Jump to content

Do you always need the latest and greatest?


Square Wheels

Recommended Posts

I have a Garmin Fenix 5 Plus, it's really awesome.  It has all of the features I need.

Garmin now has the Fenix 6 out, at first I joked with my wife I needed one (we have separate finances, so she doesn't care at all).

Now I learn they are physically almost identical in size.  The new one has a few more features, most I likely won't use.  It has better battery life - not a worry, this one lasts a week, even if I run every day.

The one new "feature" is in keeping the same size, the bezel is a little smaller making the screen a little wider.  My eyes are aging and failing me.  I don't have close up glasses and would never wear them running.

Now I'm convinced I need the new fenix 6.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm just the opposite.  I have a bicycle built from new old stock parts based on an 8 speed drive train.  I have the old Garmin square shaped Vivo Active because the was a great sale when the newest greatest version came out........before the newer newest greater than greatest version and ahead of the one that is replacing that.  The dealership owned my car for almost a year before I bought it on sale because no one else liked the color.  I have a darkroom lamp fixture over my painting booth that my father used in the 1940's.  It's been converted from red to LED but otherwise is original.  I love looking for things that used to be better than sliced bread after they've been replaced by even better because of the prices you can get.

In a throw away society it pays to be cheap frugal.

  • Heart 1
  • Awesome 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No.  Keep cars for 10 years.  Have not bought a bike since 2005.  My backpack is second hand but it works for the glamping I do.  My phone is replaced when it quits working.  Current phone is several generations old.  My glasses need to be replaced, as they dog chewed on them, but I can still see out of them, so they stay on my face.

 

  • Heart 2
  • Awesome 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, bikeman564™ said:

I have a Garmin Edge 500 from 2013.

I wish my 500 (I had two) was still kicking.  My current 520 is about to hit the drawer-of-no-return too as the "grade" is now totally wrong all the time :(  The 530 gets shit reviews, and I really don't want a bigger computer.  Starting to think a Wahoo is in my future.

7 minutes ago, Parr8hed said:

I just want shit that works.  I only upgrade my old shit to new shit if my old shit quits working.  I would much rather repair old shit to keep it serviceable than buy new shit if at all possible. 

My general feeling too.  I am growing more irritated at the impossibility of repairing some stuff nowadays - like my 520 or the latest smart phones.  Packing more and more stuff into smaller packaging has its drawbacks.

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I spend money on the things I really want. Even there, I cheap out as much as I can (like my $300 preamp).

I got a pair of refurb Audioengine computer speakers for 300. They are the real deal, worth the list price and a stone cold bargain for the price I paid.

But that sort of thing has always been important to me.

Same with bikes, although it took me a long time to figure that out.

 

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, jsharr said:

No.  Keep cars for 10 years.  Have not bought a bike since 2005.  My backpack is second hand but it works for the glamping I do.  My phone is replaced when it quits working.  Current phone is several generations old.  My glasses need to be replaced, as they dog chewed on them, but I can still see out of them, so they stay on my face.

 

I identify with almost everything here except the dog chewing on and wearing those glasses.

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m not a slave to the latest & greatest but I guess this statement is relative....  Page would say I have sold out by riding a plastic bike but it is a 11 YO plastic bike.  I have an older Garmin, maybe the 500 not sure. It works fine when I remember to charge it or take it off one bike and put it on the current one I’m riding....

 My tablet is 5 years old, no personal computers any longer... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

44 minutes ago, Zealot said:

I lost my last bike computer on my way up the meet the folks for Petite’s Big Adventure a few years ago. I haven’t had another one since on any of my bikes.  And you know, I’ve found I enjoy riding a little more not paying attention to the performance side of it. 

I’ve referenced this before but when I ran and was actually training I would sometimes leave the heart rate monitor & watch at home.  No set miles, no “plan”,  no training zones... I just ran as long or short as I felt as fast or slow as I felt.

Those runs were absolutely necessary for my sanity.

  • Awesome 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Square Wheels said:

I'm such a sucker for new toys.  I need help.

Read Your Money or Your Life. You probably don't need to read the entire book, but the section on spending is worth it. 

My car is 16 yrs old, I buy used bikes, my phone is refurbished. Tech doesn't do much for me. I still listen to vinyl records.

your+money+or+your+life.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, dennis said:

Read Your Money or Your Life. You probably don't need to read the entire book, but the section on spending is worth it. 

My car is 16 yrs old, I buy used bikes, my phone is refurbished. Tech doesn't do much for me. I still listen to vinyl records.

your+money+or+your+life.png

I love this book.  It spoke to us about working less and exiting work eventually, just stop buying shit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Dirtyhip said:

I love this book.  It spoke to us about working less and exiting work eventually, just stop buying shit.

I fear health insurance needs will have me working many years past when I would need to from an otherwise pure financial perspective. So I keep traveling instead of focusing too much on savings:spending.

  • Awesome 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Dirtyhip said:

I love this book.  It spoke to us about working less and exiting work eventually, just stop buying shit.

bingo.

This is challenging. I've got a bike habit that is hard to turn off. 

1 hour ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

I fear health insurance needs will have me working many years past when I would need to from an otherwise pure financial perspective. So I keep traveling instead of focusing too much on savings:spending.

That seems to be the riddle right now. I figure I will follow their plan, save as much as I can, and figure out the insurance question when needed. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

34 minutes ago, Parr8hed said:

Waiting for @RalphWaldoMooseworth to chime in here.

Let’s put it this way. I am posting this on my daughter’s hand me down iPhone 6 after I finally had to retire the microscopic 5 because Outlook said I had to upgrade. I have mixed feelings but Outlook is convenient to have for work. Coulda woulda shoulda stayed with the nice comfy 5. :D  That sumbitch was still working, damnit!

 

  • Heart 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, RalphWaldoMooseworth said:

Let’s put it this way. I am posting this on my daughter’s hand me down iPhone 6 after I finally had to retire the microscopic 5 because Outlook said I had to upgrade. I have mixed feelings but Outlook is convenient to have for work. Coulda woulda shoulda stayed with the nice comfy 5. :D  That sumbitch was still working, damnit!

 

I don't even have a cell phone.

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like new stuff but not enough to buy it. The co-pay on one of my wife’s drugs is over $300 the other drug she is on we haven’t heard back from her insurance yet. She just had to buy new insurance because she has been off work more than six months. The list price on a 28 day supply is over $12,000. Her work insurance covered it 100%.

  • Sad 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, dennis said:
3 hours ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

I fear health insurance needs will have me working many years past when I would need to from an otherwise pure financial perspective. So I keep traveling instead of focusing too much on savings:spending.

That seems to be the riddle right now. I figure I will follow their plan, save as much as I can, and figure out the insurance question when needed. 

It remains the one real obstacle my wife and I think about when adjusting our retirement plans.  I'd love it to be as simple as "budget $15k/year until you hit Medicare", or similar, but it doesn't seem that easy.

Anybody know the rough estimate for good-very good insurance with a high deductible for folks in the 55-65 year age range? Any rules of thumb, or is it now just a "no way to guess" sort of thing - ie a number for 2019 will be totally useless for guessing 2020, 2021, or 2025 sort of thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

It remains the one real obstacle my wife and I think about when adjusting our retirement plans.  I'd love it to be as simple as "budget $15k/year until you hit Medicare", or similar, but it doesn't seem that easy.

Anybody know the rough estimate for good-very good insurance with a high deductible for folks in the 55-65 year age range? Any rules of thumb, or is it now just a "no way to guess" sort of thing - ie a number for 2019 will be totally useless for guessing 2020, 2021, or 2025 sort of thing.

Even when you hit Medicare you can’t depend on coverage. Drugs are outrageous and some companies refuse to cover the cost of them. Two of my skin cancer drugs my insurance won’t pay. One I pay out of pocket and one I go without. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

It remains the one real obstacle my wife and I think about when adjusting our retirement plans.  I'd love it to be as simple as "budget $15k/year until you hit Medicare", or similar, but it doesn't seem that easy.

Anybody know the rough estimate for good-very good insurance with a high deductible for folks in the 55-65 year age range? Any rules of thumb, or is it now just a "no way to guess" sort of thing - ie a number for 2019 will be totally useless for guessing 2020, 2021, or 2025 sort of thing.

Maybe an insurance broker could help.

I have friends who retired and semi-retired in their 50s. Financially, they are in great shape. House is paid off etc. She is fully retired, he works part-time as a nurse so they have health insurance. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...