Path: ...!news.tomockey.net!news.samoylyk.net!news.quux.org!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: Tom Elam <thomas.e.elam@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.advocacy
Subject: Re: YA bored Tommy Troll Thread (was ...)
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2025 18:17:04 -0400
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
Lines: 102
Message-ID: <vshol0$2gao$2@dont-email.me>
References: <vs1a7n$24aj4$1@dont-email.me> <vs1j8c$26rlg$3@dont-email.me>
 <vs1lod$27liv$1@dont-email.me> <vshoi9$2gao$1@dont-email.me>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Injection-Date: Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:17:05 +0200 (CEST)
Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="fd6dab945081aa8b6dcb2ada5347a560";
	logging-data="82264"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org";	posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1+r7Sr8/crEt4Xr8RzbxZkdVLPVaqSSVpw="
User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird
Cancel-Lock: sha1:gIt+iXEJ4WrZDEvhhZ3Q19sInqw=
In-Reply-To: <vshoi9$2gao$1@dont-email.me>
Content-Language: en-US
Bytes: 5704

On 4/1/2025 6:15 PM, Tom Elam wrote:
> On 3/26/2025 3:49 PM, Alan wrote:
>> On 2025-03-26 12:06, -hh wrote:
>>> On 3/26/25 12:32, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>> [...]
>>>> Now we come to the 2015 season that starts next month. Will [Alan] 
>>>> show up or not? You too can find out at https://www.sccbc.net/ 
>>>> racers/ results/
>>>>
>>>> I'll certainly be tuning in come April 26! Join me and watch the 
>>>> mayhem.
>>>
>>> If he has time, he has time.  If not, he doesn't. My recollection is 
>>> that his car got damaged late last year so there is that work to take 
>>> care of.
>>
>> OH! Is the lying ass trying to attract my attention? Oh, he was!
>>
>> And yes, my car was damaged when the car running behind me failed to 
>> see that the car running ahead of me had spun soon enough to get 
>> stopped before running into my right rear tire with enough force to 
>> break every suspension arm on that corner.
>>
>> Check it out:
>>
>> <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vI5lEa_R0NMNuFevwUI3pF80Roegkfcu/ 
>> view? usp=share_link>
>>
>> And another significant issue for me is that my GP discovered that my 
>> blood pressure was sky-high.
>>
>> I'm currently taking medication and once my BP has been stabilized at 
>> a better level, then he'll sign off on my medical my race license.
>>
>> I'm still hoping to make the first weekend, but we'll see.
>>
>>>
>>> In the meantime, there was a similarly very old thread where Tommy 
>>> was trying to suggest that everything's always better with a credit 
>>> card because of a few percent regained on "cashbacks".
>>>
>>> Well, I just happened to run into this invoice to pay today, and lo 
>>> and behold, what they're euphemistically calling a "convenience fee" 
>>> to pay online with a credit card.  Here's the screenshot:
>>>
>>> <https://huntzinger.com/photo/2025/Invoice_convenience_fee_avoided.pdf>
>>>
>>> And yes, you are reading that correctly:  the added fee is a mere +10%.
>>
>> Ouch!
>>
>>>
>>> Needless to say, I'll be mailing them a check.
>> Shocking to discover that that the lying ass doesn't have a clue what 
>> he's talking about.
>>
>>
>> :-)
>>
> 
> No wonder Alan has high blood pressure. Having to always worry about all 
> your lies will do that to you.
> 
> And Alan, if high blood pressure is the issue with missing the first 
> three 2024 race weekends (that was the question, not 2025), then how did 
> you make the 6th? I'm sure you can make up a lie about that. Why not 
> just tell the truth about why you missed all those races last year?
> 
> Hugh, there are bills like income taxes, property taxes and our electric 
> bill that we pay with direct debit rather than a credit card. Why? The 
> credit card service fees exceed the 2% cash back on my card. I always 
> watch for those fees, but have not ever see a 10%. However, a travel 
> agency we use charges 5%. I send a check. During 2024 I paid 6 bills by 
> check, spent about $1,600 in cash (ATM withdrawal records). Most of 
> those checks went to the travel agent, the cash was largely for local 
> currency during overseas travel and a few locals that don't take credit 
> cards.
> 
> Our charitable contributions also go by check. A check from an IRA 
> account's RMD funds. So that they are QCD deductions off AGI. All of the 
> recipients would take my credit card, and did years ago before QCD was a 
> thing. However, last time I looked at it my 26% marginal federal/state 
> income tax rate is more than the 2% I get on the credit card. The 
> difference is pretty significant.
> 
> There was one other notable exception. When we replaced our heat pump 
> last year the company offered 18 month same as cash, check, or credit 
> card. Same price. I took the 18 month deal. There is a balloon payment 
> at 18 months. My opportunity cost is a savings account earning 4.5% APR. 
> There is a monthly payment required, but that declining balance is 
> sitting in account earning more than 2%. I ran the numbers and the 
> after-tax interest earned is about 2x the credit card rebate.
> 
> So I do know exactly what I'm talking about. All of our regular expenses 
> paid credit cards that pay 2% cash back. That would include among 
> others, medical, dining, groceries, recreation, auto repairs, personal 
> care, entertainment, some vacation, most home maintenance, improvements 
> and repairs, clothing, pet care, home and auto insurance expenses and 
> other miscellaneous items.
> 
>