Blow That Dough! -2021

[Koolau]

They generally work well. I've had about six on/off smart switches and two smart dimmer switches for the last two years.
I use the Smart Life app on my Android smartphone to program them. I use them exclusively for lighting.

You can have a light go on 40 minutes before sunset and off at midnight, for example.
They automatically adjust for changing sunrise/sunset at your location and for DST.
And they automatically recover after a power outage...

That recovery from a power outage would be important. I don't recall returning from a 2 week outing without the timers being messed up from (even) momentary power glitches. YMMV

 

[ivinsfan]

Bought new appliances, paint, pergo, lighting for my condo. Still need to order my sleep number bed and will also redo the bathroom once my son leaves. With only one bathroom it cannot be out of commission with 2 people.

I bet that was fun,

 

[doneat54]

Couldn't decide whether this should be in "last order from Amazon" or Blow That Dough!

I think here since this is utterly unnecessary, but FUN.

OK, sort of fun ... had mechanical timers for lamps, etc at one point - then electronic timers - this is wifi enabled, software controllable from anywhere, built is timer and grouping functions ... or, is supposed to be. On order!

https://www.amazon.com/Outlet-Requi...Pack+[Upgraded+Version]&qid=1618506056&sr=8-1

Ok, you made me buy them. I had heard of them before, they have gotten really cheap. I have Alexa already, and may have a use for them at our second home to remotely turn stuff on and off. Already have a Nest T state up there.

Have been using X10 modules for decades. They still work reasonably well, but occasionally signal propagation on the house Romex is an issue. And the SW/Programming app is very old with limited support. If I can do everything I need to with these WiFi things, I can scrap the X10 stuff.

 

[TheWizard]

Ok, you made me buy them. I had heard of them before, they have gotten really cheap. I have Alexa already, and may have a use for them at our second home to remotely turn stuff on and off. Already have a Nest T state up there.

Have been using X10 modules for decades. They still work reasonably well, but occasionally signal propagation on the house Romex is an issue. And the SW/Programming app is very old with limited support. If I can do everything I need to with these WiFi things, I can scrap the X10 stuff.

I'm not sure how useful voice control might be for most smart light switches.
And even direct control of a switch from my smartphone is not something I use on a regular basis.
I mean, I'll verify functionality of a new switch with the app on my phone.
And I may do a demo of how it works to a visitor using my phone.

But if it's a cloudy day and I want the undercounter light in my kitchen on at 3 pm, I'll just press the on/off toggle button on the switch itself. Simple...

 

[RunningBum]

I'm not sure how useful voice control might be for most smart light switches.

I have mostly smart bulbs, and a couple or so smart plugs. Mostly I have timers set up, from a few minutes before sundown until midnight or whatever. The smart bulbs adjust as sundown time changes, and I don't have to reset after a power outage. For other lights, it's really nice to be able to ask for lights to be turned on as I enter a room, perhaps with fulls hands. Or turn on my bedroom lights before going upstairs. It's also easy to set different colors or light levels. When I go to bed I tell Alexa to turn all lights off and this turns all the smart lights off regardless of timers. I made an exception for the front porch light to keep that on low all night.

A nice safety thing is that I can tell Alexa "Emergency lights on" and all smart lights will come on with full power in white, so my house is well lit on all levels, though not every room.

It all started with lights over my kitchen counter with a poorly placed switch, and once I saw how well that was working for me I got the other lights. I'm sure I could adjust to life without them, but I'd rather not.

 

[stephenson]

In same vein ... I should have posted on the $75 IP enabled irrigation controller add on ... it too was unnecessary, but has been great ... call up, modify schedule, turn off for x days when us supposed to be raining - haven’t done it, but also supposedly will take input from Rainbird server on the conditions for our area and start or stop based on that ...

 

[Jerry1]

I’m with those in the above posts that really like the timer function. Since sunset (and sunrise) vary throughout the year, it’s a nice function to have. The flexibility these outlets give you is great. I do also like the voice communication function when hooked to Alexa. I can have it open the garage door and turn off all the lights in the family room just by saying. Not critical, but nice to have.

 

[stephenson]

I’m on a roll - kids are losing money ever time I buy something postworthy!

Picked up Epiphany In White three weeks ago - 2021 Subaru Ascent. Bought instead of more expensive BMW X5 due to wife’s epiphany that she was going to trade more often - would have kept BMW for 10 years - but could “rationalize” lesser time with less expensive car ��

So, today, and the purpose of this post - I bought the three year Security Plus “thing” - smartphone app based lock/unlock, start/stop, A/C/Heat, seat heater, location monitoring, disabling, theft tracking - didn’t NEED it, but might be useful! $72.56 for three years. No idea how the cost was derived.

 

[Koolau]

<SNIP>

didn’t NEED it, but might be useful! $72.56 for three years. No idea how the cost was derived.

Just like everything else: All the traffic will bear, baby, all the traffic will bear! YMMV

 

[foxfirev5]

Suffering from Keys Disease DW and I just booked our third quarterly trip to Key West. The first is August (not recommended for the uninitiated), November and February. We're fully vaccinated (for now) and it's near time to resume our travels. The way I look at it we return to the good old days of Zika ,West Nile and Dengue fever. There's always going to be something out there. Meanwhile it's time to Blow that Dough.

 

[Koolau]

Suffering from Keys Disease DW and I just booked our third quarterly trip to Key West. The first is August (not recommended for the uninitiated), November and February. We're fully vaccinated (for now) and it's near time to resume our travels. The way I look at it we return to the good old days of Zika ,West Nile and Dengue fever. There's always going to be something out there. Meanwhile it's time to Blow that Dough.

Yep. If the gators don't getcha, the skeeters will. I agree about August. DW and I did our Keys thing in August and never caught your disease! Just watched a 3-part event on the life/work of Hemingway. We got to see his place in Key West. Maybe the best part of the trip as the weather was HOT.

Do enjoy!

 

[Palmtree]

Well I tried to BTD today but just couldn't make it happen. We live on a lake and so decided that we want to sell our little speedboat / run-a-bout and get a Tritoon.
Tritoons, are pontoon boats with 3 toons and, being older now, would much better meet our lifestyle needs on the lake. Many of our friends have made the swap in the past couple of years. They all made the same recommendation... "Wait for a boat show to get a good deal".
So we go to the boat show today ready, willing, eager and able to plunk down more on a new boat that it cost to buy our first home. Last year three of our neighbors came home from the same show. All with Tritoons, and for about 15-20% off list. This year was "Good luck friend. We've got nothing available, even at list plus" Like RV's, it's hard to find one available at any price. All the reps said that people were putting down money just to get an option to buy one. Any Tritoons they got allotted were per-purchased before they arrived. If I wanted to order one, I could hope to get it maybe by late August but no promises. Oh well......we tried!

 

[Montecfo]

Suffering from Keys Disease DW and I just booked our third quarterly trip to Key West. The first is August (not recommended for the uninitiated), November and February. We're fully vaccinated (for now) and it's near time to resume our travels. The way I look at it we return to the good old days of Zika ,West Nile and Dengue fever. There's always going to be something out there. Meanwhile it's time to Blow that Dough.

I love the Keys. Been twice in past 6 months.

Will be heading there again on the winter.

 

[Ronstar]

^ I feel your pain. It’s tough to blow that dough these days. Everything is on back order.

I reserved a Ford Bronco last July. It may be another year before I get it. I ordered an ebike for DW - it’ll be at least another month before i get it. Same thing with a bike rack - 45 days out. 60 days before the bike shop can do a tune up on my bike. The camera I want is out of stock with no indication of when it will be available. My woodworking store doesn’t have the hardwood I need.

I’m trying, but I just can’t blow any dough.

 

[tmm99]

A new fridge, a new roof and a bunch of home stuff (bedding, soundbar, Fire TV stick, TV subscription, VPN)... I feel blessed that I can do all this without having to worry about money.

 

[harley]

^ I feel your pain. It’s tough to blow that dough these days. Everything is on back order.

I reserved a Ford Bronco last July. It may be another year before I get it. I ordered an ebike for DW - it’ll be at least another month before i get it. Same thing with a bike rack - 45 days out. 60 days before the bike shop can do a tune up on my bike. The camera I want is out of stock with no indication of when it will be available. My woodworking store doesn’t have the hardwood I need.

Well, since I'm still really cheap, it's not that hard for me to say "next year. Or the year after". I've still got a fair amount of wood, and we can wait on the patio/deck. I'm not buying in a seller's market unless absolutely necessary. Guess I don't belong on this thread.

 

[Souschef]

I am sort of like Harley, I am FI, but find it hard to break the frugality barrier.
After reading about jamon de Iberico, i was curious about it. I found some sliced in 2 ounce packages on Amazon and bought a couple. The ham was excellent.
Also with all the talk of Wagyu beef, I waned to taste it. My local gourmet restaurant featured Wagyu burgers on night, so DW and got some. They were also excellent.
OTOH, I am the guy who spent $2500 to fly a P-51 and $2200 to fly a MiG-15
YMMV

 

[tmm99]

This is domestically grown sirloin beef sold at a run-of-the-mill supermarket in Tokyo. (My mom lives in Tokyo and I took this photo when I was visiting her last January.) Super marbled by the American standard and it costs about $61 USD per pound. (This is not Kobe beef or any well-known brand beef by the way... Just sayin’.)

Not my thing. Way too marbled for my liking. YMMV.

 

[RobbieB]

That's what the Snake River stuff costs. Yeah, not Japanese wagyu, that stuff is over $200

 

[explanade]

There are a lot of restaurants listing Waygu beef on their menus, for things like $15 burgers.

Can't be the $200 a pound stuff right?

I remember seeing a lot of Waygu on the menus in Sydney as well.

 

[RobbieB]

There are many different grades and ground beef is just that.

This stuff is a bargain at $10/oz

 

[street]

^ Holy Smokes!! To expensive for my blood. Lol

 

[stephenson]

Wagyu is highly marketed beef - like tomahawk steaks - marketing.

 

[euro]

There are many different grades and ground beef is just that.

This stuff is a bargain at $10/oz

You always find the tip of the top, Robbie.....

Have you tried Mauinui deer? It is not cheap, but not in the crowdcow category..... anyway, a really interesting background story of wildlife management, carefully controlled harvesting, etc of this wild (but non-native) deer species on the smaller Hawaiian islands.
It is quite delicious (not “gamey” at all). Not sure I’m allowed to give a direct link but it is simply maui nui venison dot com (no spaces)

 

[RobbieB]

If you explore the crowdcow site you will also find "American Wagyu" as well as wagyu burgers and even trim for a price that makes a $15 burger quite possible.

American wagyu is best described as "over prime" as we do not have the extensive grading system of the Japanese. I've never tasted Japanese wagyu, maybe soon. I am a fan of American "over prime" but it's a treat and not a staple.