Search found 5119 matches

by lazydavid
Mon Mar 18, 2024 9:51 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Portable Audio - your configuration?
Replies: 9
Views: 574

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: 51
Views: 2197

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: 1559

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: 81
Views: 6501

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: 81
Views: 6501

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: 81
Views: 6501

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: 81
Views: 6501

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: 81
Views: 6501

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: 81
Views: 6501

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: 41
Views: 2653

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: 41
Views: 2653

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: 3290

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: 41
Views: 2653

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: 3290

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: 41
Views: 2653

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: 3290

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: 82861

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: 3290

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.
by lazydavid
Wed Mar 13, 2024 6:41 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Change in Empower Dashboard Personal Capital's Retirement Forecast
Replies: 2
Views: 379

Re: Change in Empower Dashboard Personal Capital's Retirement Forecast

gavinsiu wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2024 6:22 am If you notice that your retirement forecast got a bump, this is why. The forecast is still more pessimistic than the other calc, probably because it assumes a 1% fee.
I don't think the 1% is an assumed fee. It's a hedge against the possibility that reality winds up proving the model to be optimistic.
by lazydavid
Wed Mar 13, 2024 5:54 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: iPad Buying Question for Younger Kids
Replies: 25
Views: 1919

Re: iPad Buying Question for Younger Kids

MathWizard wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2024 4:47 pm The only issue would be if the schools are using them.
My nephew is a middle school principal, and apparently
ipads for school assignments are a thing.

If that is the case, I would check with the school for compatibility,
though in my nephew's school, the school was handing them out for consistency.
This is actually not a concern at all. Most school districts that are officially using iPads as part of the curriculum will NOT let you use your own. The devices must be 100% managed by the district.
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 12, 2024 1:51 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: iPad Buying Question for Younger Kids
Replies: 25
Views: 1919

Re: iPad Buying Question for Younger Kids

Another option to consider is older and higher-end. The iPad Pros are lasting an astonishingly long time. My 16-year old is still totally happy with the 2nd gen iPad Pro (10.5") I got at launch in 2017, which I handed down to him 4 years ago this week when I upgraded to the 11". It runs the latest 17.4 without issue, though rumor has it that support might be dropped in 18. But that's still crazy longevity for a mobile device, and I would expect the more recent Airs to be a similar story.

I'm a MUCH heavier user than he is, and have no desire whatsoever to upgrade my 4th gen Pro anytime soon.
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 12, 2024 11:51 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How Much Cash Do You Keep In Your Home?
Replies: 207
Views: 14914

Re: How Much Cash Do You Keep In Your Home?

That's what I thought too. But what I learned the hard way: Banks try to keep cash on hand for approximate anticipated withdrawals... based on whatever algorithms they have from past customer data. No bank is going to empty their coffers for one unexpected large withdrawal... At the expense of 50+ other customers that they anticipate may need to withdraw cash later that day. Your best option is to call ahead of time to let them know if you plan to need a significant cash withdrawal in a few days. If you have no time to give them a warning... You may have to branch-hop to a few locations. That's what I was able to do. Thankfully the bank I use has several locations in town. --- Brian That may be true for that particular chain, but having wo...
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 12, 2024 10:31 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How Much Cash Do You Keep In Your Home?
Replies: 207
Views: 14914

Re: How Much Cash Do You Keep In Your Home?

brian91480 wrote: Sun Mar 10, 2024 7:38 pm I had to do this once! It was a pain to get $10k cash ASAP. Banks don't keep that much cash on hand, even if you have that amount in your account.
$10k is one strap of hundreds, or five straps of twenties. I've never been to a bank that would keep less than that on hand. Most have significantly more than that in their teller cash dispensers/recyclers alone.
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 12, 2024 6:25 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best < $100 purchase?
Replies: 299
Views: 55805

Re: Best < $100 purchase?

gunny2 wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2024 2:12 am Years ago my girlfriend and I bought about a $7.95 cheap plastic wine bottle opener at a wine store because we needed one and didn't feel like spending a lot. Over the years, friends bought her really fancy wine bottle openers etc...and we ended up coming back to this one because it just worked better. 20+ yrs later I still have it and use it.
Definitely agree with this one. We've also had every manner of fancy bottle openers. Nothing beats a simple waiter's corkscrew. Though I do prefer metal to plastic.
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 12, 2024 6:17 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Electrical Outlet Covers
Replies: 48
Views: 3697

Re: Electrical Outlet Covers

Are you even a little bit handy, or "all thumbs"? Because replacing outlets is among the easier home DIY projects. If the current ones are installed correctly, it's probably about 2 steps harder than simply replacing the faceplate.

If you're not comfortable, of course hire an electrician or handyman.
by lazydavid
Mon Mar 11, 2024 2:06 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Umbrella Policy & IRA
Replies: 9
Views: 1149

Re: Umbrella Policy & IRA

DebiT wrote: Mon Mar 11, 2024 10:16 am That would be interesting information. How did you find it? I’m in California, so who knows how high it would be?
I searched something like "largest judgements/settlements in Illinois history" and actually wound up with an ordered list, though I can't find it right now to share as an example. I had to get to the third or fourth page before I started seeing cases that were against individuals, but not medical malpractice or corporate negligence.
by lazydavid
Mon Mar 11, 2024 5:57 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Umbrella Policy & IRA
Replies: 9
Views: 1149

Re: Umbrella Policy & IRA

To determine my coverage, I looked at the largest judgements in my state's history. Once I excluded medical malpractice cases, along with those involving negligence by transportation companies (truck crashes, etc), there had never been a single judgement or settlement over $3M. So that's a pretty comfortable amount for me.
by lazydavid
Sun Mar 10, 2024 6:00 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Electrical Outlet Covers
Replies: 48
Views: 3697

Re: Electrical Outlet Covers

SVariance1 wrote: Sun Mar 10, 2024 2:28 pm I think they must be very thin but it does make me wonder about safety
Even if they’re thin, the outlets they would go over generally have recessed entrances, as opposed to the flush face you would see on a decora outlet. So it’s not like you’re just adding another layer that sits flush on the face. It actually introduces an air gap where live conductors will always be outside of the outlet face. While also reducing the amount inside the outlet that is gripped by the spring terminal, potentially arcing or inducing heat.
by lazydavid
Sun Mar 10, 2024 1:11 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Electrical Outlet Covers
Replies: 48
Views: 3697

Re: Electrical Outlet Covers

SVariance1 wrote: Sun Mar 10, 2024 7:26 am
familythriftmd wrote: Sun Mar 10, 2024 7:13 am Why can't you unscrew the existing covers and replace them with new covers?

Are the outlet covers ugly or do you just not like beige?
The outlets themselves are beige, which is part of what I am trying to change
Which means you need to replace the outlet with one that is to your liking. You will not find “covers” that accomplish your goal.
rob wrote: Sun Mar 10, 2024 10:15 am I have used these through the house and I paint them the same color as the walls.
I guess I was wrong and they do exist. However, I can’t believe this is legal, and would never consider using them. You would literally be using all of your outlets with the plug pulled out halfway all the time. That’s horrifically dangerous, for more than one reason.
by lazydavid
Fri Mar 08, 2024 11:11 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Interesting Price Differences For $4k Streaming Increases...
Replies: 10
Views: 1686

Re: Interesting Price Differences For $4k Streaming Increases...

2ball wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2024 4:12 pm And when you compare Netflix with commercials $6.99 to 4K $22.99 its even worse.
I am bad at math, but that's like a 330% increase!
If you truly want your mind blown, the $6.99/mo customers are more profitable than the $15.49/mo ones. Not sure if they're more profitable than the 4k customers at $22.99/mo, but if not it's fairly close.
by lazydavid
Fri Mar 08, 2024 7:05 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Drop Homeowner Ins- Self Insure
Replies: 63
Views: 4443

Re: Drop Homeowner Ins- Self Insure

I would shop around, but I would not cancel. And I can't speak to American Family, but I know for a fact that State Farm would cancel my Umbrella policy if I dropped homeowners. A minimum coverage level for both auto and home is a prerequisite for an umbrella policy. Understood, my umbrella policy should cover liability and flooding isn’t an issue. Hail is for sure a concern but a new roof is around $15k in my area, that’s definitely a risk I would be taking. Be very careful here. An Umbrella policy is by definition an excess liability policy. It excludes a minimum level of liability. So even if AF doesn't drop you entirely, you may still be liable for whatever that minimum is, before they'll even take your phone call. For me that'd be $300k.
by lazydavid
Wed Mar 06, 2024 6:48 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Replacing a garage door (maybe)
Replies: 45
Views: 4159

Re: Replacing a garage door (maybe)

smitcat wrote: Thu Oct 19, 2023 6:59 am
twh wrote: Thu Oct 19, 2023 12:19 am I will say that when we were searching for a house, one thing that stood out on many houses was nicer garage doors versus plain garage doors.
In cases where folks feel a garage door detracts from a home would it not be best to select a home where the garage door(s) were not in view?
There are a lot of places where side-loaded garages (I assume this is what you're talking about) are extremely uncommon. Mine area is one, unless you're well into the 2-comma range for home prices.

So I mean I guess we could have moved to a house that costs 3x as much as the one we're in, rather than spending $4k on a pair of extremely attractive new doors. There are a lot of decisions to be made in life, but that one was honestly pretty easy.
by lazydavid
Wed Mar 06, 2024 6:21 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: $10k for double garage door?
Replies: 31
Views: 4601

Re: $10k for double garage door?

Glad to hear you're getting what you want, even if it's in a way you didn't expect!

But since I dug through my records prior to reaching the end of the thread:

In April of 2022, we had two CHI 2348 Walnut 8x7 doors with tinted double-pane tinted glass and two Liftmaster 87504-267 openers installed. They were ordered in the fall of 2021, as there was a very long lead time. Doors were $2270 each, openers were $590. So total installed price for two of each was $5720.
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 05, 2024 12:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Undersizing whole house generator?
Replies: 62
Views: 4822

Re: Undersizing whole house generator?

I'm thinking since 20kw generators are so ubiquitous and cheap now ($5k at Costco), maybe I could get 2-3 and wire up to different subpanel masters. Will have to see. Could be cheaper than one 60 kw ($25,000 for a Cummins). Seems unlikely, because you still have to have them installed, which is a non-trivial expense. Plus on a 1:1 basis, the 20kw ones are dramatically louder than the more expensive units because they're less well insulated and the engines run at double the speed. And now you're talking about 3 of them. Given that they'd be serving different parts of the house, I have this vision in my head of your house being literally surrounded by noisy generators, with no escape. :P But more practically, even if you determine that 60kW ...
by lazydavid
Tue Mar 05, 2024 6:26 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Undersizing whole house generator?
Replies: 62
Views: 4822

Re: Undersizing whole house generator?

I'm still doubtful of the 2000A service. A 240V panel rated for 2000A is approximately $35-55,000, and the main breaker alone is over $20k. One of the standard ways to feed such a box would be seven parallel runs of this wire per phase (21 conductors total for 240V split phase):

Image

Wholesale cost of the wiring needed to bring that service in from the street is about $75/foot.

This is the Automatic transfer switch for the generator I used in a commercial building I supported in a previous role:

Image

But it is only rated for 1200 amps.
by lazydavid
Sun Mar 03, 2024 9:50 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best way to pay for a car in cash with Schwab
Replies: 20
Views: 1592

Re: Best way to pay for a car in cash with Schwab

guppyguy wrote: Sun Mar 03, 2024 7:32 am Just to clarify, yes I have the physical checks with Schwab checking but, at least over a text, the dealer is saying no to personal checks. It was my first thought. I'm going to try again when we show up at the dealer.
Interesting. My last two car purchases were with personal checks, AND I was upfront with them that the money wouldn't be there for a few days (had to be transferred from brokerage/HYSA). Both dealers were 100% ok with it, and the transaction amounts were a LOT higher than $35k.
by lazydavid
Wed Feb 28, 2024 4:17 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What inferior good do you love?
Replies: 232
Views: 25545

Re: What inferior good do you love?

dunk1234 wrote: Wed Feb 28, 2024 11:13 am When talking about inferior goods, it's natural to assume that less expensive means more inferior. What's interesting to me about the topic is the phenomenon of cheaper goods being (surprisingly often) superior. I would argue that toyota corollas and baguettes are two examples of superior goods that cost less than inferior substitutes such as ford broncos and happy meals.
The Corolla sedan I had as a rental at the beginning of this month was definitely an inferior good. Absolutely in the bottom 3 out of the 25 or so cars I've rented in the past 2 years, quite possibly the worst.

Oddly enough in contrast, the Corolla hatchback I had last fall was actually quite good.
by lazydavid
Wed Feb 28, 2024 8:57 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: SNOW blower Toro Vs Arien (24")
Replies: 21
Views: 2075

Re: SNOW blower Toro Vs Arien (24")

A while back, some people here mentioned that the Ariens models sold in the big-box stores aren't quite the same as what you'd get directly from Ariens. Is that still the case? It's more nuanced than that, but if you wanted to boil it down to a close-enough generality, it works. There are two main factors at play: 1) OPE (Outdoor Power Equipment) dealers will often have exclusive models that are not sold at big box stores, in addition to the few volume models that are. 2) Snowblowers are shipped in crates/boxes partially assembled. At big box stores, they are generally assembled by the overnight stocking crew, who may have zero experience with them. At OPE dealers, they're generally assembled by folks who know the equipment they're selling...
by lazydavid
Wed Feb 28, 2024 7:03 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: SNOW blower Toro Vs Arien (24")
Replies: 21
Views: 2075

Re: SNOW blower Toro Vs Arien (24")

cadzan wrote: Wed Feb 28, 2024 6:52 am Whichever dealer is closest and has pickup & delivery service. Unless you are mechanically inclined.
Yep, a good local dealer is key. Buy whichever one you can get from a nearby outdoor power equipment dealer, NOT a big box store. I'm partial to Ariens personally for 2-stage snowblowers, but if there was a great Toro dealer close to me that could tip the balance the other way.
by lazydavid
Wed Feb 28, 2024 5:59 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: BMW named top pick in CR overall brand rankings
Replies: 55
Views: 5578

Re: BMW named top pick in CR overall brand rankings

tetractys wrote: Wed Feb 28, 2024 12:03 am I must be thinking of some controversy that happened a long time ago. I think it had to do with lying about child car seats.
For me it was when they didn't get the results they wanted from rollover testing the Suzuki Samurai, so they designed a new, far more difficult test that was used only a single time, just for that one vehicle, and not for anything before or since. They got it to lift a tire, declared it a public menace, and drove an entire auto brand out of the US.
by lazydavid
Tue Feb 27, 2024 1:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: BMW named top pick in CR overall brand rankings
Replies: 55
Views: 5578

Re: BMW named top pick in CR overall brand rankings

My 1999 BMW 3 series was great, I sold it to a family friend and he's still driving it, it has 320k miles on it now. Really just had normal maintenance on wear and tear items and the maintenance costs were always reasonable through the independent I used. Honestly wish I would have kept it As was my 2000 3 series. Over 12 years and 158k miles, my total cost of ownership excluding only fuel and insurance (so including oil changes, tires, brakes, wiper blades, and all maintenance and repairs) was under $5500. Most reliable car I or anyone in my family and circle of friends has ever owned. The 2011 that replaced it has been similarly great, with the exception of the ill-conceived diesel emissions system (thanks EPA), and a relentless appetite...
by lazydavid
Tue Feb 27, 2024 5:55 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any audiophiles on this forum?
Replies: 321
Views: 40873

Re: Any audiophiles on this forum?

hvaclorax wrote: Mon Feb 26, 2024 10:37 pm I think it was a Denon cable for $10000. I haven’t seen it recently, so it might have been taken down. As a seasoned audio fan admit I perused it many times.
It would surprise me if it was Denon. They do make some expensive, higher-end stuff, but I haven't seen them peddle snake oil.
by lazydavid
Mon Feb 26, 2024 1:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Front License Plate Mount
Replies: 29
Views: 2742

Re: Front License Plate Mount

I have purchased cars from out of state and my state requires a front plate. I don't want to drill the front bumper so I purchased a no drill Sto N Sho mounting bracket. Obviously, it depends on the make\model of your car. https://stonsho.com/ My state (Illinois) requires a front plate, but I don't intend to ever run one. If I were ever taking my car into the city or parking it at the airport, I'd buy a Sto 'n Sho to account for those occasions. My sister recently bought a new BMW that doesn't have any front license brackets. The dealer (as well as several friends) informed her that while the front license is a requirement in her state (Oregon), it is rarely enforced. it probably does have one. Mine is in the trunk storage bin, right next ...
by lazydavid
Fri Feb 23, 2024 6:29 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: The Shrinking Lifespan of Large Appliances
Replies: 108
Views: 10076

Re: The Shrinking Lifespan of Large Appliances

vnatale wrote: Thu Feb 22, 2024 8:46 pm The way I wash dishes is not noisy and I'm sure uses less water.

3/4 fill the sink.
I'll stop you there, because you've already lost your bet. The average dishwasher cycle uses 3-4 gallons of water. Unless you're using the tiny sink from a wet bar, a 3/4 full sink is WAY more than 4 gallons.
by lazydavid
Thu Feb 22, 2024 7:31 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best < $100 purchase?
Replies: 299
Views: 55805

Re: Best < $100 purchase?

socalindex wrote: Thu Feb 22, 2024 5:14 pm Love seeing a manual M.
Last chance, had to do it. Couldn’t be happier. :mrgreen:
by lazydavid
Thu Feb 22, 2024 2:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Google 2FA, etc. while traveling
Replies: 11
Views: 1668

Re: Google 2FA, etc. while traveling

Since the default method will be of the push notification type ("Are you trying to login?" with options for "Yes" or "No, this was not me"), you may have to select "authenticate via another method" or similar verbiage on the website or service, but you should be able to get to a point where it will ask you for a 6-digit code, which you can then get from your authenticator app. Is there anything preventing you from logging into your Google (or Apple or whatever) account to get these push "are you trying to log in" messages even if you can't get SMSs from your regular number? As long as you can log in to that account itself using some other method (like an authenticator app), and you are conn...
by lazydavid
Thu Feb 22, 2024 11:12 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: The Shrinking Lifespan of Large Appliances
Replies: 108
Views: 10076

Re: The Shrinking Lifespan of Large Appliances

iamlucky13 wrote: Thu Feb 22, 2024 10:54 am If anyone was curious enough to try verifying this, it is possible to choose two similar models from Sony and LG from the same release year, and look up spare parts for them. They'll definitely have different part numbers, and I strongly suspect if you compared photos of the parts, most of them will be visibly different.
Absolutely the case for OLED TVs. Most of Sony's units have transducers built into the back of the display. They actually use the panel itself as a speaker.
by lazydavid
Thu Feb 22, 2024 10:58 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Google 2FA, etc. while traveling
Replies: 11
Views: 1668

Re: Google 2FA, etc. while traveling

if you are using the Google Authenticator (or comparable) as your 2FA, one of its functions is as a deterministic random number generator. I'll put the specifics below, but essentially for this function it at most needs connectivity one time when initially set up, and then can be used to provide a valid OTP code forever, as long as the time on your device is correct. Since the default method will be of the push notification type ("Are you trying to login?" with options for "Yes" or "No, this was not me"), you may have to select "authenticate via another method" or similar verbiage on the website or service, but you should be able to get to a point where it will ask you for a 6-digit code, which you ca...
by lazydavid
Thu Feb 22, 2024 10:42 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: On demand water boiler (for beverages)
Replies: 4
Views: 503

Re: On demand water boiler (for beverages)

We clean ours with citric acid, which seems to be easier to rinse out to an un-noticeable level than white vinegar. We bought a 5-lb bag off of Amazon twelve years ago, and have enough left to last us until the sun explodes. Looks like 2 lbs would run you about $10.
by lazydavid
Thu Feb 22, 2024 7:05 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: The Shrinking Lifespan of Large Appliances
Replies: 108
Views: 10076

Re: The Shrinking Lifespan of Large Appliances

vnatale wrote: Wed Feb 21, 2024 4:55 pm Am I the only one here who does not own a dishwasher? Grew up in a family of four without one. Lived in a house for four years in the mid-70s that had one but since then have happily lived without them. Their noise.
Only the bottom of the barrel dishwashers are noisy these days. The higher-end ones haven't been noisy for 30 years at this point. I've opened our Miele more than a handful of times over the past 10 years while it was running, because I couldn't hear it. You can literally have a whispered conversation right next to it and not know. Some models actually shine a light or time remaining clock on the floor so you know they're running.