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Topic: Inconvenient Annoyances  (Read 610575 times)

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Re: Inconvenient Annoyances
« Reply #5880 on: January 05, 2015, 09:40:29 AM »
Eew, our baking trays do that every so often and we have to chuck them away. Bummer about the cake! was it salvageable?

We were able to scrape the bottom. And then promptly bought a new cake tin.


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Re: Inconvenient Annoyances
« Reply #5881 on: January 05, 2015, 01:39:58 PM »
Today's IA:  how do you politely tell your friends and relations back in the States to puh-lese not send you any packages?  Every time I get one of these we're out and it's too big to fit through the slot so they leave you a card so you can trek all across the city to fetch the bloomin' thing from the sorting office.  Or you can ask them to re-deliver and sit around all day waiting for it.
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Re: Inconvenient Annoyances
« Reply #5882 on: January 07, 2015, 12:42:05 AM »
Today's IA:  how do you politely tell your friends and relations back in the States to puh-lese not send you any packages? 

Re-gifting can be quite effective  ;)


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Re: Inconvenient Annoyances
« Reply #5883 on: January 07, 2015, 12:59:13 PM »
There is something wrong with the radiator/hoses/pipes/whatever in the car. We were first thinking it was going to have to go to a garage and be fixed. In the past couple days it is getting steadily worse. Now we have the dilemma of do we pay a bunch to get a 1999 car fixed, or just bite the bullet and get something new (new to us, but newer and better condition used). When we first moved back to the States late summer of 2012, we needed cheap because of his green card expenses and an international move wiping us out. One of dad's coworkers had this one for sale at $1000. We thought it would get us a while, a few months or a year maybe, until we were more financially stable. But it just kept going until now. Now we are financially ready for brand new, but are wanting to see about buying a house, and don't want a mortgage AND a brand new car car payment. We could do that, but it cuts into savings for trips to the UK to visit hubby's family each year.
“It's practically impossible to look at a penguin and feel angry.” Joe Moore

“We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”
― Dr. Seuss


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Re: Inconvenient Annoyances
« Reply #5884 on: January 07, 2015, 01:22:10 PM »
I've had good luck buying used rental cars, first from Hertz, then from Enterprise.   Both times 1 yr old with around 20-25k miles for around $15k and the balance of the mfg warranty.   The first lasted another 9 years before engine issues killed it (GM), the second is still going after another 9 years, but rust is catching up (will need new AC condenser in spring).

Unfortunately second hand cars hold their value better in the US so there are fewer bargains, but if you buy an unpopular model 1-2 years old and run it until you have to push it or are ordered to crush it by your annual safety inspection I think you can drive fairly cheap in the US.   Something like a 1yr old ex-rental Kia perhaps ?


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Re: Inconvenient Annoyances
« Reply #5885 on: January 08, 2015, 01:53:33 AM »
I never thought about a used rental car. I will keep that in mind for next time. Ours ended up taking a turn for the worse on the way to work this morning, and we stopped at a car lot on the way home. What we got is a 2004 Chevy Malibu Maxx. The interior is immaculate, the paint looks great, and it runs like a dream.

“It's practically impossible to look at a penguin and feel angry.” Joe Moore

“We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”
― Dr. Seuss


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Re: Inconvenient Annoyances
« Reply #5886 on: January 08, 2015, 02:09:58 AM »
I hope it's a good one !  I remember those Malibus - they have a lot of space inside.   Our car is making some not very encouraging sounds but I'm hoping it survives until June/July at which point I'm hoping we'll be moving to the UK.  We'll either be car shopping in the UK or US this summer - ugh I hate car shopping.


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Re: Inconvenient Annoyances
« Reply #5887 on: January 09, 2015, 10:44:30 PM »
It is a good one so far, and I love all the space. :)

Today's: We applied to see if we could get a mortgage. We don't have the kind of credit history they want. Because we have nothing current but the car, we don't have enough history and we don't have any credit card history. The loan officer we talked to says our best bet is to get a credit card and show we can pay it monthly. So, now we have to get a credit card to prove we can pay monthly, instead of showing we are paying all our bills on time.

Just reading the APR crap and fees and other junk is giving me a headache. I'm not opposed to having one, it is just the idea we have to have one to show we can make payments, when we have other proof of it.
“It's practically impossible to look at a penguin and feel angry.” Joe Moore

“We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”
― Dr. Seuss


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Re: Inconvenient Annoyances
« Reply #5888 on: January 11, 2015, 11:12:17 PM »
I'd just get any card that comes with no annual fee and then pay it off before interest is due.   I have a Chase card with no fee and I pay no interest  The whole credit history thing is really annoying - I suspect I'll be in the same position when I move back to the UK (after 20 yrs in the US).


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Re: Inconvenient Annoyances
« Reply #5889 on: January 13, 2015, 01:15:15 PM »
After talking to the mortgage guy again,  he said it would be best to only make minimum monthly payments and carry a balance. That will show we have money to make payments, and are willing to make monthly payments. Seems backward to me,  and puts us as paying more because of interest. Seems showing we pay rent,  all utilities,  car insurance, net,  etc on time every month should be enough. The house we had in mind is actually cheaper than our rent. We live on a lake in a higher rent part of town. Our payment, homeowners insurance and property tax all together will be under what our rent is. That should satisfy them but it doesn't.
“It's practically impossible to look at a penguin and feel angry.” Joe Moore

“We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”
― Dr. Seuss


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Re: Inconvenient Annoyances
« Reply #5890 on: January 13, 2015, 03:56:10 PM »
That's terrible advice.   Credit card interest rates are just about the highest rates outside of payday lender and loan sharks.  Paying credit card interest is just about the worst thing you can do financially.

I think you'd be better off getting a newer car with dealer financing and making car payments: the interest rates on car loans are much much lower than credit cards.   I make car loan payments for 6 months when I moved to the US.


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Re: Inconvenient Annoyances
« Reply #5891 on: January 13, 2015, 04:48:19 PM »
After talking to the mortgage guy again,  he said it would be best to only make minimum monthly payments and carry a balance. That will show we have money to make payments, and are willing to make monthly payments.

This is terrible advice! Getting a credit card, using it, and paying it off, will not make the CC company happy, but it will definitely help establish credit history, which is what you are looking for.
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Re: Inconvenient Annoyances
« Reply #5892 on: January 13, 2015, 08:45:15 PM »
I would be happy just not to have to walk down a hallway, down 5 steps, across a landing and up 2 steps to get to the loo.  Fortunately I rarely have to get up at night  :)

I missed this. That is quite a trip to take at 3 am. Like you said, fortunately you rarely do. Ours in our current place, is just outside the bedroom door.

This is terrible advice! Getting a credit card, using it, and paying it off, will not make the CC company happy, but it will definitely help establish credit history, which is what you are looking for.

We thought that too. I failed to see how buying and paying in full monthly was horrible, yet carrying a balance, which would look like we chose to not pay it all off, was good. Our plan was to buy groceries or something useful, then pay it off with the money we would have used to buy the groceries (or whatever). Basically add a step, but not carry a balance. I think we will just stick with that.
“It's practically impossible to look at a penguin and feel angry.” Joe Moore

“We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”
― Dr. Seuss


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Re: Inconvenient Annoyances
« Reply #5893 on: January 19, 2015, 01:09:53 PM »
I've heard the same thing in regards to creating good credit. I was told you should get a credit card/store card etc. If you can't get one easily then do the prepaid ones that cost like $60 a year to have. Then charge stuff but yes... do the minimum payments, don't pay it off right away. Also, never charge the card to the full balance because that is bad. It's some stupid percentage I've forgotten that helps with your credit, say like only charge 30% of your limit. To me this sounded like you're paying to increase your credit - because you are. You aren't paying off your balance each month, which you are right, you'd think it would look better, but oh no...  ::) Also, I was told every time you get any sort of credit check, via a car place, a bank etc, that also hurts your credit score. If you get multiple checks in a "short" (who knows what they mean by short) period of time that can devastate your credit as well as getting multiple credit cards near each other. Also, apparently if the card offers you an additional credit boost for being a good customer you're only suppose to allow the boost up to a certain dollar amount. Say upgrade from $200 limit to $1000, but not to $1,200. Pay other non credit bills on time... and your income ratio has to be significantly higher than your debt ratio. Like you if have a student loan and pay it on time but still owe $50,000 and only make $30,000 a year that can hurt you.

It's really kooky. I never understood all this. Thankfully? between my ex husband and student loans my credit will be trashed until I die, so I don't have to jump through the credit hoops.  ;)

Keepin' it real. Real annoying.


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Re: Inconvenient Annoyances
« Reply #5894 on: January 19, 2015, 01:38:45 PM »

It's really kooky. I never understood all this. Thankfully? between my ex husband and student loans my credit will be trashed until I die, so I don't have to jump through the credit hoops.  ;)



My ex-fiance minorly trashed my credit, but I worked for a few years to get it all paid off, then didn't charge anything after that. Other than the car payment, I haven't had anything in over 12 years. Hubs never had credit, never wanted it, so when we got a car in 07 dad had to co-sign for him, since mine was all paid off but still bad on the report. He has had a couple minor things here and there since, but not big enough to help, apparently.

All our bills come out of our account each month, automatically and on time, but none of that seems to matter toward proving we can pay things on time. I would have thought that would help, proving you have bills you can pay and pay them on time would help. All this credit stuff gives me a headache.
“It's practically impossible to look at a penguin and feel angry.” Joe Moore

“We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”
― Dr. Seuss


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