Posted on 10/11/2025 8:26:08 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Scam post. Comparing anything in 2024 to the Covid era is bogus. Repossessions were artificially low in 2022 due to the government's gifting everyone due to covid.
“And those 25 acres of woods have tens of thousands of dollars of timber on them, and it’s always growing.”
We WERE in the process of harvesting Black Walnut. We had a guy come and give us an estimate, but due to the impending tariffs, the ChiComs sent a zillion board feet of lumber to America to beat that and pretty much made Black Walnut the cheapest it’s been in a long while.
However, as you said, those trees will just continue to grow until prices rise again. They’re not going anywhere!
P.S. Did you contact the ADRC? Get any additional info for your household? Just curious. They were SO helpful when I was taking care of my Dad. :)
Oh, goody! I need to get on my local car dealer’s website. I’m in the market for another Ford Escape - LOVED my last one. Not crazy about the new styling, though. It looks like a Tennis Shoe! I like BOXY.
Also considering a Maverick and possibly a Jeep. My SIL is sold on them - she has owned a number through the years.
Yes the price of using bad judgment in the first place lesson learned.
I’ve been following your comments about your plans. So happy for you! We live VERY rural in a farmhouse from 1900 on 160 acres and I thank Beau often for having the foresight to buy this place in the mid 80’s. He really wasn’t planning ahead - just born a Farm Boy and is going to die a Farm Boy. ;)
We’re working on all mechanical, appliance and cosmetic (flooring, carpets, etc.) upgrades now. I mean, the last time anything was upgraded WAS the 80’s, LOL!
Beau: “But I just REPLACED that...35 years ago!” LOL!
Yeah, if they are healthy enough to walk, and also to walk long distances.
“...and got to write off the interest in the meantime since it was on real estate instead of a car.”
We just did the same for a 6-wheel Side By Side that Beau uses here at the farm and at our cabin up north for Black Bear hunting. He’s not getting any younger and it makes dragging a bear out of the woods SO much easier for him and his AGING hunting buddies. ;)
It’ll be paid off by the end of the year.
I saw that approximately 25% of groceries are purchased with buy-now-pay-later. That’s a serious red flag. Some other items of concern:
90-day credit card apdelinquencies has doubled.
About 2.4 million cars up for repo even though the actual repo rate is less than 30% (it was traditionally somewhere just North of 40% )with one of the drivers being that some lenders claiming they won’t sell at auction anyway. So they hope they can get some money out of them from the original buyer.
At end of September, there were 85,000 new vehicles on dealer lots from the 2024 model year.
I also saw a report that the majority of GDP growth (above 90%) came from capex related to AI. Fortune reported that without data centers, GDP growth in the 1st half of 2025 would have only amounted to 0.1% (https://fortune.com/2025/10/07/data-centers-gdp-growth-zero-first-half-2025-jason-furman-harvard-economist/).
We are very fortunate because we have always paid our Credit Cards at the end of every month, but that meant we did not buy every thing we "wanted" just those things that we absolutely needed.
My Mom and Dad said, "Live within your means" regardless of how little your means really are.
When I was very much younger and a smoker, cigarettes were .30 a pack and I could not afford that so I "rolled my own" for about .10 a pack.
Just a small example of living within your means.
Not a big deal, but...
It’s just a compilation of news articles, really. It is kind of negative, but it was a jumping off point for FReepers to discuss what they’re doing that’s effecting their Bottom Line in a POSITIVE manner.
I’m always looking for new ideas from those that are walking the walk. :)
With the exception of being forced to buy a car during Covid due to an accident totaling my wife’s Infiniti (we were pre stopped at the tail end of traffic and a F-250 plowed into our read hauling a trailer of lawn equipment at about 65 mph). I always call or walk into the dealership with my offer in hand on a specific vehicle on their lot.
They’ll typically reject it the first offer outright, nd give you their offer. Reject it, and tell them you already brought them an offer, and to either accept it or reject it, or your leaving and perhaps you can do business in the future. If they counter a second time, they lost the game, and are just trying to squeak out as money money possible. Fastest closing on a car ( a Hyundai for son) was 15 minutes over the phone. The best deal took 62 minutes (I told the Sales Manager I was walking out in 60 minutes) on a Nissan Murano Platinum. They even went so far as calculate it out at 30 cents a month more than my offer, just to feel like they won something I guess. Rejected it, and then when the Sales Manager finally agreed to my offer, I told him he need to throw in the maintenance package for free since he ran over time.
I enjoy car shopping. But I do the research, and figure out what I think is a reasonable deal. But I’m not afraid to walk and don’t get attached to the transaction or vehicle.
Nice, love That! Awesome machine!
...please share your state/county with those low taxes???
...thks in advance
...well actually I ‘ve driven 5 series BMWs for 40 years due to the safety built in. Had a friend total one at night when a pickup truck was left partially in the fast lane by illegals driving a junker... he would have walked away if not for the broken ankle from the impact, and he bought another after seeing the passenger compartment protection. Plus it can be tracked even as a sedan if you are inclined... ymmv
Taylor County, Kentucky.
And, we had a 30x60 shop/mancave built, and it required no building permit. We did have to get the electrical inspected before the power company could connect us to power.
And if we add septic, inspection is a federal requirement, I believe.
>> Curious as to how our FReepers are handling household financial aspects these days...
Debt free, live within our means, work, raise some of our own food, tithe.
That’s old fashioned, I know. 😔
Yes, that’s always a good move. We got lucky and grabbed one of the last small acre unrestricted parcels in a north GA county 4 years ago. Its doubled in value already as we intentionally bought in the path of growth. We’re going to put up a 1000 sq ft modern farmhouse and live there for a year or so. If we get tired of it we will sell for a huge profit and bhy another piece of property and build another house. Mr. GG2 is a general contractor so we can build cheaply.
But I suspect we’ll stay at the new place.
Yes, that’s always a good move. We got lucky and grabbed one of the last small acre unrestricted parcels in a north GA county 4 years ago. Its doubled in value already as we intentionally bought in the path of growth. We’re going to put up a 1000 sq ft modern farmhouse and live there for a year or so. If we get tired of it we will sell for a huge profit and bhy another piece of property and build another house. Mr. GG2 is a general contractor so we can build cheaply.
But I suspect we’ll stay at the new place.
We wish we could afford a place like yours. It would be $2.5 million plus in N Georgia. The N GA mountains are the most expensive real estate in Georgia. I always said my dream was to be able to turn in a 360 degree circle and not see another house so I have my dream now. Were getting a whole new flock of chickens a bunch of raised bed gardens and a couple more dogs so our Chihuahua has somebody to boss around. 😉
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