Recent content by Alex in Virginia

Frugality without sacrifice is the basic guiding principle of my personal finances. It is what has made it possible for me to have a very comfortable basic lifestyle on less than $20,000 a year. But how one actually practices frugality without sacrifice -- as opposed to frugality as sacrifice --...

I took it at 65 (one year ago) because: (1) at that point the SS monthly check would cover all my core expenses going forward (2) given that I'll be banking all the proceeds for 3 years, it works better for me to have the accrued SS payments now to invest rather than wait for monthly checks...

Okay... and what are those passions? So far, we've got reading, movie watching, beading, playing card games, cooking good-smelling stuff that takes long to cook, guitar-playing, internet surfing, and catching up on chores (which I for one cannot believe). And, of course, my beloved strategy...

As I said at the start of this thread, I like movie watching and I love reading. I'm not surprised that a lot of the folks replying have mentioned both of those activities. But I was really hoping to see more interactive activities brought into the discussion. My wife beads, so I know that...

I have been playing the same 4 games for the last 10 years or more, and I've yet to tire of them -- probably because each of these games includes as many as 20 separate scenarios, each replicating a different real historical battle. War In The Pacific: For example, think of being in supreme...

Reading one of my military or ancient history books will keep me interested for about 4 hours max before I get edgy and start looking for something else to do. But playing one of my strategy war games has the opposite effect. The longer I play, the more I get involved in it. Many is the night...

If the weather is decent, I like to spend my free time hiking, biking, fishing or driving country roads. But on rainy, wet or snowy days that’s not an option for me. At such times, I like watching DVD movies and I love reading history books. But my real rainy day passion is playing computer...

That's what I've come to think too, robnplunder, but I'm trying to apply it on a daily basis. To quote from the last paragraph in my original post: "...The time I spend each day on obligatory tasks and non-fun projects will be limited so as to allow enough time each day for some...

Jetpack, I actually agree with you. I'm a big DIY guy. But the key (which I highlighted in your reply to my original post) is to do the stuff at a pace one is comfortable with -- both physically and attitude-wise. That's part of what I was getting at in the last paragraph or two of my...

That's a really valid point, seraphim. I would have been SO SO p***d off if I had pulled my back swinging that pick ax! You're right! I did do it for free (and for my wife, of course). Yikes! Alex in Virginia

Thanks for the question, gardenfun. Alan wondered the same thing in his comments on post #62 of this thread. If you take another look at my basic living budget, you'll see that it includes thousands of dollars earmarked for groceries, gasoline, auto maintenance, home maintenance and so on...

Hi, there, NW-Bound... Thanks for the rent-a-trencher idea. I wish I had at least thought about it! Not all is lost, though. I'm making a strong mental footnote to always think of the equipment rental option from now on. As far as comparing the ditch digging to...

65-Year Old Digs Ditches for $20/hr?! The 65-year old was me. The ditch was a 100-foot long, 15-inch deep, 2-foot wide trench for a French drain to be installed along the back of my wife's house*. The $20 an hour is what it would have cost to have a handyman do the digging. And the “?!” is...

Hey, tuixiu -- and Mulligan (post #77) and Katsmeow (post #73)... All I can say is that you've had really bad luck in your choice of home warranty companies. I've used the same company for 13 years covering 4 houses. My experience is 100% across the board positive. When I call in for a...

Hi there, Katsmeow and ERD 50... Thanks again for continuing to keep the discussion moving forward. In Post #29 in this thread, I answered questions posed about a bunch of expenses that seemed not to be included in the budget I presented in my original post. Since that post of mine, the two...