AUTHOR: bbbobbins on 10/11/2024 FIRST: Ben Rodriguez on 10/11/2024 | RECENT: Billy McKelvy on 10/15/2024
Comments
AirBnBs are a bit of a plague. I know they can be a big drain on the community in any vaguely touristy area - often dubious legality re registration/zoning. I'm lucky enough to have my retirement home in a beautiful area. Both adjoining properties are short term holiday lets - one is through an agency and weekly lets with few problems, the other is through AirBnB. There they have more short stays and turnovers and more problems with people parking inconsiderately, grocery delivery trucks etc. The people are usually fine - it's not really a party central area but just the nature of their commitment creates little niggles and unawareness. If the whole street were AirBnB it might be unbearable.
Yebbut a Joizey diner ain't going to get me to Delicate Arch before the heat gets up nor fill me up after a dawn patrol in the Tetons or a morning's orca spotting.
Problem is eating out for breakfast in US can easily run $20-30 per head plus tip so the value of a free breakfast soon adds up. Plus the convenience of just walking down to the lobby and the all you can eat buffet nature means you can fuel up well for a day on the road or doing active stuff and be away 45 mins earlier.
Difficult to think ultra logically about it given the obvious insanity (and many other things) of the proposition. I guess you could look at behaviour in states that have had resident "dividend" checks like Alaska or the Colorado weed dividend. Alternately some wise people pay down debt shocking the banking industry or put it into funds generating further growth for all.
I've learned from friends that are in the swamp of dating pools that apparently there is a thing that some women are looking for men* with a "provider mindset". Might be more of a younger thing in general. Apparently it's code for buy me nice gifts and take me to expensive places. I'd fail at the first hurdle because I'd be saying "Yeah my provider mindset is rather than buy that rubbish I'd rather put it in index funds for the long term benefit of me and my future life partner". *and I guess vice versa but I'm speculating that's more sugarmomma type stuff.
Keep posting if you need the therapy. More seriously it is pretty much a morally bankrupt overcharging industry all built on some performative ideas of perfection. No wonder many marriages don't go the distance as they show how much one partner is willing to squander from the off.
Maybe they aren't carrying CC debt but just live close to budget because they actually have prepared one and a future social event isn't in this month's budget. OK it's likely that some of them at least are overextending and at least carrying CC debt month to month. But it remains feasible that CC is just used for short term liquidity and is paid off next payday without having surplus cash to prepay other things. Not having cash to prepay a non-essential frivolity like a hen night is not the same as being fiscally irresponsible. Yes there is a high chance that they lack liquidity because of other frivolities but it's not certain. The real test is whether they let such things burden them into family years and then building for their own retirement. Some will escape, some won't. Often it's down to choice of partner, avoiding divorce etc.
Very good. Reminds me a lot of a piece called The Rookie that my now 15 year old niece has crafted to be deployed in various English exams she will face at the end of this school year. She reckons she can bend it into one of many prompts.
Sometimes it's not chasing - it just happens. I'm still trying to train myself out of a student/backpacker spending mentality at times - why take a taxi when it's only 15 mins until a bus sort of thing. The habits that get you there may end up being your life habits if mental health/social anxiety don't enable you to get out and find active opportunities to spend on things that matter.
Comments
AirBnBs are a bit of a plague. I know they can be a big drain on the community in any vaguely touristy area - often dubious legality re registration/zoning. I'm lucky enough to have my retirement home in a beautiful area. Both adjoining properties are short term holiday lets - one is through an agency and weekly lets with few problems, the other is through AirBnB. There they have more short stays and turnovers and more problems with people parking inconsiderately, grocery delivery trucks etc. The people are usually fine - it's not really a party central area but just the nature of their commitment creates little niggles and unawareness. If the whole street were AirBnB it might be unbearable.
Post: Free Breakfast
Link to comment from September 11, 2026
Yebbut a Joizey diner ain't going to get me to Delicate Arch before the heat gets up nor fill me up after a dawn patrol in the Tetons or a morning's orca spotting.
Post: Free Breakfast
Link to comment from September 11, 2026
I think we have to be grateful that he lives on within you and your extremely thoughtful, humble, articulate pieces.
Post: Remembering Jonathan
Link to comment from September 10, 2026
Problem is eating out for breakfast in US can easily run $20-30 per head plus tip so the value of a free breakfast soon adds up. Plus the convenience of just walking down to the lobby and the all you can eat buffet nature means you can fuel up well for a day on the road or doing active stuff and be away 45 mins earlier.
Post: Free Breakfast
Link to comment from September 10, 2026
Difficult to think ultra logically about it given the obvious insanity (and many other things) of the proposition. I guess you could look at behaviour in states that have had resident "dividend" checks like Alaska or the Colorado weed dividend. Alternately some wise people pay down debt shocking the banking industry or put it into funds generating further growth for all.
Post: The $5,000 Thought Experiment
Link to comment from September 10, 2026
I've learned from friends that are in the swamp of dating pools that apparently there is a thing that some women are looking for men* with a "provider mindset". Might be more of a younger thing in general. Apparently it's code for buy me nice gifts and take me to expensive places. I'd fail at the first hurdle because I'd be saying "Yeah my provider mindset is rather than buy that rubbish I'd rather put it in index funds for the long term benefit of me and my future life partner". *and I guess vice versa but I'm speculating that's more sugarmomma type stuff.
Post: A Wedding Too Far
Link to comment from September 9, 2026
Keep posting if you need the therapy. More seriously it is pretty much a morally bankrupt overcharging industry all built on some performative ideas of perfection. No wonder many marriages don't go the distance as they show how much one partner is willing to squander from the off.
Post: A Wedding Too Far
Link to comment from September 7, 2026
Maybe they aren't carrying CC debt but just live close to budget because they actually have prepared one and a future social event isn't in this month's budget. OK it's likely that some of them at least are overextending and at least carrying CC debt month to month. But it remains feasible that CC is just used for short term liquidity and is paid off next payday without having surplus cash to prepay other things. Not having cash to prepay a non-essential frivolity like a hen night is not the same as being fiscally irresponsible. Yes there is a high chance that they lack liquidity because of other frivolities but it's not certain. The real test is whether they let such things burden them into family years and then building for their own retirement. Some will escape, some won't. Often it's down to choice of partner, avoiding divorce etc.
Post: Behind The Finery
Link to comment from September 4, 2026
Very good. Reminds me a lot of a piece called The Rookie that my now 15 year old niece has crafted to be deployed in various English exams she will face at the end of this school year. She reckons she can bend it into one of many prompts.
Post: The Fear by Jonathan Clements
Link to comment from September 4, 2026
Sometimes it's not chasing - it just happens. I'm still trying to train myself out of a student/backpacker spending mentality at times - why take a taxi when it's only 15 mins until a bus sort of thing. The habits that get you there may end up being your life habits if mental health/social anxiety don't enable you to get out and find active opportunities to spend on things that matter.
Post: Behind The Finery
Link to comment from September 4, 2026