Cheapskate Parking Solution

[Lsbcal]

+1. I thought this was Al's new paradigm in travel- more pleasure, less ordeal. He has spent $66 worth of thought on this already, and he isn't even pedaling back to the hotel in the rain yet. When I was about 25 I went to dinner at a nice white tablecloth restaurant with a pretty Greek woman. The check came and I was trying to figure out what 15% would be (I'm a 20%er now, rounded up) anyway the pretty woman says, Hah dearest, be a sport and forget the accountancy.

Sweet story. When we go out I do the math and pay the tip based on the pretax amount. Nowadays I'll justify this based on keeping my math estimate skills sharp. But I think you have a good point here.

She gave me other very valuable advice, most of it at least somewhat embarassing to me. I am eternally grateful for all of it, as it was all sorely needed.

I think we all want you to go more deeply into this one.

 

[Moemg]

I thought the purpose of the new travel plan was more luxury . Pay the $22 !

 

[rescueme]

IPay the $22 !

You can't fight cheap ...

It's kind of funny, reading this thread. Many decades ago (when DW/I had little money), we scrimped and saved for the future.

Today, rather than drive to the airport (in our case, EWR which is the airport of choice for our direct flights around the world) and worry about parking and shuttle service, we just get a limo (e.g. Town Car) to/from our home. No need to worry about getting to/from the airport at all (and they have drinks/snacks along the way).

Does it cost more? Sure. Can we afford it? Certainly.

That's what saving/investing for retirement is all about. If you can't enjoy the "fruits of your labor", than why prepare at all?

You don't need to be cheap in retirement, unless you didn't prepare for the future. And if you didn't? Why are you retired?

Enjoy life (if you can); it dosen't last forever ...

 

[TromboneAl]

OK, Al, here's a mathematical approach that might help you to decide.

First, figure out the entire cost of your trip - - transportation, hotels, restaurants, entry fees for sightseeing and cultural events, parking fees, tips, and so on.

Then divide that by the number of free hours you will have outside your hotel room, at your destination, to figure out a cost per hour of enjoying your destination.

Finally, subtract the parking fees from the entire cost of the trip, and subtract the time you would have to spend in dealing with the parking situation (looking for parking spots, biking back to the hotel, drying clothes drenched in the rain, and so on). Again, divide the (adjusted) total cost by the adjusted cost per hour of enjoying your destination.

Compare the two and you will have your answer.

Ah, I'm glad you brought this up, because I have concluded that this is not the best way to analyze cost-saving activities.

Let me give an example of what I mean.

Let's say I buy a 1 million dollar house. When I move in, I find that one of the doorknobs is broken. I have to decide whether to fix it myself, or just buy a new one for $40.

I might say "Well, I just spent $1 million for the house, what's another .004 percent?" But I see that as false reasoning. The real issue is whether I'd rather have the $40 I'd save, or the time it would take to fix it myself, and that is independent of the cost of the house. In addition, there's the possibility that I'd enjoy fixing it, and would find it rewarding.

Now, it is reasonable to count my time as more valuable when on a trip, and that's a good thing to keep in mind. Once I saved money on sightseeing in San Francisco by using public transportation. I ended up spending several hours of that day waiting for buses. I had made the wrong decision.

If it's raining I might skip it, but the extra bother of the ride is not really a bother at all. Riding on bike trails in a new place is what the trip is all about.

 

[W2R]

the extra bother of the ride is not really a bother at all. Riding on bike trails in a new place is what the trip is all about.

Sure, if you'd pay THAT MUCH to go someplace and choose to ride on that exact route. I'd think there might be more scenic bike riding than what you might happen to find between WalMart and your hotel, but then if that is the pinnacle of your bike riding or other experiences at your destination, so be it.

 

[haha]

I think we all want you to go more deeply into this one.

In the past I have been moderated for less. Basically, if you are a man, listen to women. They know more about almost everything that counts for you. And although I used second person construction here, I am really talking about yo mismo and no one else, as I may be a hard case.

Ha

 

[TromboneAl]

I think we all want you to go more deeply into this one.

That's exactly what she said!

 

[Purron]

I thought the purpose of the new travel plan was more luxury . Pay the $22 !

And order a nice bottle of Champagne and a couple of steaks up to the room.

 

[FUEGO]

If it's raining I might skip it, but the extra bother of the ride is not really a bother at all. Riding on bike trails in a new place is what the trip is all about.

I feel the same way about these extra "hassles". Seeing a non-touristy part of town interests me as much as seeing the normal tourist destinations. An extra hour or so of seeing the sights from a bike or bus or train to save $66 wouldn't be a real hassle at all and I might serendipitously see something cool and unexpected along the way.

 

[pb4uski]

I thought the purpose of the new travel plan was more luxury . Pay the $22 !

+1 At the end of your days, your heirs will receive $66 less than they would have otherwise. No big deal.

 

[haha]

+1 At the end of your days, your heirs will receive $66 less than they would have otherwise. No big deal.

Are you sure of this?

 

[pb4uski]

Are you sure of this?

Yes, I am sure it is no big deal and my educated guess is that T-Al will not die penniless if he coughs up the $66 for parking.

 

[TromboneAl]

Yes, I am sure it is no big deal and my educated guess is that T-Al will not die penniless if he coughs up the $66 for parking.

I often think "Can this expenditure possibly make any difference, financially, during the rest of my life?" and the answer is usually "no." But that's a tricky thing. Today, I could buy a quieter dishwasher, an oven for which the self-clean feature still works, a quieter fridge, a wetsuit that is easier to take off, a shortboard, a new iPod touch, a tire inflator, a new bike rack, an iPad, some new hiking boots, a lobster dinner, a lighter bike, a bigger chainsaw, and a few other things. The answer is "no" for each of those, and "probably no" for all of them together. If I buy more stuff tomorrow...

It's a good question to ask, but I prefer "Would I rather spend the $66 on parking or on __________ extravagance?"

Would you enjoy the experience of winning $66? That's how I see it, since riding my bike 12 miles is fun.

When we went to Hawaii, I dropped Lena at the airport, parked the car at a friend's, and walked the 3 miles to the airport at 4 AM. It was fun.

 

[haha]

When we went to Hawaii, I dropped Lena at the airport, parked the car at a friend's, and walked the 3 miles to the airport at 4 AM. It was fun.

The secret of your continuing existence is that you married the right woman.

Ha

 

[pb4uski]

I often think "Can this expenditure possibly make any difference, financially, during the rest of my life?" and the answer is usually "no." But that's a tricky thing. Today, I could buy a quieter dishwasher, an oven for which the self-clean feature still works, a quieter fridge, a wetsuit that is easier to take off, a shortboard, a new iPod touch, a tire inflator, a new bike rack, an iPad, some new hiking boots, a lobster dinner, a lighter bike, a bigger chainsaw, and a few other things. The answer is "no" for each of those, and "probably no" for all of them together. If I buy more stuff tomorrow...
....

As a life long LBYMer, that is the thing I sometimes struggle with as well. Within a reasonably likely range of investment results, my heirs will do very well to too well, which could mean that I should be spending more today and enjoying myself more, having more conveniences, etc. I do tend to be more willing to splurge on vacation.

Similar to you when I tally the things I would buy if I just let go a bit (similar to your list) it really isn't a lot in the whole scheme of things. While I know a new bike could be a lot, the rest of the list could probably be had for less than $5k.

 

[Sue J]

I often think "Can this expenditure possibly make any difference, financially, during the rest of my life?" and the answer is usually "no." But that's a tricky thing. Today, I could buy a quieter dishwasher, an oven for which the self-clean feature still works, a quieter fridge, a wetsuit that is easier to take off, a shortboard, a new iPod touch, a tire inflator, a new bike rack, an iPad, some new hiking boots, a lobster dinner, a lighter bike, a bigger chainsaw, and a few other things. The answer is "no" for each of those, and "probably no" for all of them together. If I buy more stuff tomorrow...

It's a good question to ask, but I prefer "Would I rather spend the $66 on parking or on __________ extravagance?"

Would you enjoy the experience of winning $66? That's how I see it, since riding my bike 12 miles is fun.

When we went to Hawaii, I dropped Lena at the airport, parked the car at a friend's, and walked the 3 miles to the airport at 4 AM. It was fun.

Al, I like your idea of fun although at 4am, I'd be thinking about the safety issue vs the expense of parking at the airport.

When someone suggests that I buy a new thing to replace a thing I already have, I always say "But I already own this one." I do buy new things when the old one is more trouble than it's worth or if new features make it a worthwhile purchase.

I used my original FoodSaver vacuum packing machine for too long after it got difficult to use. It would vacuum just fine but didn't kick into the sealing unless you held down the cover just right with both hands, full force. It made a horrible noise and I kept having to redo the package over and over until it sealed correctly. I finally got disgusted and tossed it in the trash on the way out the door to get a new one. The new one works easily and perfectly every time. I should have bought it months earlier, as soon as the old one started mis-behaving.

 

[Lsbcal]

Clearly there is an art of spending in retirement. How to balance old saving habits with new freedoms and gentle depletion of the nest egg?

 

[pb4uski]

And sometimes I feel like I am groping in the dark.

 

[Purron]

The secret of your continuing existence is that you married the right woman.

Ha

One of the best Ha quotes ever.

 

[Sarah in SC]

One of the best Ha quotes ever.

I agree. It should be on a bumper sticker!

 

[TromboneAl]

Update

The parking solution did not work. Why? Because the Walmart didn't exist!

Despite being shown by googlemaps:



There was no Walmart in Milwaukee, Oregon. I drove there and was told that there was a Walmart planned, but none yet.

I talked with the police, who told me that I could park in a residential area, but would technically have to move the car every 24 hours. Not worth it, so I abandoned the idea and drove back and parked at the hotel. A little time wasted, but no big deal.

We did later ride on the exact route I would have taken:

 

[ERD50]

The secret of your continuing existence is that you married the right woman.

Ha

Awesome line!

I often think "Can this expenditure possibly make any difference, financially, during the rest of my life?" and the answer is usually "no." ....

As a life long LBYMer, that is the thing I sometimes struggle with as well. ...

I tend to spend a bit more time/effort on recurring expenses. Just spent a lot of time going through home/cell phone options (only one kid left in the house, our 'family plan' for cell phone didn't make sense anymore - but I had to find a different VOIP provider, as that was p/o the family plan). For other consumables, I note what price I paid and where, and when it's time to restock, I can look around for a better price before I run out.

I try not to get too hung up on one-time expenses - life is too short.

-ERD50

 

[pb4uski]

The parking solution did not work. Why? Because the Walmart didn't exist!

Despite being shown by googlemaps:...

That is weird!

 

[omni550]

The parking solution did not work. Why? Because the Walmart didn't exist!

Despite being shown by googlemaps:

View attachment 14605

Perhaps it's in a parallel universe.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Very odd--I've had Google maps show places that no longer exist at an address, but never one that might one day be located there. Definitely the parallel universe is working against T-Al, omni!