Blow That Dough! - 2019

[levindb]

My DW and and I are savers, but last year took a World Cruise on Regent Seven Seas. This is an all inclusive trip, meaning no additional cost for alcohol, for laundry, medical, shore excursions, wi-fi, gratuities, etc. We went to 30 different countries, 62 different ports and learned what places we would want to visit in the future. It took 137 days to complete the cruise, so it is like 10 two week vacations....but you only have to unpack once!

Think about it...seriously. Expensive on the front end ($150K), but well worth it when it was done.

 

[Souschef]

My DW and and I are savers, but last year took a World Cruise on Regent Seven Seas. This is an all inclusive trip, meaning no additional cost for alcohol, for laundry, medical, shore excursions, wi-fi, gratuities, etc. We went to 30 different countries, 62 different ports and learned what places we would want to visit in the future. It took 137 days to complete the cruise, so it is like 10 two week vacations....but you only have to unpack once!

Think about it...seriously. Expensive on the front end ($150K), but well worth it when it was done.

I bet you were not in an inside cabin

 

[audreyh1]

I bet you were not in an inside cabin

I do not think that ship has inside cabins. They are all suites with balconies. Although some of them are pretty darn small.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

My DW and and I are savers, but last year took a World Cruise on Regent Seven Seas. This is an all inclusive trip, meaning no additional cost for alcohol, for laundry, medical, shore excursions, wi-fi, gratuities, etc. We went to 30 different countries, 62 different ports and learned what places we would want to visit in the future. It took 137 days to complete the cruise, so it is like 10 two week vacations....but you only have to unpack once!

Think about it...seriously. Expensive on the front end ($150K), but well worth it when it was done.

Talk about needing a vacation *after* your vacation...wow!

 

[captain3d]

Bruichladdich black art 4.1

 

[Nick12]

My DW and and I are savers, but last year took a World Cruise on Regent Seven Seas. This is an all inclusive trip, meaning no additional cost for alcohol, for laundry, medical, shore excursions, wi-fi, gratuities, etc. We went to 30 different countries, 62 different ports and learned what places we would want to visit in the future. It took 137 days to complete the cruise, so it is like 10 two week vacations....but you only have to unpack once!

Think about it...seriously. Expensive on the front end ($150K), but well worth it when it was done.

When families spend several thousand dollars on a few weeks vacation at Walt Disney World, this cruise of a lifetime is a better deal.

 

[Souschef]

Bruichladdich black art 4.1

You are a better man than I am. I cannot believe how the prices of single malt have gone up!

 

[captain3d]

You are a better man than I am. I cannot believe how the prices of single malt have gone up!

True. I bought the 4.1 and a Springbank 20 single cask Fresh Sherry at the same store for $600 out the door. Crazy expensive but a ‘good deal’ at today’s prices.

 

[RunningBum]

IKON ski passes for next year for my son and I. We'll take a trip out west next winter at one of the participating resorts, and buying now allows for skiing this spring at a nearby ski resort. I'll probably make a couple trips next year.

New skis for me too. Been a few years. They say skis last about 100 days (of skiing). I probably have 250-300 or more on mine, though a lot of 2 hour days.

 

[Music Lover]

After spending a month in Florida and using a commercial gym for the first time in decades, today I went out and bought 250 pounds of rubber coated weight plates with hand grips as an upgrade to my regular steel weights:

 

[Walt34]

Offf! That makes me tired just thinking about getting them into the house.

 

[corn18]

After spending a month in Florida and using a commercial gym for the first time in decades, today I went out and bought 250 pounds of rubber coated weight plates with hand grips as an upgrade to my regular steel weights:

View attachment 30979

Those look fantastic. I still have the solid plates and they clank a lot. And without handles they get cussed at quite a bit.

 

[Music Lover]

Those look fantastic. I still have the solid plates and they clank a lot. And without handles they get cussed at quite a bit.

I love them...and the price was just 15% more than regular steel plates ($1.15 per pound rather than $1). Plus I'll get back some money by selling the steel plates privately. So, I guess technically it doesn't really fall under "blow that dough!!" standards.

 

[kimcdougc]

Blow that dough for 2019 so far---

Bought a 2019 Ford F250 with all the bells and whistles. Will be upgrading our RV sometime this year. Got the new truck to pull it. Just booked a 13 day cruise leaving out of New York going to Europe. 2 days in New York City first, cruise and then a couple of days after the cruise in Amsterdam. So far all total for both is $58,000 spend that dough!

Didn't do any travel last year so making up for it in 2019.

Planning a trip with the RV out East for September and October.

 

[Souschef]

Well,

This is sort of a cross between unblow the dough and where are you traveling.
We got a brochure for a cruise of the San Juan Islands out of Seattle. The price for an 8 day cruise for the 2 of us was $10K plus airfare.
We have been interested is going to the San Juan Islands for some time,but this was a bit much.
Also, I was looking to fly a P-40 next month for $2200, but by not doing that, we can pay for a $200 a night hotel in Friday Harbor for a week and have money left over for meals. The best part would I would be spending it with my wife!
We have not made definite plans, but I do stealth planning I have the ferry schedule, the airline schedule, and a price for an aerial tour of the islands. I also have an inquiry to the ferry company for any hotel packages they have.
I figure that we will be way ahead of the cruise cost and spend a week on San Juan Island.

 

[jollystomper]

That is a neat surprise. But be prepared for the question: You spent HOW MUCH?

In all honesty, I am still spending down frequent flyer miles (down to about 125,000). Once in a while I find the difference between coach and FC to be such a deal, I just tell DW, "that's all they had".

We are back from the trip - it was a great surprise to them. They enjoyed it a lot. DW did not balk when she found out the price - she figures I know what I am doing . The main reason son enjoyed it was that he got to see Jerry Rice in first class.

 

[footenote]

Major (LOL) expenses planned for 2019

Replace 20 yo kitchen floor: ~2k
First new bicycle in decades: ~750
(including stand, helmet and (maybe) car rack)

 

[Helen]

We just finished booking a trip to Europe. It includes two flights, two cruises, 2.5 months in Italy, France, Switzerland, Austria and Germany, then four nights in NYC for some Broadway shows before flying back to the west coast. We will indulge in VRBOs, Hotels, car rentals, trains, ubers, food, beer and wine and a few gifts for friends and family - ouch!!!

I keep reminding myself that this is why we scrimped and saved during our working years. It is really weird to be spending like this after living so frugally for so long.

 

[Cut-Throat]

We just finished booking a trip to Europe. It includes two flights, two cruises, 2.5 months in Italy, France, Switzerland, Austria and Germany, then four nights in NYC for some Broadway shows before flying back to the west coast. We will indulge in VRBOs, Hotels, car rentals, trains, ubers, food, beer and wine and a few gifts for friends and family - ouch!!!

I keep reminding myself that this is why we scrimped and saved during our working years. It is really weird to be spending like this after living so frugally for so long.

Wow! That's a lot of moving around and Packing and Unpacking for 2-3 months! --- We are just finishing 3 months in Hawaii with 2 different islands, and only 2 condos, and 2 car rentals and that was quite a bit of scheduling and effort for us.

 

[NW-Bound]

Here's the ultimate "Dough Blowing", or rather "Dough Burning" act that I just read about.

In 1994, Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty burned 1 million pounds in cash in a boathouse on the Scottish island of Jura. It was described as art, and recorded on film. It took more than 1 hour to burn all that money in 50-pound notes, twenty thousands of them.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Here's the ultimate "Dough Blowing", or rather "Dough Burning" act that I just read about.

In 1994, Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty burned 1 million pounds in cash in a boathouse on the Scottish island of Jura. It was described as art, and recorded on film. It took more than 1 hour to burn all that money in 50-pound notes, twenty thousands of them.

Congratulations, you've just traumatized a good portion of ER readers!

 

[VanWinkle]

Here's the ultimate "Dough Blowing", or rather "Dough Burning" act that I just read about.

In 1994, Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty burned 1 million pounds in cash in a boathouse on the Scottish island of Jura. It was described as art, and recorded on film. It took more than 1 hour to burn all that money in 50-pound notes, twenty thousands of them.

That's not art, that's insanity!!! You can't fix stupid.

 

[ls99]

Here's the ultimate "Dough Blowing", or rather "Dough Burning" act that I just read about.

In 1994, Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty burned 1 million pounds in cash in a boathouse on the Scottish island of Jura. It was described as art, and recorded on film. It took more than 1 hour to burn all that money in 50-pound notes, twenty thousands of them.

They had money to burn.

 

[NW-Bound]

I learned of this act in a book I am reading, in a chapter about money.

I reported about this book here: http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/what-have-you-read-recently-43066-32.html#post2203970

There's an interesting story behind this literal "cash burning", and anyone can check this out if interested. The Wikipedia has a good article for a summary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K_Foundation_Burn_a_Million_Quid.

 

[kgtest]

I don't think I could burn a $1 bill let alone 1mil. I get sad when one tears on me lol and I've taped them back together before. Being in the accumulation stage, we don't have huge plans to blow dough. A few trips planned but nothing international, with 2 little kids too hard.