Since we were talking about the costs of car ownership...

Drive your car to death, save $31,000

By keeping your car for 15 years, or 225,000 miles of driving, you could save nearly $31,000, according to Consumer Reports magazine. That's compared to the cost of buying an identical model every five years, which is roughly the rate at which most car owners trade in their vehicles.

Hmmm....

I am more convinced than ever that staying in my cheap rental apartment is a good idea. I suppose I could find something to buy for less than three times my income, except I have no money for a down payment. I don't even have money for closing costs!

Trying to start a business is probably just as crazy, but it seems possible with less cash to start. I just got a couple of "So, you want to start a business?" books from the libarary to read on my vacation.

I also just bought a shower gift, but I think I'm going to keep some of it, since it totalled more than I was really planning on spending. So, they get some cute dipping bowls and one bottle of flavored olive oil, and I'm keeping the second oil. Possibly to use as a gift for someone else at a later date.

ION, Comedy Club Unhappy With Dick's Behavior

COLUMBUS, Ohio — David Stroupe said it was one of the worst experiences with a performer in the history of the Funny Bone Comedy Club.

He was referring to Andy Dick, a former co-star on the 1990s sitcom "NewsRadio," who appeared at the Funny Bone last weekend.

Stroupe, the club's managing partner, said the 41-year-old actor-comedian made inappropriate comments while on stage, groped patrons, took women into the men's room and urinated on the floor and on at least one person.

A limousine driver was to meet Dick early Monday morning at a hotel near the club, Stroupe said, but he couldn't be found and missed that morning's flight to Los Angeles.

Dick was across town, where he was issued a citation for urinating on the sidewalk by Columbus policeman John Fantin. Police eventually escorted Dick back to the hotel, Stroupe said.

Our mortgage payment is MY ENTIRE SALARY. Luckily, DH makes more than me (by working freelance and getting to stay home all day, she mentions with a jealous tinge to her voice) -- enough that we can pay all our bills (and pay back Bro who gave us the downpayment within the next four years) and keep out of any other debt. We paid off our CC debt over the last few years and both our cars we got well-used and own outright, so the mortgage is the only big debt we have. Still, BIG.

By keeping your car for 15 years, or 225,000 miles of driving, you could save nearly $31,000, according to Consumer Reports magazine. That's compared to the cost of buying an identical model every five years, which is roughly the rate at which most car owners trade in their vehicles.

Seriously, the fact that people spend so much money needlessly on an asset that depreciates so quickly is bad enough, the fact they do it every five (or fewer) years boggles the mind.

In the last 10 years, between my brother and I, we've had 12 cars.

But the really funny part? Only 2 were mine.

To be fair, he's had the current one a couple years now. Maybe even 3. I think that's a record for him.

We have a 3 yr then it started adjusting loan - As of the moment - it is still less than a fixed rate - but that is where I want to head soon. Right now , we are in the jumbo loan world - so I watching rates and numbers to chose a best time. Unfortuneatly , I will need to stick with my credit union - jumbo loan #'s don't cause higher interest there. I just wasn't real happy with them when we refied the HE line of creditNothing that had to do with the dollars- just stpid shit. but since loans are part of thier business, it shouldn't have been screwy.

I'm somewhat paranoid about debt.

I paid off my student loans pretty early on, and I don't own any credit cards. The cost of my home is less than 3X my annual salary, I put way more than 20% down, and I got a 15-year fixed rate mortgage, which I'll probably end up paying off sooner, too.

Oh & in light of megan's post, what's even funnier, is that almost half of his cars, including the one that was totalled by insurance, are worth more than when he bought them. But...it's a different thing at work.

He soups them up. Even the totalled one, he bought back from insurance for $100 and parted it out. Of course, it's not like he made a profit, since he bought all the stuff originally and insurance payoffs are usually based on blue book, not street value.

the mortgage is the only big debt we have

That's huge, though. I have assloads of student loan debt, and a fair amount of credit card debt. Staying in this apartment I could afford as a student means I'm making strides in paying stuff off AND starting to save some. I still have a long way to go, though.