DIVORCEDDADFRUGALDAD.COM: Recent Comments

Comment on Expensive Toys = Expensive Repairs

2010-01-14T15:57:07Z

This is an excellent point - something we don't always keep in mind - the total cost of ownership. I put this in the foreground when I made purchases of 4 pieces of used construction equipment to help me with my do it yourself projects around the ranchette. In particular, I knew that my backhoe would need some maintenance and refurbishing when I bought it. Front tires were replaced at a cost of about $850 for both. A rear tire was $1,000 installed.

The equipment lets me tackle projects that I would otherwise need to contract out, and I can do them at my pace and when I want to. They are my "toys" but they are tremendous work savers.

Renting such equipment can be cost-effective, but when I was told that a ride-on trencher would cost me nearly $3,000 for a week, I simply found one to buy for the cost of a three week rental.

With no insurance or licensing, the equipment only requires changing oil and the occasional repair with a welder. With good care, they should last a lifetime and save much more than they cost. And, the resale market for such equipment is always good.

Clair Schwan

Comment on TV Advertising: What If . . .

2009-12-29T16:16:45Z

Here is my take on the whole TV issue. I absolutely think it's an addiction. It's to the point where many of us can't imagine what to do if we don't watch TV. Sad, but true.

http://www.frugal-living-freedom.com/TV-addiction.html

Clair

Comment on Slow Cookers Are Very Frugal . . .

2009-12-29T14:44:24Z

I like the idea that they make meals that are easy to repackage for leftovers. The trick to using them is to remember that most slow cookers heat from the sides, not the bottom, so they are most effective with soups, stews, casseroles and other meals where the pot is full or nearly so.

Clair Schwan

Comment on TV Advertising: What If . . .

2009-12-29T14:21:32Z

That's exactly why I think it's a good idea to turn the TV off...because no one is ever going to advertise the sort of thing that I want my children to see.

My children's viewing (which is limited) is about 95% DVD watching (mostly classic cartoons), with 5% or less being TV with advertisements.

Comment on Xmas Shopping Season-- Did You Save or Budget?

2009-12-10T18:30:30Z

Call me a Ebenezer Scrooge, but I nearly forego Christmas altogether each year, so I never get concerned about how I'm going to pay for what others have created as the season of spending.

I've heard of people going into debt to buy Christmas gifts, and I can't think of a more silly reason to do so. No wonder debt is a core American value and time honored tradition.

My view is simple - gifts don't equate to love, and the poor don't need financial help and food only around the "holiday season." Whether it's your family or members of the community, it's what you do year round that counts, not the great financial sprint many of us enjoy making at the end of the year.

Clair

Comment on DDFD's This Week Last Year (#15)

2009-12-03T12:46:19Z

Thank you and welcome to the site. While I am a divorced dad, I am also now a happly remarried dad . . .

Comment on DDFD's This Week Last Year (#15)

2009-12-01T23:41:15Z

While being amongst the currently unemployed, I have spent countless hours *googling* ways to be frugal during alternative economic situations. Finally, I came to your most exciting and interesting pages of articles and ideas. I have subscribed and look forward to more. Whomever you are ... well done ... and will you marry me? (and, yes I have a sense of humor ;-)

Comment on The New Loan Sharks . . .

2009-11-24T03:15:49Z

I get it. They don't want your business anymore. It's time to find another outfit while we still have some sort of a free market.

Clair

Comment on The New Loan Sharks . . .

2009-11-24T02:15:11Z

I just got hit with an increase to 19%! I'm a 20 year Universal Card holder, and never a late payment. I just don't get it.

Comment on Don't Payoff Your Mortgage Early . . .

2009-11-20T19:34:37Z

Interesting!

I accept the liquid cash argument. Not so sure about the tax deduction--I'm always leery of prolonging debt for tax advantages. It'd take real individual study to decide if it's right or not.

As for delaying paying off a mortgage: to me, until the house is wholly "yours," there's always a chance it might be taken away some way, some how.

But, my opinion is bound to be different from most people's. I'm glad to have my mortgage paid off and done with! If it weren't, the bond ladder would be an excellent idea! We use the CD ladder model to manage our investments. It'd work well for paying off any debt over time, I think.

http://www.akzeigers.com