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Today's topics:
* temporary health insurance for a recent graduate - 1 messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/ca3c7cbfde6133a7?hl=en
* Most Frugal and Practical Pickup Truck? - 3 messages, 2 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/1010359dbc3b29b0?hl=en
* RodSpeed - 1 messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/7846240150597272?hl=en
* OT: Why I hate Geico ads - 2 messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/c126ff8f6e76bda5?hl=en
* Best cheap LED flashlight from Walmart? - 1 messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/289e1ab2c0f56d4c?hl=en
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TOPIC: temporary health insurance for a recent graduate
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/ca3c7cbfde6133a7?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 15 2008 10:34 pm
From: "Rod Speed"
P <test@test.com> wrote
> Rod Speed wrote
>> and you certainly dont get one of those every year.
> Off Topic,
Nope, completely on topic when discussing what
sort of insurance makes most sense for you.
If you dont keep wasting the doctors time with visits to
the doctor to stuff like that that is a complete waste of
everyone's time, including your own, that reinforces the
fact that you only need catastrophe insurance at your age.
> I just mentioned two reasons one may need to visit a doctor at my age
But havent actually established any NEED with those two.
> and did not claim them as the only reasons for every year.
There arent any others that NEED anything like that frequency with a healthy individual at your age.
And you're wasting your money getting insurance that pays for that sort
of visit to the doctor anyway, you are much better off with catastrophe
insurance and paying for the doctors visits out of your own pocket if you
are stupid enough to keep seeing the doctor for that sort of medical problem.
> BTW, if you have lived in a dorm you may catch such illnesses quickly from others.
Irrelevant to whether there is any point in bothering with a doctor's visit when you do.
>>>>> Well, I could have stayed at home, rested and probably could have recovered
>>>>> in some 3-4 days but going to the doctor helped me get better soon
>>>> Nope, not with a cold it doesnt.
>>> Depends on how severe it is
>> Nope.
> Well, if you live in a dorm sometimes you need to visit the
> doctor just to convince others you are taking proper steps.
No you dont.
> The medicines can ease your running nose
> and reduce your sneezing while you are in class.
You dont need to visit any doctor to get stuff like that, just the pharmacy.
>>> and mainly to ensure it is not a symptom of some illness.
>> The obvious way to check that is to see if it goes away as
>> colds always do and only bother with a doctor when it doesnt.
>> You certainly dont get those every year or anything like that either.
> I never said that one gets them every year
You did say that you see a doctor every year.
> (though if you are living in a dorm your chances are high).
Irrelevant to whether there is any point in seeing a doctor about them.
> Just because I mentioned two reasons does not mean I claimed
> that they were the only ones due to which I had to go to the doctor
> every year. There can be a muscle spasm, food poisoning,
Fuck all need to see a doctor every year for stuff like that either.
> minor car accident (if you are traveling in someone else's car),
Fuck all get that sort of thing anything like every year.
> back pain due to wrong posture
Or that.
> or many other factors due to which a person my age might require to visit a doctor.
There are fuck all 'other factors' that see someone
of your age needing to see a doctor every year.
Presumably you're a mindless hypocondriac.
> Again, this is not a exhaustive list nor do I mention these occur
> every year to someone of my age, but some reasons due to
> which a person of my age may need to visit the doctor.
The total of all those dont see someone of
your age needing to see a doctor every year.
And it makes absolutely no sense to have that covered by your insurance even if
you are a mindless hypocondriac. You are MUCH better off financially paying for
the doctors visits out of your own pocket and only paying for catastrophe insurance.
> Agreed, people at my age fall in the lower risk for insurance
> companies, but there are some liabilities associated with us also
Yes, thats why catastrophe insurance isnt free at that age.
> and people at my age might need to visit the doctor typically once a year.
Nope, they might be stupid enough to visit a doctor that often, but no healthy
individual with your detail actually NEEDS to visit a doctor that often at your age.
> Some more, some less.
Virtually all MUCH less.
> The purpose of starting this thread was to get some good ideas
> (which I got, thanks to all who replied). I appreciate your help,
> but please don't misunderstand me.
No one has misunderstood you.
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TOPIC: Most Frugal and Practical Pickup Truck?
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/1010359dbc3b29b0?hl=en
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== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 15 2008 10:38 pm
From: "Michael A. Terrell"
Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
>
> Too_Many_Tools <too_many_tools@yahoo.com> writes:
>
> > I am considering getting my next pickup truck...what is in your
> > opinion the best candidate for a frugal and practical pickup truck?
>
> That just covers too, too much ground for a useful answer to be
> possible.
>
> Frugal, of course, means you want to spend as little as possible on
> the truck and gas for it. So you want the smallest available engine,
> two wheel drive, and the rubber-floormat version.
>
> It's when you dial in "practical" that things get rough.
>
> In my case, my first concern is I want to be able to do my own
> repairs. There's nobody like Chrysler for being able to do it
> yourself, so the truck is a Dodge. I've also got a 1990 Toyota pickup
> (now up in Albuquerque with my daughter) which is the most impossible
> vehicle I've ever owned to work on. Replacing the PVC valve requires
> taking off the top half ot the intake manifold, and goes downhill from
> there....
>
> Second concern was the truck occasionally goes out in the desert, and
> on those once-in-a-decade snowstorms my county doesn't own a
> snowplow. 4WD, manual transmission.
>
> Third, need a back seat with room for a couple of dogs, and want a
> decent bed.
>
> Stir up these ingredients, and my wife and I bought a Dodge Dakota a
> year ago. So far, I love it.
I got a '97 Dakota a couple months ago, with less than 100K on it. I
don't know how I ever lived without an air conditioner, or working radio
for the last 20 years. :)
--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.
Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 15 2008 7:42 pm
From: clare at snyder.on.ca
On Wed, 16 Jan 2008 01:54:56 GMT, Trevor Jones <t.o.jones@telus.net>
wrote:
>Too_Many_Tools wrote:
>
>> Beater 1/2T-3/4T truck...mechanical condition good...paint is
>> optional. ;<)
>>
>> My experience is the same...either buy new or buy junk.
>>
>> Junk won't do.
>>
>> That tells you that everyone hangs on to them...because of the high
>> pricing of the new stuff.
>>
>> TMT
>
> Mazda/Ford 2WD Standard trans, with a larger cab, if you carry stuff
>around that you are keener on keeping.
> It's not extra passenger space, as much as the trunk, behind the
>driver and passenger seats, but in front of the box. Sometimes doubles
>as weathertite cargo area.
> I put nearly 400 000 kilometers on an 86 B2000. Drove it like it was
>stolen, right up until I gave it away last year. It is still on the road.
>
> I know guys that treated their Toyotas similarly, and had good
>reliability.
>
> Smaller engines will get you every bit as far down the highway as the
>larger, but seem to reduce the resale value.
>
> Those are quarter ton class for the most part,though. Maybe heavy
>quarter ton at best, or really light half...
Actually, They are full Half ton - and Toyota made a 3/4 and a
"Wonton" 1 ton Hilux. (about 1984?)
My dad had a "wonton" with a 3/4" plywood box on it that he used in
his electrical contracting business. Don't think it put 100 miles on
it with less than 2 tons, and he pounded it around for 6 years, IIRC,
and over 180,000 km.
The only mechanical problem he had was one rear axle bearing.
>
> If looking at new, shop the low end of the line. IIRC there were Ford
>F150's on the lot ranging from well under $20K, to way over twice that.
>It was a year or two back, that I last looked at new trucks, so check.
>If you don't need the flashy wheels or a big engine, they have some, at
>least, to choose from. Hard to argue with near zero percent, with a net
>cost of pretty near what it would cost to get a bank loan to buy used,
>if you are financing. New and a warranty for $300 a month, or used and
>no warrantee, for the same or barely less...
>
> Choosing between a new or a used truck in the near new range, new
>looks like a better deal, sometimes.
>
> <shrug>
> Gotta meet your needs, not mine! Only you know for sure, eh!
>
>
> Cheers
> Trevor Jones
--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 15 2008 6:13 pm
From: clare at snyder.on.ca
On Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:07:28 +0000 (UTC), ranck@vt.edu wrote:
>In misc.consumers.frugal-living Too_Many_Tools <too_many_tools@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > Domestic pickups are pretty price competitive given the market.
>
>> As for the price competitiveness of domestic pickups, I am not sure on
>> that. Try finding an used domestic pickup in good shape at a
>> reasonable price...it takes years to find a good match with that
>> criteria.
>
>The thing to look for is 2WD and a stick shift. Nothing kills the
>resale value of a pickup like 2WD and stick shift. Most people
>don't really need 4WD and automatics are only good if you are
>going to be doing a lot of towing. Look for a used pickup with
>those 2 things and the prices will be well below average for the
>year and make. Oh, those 2 things also make the truck cheaper to
>maintain and get better fuel economy. Good luck.
>
>Bill Ranck
>Blacksburg, Va.
Also makes them a WHOLE LOT harder to find - particularly if you want
a "standard cab" too!!!
--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
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TOPIC: RodSpeed
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/7846240150597272?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 15 2008 10:38 pm
From: "Rod Speed"
KarlMarx_MiddleClass_Ipod_HipHop <kwokx2@hotmail.com> wrote
> do you think that we will have a global meltdown any day now for stock markets
Nope. The system is quite adequate at avoiding those now.
> or do you think that the US government is scrambling to prevent the
> machine from seizing up from lack of preventative maintenance?
Nope, there has been plenty of PM in the adjustment of interest rates
as required and adding to liquidity when that has been a problem.
==============================================================================
TOPIC: OT: Why I hate Geico ads
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/c126ff8f6e76bda5?hl=en
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== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 15 2008 10:47 pm
From: don@manx.misty.com (Don Klipstein)
In <john-4570D5.17230215012008@sn-radius.vsrv-sjc.supernews.net>, John A.
Weeks III wrote:
<SNIP previously quoted material to edit for space>
>Cool, a "yellow dog" posting. You see the GEICO ads because
>(1) the ads work very well, and (2) you choose to see them.
>There are easy ways to skip commercials, and those that still
>watch commercials do so by choice as a result.
I would dispute the easiness of skipping commercials, since I find it
to require effort on my part to view/hear broadcast material with any
delay from broadcast time.
As a result, I am lately hating "broadcast" in general as well as the
bottom-feeders that advertize on broadcast radio stations more than
anywhere else. I also hate paid "radio" services such as Sirius and XM,
since I heard one of these (DISCLAIMER - I could have been offended by
someone other than either of these named ones) playing a song that I love
and detected as being played offspeed-fast as is often done on
free-broadcast.
- Don Klipstein (don@misty.com)
== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 15 2008 11:22 pm
From: don@manx.misty.com (Don Klipstein)
In <478d4a56$0$22636$4c368faf@roadrunner.com>, Anthony Matonak wrote:
>Green Xenon [Radium] wrote:
>> John A. Weeks III wrote:
>...
>>> Cool, a "yellow dog" posting. You see the GEICO ads because
>>> (1) the ads work very well, and (2) you choose to see them.
>>> There are easy ways to skip commercials, and those that still
>>> watch commercials do so by choice as a result.
>>
>> Not everyone has the luxury of being able to skip commercials. I am one
>> of these unfortunate ones. When I am watching an excellent show or movie
>> and it is interrupted by crap like those Geico ads, it really irritates
>> me.
>
>It's still your choice to be irritated by the ads. You have many
>choices and only one of them is to sit there and take it.
>
>The best choice is simply to not watch TV. This is going to get
>easier here in the United States since they won't be showing
>any shows requiring writing.
I do damned little TV watching. I am a junkie of internet and Usenet
and I watch broadcast TV mainly when expecting local news, weather stuff,
or people looking attractive by wearing long dresses (sadly on my part, I
find that done awfully exclusively by the gender that I am
less-sexually-attracted to).
>If you have a computer that's fast enough (700Mhz?) you could spend
>$25 or so for a TV card and turn it into your own personal video
>recorder. This would let you skip commercials.
Time requirement! I would rather dissociate myself from broadcast
poop that gives me any requirement or incentive to sanitize such poop!
>Netflix (or other DVD rentals) are another option. They put out a
>lot of TV shows on DVD these days. Get together with a bunch of your
>friends to circulate the videos and share the costs.
I value movies low enough to not bother. Probably because to the extent
that I am a junkie for free or low-cost content, I do well enough by being
an internet junkie and a Usenet junkie.
>VCRs are another option. You can pick these up used pretty cheap
>because no one wants them anymore. You can also pick up lots of
>old VHS movies pretty cheap too. Heck, it's quite likely you can
>find old VCRs and tapes for free.
>
>Then there are books. These can be found for free at most libraries
>and online at places like the Internet Archive and Project Gutenberg.
>Libraries are increasingly carrying DVDs, books on tape and old time
>radio shows also. If you have broadband then you can download and
>watch TV, movies and radio shows on your computer.
Old time radio shows sound slightly attractive to me. Otherwise my
being a junkie is Usenet and the internet in general, though I have
respect for better-known "classical works".
>Lastly, there is the age old option of pressing 'mute' on your
>remote (supposing you had one), going to the bathroom during the
>commercial breaks or going out to make a snack.
That would be something I would do bigtime if I had a broadcast radio
with a compatible remote control. For that matter, I find Philadelphia
area broadcast stations offering "better rock music" (my words) to be
above-average in giving more commercials!
>You can even combine these. Read a book during commercials. :)
What if I am on a job ot on duty in my nain day job? Limited to
broadcast!
What if I am on the road and driving a vehicle? Limited to either what
is receivable in the vehicle, or what the DJ or the orchestra in my brain
is good for playing! Since most of the time that I am driving a legally
recognized vehicle such vehicle is a bicycle, I am giving lower prospect
for good entertainment by "broadcast media" for5 music as I see the
"broadcast poop" being now. I also have a distaste for alternatives since
I know a paid alternative to play the "album version" of my favorite song
roughly 4% fast, as in a majority of a semitone in pitch.
- Don Klipstein (don@misty.com)
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TOPIC: Best cheap LED flashlight from Walmart?
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/289e1ab2c0f56d4c?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 15 2008 11:01 pm
From: Jeff
Don Klipstein wrote:
> In article <8t2dnRK7LZt7LxHanZ2dnUVZ_sadnZ2d@comcast.com>, George wrote:
>> Jeff wrote:
>>>
>>> Almost all the Amish I knew had a one AAA Dorcy LED light. Just enough
>>> light to get around and very small, but dependable.
>
> I have one of those. No, I have not quite that, but the 1-AA-cell one.
I've never seen the AA model. How they get it to run on one cell amazes
me. Where'd you get your AA model? Although I love the small size and
design of the AAA, they are in aluminum housings available in different
colors, a AA should have 2 1/2 times the capacity. For the Amish
electrity is expensive, which is why they love LED lights. I used to
bring them 24 packs of batteries... Another thing about LED lamps is
they give very even illumination... You don't have the hot spots and
darker rings that incandescent reflector lights have.
> I find it very dependable, and to always run at least somewhat and to give
> some actual illumination even AA cells that are so depleted as to make a
> 2-AA Mag glow dimmer than an idling cigararette, at least after half a
> minute. (Personal experience, preliminary results without doing a true
> "controlled experiment" with "adequate sample size").
>
>> The best thing I ever bought for that purpose is the something like
>> "photon light" that run on a coin cell and are small enough to put on a
>> key chain. Since they are small you don't feel like Batman carrying them
>> and I bought the better quality units and they are dependable and have
>> lasted at least 3 years so far.
>
> I get similar experience. However, those "coin cells" have no chance of
> running the LED at "full initial brightness" (often initially exceeding
> maximum continuous ratings of the LED) for long. I expect a few
> "operating hours" of "bright light" (including as low as 1/3 of
> "initial"), followed by the LEDs giving some good impression by having
> their efficiency increase slightly as a result of moderate to moderately
> severe underpowering, in contrast to incandescents losing efficiency
> bigtime when significantly underpowered.
Makes sense as the light is shifting toward the IR with less visible as
the filament cools.
>
> I see LED flashlights, especially when regulation circuitry is lacking,
> to be good at "energy efficiency mode" when the batteries are around or
> somewhat over halfway depleted.
I suppose that most of the cheapies lack regulation and you would
only see regulated models on the more expensive headlamps?
A small flashlight usually serves most needs, the only time I've
really needed more light was on by bike at night. The high power LEDs
may have addressed that need, don't know...
Jeff
I see incandescent flashlight "bulbs"
> to do the opposite (when voltage decreases, light output decreases by at
> least the 3rd power of voltage, and current draw at lower voltage able
> to achieve any visible glow at all is at best close to proportional to
> square root of voltage across the lamp/"bulb", .57 maybe .58 power at
> most).
>
> - Don Klipstein (don@misty.com)
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