Politcal Parties

Is there any point in "identifying" with a Political Party?  I think not.

Many foreigners criticize our two-party system, and likely for good reason.   Many Democracies overseas - most in fact - have more Parliamentary-style governments, with more than two political parties - sometimes many.  To form a government, these parties have to form coalitions and oftentimes the coalitions morph, depending on which parties gather the most votes.

Our system is a bit odd, as each part is a coalition - and a changing one - of different political interests.   It is harder and hard to say what each party "stands for" anymore, as each party has a disparate group of followers - who are often at odds with each other over various policies.   And of course, these policies and coalitions change over time.

Probably the biggest swing in recent decades - at least in my lifetime - has been the change the Democratic Party away from its "Dixiecrat" wing and the movement of the GOP into this area.   Odd as it may sound, the "Solid South" was once a solid blue, as late as 1968.

And the history behind that goes back 100 years earlier, when Southerners held slaves, and no one trusted the Republicans, as they were the party of Abraham Lincoln and and abolitionism.    Yes, as odd as it may seem, at one time Southern Rednecks were all Democrats and Black folks were all Republicans.

My, how times have changed!

Today, both parties are a mish-mash coalition of a number of disparate groups.  And each party tries to paint the other as "beholden" to its most extreme elements.

What does it mean to be a Republican anymore?   Once upon a time, the GOP was the party of abolitionism.  But that was 1865, not 1965.   In 100 years, the party went from freeing the slaves to trying to block civil-rights legislation.  

The GOP used to be a party of smaller government and less regulation - of sound finances and no deficit spending.  But during the Reagan and Bush (I & II) years, we rarely saw any balanced budgets or lack of restraint in the spending department, particularly when it came to wasteful billion-dollar defense contracts that produced pretty-to-look-at, but largely useless defense hardware.

And of course, "Faith-based initiatives" became a sop to send government money to church-based groups, a direct payback for getting out the evangelical vote.

And in terms of "less regulation" the GOP has dropped the ball here, too.   While they are all for decreasing regulations on dumping pollution in groundwater or into the air (in contrast to even the majority opinion of their own party followers), they have no trouble socking business owners, landlords, and farmers with odious regulations and hefty fines, if they hire undocumented workers.

Yes, it was the Republican Party that has instituted some of the most difficult regulations for employers in recent years - requiring employers to obtain proof of citizenship of employees and to do a background check on a national database.

And speaking of which, the GOP used to be the party of personal freedom - unshackling the masses from "Big Brother" - which was characterized usually as intrusions into your personal life by well-meaning but misdirected Democratic proposals.   Even Social Security numbers were decried as the "mark of the beast".

But today, we have more regulations than ever, with regard to your personal identification.   Getting a driver's license now requires several forms of ID, including a birth certificate, passport, social security card, and a utility bill.   And if you do not have "your papers, please" you can be thrown into a cell until you can phone a friend to produce them - particularly if you look foreign.

The GOP has become this wild mish-mash of competing vales.  Grover Norquist "drown the government in a bathtub" minimalists on the one hand, and fanatic anti-immigrationalists on the other - the latter of whom want more government and more police than ever before.

Toss into this mix, the religious right, who really has no opinion on efficiency in government (so long as their "faith-based initiatives" check don't bounce)  but want more regulations and laws about abortion and Gay marriage.

Then there are the gun nuts, who just want every law abolished, period, and open-season declared on humans.   They have become so loud and obnoxious that no one dares question them anymore.  And you can understand why - they might be armed and ready to "go off" at any instant.

Of course, the real power in the GOP is where the money comes from - the very rich.  And what they want are lower taxes for the wealthy (which they have gotten) as well as lower corporate income tax rates, and lower Capital gains rates (which they have gotten) or perhaps abolishing the Captial Gains tax altogether.

And it is interesting how the GOP leadership has cobbled together these disparate interest groups.   For example, take a typical Georgia farmer.   Granted, one of our most liberal Presidents was a Georgia Peanut Farmer.  But most are fairly conservative.    They are risking millions of dollars of their own money, based on the vagaries of the weather, which lately, has not been so great.

They want lower taxes, sure.  And less regulation from the government.  And likely they are Southern Baptist and "social issues" are important to them.

But, on the other hand, they use immigrant labor to harvest the crops in their fields.  And when our Republican Governor was elected, he promised to make life hell in Georgia for non-documented workers, and anyone transporting, hiring, housing, or otherwise assisting them.   And he followed through with that promise, and as a result, many of these farmers are having crops rot in the fields, for lack of people to harvest them.

While they might like the other parts of the GOP platform, this "we hate immigrants" bit is hitting them where they live - in their pocketbook.

The immigration thing is like any other social issue - it is an emotional hook used to get people to vote for a party, even if their economic interests are opposite to what the party stands for.

So we have this Schizophrenia in the GOP.   Poor people who are against abortion are voting for a party who promises to cut the taxes on people making $350,000 a year or more, or eliminate the "Death Tax".   These poor folks living in a trailer will never make that much money or inherit more than a few thousand dollars.  But by bundling the "social issues" in with the economic ones, they can garner their votes.

And they sell this in a number of ways.  For example, the "trickle down" theory - if we let rich people keep more of their money, they might hire you to clean their pool, and you'll get a nice minimum-wage job out of the deal.   What's not to like?

Or you argue that tax cuts "create jobs" - as though employers would decide not to hire someone who could make them money simply because their personal income tax rate went up 3%.

But again, these sorts of folks aren't terribly bright, so they don't get this.   In fact, most people have only a vague idea of how taxes work, and taxes sort of scare them.   So it is not hard to convince someone living in a trailer making $30,000 a year that Republicans "lowered my taxes!" as one fellow in such a situation once put it to me.

So what is the point of all this?   Well, there is no point in being a "fan" of a political party, as these parties really have no "core ideology" and this ideology can change over time.  Vote for the candidate, not the party.   Maybe if more people did this, more would get done.

Now, I have talked a lot about the GOP here.  What about the Democrats?  Same deal, coming up next...

A Credit Card is a Debt Instrument

A Credit Card is a Debt Instrument.  Simple concept - it eludes many, if not most.

When you apply for a Credit Card, you are applying for a loan.  You are going into debt.  That is plain and simple enough.

Yet, many people don't get this - or refuse to get this.

"I pay the balance every month!" they cry.

Yes, so far that is the case.  But the Credit Card industry knows you better than you know yourself.  And they know that, sooner or later, you will join the legions of "average Americans" who have $15,000 of household credit card debt.

Yes, read it again, that is the average that 55% of credit card holders carry as a balance.

A Credit Card is a debt instrument. 

What does this mean?  What do I mean by this?

Well, to begin with, when you sign up for that $10,000 limit "miles card" at 15% interest, your credit score is dinged by that amount.  Even if you "pay off the balance every month", the people who know a lot more about debt and finance that you ever will realize that this is a potential debt on your account, and will decrease your available borrowing power accordingly.

Your credit score will decrease and the amount you qualify to borrow will decrease, with each additional credit card you get.  And yet, many people see having numerous credit cards as a sign of "good credit".  It is not.

So, whether you "pay off the balance every month" or not, it shows up as a debt, or potential debt, on your record.   If you get a lot of high-limit credit cards, it means you might not be able to borrow money for a mortgage, when you really need it.

A Credit Card is a Debt Instrument, period.

Again, look at the agreement.  It is a loan document - with a balance, an interest rate, and repayment terms.   Only unlike a regular loan, the payment terms can go on indefinitely.  Yes, that is the beauty of "revolving interest" - for the lender, that is.

"But I pay off the balance every month!" you cry.

Good for you.  So far.

No one sets out to end up in intractable Credit Card debt.  And no, the folks who end up over the barrel, being gang-raped by VISA and MASTERCARD were not "weak" or "stupid" - they were merely Average Americans with their $15,000 intractable credit card debt.

And you think, for some reason, you can outsmart the smartest banks, the smartest bankers, the smartest psychologists - in the whole wide world - and "pay off the balance every month" and get free airfare to Duluth.

Good luck with that.  Why do I say this?  Again, the Average American with Credit Card Debt has about $15,000 in household credit card debt.  They didn't get there voluntarily - or willingly.

Approximately 74.9 percent of the U.S. families surveyed in 2004 had credit cards, and 58 percent of those families carried a balance. In 2001, 76.2 percent of families had credit cards, and 55 percent of those families carried a balance. (Source: Federal Reserve Bulletin, February 2006)

Ouch.  What does this mean?  It means that you are very likely to get a credit card, unless you are dirt poor or in jail.  And it means if you get a credit card, the odds are you are going to "carry a balance" and that balance will be significant.

But what about the 45% who don't carry a balance?  They haven't been screwed - just yet.  Wait for it.

So, how do you avoid the credit card trap?  (And it is a trap!).

Simple:

1.  Do without Credit Cards, if you can.   Yes, this is hard to do in our society, yet 25% of us manage to do so.

2.  Limit the number of cards you have - ONE or ZERO are good numbers.  There is no reason to have three or four or six.

3.  Limit your balance limit:  I chose $5000 for my card, and I told them not to automatically raise it.  This requires that you call them and make this election.   The advantage of a low limit is that you can realistically pay it off.  If you find yourself reaching that limit, then you need to take action - spend less or cash in savings or do something other than racking up more and more debt.

4.  Get a Low Interest Card:  If your interest rate is 7.15%, you have a realistic chance of paying off the card, over time, if you run up a balance (and you will).  At higher rates, like 15% or 25%, you run the risk of never paying off the card - frequent flyer miles or not.

5.  Set up AutoPay:  The "default" or "penalty" rates of 25-30% kick in, if you do not make a payment on time.  If you set up Auto-Pay for the minimum monthly payment, you never need worry about this nightmare scenario - which can occur if you forget to pay a bill on time (and this does happen to even the best of us!).

But the main thing is, to realize that the Credit Card Companies are not your pals, handing out free airline miles or bonus dollars because they like you.  No, they are hoping you will slip and fall and run up $15,000 of intractable credit card debt at such a high interest rate that you will never pay it off - ever, ever, ever.

That is the constant risk you are taking with Credit Cards - slip up once and you are financially destitute for LIFE.


You have been warned.  Now you have no excuse when the inevitable happens.

Million Dollar Dreams, Hundred Dollar Nightmares

Could these two be on to something?  Or is something lost in the translation?

I don't listen to rap music very often.  Well, probably not at all, at least since the 1980's, when rap seemed fun and fresh and not all about people trying to kill each other and pimp their girlfriends.  They lost me at that point.

I guess I also lost interest when it became less about rhythm and the music and more about posturing and screaming obscenities into a microphone and blowing out your sub-woofer.  But I guess that marks me as an old white guy - guilty as charged.

But a reader found this blog by searching on the terms "Million Dollar Dreams, Hundred Dollar Nightmares" which is sort of a lyric by a rap group called "Meek Mill" (if you really want to, you can follow their twit-feed at this link).

It is an interesting phrase, and to me, it probably means something else than it did to the authors:

Billion dollar dreams
And hundred dollar nightmares
Success is in my arm reach
I can see it right there
I just got to grab it
But I'm stuck in traffic
Still on probation but I'm clutchin' on that 'matic
Cops catch me with it, judge gon' give me somethin' tragic
But these haters, they gon' kill me if I don't have it, just pray for me
Money, dreams, comin' now, Homie screamin' wait for me
I'm telling him, hurry up they trying to close this gate on me
Get money or die

We see again, the obsession with the lower classes with money and success, which are illusory for most, and a windfall for a very lucky few.

To me, the phrase is apt, as many folks in this country, even folks making the average or median income in the USA (about $50,000 a year) will earn far more than a million dollars in their lifetimes, and be able to save up that much, in their lifetimes, but choose not to do so.

Why?  Hundred-dollar nightmares.

Perhaps the authors were referring to crack or some other addictive expense in their own culture.  But to me, these "hundred dollar nightmares" are things like Cable TV (about $100 a month) and a smart phone (ditto) or any one of a number of monthly expenses that add up over time and bankrupt most people.

As I noted before, if you put aside $100 a month over 30 years at 7.5% rate of return, it will blossom to $133,385.23 with compound interest.   Set aside a few hundred a month, pay off a mortgage on a reasonable house, over 30 years, and yes, you too can retire a Millionaire.

But of course, that sort of thinking is for "suckas" - right?   The way to get rich is to get rich quick or not get rich at all.

And unfortunately, that is the attitude in many lower-class subcultures.  You have to try for Billionaire, or not try at all.  There is no in-between.  There is no happily ever after unless you become a rap star or a professional athlete.

And even then, those "superstars" spend it all and end up broke.  What ever did happen to M.C. Hammer?

It is sad, but that is what happens to the poor - even after they become wealthy.  They end up poor again.

I hope the Meek Mill are successful and make tons of money - and then go out and not buy bling and Cristal with it.   Instead of blowing it all on an entourage and cheap hookers, may I suggest starting a family with some nice young woman, drinking Cristallino Cava (for $6 a bottle) and then banking the rest and becoming dynastically wealthy instead of just pop-star transient rich.

But alas, I suspect that probably ain't in the cards.

Firewalking and Gurus....

This is idiotic and proves nothing.

People love to follow Gurus and think that some other human being, for some reason, has a special insight into life, love, motivation, or money.   Think about this - a person who has been around on this planet for about the same time period as you have - who has had largely the same experiences you have had, has some special insight into human nature, the world, or the afterlife?  It makes no sense, of course.

The reality is, of course, that all of this same insight resides inside you, you just have to look for it, and nurture it.  And if you don't have it, you never will find it.

If you are prone to wasteful spending and doing stupid things to impress people you don't know, well, chances are, that isn't going to change, unless you can find that inner voice that says, "Hey, this is stupid!  Stop doing it!"

Guru Tony Robbins made headlines the other day, when several people were injured doing a firewalk  during one of his motivational seminars.

Firewalks are old hat - and an old fakir's trick, too.   Some folks actually think that a firewalk is an example of mind-over-matter - that you can literally "will" your feet not to burn, if you have enough faith.  Others think it is magical or a sign of supernatural powers.

Others view them as an example of taking risks and having faith in yourself, even if they understand the physics of how a firewalk works.  Sort of like those group exercises in motivational seminars, where you are supposed to fall back into someone's arms.

Can you walk across hot coals and not burn your feet?  Well, of course you can.  Why?  Not magic, but science.

Your feet are an interesting part of your body.  All of your body weight rests on them.   We abuse them routinely.  And yet, they are quite sensitive.  If you saw the movie Midnight Express you remember the scene in the Turkish Prison where they torture the hero by beating his feet.  It is, supposedly, a particularly painful torture, as it breaks the bones in your feet, and they are very hard to heal.

But your feet are very robust, and underneath your feet is a thick layer of callus.  And this thick layer can endure a lot.   For example, if you walk onto a hot asphalt driveway in your bare feet, you might not notice the heat for quite a while.  It takes a while for the heat to work its way through the thick outer layer of callus and skin before the nerves in your feet finally sound the alarm.

Then, suddenly, it is "OUCH!" and your jump off the hot driveway.

Firewalking is the same way.  You walk across the coals, but they extend only a few feet.  Before your skin can burn (or the nerve endings in your feet discover this) you are over it and standing in cool, wet grass (some put their feet in water afterwords).   The feet cool down and no real damage occurs.

But of course, some people do get burned, if they walk too slowly, or press down too hard (jumping or hopping, for example, instead of walking slowly and deliberately).   Or if the fire is too hot or the path too long, you will get burns.   It doesn't always work that you don't get burned, as one might expect.

It is not magic, or "mind over matter" nor does it prove anything about you as a person, your spirit or willpower, or whatever.  It is just bullshit, and if you believe in any of this sort of crap, well,  you are a first-class idiot, end of story.

But people fall for this sort of crap all the time.  They actually hand over money for the "privilege" of walking over hot coals.  Hey, give me $50 and I'll tip over my barbecue grill in the back yard and let you walk on it.  Knock yourself out.

How this is going to "motivate" you is a good question.  I have written about Motivational Seminars and how they are bullshit.   What you need in life is not "motivation" - which is just emotional thinking that will inevitably go awry - but more logical thinking.

Motivational seminars are great - for the people putting them on.   And they are putting you on, as well.  You tell people that the reason their life (or company or product) sucks is that they are not motivated enough.  And if they could just get this mystical "motivation" everything would be just fine.

In other words, everything is their fault because they don't have the proper emotional outlook.   But you can't make money from emotional thinking.   If your finances are in a wreck, it is because of a lack of logical thinking, not a lack of emotional thinking.  And if your company is going bankrupt, you might want to spend more time in the accounting department than in cheer-leading the employees.

And that is the beauty of Motivational Seminars!  People go to them, and get this rush - the same feeling cults use to get new members.  Suddenly, anything seems possible - if you just have the right attitude!

But Attitude is not going to pay your mortgage or help you find a job - logic will.  So the poor sucker fails yet again (and is $1000 to $2500 poorer for attending the seminar) and then thinks, "This must be my fault, I just didn't believe strongly enough!  If only I had the right mental attitude!"

So they sign up for more seminars - maybe with a different Guru this time, and the low-self-esteem engine chugs on down the track.

What Motivational Seminars prove to me is that the supply of brainless idiots in this world is endless.  And you can make an awful lot of money by exploiting the foolishness of others.  And I suggest you do it.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against this Tony guy, or Scientology, or whatever other foolishness people engage in.  Why?  Because you can't fix stupid, as they say, and being "against" someone who exploits your fellow man is often a waste of time.

Why is this?  Because the people who willingly allow themselves to be manipulated and used by others will defend to the death their abusers and manipulators.   And there reaches a point where you have to say, "Well, knock yourself out, there fella!  Send me a postcard!"

So, when someone pays $2500 to be "allowed" to walk over hot coals, I am hardly outraged or surprised.   People are idiots, look around you.

And I am not outraged or angry at the Guru who exploits them, either.  If one Guru didn't do this, another one would take his place.

It is up to people to think for themselves, or end up being slaughtered like sheep.

Airstreams

Pretty to look at, but expensive to own and difficult to maintain.  An Airstream is not really a very cost-effective form of RVing.

We have looked at dozens of Airstreams over the years - maybe over 100, I am not sure.   We keep thinking about buying one, but usually something stops us from making the purchase.  They are an American Cultural Icon, and like with a Harley-Davidson, people tend to pay more for the cache than they do for the physical equipment.

So what keeps us from buying one?

1.  Price:  The price of these things, new or used, is staggering.   A new Airstream like the one shown above, can cost over $50,000.   This is a lot of money to spend on a recreational toy, for anyone in the middle-class.  It is not as bad as, say, a $300,000 motorhome, of course.  But when you throw in another $30,000 for a tow vehicle, you are looking at close to $100,000 to go camping.   That is a lot of money.

Used trailers are slightly less, of course.  But often they need expensive repairs - we'll get to that later.   As a result, they can be a real money-pit, over time, if you want to keep them in good repair.


2.  Weight:  While advertised as a lightweight trailer (due to the aluminum construction) their very size makes them heavy, aluminum or not.  To safely tow a 22-27 foot unit, we would want to have an F-250 at the very least.   And this would not be cheap, nor would it get good gas mileage.

What sort of mileage?  Well, like with penis size, men lie about gas mileage all the time.  I've seen guys blow by me at 80 mph (which is not safe, for any trailer) towing a 31-footer, and then later claiming they are getting 20 mpg, which is an outright falsehood, as the underlying tow vehicle is not capable of such gas mileage.

The low teens or even the single-digits are more the norm, particularly for gas engines.  Diesels fare a little better.  But 20 mpg?  Not in your dreams!

This adds up, over time, if you want to travel a lot.  We drove 10,000 miles last summer, to Labrador and back.  At an average 17 mpg, that comes out to 588 gallons of fuel, which at about $4 (including Canada) works out to $2353 in fuel.   At 10 mpg, which is what our pickup truck used to get, towing a 27-footer, we are looking at 1000 gallons of fuel, costing $4000.   It is a lot of gas!

3.  Size:  Even the smallest Airstream (the "Bambi") is large, compared to our present Casita.  It is taller and wider and thus is harder to maneuver into smaller spaces.   The larger rigs are even more so.   While having "space" in a camper is nice, you have to tow this (weight) and maneuver it (size).    Sometimes less is more.

For example, we like to go up the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the campsites there were created back in the days of car-camping.   For larger campers, the options are limited.  But we can wedge ourselves into the tiniest of spaces.   It is handy.  And cheaper than staying in an "RV Resort".

4.  Clear Coat:   Airstream trailers are not bare aluminum, but rather aluminum coated with a clear paint.  As they age, this clear coat scratches, yellows, and then starts to peel off.  It looks like holy hell.  At that point, you have two choices:  Buff all the clear coat off the trailer and polish it, like an old airplane (which will be so shiny as to blind other motorists), or take it back to the factory (or a skilled repairman) to have it re-coated.   Both are time-consuming and expensive processes.   Lesser trailers, which are painted or fiberglass, don't seem to have this problem - or if they do, can be inexpensively repainted at any body shop.

5.  Dents:  The heartbreaking part about owning an Airstream is dents.  The aluminum dents easily, particularly at the corners.  Our regular "square" trailers had no problems hitting the occasional tree branch when backing up.   Our motorhome was hit on the side by a runaway trailer tire coming in the opposite direction and suffered little more than a black tire mark.  Our fiberglass Casita hits tree branches all the time - with the result being little more than a scratch that buffs out.

But with an Airstream, you just touch it to something, and that absolutely prefect exterior now has a heart-wrenching dent in it.   

Notice the rock guards on the front of the unit shown above.   Airstream had to add these, as the tow vehicle throws up rocks and gravel, which over time, pits and dents the trailer (this happens with our Casita, but most of the time, it just means buffing out the fiberglass).  The idea is, the rock guards can be replaced easily, without having to replace the underlying trailer panels.

I have an idea - why not cover the entire trailer with these guards?  Then, you can easily replace them when the trailer is dented!  Oh, wait, that makes no sense at all, does it?  And neither do "rock guards".

Repairing such dent in panels is problematic.  You have to get the exact same panel from the factory, and it has to be buck-riveted in place, which means accessing the interior, which means tearing out cabinets and interior walls to do the job right (blind rivets, of course, just won't do!).

And when the new panel is in place, well, you have to seal and re-clear-coat it.   Sounds like a practical design, no?

As a result, you see older Airstreams with dents in them, as the owners cannot afford to make repairs, and even if you do repair them, you risk causing....

6. Leaks:  Airstreams leak, over time.  The design uses a number of panels riveted together, and over time, they start to leak at the seams, the windows, the doors, etc.  The entire design relies on sealant and caulking to keep tight, and that is not a good design.  Sealants dry out, caulking cracks, and as the unit goes down the road, joints flex and let in water.

Since the shape of the trailer is like a twinkie, water rolls down the sides, and hits every seam and crevice in the trailer.  Eventually, it finds a way in.  (Our Casita has the same shape, but being made from one piece of fiberglass on the top, there are no seams to let in water).

Square trailers can leak, of course.  But since the walls are vertical, the water runs off the roof and doesn't tend to run down the sides, seeking ingress at every window or door joint.  And since most have single-piece fiberglass panels and roofs (or rubber roofs) there are fewer joints for water to find.

Water causes a musty smell, creates mildew, and eventually rots out the floor, in the rear of the trailer, or by the front door (we've seen it all!).   This is staggeringly expensive and difficult to fix, as the "Belly Pan" has to be removed, in many cases, to get at the wood flooring.

Of course, if you kept your Airstream indoors when not in use, you could reduce the incidence of leakage, and preserve that expensive clear-coat.  But that can be hard to do, as they are...


7.  Hard to Store:   When we had our barn in New York, we set it up with a bay for a large motorhome or trailer.   Most people don't have such storage facilities handy.   For the average suburbanite, it is simply out of the question.  The alternatives are to store the unit outdoors, in your yard, or to keep it outdoors at a paid-for storage yard.   In either case, the unit sits outside, the clearcoat oxidizing, and rain running down the sides of the thing, looking for an entry point, 24/7.

And if you bought a truck to tow it with (which you will need) you need a place to keep that.  For us, the idea of having a giant pickup truck blocking our driveway just seems, well, impractical.  We store the Casita in a storage locker (indoors) and the X5 fits in the garage.   It is a lot less hassle and wear and tear.

8.  Layout & Space:  Many Airstream folks tout the increased size of their units as an advantage over other kinds of rigs.   But the layout of many Airstreams leaves a lot to be desired.   Square trailers, which are very cheap to buy and own ($15,000) have far more headroom, flat walls, more cabinet space and more storage space underneath.

The Achilles heel of the Airstream is storage, and many folks complain there is not even a place to put a folding chair, in an Airstream.  There are few, if any, outside storage compartments.

Inside, in addition to the sloping wall problem (which cuts into cabinet space), is the lack of a place to eat.  Even our 17' Casita has not one, but two dinettes.   Most Airstreams, particularly older models, have none.   We looked at a 31-footer the other day, and it had no dinette.  You are expected to eat on the couch in the front, and you know how handy and comfortable that would be.

Some newer units have dinettes, as people have complained about this long and loud, over the years.

And many older units have twin beds with a center aisle.   Very Ricky-and-Lucy, but not practical for a modern age.

But what about bigger units?  The 31-footer we looked at has the same layout as smaller trailers - they just give you a giant closet to fill up the space.  Who needs 8-feet of closet in a camper for chrissakes?  It makes no sense.  Eight feet of closet and no dinette.  And no, a closet is not a handy place to store your folding chairs and barbecue grill, unless you want your clothes smelling like charcoal.

And despite their enormous length, they sleep few people.  The 31-footer had rear twins (which were not really full-size twin mattresses, but more like bunks) and could theoretically sleep two more on the pull-out couch.   Thirty-one feet and it sleeps four.   Our 18' Prowler slept six!

Clearly, these are not the choice for a family with more than two kids.

9.  Parts:  You can go to Camping World or go online and find parts for your RV all day long - unless, of course, it is an Airstream.  For example, I just bought a new stove vent housing for $7.99 on eBay.  It was also on Amazon and several other RV parts places, as well as from the original manufacturer of the part.

But for an Airstream?  Many parts are "special" to the marque, and nothing else "fits" on an Airstream.   You want to add a fantastic fan to your camper?  Not a problem, if you have a regular camper.  Oh, wait, you have an Airstream.  You need the special Airstream model, as they decided to use a different sized vent opening than everyone else.

And so on, down the line.  Simple parts that cost a couple of bucks for a regular trailer, are special-order pieces for an Airstream.   Even the awning is different, as the arms have to have a "bend" to them to fit the side of the trailer (sort of).  Nothing is simple!

10.  Keeping it "Perfect":  The Airstream has a "perfect" exterior, and if kept spotless - no dents, no scratches, no peeling clearcoat - it will hold its value and not depreciate too much.  This is not to say they don't depreciate.  If you look at NADA guides, you can see that a $67,000 23-footer, after five years, is worth about half as much (that old "depreciates half in value every five years" rule of thumb).

This is in contrast to our 1988 Prowler 18' which we bought for $4000 and used for several years and sold for $4000.  Or our 27' Wilderness 5th Wheel, which we bought for $6500, used for several years, and then sold for $6000.   And the Casita, which we paid $8000 for, might fetch $6000 - or more - today.  And with a cheaper trailer, even if they depreciate down to nothing, you don't lose much.

But in order to keep even the value that an Airstream has, it has to be kept original.  You cannot modify it or use non-Airstream parts on it.   They detract from the value, considerably.

And yet, over time, the interiors wear out - and the tambor doors for the cabinets are either NLA or horrendously expensive, so people "restore" an older Airstream using non-stock cabinets and appliances (some folks put 110V refrigerators in them!).   Many become lakeside camps, and are never run again.

While a classic Airstream in excellent condition, with all-original configuration will fetch high dollars, a gutted-and-redone trailer, "modernized" and updated, may be worth a lot less.

With other types of trailers, this is not so much a concern.   I am not running a trailer museum, just going camping.  So, if I want to drill a hole in the side of the camper and bolt on something, I am not "desecrating" a "classic RV" or anything.

Camping should be about camping, not keeping some talisman of an icon in perfect condition all the time.  When you worry about tracking dirt into your camper, maybe it is time to give up on camping.  I'm just saying....

* * * 

So why do people buy Airstreams?  Well, they look cool, to be sure.   And it is a cult product - you can go on Airstream Caravans, camp at Airstream parks, and join the Airstream club and lean the secret handshakes and all of that nonsense.  It is retro, it is funky, and it has cache.   But is cache worth spending money on?   Not to me.

Like with a Harley, you can fantasize about how cool it will be to cruise down the highway in your shiny new Airstream, with everyone looking on in envy.   But of course, that is sort of a ridiculous reason to buy anything isn't it?  And yet we all do it, don't we?  We all want to have the baddest or best whatever-on-wheels to show off our implied wealth and sophistication.

It would be fun to restore a vintage Airstream from the 1960's and tow it with a restored International Travelall (with fake wood on the sides, of course).  But then again, the reality of the costs involved make me realize that it would be an expensive fantasy, and the reality of driving an older vehicle and an older trailer, well, it would have its challenges.

And the cost of buying "brandy-new" is just too staggering.  And frankly, what is the fun in that?  It takes no talent to go to the dealer and write checks (or worse yet, take out a loan).  No one is "impressed" by your ability to go into debt to acquire consumer goods.

(Some people really think this - that their ability to borrow to buy bling is a sign of their wealth, which they measure in terms of monthly income and credit score.   Borrowing is not wealth, it is anti-wealth.  And anyone with a W-2 and no common sense can go into debt up to their eyeballs to buy just about anything.  It is not a sign of wealth or sophistication, but often poverty and stupidity).

And for me, the allure of RVing may be wearing off, quickly.   Event the maintenance on a "small" trailer like we have, gets to be a lot, over time.  I have spend the last four days repacking wheel bearings, fixing a refrigerator door, steam-cleaning the carpeting, and tightening screws and replacing loose rivets.  Keeping even a lesser RV in good working order is, well, a lot of work.

Just driving somewhere and staying in a rented house or B&B starts to look more alluring than dragging your house with you, all the time.  And maybe in a few years, that is what we will do.

But the thought of spending tens of thousands of dollars on an RV?   It is just not in the cards, even if I could afford to "pay cash" for one - and I can, but I choose not to.   Maybe if I won the lottery.  But then again, if I won the lottery, I would have a private jet and a limo, right?

I choose not to.

Mercedes is offering $100,000 rebates on its Maybach sedans.  This still means the car is $300,000.  Although I could technically afford one, I choose not to buy one.

Money, for most people, is something to be spent.  I've even seen this philosophy expressed online, on financial sites.   If you aren't "having fun" with your money, what is the point?

One of the digs I get from folks is, "Well, no wonder you are against leasing a new Lexus, you are just poor and can't afford one!"

Au contraire.

I could go out today and buy a brand-new Lexus - or a dozen of them - and pay cash.   But of course, that would be sort of pointless, and it would deplete my retirement savings considerably.   Even buying just one really makes no sense, even if it would only put a small dent in my overall net worth.

Why?  Because I don't need one.   And thus, I choose not to buy one.

Others don't choose as wisely.   Many folks, upon retirement, sell their family home, cash it out, and then go blow it all on bling.   The expensive motorhome comes to mind, for example, or perhaps the expensive yacht.

While those are "fun" things to have, they have high overhead costs, and over time, they lose their allure.  And when that happens, you are stunned to realize that you have squandered tens of thousands of dollars - perhaps hundreds of thousands - on depreciating machinery.

That's the problem with having money.  You can spent it, to be sure - but then you no longer have it.

When you don't have money, well, it is a lot easier to spend the borrowed kind.   A $30,000 pickup truck seems like a reasonable proposition at $500 per month.  But paying cash?  Well, you realize that you'd rather keep the money that buy some poorly made piece of crap that looks shiny and smells new - for about three months.

You cannot own money without accumulating it.  And you cannot accumulate money by spending it.

Seems like a simple proposition, but it eludes most folks.   They view wealth as something to be shown off and rubbed in other people's faces.  And a bank account or 401(k) statement is not something you can park in your driveway.

I could afford to do a lot of things.  But I choose not to.  Why?  Because even a million dollars is not a lot of money, if you go and spend it all.   And when you are done, you own a lot of crap, and now you are poor.

Others choose differently.  That is the beauty of our country - people have choices.  But regularly, we hear from these people, after they have run through their money with their foolishness, and then want the rest of us to bail them out.

I choose not to.  Bail them out, that is.

Nine Money-Saving Tips

 Little things add up quickly, and over time, amount to huge savings in your life.  A lot of things you think you "need" to have, are really quite optional!

A few years ago, a reader sent me a list of their money-saving tips.  Their list is great.  Here are some more.  This posting is somewhat dated, but still relevant.  Some may seem kind of harsh, but they pay dividends far beyond just the cost savings:

1.  GET RID OF CABLE TV:  Save $50 to over $100 a month, plus get your life back.  The average American watches 4.5 hours a day (ouch!).  Spend that time cooking meals (instead of eating out), doing inexpensive home improvement projects, balancing your budget (do you have a budget?) etc.  TIME IS MONEY as they say, and 4.5 hours a day works out to a lot of money.

2.  VISIT YOUR LIBRARY:  Need a TV fix?  They loan out videos for free.  New releases to old-time "classics" not to mention documentaries and instructional videos.  Great way to spend time with the kids and learn - and its all free!

3.  VISIT YOUR LIBRARY:  While you are there, check out some BOOKS as well.  The new "bestsellers" are $25 apiece at Borders.  They are FREE at the library.  Also there are a lot of good educational non-fiction books to help you expand you mind and skills.  Good for the kids too.  Taking your kids to the library regularly is better than a college education.  If they value learning, they will learn, even if you can't pay for college.

4.  SHOP IN YOUR ATTIC:  You may find a lot of "bargains" up there - things you can use right now, instead of buying more stuff.  Got stuff you can't use or think of using in the next 6 months?  Have a garage sale.  Getting rid of junk is cleansing!

5.  FUND YOUR 401(k):  If you are not fully funding your 401(k) or other retirement plan, you are throwing money away.  For every dollar you put in, it can save you 38 cents on your taxes - or more.  This is free money from Uncle Sam.  You are right - paying extra on your mortgage might not be a good idea, particularly if you are not fully funding your 401(k).  Stocks are taking a beating now, which means its time to BUY THEM.

6.  TRIM YOUR OWN HAIR:  A friend of mine in nearly bald.  He goes to the barber and pays $14 for them to run a #2 trimmer over his scalp.  Buzz, Buzz, Done!  He bought a trimmer for $14, and it has paid for itself.  If you have this kind of "baldy" haircut, you do not need a barber.  This has saved us hundreds, if not thousands of dollars over the years.

7.  VISIT YOUR LIBRARY:  The reader mentioned that they cut back magazine subscriptions.  These same magazines are available at your library.  Magazines are pretty cheap, but if you are still paying money to be sold things on TV (paying for cable) you are missing the big item and trimming the small ones. 

8.  SHOP YOUR CAR INSURANCE:  I found out I was paying a lot extra for things I didn't really need, like "medical coverage" ($200 a year for $10,000 in coverage?  No thanks!) or "uninsured motorists" (I cut this back to $25,000 minimums - in what scenario would this pay out that my other coverage would not?) I raised my deductible to $1000 on some cars, eliminated collision and comp on others (they only pay book value, so a $3000 car gets $3000 coverage, no matter what it is worth to you).  Finally, I spend "15 minutes and saved 15% on my car insurance"  They were cheaper and very friendly.

9.  WAL-MART GROCERY:  The selection is better than you might think, and many "upscale" food items can found there for cheaper than Harris Teeter or those other "upscale" stores.  Ours even has good bread, which you can't get even at the Teeter.  Be careful, though, as not everything is a bargain.  It helps to keep track of prices before you buy.

That's just a few I am using.  The list is by no means exhaustive.  Your mileage may vary.