Too Frugal - Anybody Else Struggle Spending Too LITTLE?

[RobbieB]

And how many houses do you live in?

 

[Gumby]

I am able to be in only one place at a time, even if I own multiple houses. I thought everyone faced the same constraint, but then I don't keep up with the most modern technology.

 

[RobbieB]

I'm referring to Scoopkona who did a lot of frugal stuff and bought houses.

Plural, more than one.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

I fell off the "frugal wagon" today.

I bought Honey Crisp apples at Walmart for $2.59/lb. The Gala apples just didn't appeal to me at $1.79/lb. (Forgive me)

I have about a dozen apple trees on my farm. I eat a bunch and give a truck load away each year. I have a 4,000 sq ft garden and hunt deer on my farm and butcher them myself. I don't know if I save much money, but I really enjoy it all.

 

[ScoopKona]

And how many houses do you live in?

Two. We rent the others.

 

[RobbieB]

Sweet! So you have a "snowbird-vacation" setup eh? Nice!

And you're a real estate investor too. Good way to make some dough -

But with 2 houses you live in you are frugal in some areas but not in others. Just like all of us -

 

[ScoopKona]

Sweet! So you have a "snowbird-vacation" setup eh? Nice!

And you're a real estate investor too. Good way to make some dough -

But with 2 houses you live in you are frugal in some areas but not in others. Just like all of us -

Nope.

One house is the farm house at our farm in Hawaii. I live there. The other house is in Las Vegas, where my wife is winding down her last year. She's under contract until mid-summer. Then we're selling that house later in the year (so we don't kill ourselves packing a shipping container in summer) and quitting Las Vegas forever.

When I leave for the last time, I vow to adjust my mirror so I don't even see the place in the rear view. We're selling the rental houses, one per year, to keep capital gains from murdering us. We can only 1031 so much.

 

[Gumby]

I'm referring to Scoopkona who did a lot of frugal stuff and bought houses.

Plural, more than one.

It was a physics joke, although admittedly a poor one. In traditional physics, it is said that two solid objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. A corollary is that a single solid object cannot occupy two different spaces at the same time. Quantum physics has a different take on the matter.

 

[RobbieB]

Vegas and Hawaii?

New definition of frugal for sure -

 

[Lsbcal]

It was a physics joke, although admittedly a poor one. In traditional physics, it is said that two solid objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. A corollary is that a single solid object cannot occupy two different spaces at the same time. Quantum physics has a different take on the matter.

Are you the Gumby who had that web site with all those spreadsheet files and a lot of them financially oriented? ... a vague memory from the past. I seem to remember that Gumby had an academic background.

 

[ScoopKona]

Quantum physics has a different take on the matter.

Schrödinger's Second House says that the plumbing problems are both extant and non-existent based on whether the house in question is occupied or not. There are also Schrödinger's Squatters, Schrödinger's Landscaping and Schrödinger's Broken Windows.

 

[street]

Vegas and Hawaii?

New definition of frugal for sure -

Lol!

 

[6miths]

Never have to worry about spending too little when you have 4 kids.

 

[ScoopKona]

Vegas and Hawaii?

New definition of frugal for sure -

I get this every time I talk about the farm. "Oy! The prices!"

Since I eat mostly fish and tropical fruit, that's free. If I had to, I could live on just avocados. I've cut down a few hundred avocado trees because it's better than walking on guacamole.

Property taxes are high but only because the property reverted from agricultural to residential when I bought it. Once I get this place recertified AG, taxes will be less than Las Vegas. And since I bought the place when Kilauea was blowing lava all over the south side of the island, I was the only person who put an offer in. The state income tax doesn't affect me because I don't have an income -- and won't until proceeds from selling coffee exceed expenses restoring this farm.

As for Las Vegas, that place is dirt cheap. I couldn't stand living there. But it was cheap. And salaries are high because that's the only way to entice people to live in an inhospitable desert. There are loads of people who manage to lose all their money there -- but that's a self control issue, not a cost of living issue.

 

[street]

Never have to worry about spending too little when you have 4 kids.

Exactly!

 

[RobbieB]

I miss Vegas, I really do. Decades ago, you could visit and eat well for low dough, hey if you can it at the tables, that's your fault.

Last time (last year), I couldn't even recognize the place. Like I never seen it before. Stayed at the Venetian which is amazing but didn't book the gondola in time and there were throngs of people everywhere during the covid times.

Never again. I'll do Henderson if I'm there.

Reno I still like. I like Reno a lot -

 

[skyking1]

The strip was indeed less recognizable as the visits went on. I liked Fremont Street as it felt more like Reno.
We flew into North Las Vegas and stayed there to visit friends last time we were there. I don't think we got to the strip that time at all.
Reno was more about the air races and the car museum and heading up to Silver City or Lake Tahoe. I prefer it too.

 

[RobbieB]

I can live at the Peppermill (Reno) for 3 days easy. Not even go outside except to get the car and drive back home.

They have the Chinese place, the Italian place and the Seafood place with the all you can eat sushi bar.

And when I not playing poker or eating, we can get massages at the spa-

Yeah, Peppermill!

I forgot about Biscotti's and I always go there. Half pound prime rib dip. They know what rare means too. Half pound of shaved prime rib (anyway you like, I'll take mine rare please) au jus and sub fruit for the fries por favor.

 

[Koolau]

Vegas and Hawaii?

New definition of frugal for sure -

We here in the Islands call Vegas the "The Ninth Island" because Vegas is the top tourist destination of Hawaii. YMMV

 

[Koolau]

As for Las Vegas, that place is dirt cheap. I couldn't stand living there. But it was cheap. And salaries are high because that's the only way to entice people to live in an inhospitable desert. There are loads of people who manage to lose all their money there -- but that's a self control issue, not a cost of living issue.

Heh, heh, son "lost all his money" trying to farm in Hawaii. Seriously, his farm was too small to sustain him though he had an interesting farm plan (farm raised fish which would fertilize his hydroponics.) He actually exited without too much financial damage, but it wasn't a fun time for him.

Hope your farm does well. Exporting coffee - especially to tourists - warms my heart!

 

[ScoopKona]

Hope your farm does well. Exporting coffee - especially to tourists - warms my heart!

I appreciate that. If I don't make another penny for the entirety of my life, no worries. Anything better than that is gravy.

 

[RobbieB]

How about pot? Kona Gold was the stuff of legend back in school. Three of us smoked a pin joint and were couch welded for an hour.

 

[ScoopKona]

How about pot? Kona Gold was the stuff of legend back in school. Three of us smoked a pin joint and were couch welded for an hour.

Check out the West Hawaii Today newspaper. A neighbor, down the street, was busted for growing a few more plants than allowed.

A medicinal license is good for 10 plants.

My neighbor went a wee bit more than that with 1,000 plants. They tried to seat a jury and every single person in the voir dire refused. So they let my neighbor go. And then they announced they were done prosecuting cannabis offenses.

I'm not interested in getting high. But I'm glad I live someplace they don't jail people who do.

 

[RobbieB]

Very cool. You do know the stuff sells for like $300 / ounce manicured buds?

 

[ScoopKona]

Very cool. You do know the stuff sells for like $300 / ounce manicured buds?

I could not possibly care less.