What You Did Today

[Azdeus]

How will you buy a house?

 

I won't, it's possible that I'll inherit the old family home, but if that is the case, I would'nt be able to afford to keep it in all probability. I reckon the most amount of money I'll earn per month is around 2000$ and that is nowhere near enough money to keep a house in order.

 

 

Edit; Added quote due to page shift.

Edited October 19, 2016 by Azdeus

[Malcador]

 

Met friend for chess, ended up glorious victory, screaming and fury.

Never underestimate full-contact chess!

 

Slept on a mattress for the first time since last week. I'm getting old and soft, quite liked not sleeping on the floor anymore

Hah. Well no physical fights. Yet. Everyone expects one as we get into screaming matches but is all in good fun, blow off steam.

 

Why I always find people who say they never fight with a partner strange

[Hiro Protagonist]

Watched Midsummer Night's Dream at the Sydney Opera House this evening with the girlfriend. 

[Labadal]

 

Working at a school in a district with mostly immigrants. Things are going downhill, not only in the school, but in the whole area. The kids have seen messed up things for so long that it makes these things normal to them and they start aping such behaviour from older kids/ teenagers. The bosses over here don't have any balls (they're women but you know what I mean). I've lost all respect for them. And no, I don't dislike female bosses because I have only had female bosses for all the years I have worked here and liked most of them.

 

When I was told who would become our boss a few months ago, I almost choked, with good reason it seems.

I thought I remembered you being a teacher. How old are these kids? I don't doubt such a school would be messed up without some strict dicipline, but I doubt that would be easily accomplished. Atleast without a competent headmaster/mistress.

My cousin is a headmaster in Västervik, don't remember what school though, and his sister is a teacher here in the west.

 

I'm looking forward to meeting them both after watching a documentary (Uppdrag granskning) about grades in the school system and how they've turned into a way for schools to increase their funding more than determining the students competency, and how headmasters have gone in and changed the grades afterwards and raised their grades if teachers themselves refused. It'll be interesting to hear if they've experienced anything similar.

 

What do you teach?

I'm a traching assistant but I also do some other stuff that are supposedly outside my "competence". The thing is; I don't feel like there are any consequences for anything the kids do (6-15 year olds). The kids don't have respect for most uf us because some grown ups pretend everything is fine or ignore problems. The teachers and headmistresses need to have more authority. When I see someone do something wrong and walk towards them, they crap their pants. I don't tolerate any BS inside or outside the classroom.

 

Some kids have parents that don't speak Swedish, so it's really hard for them. Some kids act like a-holes in school but act like angels when their parents are around. It also doesn't help that maybe 75% of the kids don't have Swedish parents.

 

Integration and consequences for what kids do, are the biggest factors.

 

I don't set grades, but I have also heard about the whole thing about grades. I wouldn't be shocked if it was true.

[Calax]

Valuation came through. I'm 2k in the hole (well a bit over 1700 bucks). I can't even consider trying to get another car until I pay that amount off. ****ity **** **** ****.

[Hiro Protagonist]

Do you have to get such an expensive car though? Would'nt it be better to get some sort of "beater" or similar that you can get to get from point a to b?

 

Quoting Azdeus here. You can't get an old second hand car?

 

My first car cost $4000 and had it for a few years. Second car was a 10 year old Toyota Camry which lasted me a few years too.

[Gromnir]

get yourself a 97 monte carlo with ~100k miles for cheap... dunno, 'round $2800 to $3000? is reliable and inexpensive to repair if something goes wrong. should be good for another 100k miles. 

[Azdeus]

Quoting Azdeus here. You can't get an old second hand car?

 

My first car cost $4000 and had it for a few years. Second car was a 10 year old Toyota Camry which lasted me a few years too.

Got mine for 2200$, granted that I've only had it for 6 months, but the only thing I've had to do with it is new tyres, mostly because I don't do cheap rubbers. That **** leads to accidents you have to pay for your entire life!

 

I'm a traching assistant but I also do some other stuff that are supposedly outside my "competence". The thing is; I don't feel like there are any consequences for anything the kids do (6-15 year olds). The kids don't have respect for most uf us because some grown ups pretend everything is fine or ignore problems. The teachers and headmistresses need to have more authority. When I see someone do something wrong and walk towards them, they crap their pants. I don't tolerate any BS inside or outside the classroom.

 

Some kids have parents that don't speak Swedish, so it's really hard for them. Some kids act like a-holes in school but act like angels when their parents are around. It also doesn't help that maybe 75% of the kids don't have Swedish parents.

 

Integration and consequences for what kids do, are the biggest factors.

 

I don't set grades, but I have also heard about the whole thing about grades. I wouldn't be shocked if it was true.

 

There rarely is, many kids don't even find any consequences inside their homes. It's sad to hear though, school is their chance to learn and grow. My dad did a short stint as a janitor at a local school, and he told me that the one that illicited the most respect from kids was the janitors there. The kids listened when they were told off. Might've been that they were older men that clearly tolerated no bull****.

 

Language barriers definetly does'nt help either, and the kids being "ögontjänare"(google translte gives me time-server?) is an annoyance, falls in line I suppose with growing up in ghettos were noone "squeals".

 

I have a hard time disbelieving that grades are set that way. When I was 13 I wanted to change schools because I was getting into fights daily with tormentors at schools, and everyone was quite surprised at that, since I wanted to go to a school with a lower average grades. Still best thing that happened to me though, but it took me a year to actually get transfered.

Edited October 20, 2016 by Azdeus

[Calax]

Now I'm not down any, I'm breaking even on the car just barely. 

 

Now it's figuring out the new car.

[Gromnir]

Now I'm not down any, I'm breaking even on the car just barely. 

 

Now it's figuring out the new car.

 

get yourself a 97 monte carlo with ~100k miles for cheap... dunno, 'round $2800 to $3000? is reliable and inexpensive to repair if something goes wrong. should be good for another 100k miles. 

 

sounds as if you aren't exact comfortable with your current economic situation, so do yourself a favor and buy the cheap and dependable used car.  five years from now, when breaking even on insurance ain't a matter of possible breaking you, then splurge on something fancy.  hell, in five years, when you feel comfortable with your money, go out and buy something stoopid... like a 1987 buick grand national gnx.  feel like batman or darth vader.

 

 

 

five years is nothing.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Calax]

 

 

Now I'm not down any, I'm breaking even on the car just barely.

 

Now it's figuring out the new car.

get yourself a 97 monte carlo with ~100k miles for cheap... dunno, 'round $2800 to $3000? is reliable and inexpensive to repair if something goes wrong. should be good for another 100k miles.

 

sounds as if you aren't exact comfortable with your current economic situation, so do yourself a favor and buy the cheap and dependable used car. five years from now, when breaking even on insurance ain't a matter of possible breaking you, then splurge on something fancy. hell, in five years, when you feel comfortable with your money, go out and buy something stoopid... like a 1987 buick grand national gnx. feel like batman or darth vader.

 

 

 

five years is nothing.

 

HA! Good Fun!

Anything I buy is going to have to be financed because I have no savings. Thing is I can get a 15 Mazda with 30k miles for about 11.9k so I am going to be investigating

[Gromnir]

if is not income generating or likely to increase in value 'cause is collectable or somesuch, then is a terrible "investment." is a personal vehicle.  both vehicles will achieve goal of getting you to-and-from work for the next five years.  both will allow you to make trips for groceries and whatnot.  gas might be more expensive for the chevy, but repair costs will likely be more pricey for the mazda... as will insurance and other additions. regardless, the cars is gonna decrease in value. if both the chevy and the mazda lose 1/2 their value in 5 years, then the mazda has cost you considerable more money.  take the $9k saved and use a simple compounding interest opportunity at a meager 5% and you is gonna see ~$2.5k return. can (and should) do far better with an initial $9k.

 

*shrug*

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

ps young americans is notorious bad at investing.  start savings young... and avoid making your home essential to long-term investment and savings. we americans tend to start late with saving and is far too dependent on value in our homes, even after recent real estate collapse.

Edited October 22, 2016 by Gromnir

[Hiro Protagonist]

Have to admit Calax, I'm a bit stumped on why you're going with the more expensive second hand car (~12K) than a cheaper second hand car (~2-3K). Burdening yourself with more debt on something I consider to be one of the worst things you could be putting money into sounds a little crazy to me. I would be taking the second option, get a cheap second hand car and save that extra money. But it's your decision.

[Gfted1]

Well, generally speaking, any vehicle you buy under ~$3000 is going to a person to person cash sale. I dont know of any dealerships that have cars that cheap or are willing to finance something that small. So if he doesnt have the cash on hand then hes kinda stuck. I suppose he could get a personal loan from a bank for a few grands? 

[Azdeus]

Well, generally speaking, any vehicle you buy under ~$3000 is going to a person to person cash sale. I dont know of any dealerships that have cars that cheap or are willing to finance something that small. So if he doesnt have the cash on hand then hes kinda stuck. I suppose he could get a personal loan from a bank for a few grands? 

 

I thought he was going to get money from the insuarance company for is old car?

 

Anyway, I think it's better to get a cheaper alternative, and then start saving for a newer car if that is something you really want. I'm pretty certain that if you jump back a few years on the cars age you can still get a decent Japanese car.

 

Is there anything that prohibits you from getting an older car Calax? Or do you 'have' to buy it from work?

[Hurlshort]

There are a lot of independent used car lots that sell cars in the lower price range.  

[Calax]

 

Well, generally speaking, any vehicle you buy under ~$3000 is going to a person to person cash sale. I dont know of any dealerships that have cars that cheap or are willing to finance something that small. So if he doesnt have the cash on hand then hes kinda stuck. I suppose he could get a personal loan from a bank for a few grands?

I thought he was going to get money from the insuarance company for is old car?

 

Anyway, I think it's better to get a cheaper alternative, and then start saving for a newer car if that is something you really want. I'm pretty certain that if you jump back a few years on the cars age you can still get a decent Japanese car.

 

Is there anything that prohibits you from getting an older car Calax? Or do you 'have' to buy it from work?

It's a combonation of things. Getting the Mazda from work puts me in a car I consider fun and good for a steal relative to everything I have seen from other dealership lots for the same model. Also, as Giftd said, I don't have three grand just hanging out in my bank account to use. If I took out a personal loan for that much I'd be paying almost 20% interest on it because it is unsecured by anything.

 

I know I can handle the payments on something that big. I have been budgeting for it a.with the car I just totaled. And from the total I will break even at this point where I will get just enough from different sources that I won't have to owe anything extra.

 

Also in the longer run the Mazda will have a lower cost due to maintenance and insurance being a tad bit lower overall.

 

I mean I'd take a cheaper vehicle off Craigslist, but I'd have to get that money from somewhere.

 

https://www.hertzcarsales.com/Search?pageSize=35&pageNumber=1&Distance=30mi&MapLat=45.3872&MapLong=-122.5921&

That's where work sells cars.

Edited October 22, 2016 by Calax

[Hurlshort]

Wow, that's a crazy low price for a 2015 Mazda3.  Most of them in my area are priced around $18k.

[Gromnir]

 

 

Well, generally speaking, any vehicle you buy under ~$3000 is going to a person to person cash sale. I dont know of any dealerships that have cars that cheap or are willing to finance something that small. So if he doesnt have the cash on hand then hes kinda stuck. I suppose he could get a personal loan from a bank for a few grands?

I thought he was going to get money from the insuarance company for is old car?

 

Anyway, I think it's better to get a cheaper alternative, and then start saving for a newer car if that is something you really want. I'm pretty certain that if you jump back a few years on the cars age you can still get a decent Japanese car.

 

Is there anything that prohibits you from getting an older car Calax? Or do you 'have' to buy it from work?

It's a combonation of things. Getting the Mazda from work puts me in a car I consider fun and good for a steal relative to everything I have seen from other dealership lots for the same model. 

 

shoulda stopped where we ended quote, 'cause the rest is rationalizing.  is no reason you need be stuck with credit card rates on even a signature loan if you do a little legwork, but you like the mazda and purchase through work likely makes the situation easier... even though you o' all people should know to avoid buying a rental vehicle.  

 

regardless, is not an investment.  money you put into this car purchase is solely red ink numbers, so makes more sense to keep those numbers small given how you were frantic only a few posts ago 'cause you thought the insurance payoff for your totaled car weren't gonna cover the 'mount owed on it.  your recent concern seemed genuine, yet you seem to be putting yourself in a similar precarious financial situation.  you got an opportunity to improve your situation rather than repeating a mistake.

 

as to hurl observation, a large % o' folks will not consider buying a rental, and with good reason. prices for rental is typical lower 'cause o' their inherent leprosy.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Calax]

Wow, that's a crazy low price for a 2015 Mazda3.  Most of them in my area are priced around $18k.

It's because it's a former rental. The Mazda's don't get used as hard as a few others (never buy a fiesta or focus, they're demolished by the time we get rid of them).

 

And Grom. When you get down to it, any decision we make is pure rationalization if it's not the most basic version of life support.  We can live in a tin shack down by the river, driving a 1980 Chevy thats billowing smoke, and eating pure ramen. Anything higher than that becomes a "rationalization"

[Hurlshort]

I've bought a couple former rentals, actually both my current cars and the RV were rentals.  It's hit or miss, one was a real issue and has had a lot of problems, the other has been great, and the RV was also no trouble.  I typically buy an extended warranty if I get a rental, but it has to be a decent price.

[Calax]

I've bought a couple former rentals, actually both my current cars and the RV were rentals.  It's hit or miss, one was a real issue and has had a lot of problems, the other has been great, and the RV was also no trouble.  I typically buy an extended warranty if I get a rental, but it has to be a decent price.

The other nice thing for me is that I can get that sucker for 700 bucks off due to employee pricing. I think I'm driving the red 2016 that's up there right now (yay for insurance paying). Nice thing about the way we do it is that you get a 3 day trial.

[Gromnir]

I've bought a couple former rentals, actually both my current cars and the RV were rentals.  It's hit or miss, one was a real issue and has had a lot of problems, the other has been great, and the RV was also no trouble.  I typically buy an extended warranty if I get a rental, but it has to be a decent price.

33% lemon is not good, particular considering the diminished resale value o' any rental.

 

*shrug*

 

calax doesn't see what should be an obvious problem and is no way Gromnir will be able to explain how he were desperate and frantic only a page or two removed in this thread. perhaps this is a teachable moment/opportunity? dunno.  not our profession.  not our problem.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[melkathi]

Was watching VGHS and had a great laugh when they did their rendition of collector's edition content NPCs:

https://youtu.be/nhiRE2hfFJc?t=14m16s I think the first time I ran into something like that was Dragon Age: Origins

[Gorth]

*shrug*

 

calax doesn't see what should be an obvious problem and is no way Gromnir will be able to explain how he were desperate and frantic only a page or two removed in this thread. perhaps this is a teachable moment/opportunity? dunno.  not our profession.  not our problem.

 

HA! Good Fun!

You may not have succeeded, but you gave it a serious try. In case the Universe dishes out Karma points, I would say you earned yours for good intentions backed up by action.

 

Got my new fridge yesterday. One more thing off my chest. Still getting used to sleep on a mattress instead of the floor. Oh the luxury!

 

Next up is a washing machine, should arrive next weekend. Then I just need that container load of stuff (living room, dining room, bedroom furniture etc.) in storage in Europe to get shipped down here. Need to save a bit longer for that.