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tim1999

If you go with the GLC300, a lot of dealers sell their service loaners as CPO cars at good discounts vs new MSRP, the cars usually have 5k miles or less and are 2019's. They usually don't have a lot of options on them though. You do get an extra year of unlimited-mileage warranty beyond the 4 yr/50k...

tim1999

A major part of my willingness to travel on business these days relates to how strict the company's travel policies are. I did not mind it one bit when I worked for a company that let me make all my own arrangements, pick the days of travel, pick flights based on schedule, fastest route, and not pri...

tim1999

I bought a "Verizon Certified Pre-Owned" iPhone directly from them. I'm guessing I could perhaps have gotten it cheaper elsewhere, but the phone was like new (I was expecting some wear and it basically had none), half the price of a new one, and I didn't have to worry about dealing with a shady sell...

tim1999

I have no answer or knowledge to contribute, but have always wondered the same thing. I would have to imagine that unless the business has a successful track record, the landlord would require a personal guarantee even if the lease is in the name of a LLC. Then it would probably be a matter of how w...

tim1999

I have a decade-old wool winter jacket that I get dry cleaned once per year. That's it anymore. Costs me $8 maybe. My current suit is 5 years old and I think was only ever dry cleaned once, after I wore it in a smoky casino maybe 2 years ago. I also think that's the last time I wore it, it's still h...

tim1999

I once tipped an AAA-provided tow truck driver $20 after he pulled my stuck car out of an off-road area that was technically not covered by the AAA plan, since it was not adjacent to or accessible from a public road. It was basically in the middle of a 30 acre muddy private property construction sit...

tim1999

I've sold many houses and have always just vacuumed all the floors and surfaces, made sure the yard was tidy with the grass freshly cut, no trash left behind unless it was on the curb for pickup the next day. I never did any deep scrubbing, paint touchup, nail hole fill-in, etc. Pretty much everyone...

tim1999

My mother recently retired from a fairly old-school office environment. An even older friend of hers remarked "aren't you glad you don't have to wear pantyhose 5 days a week anymore?" to which my mother replied "I stopped wearing those in the early 2000s."

tim1999

CoastalWinds wrote: ↑
Sun Sep 15, 2019 12:42 pm
It’s guilt-based social engineering, and it is out of control.

Agreed. I tip zero at these places where I order, pay, and pick up my food from the counter, then bus my own table.

Admittedly I avoid eye contact with the cashier at the moment I select "no tip" on the POS tablet.

tim1999

Read the local zoning ordinance, specifically the section for the zoning classification of the parcels of land you are looking at. Many jurisdictions will dictate a minimum lot size and building footprint maximum for different types of uses, which may differ with and without public water and sewer. ...

tim1999

Never, at the megacorps I've worked for. You either get a small annual increase early in the year as part of the annual review process at the same time everyone else gets it, or you get promoted. Even if my current supervisor wanted to give me a raise at a random time in the year, there isn't a proc...

tim1999

The details of the process will depend on what state and municipality you are in, but to do this the right way, you would likely have to file an application and plan with the appropriate jurisdiction for a lot line change. It may or may not be approved depending on what the change would do to your l...

tim1999

Since it is pretty certain that I will have no living relatives remaining by that time, my plan is to consult "Smith & Wesson" once I can't drive, play golf, take care of myself, etc.

tim1999

Large work downtime is explained in the book Bull**it Jobs: A Theory by David Graeber and some other economists. Technology made certain jobs so efficient that 40-60% of the work is wasted on trivial activities, but we are still required to work 8 hours/day and be at work on time so that the compan...

tim1999

My first step would be to check my credit card online to see if they have charged me for the duplicate items sent.

tim1999

I don't know if I'm "white collar" or not, I work in a large corporate office wearing the same shirt I wear to the golf course after work, our CEO doesn't wear a dress shirt and tie unless he is posing for media photos. My downtime generally ranges from probably 20% to 70% depending on the time of t...

tim1999

If I ended up with a house that is so underwater that I need to sell 50% of my assets to get out, I would just let the bank foreclose on it, take the credit hit, and move on. Seriously. I know folks in this forum tend to have moral issues with stiffing a lender, but just letting the lender take the...

tim1999

I've always locked it since an ex-girlfriend years ago snooped around on my non-password protected desktop computer while I wasn't home, and found my stash of "adult entertainment" files.

tim1999

I think you're ignoring the fact that your money will not be invested while it's loaned out for a car. That could make the 401K loan way more expensive than the auto loan. Also, at least in the case of my employer and 401k provider (Fidelity), they take the amount of loan out of your account propor...

tim1999

I go with the grilled chicken items at Chick-Fil-A, and instead of fries, get a yogurt and granola parfait.

tim1999

No. I don't consume liquor, cigarettes, or perfume/cologne so I have no need to visit these shops.

tim1999

The last time I went in for my 6-month cleaning, the dentist apparently was on vacation and wasn't there to inspect after the cleaning. It was probably the only time in 25+ years of cleanings that the dentist wasn't present at the end. I thought it was a little odd, was sort of surprised they didn't...

tim1999

stoptothink wrote: ↑
Sat Aug 03, 2019 12:28 pm

The "can I afford this house" threads are one thing, but IMO most of these "can I afford this car" threads are thinly-veiled humblebrags.

Agreed.

tim1999

Even with no kids and 20% down, no way would I buy a 600k house on that income unless we were committed to eating rice and beans, driving old cars, and having cheap hobbies.

I know KlangFool will have some good comments for the OP.

tim1999

My last few smartphones have been ~ 2 year old refurbished models bought for < $200 cash.

tim1999

I had a slightly older one and had zero maintenance expenses outside of scheduled maintenance and tires. Coventional oil was fine for the oil changes, which were $55 at my local dealer, who would actually give me a loaner car all day for a $55 oil change. Very reliable car for me. The 3.7 V6 is a ve...

tim1999

I was an acquaintance of a woman whose father was a bottom-feeding real estate "investor" who bought undersized/oddly shaped/landlocked/contaminated/located on the side of a cliff/generally worthless vacant land at tax sales, all of which was unbuildable, thinking he knew something that everybody el...

tim1999

DanMahowny wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 08, 2019 8:46 am
A good friend owns a very successful used car lot.

He says, "gold cars are old people cars, and will hurt resale value since only old people will buy them."

Yep, my friend in the biz calls that color "retirement gold".

tim1999

I’m no mechanic, but I suspect if the water truly was at mid-door level, including the engine compartment, this car is history and not worth trying to fix.

tim1999

I thought that went away 20 years ago with Archie comics and that sort of stuff. I don't think I've ever seen or heard anything related to Mad since then.

tim1999

I know that gold color on the early 1990s Legend, those were good looking cars. Maybe try an aftermarket "wrap" from a local reputable company that puts them on high end, exotic cars. They can make them to match basically any color you can imagine. A decent one will cost you at least a few grand. I ...

tim1999

My spouse knows, at least as of the time of our marriage, because both of our assets and liabilities are listed in our pre-nup agreement. My parents probably figure I'm doing OK since I've never asked them for money since graduating from college. I know theirs, because I oversee their investments fo...

tim1999

The lease should clearly state what will happen and what is owed if the lessee decides to break the lease...like if they just tell you one day "we are vacating at the end of month" even if the lease isn't up yet. Other things: -Lessee responsible for plumbing drain stoppages. -If you are allowing a ...

tim1999

Many municipalities in my area (where lots are small and houses close to each other) have banned wood-burning outdoor fire pits/chimneas, etc. due to smoke/particulate concerns. OP should make sure they are allowed where they live before spending any money.

tim1999

I used to play table games at an average bet amount and duration at the local casino that would get me a comped suite almost anytime I wanted it (had to settle for a regular room comped on NYE), all I could eat in their fancy steakhouse, never ending flow of top shelf booze, free front-section seats...

tim1999

Get a copy of the easement agreement. It should have been listed on the title insurance commitment as an exception. Realtors/sellers are known to be cagey about disclosing pipelines, and have removed or obscured pipeline marker signs. I'm not an attorney but I think it would be the responsibility of...

tim1999

Edge gel with the orange cap is as fancy as I get.

tim1999

I took a 10-15% pay cut in salary and bonus. Old job was 40 hours/week in the office with 40 hours/week of actual work to do, another 10 hours/week of dealing with frustrating work stuff during nights and weekends at home, plus 2-3 day out of state trips every other week to glamorous places like Fli...

tim1999

After purchase I keep the inspection report (good to refer back to little things I eventually need to fix myself) closing statement (aka "settlement sheet"), the title insurance policy, the agreement of sale, and survey, if any. If it's a personal residence, after I sell it I only keep the closing s...

tim1999

Sign the title as the seller and make sure the buyer section is completed before you let them walk off with it. Do not sign it and let them take the car with the buyer section on the title left blank. You may need a notary to witness either or both signatures depending on what state you are in. Rese...

tim1999

You are considerably underpaid unless you are living and working in some crazy low cost of living area like the poorest county in rural Mississippi or something. I'm guessing your 401k match and the cost of health insurance aren't particularly stellar either, and you mentioned the lack of merit rais...

tim1999

I would have retired years ago.

tim1999

I took my cat on a cross-country flight on American. Small carrier under the seat in front of me. She is healthy and well-behaved. I had to sit next to a older grumpy woman who grunted and sighed when she saw the cat carrier under my seat, and who I could see texting someone furiously for the first ...

tim1999

Sorry.....I'd say ignore everything said here. Having test driven cars for fun for 40 years, here's what you do to minimize the wasted time, since you only want to drive. Go in on Saturday, on a nice day, when it's busy as hell. Don't make an appointment, don't do any prep work. The goal is to get ...

tim1999

That appraisal price is high if this is rural land surrounded by miles of other rural land. The price is low or reasonable if this tract is in a booming suburban area with complicated zoning rules and builders salivating for available land. You want an appraiser who primarily works in that area, not...

tim1999

If I had the OP's income (and probably long work hours), the last thing I would want to be wasting time on is messing around with trying to keep an old clunker running enough to get me to work on time and back home daily. I would want something newer that is more likely to be problem-free. Even if y...

tim1999

The last house I bought had one included from a national warranty company that was paid for by the seller, which was a common thing to include in a house sale in that particular area. The biggest benefit for me was that when something went wrong, no matter what it was, I just had to make one call to...

tim1999

No offense but reads a bit like a humble brag. Can you afford a mortgage 1.25x your income with a NW over a MILLION DOLLARS? I got the same impression. However, just because one can afford something, doesn't mean it's a smart thing to do. Anyway, OP mentions the prospective house is in a private go...

tim1999

I had to look up at the ceiling just now to know if I have crown molding or not. Certainly wasn't something I noticed or cared about when selecting this house to buy.

tim1999

I have no easy way to get rid of the wood and debris from even a small tree, so to me it is worth it to hire a pro even for minor trimming and let them chip it up and haul it away. Bulk trash/yard waste removal by the municipality is only quarterly here, and I don't want to leave that stuff laying i...

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