Barbaraok

We also decided against state parks because most of them car extra each day for a car you pull behind a motorhome unless you have an annual pass for that state.  Use to be state parks were much cheaper than private ones, not anymore.  Which is why we have made extensive use of membership parks, which are all over the PNW.   

34 minutes ago, koviashuvik said:

Thanks Randy!
Linda & Rob.....$$$$$$....or lack thereof.
Most unfortunately only have 20k cash.

 

You might be surprised at what you can get for that amount.    Yes, it will be an much older Park Model, but do look around.

13 hours ago, sandsys said:

If you plan on parking it why get an RV? There are better solutions for fun-time living. Maybe get a park model instead?

Linda

I do agree.  We managed the summer of 2020 in Mesa in 120°F heat because we had the park model.  The A/C worked wonderfully, plus the ceiling fans so we were quite comfortable.   Another couple parked in a motorhome with 2 a/c just down from us said they never got it below 90° at night in the motorhome.   Usually 100 inside during the day.   I just couldn't do it in an RV, though there are people who can.

Street lights are designed to provide enough illumination to help people get around and to also lower crime rates.   Does always work, but that's the reason we have them.   

If people were really serious about getting Daylight Savings Time cancelled, they would make that the #1 question to all Congressional Representatives and Senators.   But they don't.   

2 hours ago, bigjim said:

If I missed this sorry.  From some experience as a volunteer years ago at a popular state park I saw for certain weekend, holidays and a good part of the summer people would make a reservation at the start of the reservations available period just to be sure they had a spot. Then they would either cancel just in time to avoid a charge or even forefit the one night charge on an unclaimed site.  I suspect this is a common practice with some and of course it creates issues for all others. Our park had popular weekends and holidays all year long so it was a constant problem. We would have campers/rv'rs lined up sometime for 1/2 mile to claim an open when the cut off time came to open unclaimed sites.  (we had 355 sites on a lake near a metropolitan area)

This  is why we gave up on state parks.   We could usually get a Sunday-Thursday night reservation of some sort a week or two out, but weekends, no.  And the few times we did get the weekend, we would find there would be loads of empty sites as people just didn't show up.   

I echo Kirk’s comments on choices.   We could have made way more in the private sector than in working at state universities.   But we enjoyed teaching and decided that the pay was reasonable with extremely good retirement benefits.   After my cancer battle and Dave’s recovery from his stroke, we realized that we wanted to be in good enough health to enjoy our retirement.    We all make choices and learn how to adapt to what we have.  

23 hours ago, bigjim said:

Update.  The mail out sent on Jan 25jfrom mail service arrived yesterday in Atoka, Tn yesterday.  My daughter is off today and will repackage and send it out today. There is still one sent out Feb. 1 that hasn't arrived yet.

Why is this thread title SKP mail problem when it is the USPS that is having a problem?

During the height of the pandemic I attempted to do a curbside pickup of a few things at Walmart.  Rejected my credit card.    Turns out it didn't like the 77399 zip code.   Another company I was trying to register at for an online purchase told me to use the 77351 zip for Livingston.  Went through right a way.   There are all sorts of weird things programmed into each company's fraud detection system.   I always figure it is their loss of my business.    

4 hours ago, Kirk W said:

I thought that this thread was about cell phones and cellular service? Does Starlink supply phone service?

Kirk, you do realize that a lot of us use cellular service for our MiFis, correct?  Lot of people don't 'talk' on their cell phones anymore, just text and then onto the net to watch movies, etc.   So Starlink is another option people might want to look at.  

On 2/6/2022 at 7:09 AM, Kirk W said:

Between the 2 of us we have 3 credit cards. All 3 notify of every purchase. My bank account is also set to notify of every transaction and the bank & all 3 cards also send an email of all transactions, daily. Any credit card that doesn't have that service would not get my business. In addition, I have gone to using a phone app for credit card use in any business that I can, which is pretty much everyone but Walmart, as those are considered to be much more secure than actual use of the cards. 

Kroger stores also don't have the ability to use the phone apps yet, and I have let them know they are losing my business because of it.   I too like the phone apps, the 'card' number is a one-time number generated by the system that can't be used again for another transaction and it is not your credit card number.   

10 hours ago, bigjim said:

Does  RMD create any special issues using one of these programs? Never used one before but am considering it. I have RMD from Fedearal TSP and a very small IRA.  I also wait for my mailed  statements. INT-1099- SSA etc.

 

 

Have 10% tax withheld on your RMD, then you will get a 1099R on the payout along with the amount deducted for federal tax.   You don't have mot do that, but it makes it easier if you have some taken out ahead of time.   The RMD will be added to your other income, so it may bump you up a bracket.   Just be prepared for that.     And really, in this day and age, you should be getting everything via downloads.  Go paperless, saves time and it is just so much easier to download the info you need.   Same for everything from SS and Medicare, go all paperless.    IF you need something in hard copy you can always print it out.   

I use TurboTax because we have used them for years and because of the way our 403b investments are paid out, we have 16 different 1099R included with them (working for numerous colleges, with all having slightly different 403b programs) plus our IRA and taxable investment accounts.   I get the basic version,  don't do the walk through because I already know which forms we need, and fill them out, then use the "easy steps" to run their checking software.   We never get a refund as any overpayment is directed into our estimated taxes for the year.   We do use Schedule D as well as Schedule B because of the gains/losses on the taxable accounts.     And I especially like the "WhatIf" form that TurboTax has that lets me look at next year, trying different scenarios, to see if I need to adjust the amount of the estimated taxes.   

I was talking to one of the gals who works in the mail room.  And I’ve asked them to transfer me to the business office for me to get an answer to a different question.  
 

we understand you want to blame someone, but you don’t want to do the simple things, like calling business office to find a person who could help you.  Leads to one conclusion …….

I know.  I removed the post because I realize nothing will change.

FWIW, I have never talked to a fellow in the mail office.     You assume that we all know the names of everyone who works there.   We don't.   If we have a problem we call the office, and if it should continue, call again and ask for a supervisor.   Since I've never had to ask for a supervisor, and you had already been told to call the office, I'm not sure what your problem is.   BTW, if you were talking to someone on the phone, why didn't you use that number and ask them to transfer you to a supervisor or the business office?     

Just because someone said it was delivered doesn't mean it was received by Escapees.   I have had  a delivered notice only to find out that someone mixed up the address, or they just said it was delivered and it was left on a truck for the next day (or next week) before it was discovered and delivered.   

As to not wanting to go look, we have been using the Escapees address for 15 YEARS!  Never once, in those 15 yrs, have they not gone and looked for me.   Sometimes I have called every other day until I knew something was in and then sent the email to get it sent to me.  I even had a delivery which was 2 packages and I didn't realize until we had already left the area - - the people at Escapees called the PO that I had just left and arranged to get it forwarded to the next one where we could get it.   

As you will have no doubt noticed, it is extremely rare for there to be a problem getting it into the hands of the USPS.   

Vlad - ah yes, 25 miles away by road means driving UP at lot of the time.   I can see that - - guess I'm use to being in metro areas where 25 miles doesn't get you to the other side of town.   Of course being on the dry side, the metro areas are smaller to begin with - plus if you are renting it out, then being a short drive to do necessary work between rentals makes sense.  

A vacation house 25 miles away?  That would seem to be a 'why bother' type of thing?

The questioned asked was are electric RVs coming.   Simple answer - YES.  We don't know when and what kinds of changes will occur - probably long after most of us have departed.  But change is coming, so sit back and watch the evolution and remember all of the changes that happened when you were young and you welcomed because you were still curious about the future.    

9 hours ago, Vladimir said:

Read my post....you can't even come close to affording it.

How do you know what someone can and can not afford to do?   Or what things will cost in the future?   Things change and we never quite know what is coming next.    

Low 70s all week here in Phoenix.  Night temperatures between 47-53.    Winter in Phoenix!

4 hours ago, GlennWest said:

But if you drained your batteries charging car what would home run off of? 

The dedicated batteries for the house - duh!   Why wouldn't you set up system for charging car and for charging batteries for the house at the same time if one is truly going off the grid, all solar?    

9 hours ago, GreyDawg said:

Box 20   -- "previous owner."    Relevant?  This isn't a car purchase, it is a move from out of state.  Do I fill in my name or leave it blank?

Leave blank

9 hours ago, GreyDawg said:

Box 29 --  "location"   As noted above, the cars will be parked in NM when registered, but their "permanent home" will be at my Polk County Escapees mail address.  What do I put here

 

Your Escapees address

9 hours ago, GreyDawg said:

Sales Tax or Use tax:   I assume that since these are vehicles I have owned for a while (ie, not new purchases) I pay the $90 Use Fee on each vehicle, rather than submitting the 2017 or 2020 Bills of Sale and FL Tax Receipts, right?

Use Fee 

9 hours ago, GreyDawg said:

Proof of address:  they don't seem to ask for proof.  The Rainbow Drive address will, of course, be on my "Proof of TX Insurance."  Do I need to submit any other proof (eg, bank statement with Rainbow Drive address)?

Escapees address is your address where you are registering the vehicles.  

9 hours ago, GreyDawg said:

Where to mail the plates:    Does the Tax Office have to mail the plates to my permanent (Rainbow Drive) address, or will they mail them to where-ever I happen to be (ie New Mexico). Do I just ask for that in a cover letter?

Just have them sent to your Escapee Address.   Yes, you will pay a little more to get them forwarded on to you, but I have found that it is just easier that way.   

We did this 3 years ago when we purchased a new car in Arizona.   Don't over think this.   

Are we the only ones who see prices falling every week?   Not terribly fast like the rise, but they are falling.

47 minutes ago, Dan23 said:

 Been in that position many times myself and have concluded some people just can't miss an opportunity to be negative. 

I think that people are afraid of change and so try and find flaws - - staying with. things you know is easier, if boring.   My mother had a Philco double oven that was built into our new house in 1960.  The bottom was a pastry drawer that was a convection oven.   They quit making them because so many people didn't understand how a convection oven worked and were not willing to learn.   Took decades before they became common again.