Minor rant thread. Post your rants o' the day here!

eastside Utah Johnny Montana said:

AWSX1686 said:

eastside Utah Johnny Montana said:

I'm in the awkward stage of life where my debt is down to a reasonable mortgage, I have decent retirement savings, but I'm still years from being able to afford to retire, and I have very little money stashed away for wants.  Hitting a point where I'd like to thin out the herd, and buy myself something nice and fast, but I refuse to go deeper into debt. 

And I know a lot of people are doing worse off than me, so then I feel guilty about feeling bad about my situation.

I feel you. Especially the part about feeling guilty about feeling bad about your situation, it just makes it pile up higher. Just have to try and let go and be patient I guess. Sounds like if you just keep up with what you're doing and wait it out, you'll be pretty well off. 

I think part of it is seeing people out and around in late model Mustangs, Vettes, Miatas, etc, while I'm in one of my $1K-$2.5K cars and knowing I could swing the payment, but also knowing the reason my debt is low is because I'm not doing it.

Just need to hold out and save up for a few years so I can afford nicer toys.

We just bought my wife a new car after 13 years, so for the first time in 10 years we have a car payment again (albeit at 0% financing).  House will be all ours in months, if not weeks, and then I could afford two car payments... but I won't.  Instead, I'll drive a 13-year-old TSX until it's a 17-year-old TSX.

KyAllroad (Jeremy) said:

In reply to Appleseed :

Dude!  You're having a rough time lately, hang in there.  Uncontrolled blood sugars are no good way to be muddling through life.

 

I'm usually on top of this, but very once in a while my body just rolls the dice and goes, "Nope." Sometimes you're so out of it, you don't realize you shouldn't try to walk down stairs. I'm putting a bag of candy in my nightstand.

In reply to WildScotsRacingCampbellCougarSeed :

Lets not forget im the guy that torched a riding mower in my own driveway to prove a point. Im just trying to be a good example for the kids when they're around. 

eastside Utah Johnny Montana said:I think part of it is seeing people out and around in late model Mustangs, Vettes, Miatas, etc, while I'm in one of my $1K-$2.5K cars and knowing I could swing the payment, but also knowing the reason my debt is low is because I'm not doing it.

Just need to hold out and save up for a few years so I can afford nicer toys.

Meanwhile, I literally just finished filling out the loan application for a credit union we're affiliated with, because I'm tired of waiting "a few years" because "a few years" never happens, and I'm too distracted by shiny objects in the meantime to ever get what I REALLY want.  I'm usually too distracted by shiny objects to contemplate what I really want.

I'm nervous as all hell about it, too.  But dang it, I'm almost 40 and I never had a nice car before.  And I can easily afford it.  Hell, between Shiny Object #9 and Shiny Object #74 this year, I could easily have just paid *cash* for it.

...Wait, didn't you just get a GS430 or something Big and Luxurious and Stupid Fast?  You're already there.   You're just doing it more smarter-er than a lot of people.  (Except for me, because the thing that, if all goes well, I'll be driving home on Sunday, is even more awesomer, and I feel somewhat guilty for even thinking about having such a device since I have only ever had cars that were six months away from the junkyard)

When somebody wants something from me they expect it yesterday. Chop chop!!!!!

When I need something... I wait

and wait

and wait

Some combination of my sister and my mother let the oil change slip so long on the Subaru that the low oil level caused the variable valve timing system to malfunction and throw a code.  Putting a quart of oil in the thing made it so that something was finally on the dipstick and the code went away.  They say they don't want to bother me to have me change the oil for them, but that takes about 20 minutes and I can schedule that.  It's so much more inconvenient to deal with a 9pm "the check engine light came on, can you look at it?" phone call...

In reply to eastside Utah Johnny Montana :

My thoughts on this (I've had similar thoughts, though at the moment our finances are not in a place to do anything like that with the cabin plan) are that I figure as long as I can still work on the cars myself and enjoy doing it (meaning, it's not physically torturous to do so) I'll stick with cheap, fun cars for myself and one (usually) solid, decent condition vehicle for SWMBO.

When I stop being able to work on the cars and would need to have someone else work on them, that's when I'll consider getting something newer. Until then, I'll stick with driving older, Weirder Things.

In reply to Ashyukun :

I think the capability to work on cars is still there, but the motivation is going away. At this point, I've made multiple passes trying to clean out the garage so there's more room to work, but haven't gained much. The Lexus needs multiple things I've been putting off because of the challenge car, the Miata needs a fee things done to it, mainly to help clear space, and of course, the S10 is still undrivable in the street. Not to mention the Rallycross car needs work in the off season, and one of the scoots needs a little exploratory surgery. Makes it tempting to say screw it, and put a downpayment on a Mustang GT.

In reply to eastside Utah Johnny Montana :

Yeah, I can understand that. I'm in a somewhat similar situation- the Rampage is actually largely drivable now, but has a lot I'm wanting to do on it for the Challenge. The Jeep is still a complete mystery as to why the transmission is misbehaving and I really should put it in the garage and try and get it so it can be driven normally- but I should fix the Rampage's heater core first. The DMC should be in the garage and my getting started on it, but with things to do on the Rampage and the Jeep it's essentially sat for the last year and half. The Mariner is likely going to need several days worth of work as well, but unless there's another vehicle SWMBO can use for that time (the Jeep being ideal...) I don't know how I'll get that done. The scooter is largely fine other than having accidentally left it on over a weekend and run the battery down, but I can kick-start it and/or just take the time to charge the battery back up.

eastside Utah Johnny Montana said:

I'm in the awkward stage of life where my debt is down to a reasonable mortgage, I have decent retirement savings, but I'm still years from being able to afford to retire, and I have very little money stashed away for wants.  Hitting a point where I'd like to thin out the herd, and buy myself something nice and fast, but I refuse to go deeper into debt. 

And I know a lot of people are doing worse off than me, so then I feel guilty about feeling bad about my situation.

Just so you know even if you have the money it does not get easier to make a decision. Some people are just wired to save and worry about things. If it helps I have way way way more fun in the cheaper cars I own then the monster expensive stuff. Also you feel even more guilty as you do better and better even though you worked hard and saved like you are supposed too. Trust me its a spiral. 

Don't get me wrong I love owning the exotics and cool stuff but its not a liner relationship for "fun / cost." A 10K S2000 is not 1/10th the fun of a 911 Turbo at 100K. Not even close. 

wearymicrobe said:

A 10K S2000 is not 1/10th the fun of a 911 Turbo at 100K. Not even close. 

Are you trying to say a 10k S200 is more or less than 1/10th the fun of a 100k 911 turbo?

I'm assuming he means it is way more than 10% as much fun.

People can be lazy plus very inconsiderate and two sided salad bars can be a problem.

I asked a guy to not use the cheese tongs to pick up the hard boiled eggs on the other side of the salad bar because it's kind of disgusting.  He seemed to be upset that I was pointing out that he was 1) lazy (just walk to the other side) and 2) inconsiderate- you could reach over all of that food and get the tongs for the eggs.

Geez.

well, I may have fixed the overheating issue in my Mom's Rendezvous. It has been one of those head shaking moments. I have replaced all cooling hoses, water pump, thermostat, radiator, and taken it to a couple of shops trying to figure it out.

Radiator Cap.

It occurred to me that the straight water I put in the reservoir last month was still clear water. No coolant had made it's way from the cooling system to it. I always thought Radiator Caps failed when the spring got too weak. In checking it, I could barely move the inner plunger by hand. In the end, a $7 part was the cause of much consternation and worry.

I had to buy my wife lunch because i lost a bet. Having to buy a battery put me over the goal of driveable winter beater for less then 600 bucks.. after reading this thread i realize my standards are really low!

You didn't take this job to be threatened, harassed, and insulted? Then please, tell me why you took a job at a phone scam operation?

I've been polite, I've been firm, now it's my goal to make you cry before you hang up the phone. Every single one of the six times a day you call me. 

wearymicrobe said:

eastside Utah Johnny Montana said:

I'm in the awkward stage of life where my debt is down to a reasonable mortgage, I have decent retirement savings, but I'm still years from being able to afford to retire, and I have very little money stashed away for wants.  Hitting a point where I'd like to thin out the herd, and buy myself something nice and fast, but I refuse to go deeper into debt. 

And I know a lot of people are doing worse off than me, so then I feel guilty about feeling bad about my situation.

Just so you know even if you have the money it does not get easier to make a decision. Some people are just wired to save and worry about things. If it helps I have way way way more fun in the cheaper cars I own then the monster expensive stuff. Also you feel even more guilty as you do better and better even though you worked hard and saved like you are supposed too. Trust me its a spiral. 

Don't get me wrong I love owning the exotics and cool stuff but its not a liner relationship for "fun / cost." A 10K S2000 is not 1/10th the fun of a 911 Turbo at 100K. Not even close. 

I am definitely a worrier.  Another problem is I've always got ideas in my head for something to do, so there is always a backlog.  I keep hoping I can stop adding to the "to do sometime in the future list", but it never happens, and if I take a break from getting things done, I just end up further behind.   I think a new car would solve one problem (concern over potential breakdowns/loss of time), but add another (worrying about more debt).

Though, admittedly, if I were in your situation, I'd probably just sell almost everything, get in a car, head east out of the LA basin, and not stop until at least Joshua Tree.

Just because you have a berkeleying news chopper doesn't mean you should shoot live video of a fatal accident scene and broadcast it live on FB. I can identify the make and model of the vehicles on my phone's small screen, WTF... whatever happened to waiting for notification of family? 

What a way to find out a family member or friend was killed.

I was a only few miles away from the scene when I read it and the chopper was still circling like a vulture.

berkeley you

In reply to fasted58 :

I really don't like Don Henley much, but Dirty Laundry was right on the damn mark.

dropstep said:

I had to buy my wife lunch because i lost a bet. Having to buy a battery put me over the goal of driveable winter beater for less then 600 bucks.. after reading this thread i realize my standards are really low!

I couldn't fathom winter tires running enough under $600 to allow for budget for much else!

(That reminds me.  The "new" Firestone Winterforces?  Lay down and avoid!)

Knurled. said:

dropstep said:

I had to buy my wife lunch because i lost a bet. Having to buy a battery put me over the goal of driveable winter beater for less then 600 bucks.. after reading this thread i realize my standards are really low!

I couldn't fathom winter tires running enough under $600 to allow for budget for much else!

(That reminds me.  The "new" Firestone Winterforces?  Lay down and avoid!)

I'm still well under $600 with the Volvo and it came with Firestone Winterforce (which I hate).

Knurled. said:

dropstep said:

I had to buy my wife lunch because i lost a bet. Having to buy a battery put me over the goal of driveable winter beater for less then 600 bucks.. after reading this thread i realize my standards are really low!

I couldn't fathom winter tires running enough under $600 to allow for budget for much else!

(That reminds me.  The "new" Firestone Winterforces?  Lay down and avoid!)

I prefer a good all terrain to an actual snow tire. This vehicle only needs to make a 4 mile round trip in town. Plus a good friend of mine works at a tire shop and picks up good take offs for cheap. 

AWSX1686 said:

wearymicrobe said:

A 10K S2000 is not 1/10th the fun of a 911 Turbo at 100K. Not even close. 

Are you trying to say a 10k S200 is more or less than 1/10th the fun of a 100k 911 turbo?

I think he’s trying to say that a Chevy S10 will provide significantly more than 0.005 times as much fun as a Honda S2000.

Duke said:

I'm assuming he means it is way more than 10% as much fun.

Correct.

It is 80% of the total fun maybe less cool ownership perks but at the end of the day its 90K cheaper and well you can drive it the way it was built for.

EvanB said:

Knurled. said:

dropstep said:

I had to buy my wife lunch because i lost a bet. Having to buy a battery put me over the goal of driveable winter beater for less then 600 bucks.. after reading this thread i realize my standards are really low!

I couldn't fathom winter tires running enough under $600 to allow for budget for much else!

(That reminds me.  The "new" Firestone Winterforces?  Lay down and avoid!)

I'm still well under $600 with the Volvo and it came with Firestone Winterforce (which I hate).

If you think you hate the Winterforce, just wait until you try the Winterforce 2!

The Winterforce was "meh".  The 2 is "OMG WHAT??".