Mariner

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On a related note, why is there a vanishingly small number of options available for us who are willing to pay extra for quality and service?

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There are options, but you have to do your research and actively find them. You also have to demand it from vendors. I think that very slowly people are starting to come to terms with paying more for quality. Its going to take a couple decades or more, but I am noticing it more and more in products that someone seeks out but not many people know about.

For example, I am building a house right now. I am done with using asphalt roofs. My deductible for a new roof from a named storm on my current house is over $40,000. A new asphalt roof will be about what the deductible is, so I will always have to pay it in full. This new house also will most likely have a higher deductible. I thought long and hard about it, researched, and realized how cheap an asphalt shingle is, and how little it lasts (one hailstorm ruins it). I have seen homes in my previous neighborhood get three roof replacements over 15 years. I am going with a roof that is several times more expensive than an asphalt roof, but is far superior in wind resistance, fire resistance, hail resistance, and longevity. However, the majority of Americans see it as a ripoff for something so much more expensive that does the same thing....which is not true. So they get the cheap stuff and have to replace it every 10 - 15 years out of pocket, the insurance rates/deductibles go up because they get bothered to replace a roof every 15 years, and often times sooner than that due to bad timing of storms, and then everyone bitches about insurance rates.

I quoted a new roof for my MIL. I got three quotes. The priciest quote was the superior roof which I was hoping would be reasonable but I could not justify for my MIL. The middle one was an asphalt roof but I knew the guy and told him that everything on the roof must be new and high quality. The cheapest one reused all the rusty flashing, vents, etc. I found that out when I cornered the cheapest guy on how its so cheap compared to the other guy. He admitted that everyone is out for one thing....the cheapest bid to get their issue rectified. If he bids on doing the job right, they will think he is a shyster and will go with the cut corners cheap guy. The goal is to have the cheapest bid.

AC is another example. I love variable speed AC's. The last one I had installed, I asked the guy how often does he sell them, which was about one a month. I asked him what do people usually get. He said 90% get the bottom of the line everything. He only bids on upgrades if a well informed customer demands it.

Other examples include insulation, foundation design, windows, AZEK trim, hard pipe ductwork.

Regarding paint for my new house. I had the builder have the Sherwin WIlliams rep call me. I told him I want the Emerald line for everything. I am not building this expensive house and covering the exterior and interior with the cheap stuff that wears out after five years, which will cost a fortune in labor and headaches to repaint a furnished house. Builder called me the next day and said the SW guy told him that was the first time he ever had a new build customer demand a specific premium paint.

Boomers are the worst with this. They love their giant fried seafood platters for $14.99 that can satisfy them for two days, and Whole Foods is highway robbery, but all those medical bills to manage poor diets and Winn Dixie quality food? Crickets.

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If that was me I would have laughed and said thank goodness it was just a false alarm and had levity.

If that was me I would have told him to eat a dick. frick that POS.

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I was referring to the A-hole judge laughing it off, but I would have no issue with that either. :lol:

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Vanguard Total World Stock ETF has 3,500 stocks

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Rewind to 5 or so years ago...

Owning $10,000 spread across 3500 stocks vs NVIDIA. The thrill of seeing that one stock pop, explode, go down, explode again, the media coverage, the anticipated earnings updates, etc.

The ETF does great too, but its the thrill I am referring to. I am happy to see one of my ETF's succeed, but seeing that vs seeing something I take pride in individually owning like Trane, Generac, or American Express....the fun is seeing a chunk of money in individual stocks and how they perform.

ETF is like being a casual baseball fan liking a certain team for their history of success, stadium venue, and uniforms/colors but only knowing a basic concept of the format of the team. Individual stock is similar to following one or two players from that exact team, knowing all their intricate stats, cheering for them to succeed, keeping track of stats, and seeing that player break his season high of HR or RBI totals. Its much more interesting to track an individual player and his impact on the team's success than to just watch a general team win that you know little about.

ETF's are great don't get me wrong. All I am saying is that individual stocks to me are way more interesting to monitor and cheer for.

I use a few financial institutions. One is all about mutual funds and ETF's. The other is all about buying individual stock, although they do have a few mutual funds in my account. I have around 50 individual stocks with one institution. My first market check of the day starts with the institution with the individual stocks. Better yet, the institution with individual stock usually outperforms the institution with ETF's.

I enjoy individuals more, but I don't recommend just owning individual stock unless you are in a position to shrug your shoulders at a 30% loss and say lets sell it so I can reduce my tax burden.

ETF's are more safe but to me they are boring. Not that it is a bad thing. I have them along with individual stock.

Individual stock can be all over the place unless you stick with the solid plays. I have lost my arse on some up and coming stocks, but have scored big on others. Individual stocks is more like play money lets see if we hit it big with this buy. ETF's are more in line with a diesel engine.

If you are just starting out or the threat of losing 20% on an individual stock will haunt you, stick with ETF.

An ETF is more thrilling than a mutual fund.

Good luck!

:cheers:

I worked offshore and they were all about recycling. It was in company policy, we were saving the planet, etc. We found out what we were sending on shore was getting trashed, so we stopped doing it. A company brown noser was transferred to us and sounded the alarm. He goes through all the trouble to get recycling going again, but when a legit recycler came along, they would not take the recycling. Food and other non-recycling items were found in the shipment, and they would send everything back to us and charge fees in addition to the premium fees paid for recycling. This was distracting us from the real focus of the hazardous environment we work in. A manager got the bills plus the headaches and cancelled that service in a flash.

We kept the recycle bins out to make the appearance that we were green to anyone who cared, which was noone.....including the brown noser :lol:

Its a virtue signaling scam.

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Because they want to work as a barista, and get paid 50k+ a year with benefits. And no coffee shop is going to do that for a job meant for high school and college students

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There are people out there that no matter what amount of money/benefits/lifestyle you give them, they will focus on what you are not giving them. Its like the 90/10 rule with dating.

What about a HELOC but don't take it out and instead pay cash for the property using your savings. The HELOC becomes your new savings which you don't use unless necessary, and have it until you can build the actual savings back up. It could backfire if life events happen, but if you are looking to not pay interest on this new property, its an option.

The other question is do you really need this property?

You will be amazed at how many grown men neglect their health. I used to work offshore and would see people drop dead at 50, then come to find out during casual convos, the crew in their 40's an 50's have not seen a doctor in 5+ years. No checkups, no bloodwork, no dental work, nothing. I have seen men missing half their teeth, even though the company provides dental insurance. They are also some cheap SOB men out there who don't want to get a medical bill or pay for life long prescriptions like cholesterol meds, but they will happily spend good $ on that side-by-side, F-Series, and that hunting stand.

Often times its the wife dragging a dipshit husband to the doctor. Usually the wife is neurotic and researches the hell out of everything and then overreacts.

I am on top of my health but can always do better. Wife may tell me something I should do, but I will make that appt and go. Wife has never taken me to a doctor and spoke for me, unless I was under anesthesia.

My first trip as a dad to DisneyWorld was when the kids were 5 and 3. I was trying to save up for it since their birth, but still I had a shortfall. Finally I said screw it they are getting older and just did it with the intention to figure it out later. We went on several luxury vacations since then, but none of them topped our first time as a family at DW. It was so special for them.

If we were not blessed soon after that trip, I don't think we could have returned until 5 or more years later.

Its why you see grandparents gifting their kids a Disney time share, or taking them along and treating. DW is loaded with grandparents.

Its outrageous. I guess you can do it if you stay off the grounds in a rental house, but a big part of the experience is living on the grounds in the kids fantasy for the entire trip.

I have an independent agent. I do a lot of business with him. No complaints at all.