Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

rny421 · March 2021

Does anyone have an idea how much room there is on a used Audi e-tron? What are they going for at auction? I have trouble stomaching spending $50K on a used car, but that seems to be the price-floor from what I've seen. It's just money, right? Or, maybe I can convince @breld to buy one first, then I'll just wait a few months and buy it off of him...

I drove the Mustang Mach-E today, which was really nice, and I think I'd be happy with it, but I keep thinking about the e-tron.

https://www.audibethesda.com/used/Audi/used/Audi/2019-Audi-e-tron-84717be60a0e0adf3464542791c9a515.htm?utm_source=autotrader.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=autotrader_listings

carnaught · March 2021

Audi e-tron is too pricey for a soon to be 3 yr old car with no tax breaks, IMHO. Nice car though but wrong colors.

rny421 · March 2021

I have learned that I'm the outlier here - I prefer black on back cars

28firefighter · March 2021

I’d try to lease it. Crazy lease deals on etron in certain regions - tons of incentive money.

breld · March 2021

The Etron looks more upscale inside and out than the Ford and Tesla, as it should. But I feel the driving experience leaves something to be desired as an EV. It more or less splits the difference between a Q7 and Q5 in size, so it’s a very functional SUV in its own right.

Personally, I wouldn’t buy a used one. With barely 200 miles of range, I think the resale will continue to fall like a rock. Lease deals seem to be decent and would be the way I’d go. Audi has their own incentives on top of the federal tax incentives.

Michaell · March 2021

breld said:
The Etron looks more upscale inside and out than the Ford and Tesla, as it should. But I feel the driving experience leaves something to be desired as an EV. It more or less splits the difference between a Q7 and Q5 in size, so it’s a very functional SUV in its own right.

Personally, I wouldn’t buy a used one. With barely 200 miles of range, I think the resale will continue to fall like a rock. Lease deals seem to be decent and would be the way I’d go. Audi has their own incentives on top of the federal tax incentives.

Yep - depending on the region and trim level, $11-15K of total incentives on the SUV; but, the MF jumped from .00017 last month to .00074 this month, negating some of that incentive money.

Only $7500 on the Sportback, though.

28firefighter · March 2021

Also, Costco rebates available too.

rny421 · March 2021

Thanks for the heads up. I've never been one to lease, but the cost of the lease (~$600-$650/mo with everything rolled in) is going to be less than the depreciation of a used e-tron over three years.

I put in a request to two brokers, so we'll see where it goes. Two questions for people here that may know:

For the Costco deal: I assume I can't just join Costco today and be eligible for the Audi Costco rebate?

Regarding MSDs: NY doesn't allow them, but can you lease from a dealer in a different state in order to benefit from the MSDs?

Lots of learning to do with leasing...

qbrozen · March 2021

Michaell said:

qbrozen said:

Sandman6472 said:
I like new tech on my phone. And the larger screen on the XR was a welcomed addition. Guess I'm anticipating when 5G will be the norm around the country. And I get a newer phone for a pretty decent price. Guess we all don't mind spending on certain items. One might think having like 6 vehicles for two drivers might seem excessive but I get it, it's a real hobby for ya, and being able to do the majority of the work yourself definitely helps. Think we all have our priorities on how we spend some of our income...you like multiple automobiles while I like the latest Apple iPhone. Different strokes for different folks seems to apply here I'd think.
But having multiple vehicles would be more like having a laptop, desktop, ipad, phone, etc. They are different and can serve different purposes. That’s why I made the Corolla comment. I am wondering what advantages the change has. Would a 2020 X2 be a worthy “upgrade” from my wife’s 2018 X2? Certainly not in my opinion.
At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what the difference are (or aren't). They are big enough for @Sandman6472 to invest in a new phone.

But I’m seriously asking what the differences are.

Michaell · March 2021

rny421 said:
Thanks for the heads up. I've never been one to lease, but the cost of the lease (~$600-$650/mo with everything rolled in) is going to be less than the depreciation of a used e-tron over three years.

I put in a request to two brokers, so we'll see where it goes. Two questions for people here that may know:

For the Costco deal: I assume I can't just join Costco today and be eligible for the Audi Costco rebate?

Regarding MSDs: NY doesn't allow them, but can you lease from a dealer in a different state in order to benefit from the MSDs?

Lots of learning to do with leasing...

I think you had to be part of Costco by 3/1 in order to qualify for that incentive

corvette · March 2021

qbrozen said:

Michaell said:

qbrozen said:

Sandman6472 said:
I like new tech on my phone. And the larger screen on the XR was a welcomed addition. Guess I'm anticipating when 5G will be the norm around the country. And I get a newer phone for a pretty decent price. Guess we all don't mind spending on certain items. One might think having like 6 vehicles for two drivers might seem excessive but I get it, it's a real hobby for ya, and being able to do the majority of the work yourself definitely helps. Think we all have our priorities on how we spend some of our income...you like multiple automobiles while I like the latest Apple iPhone. Different strokes for different folks seems to apply here I'd think.
But having multiple vehicles would be more like having a laptop, desktop, ipad, phone, etc. They are different and can serve different purposes. That’s why I made the Corolla comment. I am wondering what advantages the change has. Would a 2020 X2 be a worthy “upgrade” from my wife’s 2018 X2? Certainly not in my opinion.
At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what the difference are (or aren't). They are big enough for @Sandman6472 to invest in a new phone.
But I’m seriously asking what the differences are.

Looks to be stronger glass in the front for better drop protection and different water resistance ratings, different options for storage capacity, MagSafe (meh), slightly better display, and a decently better camera... I am waiting for the 13 since we are roughly halfway through the model cycle.

nyccarguy · March 2021

I picked up my prelude from it’s emissions test. No surprise, it passed with flying colors. The drive home was exhilarating. Once again just a drive across town, but I love the car so much.

cdnpinhead · March 2021

Michaell said:
At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what the difference are (or aren't). They are big enough for @Sandman6472 to invest in a new phone.

This is precisely why I depend on you lot to continue to drive the economy. Party on!

xwesx · March 2021

nyccarguy said:
I picked up my prelude from it’s emissions test. No surprise, it passed with flying colors. The drive home was exhilarating. Once again just a drive across town, but I love the car so much.

Perhaps not exactly the same driving experience, but I feel exactly the same about all of my old rigs when I pull them out. It is just a ton of fun for me.

tjc78 · March 2021

qbrozen said:
Well, since you brought it up, I have to ask why you’d switch so often? What does the new model offer over your XR? I have an XR now, but I upgraded from a 6+. I keep mine until they really need replacing. Otherwise, it seems like going from a 2018 Corolla to a 2020 Corolla.

In general they get faster, have better cameras, and larger screen in a similar size body.

I had a 7+ for a very long time, finally upgraded to a 12 pro max. The 7+ battery was shot and it was getting a little slow.

I’ll probably not wait that long again.

@Sandman6472
I got the blue as well with a nice Spigen clear case. It looks sharp. The one thing I love about the 12 is they went back to the thicker sides like the old phones.

graphicguy · March 2021

tjc78 said:

qbrozen said:
Well, since you brought it up, I have to ask why you’d switch so often? What does the new model offer over your XR? I have an XR now, but I upgraded from a 6+. I keep mine until they really need replacing. Otherwise, it seems like going from a 2018 Corolla to a 2020 Corolla.
In general they get faster, have better cameras, and larger screen in a similar size body.

I had a 7+ for a very long time, finally upgraded to a 12 pro max. The 7+ battery was shot and it was getting a little slow.

I’ll probably not wait that long again.

@Sandman6472
I got the blue as well with a nice Spigen clear case. It looks sharp. The one thing I love about the 12 is they went back to the thicker sides like the old phones.

I’ve been debating an upgrade, too. I have an iPhone 8. It’s been a great phone. But, have noticed it significantly slowing down and the battery charge not lasting as long. It still works, though.

I can get $200 trade in for it. But, a new iPhone 12 is going to cost me over a grand for what I want. So, figure around $1,000 for a new iPhone 12 when the fees, taxes, etc are figured in.

Hell, I didn’t pay that much for my new dishwasher.

stickguy · March 2021

can you surf the internet on your dishwasher though?

kyfdx · March 2021

graphicguy said:

tjc78 said:

qbrozen said:
Well, since you brought it up, I have to ask why you’d switch so often? What does the new model offer over your XR? I have an XR now, but I upgraded from a 6+. I keep mine until they really need replacing. Otherwise, it seems like going from a 2018 Corolla to a 2020 Corolla.
In general they get faster, have better cameras, and larger screen in a similar size body.

I had a 7+ for a very long time, finally upgraded to a 12 pro max. The 7+ battery was shot and it was getting a little slow.

I’ll probably not wait that long again.

@Sandman6472
I got the blue as well with a nice Spigen clear case. It looks sharp. The one thing I love about the 12 is they went back to the thicker sides like the old phones.
I’ve been debating an upgrade, too. I have an iPhone 8. It’s been a great phone. But, have noticed it significantly slowing down and the battery charge not lasting as long. It still works, though.

I can get $200 trade in for it. But, a new iPhone 12 is going to cost me over a grand for what I want. So, figure around $1,000 for a new iPhone 12 when the fees, taxes, etc are figured in.

Hell, I didn’t pay that much for my new dishwasher.

I "inherited" my son's iPhone 5, when Cincinnati Bell sold their wireless network, and we had to switch to AT&T. That was around 2014? It was already a couple years old. I had a flip phone before that. I didn't upgrade until 2019 (to an iPhone 8). I like it a lot. I'm hoping for three more years (5 total).

My wife also has an 8, which is now 2.5 years old. They have to seriously start screwing up, before we shop for new ones.

graphicguy · March 2021

I keep telling myself that if I’m going back into the transport business, I need a new phone, which I can write off. But, I’ve not been aggressive promoting the biz, again (yet). And, the rational side of me (which seems to always take a back seat with me) says “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. LOL!

qbrozen · March 2021

graphicguy said:

tjc78 said:

qbrozen said:
Well, since you brought it up, I have to ask why you’d switch so often? What does the new model offer over your XR? I have an XR now, but I upgraded from a 6+. I keep mine until they really need replacing. Otherwise, it seems like going from a 2018 Corolla to a 2020 Corolla.
In general they get faster, have better cameras, and larger screen in a similar size body.

I had a 7+ for a very long time, finally upgraded to a 12 pro max. The 7+ battery was shot and it was getting a little slow.

I’ll probably not wait that long again.

@Sandman6472
I got the blue as well with a nice Spigen clear case. It looks sharp. The one thing I love about the 12 is they went back to the thicker sides like the old phones.
I’ve been debating an upgrade, too. I have an iPhone 8. It’s been a great phone. But, have noticed it significantly slowing down and the battery charge not lasting as long. It still works, though.

I can get $200 trade in for it. But, a new iPhone 12 is going to cost me over a grand for what I want. So, figure around $1,000 for a new iPhone 12 when the fees, taxes, etc are figured in.

Hell, I didn’t pay that much for my new dishwasher.

Find a refurbed XR. From what I could find, unless you need to take slightly better resolution selfies and/or can’t live without 5G, the 12 offers no real added benefit.

stickguy · March 2021

we got new phones 15 months ago. I think they were 10s? I tend to forget. The normal size model, not the jumbo screen that is too big to fit in your pocket. Mostly got it because the battery was going. And we felt like it of course! I hope to keep it as long as it works OK and has decent battery life. For the pictures I take the camera is already total overkill.

oldfarmer50 · March 2021

nyccarguy said:
I picked up my prelude from it’s emissions test. No surprise, it passed with flying colors. The drive home was exhilarating. Once again just a drive across town, but I love the car so much.

How much salt is still on the road down there? I was tempted to take one of my summer cars out for a drive this week but then I saw the road salt oozing out of all the cracks. I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the ride if I thought salt was getting kicked up into the nooks and crannies of my car.

Any time I’m tempted I look at this and change my mind.

coldinohio · March 2021

iPhones --uggh; getting very expensive-- although about what my first Motorola brick (1990) cost that barely could make phone calls..

i have 8; wife upgrade to 12 with lots of memory--128?

i13 phone my be completely 'unplugged' with no ports-- that is one of rumors so wireless charging, etc will become necessary if that rumor is correct

stickguy · March 2021

Farmer, that would never pass inspection in VT> Apparently they have very strict rules about rust over there.

oldfarmer50 · March 2021

stickguy said:
we got new phones 15 months ago. I think they were 10s? I tend to forget. The normal size model, not the jumbo screen that is too big to fit in your pocket. Mostly got it because the battery was going. And we felt like it of course! I hope to keep it as long as it works OK and has decent battery life. For the pictures I take the camera is already total overkill.

This is my phone:

Makes calls and texts. No pictures. It can supposedly get on the internet but I never bothered to try that. It’s all I need. $6 a month for minutes that I never use.

We were at lunch the other day and it was funny seeing all these old guys in their 70s tapping at their smart phones like a bunch of teens.

graphicguy · March 2021

coldinohio said:
iPhones --uggh; getting very expensive-- although about what my first Motorola brick (1990) cost that barely could make phone calls..

i have 8; wife upgrade to 12 with lots of memory--128?

i13 phone my be completely 'unplugged' with no ports-- that is one of rumors so wireless charging, etc will become necessary if that rumor is correct

Not seeing the ports being eliminated. Maps and navigation is a big selling point with the iPhone. Not many cars have wireless CarPlay. I think it will be 3 or 4 more generations before the iPhone can go completely “port less”.

tjc78 · March 2021

All the major cell phone players allow you to finance the whole phone at 0%. Frankly free money works for me and $30 extra month for something you use all day every day is worth it to me.

tjc78 · March 2021

My company phone is an 8. Wow going back and forth from that to a 12 max is staggering.

And since we are talking about phones.. the work phone is Verizon and personal AT&T virtually the same service and speed wherever we go

stickguy · March 2021

at one point I had a basic Blackberry for work. Fine for Email, but I was constantly poking the screen before I remembered that it was not a touch screen, and you had to use the tiny little track ball.

We switched from Verizon to Xfinity (Comcast) last year when we got the new phones. They run on the same (VZ) network, so we noticed no difference, but the price dropped significantly.

oldfarmer50 · March 2021

stickguy said:
Farmer, that would never pass inspection in VT> Apparently they have very strict rules about rust over there.

Same with New Hampshire and MA I think. It would never pass inspection. People in those states have developed some interesting hack repairs to get them to pass. Spray in foam and Bondo so you don’t need to weld.

I’m employing some of them to gradually rehabilitate my hooptie. So far my repairs are pretty low class but maybe I’ll get better over time. Really doesn’t matter on an old junker like that. I can afford to be a little sloppy. NY only cares about the frame.

stickguy · March 2021

I decided that next Christmas would be the right time to treat myself to a nicer car. in about 13 months I hit the next big "milestone" birthday so I deserve something for that (assuming of course I make it that far!) Helps that my pension kicks in 1/1 next year, and since I have to keep working anyway, a car seems like a good thing to spend the extra money on.

Also spent a lot of time wasting on YoutTube watching videos from various money professionals ("how much do you need to retire", "tax strategies", "best places to retire", etc.). There might be more of those than dudes in Kansas working on hoopties! So based on all that, I can either retire tomorrow, or have to work until I am 80, depending on the lifestyle I want to live! Right now, we are trying to hold out for 65 to get Medicare at least. Subject to going earlier if one of us really has enough of corporate America. Maybe find an alternative source of income that is more enjoyable, like doing auto transports!

6 years either sounds like hardly any time at all, or an eternity. I just can't decide which...

stickguy · March 2021

not a bad job. You would like this guy. He his a hacker, but knows what the inspection places will approve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btjrV3p-cRY

Michaell · March 2021

Classic car identification help requested

cdnpinhead · March 2021

oldfarmer50 said:

This is my phone:

I still have a nearly identical LG that still would work fine if Verizon hadn't put in a massive new cell tower that only talks to 4G and 5G. 3G got left out in the cold, so I bought a new flip phone that's 4G and cost well under $100. That and my laptop with a 14" screen meet all my needs, and it cost a little over $400. Oh, and I have an old reliable stand-alone digital camera for the three times a year when I need to take pictures.

Different strokes. . .

xwesx · March 2021

stickguy said:
6 years either sounds like hardly any time at all, or an eternity. I just can't decide which...

You're spot on, stick! It's both.

kyfdx · March 2021

I had a Nokia flip phone that I loved. Cracked the screen, and the replacements all sucked. A friend told me to look on Craigslist for used phones. A local pre-paid shop was selling my old Nokia model (used). He guaranteed it would work on my network. "Bring your charger, to make sure it works. $10. I have two of them, if you like them, you should buy both of them".

I sent my son down there with $20 (in 2012), and was very happy. Until we had to switch to AT&T (see above).

Basically, just like that LG, except folding. There are some things that are handy with a smartphone (NAV, Yelp, etc). But, I don't use it for Twitter or FB (iPad at home for that). I don't really need entertainment to kill time on a phone.

xwesx · March 2021

cdnpinhead said:

I still have a nearly identical LG that still would work fine if Verizon hadn't put in a massive new cell tower that only talks to 4G and 5G. 3G got left out in the cold, so I bought a new flip phone that's 4G and cost well under $100. That and my laptop with a 14" screen meet all my needs, and it cost a little over $400. Oh, and I have an old reliable stand-alone digital camera for the three times a year when I need to take pictures.

Different strokes. . .

I signed up as a driver with Lyft a few years ago, but I have never been able to actually accept a rideshare. Apparently, I really do need to have a smartphone for that, because I must be connected 100% of the time or else the system automatically considers me 'out'. I even tried toting my hotspot with me to keep my iPod connected, but it just isn't reliable enough to work properly.

Oh well. One of these days I'm going to scrape that Lyft sticker off my windshield....

rny421 · March 2021

So I received a lease quote on the E-Tron. It comes out to $675/mo with every fee rolled in for 36mo/30k mile (lease broker fee, government fees, 8% taxes, etc.) on a $72K MSRP e-tron, plus MSDs. I don't qualify for the Costco rebates ( @Michaell was correct, you needed to be a member by 3/1).

Off the cuff, it seems like a good deal, as it's below the 1% MSRP rule. If you look on Leasetrader, most of them are $1K+ per month. It could be better if I didn't live in New York, and had Costco, but it is what it is. Decisions, decisions...

ab348 · March 2021

I've had a smartphone since the Blackberry Torch came out in whenever and my work gave me one. It was pretty awful but it sort of worked though nothing with it was easy. Fortunately it broke soon after work decided they could support iPhones, so when that happened I got an iPhone 5 and it was like night and day. But I am semi-allergic to phone tech and find even the Apple products very complex to use. As a result I only take it with me when I go out about half of the time and unless I am in a waiting room looking to kill time, don't use it for much.

corvette · March 2021

tjc78 said:
All the major cell phone players allow you to finance the whole phone at 0%. Frankly free money works for me and $30 extra month for something you use all day every day is worth it to me.

Same--I'm realizing I probably waited too long to upgrade, given how much I use it, but since we're halfway through the model cycle, going to wait until the fall to get an updated model, unless mine catastrophically fails.

oldfarmer50 · March 2021

stickguy said:
I decided that next Christmas would be the right time to treat myself to a nicer car. in about 13 months I hit the next big "milestone" birthday so I deserve something for that (assuming of course I make it that far!) Helps that my pension kicks in 1/1 next year, and since I have to keep working anyway, a car seems like a good thing to spend the extra money on.

Also spent a lot of time wasting on YoutTube watching videos from various money professionals ("how much do you need to retire", "tax strategies", "best places to retire", etc.). There might be more of those than dudes in Kansas working on hoopties! So based on all that, I can either retire tomorrow, or have to work until I am 80, depending on the lifestyle I want to live! Right now, we are trying to hold out for 65 to get Medicare at least. Subject to going earlier if one of us really has enough of corporate America. Maybe find an alternative source of income that is more enjoyable, like doing auto transports!

6 years either sounds like hardly any time at all, or an eternity. I just can't decide which...

I had had enough of my job at 65 so I retired as soon as I qualified for Medicare. If you don’t want to wait that long you could always give financial advice on YouTube, although if those guys were so smart, why would they need to make YouTube videos for a living?

Michaell · March 2021

rny421 said:
So I received a lease quote on the E-Tron. It comes out to $675/mo with every fee rolled in for 36mo/30k mile (lease broker fee, government fees, 8% taxes, etc.) on a $72K MSRP e-tron, plus MSDs. I don't qualify for the Costco rebates ( @Michaell was correct, you needed to be a member by 3/1).

Off the cuff, it seems like a good deal, as it's below the 1% MSRP rule. If you look on Leasetrader, most of them are $1K+ per month. It could be better if I didn't live in New York, and had Costco, but it is what it is. Decisions, decisions...

Yeah, that does look pretty good.

So, only out of pocket is first payment and MSD monies? All other taxes and fees are rolled in?

rny421 · March 2021

Michaell said:

Yeah, that does look pretty good.

So, only out of pocket is first payment and MSD monies? All other taxes and fees are rolled in?

Essentially, yes. When I'm saying $675 per month, I personally added every single fee related to the lease that's charged (inception, disposition, lease broker fee, government fees, taxes, etc.), and divided it by 36 to get the effective monthly cost, not taking into account MSDs.

corvette · March 2021

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:
I decided that next Christmas would be the right time to treat myself to a nicer car. in about 13 months I hit the next big "milestone" birthday so I deserve something for that (assuming of course I make it that far!) Helps that my pension kicks in 1/1 next year, and since I have to keep working anyway, a car seems like a good thing to spend the extra money on.

Also spent a lot of time wasting on YoutTube watching videos from various money professionals ("how much do you need to retire", "tax strategies", "best places to retire", etc.). There might be more of those than dudes in Kansas working on hoopties! So based on all that, I can either retire tomorrow, or have to work until I am 80, depending on the lifestyle I want to live! Right now, we are trying to hold out for 65 to get Medicare at least. Subject to going earlier if one of us really has enough of corporate America. Maybe find an alternative source of income that is more enjoyable, like doing auto transports!

6 years either sounds like hardly any time at all, or an eternity. I just can't decide which...
I had had enough of my job at 65 so I retired as soon as I qualified for Medicare. If you don’t want to wait that long you could always give financial advice on YouTube, although if those guys were so smart, why would they need to make YouTube videos for a living?

The YT thing can be super lucrative, in many cases paying significantly more than the "day jobs" the stars used to have. In the realm of financial advice, it's not uncommon for bloggers to build a following, make a lot of ad revenue and referral money, and then sell their blog to someone else to reap a huge payday.

oldfarmer50 · March 2021

stickguy said:
not a bad job. You would like this guy. He his a hacker, but knows what the inspection places will approve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btjrV3p-cRY

Bondo and paint in sub freezing weather? Very brave.

stickguy · March 2021

you would think that a guy that makes his living working on and flipping hoopties, in Vermont, would at least figure out how to put up a garage at his place to work in. But does not seem that way.

stickguy · March 2021

corvette said:

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:
I decided that next Christmas would be the right time to treat myself to a nicer car. in about 13 months I hit the next big "milestone" birthday so I deserve something for that (assuming of course I make it that far!) Helps that my pension kicks in 1/1 next year, and since I have to keep working anyway, a car seems like a good thing to spend the extra money on.

Also spent a lot of time wasting on YoutTube watching videos from various money professionals ("how much do you need to retire", "tax strategies", "best places to retire", etc.). There might be more of those than dudes in Kansas working on hoopties! So based on all that, I can either retire tomorrow, or have to work until I am 80, depending on the lifestyle I want to live! Right now, we are trying to hold out for 65 to get Medicare at least. Subject to going earlier if one of us really has enough of corporate America. Maybe find an alternative source of income that is more enjoyable, like doing auto transports!

6 years either sounds like hardly any time at all, or an eternity. I just can't decide which...
I had had enough of my job at 65 so I retired as soon as I qualified for Medicare. If you don’t want to wait that long you could always give financial advice on YouTube, although if those guys were so smart, why would they need to make YouTube videos for a living?
The YT thing can be super lucrative, in many cases paying significantly more than the "day jobs" the stars used to have. In the realm of financial advice, it's not uncommon for bloggers to build a following, make a lot of ad revenue and referral money, and then sell their blog to someone else to reap a huge payday.

it can be, if they get enough followers/views to generate ad revenue. Some of the financial guys I watch don't have really large followings, but seem to do a really good job explaining stuff. I am watching more conceptual videos, not anything trying to sell a specific investment (though I am sure they would be perfectly happy to have some 7 figure investors find them online and call up to transfer their money over!)

Lots of good videos on calculating $ needed to for annual payments, stuff like that. And techniques for withdrawals to minimize taxes. Pretty cool stuff.

kyfdx · March 2021

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:
I decided that next Christmas would be the right time to treat myself to a nicer car. in about 13 months I hit the next big "milestone" birthday so I deserve something for that (assuming of course I make it that far!) Helps that my pension kicks in 1/1 next year, and since I have to keep working anyway, a car seems like a good thing to spend the extra money on.

Also spent a lot of time wasting on YoutTube watching videos from various money professionals ("how much do you need to retire", "tax strategies", "best places to retire", etc.). There might be more of those than dudes in Kansas working on hoopties! So based on all that, I can either retire tomorrow, or have to work until I am 80, depending on the lifestyle I want to live! Right now, we are trying to hold out for 65 to get Medicare at least. Subject to going earlier if one of us really has enough of corporate America. Maybe find an alternative source of income that is more enjoyable, like doing auto transports!

6 years either sounds like hardly any time at all, or an eternity. I just can't decide which...
I had had enough of my job at 65 so I retired as soon as I qualified for Medicare. If you don’t want to wait that long you could always give financial advice on YouTube, although if those guys were so smart, why would they need to make YouTube videos for a living?

My company sponsored retiree health insurance premiums are expensive. So, I checked out the public marketplace. Holy cow! I’m going to complain a little less about mine (just a little).

fintail · March 2021

My mom, in her 70s now, has a phone like that, with similar costs. It's all she needs, but she does get aggravated when trying to text with it, vs the ease of texting with a smartphone.

I worked for a telecom company for some time, and got used to updating my phone every year or two (once subsidized by the employer, but that died off no doubt in the name of well-deserved executive bonuses designed to attract and retain "talent"). Lately it takes at least a couple years for a new phone to be a significant upgrade so one doesn't need to upgrade annually, and smartphones are a part of life for millions who use them as a small computer. I have a Note20 Ultra now, which is fantastic in everything save for the camera, which appears to have a few design flaws - I don't think the brainiac engineers who develop this stuff test it in real world situations.

oldfarmer50 said:

This is my phone:

Makes calls and texts. No pictures. It can supposedly get on the internet but I never bothered to try that. It’s all I need. $6 a month for minutes that I never use.

We were at lunch the other day and it was funny seeing all these old guys in their 70s tapping at their smart phones like a bunch of teens.

stickguy · March 2021

I can get retiree medical starting at 60. I actually logged in and priced it this past year. Ouch. I believe it was basically the same coverage that active employees get, just with a much lower subsidy. It was enough to make a noticeable dent in the monthly budget, especially getting it for 2 people.

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

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