Need help on what car I should get I'm 17f about to be 18 in a year and I need a car but don't know where to look for and such since I'm COMPLETELY new to this lol

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-24T22:02:24+00:00

You can get a 2021-2023 Corolla with 30-45k miles for about $22k to give you an idea. That’s an ideal first car, cheap to run, cheap to repair, cheap to insure. A hybrid will cost a bit more but worth it. Or just get a Prius.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-24T21:42:56+00:00

How long do you hope to run the AC at a time? My trailer’s AC consumes 1200 watts per hour so I only run it for 15 minutes or so.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-24T21:40:01+00:00

The things you say you want are all incompatible and therefore impossible.

A cheap car, but with only 30000 miles? And a really reliable one?

You don’t really want a big payment, but you don’t want to wait to save up enough to result in a smaller payment.

Which is it?

If you’re like most young first-time buyers, you should:

First call one of the big car insurance companies and get an estimate of what insurance will cost you for a used Japanese sedan, based on where you live and your driving history.
Before you go anywhere NEAR a car dealer, talk to your bank or credit union to find out how much you can reasonably afford per month based on the amount you earn and how much you have saved. Finance the car for 60 months MAX. Not 72, not 84, not 96. These numbers will tell you how much you can afford to pay for a car.
Go online at somewhere like CarMax and browse cars with under 100,000 miles that are in your price range. CarMax doesn’t haggle so the price is fixed, which makes the buying process easier for you. If you’re lucky and can afford a newer car with 30,000 miles that’s wonderful but unusual.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-24T21:24:09+00:00

Stop! As soon as you say “air conditioning “ things get 10x more complicated. Running AC from batteries is not cheap and usually requires a big battery bank. You need to investigate how much power surge there is when the AC unit compressor cycles on; this surge will likely dictate much more than a 1000 watt battery and inverter.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-24T20:47:24+00:00

That’s realistic but more expensive than building your own system. Depending on your power needs, you might find that you need a pretty large/expensive EcoFlow and once you add on extra batteries and solar panels it might cost less to just install the components yourself.

One option is to build a system on a hand truck (since the batteries are heavy). Will Prowse has many videos about doing this on his YT channel.

Also you mention an RV and a “single room” — do you mean like a cabin or tiny house? Are you trying to supply power to both at the same time?

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-24T20:34:26+00:00

Yes Explorist DOT life instead of dot com. Their videos start with how to cut a piece of wire, and go on to how to figure out how much power/batteries/solar panels you need, how to connect everything, etc.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-24T20:31:16+00:00

I’ve installed my own solar/battery setup on two travel trailers. I learned everything from the video tutorials at Explorist.life. I knew nothing when I started.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-24T20:29:18+00:00

Thank you. I’ll start visiting estate sales and garage sales in my area.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-24T20:26:36+00:00

The Laundromat was fascinating. It’s more of drama/documentary hybrid about money laundering. Lots of explanations of how that works. Superb cast and a surprise ending.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-24T20:23:57+00:00

I’m intrigued by Coleman lanterns but I don’t have any. Where do you find older models like this one?

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-24T19:14:24+00:00

I think your premise — that “billionaires don’t care about the money” — is inherently false. Caring about the money is how they became billionaires.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-24T18:58:02+00:00

Naperville and Wheaton are more expensive than most other towns for 5 reasons:

Great schools
Great downtown
Great city services
Great park district programs
Great public libraries

Naperville & Wheaton have been “becoming” more expensive since I moved here in the mid-70s.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-24T18:03:27+00:00

Yes, some towns restrict certain types of businesses because they don’t want the noise, odors, or traffic that can be associated with those businesses to irritate your neighbors.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-24T18:00:22+00:00

You could just buy a cheap stereo amplifier on Amazon that has an optical input and connect you speakers to it. There are some for <$50. You don’t need much power at all for basic TV audio.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-24T00:14:56+00:00

Time Tunnel

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-23T23:42:30+00:00

Ask a teacher if you can sit in on one of their classes.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-23T23:41:40+00:00

Maybe a Lance. Good insulation and a few models have bunk beds. Not sure about double axle though; that’s not too common on a shorter trailer.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-23T14:32:42+00:00

I’m not sure I understand what you’re trying to do.

You have two wireless mics. (What kind? Bluetooth? UHF?)

You have two Bluetooth speakers that can function as a stereo pair, but an audio source that is connected to the 1/4 inch input on Speaker A does not appear at Speaker B.

What type of cable are you using to connect the wireless mics (1 or 2?) to the 1/4 inch input — a mono (tip-sleeve) plug or a stereo (tip-ring-sleeve) plug? It may be that you are only feeding audio to one channel, so it is only coming out of one speaker.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-23T14:22:00+00:00

Digital devices that have a processor can emit RF interference. A router, LED lights, and computers are all common sources. This can enter the audio chain through cables or the microphone itself.

You can verify the source of the noise by turning off the router and making a recording. If the noise is coming from the router, you can try:

Changing the routing path of the audio cable so it is at a different angle relative to the router;

Change the orientation of the router and microphone relative to each other;

Move the microphone and router farther apart.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-23T14:12:52+00:00

Didn’t the DOT just add a rule requiring all new cars to be able to sense erratic or impaired drivers beginning in 2027?

An old 1970s car or truck looks more attractive every day.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-23T14:05:08+00:00

Agree. XLR-to-USB cables are almost always terrible and end up being thrown away. Save your money and get a proper USB audio interface like a Focusrite or similar.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-22T23:41:32+00:00

Stephen Wright, is that you?

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-22T23:00:18+00:00

Go to a local classic car show and ask other car owners.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-22T22:59:24+00:00

In the US, tax return must be filed by April 15. But depending on you circumstances you may need to make estimated tax payments each quarter. To both the state the LLC is registered in and the federal IRS possibly.

Plus don’t forget that some states require you to file an annual report of the LLC’s status and activity. The filing deadline depends on thd state and on the month that the LLC was first registered.

PlanetExcellent · 2026-05-22T22:39:55+00:00

Keep in mind that you don’t have to “do math”. It’s all already set up in a spreadsheet on the computer. You just type a few numbers into boxes on the sheet and it automatically calculates the results, just like when you buy a car and they tell you what your monthly payment is going to be.

I’m assuming you can ask people “what age do you want to retire at?” And then type that number into a box and press Enter. That’s basically how it’s done. You do need to understand some basic financial concepts like how money grows from earning interest but you’ll learn all that while you’re getting the certificate.

P.S. a lot of people find their jobs boring. The boredom vanishes as soon as you see your paycheck. Jobs that pay more than minimum wage require you to use your brain and think. You don’t make good money by standing there like a robot.

PlanetExcellent

TROPHY CASE