101 Ways to $ave

[Jarhead*]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords Yup, a decent used vehicle still beats out a new retail hybrid.* Our 13-year-old 22-mpg 97K Taurus is still a better deal over a new Prius.

Nords: We have a 93 Taurus that we've owned for 10 years. 161,000 miles, and still looks good and runs good.

I'm 6 foot 6, and have a problem with smaller cars.

Jarhead, who agrees with ReWahoo, that Texas is the best college football team in the country.

[73ss454]

Well, they are.

Texas won the national championship, I think that means there #1.

[califdreamer]

I can't tell you how many younger people I've talked to who want to go out and buy a BMW or something equivalent when they're early in their careers and financial lives. I always tell them to seriously consider delaying the fancy car and instead buying a good economical car (what's wrong with a Honda Civic?) and investing the rest in real estate. Yes, I'm biased toward RE investing. It would be fine if they started a stock portfolio.

Someone I know was in a similar conversation with a young working person who was describing her and her husband's debt and interest only variable rate mortgage on their condo in the SF Bay Area (look out in 2007!) and she was considering buying a Hummer! What on Earth are people thinking? Why the all-consuming (no play on words intended) drive to buy luxury goods at the expense of getting a firm financial footing early on?

I think buying a new luxury vehicle, especially for people just starting out, is one of the great money wasters of all time. I know I'm preaching to the choir, but I've had a few glasses of wine and....

[Dawg52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by califdreamer I* I know I'm preaching to the choir, but I've had a few glasses of wine and....

A California cabernet red?*

[Spanky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 73ss454 Well, they are. Texas won the national championship, I think that means there #1.

Speaking of college football, the U of Minnesota has just renewed its football coach's contract under which the coach will receive $1.8 million plus bonus and other incentives for the next five years. it's so ironic that the highest paid person in an educational institution is possibly be the football coach albeit the sport brings in a lots of revenue. I thought the role is to provide an education and/or research but not entertainment. Obviously, my view will receive little support, if any. After all, sports promotes competition and competition is beneficial to the economy or society.

[Dawg52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanky Speaking of college football, the U of Minnesota has just renewed its football coach's contract under which the coach will receive $1.8 million plus bonus and other incentives for the next five years. it's so ironic that the highest paid person in an educational institution is possibly be the football coach albeit the sport brings in a lots of revenue. I thought the role is to provide an education and/or research but not entertainment. Obviously, my view will receive little support, if any. After all, sports promotes competition and competition is beneficial to the economy or society.

I agree. I enjoy college football as much as anyone but the salaries these guys make are absurd. I wonder if this is why I paid $40 for a ticket to a Miss State football game this year and $10 for parking?

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords Yup, a decent used vehicle still beats out a new retail hybrid. Our 13-year-old 22-mpg 97K Taurus is still a better deal over a new Prius.

And yours has a custom 'shaped' frame!

Or was that the other car?

[Eagle43]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jarhead* Nords:* We have a 93 Taurus that we've owned for 10 years.* 161,000 miles, and still looks good and runs good. I'm 6 foot 6, and have a problem with smaller cars. Jarhead, who agrees with ReWahoo, that Texas is the best college football team in the country.

I had a GMC high sierra pickup for 17 years, and an '87 Taurus for 15 years. Now, F-150 for 5 and Camry for 3. Plan on keeping both until wheels fall off. High car payments and high gas prices equals high stress. So I control what I can control.

Eagle43, who agrees with Jarhead, who agrees with ReWahoo, that Texas is the best college football team in the country. Speaking of that, is Vince Young gonna declare for NFL. I think so.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle43 Eagle43, who agrees with Jarhead, who agrees with ReWahoo, that Texas is the best college football team in the country. Speaking of that, is Vince Young gonna declare for NFL. I think so.

His roommate, Selvin Young, says he's staying. His hometown NFL team of preference, the Texans, say their first draft choice will be Reggie Bush, not him. His mother says she wants him to get his degree, but will support whatever decision her son makes. My guess is he will not be able to resist the money. Nice thing is we won't have to wait long to find out.

REWahoo, who agrees with both Jarhead and Eagle43

[ladelfina]

Spanky, I have been following your posts here and there and I can always count on you to bring up (refreshingly) the "bleeding heart" POV. 99% of the time I agree with you!

But then again, sadly, I realize we are tilting at windmills. Building an ethical society is low on the list of priorities in the world at large.

I always keep in mind Hal Holbrook intoning "..follow the money." No single phrase has helped me understand the world better, sorry to say!

If a bunch of football fans wants to pay $200 bucks for a family of four to watch a college game in person, so be it. If as a result there's enough money to pay the coach multi-millions, well, there's no law against it. We may think it's stupid, but there's a market out there for it, just like there's a market for Prada shoes, or anything having to do with Paris Hilton. Go figure!

I take issue with the regulation of such activities under the banner of a "non-profit" like a school, but there are all kinds of questionable "non-profits" out there.

Re: cars.. I think the hybrids have a shot, but like any immature technology will need to be optimized and develop some cost advantages of scale to get anywhere. I think I saw a Jay Leno where he showed an electric car of his from early in the last century, and compared it with some guest's new hybrid. Favorably.

Thank goodness, though, that here on the ER forum most everyone is to some degree "counter-culture". Most of us couldn't be ERed if we consumed at the rate of the average American.

[maddythebeagle]

Quote:

The idea behind having a hybrid is not so much cost saving in gas but to contribute to a cleaner environment. But if you are getting your electricity from coal burning plants, you are still using petroleum to power your car (and you're still polluting). Arguably electricity from a nuclear plant is worse. So depending on what part of the country you live in, you may be spending a lot of money on the car for little or no environmental benefit.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car.htm

I think you misunderstand how a hybrid works. It isnt a conventional "electric car".

[LRS]

Thanks! That website was most informative. I didn't realize that the new generation of hybrids generate 100% of their electrical power.

I'm thinking that our next car will be a hybrid. I hope to get 5 more years on my current car, purchased in 2000. Hopefully the 2010 hybrids will be even more fuel efficient and less expensive.

[Gone4Good]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanky The idea behind having a hybrid is not so much cost saving in gas but to contribute to a cleaner environment.

Environmental consciousness may be a perfectly good reason to pay more for a car, but a lousy way to "$ave".

[HFWR]

Unless, of course, we get "peak" oil, or whatever, which may make many a few of the "greener" technologies more cost competitive.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jarhead* Nords: We have a 93 Taurus that we've owned for 10 years. 161,000 miles, and still looks good and runs good.

Good to know! Let me know when you're getting rid of it, and I'll probably send you a parts request...

Quote:

Originally Posted by () And yours has a custom 'shaped' frame! Or was that the other car?

Yup, the other car.

The two-ton Taurus wouldn't even have been scratched by that incident...

[mb]

In addition to the environmental types, I have heard that many in CA are buying hybrids so that they can use the car poor lane.* (BIL from LA told me that they are becoming popular in his neighborhood for that very reason.)

An illustrative calculation.* Assumptions:
- Save 30 minutes a day from the commute (probably not typical but not extremely unusual either)
- Work 50 weeks a year
- Commute 5 days a week
- Value your time at $50/hour

Then incremental value of hybrid is $6250/year.

Of course of you are ER you don't have a rush hour commute*

[califdreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DOG51 A California cabernet red?

As a matter of fact it was a Chilean Merlot followed by a Chilean Claret (Cabernet blend) followed by a California Zin. And then a California Cabernet. :

[dumpster56]

Quote:

Originally Posted by califdreamer As a matter of fact it was a Chilean Merlot followed by a Chilean Claret (Cabernet blend) followed by a California Zin.* And then a California Cabernet.* *:

Big House red by that Rhone ranger is uhmmmm GOOD!

[califdreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by newguy88 Big House red by that Rhone ranger is uhmmmm GOOD!

Yes it is. Rhones and rhone style reds are tasty and typically a good value.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Quote:

Originally Posted by newguy88 Big House red by that Rhone ranger is uhmmmm GOOD!

Arent those the nicknames of the characters in Brokeback Mountain?