The bellweather stock I will watch to see how the US and global economy is doing

[loneryder]

My wife is spending a month living in the greater Denver area as I was scheduled to be oconus for the month.

The AWD Mercedes SUV my wife is driving displays a warning when a tire is just one pound off from its counterpart tire. Rear to rear/ front to front.

The issue is, left uncorrected---- if there was a real issue with a tire going flat, my wife would not distinguish the difference between a tire being one pound low, and being 20 pounds low. I don't want my wife having a tire problem in Denver's winter weather. So to not have "warning messages" dispayed that are actually erroneous, I needed that air pressure in bith rear tires to be equal. Never ever have a seen 1 lbs of air pressure low trigger a warning- but this is German engineering.

My Mercedes aren't that sensitive. Maybe you need to reset the values for the tire monitors? There's always a # difference on mine.

 

[loneryder]

My grocery getter gal is an avid coffee drinker. We have no Starbucks in my small town. There is a drive-thru only small joint though.
I was with her twice, when she stopped for some fancy coffee and choked on the cost. It was over $8 for a big cup!

This is for a gal that is lucky to pay her bills! She has priority's wrong. Told her to drive to Casey's and get a cup for $2. Some people never get it. But the place always has 10 cars or so in line in the AM. Must be working for them.

Look at today's young people with no money but they have a SB cup in their hands and the latest iPhone.

 

[GON]

My Mercedes aren't that sensitive. Maybe you need to reset the values for the tire monitors? There's always a # difference on mine.

I have three Mercedes. This is the only one that is sensitive to 1lbs. Maybe it is a setting- but when the tires matched front left to front right, rear left to rear right), the error went away. Beats me.

 

[hrv]

Look at today's young people with no money but they have a SB cup in their hands and the latest iPhone.

and a student loan they are not paying on...

 

[loneryder]

Starbucks at 8809 Centreville Rd, Manassas, VA is just 1.2 miles from Dollar General at 8300 Centreville Rd, Manassas Park, VA.

Does anyone else live near a place where these two stores are so close together?

EDIT: Found an even closer pair, Starbucks, 4471 Cheshire Station Plaza Cheshire Station Shopping Center, Dale City, VA 22193 and Dollar General, 4136 Dale Blvd, Woodbridge, VA 22193

0.8 miles.

They get their SB and then go shopping at the DG. Here in WV, we have 1 grocery store, Food Lion, in Romney. It's 35 miles to the nearest Walmart. Those Dollar stores are all over the place and do a brisk business, especially the ones that sell beer.

 

[loneryder]

I have three Mercedes. This is the only one that is sensitive to 1lbs. Maybe it is a setting- but when the tires matched front left to front right, rear left to rear right), the error went away. Beats me.

When they are all exact or very close, look for the "do you want to reset values" in the menu.

 

[NormanBuntz]

Look at today's young people with no money but they have a SB cup in their hands and the latest iPhone.

This was my point earlier in this thread.

 

[alarmguy]

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I was retired young getting bored complaining about my high school taxes. I figured can't beat them I'll join them took a civil service custodian test scored a 100 took a job 5 minutes from my house with a pension free family health insurance.

An in-law family member did exactly the same thing (small world) became a custodian in the public service sector of Nassau County, after a well known Long Island company did away with an entire division after he worked there for a long time. In addition he was always, since the day of the commodore computer very active in managing his retirement plan in no load funds. I still remember him showing me complete with floppy and tape drives if I remember correctly. Did amazingly well for himself is an understatement and still lived well.
I get tired of the whining from some people. Life has never been more easy in the USA, there are opportunities everywhere.
It really is your life and your death, no one else's responsibility, more so today then ever. Im retired now and think sometimes for fun I might want to take continuing education classes, to stay busy, also always working on my health, eating and intense cardio workouts at orange theory, also in a new home now, landscaping (myself) my neighbors think I am nuts, they pay people to do it. After all, the day you totally retire from life is when you lose the passion for it. Great post, glad to hear positive news in here.

 

[GON]

I definitely see your point but with that said, inflation is a part of life and one needs to plan for it in retirement.
There isn't any magic golden goose to protect anyone in life, who can lay golden eggs for you? That is a fairytale. You need to protect yourself as best you can. It's what life is about, there is no higher power that can take care of you. It's you, life and death.

So the result is not of their doing? Maybe, maybe not but let's just call it nature. It's the nature of life and if you want to place blame also the voting patterns of the majority of which is much of the senior population throughout their lifetimes. There is no one to take care of you, but you if you want to be a free person and not institutionalized.

No one is responsible for you but you.

When the dollar is devalued- that is simply taking an asset from someone. That simple.

Although I can't comprehend nor believe it, last year I read a report that the USG has a plan that will nationalize all the individual 401k accounts and IRA accounts to protect the USD from collapse in an extreme crisis situation. What is the difference between nationalizing your 401k and IRA from devaluing the dollar, other than one happens immediately, one happens slowly.

I would never have guessed the low-income earning, full-time working people of West Virgina and Alabama and the like would involuntarily be paying off student loan debts of people that have the ability to pay their debts- and this being done without even a vote from Congress. So, I know as unlikely as it seems, currently anything seems possible.

Tonight, I am going to write a reply on the impact of inflation of those who have done the right thing and are still having their life savings be slowly taken from them.

 

[alarmguy]

and a student loan they are not paying on...

Proud of my daughter, she paid hers off 5 years early by buckling down, every extra penny (almost) went towards paying down the principle. I actually sat down with her and printed the amortization sheets for her to show her how much interest she would save, yes, as a bonus we contributed 50% of any extra principle she paid. So if she paid an extra $200 a month, we would contribute $100 for a total of $300 in extra principal. She loved it and learned a life long lesson about interest and principal, will soon be applying that to a home in the near future.
Btw- she finished paying it off right before Covid and what happens? All of a sudden by doing the right thing, we start hearing about loan forgiveness. Drove her NUTS. She has used phones, drove a Ford Fiesta forgo life luxuries. Made her sick to be reading about this stuff. Many of her friends after college were living it up knowing full well they had college loans to pay while she was focused on getting out of debt.

 

[nickaluch]

An in-law family member did exactly the same thing (small world) became a custodian in the public service sector of Nassau County, after a well known Long Island company did away with an entire division after he worked there for a long time. In addition he was always, since the day of the commodore computer very active in managing his retirement plan in no load funds. I still remember him showing me complete with floppy and tape drives if I remember correctly. Did amazingly well for himself is an understatement and still lived well.
I get tired of the whining from some people. Life has never been more easy in the USA, there are opportunities everywhere.
It really is your life and your death, no one else's responsibility, more so today then ever. Im retired now and think sometimes for fun I might want to take continuing education classes, to stay busy, also always working on my health, eating and intense cardio workouts at orange theory, also in a new home now, landscaping (myself) my neighbors think I am nuts, they pay people to do it. After all, the day you totally retire from life is when you lose the passion for it. Great post, glad to hear positive news in here.

My secret was especially being self employed was to save for retirement no excuses. Every month I sent my investment guy a check never missed it. Had some arguments with the wife over the years about it but she realizes now what a difference it made for us now

 

[97K15004WD]

401K, Roth, SEP, etc. are all good options.

If you are married, you lose half of your retirement savings in a divorce - almost guaranteed.

Even if you have a pre-nup. Goes to pensions too. Had a soldier once get his retirement income taken back because he didn't want his ex-wife to get half. She cheated on him, but still got half of everything. He got his last enlistment changed to a "fraudulent" enlistment and lost his retirement. Never heard from him again.

Good financial management only goes so far if you are morally corrupt, or your partner is. Marriage is a great thing, until it isn't.

 

[bullwinkle]

When the dollar is devalued- that is simply taking an asset from someone. That simple.

Although I can't comprehend nor believe it, last year I read a report that the USG has a plan that will nationalize all the individual 401k accounts and IRA accounts to protect the USD from collapse in an extreme crisis situation. What is the difference between nationalizing your 401k and IRA from devaluing the dollar, other than one happens immediately, one happens slowly.

I would never have guessed the low-income earning, full-time working people of West Virgina and Alabama and the like would involuntarily be paying off student loan debts of people that have the ability to pay their debts- and this being done without even a vote from Congress. So, I know as unlikely as it seems, currently anything seems possible.

Tonight, I am going to write a reply on the impact of inflation of those who have done the right thing and are still having their life savings be slowly taken from them.

Just got done reading “The Creature From Jekyll Island”-it’s a major hair curler! People wonder why I want to invest about $500K in ~15 pounds of gold-one of the few sure fiat money hedges…

 

[Torrid]

I refuse to pay $6 for a cup of black coffee or coffee with a bunch of sugar, so I quit going to Starbucks years ago.

Besides, when you grind beans just before you make coffee through your pour over, you can't drink that crap from Starbucks or anywhere else.

It’s $3 for black coffee at all the ones I’ve been to. I don’t drink anything else there because I’m one of those weirdos that avoid sugar at all cost. I know the stuff my wife drinks there is like $6.

 

[hrv]

I go to the local Speedway or Thortons here in Louisville and get any kind of coffee for 99 cents....

 

[GON]

It’s $3 for black coffee at all the ones I’ve been to. I don’t drink anything else there because I’m one of those weirdos that avoid sugar at all cost. I know the stuff my wife drinks there is like $6.

Where is this Starbucks that you visit that you walk out the door with a cup of coffee for three dollars? If you post this Starbucks that you visit that you walk out the door with a cup of coffee in exchange for what I have pictured below today, I will donate $100 to BITOG in your name.

I work all over the US. I am not aware of a Starbucks I can walk into with $3 USD and walk out with a cup of coffee.



Must be three dollars (or less).

 

[hrv]

Where is this Starbucks that you visit that you walk out the door with a cup of coffee for three dollars? If you post this Starbucks that you visit that you walk out the door with a cup of coffee in exchange for what I have pictured below today, I will donate $100 to BITOG in your name.

Must be three dollars (or less).
View attachment 191359

I think you can get a single shot of espresso for under 3 bucks...but it has been awhile since going there....also a coffee short for less than 3 bucks...

 

[alarmguy]

Deleted

 

[Torrid]

Where is this Starbucks that you visit that you walk out the door with a cup of coffee for three dollars? If you post this Starbucks that you visit that you walk out the door with a cup of coffee in exchange for what I have pictured below today, I will donate $100 to BITOG in your name.

I work all over the US. I am not aware of a Starbucks I can walk into with $3 USD and walk out with a cup of coffee.



Must be three dollars (or less).
View attachment 191359

It was $3.60 with tax for a venti. I’m in Minnesota right now for business. I literally bought it 2 hours ago. I’d have been out for $3 with a smaller size. The usual one I go to I get this for $3.26 with tax in Wisconsin.

I find this to be fairly accurate in my travels.

Overall, the average cost of a standard 12oz black coffee is around $2.45. For reference, you can expect to pay around $2.95 for a grande size and 3.45 for a venti size.

 

[GON]

It was $3.60 with tax for a venti. I’m in Minnesota right now for business. I literally bought it 2 hours ago. I’d have been out for $3 with a smaller size. The usual one I go to I get this for $3.26 with tax in Wisconsin.

I find this to be fairly accurate in my travels.

So, like me, you also can't get a cup of coffee from Starbucks with $3 USD cash in your pocket.