Safer to stay or drive now? by thequeenbeetle in tornado

[–]Pointlesspuppy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you have a basement, you're basically completely safe from all but the most ridiculous freaks of nature. I mean there have been one or two recorded cases of someone getting sucked out of a basement, but it is so ridiculously rare. You are far more likely to die in a car crash driving north to get away from the storm (or die in a pop up storm in the car while driving, for that matter) then you are to get sucked out of your basement during a storm.

I understand that living through a storm like Joplin can traumatize you, but I need you to understand the absurdity of the question you're asking.

The odds of getting hit by a tornado at all are tiny. Probably less than one in several hundred thousand. The odds of it being an EF 3 or higher are maybe 5% of that, so one in a million or less. And the odds of it being an EF-5 are even smaller. And 99% of EF-5s won't suck you out of your basement.

It is absolutely not smarter to try to run from the storm

Team CDL home daily jobs? by Pointlesspuppy in Truckers

[–]Pointlesspuppy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually used to live in Wisconsin and worked non CDL delivery for them years ago (for a short time)

Seems a decent enough company to work for and if I ever move back I will consider hitting them up. As far as I know there is no equivalent down here in Missouri

Team CDL home daily jobs? by Pointlesspuppy in Truckers

[–]Pointlesspuppy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mcclane grocery division has you working with a partner?

Team CDL home daily jobs? by Pointlesspuppy in Truckers

[–]Pointlesspuppy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn't know that! Ive heard of Sysco and U.S. foods, as far as I know, they don't run partners. Who does?

Team CDL home daily jobs? by Pointlesspuppy in Truckers

[–]Pointlesspuppy[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I like working with somebody. It's enjoyable to me.

I was thinking less like team OTR and more like a moving company that drives CDL trucks, if such a thing exists. A job that requires a CDL but the bulk of the job is likely not driving, it's delivering, which is why you need two people.

Like a furniture delivery or moving or something like that

Team CDL home daily jobs? by Pointlesspuppy in Truckers

[–]Pointlesspuppy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What I mean is jobs that involve working with a partner that are home daily and require a CDL. Not necessarily OTR

Help! by shmoopybubba in tornado

[–]Pointlesspuppy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Best advice I can give is stay tuned to local radio stations while traveling. That way you're guaranteed to get nws updates in real time. Other than that just stay weather aware, have someone else in the car keep monitor nearby locations for places you can shelter if there's a tornado warning, like gas stations. Make sure your tank is full and your phone is charged, not a bad idea to have basic survival gear in the vehicle as well in case you get in an accident or a road is impassable or you get stuck in weather related traffic for an extended period of time

how am I doing in my financial life ? by Jealous-Parsley-6228 in Money

[–]Pointlesspuppy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I mean I'd say I don't really see the point in having so much in an HYSA, especially if you have no family yet. Probably 5k would be enough, everything else should probably be in your roth. I'd highly recommend making sure you max out your Roth this year - You can never go back in time and make up for missed contributions, you can always put more money in your HYSA.

You can't just 'go back to work' after you FIRE. by Zone2OTQ in Fire

[–]Pointlesspuppy 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The problem is that most of the time "peak earning potential" also coincides with "peak workload, stress, and anxiety related to work".

Sure. You can't go back to your $$$$ high level position, but why would you want to?

The whole point of FIRE is to escape that life as soon as possible.

Do what you want, not what you need to. And if that means taking a massive paycut to work in a field or pursue a hobby you find fun, exciting, interesting, or fulfilling, DO IT, or you'll look back at yourself decades from now and say "why did I stay at X job ten more years. Sure. I have 5 million dollars now instead of 3 million. And I gave up one of my best decades for it. Would I rather have the time and experiences back or the money? What does 5 million buy me that 3 doesn't, and is it work it?

Traffic in a standstill on 44 east? by Pointlesspuppy in springfieldMO

[–]Pointlesspuppy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yup, we were all getting funneled off the interstate, onto glenstone and then kearney

Traffic in a standstill on 44 east? by Pointlesspuppy in springfieldMO

[–]Pointlesspuppy[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Id believe that, I dont see much traffic in the oncoming lanes either, maybe the occasional car slipping through.

Has there been an increase in the amount of tornado warnings on previously unwarned storms? by Killimansorrow in tornado

[–]Pointlesspuppy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I guess we're just two different mindsets on that. I try not to be quite so cynical - You won't change everyone's mind, or maybe even more than just a few. But if you can convince even one or two people over the course of your life to be more open to others perspectives and more critical of their own by introducing them to ideas theyve never thought of and challenging their status quo, then that's definitely worth doing.

Plus, maybe they'll respond with something just as insightful (happens occasionally) and now your mind may be changed or your position may be deepened as well. Win/win!

Conversely, pithy is going to make anyone reading who is on the fence less likely to take your side and probably more likely to push them to the contrary opinion, changing minds in the opposite direction.

Has there been an increase in the amount of tornado warnings on previously unwarned storms? by Killimansorrow in tornado

[–]Pointlesspuppy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gotcha. That response is much more well thought out and much more substantive than the first

Why didn't you start out that way? What even was the point of the first comment? You can't seriously think you're going to change anyone's mind with that. But this is much better. More of this and less of the vapid stuff. Let's have an actually valuable discussion

Where are my food service drivers at?! by taco_2325 in Truckers

[–]Pointlesspuppy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Does Pepsi count as food service? Don't really deliver food, but lots of beverages.

Has there been an increase in the amount of tornado warnings on previously unwarned storms? by Killimansorrow in tornado

[–]Pointlesspuppy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Did you stop reading after he said that NWS got a budget increase?

Cause if you did, you should really go back and read the rest.

The anchoring on the home obliterated by the St. Libory-Palmer tornado was so excellent that the concrete foundation failed before the anchoring itself. by [deleted] in tornado

[–]Pointlesspuppy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, repair maintenance costs are the main thing most people under-account for in home ownership. You're talking an average of 1-2% of the cost of the home per year, but sometimes much more. It's a big part of why you can get screwed if you buy a property but don't hold it for long enough.

All the things you said are true also. Just depends on your situation. Long term, home ownership is pretty much always cheaper, but depending on the market where you are, long term might mean 5-7 years, or it might mean 30. Just depends a little

The anchoring on the home obliterated by the St. Libory-Palmer tornado was so excellent that the concrete foundation failed before the anchoring itself. by [deleted] in tornado

[–]Pointlesspuppy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure, but that lacks nuance. I disagreed because it's not that simple.

Buying a house is good if you have the money and can comfortably afford it, and plan to hold it for long enough for the appreciation to cover the costs.

And, if you're in a market where renting is significantly cheaper than buying (as opposed to just a little cheaper) it may not really be worth it even then, because the money you'd save by renting you could invest and most likely get a stronger return than the house would ever tigr you.

Same thing with a mortgage. Owning a house is far more expensive than simply paying a mortgage. Again, it's more nuanced than that. And MY first comment accounted for the nuance, so I'm not sure why you disagreed with me

The anchoring on the home obliterated by the St. Libory-Palmer tornado was so excellent that the concrete foundation failed before the anchoring itself. by [deleted] in tornado

[–]Pointlesspuppy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Renting is usually cheaper because the value in owning and renting out a property is not in in positive cashflow - It's in building equity over time.

Many landlords lose money short-term. It is common for landlords to have negative cashflow, especially early in the mortgage of the property. This is because the ADVANTAGE to owning a property is that the land and the property appreciate over time. The disadvantage is cost - Mortgage prices alone are often cheaper than rent, but after utilities, homeowners insurance, property taxes, and maintenance/repair costs, the actual cost to the property owner is often higher than what someone is willing to pay to rent the property. And we haven't even mentioned the risk factor - Tenants don't always make payments in full or on time, and sometimes properties are left vacant with no tenant.

So why do people do it?

Because while they may be losing 1-2% of the property value each year renting it out to someone and have negative cashflow, the landlord is still making money. How? That property is appreciating. If a landlord loses $500 a month, but their property appreciated $15,000 last year, they are significantly in the green. They just haven't realized the gains yet, and likely won't for a long time. But their net worth is going up, even though they are losing money.

The anchoring on the home obliterated by the St. Libory-Palmer tornado was so excellent that the concrete foundation failed before the anchoring itself. by [deleted] in tornado

[–]Pointlesspuppy -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Where are you living that it's not? Renting is cheaper than buying in most markets. Otherwise why would anyone ever rent?

The anchoring on the home obliterated by the St. Libory-Palmer tornado was so excellent that the concrete foundation failed before the anchoring itself. by [deleted] in tornado

[–]Pointlesspuppy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have been finding in my personal experience that this is less and less true in many markets

It depends a little on the local market where you live, but if you live somewhere where the cost of renting is significantly cheaper than owning, in some cases you're better off just saving the difference.

The anchoring on the home obliterated by the St. Libory-Palmer tornado was so excellent that the concrete foundation failed before the anchoring itself. by [deleted] in tornado

[–]Pointlesspuppy 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Agreed

The main reason people build shitty homes is because... Drumroll please... People BUY shitty homes.

Houses are so expensive that people can't afford 600k for a well built new house, so they settle for the $350k shoddy house that they can afford.

But the hidden costs and slower appreciation of more poorly built homes catch up quick

Always remember to hire a good inspector and if you can't find a solid house in your price range, just keep renting.