What made you happy today?

[pg1067]

I touched on it before, but, man, fall really is the only season I feel 'great' in. Every other season, I just feel like crap and unmotivated to do much... then there's fall, and just stepping outside makes me feel awesome.

It all depends on where you are.  I guess Southern California winter is like fall in most other places.  Right now, we're in the mid-70s, but it's supposed to go up into the 80s (maybe high 80s) next week.  I still remember going to game 1 of the World Series in 2017.  It was October 24, and the temperature at first pitch (5:11 p.m.) was 103 fucking degrees.  Fortunately, the Dodgers won.  "Fall" for us really won't start until November.

I lived in Burbank for about a year, and it was the ONE THING I really missed about Connecticut.   It felt weird without that change, the leaves and the cool, and even the wind (it tends to blow out of a different direction in the winter).  There, it was basically only the short pants on Santa - itself a crime against nature - that gave things away.

My wife was born and raised in and around Albany, NY.  She did her undergrad in the Rochester/Syracuse, NY area and got her Masters in Boston.  She moved to SoCal at the age of 23.  For a while, we planned to move somewhere back east (my entire family other than me was born in NY/NJ).  After graduating law school, I had a few interviews with firms in DC, but nothing panned out, and that has always bummed her out.  She misses "seasons."  For a while, she "forbid" me from wearing short sleeves to do Christmas shopping and pick out the Christmas tree.  I once said that we'd be divorced if we had tried to raise our kids in an environment with weather (added stress).  She was totally dismissive of that notion, but I think that, after having lived more than half her life in SoCal, she wouldn't be able to handle that environment anymore.

P.S.  Burbank (and the rest of the San Fernando Valley) is, hands down, the worst part of Southern California.

[Stadler]

"Worst" in what way? 

I found it... interesting.  You'd walk into a restaurant, and there'd be someone sitting there reading a script and you'd be like "That's the guy from Days Of Our Lives" or some shit.  I wasn't bugged by the traffic or driving.   I didn't know any better on prices of things.   I also did a lot of touristy things while there.

[lordxizor]

 

I bought my grandparents old vehicle 2.5 years ago for $2000. Sold it today with 25,000 more miles on it for $2800.

You better-dealed your grandparents??? 


(I'm kidding.   Very much.)

Yep! It had a lot to do with the fact that I bought it from them in CA and sold it in MN. Rust-free used cars are a rare find here and used cars are apparently worth more here in general.

[pg1067]

"Worst" in what way? 

I found it... interesting.  You'd walk into a restaurant, and there'd be someone sitting there reading a script and you'd be like "That's the guy from Days Of Our Lives" or some shit.  I wasn't bugged by the traffic or driving.   I didn't know any better on prices of things.   I also did a lot of touristy things while there.

I can see it having some appeal for someone who's only there for a short time.  The Valley is dirty and smelly, and it's hotter and more smoggy than the rest of LA.  "Worst" was me being hyperbolic, but still.

[jingle.boy]

Happy that I only have 1 car payment left on my SUV.  That's gonna take out a $1k/mo expense.  Damn this has been a long 5 years.

[lordxizor]

Happy that I only have 1 car payment left on my SUV.  That's gonna take out a $1k/mo expense.  Damn this has been a long 5 years.

Holy shit! $1000 a month for an auto loan? I hope that was a really nice SUV.

[pg1067]

Happy that I only have 1 car payment left on my SUV.  That's gonna take out a $1k/mo expense.  Damn this has been a long 5 years.

Holy shit! $1000 a month for an auto loan? I hope that was a really nice SUV.

$1k Canadian (I'm assuming here) = $762.63 USD.  If you finance $41,500 (USD) over 60 months at 4% APR, your monthly payment will be $764.29, which is $1,002.18 Canadian.

[jingle.boy]

Happy that I only have 1 car payment left on my SUV.  That's gonna take out a $1k/mo expense.  Damn this has been a long 5 years.

Holy shit! $1000 a month for an auto loan? I hope that was a really nice SUV.

It's actually $940.  And it's an Infiniti QX60.  Mostly loaded.  We splurged.  Now, we reap the rewards of that, as we outright own both vehicles.  I love having no car payments.  PG's pretty close on the math (I think the interest was in the 3.5ish % range).  It was a $58k CAD loan... in total  I forget how much we put as a down payment, and we had $1,500 trading in our Honda Odyssey (13 years old at the time).

[lordxizor]

That's a little better. I just bought a used car and my payment will be $350 and I feel kinda shitty about that. If you can swing the payments and value a nice vehicle, no worries. Congrats on getting it paid off though. Wasn't meaning to belittle that accomplishment. Having no car payments is certainly a great feeling.

[cramx3]

Chad brought up his car payments somewhere else on here and I was like WOW thats a lot, but Chad explained it and I know he's not being foolish with his money or anything like that.  Just personally, I find that to be a large monthly payment and I couldn't see myself spending so much.  But I don't have a family and I don't live in his shoes.  If I keep up my payments, I'll have paid off my latest vehicle in 3 years time on a 4 year loan.  I feel pretty good about that, but that's not making me happy today as I've got another 12 "overpayments' still to make (although I could see myself just paying out if I get a bonus next March).

What is making me happy today is that it is a very nasty monday with the weather and yet, I've been super productive at work and I'm feeling good overall, thus making the day fly by. 

[The Walrus]

First day of vacation. Ain't done nothin

[pg1067]

That's a little better. I just bought a used car and my payment will be $350 and I feel kinda shitty about that.

Nothing worse than those first couple months with a new car payment (especially if you didn't have one beforehand).  And, by the same token, there's no better feeling than freeing up that monthly payment for other things.

I think my biggest payment was $412 and change for my 2006 Honda CRV.  I had that car until last summer, and the only significant expense I had was an A/C repair that cost something close to $1k (and I did a lousy job with routine maintenance).  I now have the 2019 version of the same car, which I leased since my daily commute was cut WAY down a few years ago.  My monthly payment is $215.   

[cramx3]

That's a little better. I just bought a used car and my payment will be $350 and I feel kinda shitty about that.

Nothing worse than those first couple months with a new car payment (especially if you didn't have one beforehand).  And, by the same token, there's no better feeling than freeing up that monthly payment for other things.

I think my biggest payment was $412 and change for my 2006 Honda CRV.  I had that car until last summer, and the only significant expense I had was an A/C repair that cost something close to $1k (and I did a lousy job with routine maintenance).  I now have the 2019 version of the same car, which I leased since my daily commute was cut WAY down a few years ago.  My monthly payment is $215.   

I'm a honda fanboi for probably the same reason, reliability and low cost.  Currently driving a 2016 Honda Civic Touring and I LOVE it.  Monthly payment is $250 but I put about half down.  Got it certified preowned with 6k miles on it.

[jingle.boy]

That's a little better. I just bought a used car and my payment will be $350 and I feel kinda shitty about that. If you can swing the payments and value a nice vehicle, no worries. Congrats on getting it paid off though. Wasn't meaning to belittle that accomplishment. Having no car payments is certainly a great feeling.

Never took the comment that way. 

Also happy to have had the day off (Thanksgiving for us today), and got most of the work I wanted to do in redesigning my workout room ( which triples as the furnace room, and a storage room). Now sipping on a lager waiting for the ham to cook.

Trying not to think about getting up at 5am to prep for my 7 am call tomorrow morning.

[TAC]

Happy that I only have 1 car payment left on my SUV.  That's gonna take out a $1k/mo expense.  Damn this has been a long 5 years.

Holy shit! $1000 a month for an auto loan? I hope that was a really nice SUV.

It's actually $940.  And it's an Infiniti QX60.  Mostly loaded.  We splurged.  Now, we reap the rewards of that, as we outright own both vehicles.  I love having no car payments.  PG's pretty close on the math (I think the interest was in the 3.5ish % range).  It was a $58k CAD loan... in total  I forget how much we put as a down payment, and we had $1,500 trading in our Honda Odyssey (13 years old at the time).

That's about half of what I paid for my house!

[wolfking]

Happy that I only have 1 car payment left on my SUV.  That's gonna take out a $1k/mo expense.  Damn this has been a long 5 years.

Holy shit! $1000 a month for an auto loan? I hope that was a really nice SUV.

It's actually $940.  And it's an Infiniti QX60.  Mostly loaded.  We splurged.  Now, we reap the rewards of that, as we outright own both vehicles.  I love having no car payments.  PG's pretty close on the math (I think the interest was in the 3.5ish % range).  It was a $58k CAD loan... in total  I forget how much we put as a down payment, and we had $1,500 trading in our Honda Odyssey (13 years old at the time).

That's about half of what I paid for my house!

If I were to spend that much on a car, I'd want to have a shit ton for an initial down payment.  My current car which was 30K (which is my limit) I had half ready to go. I don't think I could take out a 58K loan for a car with those repayments.  That's just me though.  Saying that, it would be an awesome feeling having it paid off.

[wolfking]

As for the thread title, I have nothing to add.

[cramx3]

As for the thread title, I have nothing to add.

shit day?

[wolfking]

As for the thread title, I have nothing to add.

shit day?

Nah, just another day really.  Same shit, different day really. 

Saying that, even though sometimes the pressure and perpetualness of this mortal coil gets to you, I always look to what I have and be thankful.  Good health, no real stresses and no financial issues.  I guess I can be happy for that.

[jingle.boy]

That’s enough to make me happy too.

Also, new Teramaze and DGM all weekend. 

[The Walrus]

Paid off my maxed out credit card in one payment Saturday. Feels good to log in and see that balance say $0.00

[TAC]

Paid off my maxed out credit card in one payment Saturday. Feels good to log in and see that balance say $0.00

Nice!

[Podaar]

Paid off my maxed out credit card in one payment Saturday. Feels good to log in and see that balance say $0.00

Plenty of room for PS5 preorder! 

[cramx3]

Good health, no real stresses and no financial issues.  I guess I can be happy for that.

Yea man, in 2020, if you've got those three, you really have a lot to be happy for.  Same boat, so I agree though that it's not always easy to see that.  Especially on a rainy monday (for me, and now a gloomy Tuesday).

Paid off my maxed out credit card in one payment Saturday. Feels good to log in and see that balance say $0.00

Nice, good work.  Try not to max that out again though now that you've did the work to clear it.  Maxing out your credit card isn't good for your credit score. 

Going back to what makes me happy, and during the pandemic, is that I've been able to keep my credit cards almost all exclusively to 0.  Actually built a bit of that credit debt up from my vacation but I just paid it all off this week so I'm back to all 0s which is an awesome feeling. 

[The Walrus]

Yeah I know all that.  Life, though

[wolfking]

I've never owned a credit card and hopefully never will.  The thought of buying something with money I don't have makes me get cold sweats.  I'll just happily go without.

[lordxizor]

I've never owned a credit card and hopefully never will.  The thought of buying something with money I don't have makes me get cold sweats.  I'll just happily go without.

You're probably better off that way. Personally, I pay for everything on credit cards, get the rewards, and pay it off in full every month. I churn cards pretty frequently to get sign on bonuses. I was just doing the math this morning and we've made about $8000 in reward over the last 2.5 years while only making the purchases I was going to make anyway.

[Adami]

I've never owned a credit card and hopefully never will.  The thought of buying something with money I don't have makes me get cold sweats.  I'll just happily go without.

1. Only buy stuff you can quickly pay off
2. Get good credit score

[jingle.boy]

I've never owned a credit card and hopefully never will.  The thought of buying something with money I don't have makes me get cold sweats.  I'll just happily go without.

You're probably better off that way. Personally, I pay for everything on credit cards, get the rewards, and pay it off in full every month. I churn cards pretty frequently to get sign on bonuses. I was just doing the math this morning and we've made about $8000 in reward over the last 2.5 years while only making the purchases I was going to make anyway.

Ditto.  95% of my purchases are on credit card, and I always pay it off.  There are/were times when I had to use my line of credit to pay things off - I never carry a CC balance with the double-digit interest rates.  My philosophy is why pay now for something that I can pay for in as much as 53 days?  It's like a free short-term loan.  CC debt is a world of trouble.  Any other form of debt (loans, Line of Credit, mortgage etc...) is just financial management.  It's unfortunate that some have to use CC as their only form of borrowing power.

[TAC]

Yeah, we use the Amex Clear card for everyday purchases. We pay it off automatically every month, and it gives us much more security than someone grabbing our debit card info and draining our account. Plus, for the last ten years, the rewards have basically paid for Christmas for our entire extended family.

[emtee]

Taking a swim after work on October 13th. A perk of Florida living.

[TAC]

Watch out for the gators!

[wolfking]

My philosophy is why pay now for something that I can pay for in as much as 53 days?  It's like a free short-term loan.

No offense mate, but I simply don't understand this line of thinking at all.  I must be missing something.

I can understand what you guys are saying regarding rewards.  I don't know if that's a thing over here but going back to the Costco discussion a while back in regards to rewards, I guess I just don't give enough of a shit to look into things like that.

[wolfking]

Yeah, we use the Amex Clear card for everyday purchases. We pay it off automatically every month, and it gives us much more security than someone grabbing our debit card info and draining our account. Plus, for the last ten years, the rewards have basically paid for Christmas for our entire extended family.

That's fair enough from a security point of view, but can't someone just do the same with your credit card?

[TAC]

We have fraud protection with AmEx.