Jacob's other journal

[Dragline]

I would have eaten that bad boy in an instant. My father used to give us biology lessons when cleaning crappies. He once caught over a hundred in a afternoon.
He would fry up the roe and freeze the eyeballs. "Eskimo candy" we used to call it.

[C40]

I'm standing in line to buy kindle version of the blog. I've wanted to read through the posts as there are many I haven't read, but it's tough doing so (even with the XML) particularly because I'd like to read them when I'm away from internet service.

[jacob]

@Ego - Good question. Why not make wooden boats or boxes? Because robotics is more about the design than abut craftsmanship. As such the design can be scaled into tens or thousands or units instead of being limited by my attention deficit disorder when it comes to repetitive processes. I'd rather separate my brain from production so I can concentrate on solving a new problem. The alternative is being so good that I can do good on one-offs.
Also, I simply find robotics interesting. (When I was younger, microcontrollers simply weren't available to the degree they are today.)

[jacob]

The kindle version of the blog isn't going anyhere. I guess I'm too concerned about good reviews and a direct blog->book is definitely going to ensure some "1 star, you can just get it for free". How I hate amazon's review system. They should remove the star system entirely. TL;DR --- I'm not very motivated here...

In other news, I've spent a lot of money this month

$336 on wood working tools. New too, because these particular ones are near impossible to get used. (I'm sure someone will correct me here).

I also spent about $150 on work-related books. I've found that buying books that can lead to new ideas is almost always a good idea whereas trying to save money on acquiring knowledge (e.g. waiting three months on the library or simply not getting the book) is almost always is really really dumb idea. Ideas are just so valuable and so cheap to acquire that it boggles the mind. Sometimes I forget that in the name of not spending money.

I'm not too concerned though. This spike could easily be followed by 6 months of not spending a dime. I think the last time I touched my credit card was in March.

[leeholsen]

Many from Calif. moved up to WA near OR border and enjoy the benefits of WA's no income tax and OR's no sales tax.

Puget Sound is remarkable, but I would second giving Oregon a look. It's really overlooked imo with CA and WA, but it's pretty great, although i'm in Houston; so i'm easily impressed.

[Spartan_Warrior]

I think the last time I touched my credit card was in March.

Really, not even for groceries? Does this mean you ordinarily make purchases in cash, or have you convinced Dear Wife to do all the shopping? If the latter, you owe it to men everywhere to share this trick. Such wisdom could be more valuable than all of ERE!

[ICouldBeTheWalrus]

I think the last time I touched my credit card was in March.

Really, not even for groceries? Does this mean you ordinarily make purchases in cash, or have you convinced Dear Wife to do all the shopping? If the latter, you owe it to men everywhere to share this trick. Such wisdom could be more valuable than all of ERE!

Given what we know about Jacob's spending habits, this does not surprise me at all.

I am much less frugal, and I only use credit cards for online shopping (primarily Amazon) and refueling the car (because it's easier than going inside to the cashier.) Every time I go to an ATM, I withdraw $500 and I pay for most purchases in cash. I realize that many people in the US today would think this is strange, but I'm not interested in enriching the privacy-infringing databases about myself any more than necessary.

[Spartan_Warrior]

Hey now, who's to say using cash over credit is necessarily more frugal? I get 5% cash back on groceries and gas, the only things I really spend money on, with the Sallie Mae WorldCard--paid in full every month, of course. IMO properly and responsibly utilized credit is better than cash and will save you money when you do have to buy something. You might counter that the most frugal choice would be not to buy anything at all, or buy so little that credit rewards aren't worth the effort. To which I would counter, if I have to buy something (again, groceries and gas) I might as well save 5%. The "effort" is minimal and I have yet to sign up for a card that didn't give me something like "instant $50 cash back!" for the fifteen minute's worth of work signing up.

Credit cards also have security and identity theft protections that cash and debit lack. At the very least, it's a month long interest-free loan when paid in full each month. I will also admit to a certain level of personal amusement and satisfaction in making these financial institutions pay ME interest (via cash back rewards) instead of vice versa.

I think "avoid credit at all costs" is good advice for average consumers and personal finance newbies, but breaks down in the face of even the most minor will power and personal control over spending. If you don't have to "trick" yourself to spend less with cash, there isn't much benefit to using it.

Privacy concerns related to what I buy to me are almost totally negligible in a world where an NSA guy somewhere is analyzing every bank transaction, internet post, and intimate text to my girlfriend I make. The worst thing that's ever happened in regard to corporate purchase tracking is I've been sent some (useful) coupons for items I routinely buy by my grocery store. (And that was probably from the store bonus card, not using my credit card.)

Just IMO of course.

[C40]

I also use cash for pretty much every purchase I make in person. For pretty much the same reasons as others:
- Privacy concerns. I'd rather not have my spending analyzed. I'd rather not get more junk mail because of where I shop, etc..
- Fraud concerns. The fewer places my credit card information is stored, the lower the risk of it being compromised somehow. (this risk is highest with things like Netflix, PSN, and any autopayments to/from huge companies, probably not much risk at the grocery store)
- I just like using cash instead.

There are some places that I've NEVER paid without using cash. At the top of my list are bars. No way I'm handing over my credit card there. I don't get why people are so quick to do so. Then I see people complaining on Yelp reviews about getting overcharged.

Also, I've not used my Debit card to make a purchase ever in the last 5+ years. It is tied to the account that my paychecks go into (which I suppose would be easy to change).

That said, I have been starting to consider some rewards cards, primarily travel-related. I'm racking up travel points from actual travel for work and it might work well to get a extra points with certain chains. (hotels would be likely as it is difficult for me to consistently use a certain hotel group so my points are all spread out)

[Dragline]

Using cash and increasing the number of payments increases the "pain of paying" for most people and thereby decreases motivation to spend:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCujWv7Mc8o

Not that we don't have a naturally high "pain of paying" here regardless of the method or frequency.

[jacob]

DW actually does do all of the food shopping using cash in order to control the spending (she's not a natural). She cooks most of the days. A couple of days per week, I cook using the leftovers.

(The way to do this is to cook really boring food until DW decides to take over. There, my secret is out.)

I only use credit cards for buying "new stuff". Used stuff is bought on ebay using paypal. Cash outlays (like postage) are financed by selling old stuff on craigslist---somehow I always manage to keep around $50 in my wallet. So, it's not that I never buy anything. I just very rarely buy retail.

End of discussion!

[McTrex]

@Ego,

The boat's gone down to 62,000 now...

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1934/Mo ... ted-States

[stand@desk]

(The way to do this is to cook really boring food until DW decides to take over. There, my secret is out.)

I use the same strategy at home with F!

[jacob]

@McTrex - Hmm... for that price I'd rather get a wet snail .. I mean WestSail.

http://www.westsail.com/Westfs.htm

[tommytebco]

How interesting! I just read the first few posts in this thread.

I was a regular at the ERE blog. I followed the MMM "successor" blog but find the brash, in your face orientation kind of boring. I am no longer a regular. I suppose that approach is needed to counter the type of reception you refer to.
I have also dropped out of forums when the interpersonal warfare became tedious.
I say to myself "I will just ignore the A-holes". but, over time, the cost is too high.

Still, their (the A-Holes) win is our loss!!

And now, I went back to the ERE and find new Jacob posts. Christmas!!! Thanks!

[jennypenny]

http://earlyretirementextreme.com/updat ... house.html

[lilacorchid]

"Since neither of us need jobs anymore..."

Does this mean DW has crossed over too?

[dot_com_vet]

Smart choice on the 1950's house. I think houses of this era are ultra space efficient and a good value.

[jacob]

"Since neither of us need jobs anymore..."

Does this mean DW has crossed over too?

She's very close now (3.5%). However, since I'm way beyond crossed over, if we add it together, it works out.

[saving-10-years]

Congratulations and Happy New Home. Looking forward to forthcoming garden photos.