What I Spend

Where are you and where are you going?
Scott 2
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Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:34 pm

Re: What I Spend

Post by Scott 2 »

My use of the bike as a tool remains an ERE fail. The car is too easy, and it's not going anywhere. With a 10 minute drive, I can buy 3 weeks of groceries.


I did, however, buy a second bike. A 2017 trek x-caliber 7 - 29" 2.2" tires, hydraulic disc brakes, front shock, trigger shifters, etc. I've been envious of the mountain bikers and saw this one for $500. I need to replace the pedals and adjust the headset spacers, but the price was right.

I've been curious about "modern" parts. This is a good chance to try them. We'll see I prefer the complexity over my Trek 7200 hybrid from 2002. Maybe I sell one. Or maybe this ends with me having a trail bike and a town bike.

take2
Posts: 317
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2019 8:32 am

Re: What I Spend

Post by take2 »

How far are you biking from groceries and how safe/cycle friendly is it to get there?

If it’s feasible I’d recommend trying a few times to see how you like it. I walk or cycle everywhere and (IMO) it’s a huge quality of life enhancer, but that’s quite dependent on how easy/safe it is to do.

I moved from doing large shops (i.e 3 weeks of groceries) in favour of smaller ones more often (1x per week to supermarket, 1x per week to butcher, 1x per week to smaller grocer for specialty stuff). Some people hate to shop so that might sound horrible but I enjoy it.

I find that having and taking time to do (apparent) mundane tasks results in an overall higher level of baseline happiness. Same goes for cooking for me, but not cleaning so it may just be things I like to do!

Scott 2
Posts: 2824
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:34 pm

Re: What I Spend

Post by Scott 2 »

Biking for my groceries is 100% feasible. Round trip via trail and bike path is about 12 miles. I've done almost the exact ride, to visit my parents. All I'm missing is a decent lock. Part of why I bought the older bike, was to have something that isn't a target for thieves. I was specifically planning on rides to the gym.

So far though, it's been more fun to simply bike. My skill level started so low, almost every ride is a chance to escalate. I think that needs to play out, before I see the bike as a tool. As weird as it seems - at this point, I can't even be confident I like biking. Getting better feeds my ego and could be the draw.

The new bike lengthens that curve. Especially since it opens beginner and intermediate level mountain bike trails to me. Once I get comfortable on the thing, there's a lot to try.

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Viktor K
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Re: What I Spend

Post by Viktor K »

I had a <2 mile round trip bike ride for groceries after college that i did 1-2x/week with my backpack.

12 miles sounds pretty tough relative to that.

i can see how a car trip would be more desirable, i think that’s pretty valid.

take2
Posts: 317
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2019 8:32 am

Re: What I Spend

Post by take2 »

I agree with Viktor. 12 miles does seem like a lot to do on the regular but it’s just like anything else - it you do it often enough it becomes the norm.

My grocery stores are all probably less than 2 miles as the crow flies, it’s all flat, and there are a lot of dedicated cycle routes. It would probably take me longer to drive vs cycle.

You should still try it out, if for nothing else than to change it up once in a while. Some variety in life is good.

ETA: get a lock that stores on the bike with a key that’s on your normal keychain. That way you never need to remember to bring it. A good lock is $50 new, though I’m sure you can find used ones for cheaper.

Scott 2
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Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:34 pm

Re: What I Spend

Post by Scott 2 »

A much shorter trip would be appealing. I'd probably walk it. I did that in my early 20's. Never minded carrying the groceries. In hindsight - a rolling cart would have made life a lot easier. But I was young and stubborn. I'd run up the 5 flights of stairs to my apartment, because I didn't like waiting for the elevator.

Car dependence is a trade off of my location. Walk score of 5, bike score of 27. We're boxed in by expressways and nature. It's pretty common to need a 20 mile round trip - doctor, animal shelter, etc. So the incremental burden of driving to groceries is minimal. We lived here without a car, for about a year. Life was small.

A lock is still in the bike queue. I keep burning my bike dollars elsewhere though. The mountain bike doesn't have a kickstand. I'd been considering a repair stand already, so this tipped me over the edge. If my deal goes through tomorrow, that ties up another $150.

Scott 2
Posts: 2824
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:34 pm

Re: What I Spend

Post by Scott 2 »

I have the $150 bike stand. And another life lesson, from an advanced player on OfferUp. 5 stars. Almost a hundred reviews. Hundreds of transactions.

How others define the term "like new" continues to perplex me. The guy was holding something covered in scratches, even bits of rust. He looked me straight in the eye - "it's like new". That's used bro. I didn't see value in arguing. I wasn't prepared to walk over the condition. My time was already sunk. The stand met my need.

I ignored clues the transaction wouldn't be great:

- Our initial negotiation ended, because he went from $200 to $140 to $180. Who goes up?
- I reached back out two weeks later. We got a deal done, but he was already expressing regret over the price.
- The location was 15 minutes further than the listing zip code, in a less affluent area.

Then the guy was 30 minutes late. To a pickup at his location! Every step of the way, the incremental cost of the transaction made sense. Fully informed at the outset - I never would have chosen it. Maybe I should have walked anyway, out of principle. But quibbling over $20-40 of value didn't feel worth it. I don't like conflict. I get attached to the deal. Changing the agreed upon price feels sleazy. Arguing the semantics of condition seems ridiculous.

An added complication - the guy was driving with handicapped plates, selling his possessions to move across country (allegedly anyway), living in apartments substantially less upscale than my home. This is a game to me. Let's say walking made him sell for less. At what point am I fairly negotiating vs. punching down? Giving that $40 to someone in need? I'd be totally fine with it.

Maybe I'm sucker who just got a cheap education.

2Birds1Stone
Posts: 1596
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Location: Earth

Re: What I Spend

Post by 2Birds1Stone »

Lidl had a pretty sturdy bike repair stand (clasp mount on seat tube) for $39.99 in most stores in the northeast last week. Several people in my local MTB and triathlon group posted about it and seemed happy with the quality.

Education can be cheap or expensive, and you appear to be getting one somewhere in the middle.

Scott 2
Posts: 2824
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:34 pm

Re: What I Spend

Post by Scott 2 »

Best new price I could find for this stand was $230. My weakness for a premium product could also be questionable. That's not on the OfferUp seller though!

Scott 2
Posts: 2824
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:34 pm

Re: What I Spend

Post by Scott 2 »

Insurance approved jaw surgery. Wisdom teeth are coming out in a month. Then braces. Jaw surgery, maybe early Summer?. Finish braces sometime in Fall of '23? Keeping my insurance stable will be essential, which constrains my income, keeping me retired. I think the new face will be around $11k.

Obviously I am not thrilled for the process. If I wasn't already convinced of medical necessity - insurance approved everything, first try. Hopefully the change yields substantial quality of life improvements. I don't know any different, but the doctors think I am suffering.

From what I can tell, wisdom teeth will cost me 2 weeks of being active. Surgery around 2 months. That's probably the most disappointing part. I take a lot of joy from movement. Losing that will be a bummer. I imagine braces will cause some disruption along the way, as well.

recal
Posts: 80
Joined: Sun Nov 14, 2021 12:29 pm

Re: What I Spend

Post by recal »

I tried OfferUp for some of my old stuff that's been sitting unsold on Facebook Marketplace because I saw you were using it, and I had very bad luck. A guy agreed to meet me, had positive reviews, and completely ghosted me, after I already spent half an hour on the train to get there. It was very disappointing and I am very disheartened by the experience. I never buy anything with the intention of selling it, but man, this has been disappointing.

chenda
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Location: Nether Wallop

Re: What I Spend

Post by chenda »

recal wrote:
Thu Aug 18, 2022 3:03 pm
A guy agreed to meet me, had positive reviews, and completely ghosted me, after I already spent half an hour on the train to get there.
This happens a lot for some reason. Why people can't just say they've changed their mind is beyond me.

Its easier for them to come to you. Or if you are just having a clear out offer stuff for free. Its amazing at how delighted people are to get stuff for free.

Scott 2
Posts: 2824
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:34 pm

Re: What I Spend

Post by Scott 2 »

recal wrote:
Thu Aug 18, 2022 3:03 pm
I tried OfferUp... I had very bad luck.
From what I understand, ghosting is common. So far, I've only encountered it during online messaging. I haven't had any failed in person transactions. Although, one of my best deals came from a woman who was horrible about responding online. She'd disappear for a day or two at a time. I assume she was stringing me along, while she tried to find a better buyer.

For what it's worth - the culture seems to be that buyer travels. I ask they message with an ETA before they leave. I try to do the same.

recal
Posts: 80
Joined: Sun Nov 14, 2021 12:29 pm

Re: What I Spend

Post by recal »

Scott 2 wrote:
Thu Aug 18, 2022 9:40 pm
For what it's worth - the culture seems to be that buyer travels. I ask they message with an ETA before they leave. I try to do the same.
Good advice, thanks. I'll try that next time. Currently trying both Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp. I think the main barrier with FB Marketplace is just that my prices are too high, but I've had all good interactions with folks. The only problem with Facebook is the Zelle scammers.

ducknald_don
Posts: 321
Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2020 12:31 pm
Location: Oxford, UK

Re: What I Spend

Post by ducknald_don »

chenda wrote:
Thu Aug 18, 2022 4:42 pm
Or if you are just having a clear out offer stuff for free. Its amazing at how delighted people are to get stuff for free.
I've been clearing out our loft and offering stuff on Freegle (UK equivalent of Freecycle). My experience is these people are really flakey, tons of no shows and general time wasting.

jacob
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Re: What I Spend

Post by jacob »

There are anti-flake strategies. See https://earlyretirementextreme.com/on-d ... cycle.html , especially the comments.

key points: no delivery, no haggling(*), cash only, no holding beyond the transit time it takes for them to get there, first come first serve

(*) Alternatively, list it for 10% more than you actually want, then accept 10% off.

Scott 2
Posts: 2824
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:34 pm

Re: What I Spend

Post by Scott 2 »

So far, I have avoided posting free items. I think people are more likely to show, if they agree an item has some value. Especially if they negotiate a "great" deal. I haven't reconciled this with my growing distaste towards Goodwill, since realizing donations often end up in the garbage.

I've found the market on Offer Up to be liquid in my area. If something doesn't go in the first couple of days, I incorrectly judged the value. The items I still have posted, I value more than the market does. Nothing sold after the first couple weeks. I do have some niche items that would sell for more shipped, but I cannot be bothered. Given that I'm still not using the items, I may need to reconsider how I value them.

When I am buying, unless I see a screaming deal, I offer around 60-65% of asking price. Rounded to the nearest 20 or 50, typically. Below that, I find most people ignore the bid or decline to negotiate. But, the culture of Offer Up is to haggle. I expect to get around 75-80% of my asking price. If something is priced well - I'll offer around 80% and immediate pick-up.

In my experience, if the number doesn't converge in 1 or 2 rounds, it's not going to. Round 1 gets you their real price. Round 2 either annoys them out of the deal or gives the lowest price they can tolerate. IMO negotiating beyond that will increase the chance of other problems.

shaz
Posts: 420
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2021 7:05 pm
Location: Colorado, US

Re: What I Spend

Post by shaz »

When I sell, as long as the selling price is less than $100 I tell them I will leave the item on the porch and they can leave the money under the doormat. If they haven't picked up the item by the time I head to bed I bring it back in the house and re-list it. I have never been shorted on money or had anything else bad happen doing it this way. It saves a lot of aggravation.

As a less optimal solution, because I live in a somewhat remote rural location, I will sometimes agree to meet a buyer in a parking lot near my office on a day I have to go to the office. I won't travel more than that to sell.

I will hold an item for a few days for a buyer who seems serious. I will leave the item listed and tell anyone else who contacts me that I will put them next on a list and contact them if the first buyer falls through.

I list items for 20% more than I actually expect to get and will do 1 round of haggle.

classical_Liberal
Posts: 2283
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2016 6:05 am

Re: What I Spend

Post by classical_Liberal »

I agree. The secondary market has a "hassle factor". I view this as a positive though.

1) If its going to be a hassle to buy something, it helps me reevaluate it's necessity.

2) It maximizes advantage to someone with freedom of time. ie I can be at your place in 30 mins to pick it up, here's my offer. vs someone who can come to check it out this weekend.

I can see how it would be frustrating for someone who doesn't like to "wheel and deal".

Scott 2
Posts: 2824
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:34 pm

Re: What I Spend

Post by Scott 2 »

The new bike:

Image

With my 5k completed, I let loose on this. The big tires and shock are so fun. Quite the upgrade from my hybrid. Far more control and freedom. Already, I was zooming through a grass trail, one I previously feared. Adapting to the more aggressive riding position will take work, but I'm going to enjoy every minute.

All in, I spent about $700. The little things do add up - new pedals, headset spacers, stand, spare tubes, spare chain, etc. I used every last dollar of this month's discretionary money on bikes. I have no regrets. It is quite the toy.

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