Blow That Dough - 2022

[Koolau]

^^^^^^^

Yeah, I recall digging a 100 foot trench to drain my all-clay crawl space. At some points, the trench was 8 feet deep. I was in early 30s at the time. Now I won't even dig a hole to plant a hearty mum plant. In the words of Dirty Harry, "A man's got to know his limitations." YMMV

 

[Koolau]

^^^^^^^^^

Oh, forgot to mention. FIL saw what a "great" j*b I had done on my trench and asked me to help dig a finger system for his septic system for his river cottage. What am I gonna say other than "sure Pops!"

 

[oiseux]

After considerable delay, I'm about to BTD on a big backyard remodel. A large tree had to be taken out and now after a six month wait for the contractor, the rest of the demo and a new motorized louver patio cover is going up and the rest of the remodel is set to start.

But on a side note, I had to do some termite/dry rot repair this week and got a recommended contractor to come out and start within a week. Patio cover was able to judge the start date to within 10 days. Seems like the long lead times of the past seem to be evaporating, for work.

 

[athena53]

I agree with that, spend the money on things that make you feel good, don't die with money left on the table.

I do hope to die with money on the table but DH and I (and now I) always cash-flowed home enhancements that might not have had a great impact on the resale value but that we thoroughly enjoyed. Top of the list was enclosing the screened-in back porch in this house and enclosing the deck in the last one.

And travel- ah, travel. Nothing to show for it but refrigerator magnets and the occasional bauble I added to my jewelry collection- but what memories!

 

[audreyh1]

Photos?

Photos always spark detailed memories for me.

 

[HF63]

My vacuum cleaner w/ HEPA filter from Sear's one of the best 50 dollars purchase.


It has required no parts since I bought back in 96, I cover the filter w/ panty hose and just blow all the dust w/ compress air.


I wish I could say the same thing about all my purchases.

 

[TheWizard]

The rebar anchor points for my dock cables snapped off the sea wall last week. Put some temporary metal rods in the yard behind the sea wall and new cables as a stop gap.

Recommendations were for at least a 2’x2’ cube of concrete with galvanized eyebolts buried just behind the wall rather than dig it out and new rebar through the wall. Some dock companies said 3’, some said 4’ cubes.

After 4 hours of digging through the hard clay and hitting the rubble fill about a foot down I said screw it. Called the guy that two of the dock companies sub out to for exactly this type of work.

$3g and it’ll be done tomorrow. Probably would have cost me less than $500 if I had done it myself but who am I kidding. In this heat? Well worth it to me to avoid a trip to the ER.

Stainless steel is more fun than galvanized when dealing with sea water...

 

[oiseux]

Hawaii rates are 34.5 cents per kw hour.
My rate is 31.5 for tier one (no one could survive on only tier1) and 39.5 cents tier 2. Tier 3 is 49 cents per kw hour. On the average bill, my rate is above Hawaii rate

Yikes, that is PG&E for you and the expense of a more remote location. I saw the comparison that a like to like bill from PG&E compared to one of the municipal utilities in the state was over 2x more.

 

[street]

Paid for this little rig this morning. Waiting on a snow plow mount and should be delivered middle of next week. It's been 5.5 months since I ordered it.

WOW! That is money well spent. I would like to get one but having a place to put one in town is my problem. They can move a lot of snow with one of them.

 

[skipro33]

Yikes, that is PG&E for you and the expense of a more remote location. I saw the comparison that a like to like bill from PG&E compared to one of the municipal utilities in the state was over 2x more.

I worked 30+ years for a public municipal electric company, SMUD Sacramento Muni Utility Dist.
Great place to work, hard to believe it's a government agency (If the people calling the shots are voted into position, it's government. SMUD has an elected board of directors)
Very eco friendly.
They have TOU (time of use) summer and winter rates;
Winter off peak 10 cents kwh/ peak 13 cents
Summer off peak 13 cents/mid-peak 18cents and peak from 5-8pm (3 hours) is 32 cents

Compared to my 'flat rate' of 34 cents, they are a bargain. So many ajoining areas want to be annexed into SMUD but PGE doesn't want them to of course, so they campaigned for the rate payers to vote to allow them in or not. PGE explained in ads that there is nothing for current rate payers to gain by annexing in other areas, and a lot to lose if they become a burden. So, of course, the rate payers vote no. Nothing stops the other areas from forming their own municipality but I think due to politics, the chance of that ever getting passed is slim to none.
The SMART thing to do is invest into PGE. At those rates, they gotta be making their shareholders a bunch of money if SMUD can do it for 1/3rd the rates.

 

[swakyaby]

.

The SMART thing to do is invest into PGE. At those rates, they gotta be making their shareholders a bunch of money if SMUD can do it for 1/3rd the rates.

Isn’t PG&E still digging itself out of bankruptcy from all the California wildfires it’s equipment was blamed for starting?

 

[skipro33]

Isn’t PG&E still digging itself out of bankruptcy from all the California wildfires it’s equipment was blamed for starting?

Yes, BUT....
They settled out of court with the various counties, avoiding the criminal charges. Criminal charges cannot be recovered by raising rates. Settlements can, so what if they settled for "Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has reached settlements totaling $55 million with authorities from six Northern California counties regarding the 2019 Kincade Fire and 2021 Dixie Fire, the utility announced Monday. Apr 12, 202"

They can and did raise their rates to recover that fine/fee/bribe, what ever you want to call it. CPUC is now also looking at changing the solar methodology with how PGE deals with residential solar. First, they are going to charge solar customers to 'store' their unused electric power instead of banking it at the prevailing rate. Then they "buy" at the 3 cents per Kwh bulk rate and sell it back to you, the solar customer at the prevailing residential rate, based on time-of-day, upwards of 35 cents a Kwh. Then they are going to charge a fee for using their infrastructure to ship your generated solar that they paid you 3 cents for to them and 35 cents back to you. In a nutshell, solar will generate a larger revenue for PGE than regular residential customers. As a residential solar customer of PGE, you will pay more each month if you have solar than if you didn't. Several folks jumped onto installing batteries and going off grid. But PGE locked that up too. You MUST pay a minimum fee to PGE even if you are not using their power. It's not an option. Something like $10 a month, 30 cents a day I think is what my bill shows I am charged.
These guys are on fire, (sic) have the CPUC in their court and are in position to reap huge profits all while avoiding criminal charges including all the deaths caused by their equipment and business practices.

 

[athena53]

CPUC is now also looking at changing the solar methodology with how PGE deals with residential solar. First, they are going to charge solar customers to 'store' their unused electric power instead of banking it at the prevailing rate. Then they "buy" at the 3 cents per Kwh bulk rate and sell it back to you, the solar customer at the prevailing residential rate, based on time-of-day, upwards of 35 cents a Kwh. Then they are going to charge a fee for using their infrastructure to ship your generated solar that they paid you 3 cents for to them and 35 cents back to you. In a nutshell, solar will generate a larger revenue for PGE than regular residential customers. As a residential solar customer of PGE, you will pay more each month if you have solar than if you didn't.

That's awful. I've heard of other areas doing it but at least grandfathering in people who already had solar panels under the old plan. The people who hawk solar panels like to show projections "proving" that your savings on electricity will more than make up for the steep loan you take on to install the panels. I've always been suspicious of those calculations anyway- too much can change. I've also wondered what it would do to resale prospects for the house if the new owners had to assume the loan for the panels.

 

[street]

Yes, BUT....
They settled out of court with the various counties, avoiding the criminal charges. Criminal charges cannot be recovered by raising rates. Settlements can, so what if they settled for "Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has reached settlements totaling $55 million with authorities from six Northern California counties regarding the 2019 Kincade Fire and 2021 Dixie Fire, the utility announced Monday. Apr 12, 202"

They can and did raise their rates to recover that fine/fee/bribe, what ever you want to call it. CPUC is now also looking at changing the solar methodology with how PGE deals with residential solar. First, they are going to charge solar customers to 'store' their unused electric power instead of banking it at the prevailing rate. Then they "buy" at the 3 cents per Kwh bulk rate and sell it back to you, the solar customer at the prevailing residential rate, based on time-of-day, upwards of 35 cents a Kwh. Then they are going to charge a fee for using their infrastructure to ship your generated solar that they paid you 3 cents for to them and 35 cents back to you. In a nutshell, solar will generate a larger revenue for PGE than regular residential customers. As a residential solar customer of PGE, you will pay more each month if you have solar than if you didn't. Several folks jumped onto installing batteries and going off grid. But PGE locked that up too. You MUST pay a minimum fee to PGE even if you are not using their power. It's not an option. Something like $10 a month, 30 cents a day I think is what my bill shows I am charged.
These guys are on fire, (sic) have the CPUC in their court and are in position to reap huge profits all while avoiding criminal charges including all the deaths caused by their equipment and business practices.[/QUOT
Interesting!! Great information!
Working my whole career in the electric distribution side there has been many changes because of more demand etc...

 

[Koolau]

It's that age-old pact with the devil. We need electricity but we hate the folks who deliver it to us. In the end, the utilities always win. If we put them out of business, where do we get our electricity? YMMV

 

[corn18]

I come here for Blow That Dough motivation.

 

[Time2]

While perusing Facebook Market place for a Drill press, I saw a Delta 18-900L for $995, I checked the price it at Lowes, Home Depot and Amazon, it is selling at $1000 discount. The seller was a retail tool type company I had never heard of, I wondered is it used, has it been returned, something wrong with it? I put it off for 10 days, then decided to make the 2 hr drive. It still had a tie wrap preventing the switch from operating, Although that could have been a replacement. I took along a small drill bit, to check run out, it was perfect, the belts showed no wear at all. It did have dust on it, but they said that was free. It had all the tools and looked great. So, I'm now the owner of a stand up Drill press, I sold my old one about a year ago in anticipation of buying a new one.

My real BTD item is a lathe, just haven't been able to pull the trigger on that. I have to convince myself, that I will have the gumption to make good use of it. To that end I'm back at the gym 3 days a week, swimming at least 3 days a week and about 3 weeks end I'm already feeling like I have some spunk left in me. (even though Lou Grant hates spunk!)

 

[athena53]

Spent $524 on tickets for The Nutcracker in December- taking my DIL and 2 granddaughters, both of whom are in ballet classes. Little brother, age 3, is very verbal and they don't think he'll do well there so my son will stay home with him.

It is good to be Grandma.

 

[ElizabethT]

Just booked a 7-day RCCL Greek Isle cruise for us and our DD, SIL, and 2 GD's. I have to give it to RCCL when children are involved. This ship has a waterslide, surfing simulator, rock climbing wall, and ice skating rink. The GD's and SIL will love these!

DD did not want a balcony cabin with two young children to keep an eye on. Somewhat miraculously, the ship has a couple of connecting ocean view/ocean balcony rooms, which we were able to snag. So we can easily put the girls to bed if the parents want a late night on the ship, adjourning to our own balcony in our connecting room once they go to sleep.

We will be driving to the departure port from their S Germany home, so no flying stress. We are all so excited.

About $6500 all in for the six of us.

 

[Palmtree]

While perusing Facebook Market place for a Drill press, I saw a Delta 18-900L for $995, I checked the price it at Lowes, Home Depot and Amazon, it is selling at $1000 discount. (SNIP) So, I'm now the owner of a stand up Drill press, I sold my old one about a year ago in anticipation of buying a new one.

While on vacation in Asheville about 4 years ago I woke up at 3:00am, wide awake. Not wanting to disturb the wife, I quietly surfed the web for woodworking stores in the Asheville area. Found a hardware store that specialized in woodworking and woodworking tools. Hummmm. Checked the clearance section online and there was a new stand-up drill press at a ridiculously low price. I woke my wife up a bit early because the store opened at 8:30 and I planned on being there when the unlocked the door.
As soon as I was in the store, I asked about the drill press. The manager was surprised I knew about it because he had just put it on the web about 10pm that night. I gave him my credit card and said consider it sold. As I walked around the store, two other people came in asking to buy it!
The funny thing was, we were in my small sports car and the box would not fit. We had to take each component out and wrap them separately to get it to fit in the trunk and backseat.

 

[pacergal]

$4500 for chimney rebuild happening today.
We noticed a leak during a big rain/windstorm this spring and a few cap chunks have rolled off down the roof this summer.
60+ year old house, so it is time.
DH has done some DIY repair over the years, but is not into whole rebuild, new flashing, etc!

 

[aja8888]

My Fitbit Charge 5 bit the dust just before Amazon Prime Days. Out of warranty .....so I shopped the two days Amazon had the BIG sales. I saw a Fitbit Versa 2 on sale for $115 or thereabouts and that was $35 under usual retail.

But Cheepo me started looking for another tracker for less than $100 and saw many but held off as my old Versa 1 (original one) was still working. So I popped the old Versa on my wrist and moved on.

The original Versa is having difficulty syncing with my phone and the battery only lasts a day to two days. No wonder I bought the Charge 5 over a year ago!


Back to Amazon and looking at same Versa 2 that was on sale for $115.00 during Prime days, is NOW $99.95!

Ordered the Versa 2!

(so much for the Amazon Prime Day sales)

 

[W2R]

[...]
Back to Amazon and looking at same Versa 2 that was on sale for $115.00 during Prime days, is NOW $99.95!

Ordered the Versa 2!

(so much for the Amazon Prime Day sales)

I agree! I have seen some pretty good "after-Prime-Day" bargains, too.

 

[W2R]

I come here for Blow That Dough motivation.

Not me, I'm trying not to BTD. Gotta be sensible with all that predicted inflation just ready to smash us all to the ground.

(yeah, right, sure, uh-huh! But I'm ready either way).

 

[foxfirev5]

DW and I took the kids and GK's to a planetarium show and hosted them for the weekend. The expenses were minimal except for the $750 grocery bill. No alcohol. I can't recall anything close over all the holidays and visits we've had in the past. Just a few years ago it was a blow out at the lake house with days of runs to the store and numerous gas refills for the boats. Friends of friends dropping by. All told it was less than $300.