Comments on: Data Dump: Compacting, Purging and Simplifying Your Life http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/ Standing in the Gap in a Society that's Warring with God. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:17:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Stephen Kingston http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/comment-page-1/#comment-70554 Stephen Kingston Fri, 27 Apr 2007 21:43:27 +0000 http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/#comment-70554 I have to confess I went out on my birthday last month and bought myself a brand new vehicle. It is cery shiny, almost silent in motion. Wonderful gearing, open topped. Very much a vehicle just for me - not the family. Okay, okay. It's a bike :) I have to confess I went out on my birthday last month and bought myself a brand new vehicle.

It is cery shiny, almost silent in motion. Wonderful gearing, open topped.

Very much a vehicle just for me – not the family.

Okay, okay. It’s a bike :)

]]> By: DLOGAN http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/comment-page-1/#comment-70543 DLOGAN Fri, 27 Apr 2007 20:06:38 +0000 http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/#comment-70543 Well, I went to college in NC and my family lived in NH. That meant at least 3-4 trips back and forth each year while school was in session. When I graduated from college, I got married and we've only ever had one vehicle. When you take into account I sold insurance door-to-door for 2-3 months, and I had a job for 8 months where I worked 45 minutes away (and when my wife needed to use the car she dropped me off at work), the miles get racked up pretty quickly. Fortunately the Toyota Echo gets 42 mpg highway, so we didn't spend a fortune in gas. Well, I went to college in NC and my family lived in NH. That meant at least 3-4 trips back and forth each year while school was in session. When I graduated from college, I got married and we’ve only ever had one vehicle. When you take into account I sold insurance door-to-door for 2-3 months, and I had a job for 8 months where I worked 45 minutes away (and when my wife needed to use the car she dropped me off at work), the miles get racked up pretty quickly. Fortunately the Toyota Echo gets 42 mpg highway, so we didn’t spend a fortune in gas.

]]> By: Colleen http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/comment-page-1/#comment-70540 Colleen Fri, 27 Apr 2007 20:01:02 +0000 http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/#comment-70540 Fortunately where I work they have a partnership with Ford so I got the card for dirt cheap and from all that I read on this vehicle it's going to last for a while. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and example and car buying experience! Where you driving that you put so many miles on it? Fortunately where I work they have a partnership with Ford so I got the card for dirt cheap and from all that I read on this vehicle it’s going to last for a while. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and example and car buying experience! Where you driving that you put so many miles on it?

]]> By: DLOGAN http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/comment-page-1/#comment-70539 DLOGAN Fri, 27 Apr 2007 19:55:50 +0000 http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/#comment-70539 Colleen, I bought my first car while I was in college, and I broke the "rule" and bought it new. If you're careful with your purchase it is not always a bad decision to buy new. The entry level car for many manufacturers typically has a much lower markup then the "premium" vehicles. As a result the day you drive off the lot there is much less of a depreciation in value. If you also negotiate a good deal on this entry level vehicle the impact is even less. Once you add in the decreased maintenance costs you could come out ahead. E.G. I bought my 2001 Toyota Echo in November of 2000 for $12,000. Sticker value on the car was ~$14,000. When I drove off the lot it was worth about what I paid for it. Now, 6.5 years later all I have done is regular maintenance and the car is still worth about $5.5k (It'd be worth more if we didn't drive it 130k). While that is still a depreciation of over 50% in 6.5 years, I'd likely see similar depreciation for any used vehicle and maintenance costs would have been higher. Colleen,
I bought my first car while I was in college, and I broke the “rule” and bought it new. If you’re careful with your purchase it is not always a bad decision to buy new. The entry level car for many manufacturers typically has a much lower markup then the “premium” vehicles. As a result the day you drive off the lot there is much less of a depreciation in value. If you also negotiate a good deal on this entry level vehicle the impact is even less. Once you add in the decreased maintenance costs you could come out ahead.
E.G. I bought my 2001 Toyota Echo in November of 2000 for $12,000. Sticker value on the car was ~$14,000. When I drove off the lot it was worth about what I paid for it. Now, 6.5 years later all I have done is regular maintenance and the car is still worth about $5.5k (It’d be worth more if we didn’t drive it 130k). While that is still a depreciation of over 50% in 6.5 years, I’d likely see similar depreciation for any used vehicle and maintenance costs would have been higher.

]]> By: MInTheGap http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/comment-page-1/#comment-70537 MInTheGap Fri, 27 Apr 2007 19:43:34 +0000 http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/#comment-70537 My biggest problem is saving things with "potential" like high school papers that I'm sure my kids will benefit from or homework from the time I spent in England. I used to draw comics on the top of my notebooks and I saved that too-- perhaps I should scan that in an post some of the adventures! LOL My biggest problem is saving things with “potential” like high school papers that I’m sure my kids will benefit from or homework from the time I spent in England.

I used to draw comics on the top of my notebooks and I saved that too– perhaps I should scan that in an post some of the adventures! LOL

]]> By: DLOGAN http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/comment-page-1/#comment-70535 DLOGAN Fri, 27 Apr 2007 19:33:58 +0000 http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/#comment-70535 Meg and I have been getting rid of a ton of stuff recently as we prepare to move. Let me tell you, if you ever have any doubt on how much stuff you have, just hire a group of painters to paint the whole interior of your house. As you move everything out of the rooms you will quickly see how much stuff you really have. In our preparations for moving we have thrown away at LEAST 30 full trash bags of just junk, taken at least another 20 to goodwill, and probably given another 10-20 worth to other people. The really strange thing is that our house doesn't really look that different. It didn't look that extremely cluttered before and except for a few small areas, it really doesn't look that uncluttered now (well especially not now, since everything is in turmoil from the painters). I'm amazed at how much clutter and junk can hide among all the seemingly useful things ;-). Meg and I have been getting rid of a ton of stuff recently as we prepare to move.

Let me tell you, if you ever have any doubt on how much stuff you have, just hire a group of painters to paint the whole interior of your house. As you move everything out of the rooms you will quickly see how much stuff you really have.

In our preparations for moving we have thrown away at LEAST 30 full trash bags of just junk, taken at least another 20 to goodwill, and probably given another 10-20 worth to other people.

The really strange thing is that our house doesn’t really look that different. It didn’t look that extremely cluttered before and except for a few small areas, it really doesn’t look that uncluttered now (well especially not now, since everything is in turmoil from the painters).

I’m amazed at how much clutter and junk can hide among all the seemingly useful things ;-) .

]]> By: Colleen http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/comment-page-1/#comment-70526 Colleen Fri, 27 Apr 2007 18:05:03 +0000 http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/#comment-70526 I am going to take really really really good care of it :biggrin: I am going to take really really really good care of it :biggrin:

]]> By: MInTheGap http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/comment-page-1/#comment-70513 MInTheGap Fri, 27 Apr 2007 15:52:06 +0000 http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/#comment-70513 When you "fleeced" your last vehicle? :) Well, at least it was an '06 and not an '07. Hope you get many years out of it. How do you expect it to last for the rest of your life? When you “fleeced” your last vehicle? :)

Well, at least it was an ’06 and not an ’07. Hope you get many years out of it. How do you expect it to last for the rest of your life?

]]> By: Colleen http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/comment-page-1/#comment-70511 Colleen Fri, 27 Apr 2007 15:46:08 +0000 http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/#comment-70511 I definitely know what Dave would say! However, since I'll have this car for the rest of my life (and I'm only 28) and the oldest model was an '06 I decided to go for it :whistle: Wish I knew of Dave Ramsey 4 years ago when I leased :dizzy: my last vehicle! I definitely know what Dave would say! However, since I’ll have this car for the rest of my life (and I’m only 28) and the oldest model was an ’06 I decided to go for it :whistle: Wish I knew of Dave Ramsey 4 years ago when I leased :dizzy: my last vehicle!

]]> By: MInTheGap http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/comment-page-1/#comment-70509 MInTheGap Fri, 27 Apr 2007 15:42:52 +0000 http://www.minthegap.com/2007/04/27/data-dump-compacting-purging-and-simplifying-your-life/#comment-70509 A "new" car? You know what Ramsey would say-- you should have gone for 2 year old. But I guess if you paid cash... :) A “new” car? You know what Ramsey would say– you should have gone for 2 year old. But I guess if you paid cash… :)

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