Blow That Dough! -2021

[jollystomper]

Our current top 5 non-travel related "blow that dough" plans for 2021 - lets see if I can actually achieve them:

1. Renovate our 1/2 bathroom. Good news is, it is a small job - bathroom is only 4' x 5', no changing of the plumbing which was redone last year. Just tear out and replace existing toilet, wall and floor tile (and redo drywall behind the 4' high wall tile), and vanity. We already have the tile, enough from what was left from renovating our other 2 bathrooms. The bad news, it is a small job; my contractor friend who redid the previous 2 bathrooms (and a GREAT job) is my preference but he is busy so may be a challenge to get on his schedule. I am willing to be his "demo" assistant and help tear out and haul away the existing stuff, so we'll see.

2. Get a fireplace insert. Our existing fireplace is nice, but burning wood is more decorative than efficient. As a result we have not used it much, and not at all for over 5 years and not since we last had it cleaned. So time to make use of it and getting an insert installed (as well as a new chimney liner) is on the table.

3. Better golf clubs. My current ones are a "beginners" set (Callaway Strata) and are 8 years old. Since retiring I have been playing a lot of rounds with them so they are getting a beating. Right now I am considering going the full lessons + fitting route at one of the nearby chains to at least identify the best type of clubs for me.

4. Replace one of our cars. There are no issues with our older cars other than they are 2011 Toyota models that we bought used in 2013. DW will be fully retired as of May, and her Corolla still has less than 60K miles on it; she loves the car so we will stick with this one, though I am seeing very good prices from Carmax on it. The Camry has $126K miles so it is a likely candidate.

5. Replace the carpet in our master bedroom closet area. I replaced the bedroom carpet with laminate flooring and we love it. We had bought enough to do this area but instead decided to do the 2nd floor hallway because it was easier. There is still some left but the area is L shaped with a walk-in closet and 2 other closet, so figuring out the laminate pattern and cutting will be a pain. I am looking at a easier method, maybe vinyl times is an option. The area is between our bedroom and the bathroom so something that is good in a damp environment and easy to install is desired.

 

[Koolau]

Do they still do the "USA Rail Pass"? When did you do your trip?

One thing I wonder about is how hard it might be to book "sleeper" compartments if I break up the trip into too many segments.

Went west on one of those $150 (or whatever) with 3 stops (or whatever.) ca. 1985? We did the seats at night - first night, couldn't sleep. Second night, couldn't wake me with, well, a train wreck. BUT friends who went with us did the sleeper car and wanted to give it up after night one. Made them sick bouncing around all night. YMMV

 

[RetireeRobert]

BUT friends who went with us did the sleeper car and wanted to give it up after night one. Made them sick bouncing around all night. YMMV

I and family did do the Empire Builder back to Chicago in 2001. Somewhere I had read to try to get a compartment in the middle of the car, and not at the end. Since we booked three compartments, we got two "middles, but one "end". One night my wife went to bed early and locked me out! So I went to take the upper bunk in my son's "end" of car compartment.

Well, the advice to get a middle of car compartment was right on. That room was smooth riding. It was away from jerking moves caused by joint to next car in the train. The "end" compartment on the other hand had lots of bouncing and jerking, I figured because being right next to the coupler to the next car, and also over the wheels rig on that end of car.

The middle of car compartments had the most "even" riding part of the car, isolated from bounces over wheels and isolated from jerks from car couplers.

One more thing, the upper bunk in the end of car was like trying to sleep in a tin can with someone drumming on it!

 

[RobbieB]

I put my fireplace insert in 4 years ago. Did it all myself, including the insulated SS liner. About $2500 total. Don't use it much here in the central valley, but when I do it's easy and sweet! Not to mention the furnace doesn't run.

And that's why I did it. Got tired of the furnace running more with the fireplace burning as all the heat would go up the chimney!

 

[RetireeRobert]

I put my fireplace insert in 4 years ago. ...... Got tired of the furnace running more with the fireplace burning as all the heat would go up the chimney!

Smart thinking. When we built our house I wanted a wood burning fireplace.

After much study on the subject, and knowing we would be living at about 1000 feet elevation and cooler temps, I opted against just a run-of-the-mill masonry fireplace as was common. Opted instead for an EPA approved high efficiency "sealed" firebox with glass doors to seal shut. (Lennox Montecito Estate model). It has its own outside air supply for the firebox, and has grills at bottom and top of firebox so room air can circulate around the hot firebox and emerge back into the room and warm the room up. It puts a net "heat gain" into the room, as opposed to drawing the warm room air into the box and up the chimney, thus "net cooling" the house.

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

BTW, not FIREd yet but am looking for ideas in this thread as we learn to loosen the purse strings.

P.S. Knew oiseaux, didn’t know oiseux - had to look it up. Clever!

OMG! I totally read a non-existent "a" in there, i.e., I "saw" oiseaux, even though that wasn't what was written!

Yes, after Mr. Google informed me, that is indeed clever.

 

[GravitySucks]

Do they still do the "USA Rail Pass"? When did you do your trip?

One thing I wonder about is how hard it might be to book "sleeper" compartments if I break up the trip into too many segments.

They do. https://www.amtrak.com/rail-passes
I went in 2013.
Syracuse-Chicago-SantaFe-Flagstaff-LA-San Francisco-Denver-Chicago-Syracuse
I didnt get a sleeper just slept in my chair. All but one leg I had both seats to myself. Pretty comfortable. I did look like a hobo by the time I got to Denver though.

 

[RetireeRobert]

I didnt get a sleeper just slept in my chair. All but one leg I had both seats to myself. Pretty comfortable. I did look like a hobo by the time I got to Denver though.

Having been retired for 20 years, I "already" look like a hobo. So that shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks for the other info.

 

[NW-Bound]

I can tell you that a $12 bottle of wine properly paired with the right food is 1,000 times better than a $500 bottle of wine paired with the wrong food. And if you don't store expensive wine properly, it will turn into $1.50 wine.

Now a $400 bottle of Redbreast 21 Irish Whiskey is a treat. And so is a $3,000 bottle of Louise XIII...

Talk about Louis XIII, this came up in a dinner with my kids. My son and my son-in-law said that for my next birthday, we would go to the Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chao, where they sold Louis XIII by the shot for $250 or something like that. Each of them would buy me a shot after dinner.

I told them that it would not be fun to drink by myself, and why would I not buy a whole bottle, have a dinner at home, then share the bottle with everybody. I have two brothers who are also cognac drinkers, and we have converted the husbands of my nieces to cognac drinkers too. We would have a hell of a party, with 7 drinkers to share the bottle after dinner.

Later, when we were by ourselves, my wife told me I should not announce something like on the spur-of-the-moment and to make a dare. She reminded me that I said I now did not even care about XO, which I still had about 1/2 dozen bottles of various brands in the liquor cabinet, so why waste money on a Louis XIII. I guess she did not want me to spend $3K on a bottle.

Hmmm... A Louis XIII does not break the bank, but then a frugal guy like me hates to throw money away on something that may turn out to be a disappointment. So what should I do?

By the way, it's Louis and not Louise. The first is a male name, while the second is female.


PS. In our visit to the town of Cognac a few years ago, I made an appointment to visit Remy Martin, the maker of Louis XIII. They showed us their most secretive cellar where all the Louis XIII came from. No photo taking allowed inside this cellar. Big deal, I thought, as it was just like their other cellars.

 

[Helen]

Hmmm... A Louis XIII does not break the bank, but then a frugal guy like me hates to throw money away on something that may turn out to be a disappointment. So what should I do?

If you can afford it, I say go for it. It will be a once in a lifetime treat that you will share with family members. They will always remember it.

Or you could compromise and throw a clambake or something everyone can enjoy.

 

[W2R]

If you can afford it, I say go for it.

+1 You only live once! And time passes by so fast....

 

[Retch The Grate]

Ordered up 3 oz of Jamon Iberica Bellota and 8 ounces of Texas raised Iberico Coppa and a 4 pack of the delicious anchovy stuffed olives from La Tienda.

All this talk of ham, just had to have some -

Hah, good timing, our order of Jamon Iberica de Bellota from La Tienda arrived on friday, I had some on Saturday and a little bit with lunch today.

 

[davebarnes]

And so is a $3,000 bottle of Louis XIII.

I paid $35/shot at Masa’s in San Francisco.
Very tasty.

 

[RobbieB]

I can dig it. I was gifted a bottle of Dom Perignon, hundred bucks back then and thought "so what", better buy me 4 bottles of stuff I like better.

But I do like a $150 bottle of XO better than a $50 bottle of VSOP. Three grand a bottle can sit for a better man than me.

 

[NW-Bound]

I paid $35/shot at Masa’s in San Francisco.
Very tasty.

Can't be Louis XIII if the shot is only $35! What you had was a shot of an XO.

You know the bitty 50ml sampler size of various liquors that you can buy at liquor stores for $1 or $2? They are good enough for almost 2 shots (1 shot is 30ml).

A little bottle like that for Louis XIII is $600.


PS. Here's a place where you can buy the miniature 50ml Louis XIII for $549.

https://vsliquor.com/products/remy-...MI2bKQ56fK7gIVQj2tBh3JGQv8EAQYBCABEgJ9ivD_BwE

 

[NW-Bound]

If you can afford it, I say go for it. It will be a once in a lifetime treat that you will share with family members. They will always remember it.

Or you could compromise and throw a clambake or something everyone can enjoy.

+1 You only live once! And time passes by so fast....

But as is true with many objects of desire, if it is out of reach, it is always better in your imagination. Once it is in your possession, it is often a let down.

 

[NW-Bound]

I can dig it. I was gifted a bottle of Dom Perignon, hundred bucks back then and thought "so what", better buy me 4 bottles of stuff I like better.

But I do like a $150 bottle of XO better than a $50 bottle of VSOP. Three grand a bottle can sit for a better man than me.

WHAT!!! I was waiting for you to tell us if it is worth it. Come on, my man!

About $150-200 XO, I still have many unopened bottles, given as gifts. I don't drink much anymore.

Well, I am going out to get myself a shot now.

 

[corn18]

WHAT!!! I was waiting for you to tell us if it is worth it. Come on, my man!

About $150-200 XO, I still have many unopened bottles, given as gifts. I don't drink much anymore.

Well, I am going out to get myself a shot now.

Let us know what you think. I had 2 fingers for $300 and it was fantastic. If I was willing to take another 2 fingers I would have finished the bottle. And they give you the bottle. Which is worth $400 in Ebay. Wish I had known that. I could have had another 2 fingers for free.

 

[NW-Bound]

Let us know what you think. I had 2 fingers for $300 and it was fantastic. If I was willing to take another 2 fingers I would have finished the bottle. And they give you the bottle. Which is worth $400 in Ebay. Wish I had known that. I could have had another 2 fingers for free.

Oops, I meant to get myself a shot of XO from my cabinet right now, not going out to a bar for a shot of Louis XIII.

And yes, the empty Louis XIII bottle fetches a lot of money on eBay. What the heck?

But I just went there and saw that the 750ml empty bottle is "only" $99, and it comes with the original fancy box.

Someone sold an empty magnum 1.75L Louis XIII bottle for $650. Holy molly! What does one do with that? Fill it up with XO to impress visitors? Or a bar to refill and sell counterfeit shots to customers?

PS. I did not know that they have the magnum size. Wow! If the 750ml bottle is already $3500, then the magnum should be $8200.

And then, there's Louis XIII Black Pearl, which is a higher class.

PPS. There's a Louis XIII Black Pearl Magnum of 1.75L. The price is $80,000. Just what RobbieB wants.

 

[RobbieB]

Never had any louie the eighth and don't think I will. But I do enjoy the $100 to $300 / fifth stuff regularly. Could be XO or tequlia or bourbon or scotch.

That "shelf" is a treat. Something special. Mostly I drink the $30 to $50 / fifth stuff. Good value there.

 

[davebarnes]

Can't be Louis XIII if the shot is only $35! What you had was a shot of an XO.

Nope.
1995

 

[NW-Bound]

Nope.
1995

$35 in 1995 is about only $60 now. Perhaps Remy Martin raised the price a lot since.

I guess it does not matter. I suspect that a lot of this stuff is hyped up. Because it costs so much, people say it has to be that good, and if you cannot appreciate it, it's because of your peasant taste. They have to find a way for rich people to rid themselves of some money. Trickle it down, trickle it down.

Years ago, after a holiday meal, my brothers and myself sat down to taste the VS, VSOP, and XO grades, all from the same maker. The concensus was that the difference between the VS and VSOP was huge, but the VSOP and XO could be differentiated only if we paid attention. And after the first shot or two, it did not matter anymore.

My palate is even worse now. I need to try this test again.

 

[Sunset]

You guys kill me, back in 2000 I drove a fellow contractor to the liquor store in KC Kansas so he could buy some booze as he came without a car.

I felt he was wasting his money buying $100 bottles of wine as he bought 5 bottles..

Obviously I need to read this thread more

 

[NW-Bound]

Well, it's not for us either. RobbieB himself has bowed out.

Now, the scary thing is that I just learned that Remy Martin sells Louis XIII cognac in the Mathusalem size: a whopping 6L bottle. Filled it up with Black Pearl cognac, and the bottle would be $270,000.

If you were a billionaire, how would you spend your 4% WR without the help of liquor like that for yourself, and Hermès handbags for your mistress ($2 million)?

And the scary thing is that luxury brands are growing way faster than the world economy. Somewhere, I saw that Louis Vuitton is growing at 14%/year, and Gucci at 23%/year.

I don't see how I would be happier with these things. Would you?

 

[audreyh1]

Ended up buying a wall mount UHD TV for the workout room. Pretty cheap really - it’s 4K but not OLED. It turns out the Apple Fitness+ works really well for multiple people/watches on the Apple TV box, but the iPad is really limited to 1 user. Just as well, workouts will be easier with a larger screen. Also ordered another Apple TV for it.