Looked at some model homes recently...

[2kids10horses]

tskeeter,

You got that right! Karma for you!

[sbcalimom]

We live in a apartment near UCDavis where DH is finishing his PhD and we always joke that at least we're not trashing our own home with 2 little ones. Not that we let them wreak havoc, but still, little kids are hard on stuff and add in the fact that we've lived here for 5 years and the place will definitely need an overhaul when we leave.

[HoneyBBQ]

Sounds pretty typical. I was making 6 figures when I was 25, so I have had that happen a lot. Plus I look fairly young, at least 5 years younger than I am.

When I bought my last car I whipped out my check book and the guy was just sort of staring at me and not sure what to think of it. He asked his manager and the manager asked if I would log in to my bank account and show them my balance. I thought about it and agreed.... and drove off with my new (to me) Honda!!

*I know it was a violation of my privacy, but I just felt good rubbing it in their faces*

Anybody who has read Millionaire next door knows the person you least likely to expect it probably has the biggest bank account.

[naggie1972]

Holy shit honeybbq, what an earth do you do, that's awesome (hi and welcome back btw).

[HoneyBBQ]

Mar 30, 2012 13:12:31 GMT -5 @naggie1972 said:

Holy shit honeybbq, what an earth do you do, that's awesome (hi and welcome back btw).

Hi, thanks. I have my Ph.D and I work in academic medicine. I'd rather not say too explicitly because it's a small field. So yeah, I made bank right out of the get go, but spent 5 years in grad school, 4 in undergrad (I started college at 17 and got my job right before Xmas that's why it seems short).

But I spent a long time making $1200 a month in grad school while my engineering friends were making 65k! So, it sort of took awhile for things to even out. I also was lucky enough to be in a "trade" field so-to-speak and did not have to take out student loans.

And it WAS a USED Honda, so it wasn't all that expensive. Not like it was brand new BMW or anything.

PS I wasn't trying to brag or anything- some MDs make a heck of a lot more than me, and you certainly don't have to make 6 figures to have enough money to buy a Honda.

[Deleted]

how's your munchkin, honey?

[HoneyBBQ]

Mar 30, 2012 14:19:08 GMT -5 @moneyjenny82 said:

how's your munchkin, honey?

She's great, thanks for asking. I'd post a picture of her if I knew how... can we post pictures here?

She is happy and smiling and starting to grab things both with her feet and toes. She is also figuring out how to use her voice and cooing a bunch she almost sounds like a rooster. So she is very cute and my heart melts every time I see her.

The only thing she does NOT do well is SLEEP. We were doing pretty well before I went back to work: first sleep of the night would be in her crib from 2-4 hours, then in bed with me. However, things changed once I went back to work. Now she refuses to sleep in her crib. We are cosleeping 100% of the time at the moment, and she wakes me up every 1-1.5 hours to get my boob in her mouth. She will not sleep without it. I'd be fine with nursing her if she were hungry, but it's just a comfort thing. I need to post over on the other board and ask for suggestions, but I'm having a really hard time since I don't get hardly any sleep these days.

[Deleted]

awww, I remember those stages!

Re: sleeping - We kept DS in his pack n play in our room for about a month, then he slept in his crib and has been great in it. I don't have any advice regarding co-sleeping, but some moms in WIR may be able to help you out there.

[8 Bit WWBG]

...:::"When you walk in, DON'T tell you have cash, or have pre-approved your financing with a Credit Union. Hold out until you get their best price. (Which you should already know by researching KBB, etc.)":::...

I've experienced something slightly different: that telling them you can do either gives you the most flexibility. I agree that they make more on the financing than the sale, and I'd be afraid that some deals are for "financing only". I'd want to negotiate the best price, THEN lock myself into a payment method.

Re: attitude shifts when they find out your worth. I briefly had $30k+ in my checking account after liquidating some bonds. There was a VERY distinct change in the customer service reps voice after she saw my account balance.

Of course in my area, age isn't a good discriminator. There are plenty of amply subsidized college students, and under-30 attorneys who have plenty of money to throw around.

2kids makes a good point about a way to hide then show wealth. A good salesman has to be able to spot certain tells like the watch or the shoes. Paul has a great story from his care salesman days about a guy who looked like a bum, but had one such tell. I won't rob him of the chance to tell it, but it was pretty smooth.

[HoneyBBQ]

Mar 30, 2012 15:07:04 GMT -5 @moneyjenny82 said:

awww, I remember those stages!

Re: sleeping - We kept DS in his pack n play in our room for about a month, then he slept in his crib and has been great in it. I don't have any advice regarding co-sleeping, but some moms in WIR may be able to help you out there.

Yeah, the pack and play is where the baby goes when I go potty lol. She can't nurse from it therefore it's a no go in her mind. I did post over on WIR so hopefully I will get some tips!

[Deleted]

Re: attitude shifts when they find out your worth. I briefly had $30k+ in my checking account after liquidating some bonds. There was a VERY distinct change in the customer service reps voice after she saw my account balance.

I don't like to go inside the bank anymore because they see our combined balances and try to sell me something.

[Deleted]

They make pack and plays that are basically co-sleepers, go right along the bed and one side is down and they 'connect' to the bed... easy to access, she feels you 'right there' but still her own space... might be a way to gradually step back. Probably just needs a bit more security time now that you are gone during the day... it should ease as the new routine gets settled...

[zibazinski]

Just don't get into the idea of doing this permanently or you will end up with an almost two year old sleeping in your bed. Crib is still even in the master bedroom. I bite my tongue there big time.

[zibazinski]

How old is the baby?

[Deleted]

I had kids in my bed till they were about 8 .... They didn't start there, but they ended up there most of the time... truth is, although I can remember some frustration at times, and it is cliche to say, the whole thing passed in a blink, sooner or later they just stop coming ... and I can't say I regret it...

[zibazinski]

I know people that do that and are okay with it. I'm not okay with interrupted sleep and no sex. You expect it at a certain age, after that, not so much. I always had a lock on the bedroom door and I used it. Not all the time but when the kids came in and snuggled in the am, I made sure it wasn't for long because the day was starting anyway and we all had things to do.

[phil5185]

but I find it hard to believe that we're going to continue to use current energy sources after they've tripled in price, and crowd into 600-800sf houses rather than figure out cheaper ways to provide energy.

All of the above. As society moves to smaller better insulated houses, the demand for energy will drop substantially so the price of energy will quit rising. And the traditional family housing norm (before the 1980s & 90s trend) will probably be restored at about 1500 ft. Appliances will continue to be more efficient (our 2005 AC uses about half as much energy as the old 1975 model).

As for solar & wind, not so good. We used solar on the Apollo in 1967, along with fuel-cells. They worked great, not a big engineering problem, but you wouldn't want to pay for one on your house (which is why the govt has to subsidize them). The panels are good for stop lights, elk crossing lights, etc, in the wilderness - they are expensive but way cheaper than running a power line.

We get 20% of our power from reactors - no coal, no carbon. I'd like to see another 60% nukes, that would clean up the air. (About 50% of air pollution is from power companies).

[zibazinski]

This house is tiny by the areas standards. 1600 sq ft. I use it all and always wanted a house with no wasted space. It's 8 years old so the insulation is good but I'm still going to add more. This winter, although a mild one, was good on gas so bills were not high. But I could feel the cold air through the outlets and other places. Winterized for sure before next winter.

[Deleted]

Mar 30, 2012 16:23:37 GMT -5 phil5185 said:

but I find it hard to believe that we're going to continue to use current energy sources after they've tripled in price, and crowd into 600-800sf houses rather than figure out cheaper ways to provide energy.

All of the above. As society moves to smaller better insulated houses, the demand for energy will drop substantially so the price of energy will quit rising. And the traditional family housing norm (before the 1980s & 90s trend) will probably be restored at about 1500 ft. Appliances will continue to be more efficient (our 2005 AC uses about half as much energy as the old 1975 model).

As for solar & wind, not so good. We used solar on the Apollo in 1967, along with fuel-cells. They worked great, not a big engineering problem, but you wouldn't want to pay for one on your house (which is why the govt has to subsidize them). The panels are good for stop lights, elk crossing lights, etc, in the wilderness - they are expensive but way cheaper than running a power line.

We get 20% of our power from reactors - no coal, no carbon. I'd like to see another 60% nukes, that would clean up the air. (About 50% of air pollution is from power companies).

Natural Gas at 2.17.. Who needs nuclear or to worry about high generation costs..

[phil5185]

Natural Gas at 2.17.. Who needs nuclear or to worry about high generation costs..

Good solution for the shortrun, while we build more reactors, we now have 104 in operation, need 200 or 300 more.

But long run, we should try to get rid of carbon air pollution. If we used nukes for energy that would take away about 45% of US air pollution. (the coal & gas power stations).

The other 50% or so comes from cars. So we need a Manhattan project to develop a 700 mile car battery, one that will last for a full day's drive on a trip. (That is where we should spend our R&D tax dollars, not on solar & windmills).

By replacing carbon fuels, the skies over LA, Chicago, Boston, will be cleaner than it was in the 200 yrs ago when coal was used to heat houses & factories.

[HoneyBBQ]

zib- she's 4 months.

[naggie1972]

Awww. I don't think anyone intends for their kids to ruin a house. I am in the camp of regular cleaning and my kids never drew on the walls which kids are apt to do but I do think a house gets "lived" in much faster than having no kids in the house.

I don't think I have a huge house but I cannot wait to unload this thing now both kids will be leaving soon, it will be way too much house. We will be looking for around 1600 to 1800 sf next.

[zibazinski]

Sweet, 4 months.

[phil5185]

*I know it was a violation of my privacy, but I just felt good rubbing it in their faces*

Anybody who has read Millionaire next door knows the person you least likely to expect it probably has the biggest bank account.

Like the old farmer dressed in overalls - the dealership called his bank to see if the farmer had money for a car. The bank manager asked if he was buying the dealership or some cars?

[ameiko]

Mar 29, 2012 22:42:52 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

My husband and I own three properties and are doing pretty well for being in our early 30s. I've posted before about our modest lifestyle so we've been stocking piling money for more than a decade. Sometimes I do daydream about a nicer place. The house we live in now is minimally acceptable. Moving takes effort and we're lazy, so unless somebody makes it easy for us, we're not going anywhere anytime soon.

We looked at some model houses recently starting in the 750s. The real estate agents looked at us, sized us up and decided immediately that we couldn't afford it. hmmm, why do real estate agents do this?

Obviously, it depends on where you live but assuming that you live in a MCOL area, why look at homes in the 750s for what I assume is a personal residence (wouldn't make sense for a rental in most areas)? Do you have a large family now?

Just curious, thank you.

[ameiko]

Mar 30, 2012 9:40:37 GMT -5 movingforward said:

Mar 30, 2012 5:30:36 GMT -5 Waffle said:

I never really thought much about it before, but when I last bought a vehicle, the salesman kept telling me he would have to run my credit and was that ok and if he ran my credit, it would make my credit score go down. I had to tell him at least 3 times yes, it's ok. He was probably shocked when it came back with a score over 800. I guess he thought that I couldn't afford the vehicle and running the credit check would just be a waste of time.

The same thing happened to me when I bought my car 5 years ago. The sales guy kept talking about my credit and wanted to make certain I knew that nothing could move forward until they ran my credit. Obviously a single blond woman her 30's can't possibly have good credit. After they ran my credit he came back and said down and said "wooooo, your credit is really good. I can't believe how good it is." hmmm.... ok....

They may not be commenting that they are shocked at a "single blond woman in her 30's" could have so great a credit score but that anyone would have your score. I got that recently at a refi where the lawyer commented that he almost never sees credit scores as high as mine. I forget what mine were: high 700's I guess.

[ameiko]

Mar 30, 2012 12:46:03 GMT -5 HoneyBBQ said:

Sounds pretty typical. I was making 6 figures when I was 25, so I have had that happen a lot. Plus I look fairly young, at least 5 years younger than I am.

When I bought my last car I whipped out my check book and the guy was just sort of staring at me and not sure what to think of it. He asked his manager and the manager asked if I would log in to my bank account and show them my balance. I thought about it and agreed.... and drove off with my new (to me) Honda!!

*I know it was a violation of my privacy, but I just felt good rubbing it in their faces*

Anybody who has read Millionaire next door knows the person you least likely to expect it probably has the biggest bank account.

Just curious: did they ask you instead for a certified check? When I bought my last car, that is what I did. Heck, they let me drive my new car to the bank to get the check!

[ameiko]

Mar 30, 2012 16:23:37 GMT -5 phil5185 said:

but I find it hard to believe that we're going to continue to use current energy sources after they've tripled in price, and crowd into 600-800sf houses rather than figure out cheaper ways to provide energy.

All of the above. As society moves to smaller better insulated houses, the demand for energy will drop substantially so the price of energy will quit rising. And the traditional family housing norm (before the 1980s & 90s trend) will probably be restored at about 1500 ft. Appliances will continue to be more efficient (our 2005 AC uses about half as much energy as the old 1975 model).

As for solar & wind, not so good. We used solar on the Apollo in 1967, along with fuel-cells. They worked great, not a big engineering problem, but you wouldn't want to pay for one on your house (which is why the govt has to subsidize them). The panels are good for stop lights, elk crossing lights, etc, in the wilderness - they are expensive but way cheaper than running a power line.

We get 20% of our power from reactors - no coal, no carbon. I'd like to see another 60% nukes, that would clean up the air. (About 50% of air pollution is from power companies).

What about using solar as a supplement to power production, say solar panels on the roof? You could heat water normally and use it to help ease power costs in the hot, shinier summer months when you want to run your ac and thus power bills tend to soar.

Thanks.

[Deleted]

I had to stop by my father's bank to sign some papers this week... he emailed me yesterday at almost 4 to ask if I had yet, and i hadn't, so i grabbed my purse and headed out in a flash, in the same clothes i'd been cleaning in and my hair up in a less than stellar knot. I thought i had my passport in my purse (because i knew i'd need 2 forms of id), but i got there without it... she asked if I had my SS card (am i the only one who doesn't carry it?) ... as luck would have it, my auto insurance renewed last week and i hadn't put the new card in my car... we were going through the list of things she could accept and I was like, I'll just go home and get my passport... at that she said, oh, well, if you have a credit card, i could take that... .... yeah, i have several... Wouldn't you assume that is the first/easiest thing you should ask for? .... Did she really think I looked so bad I wouldn't have a Credit Card ??

[findingdeadbeats]

I have no doubt that my father and his wife likely have a million or more in the bank. They retired in their 50s from working and both inherited well.

My father typically has on an old pair of pants and an old shirt because he works around the house all the time on one project or another. He also has longish hair and a long beard. If you saw him on the side of the road you might think he is homeless.

DH used to work in an auto service center and said some of their wealthiest clients dressed/looked like total slobs. His take on it was that people who wanted to be "seen as" well off dressed better, and those with true wealth just didn't care how people thought of their appearance.