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cvmom
ParticipantAmVets has the best stuff, in my experience.
ParticipantYeah but there is no feeling of freedom like being 100% debt free and having an F-U stash… Every day I go to work, I know I could quit if I want to. LOVE that feeling. Who knows what will happen (parents on East Coast get sick, kid needs major support time, etc.) Any of us could have some major bad news tomorrow.
So I vote for paying off all debt as soon as you can. But I think it is a very personal decision, depends on what you value.
ParticipantMy sibling living in rural US has bought 20-ish super-cheap rental properties. Therefore, with depreciation, has approximately zero taxable income. Lives in 4000+ sq ft mansion with mountain views. Drives nice car, etc. Only one parent working. While their kids qualify for free lunch, scholarships, etc.
I on the other hand live in SD in two-income household. Work like crazy in order to live in our 1300 sq ft. Kids will not qualify for Questbridge (scholarship program for Ivies)…but at least we can sleep at night.
Paying our fair share of taxes feels like the right thing to do. And after living in Europe, having less than 30% effective federal+state tax rate feels downright luxurious. There we paid nearly 50% (of course health care was included.)
Participant[quote=scaredyclassic]i’d rather ahve an extra few hundred bucks at the end of the weekend…than sleep ina nice hotel…it’s called a “youth” hostel but there’s not technically a n age limit. it’s for all those youthful in spirit and cheap in pocketbook…[/quote]
+1
ParticipantREI changed their return policy too, I think is now “only” a year, used to be unlimited.
ParticipantFriends of mine go to Riverview Elementary in Lakeside and are very happy. It is a relatively new school, you choose either Spanish or Chinese immersion, I think. Amazing how fluent their kids are. I really think learning multiple languages when kids are young helps their brain development a lot.
December 17, 2013 at 11:18 AM in reply to: So what would you do with someone that keeps taking your newspaper? #769179Participant[quote=flu][quote=6packscaredy]Need more info.
Could be a hate crime.
Could be desperate cost saving measure.
I love the wall St journal but am too cheap to buy it. But I wouldn’t steal yrs. Maybe u could save old copies for me?Or give him a months worth in a big box kind of crumply?[/quote]
Well, technically, I don’t pay. I just use about to be expiring miles on some of airlines that I rarely fly anymore to get 6 months of subscription, and do it over and over again…[/quote]
Too funny. That is exactly what I do…
Participant[quote=6packscaredy]at a certain wealth level, philanthropy looks less like generosity and more like well, Im not sure…something else…. at least to me…[/quote]
Well, I’d sure rather some potentially fake generosity than some absolutely honest selfishness…
Participant[quote=6packscaredy] I owe it all to the book we read in 2001 when we had 20,000 in credit card debt, and 35,000 in total income, and kids…. THE TIGHTWAD GAZETTE[/quote]
Not spending too much on stupid stuff really pays off, doesn’t it. We are so happy with our paid-off house and healthy bank balance. Now we have to get up the nerve to quit working for the man…have done 8-5 job plus family stuff so long, that I am not sure what else I want to do in life. Continuing to work when we don’t really need to seems stupid, though. I read http://www.mrmoneymustache.com religiously, he preaches early retirement, but now that we can, I am finding it surprisingly difficult to make the leap…
ParticipantMy kid just got his permit and did the first lesson with Allstate driving school in SD. I chose them because they were cheapest that I found in a very cursory internet search…great criteria, huh. The lady who showed up this weekend though was very patient and seemed to do a great job with my somewhat recalcitrant teenager.
ParticipantA friend’s son just went to Ghana for volunteer work for the summer. Came back and said everyone there is amazingly fit compared to us. He felt like anyone (including the ladies) could squish him like a fly if they felt like it. Constant manual work, for instance pounding gourds for hours to get them tender enough to eat. That is how we evolved and what our bodies are meant to do.
ParticipantOne data point: My family (2 adults, 2 kids) lives in 1300 sq ft, 3BR 2BA. Each kid has their own room. We do miss having a guest room, but that is an issue only 1% of the time. The rest of the time it really works for us. We downsized from 3100 sq ft, and feel that we are much closer as a family as a result. And we love all of the European travel, fancy kid camps, etc. that we can afford because we live so modestly.
ParticipantIn our house sale in CV a couple of years ago, we did have one all-cash offer from someone from China. Just a data point.
I agree with njtosd that CV is a great place to raise kids and the schools (middle and high at least) are excellent if you are looking for academic rigor.
June 11, 2013 at 11:42 AM in reply to: Calif. utility to retire troubled San Onofre nuclear power plant #762634Participant[quote=no_such_reality]cvmon, why didn’t you get the electric car plan and separate meter? I thought those were like 12 cents/KWH.[/quote]
Hubby did the negotiations, talked to like 6 vendors and went through every possible aspect, ended up with one meter, that is all I know. 🙂 But PM me if you really need more details and I will find out for you.
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