WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR NOVEMBER 2023

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Replies

  • Whidislander
    Whidislander Posts: 3,894 Member
    So I did not balance my checkbook today. I'm $127 off and I know its some Amazon things that have not cleared, but those sort of things drive me batty! I will try to balance it next week.
    Today found the cutest squishy fluffy pillow in the shape of a bowl of ramen. Christmas present for eldest.💖
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    I also bought a new calendar. Its Japanese block prints photos. So pretty. If any of you have calendars, please send them my way. I make envelopes out of them, or cut photos from them for stationery.💖. Just send me a private message on here and I will give you my address. Much appreciated!
    Rebecca
    Whidbey
    Wa

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,690 Member
    edited November 2023
    grandmallie wrote: »
    Kim,no biggies in the last year except for new tires and back brakes..it needs new wiper blades but other than that,i take it in for oil changes when its needed and all.

    I'd keep it then!

    Reassess the situation next year.

    Also, a car isn't really an asset, is it? We all know the adage that a car loses a large amount of money the moment it is driven off the lot.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,690 Member
    OregonMother wrote: »
    grandmallie wrote: »
    Went over to see Tracy and Miles
    She thinks I should just keep the car and drive it till it dies..
    But I really want to have something that at this stage of the game isn't going to start going to pot and need things done to it all the time.
    So im between a rock and a hard place..with buying one i have an asset ,leasing one I don't. I dont want to finance one would rather buy one outright and maybe haggle a bit..but if I don't have a car to trade in.. that makes it all the harder.
    Geesh im in a pickle.. any recommendations ladies?I would love to hear what you got. Now i am not flush with money and would have to take it out and pay taxes on it.. but at least I would have a good running car that wouldn't need work for a good long while.
    HELP 😆

    You and I are of similar ages. I agree with Tracy. Save your money. A car should not be considered an asset because of depreciation.

    Flea
    Willamette Valley OR

    Right!

    It doesn't take long for the so-called "asset" to become a money pit.

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,690 Member
    edited November 2023
    grandmallie wrote: »
    I dont drive very far but im putting 60.00 dollars in the tank every other week.it would be nice to get something with a bit better gas mileage.

    Drive less ... or drive more intentionally. I'll often map the route I'm going to take so that there's no backtracking and I'll often park in one central location and walk the rest of the way to several places.

    And of course, I use the bus whenever possible. :)

    Fuel is expensive in Tasmania at 2.30/litre ... but not as expensive as fuel in New Zealand!!


    M in Oz

  • skuehn48
    skuehn48 Posts: 3,072 Member
    <3
  • TerriRichardson112
    TerriRichardson112 Posts: 19,147 Member
    On the east coast of Ireland, we are right in the eye of Storm Ciaran, so it’s still and bright outside. It seems to be circling the British Isles anticlockwise, which is why Heather is getting the gales.

    I have Shakespeare Study Group after lunch, and I need to do my Latin translation for tomorrow. Otherwise nothing crucial to take care of.

    ☘️ Terri

  • SophieRosieMom
    SophieRosieMom Posts: 3,703 Member
    edited November 2023
    drkatiebug wrote: »
    I think I already shared my new car story. I would not take money out of my 401K to buy a new car unless it was a necessity. I like to get a car, keep it 8-10 years, then trade it in. I paid my last one off early and continued to “pay” $500 a month into a sinking fund called “Kay’s new car.” I did this religiously for 4 years. I researched my car’s blue book value as well as looked online at places like car max to see what similar cars were selling for. Dave threw in a little more from his personal savings account where he saves the money he used to spend on beer and cigarettes. I went armed with a budget and knowledge to my favorite dealership where they knew I had not missed a service on my car. They offered me $300 more than KBB. I said I was expecting more because I knew what they could get for it. They wouldn’t budge on the trade-in, but they took $1000 off the car price, and I wrote them a check. My car is in the spoiler.
    [/nylvhjdjch55.jpeg
    spoiler]
    I have zero buyer’s remorse. I love my car. It is a 2024 Honda CRV. It gets around 30 mpg. It is also AWD,

    Kay - I think this is brilliant. And by paying monthly for a "ghost car" a person can get a sense of how a new car payment would impact the current budget. :)

    Lanette B)
  • Rosemarie2972
    Rosemarie2972 Posts: 500 Member
    Allie: Have you considered the insurance costs? I have a 2007 Honda Accord with 169,000 miles. I had another Accord that I drove to 190,000 miles. I understand they can go much higher in mileage. The insurance would really jump to 140 to 200 a month if I purchased a used Toyota Camry which is what I would like to purchase. Mainly because the dealer is closer to my house. I am really spoiled by the lower insurance payments I have now. Maybe you can split the difference and take half from your 401k and have a small monthly note if the financing is low enough.

    Best,
    Rosemarie from Georgia
  • cityjaneLondon
    cityjaneLondon Posts: 12,789 Member
    My son brought Max over. Although it's damp the worst seems to have passed over. Here's hoping. It was scary last night up in the eaves. :o

    Had a lovely long chat with G this morning.

    Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx
  • pipcd34
    pipcd34 Posts: 17,357 Member
    455455
  • LisaInArkansas
    LisaInArkansas Posts: 2,953 Member
    Morning all, from the freezing cold, pre-dawn November morning in the Arkansas River Valley.

    Rori darlin' - Always good to see you pop up, no worries about ghosting us. So glad your gentleman friend is still making your heart sing. :smiley:

    Rosemarie - I thought I'd be paying out more for my car insurance too, but I'm actually paying less. When I removed the 2014 Passat and added the 2019 Kicks to my insurance, they said there would be a $34 refund coming back to me, so it was slightly more expensive to insure the older car. Not sure why.

    KatieBug - That is the best scheme for saving for a car that I've ever heard of, supremely practical!

    Pottery class this afternoon... trying to get over my ingrained aversion to being anywhere but home, but as usual, I'm just a big fat dreader. Doesn't mean I won't go, just means I'll be feeling sorry for myself until I leave for the class. I'll get over it as soon as I walk in the pottery studio.
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    Other than that, just doodling. Hope everyone's good as the week winds down, and ready to come out of Daylight Savings Time this weekend in the U.S. Corey will be driving home from work in the dark by Monday, bless him. He always loves getting that hour of sleep back on the day of the time change, though.

    Later my dears,
    Lisa in AR
  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 17,252 Member
    :) When we moved into this house, it had all the appliances, none of them very new. That was in 2011. Since then we have replaced the stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher and I have thanked the washer and dryer for staying strong. Tuesday night the dryer did something that announced that it was dead. We decided that we could have it repaired (maybe) or we could buy a new set and enjoy them now. We made a list of what we needed and then searched online to find what fit our needs and our budget. We found an LG pair from Costco that they will deliver on Saturday. The other possibility couldn't be delivered for at least two weeks.

    :) A neighbor was talking to Jake and said to let him know if there was anything he could do for us so Jake said that they could let us dry some clothes in their dryer and the neighbor told him that there were laundromats in town.

    :)Allie, Take your time with a car purchase. Whether you put down a lot of cash or end up with car payments for years, it is a major impact on one's life. I know that there are all sorts of things that you love spending your money on and the cost of a car will have a huge impact on that.

    :) When we bought our car in July, we had been talking about buying a car for over a year. We had savings and sufficient income to make the purchase but I resisted because our current car was in such good condition that it bothered my thrifty soul to trade it in before we needed to.

    <3 Barbie in NW WA
  • Anniesquats100
    Anniesquats100 Posts: 3,306 Member
    Good morning ladies!

    Allie look at the monthly cost of insurance plus car payment plus gas. Avoid paying a $500 a month car payment to save $20 a month in gas.
    Maybe getting the car painted or getting new seat covers would help your satisfaction without breaking the bank. And this answer is none of my business, but consider is your alimony going down when your ex retires? I just have a vague memory of that issue coming up before. Lastly, are you saving for another cruise? Will a car payment prevent that? Lots to consider.

    Heather glad you are weathering the storm.

    Rori, good to hear from you. I often think about you as a marvelous example of life after caregiving.

    Have a great day my friends!

    Annie in Delaware
  • Anniesquats100
    Anniesquats100 Posts: 3,306 Member
    One more thought - a car is an appliance, not an investment. Having a fancy car is like putting a couch in an elevator. You need something reliable that gets the job done. Any upgrades after that are "wants" not "needs". Of course, it's your decision, and maybe you have the money for this "want".

    Hope that is helpful. Annie
  • margaretturk
    margaretturk Posts: 5,294 Member
    edited November 2023
    Allie I bought by 2017 Malibu seven years ago and sold my old car to Mary who I miss here. She was the one who did kettle weights. I liked my old car. I had it for twelve years. I upgraded because I wanted all the safety features. The alerts for telling me the cars are approaching and there is an object in my path have saved me from numerous fender benders. I do feel safer with all the added air bags.

    I bought it in December that is actually a good time to buy a new car and waiting until near the end of the month because the dealer is more apt to give you a deal because of quotas. They have more pressure to sell a vehicle.

    One thing to consider is renewal tabs. Here the cost is based on what the Manufactor charges for the car not what you pay for it. My car is seven years old and they still value it more than what I paid for it. I did protest this to no avail.

    The tabs are only part of what it cost to own a car. Insurance is another cost. Having all the safety features and taking the over 55 course and implementing the work waiver saved a bit on insurance.

    Then there is of course maintenance and gas.

    So I agree with others owning a car is expensive enough without adding a car payment or taking money out of savings. Right now interest on savings is higher than it has been in years. On what you spend on a decent car 20,000-40,000 you could be making 1000-2000 a year.
  • pipcd34
    pipcd34 Posts: 17,357 Member
    456456
  • Anniesquats100
    Anniesquats100 Posts: 3,306 Member
    Hello again. I have a different sort of question now. I need to get some sort of caregiver alert system. The simplest, cheapest and most reliable would be to get a bunch of handbells. The pager systems have a call bell on a lanyard then a receiver that plugs in. Or there's the whole baby monitor option. I'm not sure my mother would actually use any of these; she hasn't used the nurse call button yet at her rehab. But I could at least put a handbell in the bathrooms. What do you all think?

    Annie in Delaware
  • GodMomKim
    GodMomKim Posts: 3,708 Member
    Barbie -
    That neighbor has a weird idea of being helpful... I wish we lived closer you could use my dryer!!!!

    Kim in N. California
  • kevrit
    kevrit Posts: 4,390 Member
    grandmallie wrote: »
    Went over to see Tracy and Miles
    She thinks I should just keep the car and drive it till it dies..
    But I really want to have something that at this stage of the game isn't going to start going to pot and need things done to it all the time.
    So im between a rock and a hard place..with buying one i have an asset ,leasing one I don't. I dont want to finance one would rather buy one outright and maybe haggle a bit..but if I don't have a car to trade in.. that makes it all the harder.
    Geesh im in a pickle.. any recommendations ladies?I would love to hear what you got. Now i am not flush with money and would have to take it out and pay taxes on it.. but at least I would have a good running car that wouldn't need work for a good long while.
    HELP 😆

    I would buy the used one at only 1,500 miles outright. With leasing, you will, at end of lease, have to give it back or pay more money to keep it. At least if you but it using your 401K, you will most likely get a lot of those taxes back when you do your income tax yet. I double you make enough to pay the full tax. You will at first, but get it in a refunds if I’m not mistaken. I took money out of my 401K before and if I remember right, got some of those initial taxes back when I filed income tax. Also with leasing, no trade in if you ever do want to change vehicle. You have one now right? With that trade in, you may not have to pay as much as you think.

    RVRita
  • Whidislander
    Whidislander Posts: 3,894 Member
    ginnytez wrote: »
    Allie-I agree you need to do what is right for you. I personally would be nervous about pulling out of a 401 k for car-but I don't know your overall financial situation.
    I purchased my new CRV after my much older Toyota Rav and a rear end accident. The vehicle was getting old and I didn't feel comfortable. Went car shopping with son, bought the same car he did (different color) on impulse and sense of discomfort with current. After having it for a couple of years (maybe 4?) I really did not like how the seat felt-much too hard for me, just not comfortable driving. I still drive a goodly amount each month to Columbus for work (100 miles average round trip) and a decent drive to see grandkids). Mileage wasn't an issue-it was my hips! They were replaced but I wanted comfort. Come 2021 they were giving a trade in just shy of equal what I paid for CRV and found my Subaru. I have a much smaller car payment now and am happy with choice. I got 0% financing for three years and am still paying it off sooner. I plan on it being my last new car. While I did not need it I am happy with my choice and view it as part of my retirement plan.

    Heather-glad your house survived the storm! I don't quite understand the UK tax system, but I would hate to miss a deadline-glad you are addressing issue.

    Rori-your life sound so rich and exciting.

    Rebecca-except for utilities (which come from bank account), I make all other on-line payments with credit card then take that payment out of checking. It is an extra step but I feel safer that way (doesn't mean it is) and makes for easier balancing for me.

    Pip-good luck with the Marathon. I think it is terrific you are participating even if you don't feel your training is where it normally is.

    All I can think of now. Need to get ready for the day. Going to Columbus for meeting, but with a good group. Will take some personal time off after meeting (have to use some vacation time).

    Take care all,

    Ginny in Ohio

    We've been doing that for all our gas charges. For our trip to son, we paid from the credit card, and then just paid that off yesterday. We got a credit card just a couple of months ago. Just as a backup if ever there was an emergency, but until then its been like $150 or less, which is fairly easy to pay. The fact that we just put CC by the charges in the register helps us to not charge more than is comfortable.👍🏼
    Rebecca
    Whidbey
    Wa

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