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07-14-2016, 11:34 AM
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#21
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 8,968
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Yup, no more coach ever unless it's Southwest non-stop.
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07-14-2016, 11:43 AM
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#22
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Michigan
Posts: 5,003
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Quote:
I think the issue is great savers are good at deferred gratification.
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I definitely believe in that, and have practiced it intensely for the last 35 years. That being said, now that I have a comfortable amount of dough and plan to RE in <1 yr, I have already started opening up the spending tap. Last month, DW and I somewhat impulsively attended an Astronauts convention. We bought premium package tickets and also paid up for autographs and other neat stuff. Deferral time is over, baby. Let's have some fun.
__________________
"The mountains are calling, and I must go." John Muir
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07-14-2016, 12:06 PM
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#23
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Pacific latitude 20/49
Posts: 7,677
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We managed to spend like we were rich on our recent European trip. It felt good.
The bike/barge 7 day trip was $600/day for two, and our peak hotel was €338 a night at Le Royal in Luxembourg, with the lowest being €180 at the Hyatt Regency in Cologne.
Probably once in a lifetime. When we go back we will rent a condo in Nice/Paris/Rome on VRBO or HomeAway for a month. We love to live like the locals.
The European biking trip has been on our bucket list and we did it with 2 other couples that we know from Vancouver.
(BTW the best hotels were Banks Mansion in Amsterdam, Du Danube in Paris and Casselburgh in Brugges)
__________________
For the fun of it...Keith
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07-14-2016, 12:33 PM
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#24
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Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 7,940
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The caviar order gave me pause.
I really miss big Chesapeake Bay hard shell crabs. There's a place in MD that ships them FedEx and about twice a year I go as far as filling in the online order form, but when the shipping charge of $75 or so shows up, I don't place the order because it seems like too much $$. But it's actually cheaper than going out to a nice restaurant, so there's really no good reason not to do it. Resolution made - when we get back from our upcoming RV trip, we're having a crab feast!
Thanks, RobbieB!
__________________
"One of the funny things about the stock market is that every time one person buys, another sells, and both think they are astute." William Feather
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ER'd Oct. 2010 at 53. Life is good.
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07-14-2016, 01:04 PM
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#25
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 8,968
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My pleasure!
I order softies from Maryland too and it's been awhile...
They also have oysters and clams -
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07-14-2016, 01:40 PM
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#26
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hooverville
Posts: 22,983
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I believe this thread will turn out to be an excellent gong telling us that harder times are coming.
When a group of frugalistas are vying to come up with more and more lavish ways to spend money, it's like the guy with a signboard-End Times are near!
Ha
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07-14-2016, 02:42 PM
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#27
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Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,340
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shanky
I think the issue is great savers are good at deferred gratification.
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I'm having issues spending too. After waiting so long for both the pension and SS to come online, and having LBYM so long, it is actually hard to break from past practices for both of us. Even though we look at the spreadsheet and see that the money is there, it is still hard to spend it on other than more or less necessary stuff.
That said, I have been practicing on breaking that mold and so has DW. With more practice, we'll learn.
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
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07-14-2016, 02:54 PM
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#28
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ATL --> Flyover Country
Posts: 6,649
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walt34
I'm having issues spending too. After waiting so long for both the pension and SS to come online, and having LBYM so long, it is actually hard to break from past practices for both of us. Even though we look at the spreadsheet and see that the money is there, it is still hard to spend it on other than more or less necessary stuff.
That said, I have been practicing on breaking that mold and so has DW. With more practice, we'll learn.
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Didn't you own an airplane at one time? That, my friend, is NOT a necessary expense!
I know...I owned one. It was one of the funnest things money could buy (that's legal) but yeah, it could never be considered frugal!
__________________
FIRE'd in 2014 @ 40 Years Old
Professional Retiree
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07-14-2016, 02:57 PM
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#29
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 35,712
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Quote:
Originally Posted by haha
I believe this thread will turn out to be an excellent gong telling us that harder times are coming.
When a group of frugalistas are vying to come up with more and more lavish ways to spend money, it's like the guy with a signboard-End Times are near!
Ha
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I am still waiting for the proclamation of the Oracle of New Orleans on 7/9/2016 to take effect. Last time, there was a delay of a few trading days when we scratched our head saying that she had lost her power.
The market surge has reduced my cash holding from more than 44.238% down to 43.703% today. I am itching to buy, but the market keeps going like the Eveready bunny.
Speaking of spending, this frugalista has not been successful with reducing spending as he wishes, so has no plan to spend more. Quicken says that for the last 36 months, I spent $50,023 on home repair/upgrade, and $30,828 for gift/charity. The above are not part of my planned expenses. I do not spend on myself that much.
__________________
"Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man" -- Leon Trotsky (1879-1940)
"Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities Can Make You Commit Atrocities" - Voltaire (1694-1778)
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07-14-2016, 03:10 PM
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#30
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,500
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Quote:
Originally Posted by audreyh1
I'm still learning to give myself permission to spend on stuff that I can afford. Mostly with travel. Like - it's OK to spend up for stuff that will make a trip more convenient or comfortable or enjoyable.
In other words - it's not automatic.
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I'm still learning to give myself permission to have spent so much on buying, fixing up, and moving into my Dream House. Every now and then I get "the willies" - - mild terror at having spent so much. Then I get out my spreadsheet and FIRECalc, re-compute everything, and discover that everything is still just fine.
The only down side is that while some of you are experiencing lifetime record high portfolio values, I'm just experiencing my highest values within the past year. But it's still enough.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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07-14-2016, 03:13 PM
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#31
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Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,340
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5
Didn't you own an airplane at one time? That, my friend, is NOT a necessary expense!
I know...I owned one. It was one of the funnest things money could buy (that's legal) but yeah, it could never be considered frugal!
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Yes, I did own a Piper Tri-Pacer for a couple of years. Took every spare nickel I had to run but it sure was fun!
Actually, now I own four airplanes and three helicopters. The largest airplane has a wingspan of about 23 inches and the largest helicopter has a rotor diameter of about 22 inches. I'm finding I like the Pitts S-1S the best.
The big heli was the most expensive, at $300. Oh, they're all radio control models. Years ago I found that for me R/C was 80%-90% of the fun of full size aircraft at a small fraction of the cost. I just started with helicopters and so far I'm not very good with them, they're a far different beast.
Ask pilots who fly both R/C and full-size and most will say that R/C is every bit as challenging, if not more so, than full-size.
Oops, kinda wandered a bit off-topic there....
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
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07-14-2016, 03:17 PM
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#32
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 8,968
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I'm looking forward to blowing lots of dough on my house!
When that's done I'll go boat shopping -
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07-14-2016, 03:44 PM
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#33
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,024
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We spend about 30% less than what FIRECalc and i-ORP say we can safely spend. We've also deferred some large expenditures, mostly due to an abundance of caution, having just retired a few years ago. The large expenditures are a much-needed car replacement, international travel, several home improvement projects, and a couple of new machines I really want for the woodworking shop.
We are perfectly happy with our basic level of spending and lifestyle. But I also think these larger items would increase our enjoyment of ER to some degree. For us at least, the LBYM instincts not only carried over into ER, but actually kicked into high gear when the big paycheck stopped. We're slowly getting past that as we watch the plan working as designed.
__________________
Retired at 52 in July 2013. On to better things...
AA: 85/15 WR: 2.7% SI: 2 pensions, SS later
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07-14-2016, 04:02 PM
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#34
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Bonita (San Diego)
Posts: 1,795
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This just seems like one of the problems I'd be OK with having.
__________________
"So we beat to our own drummer in the sun;
We ask for nobody's permission to run.
I just wanna live in a world like that;
Now I'm gonna live in a world like that!" - World Like That, O.A.R.
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07-14-2016, 04:16 PM
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#35
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,525
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Sometimes this LBYM really drives me nuts. I've been perfectly happy with my non smart cell phone with zero capabilities other than functioning as a phone for many years. Then a certain Trombonier mentions a $20 smart phone and I go ahead and buy the damn thing with a Tracfone 180 minutes card for another $20. I figure I'll play a little with it put it down and never think about it again. NOOO! I start playing with it and find I like it - this is really cool. Now I'm thinking of bigger and better and costlier mo' data, mo' memory, mo' display . Jeez where does this stop...
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07-14-2016, 04:22 PM
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#36
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Leeward Oahu
Posts: 17,899
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Retired earlier than that, but now past that age. Still spending less than 4% as it is theoretically possible to live for 30 more years. If I and/or DW live that long, I'm sure we WILL need a good chunk of our savings to deal with such things as health care. After about age 75, I believe we will be rationed to the more palliative kinds of treatment rather than life-extending treatment (unless we self fund).
Perhaps the issue of saving too much (or spending too little) is based on OUR (those on this forum) fear of running out of money. Most here consider THAT possibility as MUCH worse than dying with "too much" money left over. My take: I'm enjoying my ER and am reasonably comfortable with my cash burn. Therefore I rarely think about leaving too much on the table. Full disclosure, I DO think of it more often than I did 10 years ago. YMMV
__________________
Ko'olau's Law -
Anything which can be used can be misused. Anything which can be misused will be.
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07-14-2016, 04:36 PM
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#37
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 35,712
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ejman
Sometimes this LBYM really drives me nuts. I've been perfectly happy with my non smart cell phone with zero capabilities other than functioning as a phone for many years. Then a certain Trombonier mentions a $20 smart phone and I go ahead and buy the damn thing with a Tracfone 180 minutes card for another $20. I figure I'll play a little with it put it down and never think about it again. NOOO! I start playing with it and find I like it - this is really cool. Now I'm thinking of bigger and better and costlier mo' data, mo' memory, mo' display . Jeez where does this stop...
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Eh, you cannot spend all your waking hours listening to your electrostatic speakers. Just another toy is not going to break you. Come on! And I recall that you say you don't travel either. What are you going to do with all that money?
__________________
"Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man" -- Leon Trotsky (1879-1940)
"Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities Can Make You Commit Atrocities" - Voltaire (1694-1778)
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07-14-2016, 05:29 PM
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#38
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 567
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I saved too much by accident. I had enough in 2008 but then recession so worked longer, recovery and extra savings to double enough then mom died suddenly so inheritance.
I retired 2.5 years ago and have made 143K on investments and spent 70K so up 73K so far from more than double enough.
Most of the 70K I withdrew I gave away as gifts and got a new roof. Day to day spending is cheap, same old house and car, SS covers the mortgage and food so only need about 10K-15K from investments for taxes and insurance and utilities so a 1-2% withdrawal rate.
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07-14-2016, 05:46 PM
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#39
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,525
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NW-Bound
Eh, you cannot spend all your waking hours listening to your electrostatic speakers. Just another toy is not going to break you. Come on! And I recall that you say you don't travel either. What are you going to do with all that money?
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That is what I find bizarre about this whole thing. I don't think twice (well, maybe just a little...) about spending significant (to me) money in a hobby/passion (music and my HiFi system) that has brought me much pleasure my whole life. But outside my comfort zone I'm currently agonizing whether this cellphone or that or this plan or other are better and I'm talking about really tiny amounts of money (is a $100 cellphone really better than a $150 one?- this and that plan better and so forth). Oh well, first world silly problems. Sorry for the derail over and out.
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07-14-2016, 05:52 PM
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#40
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 8,968
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You did not derail, you are on topic. The topic is we are so frugal we forgot how to blow dough.
And the answer is "blow more dough". Buy a 6 inch phone for $500 -
I always endeavor to "help" the members here with creative ideas to have more fun by blowing more dough.
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