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Hey, ours will be kept in a garage. :P
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
*driver, you've been in Florida a long time and have observed what goes on down here in this tropical sauna wasteland. The stories we could tell.
The piece d' resistance is in the early afternoon down here. They all wait for the mail to arrive. It never comes at the same time each day, sometimes an hour earlier and sometimes an hour later. So it would be futile to sit by the mailboxes and wait for the mail, right? WRONG! They have benches and they come out of their sir-conditioned condos and sit in the 95+ degree temperatures waiting for the white and blue mail truck to arrive. Then, it takes the letter carrier at least 40 minutes to place mail in each of the 48 mailboxes. When the letter carrier is finished, 15 or 16 sweaty, wrinkled, hunchbacked retirees, all who reek of the smell of mothballs, rush to unlock their mailboxes. Then they go back to their condo units and calls are made to the rest of the condo owners, "...mail's in..." And then there is a second rush of condo owners approaching their mailboxes with their keys in hand. This is the most active part of the day down here.
I'm going nuts - honest to Betsy nuts.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
One more thing I forgot to mention are the ambulances and sirens. Yep, you heard me right - the second most active part of the day here in PARADISE! Invariably, with almost 4,000 people living in our retirement community, all of whom are 80+ years old (I'm the exception) one or two a day will need a visit from our local EMT's - resuscitation, CPR, strokes, heart attacks, dizzy spells, a fall down the stairs, severe pains in one or more body parts, to name a few. Most will take a ride to one if our many local hospitals.
Once they get to the hospital, if the poor man/woman lived in our building, a condo owner pushing a walker will ring all the doorbells asking for donations to send flowers, etc. I once mentioned that we should start a "sunshine" club and charge all condo owners $10 or $15 a year so it wouldn't be necessary to ring doorbells several times a month. I was almost hung in effigy for that suggestion!
Good grief, I need to get out of Dodge before "sundown" if you know what I mean. This is beginning to get to me, wouldn't you say?
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
2010 Mazda CX-7 - 24K (wife's)
2010 MINI Cooper Hardtop - 14K (daughter's)
2006 Saturn ION - 77K (mine)
The ION is now relegated to the curb - the MINI and the Mazda share the garage.
I can relate. Our place isn't quite like that, but, we have stayed at places that were like that. One of the things I notice is that almost every night on the news there is an old person who drives their car through a store window or up onto the sidewalk and hits people. I try to avoid sitting in a restaurant right in the front window if there is a parking lot there.
The restaurants are packed at 5 and are empty by 7. All events, plays, dances, entertainment, parties, start at 6:30 or 7 and are finished by 8.
Yes, it is a different world. I think the ideal way to live for an American citizen is to have a place in New England from April to mid October, and Florida the other time. And it is surprising how little space you need when you are away, the Florida place is almost half the size, but has everything you need......and since you are out and about each day it doesn't seem like is lacking.
Florida has advantages and disadvantages, and certainly its idiosychrocies (we'll see if spellcheck works).
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Evidently not. It's "idiosyncrasies".
I've been reading the posts, but not posting. I didn't have anything to add to oil changes, tire alignment, or reading car manuals. I did notice that you took a beating on all three topics. Still, you're our Energizer Bunny; you just keep on going.
Richard
Natural gas has promise, but the current administration doesn't seem to like that either. It has to be wind or solar and nothing else will do...and right now those two are just too expensive. If this keeps up we will all be driving tin cans and heating our homes by burning our furniture...third world style.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
2007 Lexus LX 470
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
I could do better on my own than using spellcheck...I would have looked the word up if I hadn't relied on it. Hope my oil light monitoring system works better than the SC system.
oil changes, tire alignment, or reading car manuals. I did notice that you took a beating on all three topics
You always have to look at it as the glass is half full. It could have been worse. I may have found 3 more topics to discuss.
I was going to make a comment on those Chick-Fil-A posts, but decided not to stir the pot on a political/social issue.
We won't be upset if you are the only one who doesn't like Chic-Fil-A.
btw, where's your list of cars? I can do it for you if you wish, 2010 Cadillac SRX and 2008? Sebring convertible.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
That's what my in-laws have done for 20+ years now. It works for them.
But I have no intention of retiring to Florida in 20 or so years. I'd go nuts if the highlight of my day was waiting for the mail. I plan to continue hiking, skiing, biking as long as I can someplace where there are good restaurants, some culture and a good university nearby so I can take some classes. It'll probably be someplace where it actually snows - I can't stand heat and humidity.
I've given thought of staying here in Boston in the winter and maybe Montreal in the summer.
I would too but not because it sat in the sun. I'd be more worried what months of inaction would do to hoses, belts and seals etc. On the positive side you could assume that owner's of such a car were older snow birds and less likely to be burning rubber through Tampa on their way to the 4 o'clock dinner special.
Here's one that looks nice even though my ideal car would have fewer miles.
http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/cto/3285337204.html
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
The first time we used the condo in Largo (55+) I wondered the same thing as I watched an over 80 husband load his over 80 wife into their car like a sack of potatoes. I also wondered if we could tolerate the nit-picking condo rules enforced by folks who had nothing better to do. Later when I kept hearing news reports about some of the crazy stuff that goes on in non-age restricted condos I didn't feel so bad.
I guess you have to decide which is worse, the sounds of the ambulance and busy body neighbors or the sounds of police cars and the tweaker upstairs who only stops beating his girlfriend long enough to rev his motorcycle in his living room. :surprise: ">
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
As you get older you would be surprised how attractive that becomes, especially when there are dividend checks involved.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
though maybe I could slide her into that one?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I would have said exactly the same things you did, 10 or 20 years ago. As you get older that sun feels very nice in the winter. Also, if you slip or fall a few times in ice you like not having to worry about broken bones. It is nice to be able to go on walks and get exercise without putting on heavy coats all the time. And, most days in the winter you can't stay outside for very often.
Heat and humidity isn't a big problem Nov to Mar in Florida. It makes you feel better seeing sunlight and bright blue water during the dull winter.
I am not at the waiting for the mail stage yet, but it is amazing how we change in what we want as we get older. If only I could be 35 again, but know, what I know now.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I always liked those Dodges....and that one looks like it is mint, even the roof.
For that price it seems to be a steal. You could even take it for Cruise Nights.
I wonder if the roof works?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
*oldfarmer, you have to admit that not having to deal with snow, cold, ice, chills, etc., has its advantages. I still remember winters in the Chicago suburbs where the temperature would drop to 24 degrees "below" zero, and the wind would howl in from the northwest at 20 miles an hour, making the windchill factor 50 degrees below zereo. I had a home in the suburbs, well built (it was custom built from the ground up for $85,000 in 1978) and of course you had to have a humidifier attached to the furnace becasue of the dry air. One night, when the windchill was 50 below and the temperature outside was 25 below, as the wind hit the house from the northwest, ice started to form on the interior walls near the skylight. That, my friend, is COLD!!!
Yes, there are positives and negatives no matter where you live, but here in Shangra La (as the locals call south Florida), it beats heavy coats and ice scrapers.
But when the temperature drops to the high 60's some days down here, you should see what they dress in:
Babooshkas
Wool Scarves
Ski Parkas
Boots
Woolen Socks
Ski Masks
That's right, high 60's and the natives here dress like there was a blizzard outside. Something to do with their "blood thinning" as one neighbor once told me. Heck, hi 60's and I can finally open by moon roof in the car without worrying about "baking".
There is something eerie about moving to south Florida when you retire. I once asked someone in Pennsylvania (when I lived there) why they were retiring to Florida - his response was, "...so I can have a place to die!" How gruesome. I live here because I have to. Once Dad passes on, I'm outta here - but the way things are going with me, he probably will outlive me.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
I have never seen a dividend check. I guess I'll be excited to log onto my brokerage account and seeing it electronically deposited. Oh wait, maybe I'll switch to getting a check because I'll bet the second most exciting part of the day is going to the bank to deposit that check.
Everything you say is true but it's my hope that I can maintain my lifestyle for as long as I can.
The thing about Florida is that it seems that the vast majority of the population is either retirees waiting for the end of their lives or the bottom tier of the human ecosystem that figured if life was going to suck, they might as well be warm.
The Lexus SC430 debuted somewhere in the early 2003's I believe. There was a lot of hype about it's debut and we started taking orders for them about 8 months before the finally arrived. The order was merely for exterior/interior color, nothing else, because all the cars came in with the exact same equipment - Mark Levinson Audio, runflat tires, light maple or dark walnut wood trim depending upon the interior leather color selected, etc. So there was really not much in the way of options on the coupe (you could order one without run flats and have a blow-up spare in the trunk, but that took away from whatever little trunk space there was back there becasue of the folding hard-top), so we never ordered them that way.
The customer who placed the order did not have to provide a deposit because if they opted out of the deal, we'd have no trouble selling that car to someone else. The customer also knew that the car would be sold at MSRP + Dealer Fees, no exceptions.
One of my first orders for the car was bright red with saddle leather interior. When these cars hit the port of entry (Jacksonville), we would contact the customer and finalize the deal as we were able to get the VIN from the port. If the customer no longer wanted the car, I could contact another customer on the list who ordered something similar and offer the car to him/her.
We went through some heavy training on how to present the car and go over it with the customer. The major concern was making sure there was nothing (or almost nothing) in the trunk and that the toneau cover was pulled forward and locked so the top could be put down. I finalized the paperwork for the red/saddle car and then asked the customer for his check. I told him the total would be $69,550.00, as best I can remember. He had no trade. The customer placed his briefcase on my desk, opened it, and started placing $10,000 stacks of hundred dollar bills on my desk. When he got to 6 of them, he opened another and counted out $9,600 and told me to keep the change.
As most of you know, whenever we took in over $9,999 in cash for a car, a special IRS form had to be completed without the customer knowing and filed with the IRS within a few days of the transaction. So I calmly unwrapped the billed and recounted them to make sure it was all there and I took the cash to the cashier who completed the IRS form and had me sign it. I got the receipts from the cashier and gave one to the customer and one always went with the deal upstairs to accounting.
I then went over the manuals and accompanying books with the gentleman. I asked if he had any questions, to which he responded "no" and we then went out to the car. I first showed him how to work the controls, radio, Navigation, CD player, AC, etc. The last thing I did was to show him how to open and close the convertible hard-top. I showed he three times to make sure he understood the limitations, especially making sure there was nothing in the trunk when he was going to put the top down. If the top was to remain up, you can place items in the trunk, but not if you were going to put the top down. I demonstrated the toneau cover and how to snap it in to release the trip so the switch in the car could lower and raise the top.
I asked again if he had any questions, and he responded "no", so I wished him good luck with his car. He drove off with the top up and waved to me - smiling from ear to ear, of course.
About 15 minutes later, the customer came running into the showroom, all upset, shouting that I had ruined his car. The manager and I immediately followed him outside and he showed us that he tried to lower the trunk with a piece of luggage sticking up through the toneau cover, and of course the entire top was bent, out of alignment, and when we tried to put the top us, it was crooked, etc. The damage he had done to his car was estimated to be around $10,000. The manager asked him if I had instructed him how to lower the hard top and if I had warned him about no having anything in the trunk since this would cause tremendous damage to the top. He responded "yes" but added that he had placed the piece of luggage "under" the toneau cover, thinking as long as it fit under it, it was OK.
To make a long story longer, he demanded his money back. The manager told him that the damage he did to his car was his own fault, not the dealer's fault or the salesman's fault, and that it was his car since he had driven it off the lot (something we learn quickly because the car must be driven off the lot by the customer to show that he had taken ownership). The customer was not very happy and threatened the manager, saying, "...this isn't the last youi are going to hear from me or my organization about this!..." He drove off with his bent car.
I mentioned to the manager that the customer had paid for his car with brand new 100 bills - that I filed the IRS form, and had a receipt. The manager literally turned BLUE AND RED at the same time. He said, "..you mean to tell me that he paid for the whole car in cash?" I reiterated that he had. He then told me that it was obvious this guy was involved in something illegal, probably drugs, and that I had to document, in writing, how the customer had threatened him, etc.
Luckily, we never heard from that customer again, but I can tell you one thing, the manager was so shook over the threat that he quit the following week, and no one ever knew why he had quit. But I knew - boy did I know!!!!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
No, it's third most exciting thing to do each day, and Mondays are the days that retirees seem to love to go to their banks - don't ask me why, it just is!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
I thought it was called, "God's little waiting room".
Once I was at the grocery store and the temperature was 68. People were complaining about the cold weather. I thought it was beautiful and much better than the 20F back home.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Not much fun standing around the mail box waiting for a dividend check, if you are having it automatically deposited into your account.
On second thought, you would probably fit in perfectly with the Floridians.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
That was funny and probably a lot of truth in that statement.
There is another group of people who go to Florida and they are very active and like to watch their health. A large percentage of people golf (not sure how much exercise that is but it beats sitting in a rocking chair (what happened to those) and watching TV all day.
The guys I play tennis with 3X a week for 2 hours at a time are running around and seem to be in good shape, most are in 50s to low 80s.
Also, swimming is usually pretty easy to find.
People go on long walks and some run. In most areas there are lectures and things to keep your mind active too, which is just as important.
I think you are more likely to exercise and do more outdoors in Florida, after 60, then you would in a Northern state.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Good story! I had no idea you would report a cash sale to IRS, though it makes sense. They can catch people in ways you can't imagine.
I once saw them come down on a Pizza place. The guy would sell a pizza and of course not ring it in....easy. Well, they caught the guy because they followed another trail, how many boxes he was going through in a week.
They caught a guy with a laundromat. You would think it would be easy to take some money out of the coin machines each time you empty them, and just not report it. Well, they could tell from the owners water bill how many customers were really there, and how much money he was making.
Best not to fool around with IRS, they have all the cards in their favor.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
coal battle article
Many of the arguments in the article are ones I've made for years. We can cleanly process and use dirty energy here, where we can control the amount and type of pollution released, or send it overseas and allow countries to release pollution untethered.
We've been closing fuel refineries for years, and are now receiving liquid fuels from overseas using refineries that pollute far more than the refineries closed within our borders. The newest US refinery was constructed in the 1970s thanks to strong environmental opposition while other countries build to fill the void. Fewer US jobs, more world pollution, more energy consumed in transportation. How do we or Earth win?
Don't feel bad, my taste in cars is the ultimate in contrarian thinking. Having been poor for a good portion of my life has required me to indulge my car fantasies on the cheap with cars that most people wouldn't give a second look.
In part that's the attraction, to get a car that I personally like at a bargain price because I'm not competing with a fan base.
That old Lebaron is a style that has always looked attractive to me. I have no illusions about it being anything more.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
When my wife started collecting social security she was upset because of the direct deposit requirement. Us old folks like to feel the money in our hands or it doesn't seem "real". I'm the same way. I have the DD option at work but I prefer to cash my check myself so that I can hold it however briefly before I have to give it all to my wife.
I can remember as a kid laughing at people who had lived through the depression not trusting banks and keeping all their money in the mattress.
Some day your kids will laugh at you for resisting your paycheck being deposited electronically directly into your brain.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Oh, I have. When we were down there for Chrstmas week in 2009 there was a record cold snap. I think it got down to 50 one night. You could almost hear the howls of anguish coming through the condo walls. When we went out for a walk early next morning you can imagine the first thing the locals wanted to talk about.
If it gets up to 50 in December in upstate NY we go swimming.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I was thinking the same thing about them measuring water consumption and electricity and simply doing the math.
It would be easy to hide SOME money but in this guy's case he was reporting less than half his actual profits and apparantly he had been getting away with this for a long time.
Great story Mike.
I would think comprehensive insurance may pay for such a mistake.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
Same as your government, our government is desparate for cash. They found a new one that they think will make them hundreds of millions.
They experimented with 3 restaurants in a medium size town. They found waiters and waitresses who claimed much less for tips than what the tips really were. It was very easy to do, they knew the amount the restaurant was bringing in a year. They found the amount claimed for tips was much less than it should have been. Waiters will have to pay $10000s of dollars, don't forget they can go back for years. This was just a small test, but when they start doing this all over it will bring in 100s of millions.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Don't know if they had a sensor then, but my 2008 BMW 328 had a sensor. If anything at all was in the way the roof would stop at that point.
There is nothing as nice as driving a convertible under ideal conditions. I can't say I miss it though, there are so few times when it is practical to have the roof down, the other times, the advantages don't outweigh the disadvantages for me. Hard to get in backseat, backseat passengers hate having roof down, car isn't as sturdy, lack of trunk space, and almost impossible to get AWD in a vert.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
When you pulled the toneau cover back over the trunk and locked it in place, that disengaged the safety to that the top could be lowered. What he did was put a piece of luggage in the trunk, then stretched the toneau cover over the luggage (like he was told not to do and shown 3 times) thus allowing the top to come down, but crush into the luggage. All the struts were bent as well. Given the fact that he paid cash for the car, I don't think a guy like this is going to tell anyone about it - do you?
With all the drug money that used to (and still does) sift through the south Florida area, I'm sure the $69K + was not a problem for him to come up with again.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
What? And the waitresses don't have to pay anything? That sounds like gender bias to me! Someone should be fined! :mad:
Down here the Feds get money with held based on an assumed 8% average tip. If a bunch of Edmunds grinders stiff the poor wait staff they have to prove they made less.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
8% tip!!!!!!!!!!
I thought tips were in the 15 to 20% range these days!
Actually, some of the waiters (and waitresses) are told by management to claim 10% of the bill to stay out of trouble. Seems the government knows tips are more than that, and that extra amount is what is going to add up to big bucks.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Ah, Christmas, Easter and Spring Break - the busiest times of the year down here in PARADISE/SHANGRA LA! That's when all the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren fly down here in "droves" to stay with their elderly parents/grandparents/great grandparents. Those are the times of the year when these rental companies pull up with trucks to unload cots, beds, cribs, etc., so these loving children and such can have something to sleep on when they are here.
They have no idea how their visits are both loved and loathed at the same time. Loved because these aging retirees get the one chance a year to see their families, loathed because it truly upsets their entire lives for a week or two.
Think about it! Babies crying, teenagers playing basketball and tennis until all hours of the night, not to mention when they get together for parties here on the property and make so much noise, it wakes the dead. And then these poor old people have to babysit these crying infants while the parents go out on the town for dinner, movies, shows, drinking, and the like.
Another problem is their sleeping and eating habits. These residents are used to getting up before dawn to have their breakfasts and take their walks on the paths throughout the community. But with these visitors who sleep until 10:00 AM and don't go to bed until midnight or later, it sets these people's "life clocks" into all kinds of havoc. I usually stay up to watch Leno or Letterman, or some movie, but I can tell you I'm the only one with a light on in our entire condo building. These people go to sleep at 8:00 or 9:00 PM. My Dad is in bed and asleep by 8:30 PM.
I loved *driver's comments about activities. By 8:00 or 9:00 PM, everyone is asleep.
If you want to go out for dinner to a nice restaurant, or even a not so nice restaurant, you want to avoid going between 4:30 and 6:00 PM. Remember, the Early Bird menus attract these people like bees to honey.
If you happen to be in a restaurant at 5:30, especially Italian restaurants, they serve these delicious garlic rolls - all you want, with dinner. So, they fill up on the garlic rolls and then order more and put them into napkins and right into their purses to take them home for a snack later on or to serve with dinner the next night. And then, those "doggie bags". An older person cannot eat everything that is served with the dinner - soup, salad, garlic rolls, main course, then dessert. So everyone take home a "doggie bag" and they have it for dinner the following night. It's like a minagerie down here.
I know you all must think that I am exaggerating a little with each of these posts! Well the truth is, "...I'M NOT EXAGGERATING - I'M ACTUALLY WITHOLDING EVEN WORSE SPECIFICS!
So you see, Paradise is actually a little bit of heaven, but a whole lot of HELL!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Some restaurants offered deals such as buy one meal and one meal is free.
Well, my representive told me that most of the restaurants had dropped out.
It seems the discount seekers always drank water and were very poor tippers.
One waitperson was asked for extra lemon wedges by one of these people. She caught the customer making his own lemonade using water, the lemons and half the sugar in the container!
In some cultures, spending as little money as possible is a way of life!
When you posted that "making lemonade at the table" situation, I broke out laughing! I've not only seen that at restaurants down here, I caught my own father doing that once! I told him right then and there, in front of the waiter, that if he ever did that again, I would not go out with him to a restaurant again!
It has nothing to do with culture, but everything to do with BEING CHEAP! These people have lots of money, but they are so cheap they won't spend $2.00 on a Coke, Pepsi or iced tea. It's disgusting to see that in a restaurant. Since I warned my Dad about never doing that again, it has stopped.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Hey, I know a guy doing just that (not me, but somebody I know well and go lunch sometimes)! I myself also squeeze the lemon (usually don't buy a drink, sometimes do) into the water, but don't add sugar and don't ask for extra wedges (unless getting more water).
I like saving money, I sometimes let my decisions sway if I see a clear monetary benefit, even if I can afford the regular price. I also tip average (not poorly, but not great either - I see no reason to throw money at people just because they smiled and work hard - I do, too). I also go for buy one get one deal in a restaurant, when it drops a coupon in our break room. Hope it doesn't make a bad person in your book. :P
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
I have noticed that some people who are cheap on the little things that don't really matter, will turn around and waste much more money on the big things that do matter.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
There is a huge difference between being careful and/or judicious with how you spend your money and being just plain cheap!
A person who is cheap or "chintzy" with a dollar is usually someone who "has" money but refuses to part with it. As an example, a cheap person will work hard at looking for reasons not to spend a dime while a careful person will think twice as to whether or not it's worth a dime and then decide. A cheap person looks for ways not to spend money when confronted with "...do I ask for lemon wedges to make lemonade or do I buy an iced tea? The careful person would never consider the lemon wedges to avoid paying for an iced tea - he would buy the iced tea and spend a buck or two or he won't buy the iced tea.
Do you see the difference?
A cheap person would rather put regular gas in his new car rather than premium, which it requires while a careful person would look for the station that sells premium for the lowest price.
A cheap person buys birthday cards only at the flea market for a buck each and if he runs out if cards, rather than spend $3.50 for a card would give no card while the careful person would buy a less expensive card by going out looking at Walmart or Target.
A cheap person would leave a $2.00 tip under the dinner plate for a $50.00 meal with his family while the careful person would leave 15% as a tip.
I hope you see what I am trying to convey.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
I agree totally with that statement, *houdini. My father is like that. One of the men he used to play golf with invited all the members of his foursome to brunch last week. My father asked me, "...should I get him a birthday card?" I said of course! So, we were in Walmart the day before and we were looking at cards. Most we're between $2.50 and $3.50. He said he isn't going to spend that kind of money on a birthday card for his old golfing buddy. I said, "..WHAT? You must be joking? He said no, he isn't going to spend $2.50 on a birthday card. A lady overheard him and said they have .50 cent cards over at Target. He made me drive to Target, buy a .50 cent card, and then I drove him home. He didn't care that it cost me $3.00 in gas to go to Target and back. Then he gets on the phone and calls the other guys who were invited an told them they owed him .10 each as he had bought a birthday card at Target for the man whose birthday it was. THAT IS BEING CHEAP! But then he thinks nothing about giving me $5000 toward the new Mercedes.
When he opens his wallet for non-family members, you can see the moths fly out. But for his family - anything!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
2018 430i Gran Coupe
It certainly wasn't necessary, but I thought a few extra bucks was a nice gesture.
I frequent a Cruise forum quite frequently as well. I can't believe the conversations that start about tipping and how flat out cheap people can be.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
Being frugal is perfectly fine! Being careful with a buck is perfectly fine! Looking for excuses or ways to avoid spending any money when you have money is being cheap!
One thing most of you guys know about me is that I am certainly not cheap, frugal or careful with a buck. When it comes to new cars, the opposite is true. Even when it comes to giving strangers at the traffic lights a few bucks I'm game (you know - the ones who hold up signs that they are hungry or need work).
I always think things out before spending the money, but then I spend it anyway. I am an overly generous person - almost to a fault. I don't leave tips based on a % of the bill, I just give big tips if the service was excellent and have even stiffed a waiter if the service was bad. But frugal is not a word most people who know me would use to describe me. Unfortunately! If I was more frugal over the past 20 years, I'd be a multimillionaire today.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger