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Comments
Richard
Truer words were never spoken. I'm watching now as of governor figures out how many ways he can screw up my pension before I officially put in for it.
And if you don't buy something soon, the old one will break down and it will be worth even less, and in another few years a new one will be $50,000! :sick:
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I hope they never take away your pension.
I remember a while back that several people mentioned they liked the book PIllars of the Earth. Starting on Friday, Starz (movie channel) will have an 8-part miniseries on the book.
I hope they never take away your pension.
When I saw richard's response, I thought to myself "verdugo knows what he's talking about and richard didn't see it"
I guess I should consider myself lucky - I've got a (small) pension account which will grow very slowly in the future (interest only), a 401(k) where the company kicks in 8% of my salary (on top of my contribution) and the wife works for a school district so she is eligible for a public employee pension.
Not that we are anywhere close to tapping those meager funds, however. I figure we'll be working into our 60's before we can consider retirement, though the wife could, in theory, start collecting on her pension in 10 years.
I'll have to take the chance (might lose my star). We don't get Starz Network in Canada but I think it will be available on Pay per View after. I can hardly wait for Pillars to be shown...it is the best book of all time....and if you liked it Time Without End is 2nd best!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Well, we got the insurance bill for the next six months a few weeks ago, and it was going to cost us around $200 - $250 just for liability for this 10 year old car. So I started thinking about selling it. On top of that, it had some minor front end damage from where it got backed into (another story). Considering the age of the car, I wasn't ready to invest money to fix the hood and bumper. But the car still ran very well and got great gas mileage. But I considered that this car was costing us $400 - $500 a year in insurance, and I could rent a car for 10 to 15 days at that price. 10 - 15 days of car rental would more than cover us for those times when we needed a car for backup when one was in the shop.
While all of this has been happening, my neighbor across the street, who is a real wheeler-dealer, has been asking me repeatedly if I wanted to sell the Passat. He started asking back in January and would ask every month or so. I kept passing him up. He's the kind of salesman who can talk birds from the trees and sell ice to Eskimos. But he's really a great guy and a great neighbor, but I don't want to be on the other end of the sales table from him. He sold cars for a living in the past, and he also sold scratch and dent appliances online. He'd ship these things all over the county after selling them on eBay. I can't imagine why people would buy a washer or dryer from him and then pay to have it shipped across country, but they did. He made money from that for a few years before deciding he could do better elsewhere. Like I said, he knows how to sell.
So last Friday, he calls me around 9 AM and asks if I want to sell the Passat. He tells me his older son needs to buy a car by the end of the day for his wife, and they've seen my Passat sitting in the driveway, and they know I've taken care of it even though it has 150,000 miles on it. And do I want to sell it? And if so, what would I want for it? I beg off at first, telling my neighbor that I am not ready to sell, but he keeps the pressure on and finally tells me to come up with a price. Like I said, he's a wheeler-dealer, and I knew whatever price I gave him, he'd want to talk me down. But he also does his research, so I know he's tough to beat.
So I pull up some listings on CraigsList. I know that's probably NOT what those owners are actually getting, but I find three local 1999 Passats. All are V6s, like mine, and all have either the same miles or more miles than mine. Those cars are in pretty good shape from the photos, and they are going for $3,000 to $4,500. I think $4,500 is kind of steep, but $3,000 seems reasonable for one in great shape. I also check KBB and look at the value for a private party sale for a car in fair condition, which accounts for some body work. I calculate work for some additional items (needs a new hood latch, has an intermittent alarm issue, and needs a hood strut). Plus, it's due for an oil change and a tire rotate and balance. In the end, I come up with $2,400.
I call my neighbor and give him the price. He comes back with, "Well, the wholesale value is $1500." I tell him I'm NOT wholesaling it. This is a private party sale. And besides, I'm not the one who wants to sell. He's the one who wants to buy (well, I guess I am INTERESTED in selling or we wouldn't have gotten this far). He comes up to $1800, and I go down to $2200. In the end, we settle on $2,100, and then his son, who had promised not to haggle further after we came to a deal, asks if I can do $2000 so he can make his daycare payment for the month. I agreed to it, and we sold the car at 4:30 PM that afternoon. He paid me cash: twenty one-hundred dollar bills. I printed off a bill of sale and had picked up the title from our bank as well. The son didn't even test drive the car and only cranked it up and poked around at the engine. I even pointed out that the car had 150,000 miles and while it HAS been taken care of, it IS 10 years old. He still wanted it...even with the front end damage, dings, and dents.
He left happy, and I was happy too. I was able to sell the car without having to get it fixed, and the icing on the cake is that in a few weeks, it would have been due for an emissions inspection and annual taxes. So I saved just a little more by selling it now rather than a few weeks from now. The funny thing is that by Sunday afternoon, the son had taken the car out to have it detailed. It was looking pretty spiffy, and I hear he has a body guy who owes him some work and is going to get the front-end fixed too.
But I guess I also find it interesting that my 1999 Passat was worth almost as much as the 1998 Lexus that Driver sold. That does make me feel better because at first I assumed my neighbor got the best of me, but hearing Driver's story, I feel I got a fair deal.
You are correct. Pensions have become rare in recent years. We were very blessed to have our pensions and our free health care plan. The free health care is worth over a thousand a month by itself.
Richard
Richard
Richard
Actually it was worth more. That Lexus was worth $2000 CAD. That's only $1900 USD. So yours is worth more.
I didn't know you were a Canadian?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Good story bronsonb. I like how there is always a reason to drop that last $100, and how could you not give in to "my child won't be able to go to daycare if you don't drop it another $100".
I just hope the car lasts and doesn't have any problems, you still have to live across the road from your neighbor.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Very astute observation...I forgot about the exchange rate.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Too late now, but I do like the idea of donating a car to a charity and getting the tax break. I might end up doing that with my son's '03 Elantra.
bronsonb....I think both buyers and sellers get caught up in "the deal". Buyers just want to buy the car they fell in love with, and the sellers just want to close the deal and be done with it. I try not to fall in either category as a buyer or seller, which is also why I don't like to sit at the negotiation table. "Here's my offer. We either have a deal, or we don't."
Well.... the service advisor tells her to "insert the key into the slot on the left side of the dashboard" thinking that maybe the batteries in the fob are dead. Her daughter (unknowingly) hands her the key to the Sebring Convertible they also have. Since in two years she never even looked at the key/fob she thinks nothing of it and sticks the metal old fashioned key into the slot in the dashboard.
At this point the car is totally dead and the service advisor calls roadside assistance. They show up and realized a light was left on and the battery is dead. They jump start it and all is well. He goes to take the wrong key out and it is completely stuck in the dashboard.
I get this phone call and try not to laugh. She drives over to my house and I couldn't pull it out either. I had to take apart the whole lower dashboard, put the whole module on my workbench and take it apart to get the key out.
I guess you really can't make this stuff up. I asked her why she would put the Chrysler key into the Altima and she really thought that was the right key. Imagine what the dealer would have charged to fix this one.
I showed her how the whole fob goes into that slot if there is a problem with the keyless system. She was so embarrased. I should have taken a picture, it looked so funny.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
Don’t knock that 60’s thing. I was extremely fortunate to get a package when I was 55, when I left the job I had in SC in the late 90’s, from the company that I had been working with before I even got out of night school.
I was preparing to move back to the Burgh and before my bags were packed (literally), someone that I worked with for years told someone at the company that I was coming back and I might be interested in some consulting work. I never said that but this friend assumed it and that’s why I got a call. So, before my feet even hit the ground back here I was offered a consulting job.
I have a birthday coming up and I’m well in to my 60’s and I’m still at it and I am having the time of my life and so is Mrs. jmonroe since she doesn’t have to ask me to pick up my feet when she pushes the sweeper around. She really hated that because I didn’t always hear her or was asleep on the couch. :surprise: Neither of us ever wanted to travel much, so this 40 mile round trip commute up and down the PA Turnpike, in a very nice riding Genny, is perfect for me now.
I haven’t worked for all those years since I came back; I did go into retirement for some of those years but I was bought out of it a few times but this stint will be the last. Even though I’ve said that before I mean it this time. I don’t want to be found slumped over at my desk by the cleaning folks, you know. But these people around here now (with these huge contacts that the company has gotten) sure make it tough to leave. Just casually talking to a fellow worker this past February when we had 30 inches of snow on the ground I said something like, “the summer will be here before you know it and that would be a good time for me to leave. Go sit on my deck and drink some lemonade”. Before I knew it I was called into the big boss’s office and given my new hourly rate. I was not expecting that since it was only 7/8 months since my last rate increase and had to give it a double look.
Like I said, working into your 60’s ain’t all that bad and these people around here know how to get some ones attention alright but I can’t allow myself to get hooked on this candy or the cleaning people will find me one night !!
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Well, these days it doesn't really matter.
Good for you! I've got a buddy here at IBM who has been with the company since 1969 - he tells me that the salary is better than the retirement, at the moment.
My dad also retired when he was 55 (I think) after almost 34 years with the fire department. I'm really surprised that he moved right into retirement without a hitch. Since he spent the last 13 years doing fire cause investigation (think DeNiro's character in "Backdraft"), he had ample opportunity to work as an independent investigator for insurance companies and provide expert witness testimony at trials.
Nope - he started to work part time at the local golf course so he could play for free. Did that up until a few years ago when a case of the shingles slowed him down. He's now on oxygen FT - he's got a 100' hose that allows him free range of the house and yard - and the remnants of the shingles prevents him from playing golf.
They never did the travel thing, except for an occasional visit to friends and family in CA. They've come to CO only a few times, most recently in 2000 after we moved into our new house. They don't drive much - the 2003 Hyundai Sonata they bought new has less than 30K on it after almost 7 years.
On topic - they bought the car using money from a reverse mortgage, and used some sort of service where the dealers bid the price of the car down until my dad got the price he wanted.
Richard
Richard
That is amazing and I doubt that you could make up something like that.
The key must have been jammed in there in such a way that it allowed a contact to be made just like the fob would do. I know the fob on our Genny’s don’t have metal contacts so jamming an old fashioned key in the Genny slot would just push a plastic piece that would allow the circuit to be completed when the start push button is pressed.
Maybe on the Altima the key actually bridged metal contacts in there but I doubt it since that would have blown a fuse (or worse) if it didn’t recognize that a battery was in a fob that is charged by inserting a fob. That’s the best guess that I can come up with as to how the key allowed the car to start. I imagine that it took a little bit of wiggling to get it loose, huh? Even on the bench.
You said this was your GF’s mother? Better check out those genes before it’s too late.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
You said this was your GF’s mother? Better check out those genes before it’s too late.
It already is.... we live together and are heading toward that path to (no I can't type the word)
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
OK, that’s your answer. You said the fob “triggers a lever ”. Once the switch on the circuit board is actuated by that lever all that is needed is the push of the start button. That’s how you start the car when the fob is dead. You partially complete the circuit with the insertion of the fob or anything that can actuate the “lever”. You can prove this by inserting a screw driver to actuate the “lever” then pushing the start button.
So, that so called smart thingy ain’t as smart as it thinks it is. It doesn’t know one fob from another, a jammed in key or a screw driver for that matter as long as the “lever” is actuated. :confuse:
Class dismissed.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Too bad about the PT cruiser - it probably should have been stopped about five years ago, though, if no improvements were going to be made to it. At least it drives better than a Prius, but that's not saying a whole lot.
Richard
I just saw one where a town in California fired all of its employees and outsourced everything. They still pay the elected officials a stipend every two weeks. Imagine that.
http://autos.aol.com/article/five-car-negotiation-tips/
Call 50-100 dealers within a 100 mile radius ??? WTH?? 50-100? Are they serious? :sick:
Negotiate on the phone/internet/fax. Fax??? In this day and age?
A private sale of your car will get you 3k-6k more than a dealer trade in ?? 3k-6k?? Where?When?Jeez :lemon: Where are these private party buyers?? I want to meet them.
20-30min to test drive this car and this car and this car! Ya Right !! :shades:
That was a very good snappy comeback. The only left to say is "OHHH SNAP!" :P
If we only had to stand in line that wouldn't be too bad, that means you would probably get your surgery in a few hours (like how long can you stand in line with a broken leg?)
Waiting for six months - now that is a problem!
Also, some people have written about how they were wiped out by large health costs...which seems very unfair.
However, after seeing the anarchists and anit-poverty groups trash police cars and break windows, I realize it is us against them. And "them" wants all the benefits without working and saving for them. So, although I like our system here today, I think it would be a mistake for your great country to take on a medicare system at this time. Where do I sign up to that Tea Party group?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Richard
Richard
Richard
Richard
The article seemed to be older than 5 years. For one thing, doesn't any one in that city wear a watch or any rings?
But, the line above really got me. Will the salesman actually talk to a 16 year old kid, and are you going to make your 16 year old call car dealerships on your behalf?
Some advice was alright though. I liked his thinking about the car salesperson will try to get you under control. So, say right up front, I want to test this car, I won't be buying today, I have to leave in 30 minutes.
Like a lot of articles, you might read 100 ideas to get one good one you can use, which is why I stopped reading magazines.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Maybe, I could lead the Canadian Chapter of the Tea Party Party.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I suppose if I ever really need the cash I could sell my Speed3, but that might actually kill me, so I'll just cut out everything else. I'm happy to be working and have a job I enjoy...I'll just need to invent something really cool so I can have money, too. Maybe a Prius that drives like an actual car would be nice! Any takers?
The above is from your aol article. To those "less experienced" people who have a problem with the above, I would suggest to simply say, "no thank you" in a firm, yet polite manner. If pressed for a reason by the salesman say, "no...I'm not interested." You are under no obligation to explain your decisions or reasoning. If unwanted sales pressure continued I'd suggest taking a walk.
Pep boys had an ad in todays mail for a $16.99 "oil change kit". You get 5 quarts of Valvoline oil and a Fram oil filter. Plus the satisfaction of doing the job yourself. :sick: Makes my $19.99 dealership oil changes with full circle inspection, and top off of fluids with tire pressure adjustment, look pretty good.
Cat update. Our black kitten ran away.
I could never figure out doing oil changes at home, - what are you supposed to do with the old oil? Also, if something goes wrong with your home oil change how will you clean up the spill in your garage or driveway? Like you said, I would rather spend the extra 3 bucks and get someone else to do it....plus get an inspection, top up fluids and check tires. Why wouldn't you do that? Not to mention lugging home a few quarts of oil and then disposing of the old stuff - unless you can dump it in your neighbors garden! :sick: (just joking, of course)
Oh yes, sorry to hear your cat is missing!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
You're right. The author's numbers are silly, but his underlying point is valid: if you want to squeeze all the value out of your old car, you'll sell it privately. Just how much more you'll get that way will depend on the make, age & condition of your car, but you'll often - not always, but often - do better if you sell it yourself.
The best candidates for private sales are top-tier Japanese (Honda, Toyota & Nissan) models that are at least 8 years old. I once sold a 12-year-old Accord for at least $1800 more than I would have gotten on trade in exactly 1 day to a cash buyer who paid me with a wad of $100 bills. Older Japanese cars bring stupid money. If you have one, you'd be nuts to trade it in.
Hardest to sell are late model (less than 4 years old) cars that are worth $10K or more. At that price point, a buyer usually needs financing & will go to a dealer to get it. Even so, I'd try craigslist for a week before throwing in the towel.
Another advantage to selling your old car privately is that it simplifies the new car buying process. You can focus on the price of your new car without worrying about the trade-in value of your old car.
We've sold our last 4 cars privately.
You’ll never guess who volunteered to help out with this event. Yeah you’re right, Son #1. He asked me to come over to the cruise tonight and to bring the Genny so it could be parked in the newer cars section. I said, “are you kidding, who cares about that car”? He insisted, so I reluctantly parked it where he pointed out the section for those cars. Boy was I wrong. I parked the car and got out to go look at the real cruise cars there and before I was 10 steps away about 5 people came over and all of them pretty much said the same thing, “I’ve heard about this car and read the reviews but I never saw one in person”. They then asked if I’d mind opening the hood and doors so they could take a closer look. So I did. One brave guy said, “I guess you don’t give test drives do ya”. I said, “no I don’t but if I see some of the other car owners here giving rides I’ll think about it”.
I saw some rare cars, old Porches, Jaguars, Vettes you name it. I even saw a Morgan. I can’t say that I ever saw one of those before. There was a car there that I never heard of before and neither did a few old timers that were also looking at this car. It was a 1964 (I think) Morris Minor 1000. :confuse: Has anyone ever even heard of this car before (before running to Google that is)?
Naturally, my Son kept gravitating to the aisle that had a few 3/4 year old M3’s. One was even for sale and he wanted his wife to take a look at it and she kept saying, “NO, NO, you bought your racing toy last year. Why can’t you wait another year before looking at one of those”? Damn, he must have her trained pretty well if it will only take another year before he can go seriously looking for one. :surprise: I’ll bet he won’t forget what he heard her say tonight.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I'm incredibly blessed in that I was able to jump off the treadmill at 51. The only catch is that I had to agree to work 600 days as needed over the following 10 years. In contrast, my father worked up until one month before his death at the age of 74. I remember how he talked about the trips he wanted to take and the things he wanted to do when he had more time. He could have retired a decade earlier- money wasn't an issue.
In my case, I never hated my job- it was a lot of fun, actually. But it was never my passion- and it never defined who I was. So now I write for a couple of publications, appraise classic cars for several banks, instruct at track events, and volunteer at my church as well as for a few other organizations.
As one of my friends puts it:
"I've never heard anyone on their deathbed say that they wish they'd spent more time at the office."
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
In December 2005 Carmax offered me $5K for my 130K mile 1997 528i. I sold it privately for $10K.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I am somewhat familiar with Morris but not to familiar with the models.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I'll tell you why I do my own oil changes now:
1. The dealers typically use the least skilled shop people to do the service. On rare occasions, when I actually let dealers do my oil changes my engine was overfilled 3 times, wrong weight of oil put in once, drain bolt overtorqued several times because tech didn't replace crushable washer as specified. Had 2 close friends who were sent on their way by the dealer with no oil put back in engine.
2. I'm fussy about the brand of oil I use - not comfortable about oil that comes out of big barrel with no brand name on it.
3. I'm fussy about what brands of oil filters I use as well.
4. I can do my oil changes at my leisure, and, I know my cars are serviced correctly.
5. I store the used oil in 2.5 gallon plastic jugs and take them to Advance Auto when full for recycling.
6. My cars never seem to qualify for oil change specials that are cheap enough to justify using them. One car uses only synthetic oil, the other uses 7 quarts and requires removal of its belly pan to access the bottom of the engine.
7. I enjoy working on my own cars - been doing it since I was 14 years old, Jeez - been doing it for 50 years now.
8. In the event I spill a little oil on the garage floor, cat litter soaks it up pretty good. The cat doesn't seem to mind one bit.
Regards:
OldCEM
Richard
Bless your heart. Hang in there. You'll be fine. Glad to hear that the arts received a mandatory credit for graduation. That's a step in the right direction.
Richard