Blow that Dough! - 2018

[Bestwifeever]

Assuming they charge you for a full tank of gas, then you blew more dough than $2.06 unless you returned the car totally empty. Assuming you returned the tank half full then you prepaid $34.19 vs gassing up yourself (6.5 gallons * 2.45 = $15.93) for a total of $18.26.


At least I think that is right. So, you can feel even better about blowing more dough.

Oh, definitely—we actually should have returned it topped off for maximum blow that dough, but $2.06 was the most conservative amount.

 

[Music Lover]

bought a Taylor 816ce yesterday. quite a splurge for a mediocre player.

Nice!! A few years ago I splurged on a walnut Taylor 414ce.

 

[Music Lover]

I'm currently planning a reno...will be turning my 3 bedroom 1 bathroom house into a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom house. I'll be converting 2 bedrooms into a new master with an ensuite, and the current master (no ensuite) will become the 2nd bedroom.

I don't know the exact cost yet, but expect it to come in under $10k as I plan on doing most of the work myself.

 

[Gotadimple]

OMG! One lens plenty for Europe. I carried 2 for a while s but fiund changing lenses too much of a pain so went wide angie zoom only,

+1!!!

 

[Hermit]

I'm currently planning a reno...will be turning my 3 bedroom 1 bathroom house into a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom house. I'll be converting 2 bedrooms into a new master with an ensuite, and the current master (no ensuite) will become the 2nd bedroom.

I don't know the exact cost yet, but expect it to come in under $10k as I plan on doing most of the work myself.

Your estimate sounds low to me. The price for all construction material has been going up.

 

[Music Lover]

Your estimate sounds low to me. The price for all construction material has been going up.

I've only sketched it on graph paper but am keeping most of the existing walls intact and will doing most of the work myself. I can lay flooring, tile a shower, and break up the basement floor for plumbing. Drywall and studs are cheap, but I will "blow some dough" on nicer fixtures.

 

[samclem]

I've only sketched it on graph paper but am keeping most of the existing walls intact and will doing most of the work myself. I can lay flooring, tile a shower, and break up the basement floor for plumbing. Drywall and studs are cheap, but I will "blow some dough" on nicer fixtures.

This sounds like a big, fun project that will result in a much different house. I assume you are doing it to suit your own needs, but I wonder if it would help or hurt the value of a typical home. Most people now expect to see a master bath in a home, and with aging folks and smaller families, maybe the reduction of one bedroom isn't a huge hit.
I'll be re-tiling our master bath soon, I did the other bath a few years ago. It wasn't fun, but I learned some things so this should go easier.
Main lesson: taking time to get the backer board very flat (shims, planing studs if required) is time well spent. I will never again try to fix unevenness using thinset.

 

[HI Bill]

I assume you are doing it to suit your own needs, but I wonder if it would help or hurt the value of a typical home.

I once went to visit friends at a really nice, expensive house. It had two major quirks, that would have impeded it's ability to be sold: No oven in the kitchen (they did not bake), and no shower head over the bath tub. If you're going to live in a house for 10-20 years, who cares whether your renovations improve or reduce the ability to sell the house? New renovations will be needed later, regardless.

I look at condos with master baths with separate tubs and shower stalls, and I want to rip out both and put in a doorless walk-in shower!

My dad filled in the swimming pool at his house, and planted a garden. Unfortunately, it has some drainage issues, and really needs a French drain installed, and it still looks like a filled-in swimming pool, complete with concretre surround and coping stones. I'm sure that will hurt resale value, and it will be costly to install a French drain.

 

[FreeBear]

It's hard to keep up with you guys!


Well, I'd like to boast of blowing a few grand to go a a quick snowbird trip around the holidays. It's cold and grey here again... Still, no dice. End of year financial "jitters". Feel like it's a good idea of come in on our yearly budget. Last year, we really Blew Some Dough, doubled travel budget....

Ok, what about this... Taking DW out for fancy coffee date at some nice place in town. Coffee and a tiny meal will cost easily $50+. Feeling too cheap though, we'll probably have some leftovers before leaving, so we'll show up no too hungry.

I feel conflicted. I like my own coffee and sitting in my PJ's better. But need date night with DW and, well, need to Blow That Dough. Does it help if we drive the "nice" car, the one with the new tires??

 

[RobbieB]

Blew 4 grand moving Kelly in.

 

[Music Lover]

This sounds like a big, fun project that will result in a much different house. I assume you are doing it to suit your own needs, but I wonder if it would help or hurt the value of a typical home. Most people now expect to see a master bath in a home, and with aging folks and smaller families, maybe the reduction of one bedroom isn't a huge hit.

Yes, this is to suit a need...my girlfriend will eventually be moving in and she has a teenage daughter who needs a room a few days a week. A master with a ensuite plus a separate regular bathroom is more useful than 1 bathroom and 3 bedrooms. I also have a full basement with plenty of room to easily add another bedroom if the need arises. The resale value is not a factor as I plan to stay here for a while, but that being said, an ensuite adds value and not everyone wants or needs 3 bedrooms.

I'll be re-tiling our master bath soon, I did the other bath a few years ago. It wasn't fun, but I learned some things so this should go easier.
Main lesson: taking time to get the backer board very flat (shims, planing studs if required) is time well spent. I will never again try to fix unevenness using thinset.

I've tried to fix crooked studs and badly applied drywall in the past with mud and learned my lesson. A few minutes spent choosing good studs and building walls perfectly straight is well worth it.

 

[aja8888]

Young wife is on an around the world trip for a few months. Final cost is unknown at this time! Because of her "looks", she has been upgraded to first class on a few of the 14 HR legs. Also, friends in NY,Dubai,Sydney have picked up all her hotels/food/entertainment costs! She was in Dubai for a week and had a Rolls Royce Silver Wraith with chauffeur provided to her from my good friends girlfriend. They were so enthralled with her, they want her to skip going back to Turkey and spend another week with them all expenses paid!

This post is missing the pictures!

 

[NYEXPAT]

This post is missing the pictures!

She has sent me about a hundred using Whatsapp on my Sony phone (including some great bikini shots). If some one can tell me how to get them to my laptop, I might post a few from Dubai and Surfers Paradise (where she is currently)!

 

[aja8888]

She has sent me about a hundred using Whatsapp on my Sony phone (including some great bikini shots). If some one can tell me how to get them to my laptop, I might post a few from Dubai and Surfers Paradise (where she is currently)!

Email the photos from your phone to yourself and they will be on your laptop (if you have an email account on the laptop).

 

[socca]

My dad filled in the swimming pool at his house, and planted a garden. Unfortunately, it has some drainage issues, and really needs a French drain installed, and it still looks like a filled-in swimming pool, complete with concretre surround and coping stones.

It might not be too late to hire a professional demolition company and have the job done right. I spent $7k for the demolition of the old, ruined pool at my house a couple of years ago, and couldn't be happier. Now you would never know that a pool was once there.

 

[NYEXPAT]

Email the photos from your phone to yourself and they will be on your laptop (if you have an email account on the laptop).

Thanks! I am tech challenged, but managed to transfer some video's and will try to post one taken at my friends house on a island in Dubai.

I get the photo's on my laptop email, but do not see how I save them and apparently you can't download them? Maybe they are embedded?

 

[kcowan]

Blew 4 grand moving Kelly in.

What would Kelly say?

 

[neihn]

I am about to blow 6.5 grand for my 'max out of pocket' - After getting back to PDX last week, I found myself in the emergency room for severe internal bleeding (due to ulcer, which I have no idea). Got two pine of blood and stayed two nights in ICU.

However, I learned that I got Ulcer + H. Pylori . I am very thankful that it is not too serious, my GI doctor is very optimistic.

I got a great care from the hospital's staff (all the way from emergency staff, to icu staff). Very thankful to all of them.

Editted: forgot to mention that this happens after 4 months of retirement ... hmmm, may be I should go back to work

 

[jimandthom]

Eagerly awaiting the delivery of our sauna. Since the mid-70s we have always have a sauna for health, relaxation and spending time with friends.


This time tho, it is an infrared style versus the sprinkle on the water type as its going in our 3rd floor rec room/ winter time cozy den.

 

[NgineER]

Bought six tickets to Europe in the spring with Delta - less than $2,400 when all is said and done. Purchased with Delta AMEX Gold, so we'll still get six bags for free in Delta Basic Economy.

 

[ls99]

In the truly frivolus category, $900 +utilites per month in Pittbsburgh for an apartment, with a two car garage no less. So after a night or two or thee of Argentine Tango dancing I can get a night's sleep before driving home. +dance lessons.


Is it worth it? Absolutely!

 

[Sanstar]

Went to Home Depot to replace malfunctioning dishwasher. Left with all new kitchen appliances to be delivered and installed Tuesday. Needed white for the dishwasher but it’s not available with the features I want (mainly super quiet). So, replaced all to match.

 

[HI Bill]

It might not be too late to hire a professional demolition company and have the job done right. I spent $7k for the demolition of the old, ruined pool at my house a couple of years ago, and couldn't be happier. Now you would never know that a pool was once there.

Thanks! That's closer to what I would have done..but with the price of the house, you'd never recover the $.

 

[RobbieB]

So he'll have drainage issues with mold and rot perhaps not to mention it looks bad and that's worth a few grand because he'll never get the dough back?

 

[RobbieB]

What would Kelly say?

(2) 20 yard dumpsters - $900
(2) helpers - $1400
Movers - $1400
10' x 20' Storage unit - $200/mo

Me thinks she will verify these numbers.