Saving Money as Prices Increase

[bdhsfz6]

A few things I do:

I live in the Anthracite coal region of northeastern PA. With no transport costs to run up the price, coal is less than half the cost of heating oil per BTU. I fired up my old Harman stoker and plan to heat with coal again this year. Coal certainly pollutes more than oil but the hard Anthracite we have locally is about as "clean" as you can get if you use coal.

I used to heat my shop with propane but recently installed a very efficient electric ductless heat / AC system. It throws more heat than the propane heater for less money and I get an air conditioned shop in the summer as well. With the power company rebates, my own labor and the tax break, the system should pay for itself in less than 10 years.

My wife and I used to travel frequently but have scaled back in the last couple of years. The high costs plus the Covid restrictions just took all the fun out of it.

 

[sandman2234]

No medical card needed if you drive intrastate. I hold a valid ( but unused) CDL and haven't had a medical card in about 10 years.
A medical card certifies that you met the physical requirements to hold an interstate CDL on a certain date. No more, no less.

There are 50 states and each have different requirements, above and beyond FMCSA rules. There is a very minor amount of Intrastate "excepted" reasons you can fall under to keep from having to keep a med card current and on file with the state of Florida, and many others are changing laws to match. I think Florida changed this last Feb.
Without sidetracking this post, which this can rapidly go, I just wanted to caution Sea2Summit that he might be required to get a med card and keep it current. He can check with his license authority. I got one and kept it till I didn't need it, then had to jump thru hoops to get it back.
David from jax

 

[oosik]

Easy way to check. I use my MasterCard for ALL purchases/bills. Total costs for the last eleven months of 2021 are $57 higher than the same period in 2020.

I guess if I wanted to save some money. I could shoot one of the deer that wander around on my property. I would have to be on the very door of starvation though. The deer do no harm and I like watching them. They don't seem to be the least bit frightened of me.

I can survive without resorting to undue measures.

 

[RickB]

There are 50 states and each have different requirements, above and beyond FMCSA rules. There is a very minor amount of Intrastate "excepted" reasons you can fall under to keep from having to keep a med card current and on file with the state of Florida, and many others are changing laws to match. I think Florida changed this last Feb.
Without sidetracking this post, which this can rapidly go, I just wanted to caution Sea2Summit that he might be required to get a med card and keep it current. He can check with his license authority. I got one and kept it till I didn't need it, then had to jump thru hoops to get it back.
David from jax

All well and good except your claim that a medical card gives carte blanc access to one's medical records. That's false.

 

[drssg]

Picking up a CDL license is actually pretty easy, getting a job, not quite as easy. Most reputable companies that hire drivers require 2 years, 1 year at the minimum in experience. Getting to that point is a challenge because you have to sign on with one of the companies that require many months of training at cut rate pay, after going thru their school at exorbitant costs, which you have to work off over a period of usually a year. On top of all that, if you have a CDl, you have to link your medical card to it, which pretty much gives the guberment access (more than I even knew) to your medical history. I have always maintained that once I quit driving for a living, I would turn in my CDL if they don't take it because I can't pass their medical requirements which are getting crazier day by day!
David from jax

Perhaps it varies by region and company. I've shared this story before, but I have a friend from high school who never seemed to catch on in life. He had a terrible employment history, when he worked. He worked for a while at a company that paid the expense for him to get his CDL in exchange for a commitment that he would stay with the company for a period of time after he got it.

He ended up going out on a drinking bender, and he was living in the company truck! He thought he was going to get arrested for a while, but the company just fired him. About six months later, the company called him back to see if he wanted to go back to work! He declined the offer, because he was in the middle of receiving unemployment checks (somehow), and he considered that to be the optimum position in life.

Some of the companies may be picky, but others are obviously desperate.

 

[sandman2234]

All well and good except your claim that a medical card gives carte blanc access to one's medical records. That's false.

Not carte blanc (I hope!!) but after covid and then recuperating from the repercussions, I was required to go pass a med card in order to return to work. The questions asked and the test performed varied from what is typical (having done this longer than CDL's were required) on the normal exam. Only way to explain it, is someone has access to my recent medical history, privacy be danged.
Your views and your state laws may vary, but I guarantee, something is amiss!
David from jax

 

[sandman2234]

Perhaps it varies by region and company. I've shared this story before, but I have a friend from high school who never seemed to catch on in life. He had a terrible employment history, when he worked. He worked for a while at a company that paid the expense for him to get his CDL in exchange for a commitment that he would stay with the company for a period of time after he got it.

He ended up going out on a drinking bender, and he was living in the company truck! He thought he was going to get arrested for a while, but the company just fired him. About six months later, the company called him back to see if he wanted to go back to work! He declined the offer, because he was in the middle of receiving unemployment checks (somehow), and he considered that to be the optimum position in life.

Some of the companies may be picky, but others are obviously desperate.

Insurance company's have a lot to do with it, and the person's drivers license points and his CSA points will have a bearing on who wants to hire him.
I didn't mean to sidetrack this post!
David from jax

 

[Alan W.]

Insurance company's have a lot to do with it, and the person's drivers license points and his CSA points will have a bearing on who wants to hire him.
I didn't mean to sidetrack this post!
David from jax

Yes the insurance companies are what’s driving the experience and lack of points thats being required.
A lot of states require you to pass the physical to get a license because they have no way of knowing what you will self certify for.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Im retired and trying to make sure I get as much paid for and completed before my wife retires.
House and vehicles paid for except the farm truck. Trying to get some outbuildings and fencing complete.
Heat with wood and or heat pump. Raise a large garden and that lowers the grocery bill a bunch.
Trying to get me a TV antenna to drop Dish.
But in this bottom thats not easy.
May look into building a butchering/cooler room. Cost a lot to have custom cutting done.
Always looking for a “NEEDED” bargain.

 

[sandman2234]

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Im retired and trying to make sure I get as much paid for and completed before my wife retires.
House and vehicles paid for except the farm truck. Trying to get some outbuildings and fencing complete.
Heat with wood and or heat pump. Raise a large garden and that lowers the grocery bill a bunch.
Trying to get me a TV antenna to drop Dish.
But in this bottom thats not easy.
May look into building a butchering/cooler room. Cost a lot to have custom cutting done.
Always looking for a “NEEDED” bargain.

Alan W.,
Keep it up and good luck! Nothing beats the feeling of being out of debt! I just wish we had done it sooner!
Unfortunately we will be going back in debt to help a relative, so I won't be saying that for long.
We are going to attack the new debt with a gusto never seen by the people we have owed money to. Getting too close to retirement to let it control our lives for long!
Good luck to all you forum members, as I am afraid the good times may be coming to an end soon.
David from jax

 

[ultrarunner]

Alan W.,
Keep it up and good luck! Nothing beats the feeling of being out of debt! I just wish we had done it sooner!
Unfortunately we will be going back in debt to help a relative, so I won't be saying that for long.
We are going to attack the new debt with a gusto never seen by the people we have owed money to. Getting too close to retirement to let it control our lives for long!
Good luck to all you forum members, as I am afraid the good times may be coming to an end soon.
David from jax

I'm still on the fence about my mortgage....

I'm at the point I could be mortgage free but at 2.75 fixed it keeps me in the game credit wise if this is even a good thing...

The money I would use is earning a half percent so I guess my mortgage works out to 2.25% plus there is a small portion offset by home mortgage interest deduction.

Still it would be nice to give the Debt Free Yell.