Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
FWIW, some of you might find this interesting:>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
In the late "thirties" (1939 and into 1940 & 1941) my dad had a job that required he wear a business suit every day, and he was "rough on his clothes". So about every 6 to 9 months he would take me (age 8-9 or so) with him and we'd go down to Maxwell Street in Chicago. There was an old Wearhouse that had no sign on it, just totally plain front end and no windows that you could see through, but one front door with a big "knocker" on it. Dad would use the knocker and some guy would come to the door, ask my Dad his name and "number", he'd look in a large Ledger Type book, ck the info and say "OK"..
We'd walk over to the "Elevator" (very old Cage Type), get in, use the big lever to close the door, AND THEN, use the "ENDLESS CHAIN_HOIST" to raise the elevator to the 2nd and/or 3rd floor.
2nd floor had racks and racks and racks and racks of SUMMER WEIGHT suits.
The 3rd floor had racks and racks and racks and racks of WINTER WEIGHT suits.
No sales people, no tags in the suits, just the size info. You chose what you wanted, tried the suit(s) on in a "make-shift" room, put them in a Brown Paper Shoping Bag, went back down to the ground floor, paid cash to the guy who had opened the door and you left. No "small talk" or anything else.........just an "all-business" transaction!!!
Oh Yea, almost forgot: The price: $10.00 each...(and the quality was as good or better than Botany 500!).
You know what this was, don't you? a MAFIA-run outfit! Those suits "fell off" the truck, LOL!
I offered to give a guy a ride to college one morning when his car was in the shop. He lived in an old building with a manual elevator that was an enclosed cage where the walls were seen as I went up. It was early, dark and I had no clue to what I was doing, but I wasn't letting an opportunity go by to help out a golden-haired, blue-eyed God that I had a major crush on. The elevator is a fun memory of what infatuation can do, and the only time I ever saw an apartment with shag carpeting on the walls.
>snip<At the end of April, I have an appointment with a fee-only financial planner. He's going to want to see a budget before he can make any recommendations, such as, do I pay off the house mortgage with some of the 403(b) funds or carry a small mortgage.
Be careful, volo; I know someone who pulled some money out of their 401K and paid off their house only to find out he got killed on his taxes because the withdrawal is taxed as income
Quote:
Originally Posted by Happy in Wyoming
Here's my survival tip of the day. When you're expecting a particularly cold night or day and have concerns about your car's starting run an extension cord from your house out to the car. Plug a trouble light into the cord with a hundred watt bulb. Put the light under the hood. It will raise the temperature under the hood even in high wind.
There are radiator heaters available; there used to be dip stick heaters as well, but I haven't heard of them in years.
Then there's the old stand by of parking on a hill, nose downward.
Yeppers, what HiW means is those caged shop lights that mechanics use with a hook for hanging. Works like a charm, I would drape it inside the engine bay with the caged bulb facing the lower engine block. Those bulbs/lamps get hot, so if you're going to do this make sure it's not near any rubber or plastic*****
We have a magnetic block heater, it's really cool, it's about the size of a deck of cards and you just plomp it to the block or oil pan and plug in. No fire danger.
Quote:
Originally Posted by newenglandgirl
You know what this was, don't you? a MAFIA-run outfit! Those suits "fell off" the truck, LOL!
Be careful, volo; I know someone who pulled some money out of their 401K and paid off their house only to find out he got killed on his taxes because the withdrawal is taxed as income
That it is. And, one reason that I need someone smarter than me to recommend which direction to go. Let's see, take the money out of the 403(b) and pay taxes to the big, bad government or pay interest on a mortgage to a big, bad megabank. Hmmm . . . not much of a choice.
The fellow did say that when I make a withdrawal, they will keep back 20% and send me a 1099 at the end of the year. For example, if I ask them for a hundred bucks, they'll keep twenty bucks and use that to pay federal income taxes. Have no idea how it works if I'm in a lower tax bracket, or a higher one. I assume I'm on the hook for state taxes, if appropriate.
That it is. And, one reason that I need someone smarter than me to recommend which direction to go. Let's see, take the money out of the 403(b) and pay taxes to the big, bad government or pay interest on a mortgage to a big, bad megabank. Hmmm . . . not much of a choice.
The fellow did say that when I make a withdrawal, they will keep back 20% and send me a 1099 at the end of the year. For example, if I ask them for a hundred bucks, they'll keep twenty bucks and use that to pay federal income taxes. Have no idea how it works if I'm in a lower tax bracket, or a higher one. I assume I'm on the hook for state taxes, if appropriate.
I may have missed this part but if you are younger than 59 1/2 you pay a penalty of that 20% plus any taxes. Never do this.
Data and minutes are two different things. Minutes refer to phone calls made and received (yep, they get you coming and going).
Data refers to sending/receiving emails, viewing websites, posting to Facebook, watching videos, and apps.
I haven't followed the conversation, but I assume you two are talking about cell phone service. Assuming that a lot of retirees are on a fairly tight budget, may I pass on what I use? For about a year now I've had my cellular service with Walmart's sponsored Family Mobile service. They use the T-Mobile network, and roam onto other (affiliated) networks when outside the range of T-Mobile towers.
For unlimited text, data, and voice; the cost is $35 (plus junk fees) per month. It used to be $40, and took a phone call to have them drop my rate to the current rate that a new subscriber would get. My last bill, the first on the lower pricing structure, was $37.52. You can pay at either Walmart or on-line with Family Mobile.
They sell phones, but I came to the plan with my own. Overall, I'm fairly satisfied with the service. T-Mobile is pretty weak, compared to the biggies. But, I absolutely love the price and not having to worry about going over minutes or data. Driving through the middle of Wyoming and Montana, I was very happy to see that I still had service, albeit on networks not part of T-Mobile.
Just passing on a tip that might be useful . I miss the reliability of Verizon, but love the price of Family Mobile.
I may have missed this part but if you are younger than 59 1/2 you pay a penalty of that 20% plus any taxes. Never do this.
Good advice for everyone. I'm 63 1/2 years young. Starting to figure out the other end. The RMD withdrawals at 70 1/2 and how to stay in a lower tax bracket.
Location: Approximately 50 miles from Missoula MT/38 yrs full time after 4 yrs part time
2,308 posts, read 4,122,972 times
Reputation: 5025
Quote:
Originally Posted by CCc girl
Yeppers, what HiW means is those caged shop lights that mechanics use with a hook for hanging. Works like a charm, I would drape it inside the engine bay with the caged bulb facing the lower engine block. Those bulbs/lamps get hot, so if you're going to do this make sure it's not near any rubber or plastic...
In addition to using the Electric Bulb Trick.........Before you let the hood down, Drape an old Horse Blanket or rug or Blanket over the engine compartment, it will help trap the heat rather than let it go up and get cooled down by contacting the metal portions of the hood.
Location: Approximately 50 miles from Missoula MT/38 yrs full time after 4 yrs part time
2,308 posts, read 4,122,972 times
Reputation: 5025
Quote:
Originally Posted by in_newengland
Yes! That works well when the snow is wet and sticky. The snow we have now is the dry fluffy type and much deeper than that. Hubs put two boards down today and made it out to the car. It wouldn't start, of course, since it had been sitting there too long but he had a battery charger. He was able to drive to Home Depot and get some more Ice-Melt.
What would work even better would be to move away from here.
This happens in "Mother Nature's World" as well.((SEE brokensky's POST # 6168)......They are Called:.."SNOW ROLLERS". It is rare to have this happen.....all conditions have to be "just right":..i.e. Temp, wind, amount of snow, moisture content of snow, slope of the land, etc. I've seen it in wide open areas of easternMT, WY, CO, & Kansas.
This happens in "Mother Nature's World" as well.((SEE brokensky's POST # 6168)......They are Called:.."SNOW ROLLERS".
In my neck of the woods what is needed is SnowBLOWERS. There is no place left to "roll" anything. And that bent-over rolling looks like it could land me in traction for a week.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
