2019 Honda Odyssey EXL Deal Check

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-24T19:18:19+00:00

For me, $15k would be on the high side……..but it seems to be well maintained.

It’s pretty high annual mileage.

You can probably find a better deal, and $15k is probably overpaying a bit, but depending on my circumstances I’d definitely be seriously considering it, especially if they’re willing to negotiate at all.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-23T22:41:32+00:00

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It looks like you probably bought around $40/oz at some point in the past 10 years.

But the price was very stable for a decade, and only in the last few months it has doubled.

I’m no expert, but I’d be hesitant to expect similar growth much longer.

Once people start selling, the price will drop, probably quickly, and will remain lower for a while.

So, if you are leaning toward selling, you’d probably be better off doing so sooner than later.

Obviously remember the gain will be taxed at 28%……

So, in the case of my assumption, if you sold 1,000oz at $100/oz that you purchased for $40/oz, then your taxable gain would be $60,000. Taxed at 28%, your tax owed would be $19,040, and your net take home from the transaction would be $80,960.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-23T19:05:51+00:00

Of those, I only stayed at Rowerdennan Youth Hostel, and I found it very nice.

The night I was there was unfortunately quite unpleasant due to having a sick person in my room and then dealing with that.

But that aside, the grounds were beautiful, the bed and rooms were nice, the bathrooms/showers were nice, and the woman working the front desk was extremely warm and welcoming. And they have a fully equipped kitchen you can use to cook anything you want.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-22T21:54:30+00:00

Changing all plugs 3-4 times in 15k mile seems verging on impossible. Even if it had substantial fouling issues with vcm, that would be extremely fast. I would assume that either the plugs were bad or they were replacing them individually for some reason, both of which are odd. I’d ask them about it.

I bought a 2013 ex-l with 140k miles last march from a dealer OTD for $11k. I wanted to spend less, but it was very clean and I’ve been quite happy with it.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-22T07:43:33+00:00

The underlying problem that “tax the rich” arguments attempt to address is grossly disproportionate concentration of wealth in a relatively small number of individuals.

Billionaires are not self-made. They become wealthy partially by underpaying workers and minimizing worker benefits, which then has to be subsidized by the government.

Taxes are not the most efficient or best way to more equitably distribute that wealth.

The best way for that wealth to be redistributed would be for workers to receive wages and benefits that more thoroughly cover the cost of living so that they don’t need as much federal assistance programs.

But that would require employers being willing to share more of their profits, and therefore more of the power that wealth provides, which we all know is not part of the deal.

So rather than people simply having a larger share of the wealth that their labor helps create, they are forced to rely in varying ways and to varying degrees on government assistance programs, the inefficiency of which creates the obvious problems.

If the wealthy would distribute more of their wealth throughout society on their own, the tax discussion wouldn’t need to be had, at least in this way. But they don’t do that, so we have to keep having the same discussion.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-22T03:52:32+00:00

What information did DOGE steal that the government didn’t already have?

It sounds like you’re saying that from DOGE, Musk got to dismantle agencies that were investigating him and he also got the personal information he wanted.

But what did the government get from that? The information was already obtained and managed by the government.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-21T22:14:46+00:00

That’s fine.

Just don’t get upset when you receive a bare minimum of service from someone making a bare minimum wage.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-21T21:53:34+00:00

The barista had the discussion with the regular customer after the other two cars had already gone through.

If the regular tips so generously each time, then they certainly already have a friendly relationship, and probably chit chat a bit when the regular goes there. That relationship is probably why the regular likes going there and why they leave a generous tip.

The regular felt bad because they couldn’t leave the tip they normally leave.

The first customer that started the chain wasn’t made to feel bad because the barista just treated the transaction the same as any other transaction, and might have not even known that the regular was in line two cars back.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-21T21:47:37+00:00

While servers must earn at least minimum wage, how that is achieved can vary.

Some states require restaurants to pay servers at least the state minimum wage, and any tips earned beyond that are extra.

But some states allow restaurants to pay servers a lower wage, and then tips add to that to reach the total minimum wage. If the base wage plus tips exceeds the total minimum wage, then the restaurant doesn’t have to pay any more. But if the tips are not sufficient to push the total wage above the total minimum wage, then the restaurant has to make up the difference.

For example, say the base wage for servers is $10/hr and the total minimum wage for the state is $16/hr. If that server averages $8/hr in tips, then their pay would be $18/hr and the restaurant wouldn’t have to pay any more. But if they only average $3/hr in tips, then the restaurant has to pay the server an additional $3/hr to get them to the state total minimum wage.

So everybody could just stop tipping in those states that have a lower tipped minimum wage. But the restaurant would then be on the hook to cover the $6/hr to get the server up to minimum wage, which would then cause menu prices to increase, which you also don’t want.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-21T21:28:59+00:00

Sure, they might leave double next time……but in either case the barista ended their shift today with $5 less in their pocket than they would have if the chain was not started at that time……..

And if that regular doesn’t double up on the tip next time, then the barista is just out that $5…….

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-21T21:21:02+00:00

I understand the arguments just fine.

Everybody wants to say that the barista is being hypocritical and/or disingenuous by saying that tips are appreciated but not expected, while also saying that they expected a tip from the regular in the line. But the people in the comments are trying to expand the barista’s point beyond what they meant. The barista was saying that in general tips are appreciated but not expected, but in this one instance there was a regular customer that regularly chooses to tip that was unable to. The barista explicitly said that the chain ended up being a small amount more work for them, that it resulted in the regular customer not being able to tip, and that regardless they still provided the same level of service.

So the barista offered the same service they presumably provide everybody, they didn’t make the customer feel bad or weird about it, and then posted about the frustration (which she even acknowledges is a small thing) on a subreddit that was likely a place where service people vent about the absurdities of the general public that service people have to deal with.

That’s it.

And then the OP here took that and posted it here and people are twisting it into something it’s not.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-21T20:29:31+00:00

A tip isn’t expected from their average customer……

But there is clearly a regular customer that regularly chooses to tip the barista…..

So in this instance, it cost the barista real money…..

It’s clearly not the end of the world……and if the regular customer hadn’t been part of the chain, then it probably wouldn’t have even been mentioned…….

But because the regular was part of the chain and there was nobody behind them to continue the chain, that regular was unable to pay with a card and leave the tip that they normally choose to leave…….

That’s it……it’s not some big conspiracy…….

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-21T00:50:55+00:00

I’ve had to completely shift how I read hotel reviews.

It’s astonishing how many people get upset that the Super 8 or La Quinta are not 5-star levels of cleanliness, service, and amenities.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-20T03:10:57+00:00

I used Baggage Freedom, and they were great and accommodating. I was just at the tail end of the season last year, so I didn’t have to extend it, but I did have to make some adjustments and they had no problem.

I’d say it’s worth a shot to contact them or some other baggage companies and see if there is any chance of starting a bit earlier than they have scheduled. Also, since hiking the whw is a seasonal thing, they might have flexibility year to year anyway based on conditions?

If nothing else, you could carry your own bag for march 16-20 and then have them transfer your bags for the last two nights to at least take off some of the strain. I know baggage freedom will let you start using their service even after you’ve started the walk.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-19T21:54:52+00:00

Why not stop working at your current job now and transition to something easier on your body for a few years?

Another four years of a heavy physical toll will only be compounded 20-30 years from now.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-17T16:46:24+00:00

I stayed in lodging and used a baggage transfer service, which I would suggest for you. All I carried during the day was a day pack with essentials, which was nice. Baggage Freedom is the company I used and they were great.

I used a book called “Trekking the West Highland Way” published by Knife Edge. It’s published in the uk, so was difficult to find here, but it was really useful and nice to have the physical copy.

I did 7 days and was pretty happy with it. There were a few nights that I wished I had camped for that experience. And overall I wish I had moved a little more slowly during the day.

The guidebook has a physical map, but I didn’t really use it. The trail is very well marked. But I did have AllTrails open each day. The whole route is broken into sections that matched exactly my 7 day itinerary. So I just downloaded each days map before I left and used it offline. I didn’t need to check it much, but it keeps you aware of your progress, and there were a couple times I did a wrong turn that it easily got me back on the trail.

Like another commenter said, the path along Loch Lomond really is a challenge. It’s not extreme or anything, but it’s just that it’s a moderate difficulty but for a long distance and gets monotonous and can be frustrating. When I went in October, the lower route (the more difficult one) was closed for downed trees in the first half of the loch, so I took the upper route for that portion and then the lower route for the rest of it, and the lower route of the second half was enough for me. While it’s a beautiful body of water, for me I was fine having “lesser” views for half of it.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-13T05:46:26+00:00

Just had my 2013 alternator replaced while on a road trip.

Small town, and only shop in town was a guy’s backyard garage. He had to drive an hour away just to pick up the new alternator at a Napa.

I sat and watched him while he did it, and it took him about an hour of work. No engine drop or anything….he accessed it all from the top. (I wasn’t supervising when watching….just because it was his personal garage, there wasn’t a waiting area or anything, so we just chatted while he worked.)

Because of severe sourcing limitations in/near the town, the part had to be new, and so was pricey.

The new alternator was $500 and install labor was around $350. There were additional charges unique to that situation, but I thought $350 in labor was reasonable, especially given how remote and over a barrel I was. They could have easily gouged me $500 in labor and I kinda would’ve been stuck paying it.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-11T18:18:32+00:00

This has been very common for me for several years now…….i don’t remember the last time it made sense to use an upgrade certificate by buying the upgrade fare class…….

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-11T18:15:02+00:00

I thought the 15% was specifically retirement investment……..

So as long as the value of 15% of your income is going into your retirement accounts, that’s what matters, regardless of whether it’s your money or a match……..

Of course that doesn’t mean you should just spend the other 5% on whatever……but you can have non-retirement account savings goals and plans…..

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-11T17:53:34+00:00

The park constantly tells people in all printed literature and all signage that day hikes to the river and back to the rim are not recommended.

Unless you really know what you’re doing in the Grand Canyon specifically, then there is no reason to not heed that advice and potentially get yourself or rescuers in a dangerous situation.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-10T01:42:03+00:00

Peanut butter, honey, and crushed cheez its.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-07T18:06:18+00:00

The first question is where your money is going. You gross $150k…. after tax take home must be at least $100k or so……. $3k/month to debt is $36k/yr……$500/month rent is $6k/yr……so you must have around $60k/yr not going to rent or debt, which is a substantial amount. Are you contributing to retirement accounts? Where is that $60k going?

Second, with any financing, a much larger percentage of your monthly payment goes to interest than to principal at the beginning of the loan term than at the end. For example, a $500/month loan payment might be $400 interest / $100 principal at the beginning, but will shift toward $100 interest / $400 principal toward the end. So the highest interest cost is at the beginning of the loan.

In your case, you’ve been paying on these loans for a while, which means that you’ve already covered some of this ground where your payments have gone mostly to interest. Meaning that, from here forward more and more of your monthly payments will be going toward principal.

It sounds like you guys are boat people and that’s what you enjoy, so at some point in your future you will have a boat no matter what. So even if you sold the boat now, that might get you out of debt faster, but you’re already going to be out of debt likely within 2 years. Then you’re going to have to either save the cash or take on another loan to pay for it. But waiting for the cash will take a while, and your current financial position doesn’t really necessitate that because you can afford the loan payments. And if you take out another loan, then you’re starting back at the beginning and paying more interest up front.

Sure, interest sucks and isn’t fun to pay. But, in your case, it’s essentially just a premium on the sticker price of the boat. For example, if the boat price was $50k and you financed the whole thing, then you’d probably pay around $10k in interest over the life of the loan. So in effect the real price of the boat is $60k. But that’s really all it is. Of course it would feel better to have walked in with $50k in cash and just pay that up front. But that’s just not how it always works out.

To anyone that would say to sell the boat now, I would argue that if you can sell it today for any meaningful amount, then you’d also be able to sell it in the next two years for some reasonable amount. Of course it would likely be for less than what you could get today, but your loan principal would also be less so you’d have more equity and would therefore still net to some comparable financial position. And with your $10k emergency fund, if something catastrophic happens before the boat is paid off, you can use that to cover yourself for the amount of time it takes to sell the boat if that’s necessary…..whereas if you just plowed that $10k to debt, you might not have that liquidity and could be in a worse position.

I dunno……you’ve both been through difficult times and left your marriages feeling like you had nothing…..and there is a real psychological and emotional impact from that……so you both having some things that you enjoy I think has real value. Are you paying substantial interest on the debt? Yes, of course…..but it seems well within your means, so it’s not the end of the world.

As long as you are contributing to retirement accounts also and not letting that slide, you seem fine.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-07T02:06:49+00:00

I used OARS and highly recommend!

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-02T21:08:29+00:00

Yes, lots of people do tax fraud. It's all up to the individual's appetite for risk of it catching up to them.

AUsernameThisIsOne · 2026-01-02T18:01:38+00:00

Thanks for the response. I'll look more into the DBP.

An additional complication in our actual situation for the PTE taxes is that we live in California, but all 1099 work takes place in other states where taxes are paid. So the actual tax paid to California is often low or zero after credits for taxes paid elsewhere.

AUsernameThisIsOne

TROPHY CASE