing ability reduces the need for fertilizer. Now the elites would rather pollute the environment than wash the clover "grass stains" out of their kid's clothes. SDA's grass looks like a southern blend which isn't as carpet-like as bluegrass but takes the heat and drought better.

When I lived in SC we had a house built so I had have a lawn put in. For the included house price I had my choice of a lawn. I could choose either Centipede or Myers Zoysia grass. When I talked to the builder's landscaper he showed me Emerald Zoysia. It was like it's name implied, a very deep green color not the standard green color of grass. The catch was it cost about 5 cents more per square foot than the others I just mentioned.

Since I was already in pretty deep with the house I said, "what the hell, yeah, go for it". I didn't realize I was the talk of the neighborhood until one day about a year later when I bumped into a guy around the circle from me. He wanted to know what house I lived in and I described the house which was different from the standard colonials in that development. He stops me while I'm into my description and says, "oh, you're the guy with the nice green grass. Everybody knows that house". I said something like, "aren't all the lawns around here green"? He said, "not like yours they aren't, I bet that grass cost you a fortune". When I told him it was an extra 5 cents per square foot, his jaw dropped and he said, "my builder (his was different than mine) never offered that to me". I didn't know what he wanted me to say but he seemed very disappointed.

Like I said, famous and I didn't even know it. That was the best bang for an extra nickel I ever got.

Since @sda lives in SC maybe he has a show off neighbor that has Emerald Zoysia.

jmonro

e


What a showoff!

driver100

Sorry about butchering your name JMonroe...it was a total accident and if I try to fix it I will just mess it up more.

Note the difference in length of the two posts

graphicguy

28FF....well, you're taking the huge first step in looking at college now. Personally, I think you look at what you think college will cost in 18 years, then add 50% to that. That still may not cover it.

Go to your personal bank and request a meet with one of their advisors. Most likely they'll have a "product" specifically for college tuition savings.

I wished I had done that. My son is 28. He graduated about 4-5 years ago. Seems the 4 years degree I got takes 5 or 6 years for the same degree now.

Anyway, I originally saved for $50K when he was born to cover college. That accelerated when he turned about 10, and I realized that wasn't going to cover it.

Not meaning to scare you, but I ended up saving $100K for his college fund. That still didn't quite cover it.

driver100

firefighter, I can't help but you seem to be doing a really good job of looking after your finances. I am a pretty responsible person but never had an income to have things so well under control.

I am sure others can help you more but I am impressed with all you have accomplished at such an early point in your life.

jmonroe

PF_Flyer said:

venture said:

stickguy said:

I love the sube dog commercials. They are the best. But as you can tell, I love labs!

I like the one where the dog picks his wife (I guess) up at the hair salon.

The farther I go along, the less I find myself paying attention to ANY ads, but that one is OK

Me too. I think I have myself fully programmed that when a commercial comes on I tune out. A few times Mrs. j has said, "what was that commercial trying to get across"? I usually say, "what commercial". She says, THE ONE THAT WAS JUST ON. YOU WERE WATCHING IT". My only defense is, "that doesn't me I was paying attention to it". I get one of those looks and she says, "probably like when I talk". That comment I don't reply to.

jmonroe

driver100

jmonroe said:

PF_Flyer said:

venture said:

stickguy said:

I love the sube dog commercials. They are the best. But as you can tell, I love labs!

I like the one where the dog picks his wife (I guess) up at the hair salon.

The farther I go along, the less I find myself paying attention to ANY ads, but that one is OK

My only defense is, "that doesn't me I was paying attention to it". I get one of those looks and she says, "probably like when I talk". That comment I don't reply to.

jmonroe

A very wise man, that is one of those questions you aren't going to get the right answer to.

abacomike

jmonroe said:

"Like I said, famous and I didn't even know it. That was the best bang for an extra nickel I ever got.

Famous, JM? You call "that" famous - being discussed out there in the neighborhood for your green grass? C'mon now, JM, you are famous for much more than that, aren't you? You live in Western Pennsylvania - can't be hard to become famous out there, but I would think it would cost more than a nickel to become the talk-of-the-town, even in the Pittsburgh area.

I consider you "famous" for your rhetoric, your suave yet direct communication style, and for the manner in which you can drive driver nuts. Usually it's the other way around - driver drives everyone nuts - but you have become infamous for successfully challenging driver's ability to get under one's fingernails. Kudos to you, JM, you ARE ONE FAMOUS GUY IN MY BOOK!!!

Now, on the other hand, driver has been famous for a much longer time - and not for green grass or turf. He has the uncanny ability to look anything up and get it posted before we even get a chance to work things out for ourselves. He is our INFAMOUS POSTER and LOOKER UPPER! Congrats, driver, for out-famousing jmonroe, for now!

jmonroe

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

SDA, I like your house. That is the style I want next time.

I like it too but I'd live in a cardboard box if it was located out of the snow zone.

I thought you and @driver100 had a deal on this all worked out.

You get the couch but no breakfast or maid service. Did he renege on this already? :@

jmonroe

I am opening a B NO B just for you guys.

That's bed, $250 a night....and NO Breakfast, you can make your own and while your at it rassle up something for me.

I should have known. You are just trying to recoup, many times over, that 200 bucks you over paid for the C 250. And then you'll throw it in our face how you out snookered the car guys in here.

Well, it's not going to work. We heard that one before and I think @oldfarmer50 even fell for that before.

jmonroe

abacomike

28firefighter said:

I could use a little advice here from those far brighter and wiser than I am. In case the last two weeks have not been eventful enough at home, I just received a huge promotion at work. I could use some saving advice.

We already have 6 months of expenses set aside in an emergency fund, already have purchased a house and have no other outstanding debts aside from my student loans which are relatively low interest and the cars. I'm maxing out my retirement contribution and have money set to go into a savings account each month on top of that.

It seems that one of the next logical steps now that Sam is here is to start saving for college. Washington no longer has their tuition program due to legislative changes, though will supposedly be announcing a 529 Plan in August. We don't have any state income tax so there is no real tax benefits to waiting and using that. Several folks have told me to look at a New York or California 529 and start contributing now, others have told me to invest in DRIP stocks (?). My goal is to be able to cover at least two years of room and board for him right off the bat. I'm expecting him to work and cover his fair share, which is why I'm not setting it at 4 years.

Any suggestions for savings vehicles to that end?

I agree with driver (Oh, my God, did I just say that?) in that you seem to be doing a pretty good job of setting up your financial life in good order right now. Going to your bank is an option to see what they have to offer, long-term, for growth. But, what you really need is a trusted/trustworthy financial advisor, IMHO. How you find one is another story. Perhaps you are acquainted with some individuals who use a financial advisor who has come through for them over the long-run. Try that route, OK?

28firefighter

abacomike said:

28firefighter said:

I could use a little advice here from those far brighter and wiser than I am. In case the last two weeks have not been eventful enough at home, I just received a huge promotion at work. I could use some saving advice.

We already have 6 months of expenses set aside in an emergency fund, already have purchased a house and have no other outstanding debts aside from my student loans which are relatively low interest and the cars. I'm maxing out my retirement contribution and have money set to go into a savings account each month on top of that.

It seems that one of the next logical steps now that Sam is here is to start saving for college. Washington no longer has their tuition program due to legislative changes, though will supposedly be announcing a 529 Plan in August. We don't have any state income tax so there is no real tax benefits to waiting and using that. Several folks have told me to look at a New York or California 529 and start contributing now, others have told me to invest in DRIP stocks (?). My goal is to be able to cover at least two years of room and board for him right off the bat. I'm expecting him to work and cover his fair share, which is why I'm not setting it at 4 years.

Any suggestions for savings vehicles to that end?

I agree with driver (Oh, my God, did I just say that?) in that you seem to be doing a pretty good job of setting up your financial life in good order right now. Going to your bank is an option to see what they have to offer, long-term, for growth. But, what you really need is a trusted/trustworthy financial advisor, IMHO. How you find one is another story. Perhaps you are acquainted with some individuals who use a financial advisor who has come through for them over the long-run. Try that route, OK?

You and @graphicguy make good points. We do have a trusted financial advisor and I have a meeting set with him for early next week to discuss. I just like to have multiple points of view before going in, just so I make sure I understand all the options available to us.

jmonroe

driver100 said:

Sorry about butchering your name JMonroe...it was a total accident and if I try to fix it I will just mess it up more.

Note the difference in length of the two posts

What 2 posts?

If they were really that short, I guess I must have scrolled right past them.

I'll have to set up a low speed scroll limit to catch all the short boring stuff in here lately.

jmonroe

ab348

@28firefighter - I am a notoriously frugal guy and have always been a saver. Only now that I am closer to the end of the road than the beginning am I spending a bit of it.

I am not here to advise you because I am not a savvy investor. I went to my bank a long time ago and got into a retirement fund and more recently got into non-registered investments with them, most of them some sort of balanced mutual fund product.

I never felt I was getting the kind of returns I should with them but it was explained away by saying that was the nature of a balanced fund, no big highs traded off for not such lower lows when the market tanked. That didn't happen in 2008 though. At its lowest I was down 40% but it all came back and then some. Their reports tell me I am getting annual returns of 4% to 8% depending on which one you look at.

This year government required them to report more transparently on their fees. I always read the fund annual reports and saw that most of my mutual funds had annual management fees of 1.5% to 2.25%. This year when they strted spelling them out more explicitly I realized that they represented 20% to 30% of the annual return I was (or more accurately, wasn't) getting. No wonder banks up here do so well.

As an example, say you have $100,000 in a fund for the long term. At a 2% management fee that's $2000 they take off the top every year. Let's say it had a good year and earned 10%. Instead of $10,000 in growth you only get $8000. In a middling to bad year the fee could actually mean you lose money because they take it every year based on the total amount you have invested in the fund, not based on how well they manage it for you.

I wish I had a solution. I just don't think this is very good value. A 2% fee doesn't sound like much but it really adds up. My advice is to watch whatever you do very carefully for such fees.