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Simplifying and downsizing...

Bowtiepower00

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Sold the boat today- bittersweet for sure, but it went to a great new owner.

18 months ago, I had the full RDP starter pack. Ram 2500 diesel, Toyhauler, SXS, jetski, and boat. Payments on most of it. Making the payments was never an issue, and we never got in over our heads, but there’s always that feeling in the back of your mind, what if...

I have no regrets, we made some awesome family memories, and had a lot of fun.

A little over a year ago we made a decision to simplify, get rid of the toys, and build a new house- with a (now empty) RV garage.

Today, the last part of the puzzle left, and the proceeds paid off our student loans. By the end of the summer we will be down to just our mortgage, and no other bills. In our dream house, with a bunch of equity. It’s a great feeling. Liberating. And ready for whatever shitstorm is coming down the pipe with the economy.

Life is good.
 

dnewps

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Good for you! Next time...you will find it liberating to buy a boat and truck outright. Really doesn’t matter how rad it it...it will be yours...and quite frankly...it all feels the same if it’s a DCB or a 70’s daycruiser.
 

DILLIGAF

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Sold the boat today- bittersweet for sure, but it went to a great new owner.

18 months ago, I had the full RDP starter pack. Ram 2500 diesel, Toyhauler, SXS, jetski, and boat. Payments on most of it. Making the payments was never an issue, and we never got in over our heads, but there’s always that feeling in the back of your mind, what if...

I have no regrets, we made some awesome family memories, and had a lot of fun.

A little over a year ago we made a decision to simplify, get rid of the toys, and build a new house- with a (now empty) RV garage.

Today, the last part of the puzzle left, and the proceeds paid off our student loans. By the end of the summer we will be down to just our mortgage, and no other bills. In our dream house, with a bunch of equity. It’s a great feeling. Liberating. And ready for whatever shitstorm is coming down the pipe with the economy.

Life is good.


You got this and when all done it is an awesome liberating feeling.
 

Bowtiepower00

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Downsized my Ram to a Tacoma off-road in feb. Going in tomorrow to trade it for the same truck but in manual transmission. When I bought it, they didn’t have any manual trans trucks. Now they have one available. Getting more than I paid for my trade. And getting the exact truck I want.
 

monkeyswrench

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Life's a big game of chess. These are simple, yet massive moves. I moved from what I thought was my dream house, to a very "modest home"...but on the type of property I never thought I'd have. Different moves, different goals, but forward momentum. Even if the ensuing shit storm isn't as bad as some think, the extra leeway made will help your mental and physical health.

PS, There's nothing wrong with an 80's jetbote, or an old beater pickup to trail run in ;)
 

Looking Glass

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Life's a big game of chess. These are simple, yet massive moves. I moved from what I thought was my dream house, to a very "modest home"...but on the type of property I never thought I'd have. Different moves, different goals, but forward momentum. Even if the ensuing shit storm isn't as bad as some think, the extra leeway made will help your mental and physical health.

PS, There's nothing wrong with an 80's jetbote, or an old beater pickup to trail run in ;)


It is a very hard lesson to learn, that the Novelty of that "Bad Ass" new Vehicle wears off way before those Pesky Payments disappear.:oops:
 

monkeyswrench

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It is a very hard lesson to learn, that the Novelty of that "Bad Ass" new Vehicle wears off way before those Pesky Payments disappear.:oops:
The last time stuff got ugly, I was young and living the dream. New truck, toy hauler...it was all great, until the money stopped coming in.
The harder the lesson, the better it's learned.
 

Looking Glass

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The last time stuff got ugly, I was young and living the dream. New truck, toy hauler...it was all great, until the money stopped coming in.
The harder the lesson, the better it's learned.


It MUST be Experienced First Hand, All the Explaining,Describing and Crying about what you went through The agony must be felt and experienced to "Sink In" and then if it doesn't God Help You.
 

Looking Glass

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It MUST be Experienced First Hand, All the Explaining,Describing and Crying about what you went through The agony must be felt and experienced to "Sink In" and then if it doesn't God Help You.


I remember some years ago towards the End of the Month, OH how I wanted to go for a Good Prime Rib and a Few Beerski's = NOPE!! not in the Budget. I made my mind right then and there, never going to happen again, sold the new one and sucked up the Pride when "EVERYONE" asking WTF? and bought "The Bomber" and never looked back.
 

Ultra912

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Another great feeling is paying off all those payments and retaining the toys. Paid off our house last month, 32 years in same home, paid off the boat three years ago, Dually 9 years ago and RZR two years ago. An explosion of pride and happiness,,,,,,as long as you don't do it again, LOL
 

HALLETT BOY

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Also after buying new cars , boats , toys etc , you will learn the value of buying used . Let the first buyer take the hit on depreciation and exorbitant registration fees . Even if you buy new , it’s considered used the second you pull off the lot .
 

monkeyswrench

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I love both of those quotes, but they sound like vintage wisdom. Any idea who said them first? I'd love to use them for writing prompts in my classroom.
I don't know where or when I heard mine if I did. It's kind of been my mantra since high school...lots of scars, both physical and mental, lots of lessons learned.
 

Bowtiepower00

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Also after buying new cars , boats , toys etc , you will learn the value of buying used . Let the first buyer take the hit on depreciation and exorbitant registration fees . Even if you buy new , it’s considered used the second you pull off the lot .
I don’t necessarily agree with purchasing used. I enjoy having the warranty and like my vehicles new. If you buy em right, you can avoid the depreciation. Last 10 cars I’ve purchased new were worth pretty much what I paid when I traded them in.
 

2Driver

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I just got back from an estate sale in Paradise Valley. It was a 17,000 sq foot home on a 10-acre compound literally packed with high end everything from around the world. 3 more homes on the compound, one a 5,000 ft home is filled with belongings for next weeks sale. LOL I would move into the rec bungalow attached to the tennis court. There are 100 year old olive trees that tunnel over a 1/2 mile of 20’ wide inlayed brick drive that connects the homes and grounds, all amongst countless 25’ wide spouting fountains at the base of Camelback Mt…….on and on and on.

LOL The people are down sizing to their other home in UT.



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evantwheeler

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...it all feels the same if it’s a DCB or a 70’s daycruiser.
I agree with everything but this.
I don’t necessarily agree with purchasing used. I enjoy having the warranty and like my vehicles new. If you buy em right, you can avoid the depreciation. Last 10 cars I’ve purchased new were worth pretty much what I paid when I traded them in.

But, you paid in sales taxes and payments while driving it and had to maintain full coverage due to having a note on it. If one is able to perform minor repairs and maintenance, used older vehicles can save you a ton of money!

Congrats on off-loading all the money sucking toys. I envy the simple life, but cannot seem to replace the temporary escapes from reality I get by driving my boat or sand car with any other activity that doesn't have much higher costs of severe consequences.
 

DRYHEAT

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I just got back from an estate sale in Paradise Valley. It was a 17,000 sq foot home on a 10-acre compound literally packed with high end everything from around the world. 3 more homes on the compound, one a 5,000 ft home is filled with belongings for next weeks sale. LOL I would move into the rec bungalow attached to the tennis court. There are 100 year old olive trees that tunnel over a 1/2 mile of 20’ wide inlayed brick drive that connects the homes and grounds, all amongst countless 25’ wide spouting fountains at the base of Camelback Mt…….on and on and on.

LOL The people are down sizing to their other home in UT.



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Sorry, I just got tired of the mowing and the raking and all the upkeep.🤗
 

boatdoc55

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I just got back from an estate sale in Paradise Valley. It was a 17,000 sq foot home on a 10-acre compound literally packed with high end everything from around the world. 3 more homes on the compound, one a 5,000 ft home is filled with belongings for next weeks sale. LOL I would move into the rec bungalow attached to the tennis court. There are 100 year old olive trees that tunnel over a 1/2 mile of 20’ wide inlayed brick drive that connects the homes and grounds, all amongst countless 25’ wide spouting fountains at the base of Camelback Mt…….on and on and on.

LOL The people are down sizing to their other home in UT.



View attachment 1002746 View attachment 1002747 y View attachment 1002748
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GEE-ZUS, how do people make that much money????? I just wish I could kick my Mom's butt(RIP) for not marrying a rich guy!!! 😁
 

petie6464

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I love both of those quotes, but they sound like vintage wisdom. Any idea who said them first? I'd love to use them for writing prompts in my classroom.

Lol, I don't know I'm the first? I just made that up as I'm in the process of restructuring my life for the final push and this is absolutely true.
 

wash11

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This is one of the better threads I've seen lately. I dig everything you are saying.
 

lbhsbz

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I sorta went at it from another angle...most of my stuff has been purchased as basket cases and repaired to create reliable, functional junk.

I bought a new Tacoma back in 2005, but that’s the first and only new vehicle I’ve ever owned...don’t plan on doing it again unless something changes.

I haven’t had a car payment since 2008 (unless you count the loan I took out to buy the jeep that was gonna get paid off in a month with my signing bonus that I never received). I’ve only paid more than $3K for 4 vehicles...most were half that.

I’ve always figured that if I buy it for cash, I can sell it for cash if I need to.
 
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Fenderbender

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Like the thread too! I’m sure this is something we all ponder from time to time when the endless green sticker, registrations and oil changes are happening. I’ve done a little bit of downsizing/simplifying by ditching the fifth wheel and not doing the desert trips. The bikes that I have left don’t get registered lol and we just go ride low key spots occasionally. The rest of the effort just going to one motor the boat motor. All 5 of us enjoy it and mostly going to Havasu and having so many rental opportunities we just rent places when we can afford too.. and in a boat that’s paid off, truck that’s paid off. Not a bad deal[emoji1690]

You do you though and enjoy


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playdeep

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Timely thread...
I just paid off my house Friday...Now down to Zero debt.Feels good.
I had several vintage race cars.Sold the last one today...they were cool,but they were kinda just in the way&collecting dust.
My reasoning for downsizing...is,it's a lot easier now to get out of Albuquerque which has rapidly become a liberal run crime infested shit hole.
Now I just have to figure out where Nirvana lies...
 

BHC Vic

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I couldn't do it.. having the dream house sounds great.. but too boring imo . I'd go nuts just sitting in my dream home with no toys to get out and fool around with. To each his own though 🙂👍
Gotta find that happy medium, that’s what I’m learning. I didn’t get the brand new truck and toy hauler. I got a little used trailer I could pull with the trucks that are already paid off, and bought a volt for a daily. Happy medium.
 

Mike K

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Me too ... selling all my toys ... I never coulda believed it ... but it’s an awesome feeling ... kinda nice not worrying about what’s gonna break or need maintenance... just keeping my boat and bike. Most of my stuff was hardly used ... sat fully detailed in my garages or warehouses or just sitting in the water. Great memories ... but I was caught up in the waste of time and money contest of who had the most toys. All this has happened in the past year ... turned out to be a good thing. Who’d have thought.
 

was thatguy

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Your Vert Corvette is hardly downsizing. :p
True!
But it was 5 years old when I bought it, with 6300 miles, one owner and almost half price of the ‘14 sticker.
My previous Vette (C5) was 7 years old, one owner, with 17K on it when I bought it. It was 40% of sticker. Both cars had the original window stickers in the glove box from when new.
Much like your post suggests, people look at those cars and think “damn what an extravagant waste”....
But the TRUTH is that both of those corvettes COMBINED cost me less than a new F250...MUCH less.

Can’t tell you how many times dudes pull up in a $75K rig and say “one day I can afford that!” Lol
I don’t have the heart to tell them that their sales taxes were more than my down payment.

My first Cummins was a fleet trade in with 27K on it. ‘05.
Paid $29K in ‘06.
My second was an ‘08 with 23K on it. Paid $35K in 2009.
While it doesn’t always hold true today for a bunch of reasons, over the years I’ve saved almost 50% on every used car I’ve bought.
I have a certain criteria.
A Vette can’t have more than 10K miles on it.
As you know, years aren’t as important as model and miles with them.

But with other cars in general no more than 3 years old, dealer only for warranty, one owner for starters.
It takes me a while to find whatever it is I’m looking for sometimes.

The Z51 was as close to an impulse purchase as I’ve gotten in a while. (Last one was the Sanger 5 rib.)

I was shopping 2012 GS vettes and was at Sullivan to look at a 2012, but it had sold already, I literally walked past the Z51 several times before I pulled out the calculator.

But anyway, point is that I could never see why people were willing to flush tens of thousands of dollars away on new cars.

Sadly, a used C8 right now is $10-$20K more than a new one.

Edit: My beater ‘02 Tahoe is VERY MUCH a downgrade from my Cummins!
Trade offs...
The daily beater sits in the drive, the Miller and Vette sit in the batcave!
 
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Havasu Surfer

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Life's a big game of chess. These are simple, yet massive moves. I moved from what I thought was my dream house, to a very "modest home"...but on the type of property I never thought I'd have. Different moves, different goals, but forward momentum. Even if the ensuing shit storm isn't as bad as some think, the extra leeway made will help your mental and physical health.

PS, There's nothing wrong with an 80's jetbote, or an old beater pickup to trail run in ;)

Can you expand on what type of property you have now?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Bowtiepower00

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I have always paid used car prices for my new cars. When I bought my 16 Ram, I had been looking for 3 years for a used Duramax or Cummins with low miles and in excellent condition. I was finding 10 year old trucks with 100k+ miles for 35k. No thanks. Anything in like new condition was more than I paid for my new truck. This was pre- covid pricing of course, but it still applies today. And the truck was worth what I paid for it when I sold it earlier this year. My 07 Silverado, 11 Tahoe, and 19 Tahoe before that, same deal.

I purchased my Tacoma earlier this year, same situation, I got my new truck for less than the used trucks I was looking at. I just went in to trade it for the same truck but with manual trans, and they gave me more on trade than I paid for it 3 months ago. You only pay sales tax on the difference in price, so I won’t pay any.

Now, if you’re walking in without doing your research, knowing the interest rate you qualify for, and knowing what to pay for a vehicle, you will absolutely overpay. I’ve never done that. And I’ve walked out of plenty of dealerships that didn’t want to deal.


I spent years wrenching on cars, bikes, equipment, and anything else with an engine both for work and for fun/ necessity. I no longer enjoy it. Sure, I’ll wrench from time to time, when I feel like it, in my garage, on my timeframe, because I want to, but my days of fixing a piece of shit car so I can get to work or school in a driveway, parking lot, job site, etc, are done. I find a competent dealer service department, use their service specials, and have them do my service while under warranty. After warranty I do the service myself at home. Other than oil changes, tires (from discount) and upgrades(that I install myself) I haven’t paid a dime on vehicle repairs for over 10 years.

Sure, I could save a little by buying a used car with an unknown service history- I find most people don’t maintain their vehicles- and I’m OCD about it. But I’m not Dave Ramsey, and I enjoy having a nice vehicle. To each their own.

In a year or two, when the market cools down, I will start shopping for a used C5-C7 vette, and try to find something like @was thatguy drives. That triple black vert is beautiful. And vettes are one vehicle that is usually well maintained by the owners.

It also amazes me how bad most people thrash their vehicles. I keep mine in like new condition, no eating, smoking, no trash inside, dash and seat covers, etc. I can’t count how many 2-3 year old used cars I’ve looked at that were trashed inside. Carpet stains, worn seats, etc.
 
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