May 7, 2021

Why a Pickup Is My Second Car

Pickup Truck
Photo by Jayden Herr on Unsplash

Pickups are expensive, not great on gas, and harder to maneuver and park.  So why does everyone want one?  I was no exception.

Towing and So Much More

I was a minivan user for years (see reasons below.)  My move to a pickup was necessitated when I purchased a travel trailer, which was a lifelong goal.

Travel trailers come in all sizes, including some teardrop and extreme lightweight ones that can be towed behind a car or smaller SUV.  We wanted something a little larger and that meant a pickup.  The alternative was a really large SUV, and those were really expensive, even more so than a pickup.

Expensive and Bad on Gas

Let’s be clear, pickups are expensive and bad on gas.  New ones can easily top 50K, although there are usually all kinds of incentives to be had so the MSRP really doesn’t mean too much.  There is a reason the vehicle manufacturers like trucks.  They probably cost a little more to manufacture but sell for much more than regular cars.

Even used pickups are expensive, to the point where you question whether buying used makes sense.  Even examples with over 100,000 miles command a pretty penny.  And when you mix in the lower finance rates for new over used it is hard to justify buying used, as long as you plan on keeping it a long time.  An exception to the used rule might be a really old one (see below.)

My Drive Around Car is a Prius

A Pickup is probably better as a second vehicle if you can swing it.  In our case our drive around vehicle is a Prius, and the truck is used for towing and when we must move something big.  This helps with the gas and maintenance expenses.  We put very limited miles on our truck and plan on keeping it for many years, long after it is paid off.

For towing we needed a big V-8.  If your use is more around moving items a smaller engine or compact or mid-size truck might be a good option.  They are less expensive and better on gas.

Next Best is a Mini Van

OK, truck lovers will laugh, but a minivan might be a better match if towing a heavy trailer is not in the cards.  We previously had a Dodge Grand Caravan with fold down seats, and that thing held a ton of stuff, including 4 x 8 sheets of plywood and 10 foot lumber (using the space between the seats.)

Keep It Forever

There are stories of some owners keeping their trucks for hundreds of thousands of miles and decades.  I’d like to think that was because of increased reliability and toughness.  Maybe the real reason is that new ones are so expensive that the owners have no choice but to keep them running!

Old Pickups Are Cool

If you are handy and have space, or just can follow repair manuals buying a really used truck and fixing it up may be an option.  This is especially true if you have another car you can rely on.  And old trucks are just plain cool.  I always tell the story of my Dad, who bought a 1967 Chevy truck new, kept it running for 30+ years and sold it for a profit!  And it still had the original engine and transmission!

Fun and Comfortable

Last but far from least newer trucks are a joy to drive.  My RAM 1500 is smooth, quiet, and easy to drive.  You sit high and can see far ahead.  The big engine lets it fly up hills easily.  And even parking and maneuvering is not bad with the built-in sensors that warn you if you get too close to anything.

Cars and trucks are always a personal choice, and everyone has an opinion.  What is yours?

Filed Under: Money Stuff, Transportation Leave a Comment
April 16, 2021

Savings Journal

Spilled Jar of Change
Photo by Michael Longmire on Unsplash

There is so much out there about saving money.  We are talking about eliminating or reducing expenses to save money here, as opposed to putting money in a savings account.  And saving money is important for most of us.  If you never seem to have enough money, then saving money is a priority.  If you have enough to get by it is still important so you can invest and maybe save for a dream.

There are so many good articles out there about saving a few dollars here or there or even moving to a new location to save a lot of living expenses.  But you know what? Saving money is often kind of boring.  Spending money is fun!  Saving money is not fun because you would rather have whatever you are eliminating to save money.  And on top of that you seem to waste precious time even thinking about ways to save money.

The trick to saving money might be finding a way to make it fun, or at least somewhat interesting.  There have been several ideas put forth out there, mostly centering around using your savings for something you really want.  I’d like to propose the idea of a Savings Journal.

The idea of the Savings Journal is very simple.  There are just two tasks:

  • Every time you save a little money you record it in the Journal.
  • You keep a running total of what you have saved.

Here are some basic rules.

  • If your savings is one shot just record the amount.  Example – You decide to not buy a new computer game and enter $60.
  • If your savings is something you spend on a regular basis you put down the amount you save in a year.  Example – the
  • famous one of skipping your $4 a day gourmet coffee.  You save 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year for a grand total of $1040!
  • Subscriptions also work on a yearly basis.  A magazine with a $30 annual subscription generates a $30 entry.  Cutting a $20/month streaming service generates a $240 entry.

You are aiming to make saving a bit of a game or competition.  We all like games and competition.  You should subtotal your savings at least once a month.  Then you can play a little game and try to beat your previous month’s savings.

OK, so here I’ll throw in some savings ideas to get you started making entries in your Savings Journal.  Note that there are whole books out there and many good articles that provide guidance and ideas.  Hopefully the Savings Journal makes the ideas more interesting.

Find Little Sources of Cash Savings

I would consider the reduced gourmet coffee stops here.

Streaming Subscriptions

I’m a sucker for free and low-cost streaming trials.  And then I forget to cancel when they go to full price!

Magazines and Newspapers

If you really look forward to receiving a magazine by all means keep it.  But if it just lays around or you don’t have time to even open the Email subscription you should let it go.

Look at Food Bill

There is almost always some savings available here.  Less processed and prepared items might be a place to start.

Less Restaurants and Take out.

This can be a really big one for many people.  And learning to cook more is probably healthier for you too.

Fix Something and Estimate How Much You Saved

Can it be fixed, rather than replaced?

Use the 24 Hour Rule

When you decide to buy anything expensive wait 24 hours and see if you still think it is a good idea.  This is especially important with credit cards that make it all too easy.

Give the Savings Journal a try and see if it works for you.  The worst that can happen is you’ll be encouraged to save some dollars.  And that is usually a good thing!

Filed Under: Budgets, Money Stuff Leave a Comment
April 2, 2021

Retirement Jobs and Side Hustles for Teachers

Teaching math
Photo by Science in HD on Unsplash

Many retired teachers want to work in retirement.  Teachers have unique skills that make them perfect for all kinds of jobs and businesses.

This article will present some ideas to get you thinking.  Many of these possibilities can be approached as either a job working for someone else, or as your own business.

Freelance Proofreader

It seems like everyone is writing these days.  Publishing your own book is now an available option to almost everyone.  There are millions of blogs.  People everywhere are creating content (an income source in its own right.)

But not everyone is a perfect writer.  And even good writers need their work to be proofread.  This creates an opportunity for some teachers.  Teachers have spent years reviewing the writing of others and they are used to really looking at the details.  These are the perfect qualities of a good proofreader.  It is not for everyone, but if you like detailed work it might be perfect.

Freelance Translator

The world is getting smaller, but the world still speaks many different languages.  If you are bilingual, you have an in demand marketable skill.  Foreign language teachers are the obvious fit for a translator, but many other teachers have experience in more than one language.

Graphics Artist

Good graphics are always in demand.  While there are many sources of online graphics small businesses often need something custom.  If you are an art teacher, or any teacher with a creative side this may be an opportunity for you.  You can always take a course or two to polish your skills.

Tutor

There have always been companies hiring tutors to help anxious parents dealing with a child having trouble with math or reading.  Others specialize in helping high school students prepare for the SATs to improve their odds of getting into the college of their choice.  Most tutoring companies love hiring retired teachers that have the required skills and credentials.

Online Courses

As a teacher you probably have knowledge gained over many years of experience.  Why not create an online course?  There are multiple online platforms that will host your course for a share in the profits.  And there are even online courses that teach you how to create online courses!

Teach Writing

The Internet is all about content these days.  That means decent writing skills are a must.  There are people out there that have a lot to say but could use some help polishing their writing skills.  If you are a teacher with that kind of experience it is a natural fit.

Teach Business Math

There are great small business owners out there that admit to being terrible at math.  They have great people skills and good business sense but could use some help improving their basic business math skills.  This could take the form of personal tutoring, online tutoring, or even a book, video, or workshop.

Paid Speaker

For some getting up and speaking in front of others is torture, but there is always a demand for good speakers.  Retired teachers have spent a lifetime standing in front of a difficult crowd!  You could speak about your funny teaching experiences, how students learn, or a host of other topics.  Parent groups could be a good market to target.

Bookkeeper

A Bookkeeper can be your full or part time job, or your full or part time business.  Many small businesses would rather concentrate on running and growing their business and let someone else handle the books.  Teachers that like detailed business math can make great bookkeepers.

In recent years what is needed to call yourself a bookkeeper has changed.  Software like Quickbooks and online accounting offerings have expanded who can “handle the books.”  You don’t necessarily need to know all the accounting principles, just the software in theory.  However, knowing the accounting behind the software certainly helps and the more you know the more valuable you are to your clients.

Book Publisher

Amazon and other services have completely transformed who can be a book publisher.  While the barriers to entry have fallen considerably you still need a quality product and good marketing strategy.

Many teachers have the writing ability to write articles and the natural extension to this is writing a book.  There is lots of online information to help you make this happen.

There are many other possibilities for retired teachers.  Hopefully, these ideas will help get you thinking of what might work for you.

Filed Under: Money Stuff, Work Leave a Comment