[UCGal]

[quote=davelj]I lived in DC and Chicago for a total of about five years and didn’t have a car. I just rented one when I needed one and otherwise used cabs, the El and the Metro. It was great. Can’t do that here, however.[/quote]

Depends on where you live. If you live and work in Downtown you could probably get by with a carshare set up. Same if you live in UTC and work at UCSD – you could take the shuttle bus for the daily commute. I have a friend who lives in Encinitas and commuted to Sorrento valley by coaster, daily.

http://www.zipcar.com/sandiego/find-cars

I will agree that the infrastructure of public transit is much better back east. I lived outside of Philly but was on the R-1/3/5 lines. It was great, I could take the train to downtown or even the airport. (No long term parking on vacations!) I had neighbors that had big families with one car. The parents commuted by train to work. (And location near the train line added value to my resale.)

But, San Diego public transit stinks for the most part.

[UCGal]

[quote=davelj]I lived in DC and Chicago for a total of about five years and didn’t have a car. I just rented one when I needed one and otherwise used cabs, the El and the Metro. It was great. Can’t do that here, however.[/quote]

Depends on where you live. If you live and work in Downtown you could probably get by with a carshare set up. Same if you live in UTC and work at UCSD – you could take the shuttle bus for the daily commute. I have a friend who lives in Encinitas and commuted to Sorrento valley by coaster, daily.

http://www.zipcar.com/sandiego/find-cars

I will agree that the infrastructure of public transit is much better back east. I lived outside of Philly but was on the R-1/3/5 lines. It was great, I could take the train to downtown or even the airport. (No long term parking on vacations!) I had neighbors that had big families with one car. The parents commuted by train to work. (And location near the train line added value to my resale.)

But, San Diego public transit stinks for the most part.

[UCGal]

[quote=davelj]I lived in DC and Chicago for a total of about five years and didn’t have a car. I just rented one when I needed one and otherwise used cabs, the El and the Metro. It was great. Can’t do that here, however.[/quote]

Depends on where you live. If you live and work in Downtown you could probably get by with a carshare set up. Same if you live in UTC and work at UCSD – you could take the shuttle bus for the daily commute. I have a friend who lives in Encinitas and commuted to Sorrento valley by coaster, daily.

http://www.zipcar.com/sandiego/find-cars

I will agree that the infrastructure of public transit is much better back east. I lived outside of Philly but was on the R-1/3/5 lines. It was great, I could take the train to downtown or even the airport. (No long term parking on vacations!) I had neighbors that had big families with one car. The parents commuted by train to work. (And location near the train line added value to my resale.)

But, San Diego public transit stinks for the most part.

[UCGal]

For people that like to change out new cars every few years AND don’t put a lot of miles on their cars – leasing a car *can* be cheaper than buying. But if you plan to hold on for the long haul – buying makes more sense.

The same can be true in housing. If you think you might be relocating within 5 years, buying may not pencil out because of the costs of transactions. But if you plan to live in the house long term, and pay it off, then it makes sense to buy.

I have friends who live back east in big cities. (Philly and NYC). They do car shares because the cost of owning the car is too high – parking being a big factor. For the 2-3 times a week they need a car, they use the carshare. They all take public transit to work or work from home.

[UCGal]

For people that like to change out new cars every few years AND don’t put a lot of miles on their cars – leasing a car *can* be cheaper than buying. But if you plan to hold on for the long haul – buying makes more sense.

The same can be true in housing. If you think you might be relocating within 5 years, buying may not pencil out because of the costs of transactions. But if you plan to live in the house long term, and pay it off, then it makes sense to buy.

I have friends who live back east in big cities. (Philly and NYC). They do car shares because the cost of owning the car is too high – parking being a big factor. For the 2-3 times a week they need a car, they use the carshare. They all take public transit to work or work from home.

[UCGal]

For people that like to change out new cars every few years AND don’t put a lot of miles on their cars – leasing a car *can* be cheaper than buying. But if you plan to hold on for the long haul – buying makes more sense.

The same can be true in housing. If you think you might be relocating within 5 years, buying may not pencil out because of the costs of transactions. But if you plan to live in the house long term, and pay it off, then it makes sense to buy.

I have friends who live back east in big cities. (Philly and NYC). They do car shares because the cost of owning the car is too high – parking being a big factor. For the 2-3 times a week they need a car, they use the carshare. They all take public transit to work or work from home.

[UCGal]

For people that like to change out new cars every few years AND don’t put a lot of miles on their cars – leasing a car *can* be cheaper than buying. But if you plan to hold on for the long haul – buying makes more sense.

The same can be true in housing. If you think you might be relocating within 5 years, buying may not pencil out because of the costs of transactions. But if you plan to live in the house long term, and pay it off, then it makes sense to buy.

I have friends who live back east in big cities. (Philly and NYC). They do car shares because the cost of owning the car is too high – parking being a big factor. For the 2-3 times a week they need a car, they use the carshare. They all take public transit to work or work from home.

[UCGal]

For people that like to change out new cars every few years AND don’t put a lot of miles on their cars – leasing a car *can* be cheaper than buying. But if you plan to hold on for the long haul – buying makes more sense.

The same can be true in housing. If you think you might be relocating within 5 years, buying may not pencil out because of the costs of transactions. But if you plan to live in the house long term, and pay it off, then it makes sense to buy.

I have friends who live back east in big cities. (Philly and NYC). They do car shares because the cost of owning the car is too high – parking being a big factor. For the 2-3 times a week they need a car, they use the carshare. They all take public transit to work or work from home.

[UCGal]

[quote=ocrenter]cable and satellite services are a huge scam. you can now get crystal clear HDTV right off your antenna. yet with all of these services, you got to pay extra for the HD.

as for just TV habits in general. is there REALLY a need for 200 channels into each household? I find myself barely getting in 30min to an hour of TV if at that. [/quote]
I avoid commercials, I time shift with Tivo. But I can afford my tivo bill.

Time Warner advertises that they don’t charge extra for HD. But they charge so much in the first place that they don’t need to.

And heaven help you if you want to use a Tivo box and cable cards to get your HD – half of their HD channels are switched digital – which you can’t get with a cable card – only one of their crappy boxes.

[UCGal]

[quote=ocrenter]cable and satellite services are a huge scam. you can now get crystal clear HDTV right off your antenna. yet with all of these services, you got to pay extra for the HD.

as for just TV habits in general. is there REALLY a need for 200 channels into each household? I find myself barely getting in 30min to an hour of TV if at that. [/quote]
I avoid commercials, I time shift with Tivo. But I can afford my tivo bill.

Time Warner advertises that they don’t charge extra for HD. But they charge so much in the first place that they don’t need to.

And heaven help you if you want to use a Tivo box and cable cards to get your HD – half of their HD channels are switched digital – which you can’t get with a cable card – only one of their crappy boxes.

[UCGal]

[quote=ocrenter]cable and satellite services are a huge scam. you can now get crystal clear HDTV right off your antenna. yet with all of these services, you got to pay extra for the HD.

as for just TV habits in general. is there REALLY a need for 200 channels into each household? I find myself barely getting in 30min to an hour of TV if at that. [/quote]
I avoid commercials, I time shift with Tivo. But I can afford my tivo bill.

Time Warner advertises that they don’t charge extra for HD. But they charge so much in the first place that they don’t need to.

And heaven help you if you want to use a Tivo box and cable cards to get your HD – half of their HD channels are switched digital – which you can’t get with a cable card – only one of their crappy boxes.

[UCGal]

[quote=ocrenter]cable and satellite services are a huge scam. you can now get crystal clear HDTV right off your antenna. yet with all of these services, you got to pay extra for the HD.

as for just TV habits in general. is there REALLY a need for 200 channels into each household? I find myself barely getting in 30min to an hour of TV if at that. [/quote]
I avoid commercials, I time shift with Tivo. But I can afford my tivo bill.

Time Warner advertises that they don’t charge extra for HD. But they charge so much in the first place that they don’t need to.

And heaven help you if you want to use a Tivo box and cable cards to get your HD – half of their HD channels are switched digital – which you can’t get with a cable card – only one of their crappy boxes.

[UCGal]

[quote=ocrenter]cable and satellite services are a huge scam. you can now get crystal clear HDTV right off your antenna. yet with all of these services, you got to pay extra for the HD.

as for just TV habits in general. is there REALLY a need for 200 channels into each household? I find myself barely getting in 30min to an hour of TV if at that. [/quote]
I avoid commercials, I time shift with Tivo. But I can afford my tivo bill.

Time Warner advertises that they don’t charge extra for HD. But they charge so much in the first place that they don’t need to.

And heaven help you if you want to use a Tivo box and cable cards to get your HD – half of their HD channels are switched digital – which you can’t get with a cable card – only one of their crappy boxes.

[UCGal]

As someone working on their late 40’s also, I see the world opposite than you.

My grandparents NEVER owned. They always had very nice townhouse style apartments back east. When they retired to San Diego they rented in a very nice part of north PB. It was great. Until the complex they’d lived in for 18 years condo-converted. My grandmother was forced to move under circumstances not of her choosing. It was a serious blow to her, emotionally. She ended up having to move 2 more times, in her 70’s.

That’s not how I want to spend my 70’s… I have a 15 year loan and only have 9 years left on it. My financial planning for retirement and for my kids college mandates that I get my biggest bill – the mortgage – paid off. (My kids are young despite my age – retirement and college will be concurrent expenses.)

I also like my house and don’t plan on moving. Soon it will be paid for. How sweet is that!

But I’m in the minority on this board, I think. I don’t look at my house as an investment that I expect to see a return on. Because I plan to live in it till I go to the old age home or die. What do I care if it is worth more or less. It’s a roof over my head that serves my needs well. It’s shelter.

[UCGal]

As someone working on their late 40’s also, I see the world opposite than you.

My grandparents NEVER owned. They always had very nice townhouse style apartments back east. When they retired to San Diego they rented in a very nice part of north PB. It was great. Until the complex they’d lived in for 18 years condo-converted. My grandmother was forced to move under circumstances not of her choosing. It was a serious blow to her, emotionally. She ended up having to move 2 more times, in her 70’s.

That’s not how I want to spend my 70’s… I have a 15 year loan and only have 9 years left on it. My financial planning for retirement and for my kids college mandates that I get my biggest bill – the mortgage – paid off. (My kids are young despite my age – retirement and college will be concurrent expenses.)

I also like my house and don’t plan on moving. Soon it will be paid for. How sweet is that!

But I’m in the minority on this board, I think. I don’t look at my house as an investment that I expect to see a return on. Because I plan to live in it till I go to the old age home or die. What do I care if it is worth more or less. It’s a roof over my head that serves my needs well. It’s shelter.

[Author]

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