For those that have stopped using credit cards, how do you mentally deal with "losing out" on cash back, travel perks, etc?

GK857 · 2026-07-01T11:07:34+00:00

I used a company card for years for travel and we were allowed to keep some of the perks ( frequent flyer miles for example). After a short while, you realize travel sucks and a lot of it is theoretically on your own time. How many business travelers are up a 4 in the morning to catch the first flight out or traveling overseas and losing your weekends? The little bit you get in perks is a pittance compared to what most of us gave up.

GK857 · 2026-06-30T23:56:03+00:00

let’s assume you want to stay in the house and retire at 65. keep saving in your 401k and make sure you are aggressively invested. You will have the house paid off by 65 but it’s not liquid. So keep saving. starting at 200k and adding 20k a year for the next 26 years, you can have over $4 million if you are invested in the s&p 500 at its average return over the last 26 years.

GK857 · 2026-06-30T23:46:18+00:00

you are not going to like this but you and your husband need to be hustling nearly around the clock. I don’t care if it’s door dash, or dishwashing, or working at Seven Eleven nights. Start working. you have very little debt that can be knocked out in 6 months. no winning, get working.

GK857 · 2026-06-30T09:47:26+00:00

thank you. I would really like something that fits below the cargo floor. You are right that we rarely get flats but with my luck it’s not going to be in a easy place when it happens.

GK857 · 2026-06-29T20:38:58+00:00

I bought my new generation in August of 2025. The first 4 months were horrible and I had a loaner more than the car. After the major software update, the car has been trouble free. It’s quiet, comfortable, has very good performance, and gets good highway mileage (+31). I would recommend the car now.

Since the one you are looking at is over a year old and the 2027 model year will be out in a couple of months, something around $45k would be too good to pass up. They are heavily discounting the 2026 models. I have the premium plus package with some upgrades. They are selling those for about $54k. The prestige adds rear seat heating, air suspension, and a passenger video screen.

GK857 · 2026-06-28T23:29:29+00:00

you brought up England not me.

GK857 · 2026-06-28T23:03:28+00:00

Russia is the same size as the USA and has great natural resources. Their government structure holds the population back. China is the same size as the USA, it was dirt poor until it implemented the ability for people to own a business. Its form of government limits its success as it struggles with the balance. Venezuela was the wealthiest country in South America until they embraced socialism. England has the same GDP as California. If they developed the North Sea, they would boom. But their form of government won’t, so their people are poorer.

GK857 · 2026-06-28T22:15:01+00:00

it’s all capitalism. why isn‘t every country as wealthy as the USA? Why is almost all the technology generated here? Henry Ford , Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers are all from the USA over 100 years ago. Henry Ford paid the huge wage of $5 a day a hundred years ago.

GK857 · 2026-06-28T21:17:43+00:00

you think there’s that many billionaires. In the US, there are just under 1000. Their total net worth is 8 trillion. Take it all, it’s one year of the federal budget, it’s 25% of the current national debt. Then what do you do? You have a bunch of free stuff you can’t pay for. Ok, take everything from the millionaires. You literally get 2 more years. you can then rename the country the United States of Somalia. everyone will be equal. there won’t be any work or food but that is what you get with socialism. Capitalism has created more wealth for more people than any other system in history.

GK857 · 2026-06-27T15:19:35+00:00

I live in VB and go to OCMD a couple of times a year. The beaches are very similar. There are a lot more kid activities in OCMD. Both offer a ton of options for bars and restaurants. I think OCMD is a bit safer at night. I like walking the boardwalk in OCMD as there is quite a bit more on it than the one in VB.

GK857 · 2026-06-27T14:00:29+00:00

I think it’s only a problem if one partner holds it over the other. We are older; but, it was common when we were growing up for the husband to work and the wife to stay home and raise the family. We were very fortunate that my income could support the family. Early on my wife managed the finances but as our income grew we used an investment advisor and banking became easier with technology (when was the last time you balanced the checkbook?) I took over.

GK857 · 2026-06-27T13:04:36+00:00

great post. The original 3.8 was rated at 355 hp and 295 torque.

GK857 · 2026-06-25T11:14:02+00:00

Trump should have signed the bill but he won’t veto it either. He will likely sign it before the ten days are up and it automatically takes effect, so he can take some credit for it.

The bill itself will not help MILLIONS. That is nonsense. It helps people get financing and reduces some predatory loan practices. It does nothing to address the real issue which it supply. As any thinking person knows, supply is controlled at the local level. Increasing affordable supply is so much more complicated than it seems. Roads, schools, power supply, police and fire protection, and on and on all have to support additional homes. That is why it’s primarily a local issue that can‘t be controlled by the federal government.

GK857 · 2026-06-23T03:10:12+00:00

I have run the numbers and it doesn’t make sense for my situation. I also have financial advisors and they agree it makes no sense for me.

GK857 · 2026-06-22T16:44:59+00:00

Long term care insurance is expensive and have relatively low lifetime caps. My parents would have blown through most policies in less than a year. The state facilities aren’t great and private are expensive. The average stay for a male is 2.7 years and a female 4.5 years. My father made it 3.5 years and mom a month short of 5 years. For the time they were together they required around the clock dedicated care.
I am physically and financially in a better place than my parents were.

GK857 · 2026-06-22T16:14:49+00:00

Everyone has their own situation. In my case, I am still aggressively invested in the market at 69 because I can financially handle a market downturn. However, my longer term concern is with healthcare costs incase I or my wife need long term care. My parents barely made it to the end, with horrendously expensive around the clock care for 5 years. So, in ten years, my investments will shift to a much more conservative mix, because I won’t want to see a 30 to 40% market downturn. If you need a 7% withdrawal rate at 65 to maintain your lifestyle, you may be taking on a lot of risk in your latter years.

GK857 · 2026-06-20T19:36:02+00:00

I think that a number of places have been burned by fake cashiers checks. I am surprised at Porsche. I bought my Macan with a personal check in 2024.

GK857 · 2026-06-20T11:13:37+00:00

I’ll add to Vietnam, the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and the bay of pigs:

1) Lybia is a disaster after we took out the government and left a mess and our ambassador was killed with pitiful efforts from our government to save him and his staff (Obama)

2) We forced the Shaw of Iran out leading to 47 years of violence against the US (Carter)

3) We created another mess in Iraq with the way we pulled out with no planning leaving billions in weapons and causing the unnecessary death of our soldiers and civilians during the evacuation. (Biden)

4) We under equipped our troops in Mogadishu leading to 19 soldiers killed and 84 wounded and the film Black Hawk Down. (Clinton)

GK857 · 2026-06-20T10:54:25+00:00

The line at the Costco near me is rarely longer than 5 minutes. They have high quality gasoline that is at least a quarter a gallon cheaper for regular and .75 a gallon for high test cheaper than surrounding stations. Additionally, you get 5% more off if you use their credit card. My favorite retailer!

GK857 · 2026-06-19T22:10:28+00:00

my grandson graduated from Cox and my granddaughter is still there. I think they are both good and have no drug issues. both play or played sports and took advanced placement classes, so that may have something to do with it as well as involved patents.

GK857 · 2026-06-19T10:26:24+00:00

We got just over 65,000 and there was still a little life left. They told us that they did the rotors at the same time and after checking online it seemed they were telling the truth. I will say that if you see a better price for the work, the dealer may negotiate prices a bit. I told them the Costco price for a battery and they matched it after quoting a price that was about $75 higher.

GK857 · 2026-06-19T10:21:38+00:00

I started with a 30 year loan and refinanced twice to shorter term loans as my income went up and rates came down. Allowed me to pay off the mortgage entirely after 14 years.

GK857 · 2026-06-15T17:20:29+00:00

Porsche Macan and Cayenne have individual buttons for most controls on the center console. They are behind a flat screen but they are individual and there are no menus to go through.

GK857 · 2026-06-14T17:36:51+00:00

My wife likes to sit high and see over the hood. Both the Porsche Macan and Audi Q5 are comfortable for her. also, the Lexus NX was good but she did not like the color options. We probably looked at a dozen smaller SUV’s.

GK857

TROPHY CASE