iamshack

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ May 18, 2016 -> 08:35 AM) I guess I don't see the judgment here. The differentiation between investment and cost center is not subjective, or judgmental - it is a state of being, and a financial reality. I don't now, nor ever have, thought less of people who spend big money on cars. Hell I love me some sports cars when I get a chance to ride or drive in one. It just means, when I see people talk about an investment (which I hear a lot), I cringe because it indicates a dangerous lack of understanding and I fear for the results of that. I guess really, I do judge, but only insofar as people who I see make mistakes that I think stem from a lack of knowledge. Not because they CHOOSE to spend the money, or HOW they do it, or on WHAT. Does that make more sense? I was referring more to the post before that, where you mentioned you and your wife have successful careers but have always purchased Fords, Saturns, etc. That being said, no big deal...it's just a hot button of mine that a few have pressed the last couple days in this thread.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ May 18, 2016 -> 08:22 AM) That is an easier argument to make when your income gives you a fair amount of disposable income, though. Well, it's also about priorities as well. I live in Nevada, and pay about $1600 in annual property taxes. There is no state income tax here. It is dirt cheap to live here. Additionally, we've purchased a home that cost about 20% of what we qualified for a loan on. So our monthly nut isn't nearly as high of a percentage of our net monthly income as most, I suspect.

Honestly, some people seem to obsess so much over the precise manner in which to spend their money that they detract from their enjoyment of it. I am going to enjoy my life while I live it. That isn't to say that I don't save for retirement. My wife and I are a dual income family and we both invest more than 10% of our salaries on an annual basis in 401k accounts. We currently own 3 homes. So it is a balance between today and in the future. So I agree with what NSS said, but even the manner in which he said it was oozing with judgment, even though I suspect it was unintentional. I happen to like driving, and I happen to love cars. I also love clothes and sneakers, too. I love golf. I love tvs and computers and stereo equipment. Those are the things I spend my discretionary income on. I am 39 now. When I am 70, I hope I can look back on my life, perhaps with a slightly smaller pile of money than some of you more financially-sound investors, and smile, remembering what it was like to drive a sportscar over 130 mph, or to walk into a meeting with a suit that fit like armor, or to smoke a drive 350+ yards down the middle of the fairway, etc. To me, that is much more valuable than an extra 20% to enjoy when I am urinating on myself and drinking Ensure through a straw.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ May 18, 2016 -> 07:44 AM) I think it has to be a balance. That's kind of what I was getting at - everyone spends money on things they like that aren't necessarily logical or financially smart. Used to be travel for my wife and I (not so much anymore with young kids). But if you don't also keep track of your finances, as any business does, you can find yourself in trouble. Wanting a cool car isn't wrong. Just don't think of it as an "investment", because it isn't. It's a luxury spend. Which is also fine. Has the word "investment" even been used in this thread?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ May 18, 2016 -> 06:04 AM) After all the talk about how much money to put into a car, I want to add two things... 1. Everyone has something, or some things, they spend "extra" on. Clothing, travel, cars, whatever. I try not to judge it. For me personally, cars have never been something I felt the need to spend big on. My wife and I have very successful careers, and our cars have been Honda, Subaru, Ford and Saturn. Just my preference, because... 2. Cars are NOT investments. No matter how you feel about how much you want to spend or whats important, you should get yourself out of that mindset. Cars are COST CENTERS. That doesn't mean you can't blow some extra money on them if it makes you happy - but they are all depreciating assets with an increasing cost curve. Cost centers. No doubt about that. But my life is not a business. I don't really take that viewpoint when viewing my personal finances. That isn't to say I walk around throwing money at rainbows, but running my life like a business is not something I choose to do.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ May 17, 2016 -> 07:55 AM) I had no idea what the new name meant. I thought it was somehow a play on words of the umpire/opera singer from the Naked Gun series. It's Enrico Palazzo!

QUOTE (farmteam @ May 15, 2016 -> 09:15 PM) Switching careers and moving back to Chicago. Super stoked! Just finalized everything Friday and telling work tomorrow. First time I've had to do a two weeks notice deal. Shouldn't be too bad. They'll be supportive of you, I'm sure. You are young and idealistic!

QUOTE (farmteam @ May 12, 2016 -> 06:37 AM) Don't really know anywhere to look besides Craigslist. I'm in the same boat. Just got a job in Chicago. I'd prefer to have a roommate but none of my friends down there need one and I don't want to go the "random Craigslist" route. Ahem...Tony, Farmteam...I see an opportunity here...

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 13, 2016 -> 07:45 PM) We'd have a cheaper roster, that's for sure. (And probably a 21-15 record without Frazier, if not 20-16). Perfect additions would have been Abad (lefties 0 for 17 against him), Park or Trumbo at DH, Maeda for the rotation...but Hahn obviously didn't know LaRoche was leaving and Avisail at least hasn't been a negative compared to last year (especially defensively). And if you look at that guys like Upton and Gordon, only Cespedes has been earning his money (and still not sure he's worth THAT much). As long as Anderson makes it as an impact player at SS, trading Semien won't hurt nearly so much. The one thing to remember with Thompson is that he's primarily getting at-bats in favorable situations and hasn't been playing everyday because of Joc Pederson's presence there...kind of like when Viciedo was protected in a similar way against really tough RHP and that was exposed later on in his career. Also, Inciarte's really struggling for the Braves and we might take a stab at him as the 4th outfielder, but he's not going to come for free. Semien is just so inconsistent.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ May 13, 2016 -> 07:33 PM) Hey dude. I was at Audi this week and checked out their next two years roadmap. Wow. They are stepping up their engine and tech game. Just wait until 2017-2018 Yeah, for sure. I am hoping to order a TTRS in 2018 or so. For now, content to procure the next family truckster. See anything you like?

QUOTE (chw42 @ May 13, 2016 -> 07:03 PM) Yeah I'd say Kershaw is still better. And that Arrieta guy.

QUOTE (SouthsideDon48 @ May 13, 2016 -> 06:37 PM) I wonder if anyone's car habits are similar to mines: I'm almost 31 years old and only had 3 cars ever. First car was a hand-me-down silver 1990 Cadillac Deville that was my mom's old car that she let me have in 2002 after I got my license after she got another used car. Everything you could think of was wrong with that Cadillac: no heat, 2 doors stuck shut, and the transmission gave out to the point where I had to push it backwards out of parking spaces. I still loved that car, because I thought it looked awesome how it was missing some hub caps, outside door panels, and how it let out a trail of exhaust in the winter time like Uncle Buck's car from "Uncle Buck". In 2003 or 2004, my neighbor sold me his dark green 1993 Toyota Camry for $1,000. It was a great car and I drove it until 2010 until the exhaust system gave out and I figured that it was too costly to get that fixed since it already had a leaky head gasket (had to pour oil into it once a week for 2 years) and it was at 244,000 miles. I even nicknamed this car Roadkill because it kinda looked like Roadkill from Twisted Metal with the rusting dark green paint job and all the paint on the hood chipped off as well, and this car was missing hub caps as well. In 2010, I got my current car, a silver 2001 Toyota Camry from a dealership for $5,000 cash down, no monthly payments. When I got it, it had 106,000 miles on it and now it's at 170,000 miles and it never really had any serious problems other than a spark plug shooting out and tearing the socket threads while on a trip in Tennessee. Every once in a while it needs a tune-up or something, and other than an oxidation sensor that acted up sometimes when it gets rainy (hasn't done that in a few years now), the car runs like a charm. I keep up with the daily maintenance of it and will have to change the timing belt and water pump soon, but otherwise that car is great and I drive like an old lady in it. I don't think I ever paid more than $1,000 in actual repairs on it yet. It's also missing a hub cap, which just makes it look much more like a SouthsideDon48 car. ;-) I basically refuse to ever buy a brand-new car if I can get a used car at a good value instead. My magic number tends to be cars that are at least 10 years old, because at that point I think you can really get a good value. I also refuse to take out a loan for a car and owe a monthly payment on it, I rather own a car free and clear and not have another monthly payment obligation to worry about. If I don't have the $5,000 cash to buy a decent car, then I would still rather take a gamble on an even older used car for $1k or $2k than to take out a loan. I feel like my thriftiness is a good thing, lol. My fiancee just got a 2014 Chevy Traverse with her money and she has to make $350 a month payments on it (she and I are opposites when it comes to cars, but we balance each other out), in fact, she's paying as much for her car as what our monthly mortgage payment is for our Oak Lawn condo, and our mortgage is $350 a month as well. (My low mortgage payment can be thanks to my thriftiness as well.) Bottom line, I always like to find a value and I refuse to pay full price for something brand new. Oh SSD, how I've missed thee!

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 13, 2016 -> 03:58 PM) http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-s...-htmlstory.html Dodgers' columnist wants to see Puig sent down and Crawford released (eventually)...the strange thing about this season is he was really hitting well the first 2-3 weeks and then "lost it" again. A great article about Vin Scully that I found at the bottom of that article: Vin Scully: The Man Behind the Mike

QUOTE (Leonard Zelig @ May 12, 2016 -> 09:24 PM) 90's reunions, my wife went to see Babes in Toyland a while back. I never got into that scene. I saw Radiohead open for R.E.M. pre-OK Computer. So I saw the comments about the new album and I gave the songs a few previews on iTunes and thought "what the hell is this?" Which led me to reading some reviews on pitchfork and the Atlantic...which led me down this rabbithole for like 3 hours of reading about Radiohead. That resulted in me repurchasing OK Computer and Kid A (which I have on CD somewhere but was too lazy to go look for). I still have not yet purchased Moon Shaped Pool, but I likely will. I knew OK Computer and Kid A were highly acclaimed but did not know that one or the other is often considered amongst the top albums of all time.

QUOTE (Deadpool @ May 13, 2016 -> 10:41 AM) Hawk is, by definition, a professional. We expect him to act like it. In the literal sense, sure. In the figurative sense, he's a former player and a fan sitting in the booth.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ May 13, 2016 -> 09:00 AM) Exactly. This simply isn't professional. The Sox would absolutely give an update to the broadcasters to air for the fans. Mark Since when did we think Hawk was professional? As we have stated like 4000 times on this message board, many love Hawk because he is exactly like us - he is a superfan. He feels the same things we do and he often says them. Whether you prefer that style or you prefer the more professional style, one cannot deny that there is some portion of the fanbase that loves it. I could give a s*** if it is professional for Hawk to go down and get us an update. What I appreciated is that he did and I knew Frazier was going to be fine rather than having to wait for some schlep that Frazier didn't trust to give me some vague report only confirming what I already know - that Frazier injured his mouth.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ May 13, 2016 -> 08:38 AM) Eh...I know some may or may not appreciate my comments. As my friends know (to their chagrin at times), I'm an open book when it comes to things like this and I'm not shy when it comes to my opinion, especially on areas where I think I can provide some form of value / expertise / knowledgeable thoughts (and Its also something I take personally cause I've seen family members and other people make terrible decisions because they didn't know any better of have someone pose the question or challenge the concept). I feel like many people on this board qualify as internet friends who I treat no different when it comes to advice (for better or worse). I'm the type of person when I see people make decisions where I wonder, I tend to like to pose certain questions more to ensure they've thought through things, and sometimes just give tough perspective. Basically put, when it comes to certain items, I'm not the type of friend who keeps there mouth shut. I'm the type that will bring something up...but it is just a friendly suggestion / thought provoking component. I'm not the type that than goes told you so or does anything else or that will continue to shove said stance down there throats. Same way I treat business decisions...if people take my advice great, if they don't, than as long as I don't think the path is factually wrong, than I understand there are multiple ways to skin a cat and just because my way wasn't the way we went, I know I need to get on board and do everything I can to successfully implement the plan (again, if something was factually wrong, than I know I need to adjust my argument to make it more clear). And I also, on a more macro perspective, just view that as a society, we do a poor job educating people on personal finances. Basically, the apple doesn't typically fall far from the tree in many cases. So often times, especially when you are young, you only know what your parents know and parents, no matter how smart they might be, may or may not make good financial decisions. And from a school perspective, you again, get very little education when it comes to managing personal finances. It is a shame since it is a value and skill that should apply to every single subset of the population. Whether you are an engineer or a doctor or a janitor, there is value in understanding personal finance. Jason, You're absolutely right, and no hard feelings. I just think you have to realize that not everyone views money the same way. For instance, I've seen all kinds of discussions in regards to how to get the best interest rates on things, how to best plan for retirement, how to best invest in the stock market, how much of your income you should spend on cars, or a home, or vacations, etc. Ultimately, I use money as a vehicle to provide me and my family with happiness. My goal is not necessarily to maximize the amount of money in my bank account, but rather, to maximize the amount of happiness and enjoyment I get out of life. And everyone gets happiness and enjoyment out of life in different ways. For instance, I remember the post you made awhile back in regards to finding the best deal on a car for your family. You laid out this incredibly detailed process and and spent what appeared to be a great deal of time ensuring you got what you felt was the best deal possible. Let's say all that work saved you, I dunno, $2k over if you had just walked in on a Tuesday evening and purchased a vehicle off the local dealer's lot. Well, the question is, how much was the process you went through worth to you? Was it worth the stress and the time and the effort? I tend to think you'll probably say it was, otherwise you wouldn't have done it and you wouldn't have posted about it. However, for some others, perhaps it is just easier and makes them happier to walk onto the lot and buy a car and pay the extra $2k. Another example is travel. Many European friends of mine sort of laugh at Americans because many of them put off traveling until they retire, as opposed to traveling when they are younger and perhaps can enjoy more activities, etc. In summary, I don't think one needs to optimize one's life to achieve the largest bankroll for retirement. Rather, we should value happiness over finances.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ May 12, 2016 -> 06:48 PM) I'm not saying buy something off the used car lot with 100k miles+, but a car with a cpo warranty and like 25k miles is going to be just as reliable as a brand new car. Yeah, I agree. The car industry and the model car manufacturers utilize to generate revenues has changed - and resulted in some really great used vehicles available for relatively good pricing as long as you don't demand the latest technology or design features.

QUOTE (Deadpool @ May 12, 2016 -> 06:17 PM) Unless the car is a Lexus, I would want no part of that, either. My old A4 broke down so often, my wife made me swap it out. Today's cars are better than ever. There are all kinds of models to choose from that will get 200-250k miles without a ton of real maintenance.

QUOTE (Tex @ May 12, 2016 -> 01:55 PM) So we should shut down this thread? Isn't this whole thread about how to spend someone's money? People have been asking what to buy, Jason offered his best heartfelt advice. People are free to ignore him. Not at all. But Chili did nothing of the sort. He didn't ask anyone for advice on what to buy. In fact, he didn't ask anyone advice about whether he could afford such a car, how much he makes, what his occupation is, etc. This is a thread about cars, not about financial advice. Now I don't think Jason meant any harm by it, and he did mention that he didn't fully know Chili's financial situation, but the whole post sort of assumed that he did. People just seem overly concerned, for whatever reasons, about how much others spend on cars.

QUOTE (Tex @ May 12, 2016 -> 11:46 AM) Sadly, most people figure it out a little too late. One of the phrases I hear is a car is an investment. No it is an expense. Probably the largest expense you will make. I'm not going to disagree that it sounds like a large expense for him but I'll be honest, I don't think it's anyone's business to tell people how to spend their money unless you are one of their creditors or you are their family member. Some people love cars and justify spending more of their income on them than others. For whatever reason, a lot of people seem to want to opine on the topic of who should spend what on cars. You don't often hear anyone criticizing someone else's monthly entertainment budget, or how much they spend on their golf game. I suspect if Chili had some fanatical interest in comic books folks would think it was a great hobby. All that matters in my book is what makes the kid happy.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ May 12, 2016 -> 01:27 PM) Does Audi still make one? My dad had an A4 wagon back in the day, love that car, Quattro is some amazing tech. Otherwise I don't really see many wagons out there anymore, I'm sure Subaru has some crossover type wagons still. There is an Audi A3 hatchback and an Audi Allroad. Most companies have some sort of crossover vehicle which is wagonlike. Honestly, the issue my family has isn't so much the car seat but the car seat plus the stroller plus the diaper bag...there is just so much stuff!

QUOTE (bmags @ May 12, 2016 -> 09:55 AM) Hey parents - we'll need to get a bigger car than our 2 door yaris. Wife likes the rav4 hybrid. Having never bought a new car, I'm hesitant. What's the consensus on these mini suvs. I'd rather just go balls out and get a 1980 volvo stationwagon. Every day on my way to drop off my son at the in-laws, I see a gray, 80's era Volvo station wagon covered in stickers of the sports teams of Colorado, including a recent 2016 Denver Broncos Super Bowl Champions sticker. Always get a big kick out of it. As for kid-hauling vehicles, it is my experience that you will need more room than you anticipate. I went out and bought a fairly large sport sedan and even just with 1 child, it can be tight just for my wife and I to take him to the grocery and Target. As a result, I decided to switch to a 7-passenger SUV.

QUOTE (bmags @ May 11, 2016 -> 12:24 PM) While bad. Having only heard Frazier was injured, I was terrified I'd hear he came up limp and blew his ACL or something. Faces heal. Yeah, this is much better than it being his arm or leg.

The fact is, Robin spit the bit in '12 when we were in contention. Let's see if he has learned and how he manages if we are involved in some important games in August/September/October before we make any decisions on whether he should be the one who manages this team moving forward.