Help me stop my constant worrying about retirement!

[Dreamer]

I mentioned at work the other day about some good finds that I bought at Goodwill. The 2 ladies that I was talking to both crinkled up their faces and said that they could never shop at Goodwill. They stated that you had no idea who had worn those clothes and whether they had been washed or not. I told them that, believe it or not, I had a washing machine and was able to wash the clothes! They still were not buying it. I told them that both of them enjoy eating out alot and did they have any idea about the people cooking their food and how clean their hands were at the time. I also told them that when they go to hotels, the sheets that they are sleeping on are not brand new and other people have been sleeping on them.

My spouse is always picking up money on our evening walks or when we are out and about. It is amazing that there is so much money laying around!

I definitely do not wash out plastic bags, but I always look up phone numbers in the book. I am frugal about some things and spend too much on other things, especially if it concerns DD.

Reading some of the threads on here and seeing how much money that some people have in savings, makes me feel that I am failing somehow. I try to save, but I don't think that I will ever have a million or even come close to it. Oh well, I am not going to let that stop me from retiring. If JG can do it, so can I!! Maybe not, since I don't have his great intellect!!! I will just have to muddle through somehow.


Dreamer

 

[Alan]

My spouse is always picking up money on our evening walks or when we are out and about.  It is amazing that there is so much money laying around!

We went on vacation to Australia one time to visit various relatives I have (including my brother and his 3 children).  Tickets were $1200 each for the 4 of us, but the vast majority of our accomodation was free.  Our 16 yr old daughter has had a knack of finding money lying around the streets but her best was yet to come.  We had a great family day out at a gem field near Emerald (close to where my brother, a coal miner, works).  For $20 we got a wheel barrow with all the tools we needed for a family of 4.  We then wandered about digging up dirt until the barrow was full, then back to wash and sieve etc.  Our daughter hated the thought of the whole day and was there under protest.  However, while walking to find a spot to dig she bend down and picked up a loose rock that turned out to be the best find of the day.  It cost another $20 to send it off to be cut and polished.  It came back as a 4.5 carret black star sapphire.

A couple of years later we had it made into a ring for her 18th birthday, total cost $500 (well, it was her 18th!!).  A few weeks later we decided to get it valued as our house insurance required jewelry to be valued.  $5,500.  Not bad for a kid being dragged out to somewhere she didn't want to go.  Of course she tells the story quite differently today.  (She is 24 and married).

All that glitters is not gold ...... but you may be lucky!!

 

[Mr._johngalt]

I mentioned at work the other day about some good finds that I bought at Goodwill.  The 2 ladies that I was talking to both crinkled up their faces and said that they could never shop at Goodwill.  They stated that you had no idea who had worn those clothes and whether they had been washed or not.  I told them that, believe it or not, I had a washing machine and was able to wash the clothes!  They still were not buying it.  I told them that both of them enjoy eating out alot and did they have any idea about the people cooking their food and how clean their hands were at the time.   I also told them that when they go to hotels, the sheets that they are sleeping on are not brand new and other people have been sleeping on them.

My spouse is always picking up money on our evening walks or when we are out and about.  It is amazing that there is so much money laying around!

I definitely do not wash out plastic bags, but I always look up phone numbers in the book.  I am frugal about some things and spend too much on other things, especially if it concerns DD.

Reading some of the threads on here and seeing how much money that some people have in savings, makes me feel that I am failing somehow.  I try to save, but I don't think that I will ever have a million or even come close to it.  Oh well, I am not going to let that stop me from retiring.  If JG can do it, so can I!!  Maybe not, since I don't have his great intellect!!!  I will just have to muddle through somehow.


Dreamer

Hi Dreamer. Yes, you too can ER. Most people make it too difficult.

Your comments about Goodwill (we shopped there today), and
not knowing who might have had their hands on your food, plus
lodging cleanliness really struck a chord. I have done a lot of traveling
and have some real horror stories, but I was never harmed by Goodwill,
The Salvation Army, or any other resale shop. However, last night I dined
at a very upscale restaurant (DW wisely stayed home). Ended up
in the ER at 4 a.m. with what I thought was food poisoning. Sushi and
calamari almost did me in. One sick puppy.

JG

 

[REWahoo]

Sushi and calamari almost did me in. One sick puppy.

JG

Whaddya expect when you eat bait.

REW

 

[Dreamer]

Sorry to hear that JG. You are certainly having a rough go of it lately. How is your back?

Dreamer

 

[Mr._johngalt]

Sorry to hear that JG.  You are certainly having a rough go of it lately.  How is your back?

Dreamer

You don't know the half of it. Thanks very much though.
Appreciate it. Truly.

Back is still pretty tender.

JG

 

[P.S.]

I mentioned at work the other day about some good finds that I bought at Goodwill.  The 2 ladies that I was talking to both crinkled up their faces and said that they could never shop at Goodwill. 

In general, neither would I shop at Goodwill. The selections not good enough.
Prefer independent charities, esp. hospital related. Where do you think the ladies-that-lunch-then-go-shopping doctors' wives dispose of their barely used purchases?
London, where there is alot of old (and new!) money has great thrift stores.

I get colder in the winter than DH, so one of my best finds was a nice mink short coat for $21 (end of season sale). The sleeves were a bit tight and short, so i cut them off and wore the vest around the house to stay warm. Warning: do not wear though when doing dishes.

 

[moghopper]

I get colder in the winter than DH, so one of my best finds was a nice mink short coat for $21 (end of season sale). The sleeves were a bit tight and short, so i cut them off and wore the vest around the house to stay warm. Warning: do not wear though when doing dishes.

Why? Do the dishes throw red paint at you?

 

[Martha]

Goodwill in my town is mostly filled with junk. And it is over priced junk.

When I was in law school I used to go to rummage sales in fancy neighborhoods with friends. We found lots of really good stuff for very little money. But with Antiques Roadshow, it now seems like everyone thinks their used junk is worth tons of money. Plus the estate/rummage sales that look potentially good often have lines of people waiting to get in. No thanks. That isn't my idea of balance.

 

[Nords]

Goodwill in my town is mostly filled with junk.  And it is over priced junk.

That's too bad. Most of my wardrobe comes from our Pearl City branch, and it's not unusual to see retailer's stock dumped directly from the store to the Goodwill.

Our kid's bicycle was half the price of the bike shop next door. It still had sale tags on it.

One time my spouse was going through the old clothes. Our kid was bored, so she picked up a kimono laying on a pile of clothing and started to take it apart. Apparently the Goodwill staff wasn't aware of the Asian practice of stashing cash in a fine kimono because a $100 bill dropped on the floor. Our kid picked up the bill and opened her mouth to say something, my spouse clapped a hand over her face and hustled her out the door, and everyone went home happy.

Last month we saw a lady at the register pay $15 for a Lladro. We went home and looked it up-- it's retailing for $125.

I like being able to buy books for under $1 and taking them on vacation. I don't have to worry about losing them and I don't care enough to drag them home.

 

[unclemick]

My sister works for Goodwill - back when she worked in Bellevue. WA - they had a collectible/antique appraiser on staff.

 

[Nords]

My sister works for Goodwill -  back when she worked in Bellevue. WA - they had a collectible/antique appraiser on staff.

That would be my wife, although she's "independent".

BTW, anyone here read Chinese characters? We have a few pictographs on a piece of pottery that we're trying to decode...

 

[Mr._johngalt]

That's too bad.  Most of my wardrobe comes from our Pearl City branch, and it's not unusual to see retailer's stock dumped directly from the store to the Goodwill.

Our kid's bicycle was half the price of the bike shop next door.  It still had sale tags on it. 

One time my spouse was going through the old clothes.  Our kid was bored, so she picked up a kimono laying on a pile of clothing and started to take it apart.  Apparently the Goodwill staff wasn't aware of the Asian practice of stashing cash in a fine kimono because a $100 bill dropped on the floor.  Our kid picked up the bill and opened her mouth to say something, my spouse clapped a hand over her face and hustled her out the door, and everyone went home happy.

Last month we saw a lady at the register pay $15 for a Lladro.  We went home and looked it up-- it's retailing for $125.

I like being able to buy books for under $1 and taking them on vacation.  I don't have to worry about losing them and I don't care enough to drag them home.

I frequently go about attired head to toe in Goodwill or similar
resale clothing. In fact, I am wearing a quite attractive golf shirt as I type.
Other stuff I mostly buy to resell. Some of these shops will even
negotiate. I bought one of my fav. books ever for .50. Unfortunately,
I lent it out to a friend.

JG

 

[Dreamer]

I have to admit that I don't go to Goodwill very often even though it is right across the hall from where I work. I had been to Wal-mart looking for a black belt to wear with a pair of black shorts that I had recently bought and when I did not find the one that I wanted there, I decided to see if Goodwill had one that I liked. They did have one and I started browsing. I am not normally a shopper and have to be in the right mood to browse, but I was and found several good buys that day. That is one reason that I don't go there very often, since I don't like to shop. However, when I find good buys, I don't care where I find them.

A church friend e-mailed me that she was having a moving/garage sale on Saturday and I bought lots of books totalling $11.25. Most of the books ranged in price from .25-.50 and 4 or 5 were $1.00. Lots of good reading and several cookbooks which I love to look through. Hope to start using the cookbooks more when I stop working and have more time.

As we were walking away, I saw a huge bag of bundles of wash cloths and towels and told my spouse that I wished I had seen them earlier. He said the big bundles of wash cloths were $1.00 each and the towels were $1.00 each. I wanted to go back so bad and get them, but did not have the time, since we had to go pick up our daughter from band camp and I did not want to be late. Oh well, I guess my priorities are right and there will always be another great bargain.

Dreamer

 

[bpp]

Hi Nords,

BTW, anyone here read Chinese characters? We have a few pictographs on a piece of pottery that we're trying to decode...

Could take a shot if you want to post a scan, though no promises.

Bpp

 

[Nords]

Hi Nords,

Could take a shot if you want to post a scan, though no promises.

Bpp

Thanks-- I'll start a new thread here.

(Edited to add the link.)

 

[flipstress]

Re:  used stuff

When I first came to the US, cousins and aunts gave me hand-me-down winter clothing and I really appreciated them.  After getting done with school and getting a job though, I "moved up" to shopping at the malls.  It's only been in the last five years or so that I've started buying clothes, dishes, and books at the St. Vincent de Paul's store here.  Reasons are a combination of cheapness/frugality and slowing down filling landfills.

I live in a university town and right about now is moving time for students.  (It's been termed "Hippie Christmas" by one local radio personality.) There are lots of stuff on the curbs, and the garbage collectors have a hard time keeping up with collecting all of them. 

Some (mostly young) folks have organized an informal centralized drop-off a block from where I work.  Anyone (even non-hippies like me) can browse and get what they want for free.  Last year, I scored a pair of jeans and nice long-sleeved T-shirt there.  This year, I've been too busy at work to stop by.  Besides, I have too many clothes already.

 

[Martha]

Friends of ours regularly shop on Hippie Christmas. They live near a number of private, elite schools. Most all their electronics come from college student cast offs.

 

[flipstress]

Yes, students' cast-off electronics, suitcases, and furniture are all over the sidewalks for the taking. 
BF brought home a couple of boomboxes, suitcases, and shelves a couple of Hippie Christmases ago.  His standards are not as high as mine : and so I picked the better items and donated the others to St. Vinny's.  He protested but we really need to set Koala-T standards for our "gleaned" stuff.

 

[nellieb]

What are the chances of a 4% withdraw rate with 3% inflation lasting 35 years?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Nellieb:

The question should be "what are the chances of not running out of money with a 4 percent withdrawal rate - given that 35 years of low inflation is not probable"

Who knows the answer to the future ?

History however, suggests that a 4 percent withdrawal rate is safe given the performance of stocks and bonds. That's the best you'll get.

 

[REWahoo]

What are the chances of a 4% withdraw rate with 3% inflation lasting 35 years?

You might want to take a look here for some help:

http://www.fireseeker.com/