So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[tonyb]

Yep. House-as-investment leaves me cold, especially since, if I sell out, I have nowhere -- and can afford nowhere -- to live in the town where I've lived and worked and been a part of the community for almost forty years. I didn't buy an investment, I bought a home.

There’s always that tension. I do believe that people ought to have a financial stake in the places they live. But stable, healthy communities are built on people having more than just their money invested there.

I’ll have to look into the percentages of houses that are owned outright vs. the percentages historically. There’s always an expense — taxes, insurance, utilities, upkeep, etc, But getting that mortgage monkey off one’s back is what I fear too many of us will never know.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Losing your debit card and having to wait on a new one which takes five to seven business days from the time THEY start the ball rolling which could be God knows when! I just realised that my request is probably sitting on somebody's desk at the bottom of the stack.

Meanwhile it's a pain in the arse not being able to access your money when you want it. Instead of being able to use the ATM having to go to the bank to draw out cash only during business hours.

And then I won an auction on eBay completely forgetting that my card is linked to my eBay account. I told the seller that I would try to pay on the 19th, the earliest that I could expect to receive the new card which in any case hadn't arrived yet. I get the feeling it will take the full seven days or longer to get here which will now be Tuesday the 24th. I lost my card on May 12!

Update: After a more than a week I'm still waiting on a replacement card! When I lost my card on May 12 I called the bank's 800 number to order a new card. And guess what? My order didn't go through!!!! So now I had to order the card at the bank which will now take another 5-7 days!

 

[Fifty150]

Yep. House-as-investment leaves me cold, especially since, if I sell out, I have nowhere -- and can afford nowhere -- to live in the town where I've lived and worked and been a part of the community for almost forty years. I didn't buy an investment, I bought a home.

Home ownership offers a few advantages over renting. The main advantage is equity. You don't have to sell your home. The property could be refinanced. The common practice is to refinance, use the money to buy another property, then rent one of the properties while you live in the other. The rent collected pays off the bank. Eventually, you own both properties, and the rent collected goes into your pocket. Or at least that's how it's done around here. Allegedly, it's the 15 year game plan. 15 year mortgages are paid off, then you own 2 homes without owing the bank, you're collecting rent, and then you refinance and do it all over again. In 30 years, you own 4 homes, and collect rent from 3.

 

[tonyb]

^^^^^^
San Francisco, right?

 

[tonyb]

Got a text message this morning reading “Hey, is this Anthony?”

To which I responded “Who’s inquiring?”

It’s a pet peeve of mine that people would ask with whom they are communicating before first identifying themselves. I’ve hung up on callers whose first words are “Who’s this?”

I guessed (correctly, as it turns out) that the sender was a real estate agent out fishing for listings. I told her about that peeve of mine, and asked that she not bother me again.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Finding that treasure at an estate sale only to be told that it got mixed in, wasn't supposed to be sold and has to be returned to the family. This has happened to me more than once.

 

[Zombie_61]

Finding that treasure at an estate sale only to be told that it got mixed in, wasn't supposed to be sold and has to be returned to the family. This has happened to me more than once.

This is one reason I stopped going to estate/yard/garage sales, swap meets, and the like. 70-80% of those rare times when I'd find something I was actually interested in it was suddenly, "Oh, uh, that shouldn't be out here," or the price was "mismarked" and suddenly doubled or tripled simply because I showed interest.

 

[Trenchfriend]

I discovered it, some days ago:

Supermarket got cheap and pure storebrand cottage cheese in simple block shape (cow milk).

SHIT, I´M DOOMED!!

 

[tonyb]

This is one reason I stopped going to estate/yard/garage sales, swap meets, and the like. 70-80% of those rare times when I'd find something I was actually interested in it was suddenly, "Oh, uh, that shouldn't be out here," or the price was "mismarked" and suddenly doubled or tripled simply because I showed interest.

That would annoy the hell out of me, too

I can’t say it had happened to me often, but I have had the unfortunate experience of dealing with a buyer who tried to change the terms after the deal was “finalized.”

It was a car, a ‘67 Triumph Spitfire, along with extra stuff, including a spare engine. We had agreed on a price, I entered that amount on the bill of sale as well as on the seller’s report to the state motor vehicle licensing agency. Then the clown starts finding fault with the car that made it not worth what he agreed to pay. I told him I would sooner give the car to the local public radio station as take a nickel less than that already agreed-upon amount.

 

[Hercule]

I discovered it, some days ago:

Supermarket got cheap and pure storebrand cottage cheese in simple block shape (cow milk).

SHIT, I´M DOOMED!!

I have found that store brand dairy products are often superior to the name brand versions.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Speaking of cottage cheese, why do I have to search far and wide to find plain large-curd cottage cheese? No small-curd, no chives or pimientos, or dill leaves, or any other weird additives, just plain large curd cottage cheese you used to get everywhere. There is precisely one store within a fifty-mile radius of me that has it. And who puts chives in cottage cheese anyway? That's like something space aliens would do.

 

[Hercule]

Speaking of cottage cheese, why do I have to search far and wide to find plain large-curd cottage cheese? No small-curd, no chives or pimientos, or dill leaves, or any other weird additives, just plain large curd cottage cheese you used to get everywhere. There is precisely one store within a fifty-mile radius of me that has it. And who puts chives in cottage cheese anyway? That's like something space aliens would do.

If I like anything in mine (and I prefer small curd, full fat) it is a bit of dill. I like that as a dip with potato chips. Most often, though, just plain spread on burnt, buttered toast - Jewish caraway rye preferred. The problem I mostly run into is getting cottage cheese that is firm enough. Too often it's much too wet for my liking.

I suspect what Trenchy may have been referring to was not cottage cheese as we know it, but what we might call "farmers cheese" which can be had in a brick form like feta.

 

[Trenchfriend]

This is, what I was referring to. Pure cottage cheese in a simple flat block. No cucumbers inside!

I could eat a whole package at once...

 

[Trenchfriend]

The difference seems to be, that real cottage cheese is a "fresh cheese" product.

The above is pickled in brine.

 

[Hercule]

The difference seems to be, that real cottage cheese is a "fresh cheese" product.

The above is pickled in brine.

Hirtenkaese is a cows-milk "feta." As opposed to true [Greek] fetta which is a sheep/goat-milk product. "Cottage cheese" as Americans know it is something different. Perhaps you would know it as "quark" ? Clearly I was wrong about the Farmer's cheese, which is more akin to fresh mozzarella.

What a nice start to a late spring Monday morning: talking about cheese!

Wallace would approve. Thank you for that.

 

[Trenchfriend]

@Hercule

Hirtenkaese is a cows-milk "feta." As opposed to true [Greek] fetta which is a sheep/goat-milk product. "Cottage cheese" as Americans know it is something different. Perhaps you would know it as "quark" ? Clearly I was wrong about the Farmer's cheese, which is more akin to fresh mozzarella.

What a nice start to a late spring Monday morning: talking about cheese!

Wallace would approve. Thank you for that.

Yes, I think, our german Hüttenkäse/cottage cheese is the same thing than american cottage cheese. Basically a quark product.

 

[Zombie_61]

..."Cottage cheese" as Americans know it is something different. Perhaps you would know it as "quark" ?...

Yes, I think, our german Hüttenkäse/cottage cheese is the same thing than american cottage cheese. Basically a quark product.

 

[Tiki Tom]

Don’t get me started on cheese. I moved from cheese heaven to cheese hell.

 

[Edward]

Don’t get me started on cheese. I moved from cheese heaven to cheese hell.

All cheese is a product of hell. Tis naught but rancid milk. The only exception I'll make is for the tasteless stuff on a pizza. Anything that actually tastes like cheese? Boak.

 

[Turnip]

You should try this heavenly gift from France.