[LKJ1988]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

I had to give up my flip phone 2 years ago because it no longer worked with the new cell towers

We have 1 tv inside our home, & its in a front office room that has doors that can seal off the noise. I have no idea the size, make, or model...don't care. I've watched it <10x in 5 yrs...all sports on free tv w/ attic antenna.

I was once a poor no-skill service-sector worker in FLA, so I got used to scrimping. Bought clothes at Goodwill...got haircuts at the beauty school for $5.

Those frugal habits never left me. My car is a base model...not 1 option. I had to go to the parts dept to buy mats for it, & negotiated 1/2 off for them. I negotiate for everything I buy >$100.

You can buy new flips that work chip.

[dcfas]

Originally Posted by LKJ1988

OLED replaced Plasma in 2014. Every year since 1989 i had to buy the latest and greatest display. OLED is much better than LED. The best plasma sets were the pioneer elite kuro. I have a Sony 65" A1E for the bedroom since 2017. I slowed way down on buying since the tech as slowed way down. Back in the 90's and mid 2000's the tech was funner as it changed much faster. I miss my S- VHS- VCR's that wore out. I miss buying new VCR's. It was so fun when ED Beta came out in the early 90's as it was the best tape format and it cost 2k for the VCR in 1992. I have had it all over the years.

We still have the Panasonic plasma Elite, circa 2006, lol. Everyone said they would burn in, but ours still looks perfect after all these years. One of the best things about it is the sound system that includes two side speakers.

We will probably get a new one within the next couple of years, at which point we will likely go with OLED. Our tv is mounted above the fireplace, so the viewing angle specs are important. With the old plasmas, this wasn’t an issue.

[Ghaati]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

Wow, I thought I was a trailblazer. Do you ever watch broadcast tv, when someplace else? The longer you don't have tv or cable, the harder it is to watch. Even the commercials infuriate me....I mute them, & look away, & down towards my laptop screen. Its one huge brainwashing tool....even sports commentary...there's no escaping it. Every time I see it, it confirms my decision to ditch it.

I can't do the cell phone thing either...staring at it, thumbing out a text...looking at a tiny screen...no thx. My cell phone bills $11/month. I just use it to talk, & do ~2 short texts/wk...usually "yes" "no" "okay". I use the mapping app ~1x/wk.

Low income folks could save a lot by ditching cable & cell phone mania. I also think insurance, over the legal required amounts, is dumb for low wage earners. I wish I had a do-over on that.

Low wage earners need to also shop at Aldi....buy as much as possible there. Get the rest at WalMart, or Dollar General.

I'd love to hear how the young people making <$50k/yr here in Florda are getting by; w/o racking up credit card debt.

Similarly to how old people making <$50k/yr here in Florida are getting by without racking up credit card debt.

I just did a realtor.com search for homes under $120k in Gainesville and found 74 including condos, townhouses, and land lots. I refined the search to single family homes and found 13 of them. One in particular was renovated and repainted, with a shed in the back and a fenced-in yard, for just $94k.

Assuming you put 20% down (almost $19k), your 30 year at 3.5% interest payment would be under $400/month. Add taxes and utilities and you're looking at around $1000/month in expenses. If you're making $50k per year, you can afford that and have plenty to sock away for an upgrade in 5 years. If you don't have $19k to spend, then you're not ready to buy a house at all. You have to have put money away first. Young folks just graduating college shouldn't be expected to own their own house yet.

[LKJ1988]

Originally Posted by dcfas

We still have the Panasonic plasma Elite, circa 2006, lol. Everyone said they would burn in, but ours still looks perfect after all these years. One of the best things about it is the sound system that includes two side speakers.

We will probably get a new one within the next couple of years, at which point we will likely go with OLED. Our tv is mounted above the fireplace, so the viewing angle specs are important. With the old plasmas, this wasn’t an issue.

Never knew Panny made any in 2006. You must mean Pioneer.

[beachmouse]

Originally Posted by Ghaati

Similarly to how old people making <$50k/yr here in Florida are getting by without racking up credit card debt.

I just did a realtor.com search for homes under $120k in Gainesville and found 74 including condos, townhouses, and land lots. I refined the search to single family homes and found 13 of them. One in particular was renovated and repainted, with a shed in the back and a fenced-in yard, for just $94k.

I just did a similar search for Fort Walton Beach, which has typically been the affordable part of southern Okaloosa County and for the sub-$200K options you get one condo in one of those places where there are gang shootings in the parking lot and then about 8-10 condos in iffy 1970s/80s buildings where your several hundred dollars a month in HOA fees on top of your mortgage payment are probably not enough to capitalize the condo complex’s reserve fund so you need to budget for a huge special assessment for repairs not covered by insurance when the next moderate to big hurricane hits.

But then the local real estate market here is heavily distorted because of the federal government. (Department of Defense stuff)

[dcfas]

[quote=LKJ1988;64638811]Never knew Panny made any in 2006. You must mean Pioneer.[/QUOTE

Onyx, not elite:

Panasonic Onyx TH-42XVS30 42-Inch HD Plasma TV

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by beachmouse

I just did a similar search for Fort Walton Beach, which has typically been the affordable part of southern Okaloosa County and for the sub-$200K options you get one condo in one of those places where there are gang shootings in the parking lot and then about 8-10 condos in iffy 1970s/80s buildings where your several hundred dollars a month in HOA fees on top of your mortgage payment are probably not enough to capitalize the condo complex’s reserve fund so you need to budget for a huge special assessment for repairs not covered by insurance when the next moderate to big hurricane hits.

But then the local real estate market here is heavily distorted because of the federal government. (Department of Defense stuff)

The defense industry is where the $$$ is at. Very lucrative jobs. If you're retired colonel or something you then get a job in the defense industry and make $$$ in addition to your military pension on top of that!

[lluvia]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

What is OLED? Last time I looked at TV's there was Plasma, & something else that was cheaper, so I went with cheaper.

Most of my friends/neighbors have giant TV's in most rooms, & the lanai...like 6 TV's. Some use them like radio's....noise all day...every day...ugh. I prefer silence.

These low-skilled low-paid Floridians need to learn how to hang tvs on walls....lots of demand for that.

I'd call my biz...."Hang 'em High" TV installation

Also start businesses to teach old people how to use technology...I'd call that one "Old Dogs...New Tricks Tech Training"

Not much to learn with one of these. Just be able to hammer some tiny nails.

https://hangmanproducts.com/products/no-stud-tv-hanger

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by LKJ1988

You can buy new flips that work chip.

I bought that old ATT flip for $39.99, I wonder how much they cost now?

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by lluvia

Not much to learn with one of these. Just be able to hammer some tiny nails.

https://hangmanproducts.com/products/no-stud-tv-hanger

Mine pulls away from the wall so it can swivel to change angles. I had the guy who installed the free tv antenna in the attic. Dude was old, but somehow got it done himself...that was 5 yrs ago. I saw him last week, & he says he's closing his biz because he can't hang tv's anymore and he can't find anyone who wants to learn how.