|
EugeneJ posted:Was he hitting that? Once, he said it was terrible. edit: If there was a bike route from my house to work I would take it. Otherwise I will be biking the the rail which will probably cost me a little less than gas and would reduce my vehicle upkeep costs. Sephiroth_IRA fucked around with this message at 18:54 on Dec 2, 2014 |
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 18:31
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 14, 2024 16:24 |
|
|
Sephiroth_IRA posted:Once, he said it was terrible. Doesn't matter. Had sex. Oh poo poo I'm an idiot. So, my 401k balance was over the max. I'm at a new company so the account was just created this year, so I just looked at the balance and saw it was over $17,500. I figured that the company would stop withholding when I hit the max, but it was my first time maxing it out. So I got on the brokerage's Online Chat help and I ask them what my options are. The adviser pulls up my account and says "It looks like you've only contributed $16,900 this year." At which point it hits me that I was looking at balance, including growth, and not just my contributions.  To their credit, the adviser gave me a few seconds to piece it together before launching into an explanation of why I was an idiot.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 19:18
|
|
|
It's not that you can't, but that you probably shouldn't. Not really because of the temperature*, mostly because of a combination of traffic and road conditions. I'm not familiar with the traffic patterns of Yellowknife, but I'm going to suggest that any community with fewer than 20 thousand residents probably doesn't see a lot of traffic. Like Halifax (and probably everywhere that isn't in BC or in the path of a Chinook), ice is the main concern here and icy conditions mean more accidents. We typically see a third of the accidents in the entire year spread out through November, December and January because the roads are icy and motorists have trouble controlling their cars. After a big snowfall it will take a while for the plows to get to all the neighbourhoods, meaning those streets are a quagmire of soft blown in snow for sometimes a week. Sometimes the city just won't plow certain areas for a while because it saves money. On lower priority streets that means the snow eventually packs and develops massive ruts. Those are simultaneously hard to get out of and hard to avoid getting into. So it isn't the riding of the bike that is dangerous, it is the increased possibility of getting smucked by a car that gets a lot of people off their bikes in the winter around here. Best case scenario you're looking at maybe two out of five work days that the average cyclist would make out OK. *There are legit dangers from low temperatures though. I'd guess that 3/4th of the days in the winter come with a wind chill at to below -25, frostnip and frostbite risks start at about -28. It is pretty easy to mitigate risks at those "warmer" temps, but pretty much every third day we will get -35 wind chills and maybe a half dozen days approaching -50. You're looking at some pretty high end gear if you want to bike an hour in those extreme temps.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 19:23
|
|
|
MMM is good to lead you into a certain state of mind. You might read something and have a bulb go on; maybe he gives a strategy for something you didn't think as possible, or maybe you'd just never thought about doing things that way. I don't take all of his advice, and he doesn't expect the reader to either — even as a heavy bike advocate, he has a pretty big number of posts on picking cars, including the most recent one. Biking is feasible for way more people than they realize, even in winter. If you're within single-digit miles of your workplace, you can handle it on bike in a lot more places than you'd expect. Denver and Boston aren't even a question... even though it freaks a lot of people out, it's honestly not bad at all with a mountain bike. The distance is a pretty key thing, though. There are a lot of places where it's not reasonable to live that close to work, and you need to be an enthusiast, not just a commuter, to deal with >10 mile bike commutes. edit; Have you ever tried riding a bike with the right tires through ice? That is the kind of stuff I'm talking about... it's not as crazy or as tough as you think it is. Honestly, you might be more safe on a bike because of your control. The temperature is brutal, though, so the combination likely makes it not worth the effort/discomfort. BRAKE FOR MOOSE fucked around with this message at 19:31 on Dec 2, 2014 |
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 19:25
|
|
|
Saying you can't ride a bike in winter is like saying you can't drive in winter because your front wheel drive sports car in summer tire slicks in the snow is dangerous.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 19:33
|
|
|
When I rode my bike in winter (temperate USA winter, that is), I was never as worried about my traction on the bike as I was about the loving drivers in 2 ton cars sliding all around me.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 19:35
|
|
|
disheveled posted:
I'm a newbie bike commuter currently, and we don't have snow yet but we will very soon. Standard mountain bike tires won't work for the snow and ice? Also I rode home in 30ºF weather at night the other day without a jacket (forgot it at home), and it wasn't bad. With a jacket I hardly notice the cold after riding a couple of minutes. Gloves even more so.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 19:44
|
|
|
disheveled posted:MMM is good to lead you into a certain state of mind. You might read something and have a bulb go on; maybe he gives a strategy for something you didn't think as possible, or maybe you'd just never thought about doing things that way. I don't take all of his advice, and he doesn't expect the reader to either — even as a heavy bike advocate, he has a pretty big number of posts on picking cars, including the most recent one.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 19:48
|
|
|
Knyteguy posted:I'm a newbie bike commuter currently, and we don't have snow yet but we will very soon. Standard mountain bike tires won't work for the snow and ice? For the ten or so days that you'll probably have to really worry about it where you are, you can probably deal with it by sucking it up or using something other than your bike to get to work. But at least try the ride in the snow before you rush out and get studded tires. Try a couple of times, and expect your budget thread to yell at you pretty much no matter what you do.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 19:50
|
|
|
The bike commuting thread in YLLS is very helpful, and like most threads on SA are good at pointing you toward equipment you actually need rather than flashy toys you dont. Some stuff depends on your body. I don't even put on a long sleeve top until the temperature is in the low 40s, long pants below 40, etc. Some people are in a coat by 55.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 20:08
|
|
|
Knyteguy posted:I'm a newbie bike commuter currently, and we don't have snow yet but we will very soon. Standard mountain bike tires won't work for the snow and ice? Standard mountain bike tires are usually great for snow and slush, it's road bike tires that are a disaster. You'll have to see how you do on ice, it really depends on the road conditions. If they're pretty good about clearing and salting, then you should be set. If it's really icy and terrible on the streets you take, you might need studded tires, but that shouldn't be necessary in most cities with regular snowfall.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 20:15
|
|
|
Here in Texas it's cold as poo poo because I refuse to turn on my heater. I'm wearing half my closet and the internal temp in the house is 69. But an 85-degree house in August doesn't bother me in the slightest.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 20:16
|
|
|
I'd love to bike to work but there is still the convenience factor in the winter. I gotta buy nice tires, and for me, a new bike. I gotta get gear that I can wear to work that is warm enough for freezing, but light enough to store at my desk. I have to get a decent bag to carry my lunch or gym clothes. I gotta find a place to park my bike unless I want it frozen to the bike rack in the garage. I'd totally bike in the summer but right now I'd probably spend as much on gear and accessories to do it right as I will gas on the drive to work.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 20:38
|
|
|
Assuming you have a bike frame that can fit wider tires (either ruddy or spiked), tires would be the most expensive piece. You'll have all that gear next year. You also don't have to get up earlier to defrost/warmup the car and brush off snow, or worry about your windows fogging up. If you have a good winter jacket, you'll only need fenders, a skullcap, a buff and gloves. Thermal leggings if it gets around 10*F or lower regularly. All of that stuff can be used regularly if you spend time outside. I just started wintermuting this year and it's not nearly as bad as I expected (make sure you get a good buff). I used an old hybrid with 2.25" tires slightly underinflated when it's icy and my regular road bike when the streets are clear. Why would it freeze to the rack in the garage? icehewk fucked around with this message at 21:04 on Dec 2, 2014 |
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 20:49
|
|
|
I've biked for 10 years in Minnesota except maybe ~20 days a year with about a 2.5 mile commute, and I've learned these things:
e: you don't need expensive gear to bike. It's all normal cold-weather stuff (jacket, snow pants, gloves, hat) and normal mountain bike stuff. The only thing you buy is Ski Goggles and maybe some Vaseline for your face. DNK fucked around with this message at 21:04 on Dec 2, 2014 |
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 21:01
|
|
|
A balaclava is a must have but they're cheap and just don't get cotton. Don't get cotton anything in the winter, you will sweat and it will freeze to your skin.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 21:20
|
|
|
xie posted:A balaclava is a must have but they're cheap and just don't get cotton. Don't get cotton anything in the winter, you will sweat and it will freeze to your skin. *ymmv depending on skin color
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 22:32
|
|
|
Ya'll are retarded and not seeing the forest for the trees (or the kcups for the bicycles or something, I don't know). MMMs big revelation isn't that cars are evil and you should bike everywhere, it's that you can put a value to everything, and if an expenditure has a higher value to you than the sacrifice you're making, it is reasonable thing to spend money on. He's got an engineering background, so I don't find his approach surprising and it sits with me well. You need to do a quantitative analysis to see what your qualitative decision is going to cost you. For example, cutting out $20 in coffee a month and investing the difference gives future-you more than $10,000 in 20 years with a pretty reasonable rate of return. It's not a lot of money but if you do a bunch of trimming of the small daily costs most of us don't think about, you can take years off of your working life. Another example, if you need your car to get to work, work out how much it costs and see if it's worth it or not. A 200/month car payment plus 30 mile commute each way at us average gas and insurance is around $650 a month. Extra costs like maintenance, new tires, etc, just go on top of that, and this is assuming that your ~1 hour a day is worthless. If you can find a job that is close enough to walk or bike for within $10k of your current post-tax take home pay, ditching the car may be economically sound even if you are making less. It may even result in an improvement in quality of life by stopping the wasted time of the commute. If this isn't feasible because of ~*~reasons~*~, that's no problem, but you need to work out how much of a sacrifice you are making either way.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 22:52
|
|
|
I liked this thread better when we had the content or bad rule... There is a general chat thread in BFC too!Aliquid posted:Here in Texas it's cold as poo poo because I refuse to turn on my heater. I'm wearing half my closet and the internal temp in the house is 69. But an 85-degree house in August doesn't bother me in the slightest.  xie posted:A balaclava is a must have but they're cheap and just don't get cotton. Don't get cotton anything in the winter, you will sweat and it will freeze to your skin. Hashtag Banterzone posted:*ymmv depending on skin color
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 22:58
|
|
|
I once dated a girl who had 5-digit student debt despite having all her education, housing paid for by her father and was upside-down on a Kia Sorrento with over 100k miles on it. She asked me if she should trade that in and roll her debt into a new Kia Sorrento. We kept the relationship strictly casual. I get that parents want to let their kids fly on their own eventually, but dear god that's a case where a helicopter parent would probably be a good thing.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2014 23:09
|
|
|
xie posted:The bike commuting thread in YLLS is very helpful, and like most threads on SA are good at pointing you toward equipment you actually need rather than flashy toys you dont. Yeah, do look up stuff on commuting before jumping into it. On my ride home today (did 115 miles today, new personal best) it was about a half hour after sundown, I Not that I think I have an invulnerability shield or anything, but much like motorcycling, when I look at the general population of people partaking, I'm surprised the fatality/injury rate isn't much higher. Aliquid posted:Here in Texas it's cold as poo poo because I refuse to turn on my heater. I'm wearing half my closet and the internal temp in the house is 69. But an 85-degree house in August doesn't bother me in the slightest. I used to play this game my last year in Japan, had a really heavy leather motorcycle jacket that could easily withstand any internal temperature in my marginally insulated apartment. Pointed a small space heater at my feet under the desk and I was good to go. xie posted:A balaclava is a must have but they're cheap and just don't get cotton. Don't get cotton anything in the winter, you will sweat and it will freeze to your skin. I've got two Underarmor ones (one for hot weather, one for cold), they're pretty rad and I would definitely recommend. They also help keep your hair from getting hosed up by your helmet (bicycle or motorbike). Content: quote:Hello, reddit! This guy didn't even really have the excuse of not knowing how much it was going to cost him with interest, he literally took a look at a $30k Eclipse and decided to go for it. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 02:53 on Dec 3, 2014 |
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 02:41
|
|
|
Saros posted:10 mins waiting to get through the ticket barriers, another 10 on the platform while 4 trains go past before the crowd thins out enough to get on. By that point you just think "gently caress I could have walked it by now." Why aren't you getting the bus? It's so much better than the tube. Zero stress and you can sleep or read.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 04:27
|
|
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:Yeah, do look up stuff on commuting before jumping into it. On my ride home today (did 115 miles today, new personal best) it was about a half hour after sundown, I Haha, my god, did you at least Eat A Carb this time? I can't imagine going more than twenty on protein powder, heavy cream, and cheesesteak. i say swears online fucked around with this message at 06:24 on Dec 3, 2014 |
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 06:22
|
|
|
Agreed on the cycling front. I think the point is that you can easily bike a) a lot farther and b) in a wider range of conditions than most people tend to think. People reflexively rule out cycling if their destination is further than down the street. I used to ride about 6.5 miles each way to work and school, using a bike trail most of the way to school, and people used to look at me like I was insane. Especially when it got cold and I busted out the balaclava, scarf, and gloves. But it only took me about 30 minutes each way, faster than a bus commute.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 06:44
|
|
|
Dang, and here I am with my Mr. Coffee drip machine and can of Hills Brothers. You guys really take coffee seriously. Any of you guys know a way to save on cell phone bills? I'm paying $180 a month for 3 smartphones and that HAS to be bad with money.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 07:13
|
|
|
BigDave posted:Any of you guys know a way to save on cell phone bills? I'm paying $180 a month for 3 smartphones and that HAS to be bad with money. Take a look at Ting. Base of $6 per phone then everything else is purely usage based.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 07:31
|
|
|
T Mobile also has a pre-paid $30 plan that's 100 minutes, unlimited 4G, and unlimited texting. Depends where you live. Page Plus is a Verizon reseller, and Republic Wireless also gets talked about a lot too.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 07:35
|
|
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:This guy didn't even really have the excuse of not knowing how much it was going to cost him with interest, he literally took a look at a $30k Eclipse and decided to go for it. I'm pretty sure Muslims are forbidden to loan money to people with interest, not take a loan with interest.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 08:35
|
|
|
Btw cycling in London will destroy your lungs.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 08:50
|
|
|
BigDave posted:Any of you guys know a way to save on cell phone bills? I'm paying $180 a month for 3 smartphones and that HAS to be bad with money. Right now we're paying an average of $30/month for two phones, and that's with a fair bit of international calling. I just don't text like I used to, and I simply plan a bit more ahead if I'm using transit. It was cool having access to the world's collective knowledge in my pocket, but it's not 2007 any more. There are cheaper ways.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 09:25
|
|
|
SiGmA_X posted:I liked this thread better when we had the content or bad rule... There is a general chat thread in BFC too! By PDX, do you mean Portland? Is living in parts of the country not naturally warm considered bad with money?
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 09:33
|
|
|
Poldarn posted:I'm pretty sure Muslims are forbidden to loan money to people with interest, not take a loan with interest. http://www.theguardian.com/money/2006/jun/13/accounts.islamicfinance http://www.islamicmortgages.co.uk/index.php?id=274 Actually, Muslims aren't allowed to borrow money with interst either. Which leads to some interesting ways to get a 'mortgage' without going to hell: quote:First is the Ijara plan. This works by the bank buying the borrower's choice of property. The customer then agrees a set period of time to pay the capital back to the bank. While they are repaying the capital they pay a monthly rent to the bank spread over a term of up to 25 years. Once the capital is paid in full, the rent ceases and they become the owners of the property. See, totally not borrowing money and being charged interest. Completely different.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 10:17
|
|
|
spog posted:http://www.theguardian.com/money/2006/jun/13/accounts.islamicfinance Also note that despite the bank owning the house in both of those circumstances, the contract is carefully structured so that you have to do all the maintenance, carry the hazard insurance, have no tenant's rights, and otherwise have 0 protections of being a renter with all the upside of also having no equity!
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 11:42
|
|
spog posted:See, totally not borrowing money and being charged interest. Completely different. They are totally different. I think many people would agree that the "evil" of interest is the fact that it compounds and causes the debt to grow. In both of the examples posted, that does not happen. Those are pretty reasonable as far as rules-lawyering goes.
|
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 11:50
|
|
|
Seems like a pretty lousy workaround to me. Just 'cause it's all charged up front doesn't mean it's not interest. An upcharge by any other name would smell as sweet to the banks
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 13:34
|
|
|
xie posted:T Mobile also has a pre-paid $30 plan that's 100 minutes, unlimited 4G, and unlimited texting. Depends where you live. Page Plus is a Verizon reseller, and Republic Wireless also gets talked about a lot too. T Mobile $30 plan is the loving way to go. It's easy enough to use google hangouts to make calls with Wifi, it's just that it won't be from your number.. I usually just text the person saying, "hey, I'm about to call you from google".
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 13:55
|
|
|
Not a Children posted:Seems like a pretty lousy workaround to me. Just 'cause it's all charged up front doesn't mean it's not interest. An upcharge by any other name would smell as sweet to the banks No, you're paying a set amount as the "interest" - western interest rates are compounding, this is not.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 14:48
|
|
|
KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:No, you're paying a set amount as the "interest" - western interest rates are compounding, this is not. Scheduled interest in a mortgage is not compounding. All they are doing is taking the actual scheduled interest and front loading it removing any possibility of prepayments for the fiction of not being charged interest.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 15:20
|
|
|
This. The numbers all balance out the same to the bank, it's just a way of the borrower getting what he needs, within the constraints of religious rules - or at least appearing to do so.Centripetal Horse posted:I think many people would agree that the "evil" of interest is the fact that it compounds and causes the debt to grow. AFAIK, Islam has a problem with interest, full stop. Not the type of interest. quote:Central to Islamic finance is the fact that money itself has no intrinsic value, it is simply a medium of exchange. Each unit is 100% equal in value to another unit of the same denomination and you are not allowed to make a profit by exchanging cash with another person. A Muslim is not allowed to benefit from lending money or receiving money from someone. Which if you follow the spirit of the law, you shouldn't be able to own anything that you can't pay cash for. Great when a goat was an aspirational purchase. Not so good when you need a family house in the suburbs.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 15:38
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 14, 2024 16:24 |
|
|
What the hell are you guys talking about? Do you know what compound interest is? "western interest rates are compounding" LMAO. Also, small nitpick from a couple of pages back. Denver has a very mild climate. MMM is not roughing it by riding his bike.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2014 15:52
|
|
