It’s really not all that exceptional. These days cars do last. The car before this one, a Ford Explorer, had 235,000 original engine and transmission. I expect this one to go 200,000.
We have a 2015 Toyota Highlander with 137,000 miles. It would take a LOT more than a$1500 repair to consider buying another car. On the other hand, we are at end end of a three day heat wave. I am very glad we were willing to spend for air conditioning.
i’d find it depressing too. In fact, it’s a main reason why I like living in a neighborhood with mixed ages. We do have people die, but we also see newborns, kids starting school, and teens. It also forces us to blend in. The neighborhood has an annual Halloween party on our block. In addition to distributing the usual $40 of candy, we set up a 7 foot raven— complete with red lit eyes, cackling, and pounding a rod with a skull attached. Hands down we were the prime destination for the 6-7 year boys; tween girls dared one another to kiss it, and a toddler tried several times to work up the courage to approach it!
For family, I go with cheaper cards probably around $3 on the Walmart/ supermarket assortments. I don’t bother traveling to
Dollar stores for the cheapest. I agree the recipients are more interested in the paper inside. But I approach Christmas cards differently. Those cards go to people I rarely or ever see. They’re a way of keeping in touch, so I do spend for nicer cards — usually those on sale from places like the Metropolitan Museum. The family doesn’t receive these cards.
My husband taught at the U of Wisconsin so his pension is part of the state plan. Since he opted for the 50/50 split, half of his contribution went into defined benefit; half to defined contribution. So I think the second half worked like a 403B— just my guess. This choice wasn’t popular and the state stopped offering the choice a few years after he signed up. He was grandfathered in, so I imagine his contribution total must have roller coastered through 44 years— we didn’t pay any attention. When I started working at UW, defined benefit was the only option, but a few years before we retired, the state opened up the 50% all stock option. My husband could have continued the 50/50 split in retirement. His pension then would have been half based on the core state fund and half on the results of the total stock fund. (With the latter option, beneficiaries take the gain or loss each year; the core fund is more conservatively managed and the results are smoothed over 5 years..) He chose to get out of stock fund about a year before we retired. We weren’t willing to gamble in retirement. But with his pension and mine, we’re very comfortable having pretty close to 100% of our IRAs and Roths in stock. WI’s pension is fully funded, and not a burden on taxpayers.. There is no COLA, but there is an annual distribution if the fund exceeds its expected costa. In the years we’ve been retired, we’ve received increases every year but one. We could also see decreases— but the 5 year smoothing has so far prevented that from happening.
Big vote here for luck and stupidity. One example. When my husband signed up for his pension contribution, he checked the box that specified half each month would be invested in total equities: the other half in a more conservative fund. ( the more popular choice was 100% in the conservative fund). He remembers we discussed the choice. I don’t think that happened. At the time, we were moving half way across country, we had just bought our first house, and our toddler son had spiked a 106 temperature that required a brief hospitalization. Life was too much to consider money!! We never paid any attention to the annual reports we got on the state of that pension. But the compounding was amazing. When my husband retired after 44 years, his monthly pension was considerably more than he ever earned while working— even after guaranteeing a 100% spousal benefit and guaranteed 15 year payout to our estate in the event we the die before that period.
Houses are money pits; we just signed a $5000+ contract for the repair of about 10 feet of a retaining wall at our house in WI. The plumber just left the NY house after getting the order for a new toilet, AND, if we can be worked in, sanding and re-staining two sides of this place should be another $10,000. You now live in a warmer climate. It’s not about 3 weeks a year anymore. The US press is running many articles about the European heat waves. It seems more than likely they will become more frequent and longer. The a/c is becoming necessary for you!
I think you should spend the $10,000. Older people are very susceptible to heat related problems. Plus the misery of hot and humid is awful. We have a summer house on a lake in the mountains of New York State. In the past, we never had a heat problem, but the past few years have been a time when a/c has been necessary . I’ve come to view cooling as essential as heating. The climate isn’t likely to get better. Might as well enjoy the cool sooner than later.
Comments
It’s really not all that exceptional. These days cars do last. The car before this one, a Ford Explorer, had 235,000 original engine and transmission. I expect this one to go 200,000.
Post: Tempted by the Shiny and New: Another HD Car Post
Link to comment from July 3, 2026
We have a 2015 Toyota Highlander with 137,000 miles. It would take a LOT more than a$1500 repair to consider buying another car. On the other hand, we are at end end of a three day heat wave. I am very glad we were willing to spend for air conditioning.
Post: Tempted by the Shiny and New: Another HD Car Post
Link to comment from July 3, 2026
i’d find it depressing too. In fact, it’s a main reason why I like living in a neighborhood with mixed ages. We do have people die, but we also see newborns, kids starting school, and teens. It also forces us to blend in. The neighborhood has an annual Halloween party on our block. In addition to distributing the usual $40 of candy, we set up a 7 foot raven— complete with red lit eyes, cackling, and pounding a rod with a skull attached. Hands down we were the prime destination for the 6-7 year boys; tween girls dared one another to kiss it, and a toddler tried several times to work up the courage to approach it!
Post: Thinking about downsizing? Think seriously
Link to comment from July 2, 2026
For family, I go with cheaper cards probably around $3 on the Walmart/ supermarket assortments. I don’t bother traveling to Dollar stores for the cheapest. I agree the recipients are more interested in the paper inside. But I approach Christmas cards differently. Those cards go to people I rarely or ever see. They’re a way of keeping in touch, so I do spend for nicer cards — usually those on sale from places like the Metropolitan Museum. The family doesn’t receive these cards.
Post: Exercising true frugality
Link to comment from July 1, 2026
My husband taught at the U of Wisconsin so his pension is part of the state plan. Since he opted for the 50/50 split, half of his contribution went into defined benefit; half to defined contribution. So I think the second half worked like a 403B— just my guess. This choice wasn’t popular and the state stopped offering the choice a few years after he signed up. He was grandfathered in, so I imagine his contribution total must have roller coastered through 44 years— we didn’t pay any attention. When I started working at UW, defined benefit was the only option, but a few years before we retired, the state opened up the 50% all stock option. My husband could have continued the 50/50 split in retirement. His pension then would have been half based on the core state fund and half on the results of the total stock fund. (With the latter option, beneficiaries take the gain or loss each year; the core fund is more conservatively managed and the results are smoothed over 5 years..) He chose to get out of stock fund about a year before we retired. We weren’t willing to gamble in retirement. But with his pension and mine, we’re very comfortable having pretty close to 100% of our IRAs and Roths in stock. WI’s pension is fully funded, and not a burden on taxpayers.. There is no COLA, but there is an annual distribution if the fund exceeds its expected costa. In the years we’ve been retired, we’ve received increases every year but one. We could also see decreases— but the 5 year smoothing has so far prevented that from happening.
Post: Luck, Stupidity, Automation and Inertia
Link to comment from June 29, 2026
it was also a great time to be a white male in the US. That’s an important fact.
Post: Why can’t more people plan for their retirement future?
Link to comment from June 28, 2026
Big vote here for luck and stupidity. One example. When my husband signed up for his pension contribution, he checked the box that specified half each month would be invested in total equities: the other half in a more conservative fund. ( the more popular choice was 100% in the conservative fund). He remembers we discussed the choice. I don’t think that happened. At the time, we were moving half way across country, we had just bought our first house, and our toddler son had spiked a 106 temperature that required a brief hospitalization. Life was too much to consider money!! We never paid any attention to the annual reports we got on the state of that pension. But the compounding was amazing. When my husband retired after 44 years, his monthly pension was considerably more than he ever earned while working— even after guaranteeing a 100% spousal benefit and guaranteed 15 year payout to our estate in the event we the die before that period.
Post: Luck, Stupidity, Automation and Inertia
Link to comment from June 28, 2026
Houses are money pits; we just signed a $5000+ contract for the repair of about 10 feet of a retaining wall at our house in WI. The plumber just left the NY house after getting the order for a new toilet, AND, if we can be worked in, sanding and re-staining two sides of this place should be another $10,000. You now live in a warmer climate. It’s not about 3 weeks a year anymore. The US press is running many articles about the European heat waves. It seems more than likely they will become more frequent and longer. The a/c is becoming necessary for you!
Post: The Price of a Cool Pillow
Link to comment from June 26, 2026
Our path too.
Post: Automatic Income stream? How important to you?
Link to comment from June 26, 2026
I think you should spend the $10,000. Older people are very susceptible to heat related problems. Plus the misery of hot and humid is awful. We have a summer house on a lake in the mountains of New York State. In the past, we never had a heat problem, but the past few years have been a time when a/c has been necessary . I’ve come to view cooling as essential as heating. The climate isn’t likely to get better. Might as well enjoy the cool sooner than later.
Post: The Price of a Cool Pillow
Link to comment from June 25, 2026