Search found 5151 matches

by lazydavid
Thu Mar 28, 2024 1:06 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Umbrella Policy- 1M or 2M?
Replies: 7
Views: 660

Re: Umbrella Policy- 1M or 2M?

realclemsongrad wrote: Thu Mar 28, 2024 12:47 pm This depends on if you have young drivers on your policy esp boys :). We had to up to 2M for that reason. It is a small cost for additional coverage.
We did similarly, only went with 3M. The premium more than doubled when our son got his license, currently $1,247/yr. It was $5xx before.
by lazydavid
Wed Mar 27, 2024 3:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Outdoor Kitchen Island Equipment Suggestions
Replies: 10
Views: 926

Re: Outdoor Kitchen Island Equipment Suggestions

AKBTX14 wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2024 2:14 pm Thanks for sharing picture. That's a very clever design to hold BGE at the same height as grill. I plan to design the same way. :sharebeer
Both KJ and BGE sell "built-in" models that come with little ceramic feet that it can rest on when you build it into a niche like this, as opposed to going into their metal stand.
by lazydavid
Wed Mar 27, 2024 9:42 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Continuous Glucose Monitor
Replies: 13
Views: 809

Re: Continuous Glucose Monitor

I would think if you were able to articulate to your doctor your reasons for wanting one (whatever they may be), they may be willing to write the script for you, with the acknowledgement that it will be on your own dime and not covered by insurance. The current ones are pretty expensive, but it should be doable. Not sure what Stelo will cost once it's available.
by lazydavid
Wed Mar 27, 2024 8:21 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Kindle Users--Please help
Replies: 24
Views: 1414

Re: Kindle Users--Please help

tunafish wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2024 8:11 am Since I discovered years ago when I temporarily was in a snit and cancelled my amazon membership and amazon wiped out all the books I had, that amazon thinks it has lent you the books apparently and you paid money for vaporware
They didn't loan them to you, they sold licenses for them to your Amazon account. If you burned down your house in a snit, Amazon isn't obligated to replace your print books either. Sounds like the best solution is to avoid "snits". :D
by lazydavid
Wed Mar 27, 2024 7:59 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Kindle Users--Please help
Replies: 24
Views: 1414

Re: Kindle Users--Please help

As others mentioned, the ads are almost certainly from the solitaire and word search apps you mentioned. These are most likely "free", which is code for "ad-supported", and doesn't have much of anything to do with Amazon other than they host the App store she downloaded them from. She should never get any ads inside of the Kindle app, other than the "recommended selections" or whatever on the library screen.
by lazydavid
Wed Mar 27, 2024 6:51 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: When brand names matter and when they don't
Replies: 194
Views: 11914

Re: When brand names matter and when they don't

We live in a country with a genius for marketing. I heard a great podcast about the development of "premium" vodka, which by definition is clear, odorless and tasteless! Except that's an oversimplified and therefore wholly inaccurate description. You could say the same thing about water, and it'd be equally as wrong. You've probably never had absolutely pure water. It tastes terrible . You can try this yourself. Buy a bottle of distilled water, boil it to drive off dissolved gases, and then drink it as soon as it cools. Vodka is not simply synthetic or flawlessly refined ethanol and distilled water. If it was, you could use words like "empty" and "hollow" to describe it, and no one would ever drink it alone or...
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 26, 2024 12:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Outdoor Kitchen Island Equipment Suggestions
Replies: 10
Views: 926

Re: Outdoor Kitchen Island Equipment Suggestions

Definitely go for a Kamado-type grill. I have a Kamado Joe that I love, but Big Green Eggs and Komodo Kamado (much more expensive) are great options as well, and Weber recently got into the game (though I'm not sure how you'd build theirs into an island). It is the single best investment I've made into outdoor cooking.
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 26, 2024 8:19 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What siding (or paint) to get ?
Replies: 11
Views: 641

Re: What siding (or paint) to get ?

In our community, we can choose Hardie Board or vinyl siding. Where the Hardie Board has been installed, the end-to-end joints started off butted tightly together at installation time but the boards subsequently shrank a fraction of an inch over the years, leaving ugly gaps at most the butted edges. This is not only a visual thing, but the gaps invite water infiltration behind the boards and do not keep as much air out, which diminishes the thermal efficiency of the Hardie Board. Sounds like it was installed improperly. The VERY FIRST notice in the product information guide--which is also printed all over the packaging material--is to store the materials covered, and off the ground. If they are allowed to become saturated, it slows the cur...
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 26, 2024 7:30 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What siding (or paint) to get ?
Replies: 11
Views: 641

Re: What siding (or paint) to get ?

Sounds like a pretty large house, or HCOL area. We did our house (2600 sqft ranch) last fall, and went with Hardie Board. We started by pursuing a re-paint using a painter that had done some work on our neighbor's house. That quote was $10k for one coat, no primer, and did not include replacing wood in a few places where it was rotted. It also would have to be re-done every few years after that. That didn't sit well with us. Having had vinyl on prior houses, I did not want that again, so we went Hardie Board. It was $33k, including all trim, and metal soffits. We went with Khaki Brown in smooth finish for a more modern look, which meant custom order. Wood-grained is a standard offering and would have been in stock. There were also Magnolia ...
by lazydavid
Mon Mar 25, 2024 6:39 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: When brand names matter and when they don't
Replies: 194
Views: 11914

Re: When brand names matter and when they don't

gunny2 wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 10:49 pm Not sure why you think Lays or Ruffles are "generic" - ? They're a brand name like Utz (and around here at least, all are sold in grocery stores).
Yeah this was odd. Frito-Lay (maker of both Lays and Ruffles) is a giant in the snackfood space. The Lay's brand alone makes up 30% of the potato chip market, and makes more annual revenue ($1.7B) than the entire Utz company ($1.4B).

If Lays and Ruffles are generics, then so are Coke and Sprite. Ruffles may be nasty sludge of grease and salt, but they're still a name brand. :mrgreen:
by lazydavid
Sun Mar 24, 2024 7:24 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?
Replies: 260
Views: 18799

Re: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?

MH2 wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 6:08 am
alexbogle wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 4:41 am can you recommend an exact model? Or is this more something that you build from parts?
Gene Cafe CBR-101. They’re a couple of hundred used and fairly reliable.
Seconded. I put around 700 lbs through my Gene Cafe before upgrading to the Bullet. I easily sold the Gene for $200.
by lazydavid
Sat Mar 23, 2024 6:38 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?
Replies: 260
Views: 18799

Re: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?

Kenkat wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 12:17 pm
There was a retractable hardtop option on the NC starting in 2007.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_MX- ... d%20Canada.
Learned something new today, thank you!
by lazydavid
Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:12 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: When brand names matter and when they don't
Replies: 194
Views: 11914

Re: When brand names matter and when they don't

Beensabu wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 12:37 am
gunny2 wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 12:34 am
Beensabu wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 12:29 am Sweet Baby Ray's. Clearly, you haven't tried it.
Yeah, I have. As advertised...too sweet. Pass.
Too sweet!? Have you tried the teriyaki BBQ?
Absolutely too sweet, and completely disgusting. The original contains SEVEN sweeteners and is 50% sugar by weight. For reference, maple syrup--a dedicated sweetener--is only 60% sugar.

I have not (and won't) tried the Teriyaki sauce and marinade. Just like the original, it has HFCS as the very first ingredient. But despite having only three unique sweeteners vs the original's seven, it is 53% sugar by weight. Gross. I don't see a product called Teriyaki BBQ in their lineup.
by lazydavid
Sat Mar 23, 2024 6:54 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?
Replies: 260
Views: 18799

Re: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?

CascadiaSoonish wrote: Fri Mar 22, 2024 9:51 pm
vxdx wrote: Thu Mar 21, 2024 11:38 pm A Miata as a second car.
We just bought an '08 hardtop Miata and I'm teaching our oldest how to drive stick with it. We paid waaaaay over KBB for it because it's a hardtop in great condition. Price didn't matter, it's a great experience with my kid.
You mean it came with the hardtop accessory. All Miatas are softtop convertibles, except for the newer RF which is kind of an auto-targa. They only ever built one hardtop coupe, and Mazda still owns it.
by lazydavid
Fri Mar 22, 2024 3:10 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?
Replies: 260
Views: 18799

Re: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?

It was fresh roast SR800. I just upgraded to nucleus link roaster. KlangFool I'd have to think about my break even time there. Green beans seem like a good value though. Some roasters have become very expensive these days. I started with a Gene Cafe in 2015 ($500? then, $650 now), and upgraded to a Aillio Bullet 4 years ago ($2800 then, $3500 now), which is almost certainly my endgame. I've roasted a little over half a ton of beans, currently running about 100lbs/year. I can look at the economics two ways: I save $14-20/lb compared to freshly-roasted beans from a local roaster. Not the most realistic, because I wouldn't consistently pay $20-27/lb for beans, just as an occasional treat. I get to drink freshly-roasted, high-end coffee every ...
by lazydavid
Fri Mar 22, 2024 12:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Supermarket pizza - any good ones? Any great ones?
Replies: 174
Views: 16237

Re: Supermarket pizza - any good ones? Any great ones?

totally agree about crazy expensive to eat out or delivery. I feel like my dad- i remember when a movie was a dime---but, fast food lunch at 15$ and you dont remember what you ate by dinner time? the world is crazy Yup. A cheeseburger, regular fries and soda at Five Guys is now $23. But there are bargains to be had. That same $23 will get me a 10x better cheeseburger, with fries and a 9 oz pour of a perfectly serviceable Cabernet at Ruth's Chris during happy hour (Sunday-Friday 4:30-6:30pm). Back closer to the thread topic, another local pizza place we enjoy has 1/2 price pizzas (limit 1 per person, dine in only) on Tuesdays. So we can get 2 excellent deep dish pizzas AND booze for $75-80 including tip, with a bunch of leftovers to take ho...
by lazydavid
Fri Mar 22, 2024 11:36 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Supermarket pizza - any good ones? Any great ones?
Replies: 174
Views: 16237

Re: Supermarket pizza - any good ones? Any great ones?

gunny2 wrote: Fri Mar 22, 2024 11:21 am
PeninsulaPerson wrote: Fri Mar 22, 2024 9:04 am Eating out has gotten surprisingly expensive - even for pizza. $75 for two pizzas is a lot!
Wow; tell me that includes booze? I can easily get quality pizza for half that or less around here.
Nope. At our favorite place, it's $18.95 for a large thin crust cheese. Plus $2.75 per topping, typically 4 or 5 of those per (fresh garlic is mandatory! :) plus 3 or 4 others). So now we're at $30-33 for one pizza. x2 is $60-66. Now add tax and tip. Voila! $75.

It costs me about $12 to make a quality pizza at home from scratch except for fresh dough from Aldi ($1.75). So I'm not seeing how a business could be profitable making one for me for $15 or less.
by lazydavid
Fri Mar 22, 2024 10:49 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: When brand names matter and when they don't
Replies: 194
Views: 11914

Re: When brand names matter and when they don't

Mustard? Can’t tell the difference between a French whole grain mustard such as Maille and the yellow (or even brown) stuff? Wow. Only on Bogleheads. I don't see anyone having said that. Even the OPs statement was "It's more about what kind you're getting vs the brand name." I read that as the variety of mustard is the biggest factor in the taste, which I would agree with wholeheartedly. I think you'd agree the converse is certainly NOT true, as if you stick with Maille, their whole grain tastes nothing like their original Dijon. I've had several good whole grain mustards (including Maille), and several good stone ground ones, which are kind of a halfway point between whole-grain and a smoother brown. A bottle of Koop's stone gro...
by lazydavid
Fri Mar 22, 2024 10:10 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: When brand names matter and when they don't
Replies: 194
Views: 11914

Re: When brand names matter and when they don't

Definitely disagree with a few Heinz is indeed better than Hunt's and the random store brands, but it's still a sickly-sweet mass of HFCS. Maybe so...forgot that I get the "no sugar added" variety. That's still every bit as unnaturally and overpoweringly sweet as the standard issue, just a slightly different kind of overly sweet because of the sucralose. Most mainstream brands of ketchup (including Heinz) are around 4g of sugar per tablespoon, or about 25%, and those with artificial sweeteners use an equivalent amount to achieve a similar level of sweetness. The ones we tend to prefer use about half as much (2g per tablespoon), more in line with something like a burger sauce. That said, I'll acknowledge that our tastes are not th...
by lazydavid
Fri Mar 22, 2024 9:17 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: When brand names matter and when they don't
Replies: 194
Views: 11914

Re: When brand names matter and when they don't

bob60014 wrote: Fri Mar 22, 2024 8:42 am We're lucky, Oberweis is produced and sold locally (Chicago area) at grocery stores. No delivery worries.
It's in all our local grocery stores, but we do delivery anyway. Started with 6 months free during Covid, and kept up with it even once it became $2.
by lazydavid
Fri Mar 22, 2024 8:21 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: When brand names matter and when they don't
Replies: 194
Views: 11914

Re: When brand names matter and when they don't

Definitely disagree with a few Ketchup: Yes. There's Heinz and the rest. Hunts is passable in a pinch and the rest suck. Heinz is indeed better than Hunt's and the random store brands, but it's still a sickly-sweet mass of HFCS. For straightforward Ketchup, the best ones I've found are Sir Kensington's (sadly discontinued after the company was sold) and Organicville . But our favorites are Trader Joe's Black Summer Truffle , Melinda's Habanero , and Acid League's Savory Saffron . At least 2 of the 3 are in our fridge at any given moment. Mustard: No. It's more about what kind you're getting vs the brand name. Sort of. In general, I agree. I've had lots of great cheap and expensive mustards, and a fair number of not-so-good ones across the s...
by lazydavid
Fri Mar 22, 2024 6:26 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Dark Chocolate heads Rejoice !!!
Replies: 198
Views: 31161

Re: Dark Chocolate heads Rejoice !!!

APX32 wrote: Sat Dec 31, 2022 1:39 am I did try a Lindt 100 once out of curiosity and quickly discovered my personal limit is 92. :D
Yep, did the same. I've even had 96% and (in contrast to the 100) it's actually edible, but 90-92 is where it's at.
by lazydavid
Fri Mar 22, 2024 6:21 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Supermarket pizza - any good ones? Any great ones?
Replies: 174
Views: 16237

Re: Supermarket pizza - any good ones? Any great ones?

gunny2 wrote: Thu Mar 21, 2024 9:35 pm IMO they are all pretty nasty save one: DiGiorgnios (sp)? It's not "great" - expecting a frozen pizza to be great is a fool's errand IMO - but it is respectable. Still, I'd rather just get a really good pizza at a mom n pop place or pass altogether. It's kind of like choosing between a Miller beer or no beer. Most days I'd say no beer in that case thank you.
Digiornio is mid. Better than average but there are many better options out there.

I would prefer a mom 'n pop too, but two pizzas is a $75 dinner with leftovers vs. a $10-12 one without for frozen.
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 19, 2024 3:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: IRS slow this year (2024)
Replies: 27
Views: 2918

Re: IRS slow this year (2024)

somewhatentertained wrote: Tue Mar 19, 2024 2:02 pm Sorry did not mention he is also under 16, so disallowed.
Got it :beer Mine is 16 so he squeaks in. :)
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 19, 2024 11:33 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How worthwhile is Zillow to estimate home value?
Replies: 58
Views: 5242

Re: How worthwhile is Zillow to estimate home value?

Zillow's current value for my home feels about right. Judging it based on recent comps provided by Redfin bears this out. Nicer homes sold for more than my valuation, less nice homes sold for less.

Redfin's estimate, however, is a full 25% higher and seems insane. Especially compared to the comps they provided to back it up. They think my house is worth 15% more than the most expensive home that has sold in my area, which is clearly nicer than mine.
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 19, 2024 11:14 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Help me with my car dilemma . . .
Replies: 36
Views: 2800

Re: Help me with my car dilemma . . .

My advice would be to trade it for a NON hybrid vehicle like a CRV. The dealer will auction the thing anyways. I say non Hybrid because for lots of highway driving, you're carrying around 1000 pounds for no reason. You'll get worse gas mileage than a pure gas vehicle and pay way more. Where a plug in hybrid shines is short distance around town, stop and go type driving. Not highway. A co-worker some years ago got a new territory, covering all of Connecticut. She lived in Boston downtown. To save gas money, she bought a Civic hybrid to replace her gas Civic. She came to me a month later to ask (I was the resident car guy) why her gas mileage was horrible and far worse than her gas civic. I explained that the way she drives (3 hours to the d...
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 19, 2024 10:51 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Buying an Expensive Car
Replies: 101
Views: 8725

Re: Buying an Expensive Car

Will you really be able to go back to buying a $30/40k mid-range vehicle AFTER having this $100k vehicle? Doubtful. The next vehicle will be $125/150k. Do not set yourself up to be buying new $100k+ cars every 4 years. Who says he's going to buy one every 4 years? He got a $17k insurance payout for his current car, which implies it was not <4 years old unless it was a stripper econobox. $17k buys a low-mileage 2020 Chevy Spark, or a high-mileage Corolla. Speaking only for myself, we have tended to replace cars at around the 12 year/150k mile mark. COVID and the transition to permanent WFH changed this math by dropping my annual mileage dramatically. I just bought my first $100k car last June, and 9 months later it has 2200 miles. I expect ...
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 19, 2024 10:15 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: IRS slow this year (2024)
Replies: 27
Views: 2918

Re: IRS slow this year (2024)

Can't speak to paper filing, but for e-filing my experience and that of folks I've talked to is that they are insanely fast this year. I eFiled on Saturday, 3/2. It was accepted the same day. I saw a pending transaction for my refund by midweek, which settled on Friday, 3/8. So far, the IRS has not had a chance to be slow because USPS did not do their job and make the final destination scan. I paper mailed my son's first returns, which apparently have to be paper mailed because they are first returns, on the same date at the same post office. They do not have to be paper mailed. In fact they published an article four years ago titled: "IRS Free File: Ideal for young and first-time filers". It's now out of date because technology a...
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 19, 2024 9:56 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Sending Copy of Driver License and SS Card by Email Question
Replies: 36
Views: 3746

Re: Sending Copy of Driver License and SS Card by Email Question

The problem is this is a new account and it must be opened first so that one can access the Secure Upload feature (if available). Without opening the account (registering first) this access is not available. That reinforces the earlier claim in this thread that their tech sucks. User account != bank account. There doesn't even have to be a 1:1 alignment between them. Nearly all of my user accounts with financial institutions have access to more than one numbered account at that institution. It is beyond trivial (and best practice) to allow creation of a user account and the credentials to secure it, and THEN present an application for a bank account. Nearly everyone does it this way, and for good reason. That Barclays seems incapable of fi...
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 19, 2024 9:44 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Waterproof iPhone case suggestions
Replies: 17
Views: 1286

Re: Waterproof iPhone case suggestions

Every iPhone since the 7 and 7 Plus in 2016 has been water resistant. They can't say water proof (neither can case manufacturers) because there is a combination of time and depth at which water will intrude. But for practical every day purposes, your phone is already waterproof.

I have on numerous occasions accidentally gotten into the pool with my "water resistant" android phone in my pocket. I rinse it with clean water to wash off any salt and/or chlorine and it's fine.
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 19, 2024 8:04 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Retuning an iPad— How to Clear All Sensitive Info?
Replies: 9
Views: 1300

Re: Retuning an iPad— How to Clear All Sensitive Info?

Pocanutin wrote: Tue Mar 19, 2024 7:56 am Q: If I sign out of iCloud on the newspaper iPad and then delete all other apps on that newspaper device, will it also delete apps on my personal iPad and phone?
No.
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 19, 2024 5:48 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Retuning an iPad— How to Clear All Sensitive Info?
Replies: 9
Views: 1300

Re: Retuning an iPad— How to Clear All Sensitive Info?

cheesepep wrote: Sun Mar 17, 2024 3:31 pm It is also important (but maybe not needed) to deactivate iCloud, iMessage, etc on your iPad before you wipe your device.
Those services are not reactivated automatically after a wipe, so whether you disable them or not doesn't matter. The device will not allow you to perform the reset unless "Find my iPad" has been disabled.
by lazydavid
Mon Mar 18, 2024 9:51 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Portable Audio - your configuration?
Replies: 9
Views: 681

Re: Portable Audio - your configuration?

For indoor biking and outdoor activities other than biking, I have a set of 1st gen PowerBeats Pro which have been fantastic. Sound quality is decent, they stay on no matter what, and are definitely sweatproof.

For outdoor biking, anything that excludes exterior sounds is dangerous IMO. So bone conduction is far better there.
by lazydavid
Mon Mar 18, 2024 8:13 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: navigation system for car
Replies: 64
Views: 3371

Re: navigation system for car

tibbitts wrote: Mon Mar 18, 2024 12:00 am What is everyone using for a cell phone mount?
Have MagBak in 3 cars and like it very much. Does require their cases, but it works well in both landscape and portrait orientation. It claims to be compatible with MagSafe, but at least for the charger, the grip on my son's iPhone 15 Pro Max was uncomfortably weak without the case.
by lazydavid
Sun Mar 17, 2024 8:39 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I buy a $3k camera lens or get a cheaper lens instead?
Replies: 25
Views: 1691

Re: Should I buy a $3k camera lens or get a cheaper lens instead?

Hubub wrote: Sun Mar 17, 2024 8:22 am - The Sony lens can take a teleconverter (1.4 or 2). The Tamron and Sigma cannot. While the teleconverter is an additional purchase later on down the line, it would enable the 70-200 to become a 98-280 focal length at F4. Since I have a higher megapixel camera model, I can crop in to reach something like 150-400 mm (with lower resolution but something usable for most situations). Adding a TC gives me considerable future flexibility for shooting birds or occasional wildlife, and still keep things relatively lightweight.
I'm not in the Sony system, but I have the Nikkor 70-200/2.8 VR II for my D7000 (hard to believe it's 13 years old!), and it's been a joy to use, both with and without the 1.7x tele I later added to my kit.
by lazydavid
Sun Mar 17, 2024 7:55 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Buying an Expensive Car
Replies: 101
Views: 8725

Re: Buying an Expensive Car

RJC wrote: Sun Mar 17, 2024 7:44 am Because the front looks like a beaver? BMW design has lost its way with the oversized grilles.
I absolutely love it, and was genuinely surprised at the positive attention it attracts out in the wild, given the level of eHate it gets online.

Something's working, as this is by far the fastest-selling M3. It's about to start its fifth model year, and you still have to wait for an allocation--though generally not the 6 months I had to wait for mine 1.5 years ago--and MSRP is about the cheapest you can get. By the 3rd year of the previous generation, you could buy one off the lot with a $15k discount.
by lazydavid
Sun Mar 17, 2024 7:24 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Buying an Expensive Car
Replies: 101
Views: 8725

Re: Buying an Expensive Car

Chan_va wrote: Sun Mar 17, 2024 6:56 am I am all for buying a fun car when you are young and can afford it. But is X3M the one you want?
Why do people keep talking about the X3? Here are OP's literal words:
blahpoopy wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2024 10:03 pm An xDrive M3!
And has even been called out just a few posts up:
vfinx wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2024 11:34 am The X3 weirdly became a straw man. OP never said they wanted it, but now people are telling him not to get it.
Maybe a picture would help. :) This is the M3 sedan he's considering:

Image
by lazydavid
Sun Mar 17, 2024 6:47 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Buying an Expensive Car
Replies: 101
Views: 8725

Re: Buying an Expensive Car

kojima wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2024 5:42 pm Imagine the insurance cost too :shock:
It's not like he's buying a Mustang!

You do have to pay to play, but it's nowhere near as bad as you might suspect. Full coverage (250/500/100, medical, UI/UIM, roadside and rental) on my 2023 M3 is less than $800/6 mo. And that's with a 16M driver on the policy. It was cheaper before he got his license. For reference, I also have a 2011 3-series on the same policy, which is just a hair under $500/6 mo.
by lazydavid
Sat Mar 16, 2024 5:23 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Buying an Expensive Car
Replies: 101
Views: 8725

Re: Buying an Expensive Car

You can get a regular 3 Series with xDrive (or a Tesla Model 3 AWD) for half that much. What makes the 3 Series great is the balance of the chassis, which you get even in the base version. The M3 doesn't have all that much more usable performance on the road. Having driven exclusively BMW 3 series for the past 25 years, from low end, to high-end non M, and now a full M, I couldn’t disagree more. Every single component of the suspension is different, and it shows. Even something as simple as powering through an empty traffic circle (which I did just this morning) feels completely different. Yes they’re all great-driving cars. Clearly I agree with that, or I wouldn’t have spent the better part of my life driving them. But even on my old E46,...
by lazydavid
Sat Mar 16, 2024 6:45 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Buying an Expensive Car
Replies: 101
Views: 8725

Re: Buying an Expensive Car

Thesaints wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2024 12:19 am Buy it used. Problem solved.
Doesn't help as much as you'd think, since inventory is so low--there are only 85 used ones available nationwide. There's a nice 2023 with 11k miles at a dealer near me for $87k. Ordering a 2024 in the exact same spec would be $91k
madbrain wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2024 3:02 am If you keep it long enough, the value will eventually go towards zero. Don't count on extracting a lot of money from it 5-10+ years after purchase, unless it becomes a collector's item. But you won't know that ahead of time.
Considering the previous 5 generations of this car have ALL become collectors items, it's a pretty good bet. Quick look at ~10 year old M3s find the going rate for ones with 50-70k miles is in the mid-$40k range. That's definitely not zero.
by lazydavid
Sat Mar 16, 2024 6:33 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Buying an Expensive Car
Replies: 101
Views: 8725

Re: Buying an Expensive Car

blahpoopy wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2024 10:03 pm An xDrive M3! Looking for something I can daily and take to the mountains in the winter (plus heard good things about reliability for the S58).
As someone who purchased a base 6MT M3 last year, I wholeheartedly endorse your choice. :mrgreen: It's a glorious car, and the S58 has indeed proven to be bulletproof so far.

I had been planning to finance when I was waiting for an allocation in late 2022, but rates went up sharply by the time I was finally in production. So I paid cash.
by lazydavid
Fri Mar 15, 2024 8:34 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Navigating Speakers for in home theater
Replies: 44
Views: 3367

Re: Navigating Speakers for in home theater

madbrain wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2024 6:53 pm In the master bedroom, we have an 82" TV, and the bed is 27ft away ;) Even 4K doesn't make sense at that distance/size.
:shock: Your bedroom is bigger than the house my wife grew up in.
by lazydavid
Fri Mar 15, 2024 4:42 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Navigating Speakers for in home theater
Replies: 44
Views: 3367

Re: Navigating Speakers for in home theater

hand wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2024 4:17 pm AVR Supports HDCP 2.1 while the new Sony Bravia OLED introduced into the system supports HDCP 2.2 and 4k HDR.

Frustratingly this means that inputs connected directly to the AVR will not pass 4K HDR to the TV through the AVR.
Full resolution now appears to require trashing a perfectly good AVR
Definitely understand the frustration, and while ~10 years old is on the lower side of the historical replacement window for AVRs, it is indeed in the window.
by lazydavid
Fri Mar 15, 2024 4:29 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Microsoft Office 2021 for Home
Replies: 47
Views: 3518

Re: Microsoft Office 2021 for Home

I don't think the subscription makes sense for me at least. S ubscription prices will go up over time with inflation. Corporate discounts will vary. In the long-term you end up paying more. They wouldn't push subscription models if that wasn't the case. It may indeed not make sense for you. But the bolded part has absolutely not proven to be true. When O365 launched in 2013, it was $100 for one user, with 5 installs. That is $133 in today's money. But today the retail price of a one-user subscription is $70, and for $100 (or $70 with a corporate discount) you get 6 users. So it has gotten dramatically cheaper in real dollars over the intervening 11 years, not more expensive. Corporate discounts also do not vary. They are fixed at 30%, rega...
by lazydavid
Fri Mar 15, 2024 3:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Navigating Speakers for in home theater
Replies: 44
Views: 3367

Re: Navigating Speakers for in home theater

Agree very much on the audio side, but personally pretty bitter at how quickly my 4k ready AVR was obsoleted by having the wrong HDCP version. I'm glad I didn't buy it at MSRP and plan never to buy a new AVR - technology moves too quickly. You definitely have to be aware of this stuff, but it doesn't have to be a major gotcha. When I was receiver shopping in 2015 (to replace an Onkyo from 2003), one of the things that led me to the Denon AVR-7200W was that they promised a firmware update to HDCP 2.2 in late spring/early summer (which was indeed delivered). By the time I placed my order, I actually received the revised AVR-7200WA that had that support baked in. This is still sufficient for protected 4k/60fps content, which is the best this ...
by lazydavid
Fri Mar 15, 2024 3:35 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Microsoft Office 2021 for Home
Replies: 47
Views: 3518

Re: Microsoft Office 2021 for Home

madbrain wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2024 3:21 pm
lazydavid wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2024 7:25 am Or $6 less than folks are paying (one time) for an ancient version of office that stopped getting security patches last year.
Office 2021 is still getting updates, until 2026.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifec ... ffice-2021
But the version that people are reporting getting for $20 is office 2019. Which ended support in October. As noted above, you can also get this unsupported version for $30. But the cheapest I've seen anyone report getting 2021 is $45. And 3 years at $14/user/year takes you a year longer (to 2027), for $3 less. :)
by lazydavid
Fri Mar 15, 2024 8:06 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Navigating Speakers for in home theater
Replies: 44
Views: 3367

Re: Navigating Speakers for in home theater

madbrain wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2024 3:07 pm Something like a Denon AVR-X6700H would be perfectly adequate, currently retailing for $1699 at best buy. There is open box for $1399 also.
Not anymore, which is not surprising since that represents a screaming bargain, and less than I paid 3 years ago for the AVR-X4700H, even with a significant discount. The 6800 they replaced it with retails for $3500.
by lazydavid
Fri Mar 15, 2024 7:25 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Microsoft Office 2021 for Home
Replies: 47
Views: 3518

Re: Microsoft Office 2021 for Home

bombcar wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2024 9:46 pm As a note, and depending on how many machines you have, the silly subscription may actually be a better deal, especially if you want to always be on the latest version.

$70 a year, can go on five machines. Can even get an email and domain for a bit more.

It’s not a terrible deal.
The family plan is an even better deal. $100 (or $70 with a corporate discount) for six users, each of which can have office installed on 5 computers at a time and unlimited mobile devices, plus a 1TB OneDrive per user.

For the 5 users in my family (myself included), this works out to $14/year. Or $6 less than folks are paying (one time) for an ancient version of office that stopped getting security patches last year.
by lazydavid
Wed Mar 13, 2024 9:29 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [What UN-frugal thing do you do? What do you splurge on?]
Replies: 785
Views: 84182

Re: Frugal heros - what is your one guilty consumer splurge?

bloom2708 wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2024 8:29 am Home audio equipment is my weakness. Speakers mostly. I'm currently in a "just don't buy it" blackout period. Willpower.
Me as well, though headphones are my joint. The current signal chain on my desk cost almost exactly $10k, and this month marks one year since the most recent dollar was spent.
by lazydavid
Wed Mar 13, 2024 8:20 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Microsoft Office 2021 for Home
Replies: 47
Views: 3518

Re: Microsoft Office 2021 for Home

Best case scenario is these are legitimate but grey market licenses. OEM keys that are only supposed to be bundled with a new PC.

More likely is that they are volume keys being used illegitimately or fraudulent keys generated by a tool like SCDGen.